Cultcow EvaXephon / Yanderedev / Alex Mahan / Alexander Stuart Mahan / cannotgoogleme - Edgy weeaboo coomer with pedo tendencies and 15+ years internet history as a lolcow, now known as a disaster developer behind eternal debug build called "Yandere Simulator", confirmed groomer and dollfucker

[Diesel Boogaloo]

I don't think telling a player "you fucked up" after they fucked up is very useful. We don't need Captain Hindsight here to understand we did something wrong, unless the game's design is a massive clusterfuck. Makes you think.

Many games implement tutorials as a hint system, but they always try to pop up a message before the player does something, not after.
I don't know if it will work in YS though. Tons of YS mechanics are finicky Rube-Goldberg machines and you need to properly learn them to be able to utilize them correctly. Going into the game blindly without spoilers will always lead to failure.

For example, consider this kind of message: "You picked up a katana! To attack, press E." In RPGs or action-adventure games, this is usually all you need to know. In YS, using a katana forces the player to commence a complicated procedure of destroying all the evidence and potentially also eliminating the witnesses. So either you need to expand the original message to explain the consequences before the player kills someone, but that becomes spoilers and also TL;DR, or you can add an additional message after murder: "It seems people bleed when stabbed. New tasks: 1. Find a mop to clean up the blood. 2. Dispose of the body." In fact, a checklist-driven tutorial would be the optimal solution given this game's situation, but would obviously lead to what you said: player learning about a fuckup after the fact.

So it is, to borrow a phrase, a "cock-up cascade", and you might as well restart the game.

Based of the latest Jay's video, auto-attack happens only if you have your weapon out. If you hide your weapon, you can try restoring your sanity by laughing or stalking senpai.

 

[irishAzoth]

The way the new players played the game is the way it was meant to be played. No easter eggs, no teleporting to the turtle aquarium to unlock codes.
In the superhorrorbro video he pretty much didn't do that much and got game overs.
Alex's solution to helping these players: Long winded text window
smh

 

[Wendy Carter]

Many games implement tutorials as a hint system, but they always try to pop up a message before the player does something, not after.

Yeah, that's what I meant by it, I probably should've formulated that sentence a bit better. From what I understand, nowadays hints are usually reserved for games that are open-world "choose your own adventure" type, since the genre doesn't really allow for a coherent tutorial (GTA, Elder Scrolls, Saints Row, etc.), or smaller games with simpler win conditions, like puzzle games. Even then a good game design can avoid having a tutorial or hints at all (at least with games of smaller scope, like Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Killing Floor, Baba is You, where people learn things organically). A game like Yandere Sim would very likely require an actual tutorial, because there are too many aspects to the game a player should know. Or just properly explain their goal in the game and give them the freedom to do whatever they want to reach said goal. Hitman managed to do that without 5 years of videos explaining every single way you can eliminate your target.

It seems people bleed when stabbed.

That's a good "random.txt" candidate.

 

[2.D.]

Hmm, when you go low on sanity, your vision becomes desaturated and blurry, while you have to fight shadowy creatures. Where have I seen that before?
View attachment 746541

(Is joke, no bulli pls)

Doesn't Amnesia have a similar mechanic as well?

 

[Lexi62]

Honestly, a better tutorial than "after the fact" could even be a dream sequence where different tasks pop up...and honestly it could look similar to the first videos he had posted where there were students and a wall just to tech mechanics...just instead have it in the actual school. Go over murder and how to get away with it. Have a text pop up with the different personalities and their reactions to discovering a body or witnessing a murder. Go over Senpai and his affect on the player and what to watch out for...stuff like that. Now my idea would still need to be worked out so it's not a super long tutorial, but at least it's not "you messed up so here's the consequences"...and it wouldn't go over every elemination method as I do think the player needs to figure out all of that, it would just be basic, here's a knife, kill someone, this is how you get away with it."

 

[Strelok]

Many games implement tutorials as a hint system, but they always try to pop up a message before the player does something, not after.
I don't know if it will work in YS though. Tons of YS mechanics are finicky Rube-Goldberg machines and you need to properly learn them to be able to utilize them correctly. Going into the game blindly without spoilers will always lead to failure.

For example, consider this kind of message: "You picked up a katana! To attack, press E." In RPGs or action-adventure games, this is usually all you need to know. In YS, using a katana forces the player to commence a complicated procedure of destroying all the evidence and potentially also eliminating the witnesses. So either you need to expand the original message to explain the consequences before the player kills someone, but that becomes spoilers and also TL;DR, or you can add an additional message after murder: "It seems people bleed when stabbed. New tasks: 1. Find a mop to clean up the blood. 2. Dispose of the body." In fact, a checklist-driven tutorial would be the optimal solution given this game's situation, but would obviously lead to what you said: player learning about a fuckup after the fact.


Based of the latest Jay's video, auto-attack happens only if you have your weapon out. If you hide your weapon, you can try restoring your sanity by laughing or stalking senpai.

I'll compare it with the game he most heavily rips off, Hitman. Specifically Hitman 2016.

Murder for hire is a complex process that takes many stages, so how does Hitman handle it? They set their tutorial during the actual training/final examination of the titular Hitman by the shadowy organization that employs him.

All tutorials take place in a pretend enviornment, re-enacting previous hits the agency in question had carried out. All the people and victims are employees of the agency, and the buildings are elaborate mock ups made of plywood and other basic materials, giving a thematic reason for handholding that gives flavor to the entire level.

The first mission is entirely handheld step by step. Teaching you the basics of murder, disguises, disposing of bodies, staying undetected etc. The second mission is the exact same mission as the first one, but this time you have the freedom to try things yourself. The third and final training mission is a large scale level that is different from the first one, with multiple long winded methods to accomplish your goals, and in a way, despite still being set in a training environment, forms the first level of the game proper.

The intent is to slowly ease new players into the game, while keeping it from getting boring for returning players. Now compare that to "you fucked up" pop up boxes.

 

[Diesel Boogaloo]

I'll compare it with the game he most heavily rips off, Hitman. Specifically Hitman 2016.

Murder for hire is a complex process that takes many stages, so how does Hitman handle it? They set their tutorial during the actual training/final examination of the titular Hitman by the shadowy organization that employs him.

All tutorials take place in a pretend enviornment, re-enacting previous hits the agency in question had carried out. All the people and victims are employees of the agency, and the buildings are elaborate mock ups made of plywood and other basic materials, giving a thematic reason for handholding that gives flavor to the entire level.

The first mission is entirely handheld step by step. Teaching you the basics of murder, disguises, disposing of bodies, staying undetected etc. The second mission is the exact same mission as the first one, but this time you have the freedom to try things yourself. The third and final training mission is a large scale level that is different from the first one, with multiple long winded methods to accomplish your goals, and in a way, despite still being set in a training environment, forms the first level of the game proper.

The intent is to slowly ease new players into the game, while keeping it from getting boring for returning players. Now compare that to "you fucked up" pop up boxes.

This sounds reasonable.
This also sounds like a more elaborate murder stage play rehearsal (with props and actors and stuff) and Alex was probably "inspired by" (read: stole) it, but as he said himself, he's "too busy" (read: can't be arsed) to implement it, so we won't see it in YS.

 

[Solzhenitsyn]

Doesn't Amnesia have a similar mechanic as well?

Yes, staying in the dark too long causes the main character to start having audio and visual hallucinations, starts talking to himself, and changes a few of the environments. Sanity mechanics have been in vidya for quite a while, so it's probably difficult to say for certain which game Alex got his "inspirations" from.

 

[MagneticTowels]

New video is up

He sounds agitated

 

[TotallyAChick]

Personally, I think finishing the game is pointless, but he should do it anyway, because that's the value he promised to provide for the money he received.

Why pointless? I'm not a tech savvy kiwi (most I can manage are visual novels) so take this with a grain of salt, but I think he failed for many reasons, not just poor technical skills. Main problems in my opinion are: Inability to prioritize, bad time management (obvious), stupid way of game promotion, money budgeting and lack of self criticism and knowledge of his own weaknesses.

Weirdly enough, I think things like programming skills and shitty characters are not enough to cause his downfall- we know he had a chance to have his code fixed. Characters are important, but I think they're connected to the main story or at least influenced by it- and the story could be fixed by not having ill-fitting bits from other games put into it (priorities-> focus on making the core, fixing the core, then adding the rest). Or having game bugs change the lore. I'm looking at you, metal detectors.

The MAIN issue I have with this crap is: Even IF the game gets finished, which it probably won't, no one is going to play it. Why should anyone? YT videos he makes are redundant and always show every new feature. Why's that? YanDev made the game confusing. He knows how to play, but it's not super obvious to other people- so he's making videos to demonstrate it. And that's not great, because by the time solar system ceases to exist, we will know everything about the game; no surprises, mechanics will have been explored by the youtuber army and the story itself is not good enough for people to come back to.

I don't think he can fix this now, as his way of communicating with fans has fucked this up from the early stage. Even so, I'll give my few cents on what I think he should have done:
- Full videos of playing should have been recorded only when YanSim was a literal sandbox.

- The mechanics and main structure should have been planned first WITH PEOPLE PLAYING in mind -> game play more intuitive

- Once the main game play is more intuitive- need to make long videos will be gone

- From then on (switch from the sandbox to a game with normal 3D environment) updates should only show bits without spoiling shit. For example showing a small clip of background, character models updated from assets to original moment (I make myself laugh) or hints at some mechanics. But not actually showing everything.

- Not releasing more than the sandbox. If he worked faster, the hype wouldn't die that easily. Plus, if he REALLY wanted to have kids playing in the sand, he could add those stupid easter eggs into the sandbox, not the main game. This would prevent youtubers from exploring everything there is to his game. Why does he think YS challenges are a thing? There's nothing else to do<- everything has been explored.

- Not being a lazy, stubborn piece of shit and having that game company fix his code. Also paying someone to model characters because those assets are generic piece of crap.

-profit

I gave up on the game precisely because I think the main problem can't be fixed. I'm probably going to look for an alternative... (Also, no hate, but does anyone else think the new Watashi no Mono model is ugly as fuck? Reminds me of the game Monokuma had created in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.)

 

[gaFDA]

Personally, I think finishing the game is pointless, but he should do it anyway, because that's the value he promised to provide for the money he received.

Why pointless? I'm not a tech savvy kiwi (most I can manage are visual novels) so take this with a grain of salt, but I think he failed for many reasons, not just poor technical skills. Main problems in my opinion are: Inability to prioritize, bad time management (obvious), stupid way of game promotion, money budgeting and lack of self criticism and knowledge of his own weaknesses.

Weirdly enough, I think things like programming skills and shitty characters are not enough to cause his downfall- we know he had a chance to have his code fixed. Characters are important, but I think they're connected to the main story or at least influenced by it- and the story could be fixed by not having ill-fitting bits from other games put into it (priorities-> focus on making the core, fixing the core, then adding the rest). Or having game bugs change the lore. I'm looking at you, metal detectors.

The MAIN issue I have with this crap is: Even IF the game gets finished, which it probably won't, no one is going to play it. Why should anyone? YT videos he makes are redundant and always show every new feature. Why's that? YanDev made the game confusing. He knows how to play, but it's not super obvious to other people- so he's making videos to demonstrate it. And that's not great, because by the time solar system ceases to exist, we will know everything about the game; no surprises, mechanics will have been explored by the youtuber army and the story itself is not good enough for people to come back to.

I don't think he can fix this now, as his way of communicating with fans has fucked this up from the early stage. Even so, I'll give my few cents on what I think he should have done:
- Full videos of playing should have been recorded only when YanSim was a literal sandbox.

- The mechanics and main structure should have been planned first WITH PEOPLE PLAYING in mind -> game play more intuitive

- Once the main game play is more intuitive- need to make long videos will be gone

- From then on (switch from the sandbox to a game with normal 3D environment) updates should only show bits without spoiling shit. For example showing a small clip of background, character models updated from assets to original moment (I make myself laugh) or hints at some mechanics. But not actually showing everything.

- Not releasing more than the sandbox. If he worked faster, the hype wouldn't die that easily. Plus, if he REALLY wanted to have kids playing in the sand, he could add those stupid easter eggs into the sandbox, not the main game. This would prevent youtubers from exploring everything there is to his game. Why does he think YS challenges are a thing? There's nothing else to do<- everything has been explored.

- Not being a lazy, stubborn piece of shit and having that game company fix his code. Also paying someone to model characters because those assets are generic piece of crap.

-profit

I gave up on the game precisely because I think the main problem can't be fixed. I'm probably going to look for an alternative... (Also, no hate, but does anyone else think the new Watashi no Mono model is ugly as fuck? Reminds me of the game Monokuma had created in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.)

I remember a long time ago when I still liked the game, I watched one of his videos (can't remember which one) and I just thought to myself: "Why are you telling me how to play the newest update?" He is making a game, he would enjoy, not what is fun anymore.

 

[Ido]

I know you can change your hair and stuff but wouldnt it be super obvious if the girl who was wearing the mask was one of the only black haired girls (with a ponytail) in a school of rainbow hair? Senpai shouldn't even need to fucking take off the mask to know who it was, all he'd need to do is be around her when she was getting visibly flustered over him to connect it...

Honestly I feel like these changesswill be game breaking rather than anything because if someone catches you And you dont kill them they'll tell. But if you do kill them all DNA will just point to you anyways. And if you destroy a corpses phone the Popo are gonna know to look there dumbass.

 

[Diesel Boogaloo]

I know you can change your hair and stuff but wouldnt it be super obvious if the girl who was wearing the mask was one of the only black haired girls (with a ponytail) in a school of rainbow hair?

Cut him some slack, Clark Kent's disguise was taking off his glasses and that's was enough for the audience.

 

[TotallyAChick]

I remember a long time ago when I still liked the game, I watched one of his videos (can't remember which one) and I just thought to myself: "Why are you telling me how to play the newest update?" He is making a game, he would enjoy, not what is fun anymore.

Exactly. He likes playing it, so he doesn't care other don't- as long as he still gets money. But playing through every update just spoils everything.

 

[Bad Headspace]

I don't dig the concept, but I wonder if his game will ever be finished considering prolonging the game and making it have a feature creep is his main income. I don't really see the motivating factors for actually delivering a finished game.

 

[allyka]

Nearly a year has passed since his rather large subreddit flipout, and nothing has changed. His game's still stuck in hell as he collects his ever declining pension.

By the look of it, either he half-asses the thing and shits it out in a few years, or he'll ride his sinking ship until his death. Both seem pretty bleak.

 

[cumdungeon]

Not sure why but I get the feeling he's going to go the way of the Narcissa.

 

[CherryBlossomTree]

I don't dig the concept, but I wonder if his game will ever be finished considering prolonging the game and making it have a feature creep is his main income. I don't really see the motivating factors for actually delivering a finished game.

I feel like the most we're gonna get is Osana and then yandere dev will try to vanish off the internet.

 

[Bad Headspace]

I feel like the most we're gonna get is Osana and then yandere dev will try to vanish off the internet.

I think we shouldn't ignore the appeal of being an e-celeb for people who might have not much going on in their lives. That attention is addictive.

 

[gaFDA]

I won't be surprised if the game gets up to 10 years of development and then he releases it to the 200 fans that are still interested, who then get disappointed because it's still a debug build.