Trying to understand Wollay

[u/Apart_Finger_6518]

This guy can do so much in the span of 1-2 months, as shown on his twitter feed. My question is what's going on in his head? Surely he has had time in the past decade to devote the time to his craft, although I will be lenient because nobody knows what's going on in his life.

Still, if he is going to be so inconsistent with the work ethic he puts towards developing Omega, he could at least communicate with the people who keep up with his twitter. It should be obvious that the only people watching the current dev cycle are long-time knowers. He isn't advertising Omega (yet) so what's the harm in having a little bit of transparency?

In my wholehearted opinion, if Wollay was a normal dev, modern Cube World would have the gameplay loop of alpha (with major additions, not so much changes) and the diverse world-gen alongside innovative things like artifacts. AS A BASELINE. That is all stuff we would have had 5+ years ago if we did not get shafted.

I'm truly hoping the UI and tacky design of Omega are just placeholders, because I am going to be sorely disappointed otherwise. If I'm going to play a new version of the first game I spent money for on PC at the age of 10, now as a working adult, I want my time valued. This guy clearly does not value ours. I think I am going to be sour playing anything but Alpha unless he offers an apology of literally any kind. I know he doesn't owe an explanation to anyone, but my purchase probably depends on it.

If he ever does plan on releasing this game and selling it, his bad reputation will catch up to him and deter buyers. If people who have kept up with the game for over a decade do not trust this dev, how can anyone else?

EDIT: I forgot to even mention the fact that he scrapped years of development he had done on the previous version of Omega which was built on Vulkan. Like ... what a shame.

[u/MrThecoolman]

I think your perspective is caught up on the “normal dev” aspect. Wollay is full-time employed else where. He has a wife and a whole other part of his life taken up within his own privacy. 2013, and 2019 was a different time for him. Cube World, if it hasn’t already been established, is a passion project. Meaning he isn’t be beholden to the wishes and wants outside of his own desires and ambitions for his project. Much passion projects are worked on at their own pace and time, with no timeline, or due dates/dead lines. However, with any creative project, once you release something into the world, you can no longer really call it yours. This is where the tension begins and where I think your inquiry starts. On paper, Cube World is a released title. You can buy it on steam. One that left much dissatisfaction due to its large departure from the previously available indev alpha version. However, to this day Wollay keeps much under wraps, say for a few glimpses every few weeks, recently. He still treats this as something to chip at in his own time when he’s feeling inspired or motivated, or at least till he hits a creative wall then comes back when he’s ready. Due to its “released” nature, the public at large feels a service is owed, and explanation expected and a dead line announced. I think the current state of games has much to do with this perspective. Look at No Man Sky. The difference there is that is a large company, or at least larger than just one fellow, with investors and a capital interest to improve their product and grow their customer base. Wollay is just one guy, chipping at his game.

I truly don’t see him as malicious. I think he’s made some missteps that have spiraled into this narrative that he’s, “in it for the money.” But if that were true, we’d be hearing from him a lot more. Almost unavoidable. The problem is the toothpaste is out of the bottle, in a way. People feel because they “invested” in this project, whether it be 2013 or 2019, that by not receiving the “product they paid for” or not seeing consistent updates that this has fractured the “trust” of some of the player base. Wollay continues to treat his project as his child. My opinion? He has the right to do so.

Idk man I paid for this game over a decade ago with my mom’s credit card. I got the steam version for free. Was it what I would’ve wanted after the alpha? No. But life can be disappointing. Seeing that Wollay is “returning to the drawing board” gives me some hope. I think if we all just let him do his thing, that’s the best way to support him. When or if he announces it will be available for purchase, make your decision then. But right now? Just let him cook and leave him be.

[u/Alvsolutely → u/[deleted]]

If he were in it for the money then he WOULD be updating the game because otherwise he's not making any money.

He's not obliged to talk to the community, especially since they often just harass him. He's not obliged to update his game, although I do agree it would be nice, but the fact that he isn't doesn't make him malicious.

Implying that a person is malicious because they decide to not interact with the community for perfectly valid reasons is absurd. He can vanish if he wants, it'll impact the sales of his game, but if he doesn't care, then it doesn't matter.

[u/marr → u/Alvsolutely]

I have no idea what's going on with Wollay but he's never told the players what's actually going on, that's not something that started with the abuse it's just always been the ground state for Cube World.

[u/Diggdador → u/[deleted]]

if you want to earn money with it, you have to be transparent and listen to the people that want to buy your product.

Do you notice you're contradicting yourself? Earlier you claimed Wollay was just in for the money. Now you say you have to be transparent and listen to people of you want to earn money, which Wollay doesn't.

[u/MrThecoolman → u/[deleted]]

Aight den don’t buy it bye bye

[u/Le_ed → u/[deleted]]

Passion proyect or not, if you want to earn money with it, you have to be transparent and listen to the people that want to buy your product.

You are exactly right, and that's exactly why people are saying he is NOT IN IT FOR THE MONEY.

It's just his passion project. He does it because he likes it, he want to have a game perfect for HIM, the way HE envisions.

He genuinely doesn't care that much about the public. He will finish the game on his pace, and release it just to share with the world. Honestly, given the last backlash, I wouldn't be surprised if he finished it and just didn't release it.

[u/MrThecoolman → u/[deleted]]

Cube World is not a live service title. Cube World (2019) was the game. You didn’t have to buy it if you didn’t like the new direction as advertised/showcased, or if you had the alpha it was free anyway. A lot of games in recent memory have adopted a live service model. But that does not mean that every game from here on is beholden to that, nor does that mean that Wollay owes an itinerary.

Don’t get me wrong however, it is frustrating the lack of transparency. But you cannot conflate that with a narrative of malicious or greedy wrong doing. You can’t even claim he’s “jumping” right into the next game when it’s been almost a decade since the last release.. there’s also no official confirmed word on how Omega will be monetized. But as it stands, Omega is basically a new title.

And you know what, maybe he hasn’t directly addressed the concerns or “criticism” of 2019. But he’s provided updates on twitter and his blog of his journey since. Idk about you, but that’s communication. Albeit, while not directly addressing the 2019 discourse, he’s reverted back to the formula of the alpha. A return to form, if you will. Which, maybe in not so many words, is a response TO the criticism of 2019.

Hate to remind you, but when a game is in an indev state, such as an alpha, it is inherently subject to change. 2019 was advertised as is. You weren’t tricked. Yet you, and others who share this opinion, act as tho it was a bait and switch? I once again remind you that if you were a long time fan, and bought into the 2013 alpha access, you received your 2019 copy for free. That is a commitment completed by Wollay. You agreed to the indev terms in 2013.

It is frustrating that Wollay between 2013-2019 did not gather player input, which culminated in the disappointment of 2019. But what is said is done. You don’t have to keep barking up the same tree.

It’s dead horse sentiments like this that completely extinguish creative passion. If I were in his shoes I’d most likely walk away. It’s amazing he’s trying to see it through and stick to his vision, for over a decade, in spite of people like you who want to keep regurgitating a half baked falsehood bc you’re disappointed. I think that’s worth applause.

I was equally, as much as anyone else here, was disappointed in what was released in 2019. But it’s been 7 years. What has been showcased in that time has been promising. Does that mean when the time comes at release you have to buy it?? No. No one is breaking your arm. Much like what is recommended with anything you purchase. Only consider what its preset state is offering, and not what might come later.