It feels like more and more people are rising up and developing games. This is excellent of course, and is helping the community grow! I have no idea if this thread will be considered appropriate (it can be deleted if it is not), but the thought crossed my mind that I don't see many posts helping new developers know what to expect.
In the past I've heard from people who decided never to make another game, because they said they posted something and their feelings were hurt by the response. Criticism is going to happen, usually harshly, and not all developers are really ready to handle it. It can be very tough for someone to stay motivated when people point out flaws in their work. Especially for new developers, what they handed the community might represent the current best they can do, so it stings deeper to have its flaws brought to light.
Am I saying people shouldn't point out flaws in games or make suggestions, definitely not. That's just part of the development process, though there are times when comments are overly harsh or developers are overly sensitive. The important thing is that new developers know that criticism is a normal part of being a game developer, and that it is going to happen once they start posting projects. Growing a thick skin is something they have to do on their own, but it's best if we can avoid the shock of unexpected criticism.
In a recent, heated discussion, people talked about how a game developer can't really shield themselves from moderator duties once they make a multiplayer game. Responsibilities can be shared among people you hopefully trust, but at some point you will have to take on a larger role than just a "developer".
Before I go any further, please keep all specific names out of this topic, if we can. I'm trying to use some general examples, and if people start to throw around names and current situations, all we'll have is a worthless flame war on our hands. So lets just stick to generic stuff here. Thanks!
Multiplayer games are the "next step" many of our newer developers are heading into. Just as releasing their first project came with criticism, multiplayer games come with their own obstacles. It might seem obvious to some of us, but any developer getting into the world of multiplayer gaming needs to expect major problems with some players. I do believe we've all seen people ranting and raving on these forums, angry about a ban or something in an online game. If those rants are what they're willing to publicly post (to be judged by all for all time), what do you think they post in private, sent directly to the developers themselves? It is usually much worse.
By the time a developer is making their first multiplayer game, they've hopefully grown a thick skin and can deal with criticism well. This is good because criticism will start to take on a more hostile form. You will have players that seemingly dedicate their lives to ruining the fun of everyone around them, at at some point you're going to have to step in and deal with them.
As time passes, you will have a larger and larger number of people who absolutely hate your guts. These are the trouble makers who you've had to step in and punish, or the friends and family of those people. This is just the life of a developer, so don't take it personally. Like before with the criticism, some developers are so shocked by this that they give up and avoid multiplayer games. Knowing it Will happen, should help lessen the impact when it happens to you.
Now here is where I'm not 100% sure if my idea is great, or terrible. To soften the shock of what these multiplayer troublemakers will say to the new developer, I think the best way is to have some of us share the kinds of things that have been said to us. Basically get to see some examples of what current multiplayer devs are receiving regularly, so you can more easily laugh it off when it happens to you.
I'm sure there are other developers who can add to this list, so I welcome them to do so. Please keep specific names out so that we avoid flame wars. The goal here is just to let people know what sorts of things they will have thrown at them once they enter the next stage of their audio games career.
1) Right off the bat, any combination of swear words you can imagine have been thrown at me. This is an obvious one.
2) I am commonly told I'm racist or prejudice when I warn or punish someone. Even if I have no idea where they live, they'll say I am only picking on them because they live in whothehellcaresica. Unfortunately this type of "the developer is racist" attitude spreads around even the players who behave themselves, and ones who live in the same place may start to treat you poorly.
3) I've had many people tell me they hope I die.
4) I've had people tell me they hope my family dies.
5) I've had someone say they are praying to Allah for the death of my loved ones.
6) When word went around that my dog died, I had some people send me letters trying to insult my dog so that I would be angry and/or sad.
7) Essentially everyone boasts how great of a hacker they are and that they'll destroy my server, and/or delete everyone's records. This one is so common it shows up even more often than people swearing at me.
8) I have had many people say they'll sue me. One took it far enough to meet with a law firm (who I'm sure laughed them back into the parking lot).
9) I've had someone say they'll come to my home and "break my face".
10) I've had many people say they'll come to my home and hurt me.
11) I've had people say they'll come to my home and kill me.
12) I've had a few people say they'll file fake police reports against me.
This is all that's coming to mind right now. Obviously many variations on these same themes. Every now and then I'll casually mention something that someone has said, and it will shock whoever I'm talking to. I have heard these things for so many years now that I don't even stop to think about how messed up they are. I do hope that by letting other developers see this list (and ones other developers share), it will help them be able to hear these things and not have it affect them. The last thing you want is for someone's nasty comment to stay on your mind and wear you down. That will take away the fun you have developing, and could ultimately lead to you stopping.
Stay strong my fellow developers!