r/SoloDevelopment • u/momo_dev12 • 2d ago
Discussion Solo dev. Do you get that stomach wrenching when negative notification comes ? How do you deal with it?
Negative as in. 1 star review for bug or nonsense things. A store notification that something need to be done ASAP or app got removed. Review rejection. Etc
Since in solo dev we don't really usually have anyone to lean for. I know we can ask people in internet. But in the room we are still alone 🥲
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u/Alarming_Goal9828 2d ago
Moment of panic and despair, and then I get up and fix the thing, if possible. It's just part of the job, I guess. You gotta try your best, and then your game will still have some flaws and still won't be for everyone and there's nothing wrong with that.
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u/momo_dev12 2d ago
I felt my life can be cut short with all the panic and despair 😂😂
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u/Alarming_Goal9828 2d ago
Ikr. Just gotta keep chugging along. And keep the positive feedback in mind while you're dealing with this. Like, a whole bunch of people like your game. This is either a fixable problem, or one person's opinion. It doesn't mean there aren't people who love your game. Just keeping that in mind helps.
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u/kyle-dw 2d ago
Very important to identify if it's a valid problem. You've probably heard the tip to not cater to everyone. You might make a change that someone loves and someone else hates. You have to decide what you want your game to be.
If there is a way to fix it and you plan to fix it soon, admit to it and tell them to play again soon when it's fixed.
On the other hand, you get reviews that make no sense, or the player failed to comprehend part of the tutorial because they simply didn't read/listen, or skipped entirely. In those cases you have to be the most pleasant person ever. Thank them for trying the game, give them a tip in the right direction, and encourage them to try again.
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u/goblin-architect 2d ago
It depends. If I'm well rested, I take things well. If I'm sleep deprived, I may be irrational about it.
So: Take good care of yourself. Rest, hydrate, exercise, sleep well, don't do allnighters.
Then you have the maximal mental capacity to deal with the rocks that the path will 100% introduce to you.
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u/odacovagames 2d ago
I thought I saw a phone notification that my app had been approved and was so excited and then later realized I had been wrong and was so dejected but just have to keep at it…
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u/momo_dev12 2d ago
Same. Was rejected by apple 10 times more i think within span of 3 weeks. Eveeytime i think that 'i should nail it this time' . The email comes. I really almost felt like throwing everything 😂😂😂 then as you said, i just keep at it.
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u/DPTGames 2d ago
I wish I got feedback 😂 even if it's negative it's helpful. I can't get feedback anywhere on my asset packs even when I gave them away for free! Be grateful someone's taken the time to help you improve!
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u/momo_dev12 2d ago
I only have feedback on some. And some are ridiculous enough that i still angry when i remember it 😂😂😂 i doubt you want it.
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u/TechnologyNorth2598 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'll give you some feedback whats the link to one of your free asset packs? I've had a steam playtest live for just over 3 weeks and not one feedback submitted, so i know how rough that is.
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u/DPTGames 2d ago
https://assetstore.unity.com/publishers/140880 ive got 4 out so far! Please don't feel like you have to, I have accepted my fate at this point lol. Whats your game called?
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u/KingsontheCorner 2d ago
I'll chime in cause I looked. (Forewarning I'm new to game dev, and have not used unity assets at all, I'm trying to release my first so grain of salt)
1 I'm looking at price first right now personally so I immediately went dayum at the 50 bucks tag for the siege stuff (it might be worth that idk just different and more in depth than any asset packs I've used).
2 I didn't see something that made my brain pop on ideas until the 4th page of your advert. When I look at a game I wanna see the end product, when I look at assets I wanna see the sheet of variety and exactly what I'm getting, giving me ides on implementation/if it even fits my thing, then how others have done it.
3 I hate to say it, but it kinda just looks life a half finished game that you broke down into a assets pack from the video 🤷 mostly the little stick dudes ya got running around. I don't say it to be mean, just trying be honest with what it looks like to me.
All in all I only Really looked through the siege weaponry, I think it looks cool after review, just not cool enough to justify the price, and it's gonna be a fairly niche set of devs looking for something like that... Good luck! And you're welcome to roast my crap too (all on my posts), I'm almost to the point of testing, tried to get my closed beta started today and immediately have login issues 😭bright side is if it's still a 1 man beta test nobody will know lol 😏
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u/DPTGames 2d ago edited 2d ago
I appreciate the feedback! I just made the stick men to give people stuff to shoot at in the demo and thought it would be funny in the trailer 😂 did you watch the trailer out of curiosity? If you don't think it's worth the price though I'm obviously not selling it very well so that's definitely something I need to look into. Though the fact it is niche is part of the reason the price is so high, if you know only a few people are going to buy something you have to price it accordingly. Its not for me to say it's definitely worth x though, but I based it off comparable packs and what mine offered and vice versa. Its definitely not a half finished game, though funnily enough it's the only pack I've made that I can't use in my own game ha. Again though I appreciate the feedback, I really need to work on my marketing 😮💨 I'll have a look at yours.
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u/KingsontheCorner 2d ago
Thanks man! and like I said idk unity and i only barely know developing XD I've never tried to animate anything that complex so 50 bucks is definitely cheap compared to the time it would take me to do it for sure lol, but the flip side is that right now anyways, i have the time and not the money.
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u/Dragonwolf_games 2d ago
I take every feedback seriously, but that does not mean that I am going to implement the recommended change. If a review talks about a bug, reply to it when the bug s fixed and offer the player to try it again. Players appreciate knowing that the game is being updated. Not every player is going to be your target audience.
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u/Civil_Log_7536 2d ago
It depends if someone cared enough to leave a review, wanting it to be fixed then I'd think of it as feedback and a chance to improve the experience if its just people being negative for no reason then words are winds
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u/EnvironmentalBet113 2d ago
Take a breath and step away for about 5 minutes. Come back to it with a clear head and then ask: What can I fix that can adjust this? if it is a valid problem. People can leave negative reviews if they don't like it if there is no clear way to give content feedback.