[FYI] Concerning the Professional Credibility of MadMole, 7DtD's Lead Designer/Developer

[Fuzzy.Bunny]

NB (1) Italicised numbers indicate end-notes; please follow down to them. (2) I will not respond to comments as the environment has demonstrated itself to be toxic. No one should be compelled to stay in a toxic environment. (3) Some of this information is ancient insofar as the internet is concerned, so sources in linked pages (not the pages themselves) may return 404 errors.

The state of the game from, at least, Alpha 11 onward is in contradiction with the Risks and Challenges section of the 7 Days to Die Kickstarter page:1

You might ask how did we do all this in 7 months and honestly I’d have to say we knew what game we wanted to make, had a unified vision and just started making it. This is truly the best example of vision, meets passion, meets talent, meets experience that we’ve all had the privilege to be part of. We’re in this for the long haul and won’t quit until it ships.

It is clear that the game no longer possesses a unified vision and any number of issues are present within a title that should no longer be in this state of development after 2 years. Various purportedly core features/systems are missing and various current features/systems are either too buggy to be live and/or do not work well next to each other and obviously so. That core features/systems are missing this far into development, too buggy features are brought live (e.g. mini-bike) and core features/systems remain obviously imbalanced (e.g. debuffs, generally, and related to combat, armour, et al.) make it necessary to question whether or not the developers possess the talent, viz. ability to develop the title relative to the title’s complexity, and preparedness, viz. the conceptual dedication and wherewithal to see it through both in general and as it develops, to finish the game at all.

The purpose of this advertisement is to make potential 7 Days to Die customers aware of the questionable professional credibility of Joel Huenink (a/k/a MadMole), the lead developer and co-owner of The Fun Pimps Entertainment LLC, by gesturing briefly2 to issues within prior relevant work experience up to and including the more current state (A12.5) of 7 Days to Die. It is in no way my intent to defame MadMole personally or professionally; this is no airing of dirty laundry, digging up skeletons or anything else, rather it is the bringing to light of a contractor’s past relevant business history so potential customers may make a more informed decision about using the contractor’s services. This is all the more important in the current Early Access/Kickstarter environment.3


In an archived discussion4 on the official 7 Days to Die forums, Red Eagle gathered together various posts by MadMole in 2014. Aside from a particular tone present throughout the various posts that warrants concern (this will be addressed later on), what is most important is what MadMole said in response to the thread: “I do all the balancing of the game, as well as most of the world art, I animated all the female animations and wore another 50 hats in early dev. So I am one of the best qualified guys to do it [PR].” Taking MadMole at his word, that he handles all of the game balancing, it must be believed that no relevant game-related decision is made without his particular say-so or other form of tacit approval.

Before co-owning The Fun Pimps Entertainment LLC and functioning as lead game designer, MadMole was the owner/operator of 4D Rulers Software.5 This company produced 3 games (with 2 proprietary engines) in 16 years of existence. MadMole’s only other commercial experience in the industry was as a consultant for NCSoft on Dungeon Runners, roughly 1 year between 2007-08.6 This demonstrates a limited level of experience, considering the relevant projects, that is focused almost exclusively within 4D Rulers Software, a company that (1) released its titles to less than positive reviews across the board7 and (2) was owned and operated by MadMole (3) where he “[specialised in p]ublishing deals, contracts, marketing, 3d modeling & texturing, rigging, technical art, negotiations, sub contracting, people management, content integration and debugging, effects, level design, animation. I'm a true jack of all trades.”

In the middle of the 4D Rulers Software website there is a news piece dated 07 September 2008, saying that 4D Rulers sought investors and speculate a 400% return.8 The language used is poor and hyperbolic, having every appearance of the illegitimacy normally associated with cash-grab schemes. It is important to recognise that this comes after not only at least one previous attempt to seek investors9 but finding handling said investments too much of a legal hassle and then seeking to return investor funds.10 These things put together demonstrate a years-old pattern of questionable business practises insofar as, at least, money and management are concerned.

Related to this are job postings on two Polycount forum threads, one archived (2006)11 and one live (2007),12 with language similar to that of the September 2008 post on the 4D Rulers page contained in both threads. These postings received an overwhelmingly negative response, with MadMole alternatively lashing out13 and seeming to not understand the issue people took with the postings. Particularly relevant are the points made about training his brother Richard in the former thread (“My brother who knew nothing, I trained him and he's lead designer at 3D Realms now, and he's shipped about 6 AAA titles now.”) and his start as a modder with DOOM in the latter thread (“I started out in this industry in mid 90's working for free on doom mods.”).

That last point is particularly relevant because, indeed, MadMole started with mod projects like All Hell is Breaking Loose, a Doom II total conversion,14 and various The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion mods.15 The direction taken from A11 to the present and the obviousness of various balance issues in 7 Days to Die is in line with a modder or otherwise amateur developer who is developing their craft. Notable in this is that the Oblivion mods were made while MadMole still owned and operated 4D Rulers Software and each of his Oblivion mods has a page on the 4D Rulers site.16 MadMole is certainly a committed modder and, following an interview with his brother Richard at Quater to Three17, 7 Days to Die seems to have the appearance of a mod because that appears to largely be the intention: “[w]e had both been playing a lot of Minecraft and thought somebody should make a game like Minecraft only with better technology, graphics, crafting, and a real zombie threat.”

Deepening the connexion to being a modder, the IGN review 18for Gore: Ultimate Soldier notes “t sure looks like it [[i]Quake III: Arena], or more accurately, like a slightly underdeveloped mod for it. None of this game's extremely large maps exude the level of polish, balance, and meticulousness that went into the id deathmatcher.” Designing and developing a mod, though bearing any number of similarities, is not the same as developing a stand-alone title. Thus, coming to 7 Days to Die, Madmole’s remarks in the official forums on the state of early-game in Alpha 12, generally, and the bow nerf,19 specifically, are telling:

[..]I focused on a long term game in A12 instead of playing 30+ new games, so I started a new game and see the current issues with early game challenge [...]20 I started a new game and died about 8 times in the first 24 hours led me to believe there was an issue if a master of fps and survival dies 8 times. Now granted I COULD have survived and not died had I chosen, but I played a bit like the average player by choice and died horribly so I decided the nerf was too much.21

Notable in this is that a ‘master of fps’ should be able to recognise what an ‘average player’ is likely to do and especially one that is a video game designer/developer. Further, a long-term game or any number of short-term games will demonstrate the state of early-game, quite clearly given the issues gestured to above, and especially to a video game designer/developer. MadMole’s remarks ultimately gesture to a lack of familiarity with and focus on the game’s design across several levels: some things are too basic to be missed at any given point in development.


Gestured to in brief above, MadMole is a video game designer/developer with: (1) all but 1 year of his commercial experience outside of The Fun Pimps Entertainment LLC coming from within a company where (a) he lists himself as the bona fide owner/operator and that (b) only shipped 3 games in 16 years (c) to a largely negative commercial response; (2) troublesome relationship to managing funding on a professional level; (3) consistent, demonstrated issues recognising and/or handling criticism within a professional sphere; (4) greater productivity (and interest?) functioning as a modder of games rather than a designer/maker of games.

It is up to the reader to come to the conclusion of whether or not these are the marks of a talented, prepared and professional video game developer with whom they wish to do business.
__________
1. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/7daystodie/7-days-to-die-zombie-survival-game/description
2. By ‘gesturing briefly’ I mean to say that this is meant only to be indicative of relevant business practises and work experience.
3. Players, the people that pay to play a given game, need to have tools at their disposal to adequately judge for themselves if a game is worth their money. In this era of Early Access, no demos, and hyperbolic reviews there are fewer and fewer ways for potential customers to make an informed choice. The history of any given developer is, then, particularly important to making an informed choice and this is what I have aimed to provide.
4. http://7daystodie.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10359.html
5. http://www.4drulers.com/
6. https://www.linkedin.com/pub/joel-huenink/2/369/656
7. http://www.metacritic.com/company/4d-rulers and http://www.giantbomb.com/4d-rulers-software-inc/3010-5372/
8. http://4drulers.com/invest/
9. http://www.shacknews.com/article/45105/invest-in-4d-rulers
10. http://www.qj.net/mmorpg/news/4d-rulers-to-return-investments.html
11. http://www.polycount.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-45931.html
12. http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50213
13. A more recent example can be seen when responding to a poster’s good-natured request to access the bug tracking system to better serve as a tester he said, “[n]ext you'll want access to our financials and want to sit in on design meetings. No.” (https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?30684-Alpha-12-3-Hotfix-Is-Out!&p=289010&viewfull=1#post289010)
14. http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/All_Hell_is_Breaking_Loose
15. http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/searchresults/?
16. http://www.4drulers.com/unholydarkness/, http://www.4drulers.com/oblivion/realestate.php,
http://www.4drulers.com/oblivion/eyja.php,
and http://www.4drulers.com/oblivion/darkbrotherhood.php
17. http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2014/01/13/creators-7-days-die-explain-make-friendlier-zombie-apocalypse/
18. http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/06/12/gore?page=1
19. The A12 changelog (http://7daystodie.com/mini-bikes-physics-bears-a12/) does not make clear the extent of the change. Thankfully, Deccypher has backup .xml files. The A11.6 arrow (http://7d2d.rocks/xml/11-6/items.xml) did 25 damage, flat, before headshot bonuses, whereas the A12 (http://7d2d.rocks/xml/12-0/items.xml) arrow did 5-15 damage before taking damage from the new quality mechanics and headshot bonuses.
20. https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?29134-Mini-Bikes-amp-Physics-amp-Bears-A12!&p=274725&viewfull=1#post274725
21. https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?29134-Mini-Bikes-amp-Physics-amp-Bears-A12!&p=274844&viewfull=1#post274844

[Blacksmithkazuma]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

You need to account for the drop off, but the bows work fine. A bigger issue would be if you started a new game and could kill a bear easily, with that sorry looking bow lol Don't use the crosshairs to aim, use them so gauge how far off center to aim instead.

I account for the drop off, isn't much different then the drop off for Skyrim, I hunt and kill very well in Skyrim. Ijust yesterday is when I did the new game I could not hit that damn bear to save my life lmao, literally because he got pissed and ate me T_T

[rowls2003]

I have over 700 hours - This game is brilliant. Not perfect no , but utterly brilliant.
Why has someone come on here slating MM - although lets be right its not a personal attack - jeez really! Seems pretty personal to me. What is the point of the OP coming on this forum ?

If the FunPimps struggle to finish this game - I could'nt care, if they can't add more content, so what, this game has allowed me to play it exactlly the way I want to and in as many different ways as I could wish.

My current game settings mean that I still struggle on a daily basis to survive - day 21 and I dont know if I will see day 22, playing no-death style makes it important to me to keep this character alive makes it a challenge - this game still has the ability to make me jump out of my seat, to make me curse ( extremely loudly usually - lol ), to laugh out loud and to step back and look out over my world - MY WORLD.

I know that at some point i will look back on this game as I look back now on the orignal Elite, or the first Shogun Total War, or Doom. This is just my opinion, for whats its worth - not much,but for me MM and the FunPimps have with this game elevated themselves above and far beyond the average and mediocre.

[Tux]

OP has a massive amount of 106 hours....lol

he really just needs to go play a different game it likely took him longer than 106 hours to think this forum post thru and write it

[YamaKami]

Escrito originalmente por Delkadous:

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

You need to account for the drop off, but the bows work fine. A bigger issue would be if you started a new game and could kill a bear easily, with that sorry looking bow lol Don't use the crosshairs to aim, use them so gauge how far off center to aim instead.

I account for the drop off, isn't much different then the drop off for Skyrim, I hunt and kill very well in Skyrim. Ijust yesterday is when I did the new game I could not hit that damn bear to save my life lmao, literally because he got pissed and ate me T_T

You are doing it wrong then. If you are as good a sharp shooter as you say I cannot understand why you cannot aim the bow. I routinely head shot zeds from further away. I make no claims as far as being a sharpshooter. I literally never use bows in skyrim so I can't draw the comparison to it. If you are good at one and not the other though, then it stands to reason they do work the same.

[YamaKami]

Escrito originalmente por Tux:

OP has a massive amount of 106 hours....lol

he really just needs to go play a different game it likely took him longer than 106 hours to think this forum post thru and write it

106 hours since A10, is not that insignificant.

[Tux]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

Escrito originalmente por Tux:

OP has a massive amount of 106 hours....lol

he really just needs to go play a different game it likely took him longer than 106 hours to think this forum post thru and write it

106 hours since A10, is not that insignificant.

I would say that it is insignificant

like I said, it most likely too longer to create this thread and do the research on it then 106 hours

just move on to another game, the investment made is not large enough to justify this waste of time to be honest

[Blud]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

Escrito originalmente por crozeak:

I am afraid the OP is right, this game will most likely never be finished. EA games on steam have a very bad track record and 7dtd is not likely to be any different. All this being said I paid $14 for this title, I probably would not pay anymore, and have logged over 400 hours of play...So I have more than got my monies worth from the game.

You have your head firmly stuck up your own backside to be posting such unwarranted flame bait as "this game will most likely never be finished". Sorry to say it so clearly, but you have no legs to stand on when it comes to that point. At the worst it will take longer than it should to finish. This game will see completion, that much is VERY clear. Come up for air and take a harder look before you post such asinine remarks next time.

Just curious, how do you KNOW (very clearly) that the game will be finished? I am sure the team would like to present a completed game, but it could go either way. You , nor crozeak have a crystal ball, both are going on personal feeling. At least Corsiak checked himeslf with 'most likely". The bottom line, no one really knows if the game will reach completion or not.

[Tux]

Escrito originalmente por Blud:

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

You have your head firmly stuck up your own backside to be posting such unwarranted flame bait as "this game will most likely never be finished". Sorry to say it so clearly, but you have no legs to stand on when it comes to that point. At the worst it will take longer than it should to finish. This game will see completion, that much is VERY clear. Come up for air and take a harder look before you post such asinine remarks next time.

Just curious, how do you KNOW (very clearly) that the game will be finished? I am sure the team would like to present a completed game, but it could go either way. You , nor crozeak have a crystal ball, both are going on personal feeling. At least Corsiak checked himeslf with 'most likely". The bottom line, no one really knows if the game will reach completion or not.

I am unclear why anyone would care if the game is finished or not.

The difference between any version and the finished version is that the finished version no longer has more content added. Why is that something people actually want?

They want the ONE version that will have no more content added...that is odd

[YamaKami]

Escrito originalmente por Tux:

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

106 hours since A10, is not that insignificant.

I would say that it is insignificant

like I said, it most likely too longer to create this thread and do the research on it then 106 hours

just move on to another game, the investment made is not large enough to justify this waste of time to be honest

The more you comment the less it feels like you bothered to read the whole post and subsequent responses from the OP. I do not agree for the most part with him. But a mature discussion was taking place before you felt compelled to stir the pot on various threads this morning for reasons unknown. And while you are welcome to keep your opinion as a player with 900+ hours since A5, I can see how a player with 106hrs since A10 could have a different perspective. So when he began playing and how much time over since then is a significant factor in where the OP is coming from. However you deem that insignificant as you appear to have made less than 0 attempt to understand someone else opinion, and rather just tell people that do not share your opinion to go play other games.

[Blacksmithkazuma]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

Escrito originalmente por Delkadous:

I account for the drop off, isn't much different then the drop off for Skyrim, I hunt and kill very well in Skyrim. Ijust yesterday is when I did the new game I could not hit that damn bear to save my life lmao, literally because he got pissed and ate me T_T

You are doing it wrong then. If you are as good a sharp shooter as you say I cannot understand why you cannot aim the bow. I routinely head shot zeds from further away. I make no claims as far as being a sharpshooter. I literally never use bows in skyrim so I can't draw the comparison to it. If you are good at one and not the other though, then it stands to reason they do work the same.

I g uess so lol I'll give it another go but damnit I hate the bow lmao

[Tux]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

Escrito originalmente por Tux:

I would say that it is insignificant

like I said, it most likely too longer to create this thread and do the research on it then 106 hours

just move on to another game, the investment made is not large enough to justify this waste of time to be honest

The more you comment the less it feels like you bothered to read the whole post and subsequent responses from the OP. I do not agree for the most part with him. But a mature discussion was taking place before you felt compelled to stir the pot on various threads this morning for reasons unknown. And while you are welcome to keep your opinion as a player with 900+ hours since A5, I can see how a player with 106hrs since A10 could have a different perspective. So when he began playing and how much time over since then is a significant factor in where the OP is coming from. However you deem that insignificant as you appear to have made less than 0 attempt to understand someone else opinion, and rather just tell people that do not share your opinion to go play other games.

why should I even care what someone elses opinion is on this matter?
more importantly why should he even care to give his opinion to us?

why is he spending more hours complaining about the game on forums then he is even playing it?
why NOT move on?

[graig.warder]

Escrito originalmente por Mr Sinister:

Does it have anything to do with the fact that 7DtD has utterly owned the a** end out of all the rest of the games in its "genre"?.

With far less funding etc than another specific zombie" survival" game on steam, these guys have put this game up there as one of the best alphas on here IMO..... while that certain other title... rakes in what?.100million dollars or there abouts..... and is falling apart at the seam's.............

See for yourself how 7 days is doing ...

http://steamcharts.com/cmp/251570,295110,252490,242760#3m

and also look at this

http://steamcharts.com/cmp/251570,346110#3m

Mr. Rapzak (ARK) gave an interview and there he said:

I think being an early access game forever would shut out a lot of the playerbase that don’t want to play an early access game. It also sets a bar of quality for us, too, to get out of a state of iteration and into a state of polish and finishing.

It’s important for us to get there because we want to set an example about how early access is a very important part of development these days. It shouldn’t be the state of the game, permanently. It should be: work on the game get it to a point where it’s ready for an early access phase; be early access for a set amount of time that you’ve planned for; and then polish up and finish the game after that.

I think the way that early access has kind of got a stigma with some games is because early access has no end and games stay there for multiple years. And some games are really good about it, but then some games sort of fall off the radar. It has this stigma of, ‘maybe it finishes, maybe it doesn’t,’ and we don’t want to be in that boat. We want everybody to know for sure that this will be a finished game at some point.

OP may have (or not) a point with madmole, but one thing he got very right: if 7 days doesn't make some very substancial progress in the very near future, it will start it's way into decline.

Games are living on people buying them. People tend to buy games, that are "in" - meaning they cater to a popular theme. There is only a limited time, when this is the case and "the age of zombies" is nearing its end. Also there are always lots of other designers, who want to have a share of the big money and are producing games for this genres. The first ones are likely to attract a lot of people, but later on its ... yeah - another zombie game *yawn

And too many EA-games have gone a bad way (I know this, because I own some of them - or tend to stay in EA a long long time). So EA is becoming the opposite of something, the people associate with "good game".

I have played 7d more than 450h and we are playing it still once a week on our private server, but we (meaning our group/guild) all know, that this will not last much longer, if it stays the way it is now.

Two years for EA are a long time and at this point I see another one or two years until a finished product and that is a very long time for a game or a customer to wait for the release of a game. And a long time for a company to pay their bills ...

[Tux]

Escrito originalmente por graig.warder:

Escrito originalmente por Mr Sinister:

Does it have anything to do with the fact that 7DtD has utterly owned the a** end out of all the rest of the games in its "genre"?.

With far less funding etc than another specific zombie" survival" game on steam, these guys have put this game up there as one of the best alphas on here IMO..... while that certain other title... rakes in what?.100million dollars or there abouts..... and is falling apart at the seam's.............

See for yourself how 7 days is doing ...

http://steamcharts.com/cmp/251570,295110,252490,242760#3m

what no Ark?...lol sorry I could not resist

[Mr Sinister]

Escrito originalmente por graig.warder:

Escrito originalmente por Mr Sinister:

Does it have anything to do with the fact that 7DtD has utterly owned the a** end out of all the rest of the games in its "genre"?.

With far less funding etc than another specific zombie" survival" game on steam, these guys have put this game up there as one of the best alphas on here IMO..... while that certain other title... rakes in what?.100million dollars or there abouts..... and is falling apart at the seam's.............

See for yourself how 7 days is doing ...

http://steamcharts.com/cmp/251570,295110,252490,242760#3m

and also look at this

http://steamcharts.com/cmp/251570,346110#3m

Mr. Rapzak (ARK) gave an interview and there he said:

I think being an early access game forever would shut out a lot of the playerbase that don’t want to play an early access game. It also sets a bar of quality for us, too, to get out of a state of iteration and into a state of polish and finishing.

It’s important for us to get there because we want to set an example about how early access is a very important part of development these days. It shouldn’t be the state of the game, permanently. It should be: work on the game get it to a point where it’s ready for an early access phase; be early access for a set amount of time that you’ve planned for; and then polish up and finish the game after that.

I think the way that early access has kind of got a stigma with some games is because early access has no end and games stay there for multiple years. And some games are really good about it, but then some games sort of fall off the radar. It has this stigma of, ‘maybe it finishes, maybe it doesn’t,’ and we don’t want to be in that boat. We want everybody to know for sure that this will be a finished game at some point.

OP may have (or not) a point with madmole, but one thing he got very right: if 7 days doesn't make some very substancial progress in the very near future, it will start it's way into decline.

Games are living on people buying them. People tend to buy games, that are "in" - meaning they cater to a popular theme. There is only a limited time, when this is the case and "the age of zombies" is nearing its end. Also there are always lots of other designers, who want to have a share of the big money and are producing games for this genres. The first ones are likely to attract a lot of people, but later on its ... yeah - another zombie game *yawn

And too many EA-games have gone a bad way (I know this, because I own some of them - or tend to stay in EA a long long time). So EA is becoming the opposite of something, the people associate with "good game".

I have played 7d more than 450h and we are playing it still once a week on our private server, but we (meaning our group/guild) all know, that this will not last much longer, if it stays the way it is now.

Two years for EA are a long time and at this point I see another one or two years until a finished product and that is a very long time for a game or a customer to wait for the release of a game. And a long time for a company to pay their bills ...

Yeah, i understand what your talking about, dont think anyone wants to see it "go under" and just have to be pushed out.

The charts show that 7days has kept a "core" at least. Ark looks to of really taken a dip recently, same with rust and h1z1.


If there is a problem financially, then, hopefully they will be honest, say they are gonna have to wrap it up in the near time ahead and get it done.

[Hoodini]

Escrito originalmente por YamaKami:

106 hours since A10, is not that insignificant.

In comparison to my 294 since A11 it's really insignificant.

And this game is awesome. Don't think i've ever put as much time into a game in such a small timeframe as I have with this one.

Yes it has issues but they are far from serious for me as I tend to just play round them and have fun.

Isn't that the point of video games? I've been having fun with video games since I was 3 (26 years) and this one is the one that pulled me away from console to PC

For which I'm very grateful :)