Tantrum. Feel free to join.

I will try
not to step out of line.


Short verison: GAARGARAARGH!

Long version:
...I'm PISSED and conFUSED...
I have been bracing myself for all the bad comments and condescending opinions I thought I would have to meet when Saira was released. Not due to the game, but in response to my drawings.

I was certain there would be people letting me know I'm worth nothing and really ought to go hide somewhere. They would be wrong, but I was still scared of hearing things like that. I have met none of that though, even though I've been quite the uncareful one, as anyone who has seen me on youTube would know (never quite sure what to say next and displaying my lack of acting skills generously).


So WHY is Nifflas feeling flamed?
He who has not been uncareful? He who has delivered plenty, whilst I feel I should have delivered more?
I don't really know the extent of "spiteful" critique on Saira,
though I've tried to gather it.
I just see people mixing the good with what they consider less good.
If they don't like the graphics -AS MUCH- as they liked the pixelated Knytt,
then they really like the gameplay in general.
Well, when they don't like the feel of the movements and the controls (not good enough computers? People are mentioning melasses) then they do find the enviroments very beautiful.

Some are not embarassed at all to say they simply can't handle the games puzzles...!
It's too difficult for them, and I'm not saying they should be embarrased,
but I think it is plain -daft- to complain about a game being to much of a challenge.
I do wish I hade a "for Dummies" guide to Myst, becuase there I just don't get anywhere.
But I don't complain about Myst being hard or different.
It's MYST... It should be! As is Saira! Want easy?
Well go dust off your old nintendo and play an italian plumber jumping on a retarded ducks!

This is not cut out to be mainstream, or anything you beat in a flash.
Why should it be?
It's a challenge!

GAH!
I feel like screaming (but two people are sleeping next to me)
cuase I can't take all the unintelligent and uneccessary negativity,
or perhaps I just can't take the fact,
that I'm afraid Nifflas is losing his will to make games!
It's depressing!

I might really be wrong,
so let's not freak out,
I absolutely might be totally wrong about this,
but I am really scared he is finding it more hurtful than joyous to offer his soul out like this!
The connection between artist and art will always remain,
it's a... yuk, it's an umbilical cord you cannot cut.
Worse! It's like an emerging siamese twin,
every picture I draw, and every game Nifflas creates.


I have gathered the first things I found when I googled Nifflas,
and will post them here after this monster-large-post.
Some have links to them.
These are the things I wish Nifflas would read and take to his heart,
NOT the truly sad and saddening things that just makes me wanna ask nerd-raging blogger
"would you like some cheese with that whine?"


I also realize how often people care about the in no way constructive nagging of nicknamed strangers,
rather than true appreciation of people who actually sign their posts with names and mails for contact. I do get hurt myself, the occasions I get slandered or laughed at, but I realize I shouldn't more and more.

There is no time to waste on that, no gain in allowing the (eh) venom (eh) access into your mind!
Gosh, I'm getting poetic. I would sound less so if I just wrote this in my own language...

It's like... argh... letting the sith win or something, (?)

letting others taunt and evoke feelings that only plunges us into the dark side!
(no better analogy at mind)


Please Nifflas, do you realize you are EXCELLENT?
You are Yoda! Like a young, tall not at all geen or wrinkled Yoda!
...
Don't mind the hateful people who have NEVER neither dared to create or know the pressure of publicity!
Many people lack your disciplin, you are gifted, please don't feel bad even another second!








It's killing me!

  WHO HURT NIFFLAS' FEELINGS?!  I'M-A GONNA KILL HIM!!!

[/kidding]

So, um.........I'm confused.  Most of what I've heard about the game has been good, and I myself have yet to see anything - here or on any other site - that was actually flaming Nifflas or attacking the game.  Reviews of the game have their criticisms, but that's part of the review process.  Criticism lets the designer know how his next game can be better!

There's nothing wrong with "mixing good and bad".  It's not like the person is trying to hide an insult behind a compliment.  People are just giving the pros and cons.

I haven't seen any "flaming." There have been critiques, but that is to be expected. Reviews aren't intended to worship the ground a game designer walks on; they're meant to point out the good parts and the bad parts. Both.

Saira is a great game, yes, but it's not perfect. No game is perfect.

I agree with what you have replied.

No, I have not found any outright flaming, but I got the feeling that Nifflas had found such things.
I also believe he might have gotten some mails or the like,
things we don't find when googling around. Not sure, just speculation, perhaps he is simply exhausted from all his hard work the recent time.


But yes,
I do think Nifflas might be feeling really bad atm.
Flaming is a rather,
hm,
extreme word...
But I feel afraid Nifflas is paying way too much attention to what people complain about
rather than the cheers he is getting.


It makes me totally infuriated, perhaps becuase...
Perhaps becuase I wish projects like this would only be fun and hard work rewarded,
not emotionally draining and demanding to the extent it has proved to be.
Perhaps this is more about my own feelings than his,
I will try to solve this asap, I hope it's only something I'm imagining...!

Sorry to hear that Nifflas is not happy about how the game was received. From the little I've seen, it looked like the feedback was mostly positive.

The sad thing is, once one makes something outstanding, people are often resistant to the slightest change to it afterwards. Take movement for example. One thing I've seen mentioned is how Saira's controls feel a bit stiff compared to Juni's. In other words, people were so impressed about the level of movement control in Knytt Stories, that the change for more realistic controls is seen as something negative.

Most other complaints I've seen can similarly be traced back to other unfavorable comparisons to his earlier games. Unfair, but hardly surprising.

Btw. Charlotte, it's nice of you to try to cheer Nifflas up. I hope it'll work.

calm down beomene

take a chill pill beomene

beomene don't worry it's going to be alright
just chillax or something

People not liking something isn't really a problem calm down.

4 posts of the same thing??
CCCOMBO BREAKER!! 
Id like to let nifflas know that saira is the BEST game ive ever played!! (even better than cod6 )

4 posts of the same thing??
CCCOMBO BREAKER!! 
Id like to let nifflas know that saira is the BEST game ive ever played!! (even better than cod6 )

i think you mean fishbreaker

also this is the most livejournal-y thing i've read outside of livejournal

I'll have to agree with most people that Saira is awesome! It's not perfect, but it so close ( this of course not in a sense that makes it impossible to do better, which would be illogical ). And really, would you expect people to research level editing in a game which they don't like?
I wouldn't use my time on reading through all of those files if I didn't want to see this lovely and beautiful game grow. It deserves to grow!

I've even prioritized time to playing this game, over time for my important 3rd year school project (which was supposed to be turned in today, but apocalypse in the shape of snow has set in, sooo ...   ). Of course this could just be me being lazy, but, really, this game takes my breath away with it's impressive and beautiful areas, which I'd say is equivalent to art of a high level.

Really, stick to it Nifflas! We love what you're creating!  

Cheer him up? Well, I hope so too.

Calm down?
Yes, I will take any pill,
red or blue or purple.
Wait a minute, that might hurt my only weeks old child,
so I'll just go ahead lumbering around with this excess of emotion instead.


I can only come to the conclusion that
1. you are right in saying that people not liking something isn't a big problem (shouldn't be)
2. that I wish that was as obvious to Nifflas as it is to you guys


It's crap to only know someone well enough to care about their wellbeing,
but not well enough to go knock on his door and in a suprise attack shove chocolate down his throat...

really, this game takes my breath away with it's impressive and beautiful areas, which I'd say is equivalent to art of a high level

Really, stick to it Nifflas! We love what you're creating!  

I agree entirely.  Nifflas has consistantly blown my mind with the simplicity and grace of the games he releases, easily one of my favourite authors of 2D games.  As for his detractors, I agree that for the most part critics will do their job and nit-pick the game as much as they can; but I think Nifflas should turn that around into something positive and keep going forward.  Also no offense to you personally Beomene, but I think you may have jumped the gun a bit. Keep promoting Saira and give it some more time to gain popularity, and with a larger pool of people playing the game, the feedback will even out a bit more, and allow you to better gague the overall reaction.  Just my two cents anyhow.

Don't forget, you can never please everyone. Nifflas is a perfectionist who wants to please everyone. Any critic he receives will feel like he let someone down. The best thing we all can do is ensure him that the game is great. It'll ease his pain, and its not even lying.