Why not Soulash 1 ?

[風]

Soulash 1 is awesome but i feel it is incomplete, why not implement your ideas into Soulash 1 instead of making Soulash 2, i feel Soulash 1 still needs more work to be a finished and polished product, but this is just my opinion and i wish you the best of luck developing Soulash 2.

EDIT: I edit this because i was kinda rude on how i expressed myself. My apologies.

[Artur Smiarowski]

I understand you would prefer that games be developed forever for that single purchase payment, but unless the game is popular, sells well, or has support from fans through Patreon, it's impossible.

I've explained my decision before. I created Soulash working part-time for 5 years, and Soulash revenue only pays for 2 years full time, including paying the artist, and because I paid heavily with my health while working 2 jobs, the only way for me to continue past release was full-time or not at all. Soulash 2 was the only viable option with how things played out on release.

Soulash was completed with the 1.0 release, and there aren't many ways to expand it further meaningfully anymore. I do plan to make QoL updates when I can, backporting some things like mouse movement from the sequel, but all of the features like building, factions, or new procedural world that I'm developing would be a bad fit for that game after I finished it with the gods and victory condition updates. Soulash also doesn't need any more content, the victory run already takes 20 hours or more, and the only way to expand it would be to add alternative ways to get into Dreamworld on top of already 2 existing ones.

And I will confirm right away that if I can't find a way to sustain the development of Soulash 2 after the full release that will happen 1 year after EA that I have planned and already have funds for, I will be moving to a 3rd game or won't be able to make games at all. I don't see any other way to develop games. I'm already working 70-hour weeks and commission extra work with all my the funds, so I'm sorry, but I can't offer more at this time.

[vitokin]

Originally posted by H:

You decided to make Soulash 2 after leaving Soulash 1 in such a bad state ?
You decided to make a new game instead of polishing Soulash 1 first ?
Instead of implementing your ideas into Soulash 1 you decided to make a new one ?
Really ????
what a bad move, this game will be another disapointment that will be left incomplete like the first one , and then you go make soulash 3.

What a shame, what a disappointment, still i wish you good luck.

Hey man i saw your trolling posts in other channels on steam.. Project zomboid, Low magic age and somewhere else i forgot but i did stumble upon you in a game i follow. You seem to target indie game devs why not focus on bugthesda or some big company instead of our lovely poor indies? Very nice man ahah!

[風]

Originally posted by vitokin:

Hey man i saw your trolling posts in other channels on steam.. Project zomboid, Low magic age and somewhere else i forgot but i did stumble upon you in a game i follow. You seem to target indie game devs why not focus on bugthesda or some big company instead of our lovely poor indies? Very nice man ahah!

Alright i admit, my words were not the best and so i edited my post, i was very frustrated when i found out about Soulash 2 and i wrote like an unpolite idiot, i apologize for that.

But...

You are completely wrong, i am just expressing my frustration about games i love and i wish they would become better.

I know you want to get noticed by the devs by how well you behave in defending them (and i do not blame you because you are free to do whatever you want), i want to be real and honest about my frustration of some aspects of their products, and i only do that for them to become better, because i love their games and i want to see them become better. (and i only do it in rare cases of lovely games like Soulash or Low Magic Age, you won't see my comments in any indie game, you just happen to like the same genre as i do so you found my comments on those forums, that is alright.)

"why not focus on bugthesda or some big company instead of our lovely poor indies?"

This is just sad to read, first i do not have any agenda, i am just a simple person who loves good games, like Soulash, your opinion is wrong about me (not that i blame you, because you as me are just saying what you feel, right ?)

And second you should not call them "poor indies", i kinda feel offended by this because i love their games.

Please, if you are tracking each step i do, i kindly ask you to stop stalking me.

[vitokin]

No worries and i didnt express my words properly when i meant poor indies sorry..I could be wrong hehe

Originally posted by ...:

Originally posted by vitokin:

Hey man i saw your trolling posts in other channels on steam.. Project zomboid, Low magic age and somewhere else i forgot but i did stumble upon you in a game i follow. You seem to target indie game devs why not focus on bugthesda or some big company instead of our lovely poor indies? Very nice man ahah!

Alright i admit, my words were not the best and so i edited my post, i was very frustrated when i found out about Soulash 2 and i wrote like an unpolite idiot, i apologize for that.

But...

You are completely wrong, i am just expressing my frustration about games i love and i wish they would become better.

I know you want to get noticed by the devs by how well you behave in defending them (and i do not blame you because you are free to do whatever you want), i want to be real and honest about my frustration of some aspects of their products, and i only do that for them to become better, because i love their games and i want to see them become better. (and i only do it in rare cases of lovely games like Soulash or Low Magic Age, you won't see my comments in any indie game, you just happen to like the same genre as i do so you found my comments on those forums, that is alright.)

"why not focus on bugthesda or some big company instead of our lovely poor indies?"

This is just sad to read, first i do not have any agenda, i am just a simple person who loves good games, like Soulash, your opinion is wrong about me (not that i blame you, because you as me are just saying what you feel, right ?)

And second you should not call them "poor indies", i kinda feel offended by this because i love their games.

Please, if you are tracking each step i do, i kindly ask you to stop stalking me.

[GnomeSlayer]

I am looking forward to this game - I am looking into buying the first game.

[Kazeck]

I'll be happy to buy soulash 2 when it comes out, Artur, just take care of your health.

Thanks for making fun games, I look forward to all the new faction features!

[Artur Smiarowski]

Originally posted by Kazeck:

I'll be happy to buy soulash 2 when it comes out, Artur, just take care of your health.

Thanks for making fun games, I look forward to all the new faction features!

Thank you for the good wishes, Kazeck. My health has been improving since I went full-time after the release of Soulash, so hopefully I'll be able to sustain development for a long time to push the genre in a unique direction and deliver a great game for you guys. :)

[Xerberus86]

i don't know how old you are OP, I am in my late 30's and i can tell you that time and money are concepts that do exist and you definitely have to get money to survive in this world. i feel like a big chunk of those trollish posts are from immature players on steam who didn't work one single day in their life in order to get by.

imagine your boss told you why you won't continue working without payment ... he thinks that what you have done could've come out better and it wasn't what he hoped for so you should just work for free till he is satisfied. i think you wouldn't like that prospect either.

the devs are hard working individuals, especially indie devs which lack funding of big publishers. those games tend to be smaller in scope and less fancy arts and graphics, but what they have is uniqueness.

there are vastly different reasons why some indie devs can continue to support their game and some chose to release more games because the games are more niche.

for me soulash 1 looked interesting, didn't buy it yet because honestly i have a full time job and have become a dad now so time is quiet limited and the current release landscape and games catalogue (i have literally over 100 unfinished games...partially AAA games like Assassins Creed trilogy) unfinished, so my buying incentives aren't that high.
yet when i see this randomly generated open world sandbox version of a roguelike its exactly what i like to dabble in (love ADOM, TOME and caves of qud while still sucking at them lol).

so yes, i believe work should be rewarded with money so the worker (dev in this case) can continue living. so sorry when i get a bit angry when i read retarded posts threads like this which clearly have ZERO concept of "needing money to survive" .... do yourself a favor and learn reality.

[Vitowns]

Originally posted by Artur Smiarowski:

Originally posted by Kazeck:

I'll be happy to buy soulash 2 when it comes out, Artur, just take care of your health.

Thanks for making fun games, I look forward to all the new faction features!

Thank you for the good wishes, Kazeck. My health has been improving since I went full-time after the release of Soulash, so hopefully I'll be able to sustain development for a long time to push the genre in a unique direction and deliver a great game for you guys. :)

Hi Artur just let you know i got blocked from discord by cloudflare i dont know what i did wrong, last thing i did was talk on your channel with you about excel.... I dont even know how to contact them or fix this its weird ;/

[MHarmless]

The push to just develop one (inexpensive) game forever is kind of crazy and I don't really understand how it came to be. I get it with big games with big teams keeping it rolling with paid DLC, but its a crazy expectation to do that for free forever that only seems to be placed on indie devs.

That said, I personally would have called this one something else just to dodge the direct comparisons. Spiritcharcoal?

[Artur Smiarowski]

Originally posted by mharmless:

That said, I personally would have called this one something else just to dodge the direct comparisons. Spiritcharcoal?

Hehe, that's a cool suggestion. Soulash 2 will be a continuation after the end of the previous game. The story will revolve around the world rather than the player this time, so it should fit the new sandbox frame well.

[Logovore]

Originally posted by Artur Smiarowski:

I understand you would prefer that games be developed forever for that single purchase payment, but unless the game is popular, sells well, or has support from fans through Patreon, it's impossible.

I've explained my decision before. I created Soulash working part-time for 5 years, and Soulash revenue only pays for 2 years full time, including paying the artist, and because I paid heavily with my health while working 2 jobs, the only way for me to continue past release was full-time or not at all. Soulash 2 was the only viable option with how things played out on release.

Soulash was completed with the 1.0 release, and there aren't many ways to expand it further meaningfully anymore. I do plan to make QoL updates when I can, backporting some things like mouse movement from the sequel, but all of the features like building, factions, or new procedural world that I'm developing would be a bad fit for that game after I finished it with the gods and victory condition updates. Soulash also doesn't need any more content, the victory run already takes 20 hours or more, and the only way to expand it would be to add alternative ways to get into Dreamworld on top of already 2 existing ones.

And I will confirm right away that if I can't find a way to sustain the development of Soulash 2 after the full release that will happen 1 year after EA that I have planned and already have funds for, I will be moving to a 3rd game or won't be able to make games at all. I don't see any other way to develop games. I'm already working 70-hour weeks and commission extra work with all my the funds, so I'm sorry, but I can't offer more at this time.

As an original backer of your crowdfunding effort, I couldn't agree more with this. I know everyone means well, but you can't make game design and business decisions based on the desires of those who would rather eat their own fingers than pay more than $5 for a game without ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about it.

[SolidSpaceDisk]

middle ground would be making dlc lol

[AshaMarie]

Here folks is a developer worth supporting. He works hard, does what he can, and plans ahead best he can. He's got a good game here and you should be excited that he's making it and should not concern yourself over having to pay a 2nd time. I liked Soulash 1 enough I had gifted it to a friend year or so ago, and you could very well do the same and feel good about it. This man deserves our support and it will be lot cheaper than buying a buggy mess of those AAA games like Starfield.

Even if you are unable to support him with buying the game, least we can do is showoff the game to our friends and other communities that accept game suggestions or discussions of other games. I know times are tough now. Back when Soulash was out, I was able to support dev and gift to friend, but today, inflation has hit me hard so I probably won't have enough to buy much anymore. I know my bills have doubled while income hasn't gone up at all. Even still, I use some of my free time to let others know of Soulash release and Soulash 2's demo even if I do suck badly at game. I just love the ideas behind it and the dev is worth the effort of this kind of support of helping him let others know that hey, there's this awesome game made by a friendly and hard-working dev who loves his community.

Anyways, hopes this convinces the topic starter and others who read this to consider helping Artur out in any way. Thank you Artur for SoulAsh and upcoming SoulAsh2.

[Artur Smiarowski]

Originally posted by SolidSpaceDisk:

middle ground would be making dlc lol

Not enough players for that I'm afraid. Unfortunately, when it comes to games, they are very, very inexpensive compared to the cost of developing them. They can be sold for $15, from which the devs get about $7.5 if they don't have a publisher (with publisher more like $3.8, sometimes $0) and it works only because of the sales volume.

There needs to be a lot of sales to cover the development cost to keep adding something post-release. That's why many studios go out of business if they can't reach enough players, even if the game is great.