KickStarter Mechajammer (formerly Copper Dreams) - cyberpunk RPG from Whalenought Studios

[Whalenought_Joe]

Tyranicon Thank you, best wishes to your work! Are you designing/programming and doing the art for your current game? Those two are what we'd like to do next, not simultaneously, but these should be shorter games as they are penned out at this point and aren't changing, learned that lesson. New SitS world adventure has been in the works for a while since we haven't been able to do more updates on this one.

Alienman Yeah sorry we probably can't say much more in detail, but we definitely had more than our party look at the contract, it was sound for what it is, in general with these things it's difficult to account for the human element and everything going wrong that could.

 

[Alienman]

Oh well. Regardless, it's going to be interesting to see what you guys cook up next. Hopefully, it won't be a developer/publisher disaster like Mechajammer. Good luck!

 

[roshan]

I don't know how much we'd have to share from that, just finding the right cocktail of gameplay for the original concept of this open world, detective-y, combat thing. A lot of concepts were neat and we're using ideas of them now. It was always a small production and game, we just listened to a lot of feedback without a filter.

Thanks! I don't know if we have announced it, but we're calling it the expansion name from the original kickstarter if that's what you mean. We spent a lot of time dissecting what went well with SitS and what didn't, and there was a lot we wanted to imrpove on the exploration formula, so it's not an exact 'expansion' and will be a separate game, but I'm pretty sure through GOG/Steam we can provide discounts for SitS owners, and right, free for backers. We'd like to give SitS the same treatment down the road if we have a chance.

Please make the SITS follow up a 2D isometric, fixed camera game

 

[grimace]

Thank you Whalenought_Joe for the update.



The physical rewards turned out great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmBVuQ4h00

 

[Dhaze]

Oh my god. It's happening. The time is now.

Hello mister Whalenought_Joe, good sir. In late march of last year, I bought Mechajammer on GoG after the Refracted Update went through; and the days that followed now constitute what is quite simply the weirdest, most infuriating video gaming experience in my storied 30+ year 'gaming career'. Thus I created an account here (something exceptionnal for me), where I found the only people talking about Mechajammer outside of Steam, and left a short and rather scathing review of the game.

But I then faced a rather singular problem. I'm someone who finishes games. And in a couple of days, I, an extremely calm and composed man, almost maniacally un-installed then re-installed your game multiple times, growing increasingly frustrated with the incommensurable plethora of bugs. Simultaneously, I couldn't help but wonder if it was even possible to finish the game, so utterly broken it seemed. And searching through the internet, I found absolutely no one—months after the release, not a single person!—having talked about or recorded any footage of the game beyond its first hour or so of playtime.

So, finding the experience vaguely cathartic, I went to work and started an impromptu Let's Play of Mechajammer in this very thread (following shortly my first post, on page 143). To this day, I think it is the only full playthrough in existence; and if you search Youtube for 'Mechajammer Quarryman' or '[...] Ending' or yet '[...] Puzzle' you'll find my short videos are the only ones to surface.

Now, let's be very clear that you, the developer, owe me precisely nothing. I bought your game; I played your game; I loathed your game with such visceral passion could never be fought. But that's fine.

Natheless, I have roughly seventeen quintibillion questions about Mechajammer, and boy oh boy do I hope I can now ask you at least a few of them?

/e: I should had, just in case you think I only have horrible things to say, that the entire 'detective' part of the game was truly well-thought and a pleasure to complete.

 

[buffalo bill]

Whalenought_Joe is there any way you could release the deathmatch game from around July 2020 (I comment on it on page 102 of this thread)? I actually found that game fun to play, and put quite a few hours into it.

 

[Skorpion]

So wait, releasing a completely bug ridden broken game is the publishers fault?
Gee I hope you dont get a publisher again, they might ruin it!

 

[mediocrepoet]

Whalenought_Joe good luck with your future projects. I just hope you learned from the experiences. Other than that, it's better to move on and just look forward.

 

[Whalenought_Joe]

Skorpion It's most certainly our fault

buffalo bill We'd like to but I don't want to test any legal boundaries, it was originally going to ship with the game as a separate mode with the various gangs unlockable as bots/player groups

roshan We definitely want to make another isometric party game, if we're still around after these next couple projects we'd love to plan another SitS-like party based adventure and give it the time it needs, the requirements for an interactive party is just too large for us at the moment

grimace Thank you! Those were a lot of fun to work on and we were happy to get everything in those boxes, glad you enjoyed them! Pinched my finger on so many of those metal ones.

mediocrepoet Thanks. It was definitely a learning experience to be used

Dhaze I'm so sorry man, it certainly sounds like I owe you an apology, and do so now. That's what they called the last update scheduled, that's right, we were starting to chip away at what we taped together to get the game out by that deadline, but there was a mountain more to get to. We drank ourselves pretty stupid after we realized we weren't going to be scheduled for any more updates, but I'll try to answer what I can

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Seriously though, how're the both of you doing otherwise?

 

[gaussgunner]

I think the game was always going to be a weird sell, we iterated a lot publicly and weren't confident enough to say no to suggestions and, in hindsight, less helpful feedback over the years.

Yes, you should have ignored your paypiggies and taken my advice instead.

I have written you off but if you can actually stick to a plan now and finish a game properly, I'll give it chance. SITS and early Copper Dreams showed a lot of promise.

 

[Dhaze]

Dhaze I'm so sorry man, it certainly sounds like I owe you an apology, and do so now. That's what they called the last update scheduled, that's right, we were starting to chip away at what we taped together to get the game out by that deadline, but there was a mountain more to get to. We drank ourselves pretty stupid after we realized we weren't going to be scheduled for any more updates, but I'll try to answer what I can

No, you do not in any way owe me an apology at all. I bought Mechajammer fully aware of all the red flags, and I could easily have asked and obtained a refund from GoG; so if anything, it's on me.

I'm a bit busy working for Tyranicon right now, but if that's okay with you I'll try and properly organise a few meaningful questions regarding various aspects of the game. If you or Hannah can answer any of it to any degree, that would be fantastic and sincerely appreciated on my part; but if for any reason at all—contractual obligations, or your own mental health, or whatever—you can't or don't want to provide an answer, that's equally fine.

Cheers. And again, the detective part of the game, the clues leading into puzzles leading into more and clues and puzzles, was remarkably done.

Seriously though, how're the both of you doing otherwise?

Second that. Hope you guys are doing well. I had mentionned it a couple of times before in the thread, but I can imagine how horrible it must be to work on something for years only to see it fail utterly.

 

[Skorpion]

Skorpion It's most certainly our fault

buffalo bill We'd like to but I don't want to test any legal boundaries, it was originally going to ship with the game as a separate mode with the various gangs unlockable as bots/player groups

roshan We definitely want to make another isometric party game, if we're still around after these next couple projects we'd love to plan another SitS-like party based adventure and give it the time it needs, the requirements for an interactive party is just too large for us at the moment

grimace Thank you! Those were a lot of fun to work on and we were happy to get everything in those boxes, glad you enjoyed them! Pinched my finger on so many of those metal ones.

mediocrepoet Thanks. It was definitely a learning experience to be used

Dhaze I'm so sorry man, it certainly sounds like I owe you an apology, and do so now. That's what they called the last update scheduled, that's right, we were starting to chip away at what we taped together to get the game out by that deadline, but there was a mountain more to get to. We drank ourselves pretty stupid after we realized we weren't going to be scheduled for any more updates, but I'll try to answer what I can

I misunderstood your previous posts then. Considering how Im sure you have to tip toe around any legal matters its understandable.
Here is to hoping your next game works out better to your expectations.

 

[Tyranicon]

If I can offer some friendly and completely unsolicited advice, I would update your kickstarter and steam page on your plans, probably as soon as they're solid.

It can be daunting facing your biggest critics, but it's necessary.

After all, you're here and the codex is a notoriously, um, friendly hugbox where people won't shout obscenities at you.

 

[Dhaze]

It's also the only place where people still talk about the game, so it's not the wretched hive of scum and villainy it's made out to be.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

so it's not the wretched hive of scum and villainy it's made out to be.

Agreed
It's worse.

 

[mediocrepoet]

so it's not the wretched hive of scum and villainy it's made out to be.

Agreed
It's worse.

Not every game can be Realms of Arkania HD.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

so it's not the wretched hive of scum and villainy it's made out to be.

Agreed
It's worse.

Not every game can be Realms of Arkania HD.

Ah, but Realms of Arkania HD can be every game.

 

[ItsChon]

Strange to see wholesome Codex for once.

Props for owning up to everything like a man, wish you all the best in future endeavors!

 

[Dhaze]

Strange to see wholesome Codex for once.

Right? I'm gone a few months, and when I come back it's all teddy bears and rainbows. Quick now: someone spit on Josh Sawyer!

 

[Abu Antar]

Strange to see wholesome Codex for once.

Right? I'm gone a few months, and when I come back it's all teddy bears and rainbows. Quick now: someone spit on Josh Sawyer!

 

[mindx2]

Have to admire the chutzpah of Whalenought_Joe coming in here... this is the Codex after all! I quite enjoyed SitS and was hoping Cooper Dreams would have built off of that foundation.

But this...

Thank you Whalenought_Joe for the update.



The physical rewards turned out great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmBVuQ4h00

Why don't I have this?!!! Whalenought_Joe please tell me you have another one as it NEEDS to be in mindx2's ever growing museum of computer games. I mean, this one would be quite the conversation stater!!

 

[Alienman]

Didn't you sell of your collection?

Did you start anew?

 

[CyberWhale]

Have to admire the chutzpah of @Whalenought_Joe coming in here... this is the Codex after all! I quite enjoyed SitS and was hoping Cooper Dreams would have built off of that foundation.

Why? As it was demonstrated for the umpteenth time, Codexers are extraordinary cucks willing to slurp any developer's ass, even if the people in question hung them out to dry (numerous times in a row and for prolonged periods of time). You know, just like Joe and Hannah did.

I think the game was always going to be a weird sell, we iterated a lot publicly and weren't confident enough to say no to suggestions and, in hindsight, less helpful feedback over the years.

You were confident enough to ignore our advice on numerous art-style and game design changes, though. But alas, the core audience will always remain loyal to a fault, so appeasing them is unnecessary. Despicable stance, but genuinely understandable. As demonstrated ITT, it works and there is no point in changing the approach. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Our hope at this point is to release a shareware Copper Dreams game realizing the unused concepts during the development of this game we think people also resonated with, in a tighter package with our new 3d things we have going on now. That wouldn't be until next year.

Despite you constantly ignoring sane advice, I'll offer you a couple regardless:
1. if you release something, price it. Even if it's just $10-$20.
2. stick to the originally envisioned idea/concept. If you come up with new things (titles, gameplay mechanics and/or visual styles) during the development, put them in your imaginary box and try to implement them in a new and fitting project instead of changing the current one.
3. evolve. Stop trying to revolutionize the genre before you were able to release something relatively traditional that excels. Picasso didn't start as a cubist. Re-use your old code, graphic assets and so on, and slowly add an element or two (setting appropriate) for each new release.
4. stop giving out timelines and promises. Your track record for keeping up promises was compromised long ago. Nothing personal, I'm not really any better unfortunately.

Hopefully you don't (mis)use this replica for ghostlighting the Codex simps again. I obviously don't represent the majority here.

 

[mindx2]

I believe you just proved my point CyberWhale ...