Haven't been here in a long time, but was going to try out A21. Noticed that Madmole's last post was back in June and he hasn't visited the forum at all since July 2nd. I couldn't find any announcements regarding his involvement in this game, so wanted to ask you all what happened to Joel. Also, for bonus points, someone fill me in on how TFP are handling all the recent Unity Engine controversy. Are they looking at a different engine for further development?
PC Where is Madmole? Are TFP staying with Unity? Someone fill in a vet who hasn't been here in a while please.
- Thread starter NewGuy
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Riamus
Well-known member
They wouldn't be able to change the engine this far into development. They were already going to use something else (I believe Unreal Engine) for their next game, so no changes expected.
Note that this isn't the official word as no one at TFP has given any indication of their thoughts regarding the Unity fiasco. It is just an understanding of how much work it would be to change the engine and the cost involved in doing so, which would be almost guaranteed to be higher than the cost of Unity's price increases, not to mention the time involved.
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Rotor
Well-known member
So Madmole goes from being very active on the forums to absolutely not even visiting here since July 2nd, and there's no explanation? I'm glad to hear that at least it appears he's still alive and hopefully in good health, but nobody has a clue why he just stopped visiting his own site over 3 months ago?
SylenThunder
Community Moderator / IT Guru
Given the way a large portion of the community has raked him over hot coals every time he gives a vague estimate that isn't met, I'm honestly not surprised. I'd give up talking on the forums too. It would be really nice too if they just stopped giving any estimates at all. Since the community obviously isn't mature enough to understand the difference between an estimate and a promise.
Fanatical_Meat
Well-known member
Mole MUST have an alt account. Is it against the forums TOS for him to do so?
Adam the Waster
Well-known member
pApA^LeGBa
Well-known member
With community you mean gamers in general. It´s not that this is a new behaviour from the gaming crowd that is exclusive to 7 days to die. If you make a deadline and can´t meet it people get upset. Does this really surprise anyone? That´s a normal behaviour even when not talking about games or software. I am well aware that it is very hard to estimate when a game or a feature of a game is done, but knowing that, why even give an estimate? People getting angry about a deadline that isn´t met, was a thing before the internet and video games already...
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Fanatical_Meat
Well-known member
What you’re not grateful when your food at a restaurant arrives 3 hours late?
More seriously yes gamers can have unreasonable expectations and unusually strong reactions to small things. Mine is the statement “when it’s done” trigger moment for me hearing that. I totally understand why someone could be ground down by it. Also Mole have probably been screwing around with some version of the game for 10+ years and god knows how many thousands of hours all while knowing what’s going on behind the scene. Pretty amazing he stayed so engaged for so long.
So true. A lot of people cant' handle the uncertainty of hairy fairy estimates. In this case they badger TFPs to give some estimates, or bust their chops for "not providing feedback" and then bust their chops for not meeting the hairy fairy estimates. Its a no-win situation for the supplier which ever way they choose to answer...
meilodasreh
New member
I wouldn't give too much to the fact he isn't around here much anymore.
I mean, this is a forum of a game developed by a company he's one of the founders, yeah fine, but that doesn't make it "his site", it is not his job to run/participate/interact here on this site at all!
The CEO of my company is also not been seen around and interacting much with the "common people",
which doesn't mean he lost interest, nor that he's ill or even dead.
He just has more important stuff to do, which is fine for me, and I don't even care about his highly important bs...for the less important stuff he has minions like me.
We even don't know each other at all, but in the very rare cases we run across,
we both give each other that silent nod when passing by, and I swear I know we both silently agree that we don't give a @%$# about what exactly the other one does, and we're absolutely fine with that as long as the job's done.
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Roland
Moderator
Madmole is an art and ideas guy. He used to come on and talk about what he was working on which was art assets and feature ideas that he was working on. All of the art was passed to a dedicated team a couple years ago so Madmole isn't doing art any more beyond concept art that he shares internally but nothing that makes it into the game. Furthermore, all of the ideas for the game that need to be added for gold have been firmly established now. When he implemented the magazine system he came on the forum and discussed it a bit. But there isn't a lot of idea stuff to talk about now that they've locked down all the new features that will be in the game. He usually comes on when he is excited about a new feature that was just implemented that isn't secret. So maybe once the new armors are in he will come and talk about it or maybe once bandits are in he will come and talk about it.
He can't talk about all of his ideas and plans for the next game yet so there we are.
He can't talk about all of his ideas and plans for the next game yet so there we are.
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SylenThunder
Community Moderator / IT Guru
Except that it was never a "deadline". See, even you are misreading the text to support your argument.
A rough estimate isn't a deadline. It's a hopeful maybe and nothing more.
Adam the Waster
Well-known member
That one thing I really liked about Madmole was on the site he partly made, playing the Game he had in hand making and talked to the communityI wouldn't give too much to the fact he isn't around here much anymore.
I mean, this is a forum of a game developed by a company he's one of the founders, yeah fine, but that doesn't make it "his site", it is not his job to run/participate/interact here on this site at all!
The CEO of my company is also not been seen around and interacting much with the "common people",
which doesn't mean he lost interest, nor that he's ill or even dead.
He just has more important stuff to do, which is fine for me, and I don't even care about his highly important bs...for the less important stuff he has minions like me.
We even don't know each other at all, but in the very rare cases we run across,
we both give each other that silent nod when passing by, and I swear I know we both silently agree that we don't give a s%!T about what exactly the other one does, and we're absolutely fine with that as long as the job's done.
Now he's not on here That much. Probably cuz me and Matt bullied him by asking so many questions it drove him mad.
But oh well! It was nice hearing is voice during the dev stream and interview with GNS
And yeah people got mad when predictions. That's just apart of everything. I said I have a feeling the dev diary will come out on the 20th to 22 because of twitch con but it's a
9
Too bad we won't be getting anything like ASA, but given the crap they are going through.... probably for the best
Riamus
Well-known member
Madmole seems to use the forum randomly. He wasn't around for probably a year before he started posting this summer and then disappeared again. This isn't something strange or some kind of conspiracy.
He's probably busy working on the game and that is far more important than posting here regularly. Besides, as others mentioned, everyone bugs him for estimated dates and when he gives them and they can't make the date, people complain. It really isn't worth it for him to waste time putting up with people who don't know the difference between "we think it might be in X time" versus "it will be in X time".
He's probably busy working on the game and that is far more important than posting here regularly. Besides, as others mentioned, everyone bugs him for estimated dates and when he gives them and they can't make the date, people complain. It really isn't worth it for him to waste time putting up with people who don't know the difference between "we think it might be in X time" versus "it will be in X time".
Crater Creator
Community Moderator
Without getting into the timing of any particular feature or person’s schedule, Madmole has generally been spending a lot of time leading the character team, as they work on "the new player character system... coming to Alpha 22.” That quote is not insider information; it's a quote from their Youtube page, so don’t come after me. :tongue1: