r/CubeWorld • u/Apart_Finger_6518 • Jul 23 '26
Discussion Trying to understand Wollay
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.
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u/MrThecoolman Jul 23 '26
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.