Make a Kickstarter for DC Updates

[angelicdragonpuppy]

I would be more than happy to donate some money if that was what it took to get things we would like implemented.

 

However, I don't think money would work. I believe, from what I've learnt/seen/surmised over the time I've played the game/visited the forums, that if TJ wants to do something he will. If he doesn't he won't - no matter how many of us suggest it.

 

That isn't a criticism it's merely a statement of fact and in effect that is what life is like. Let's be honest, we are all more likely to do something if we want to do it rather than doing something we don't want to do - especially when that thing isn't essential or necessary.

 

It really would be nice to know more about his thoughts and know for definite if things that have been suggested and are really popular aren't ever going to be implemented. That would, as others have said, stop us from wondering all of the time and re-suggesting it, etc.

 

Of all the things that have been suggested, the thing I want most of all is an 8th egg slot. I can't believe that kind of thing takes long to code (the basic coding already exists given we have limits anyway) so time doesn't seem to be the issue for that. Ditto I would have thought that the coding for some BSAs could be tweaked and use for other BSAs so once again I don't think it's down to time. It's down to what TJ wants to do.

 

But if some kind of fund would help get some of these things implemented then yes, I'm definitely in favour.

Yah, as sad as I'd be to see some suggestions just shut down... it'd still be better than wasting years arguing for something that has no chance of being implemented. I understand some things might take time to mull over but the waiting period on some of these very basic suggestions goes way, way beyond that.

 

The other kicker, of course, is that some of these ideas are things TJ suggested himself. An extra egg slot gained by being active for x amount of time... the ability to steal names off long inactive scrolls... both things propositioned by the creator himself a good long while ago with no progress.

 

I'd love it if there was a way to support some of these things becoming a reality. But at the very least some word from above either way so we stop wasting our time on dead horses would be A++.

[XiziX]

At the same time, you kinda need incentive for other people to actually donate as well. Not everyone is gunna wanna toss forward money just to see what happens. You gotta give back. I dunno if TJ wants to or is in a position to do that. Who knows, maybe he is.

 

But I am there with you. I am sick and tired of awesome debates and suggestions going to waste for YEARS with no true confirmation or response from TJ. I also hate the weird "you have to convince me" comments that have been made YEARS AGO, and people debate and debate and get nothing back. For more years that follow. *cough* the unfreezing option for holiday hatchies from years ago BEFORE the limits were lifted.*cough*

 

Just close the darn thread if its a no. Accept it if it's a yes. Don't lead your player base along for 4 years until the suggestion dies because it's so old everyone has given up hope.

 

It's why I stopped posting in most places - suggestions feel like a waste of time and energy and creativity. And, to be honest, there was and still are so many amazing dragons that I feel are just collecting dust in the completed section, while others make me kinda tilt my head and think they maybe need updates before being released. Feels like such a waste when I look at it - kinda breaks my heart really. Seeing all of these dragons and knowing we will probably never see them outside of the forum posts.

 

Plus, back when my friends were excited about DC, these were thoughts we all shared. I can't be the only one. Heck, even now typing this I feel like I am wasting my time. Sigh.

Edited April 14, 2017 by Lyxii

[DaniBoo]

TJ doesn't owe anyone answers. He doesn't have to answer yes or no to ideas. While I understand that it may be frustrating to players not hearing feedback, TJ obviously has his own reasons for not responding and I think everyone should respect that.

 

 

[AppleMango]

TJ doesn't owe anyone answers. He doesn't have to answer yes or no to ideas. While I understand that it may be frustrating to players not hearing feedback, TJ obviously has his own reasons for not responding and I think everyone should respect that.

Of course he doesn't have to give us answers. But it would be nice.

Like adp said, some of the suggestions have been around for years, and are very simple. I don't think it would be hard for him to let us know what he was thinking, and it would be appreciated by so many people that use this website, especially if it was something like "I'd like to see ___ part of this suggestion fleshed out more before I implemented it."

Something.

 

 

 

No one would be forced to donate and everyone would get the implemented features, I don't see why anyone is having a problem with this topic tbh.

 

 

[Fuzzbucket]

I'd settle for "I'm not doing anything new any more evah".....

 

Just we spend hours trying to flesh things out and we never get any idea if we are just wasting our time (and his, assuming he reads them all !)

[olympe]

Unfortunately, there's a lot of truth to that. I know that quite a few things that have been suggested in the past have been implemented, and still do every once in a while (or dozens, really). It still feels like too little overall. Like this whole stuff that's accumulated in the BSA subforums. There are quite a few useful BSAs in there that are totally fleshed out, fit the breed, seem easy to implement, some even have the artist's/conceptor's approval or even support. They've been sitting there for years. And yet, only one measly BSA got implemented. (I'm talking about Fertility, btw.)

 

Frankly, most of the time, I'm torn between hashing out ideas (so they actually suit not only my own style, but as many styles as possible) and just not caring.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

TJ doesn't owe anyone answers. He doesn't have to answer yes or no to ideas. While I understand that it may be frustrating to players not hearing feedback, TJ obviously has his own reasons for not responding and I think everyone should respect that.

Yes, he doesn't HAVE to do anything, but when there are very heavily requested suggestions with 7+ years and no response, it does harm the player base's perceptions. Why stick around or bother trying to improve the site if seemingly the creator doesn't care? Obviously there are some suggestions there that are newer or more complicated which he could still be ruminating on, but heal and the ability to unname dead dragons are exceedingly simple suggestions that have gone unanswered for SEVEN YEARS. That stings, yo.

[Obscure_Trash]

No one would be forced to donate and everyone would get the implemented features, I don't see why anyone is having a problem with this topic tbh.

Well, tbh, I haven't posted because on one hand, I completely understand what and why this topic of born of, but on the other hand...

 

This topic exists on two huge assumptions that I'm honestly not sure are true.

Assumption One: There are enough Suggestions available for rewards that this is doable. (Available meaning workable and filling for the cave. As an example, more organized sorting is something a lot of us want, but TJ let us know a while ago that he knows this is an issue just hasn't come up with a better solution that really works in the cave.)

Assumption Two: The reason suggestions are not implemented is because there's no motivation because this is a for-free website. TJ has stated time and time again that he's not in this for the money, that ads are more than enough to pay everything. He's not very vocal in Suggestions (for a few reasons that I do understand), but he's not ever said anything to the effect that a suggestion is not worth implementing just because it's too time costly. The only thing along these lines he's said are for suggestions that require editing forum software, something that does seem silly to waste the energy on when a lot of them are things that we'd get anyway or have to re-code if we upgraded the forum software.

 

As well, something like this hinges upon a few things:

- TJ having to be prepared to put down deadlines of how soon each reward can be implemented, which will depend on how quickly donations come in.

- TJ having the time to dedicate to that many potentially big suggestions at once.

- TJ being motivated and feeling responsible for the rewards having money holding him to doing them in time. I know personally, if I ever had something to offer, the idea of doing a kickstarter along these lines is something I'd be really wary of because I would 100% feel responsible for holding up my end of the agreement, but feeling responsible about it doesn't mean that by the time the donations came in, I would have the proper energy and motivation to finish them.

 

So while I think this is a really nifty idea, it is perhaps better for brainstorming than anything else. I think if TJ is going to put in the work of doing a suggestion and making sure it's viable so that it can be offered as a reward, he's probably just going to go ahead and do it. Think kind of along the lines of the issue we had with a "User's Choice" release: in order to offer choices, TJ first has to make sure everything is suitable for release and everything is ready to go before the release even happens, which creates extra work and then leaves extra scraps (ie, dragons that are cave ready but were not chosen for release). The same kind of work would be created here; hence, I'm not sure this is really something to viably get more suggestions in cave.

 

EDIT to add: Of course, I would not presume to speak for TJ or to speak over him. This is just my own perception based on various posts of his as well as talking with him (not about this in particular, though).

Edited April 17, 2017 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Starscream]

I am not sure its mentioned before but, TJ has a full time paying job. A kick starter probably would not pay him as well as a stable full time job does.

 

DC probably is a bit of a programming hobby for him, and he probably has some restriction on code he can use due to conflicting interests with his employment. That sort of thing does happen. He probably has a lot of time working on work projects and to come home and have to work on this perhaps would take the joy out of working on a project such as DC.

 

to get a lot of the wanted ideas out, he probably would need to hire programmers and then it becomes less of a hobby and more of a job. He created this when he was a kid, he probably did not expect it to be as successful as it is.

 

He does give us events, little event games and dragon releases. He is an extremely private person and who knows what is going on under the hood. He does not have to tell us anything about what he is working on.

 

Let him do stuff at his own pace. his adverts pay enough for site, and any contributions through buying add free site also helps pay.

[Fuzzbucket]

Let him do stuff at his own pace. his adverts pay enough for site, and any contributions through buying add free site also helps pay.

This. I love this place, but to be honest - however much I want some of the things I have suggested myself, I wouldn't join in a kickstarter to get them. I chip in from time to time, but I am acutely aware of KS projects that haven't met their target and no-one got anything.

 

We get games and so on for events; we get new dragons, and sometimes we get new features. And all this happens because of TJ and volunteer artists and helpers who do it all for free. If it turned into any kind of commercial venture, I think it would lose a lot of its feel.

 

I read somewhere that sickness absence is way lower in charity shops than in "proper" shops, because people feel committed to things they volunteer for in a way that they don't if it's just for pay. Just sayin'.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

Honestly this thread is mostly just to try to get the ball rolling. I realize it's a free site and there's other things to be done but...

 

Again, seven years and no heal or name removing from dead dragons! SEVEN! YEARS!

 

At this point it's not even about getting things to happen so much as begging to have a firm no stamped on things that won't. As Fuzz said, just hearing "basically no new updates will happen" would still be something. Because myself and many others have spent years arguing for and fleshing out suggestions that still haven't seen the light of day. If that effort is a waste of time... please, TELL ME so I can move on and use my time elsewhere.

 

And since I realize all the above is very morbid sounding, I'll clarify that I DO love DC, wouldn't have spent nine years if I didn't. But at the same time it is sooo frustrating to see updates come at snail's pace with pure silence on many others for years and years. I'd be happier with the game, warts and all, if we were just given a little more communication on "no, this isn't likely to happen, you can stop bumping and reworking and fleshing the idea out now."

[olympe]

Exactly. If we know that things aren't going to happen, we don't need to put our energy into things. Sure, it's probably much less energy than coding the darn thing, but fleshing out ideas, doing research on older, similar ideas, re-reading threads with a dozen or more pages to find old points that have been made to be able to quote them, hunting for elusive TJ posts for the very same purpose - and wrapping all that up in a nice little post can take an hour or more. And that's for just one single post. I know it's happened to me on more than one occasion. And I'd really like to know if everything is just a waste of time on my part.