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Domina

Started by Jarhead0331, August 07, 2022, 02:52:07 PM

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Jarhead0331

This was (is) a really fantastic gladiator management title with some really nice pixel art. Back in march, the developer slipped some stupid anti-masking comments in his patch notes and the internet went and had a meltdown. Before the patch notes, the game had very positive reviews on Steam and since then, the store page has been literally bombarded with overwhelmingly negative reviews, almost none of which have to do with the game.

I haven't followed the saga too closely, but apparently it has resulted in the developer being banned from a few other sites and now he is claiming that steam no longer is permitting him to flag false reviews.

I won't comment on the political ideology of the developer, but I do think it is sad that cancel culture has damaged what was an otherwise very fun and unique title. if you have any interest in getting it, I would do so now because it seems that it won't be up on steam for much longer.   

https://store.steampowered.com/app/535230/Domina/
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Gusington

I was just going to go buy it and then discovered...I already own it. Had no idea about the saga :/


слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

Jarhead0331

Yeah...I became aware of it back in March after a bunch of sheep started complaining in the discussion forums about how evil the developer was because he included some jokes in his patch notes about COVID masks. i hadn't followed it until the announcement today about the possible end of support for the game on steam. Its pretty ridiculous that something so stupid has had such very serious consequences.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


al_infierno

Those Dev log notes are fairly incomprehensible.  One of the update notes reads to the effect of "women like confidence, go out and talk to a woman and get laid."  What in the actual schizophrenic meltdown?

Even if he weren't making stupid political statements that have nothing to do with the game, that stuff is pretty uncanny and makes me seriously question the mental competency of the dev.

That said, I agree that Steam review bombing over stuff irrelevant to the game is an abhorrent tactic and Steam should not be permitting people to leave negative reviews because the dev said something that offended them.
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

Jarhead0331

#4
Quote from: al_infierno on August 07, 2022, 04:34:56 PM
Those Dev log notes are fairly incomprehensible.  One of the update notes reads to the effect of "women like confidence, go out and talk to a woman and get laid."  What in the actual schizophrenic meltdown?

I think you actually need to read all of the patch notes from the beginning of development to get a feel for the developer's quirky sense of humor. Some people might not find it funny, but to ruin the game over it? Absurd. This kind of infantile intolerable reaction to something like this is a major problem with "internet" culture these days.

The developer feels strongly about being able to speak one's mind, but he also then needs to be prepared to accept the consequences. I'm all for being able to speak freely, as well, but I would never post politically charged comments in my business blog, even if said in jest.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


al_infierno

Agreed with everything you said 100%
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

Sir Slash

Steam has had a number of very sexually explicit indie games advertised on it's Store Page for some time now. One would think this would be an issue of concern for them in addition to questionable jokes by developers.  :-X
"Take a look at that". Sgt. Wilkerson-- CMBN. His last words after spotting a German tank on the other side of a hedgerow.

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Sir Slash on August 07, 2022, 09:56:13 PM
Steam has had a number of very sexually explicit indie games advertised on it's Store Page for some time now. One would think this would be an issue of concern for them in addition to questionable jokes by developers.  :-X

I think they should be most concerned about a lot of the unadulterated garbage that is sold on steam. Domina happens to be a really fantastic game.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


al_infierno

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 07, 2022, 10:15:18 PM
Quote from: Sir Slash on August 07, 2022, 09:56:13 PM
Steam has had a number of very sexually explicit indie games advertised on it's Store Page for some time now. One would think this would be an issue of concern for them in addition to questionable jokes by developers.  :-X

I think they should be most concerned about a lot of the unadulterated garbage that is sold on steam. Domina happens to be a really fantastic game.

Not to mention actual laundering schemes.  I don't know if they've been removed by now, but a year or two back I remember seeing active listings for extremely basic Unity asset games being sold for $400 which were clearly some poorly thought out laundering scheme.
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

JasonPratt

Heh, true story! -- back when I was trying to publish my first (and to date only published) novel, I would occasionally notice people selling promotional or otherwise used copies on Amazon, of course. But a few times I caught people selling them for over $120!

I figured someone was using them to smuggle bricks of drugs or something like that.  :knuppel2:
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

ArizonaTank

Domina is a good game.

Agree that the dev needs to be ready for the consequences of posting such comments and associating them with his game. It is pretty poor marketing to alienate someone who might otherwise be a customer in good standing.

At the same time, I don't have an issue with customers applying a moral/political/ideological test to where they spend their own money.

But they should do that quietly. I do object when that same customer insists that I also apply their test to my purchases.   

Johannes "Honus" Wagner
"The Flying Dutchman"
Shortstop: Pittsburgh Pirates 1900-1917
Rated as the 2nd most valuable player of all time by Bill James.

WYBaugh

I thought this stuff was gone after the political forum was removed. 

al_infierno

Quote from: WYBaugh on August 08, 2022, 03:44:47 PM
I thought this stuff was gone after the political forum was removed.

I'm not a proper mod, but I assume this discussion is allowed because it's not really an R&P discussion (i.e. talking about masks, etc.) - it's a discussion about a developer's behavior and how they represent their business and the resulting negative consequences on that business, which is all pertinent to the game itself since its future availability has now come under question.
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

WYBaugh

#13
nm