Apparently, I'm a problematic developer.
I've recently seen a TikTok circulating that labels me as "problematic."
The video is built around the whole Discord drama that I was NEVER personally involved in. Despite that, it's being presented as though it reflects my own actions or behavior, and as a result, people are now calling me problematic.
I don't think that's fair, because I haven't seen anyone point to something I personally said or did that justifies calling me "problematic."
The only interaction I've ever had with the people behind this was on my itch.io page, where they repeatedly left comments that were unrelated to my game. As the developer, I removed those off-topic comments.
That was the extent of our interactions.
I wasn't a participant in that Discord drama, yet it's now being used as a reason to judge me and my work as though I were responsible for it.
(I recommend reading the Discord chats in the Google Doc attached to this post. If I'm mistaken, you're welcome to check for yourself, but as far as I can tell, my username doesn't appear at all in the discord chats.)
I've also seen comments under this tiktok suggesting that because my visual novel depicts sexism, homophobia, and other harmful attitudes, those beliefs must somehow be my own.
And I've also seen comments saying things like, "I'm not surprised the creator is weird with how Lane's written."
Lane is a fictional character. He is intentionally written to be flawed, sexist, manipulative, and, at times, unlikeable. Exploring those traits in fiction does not mean I endorse them.
If authors could only write characters who perfectly reflected their own morals, fiction would be incredibly limited. Writing a toxic character is not the same as defending that character.
You're completely free to dislike Lane. In fact, I expected many people would. That's one of the reasons I included multiple content warnings about his behavior before players even started the game.
What I don't think is fair is using a fictional character as evidence to make assumptions about the person who wrote them.
I've already said that I don't mind if people misread Lane. He's fictional, and different interpretations come with that. But those assumptions are being extended to me, and that's where I have a problem.
Because I've also seen comments calling me "weird," saying I'm being "babied" by the community, or claiming I'm using my game to express my own views. Those are serious assumptions about me as a person, yet they aren't based on anything I've actually said.
So if anyone has concerns about me, I encourage them to look at firsthand evidence rather than Tiktok videos or secondhand accusations.
I'm not interested in fueling internet drama or attacking anyone in return. I simply don't think it's right to have my reputation as a developer damaged because of that.
At the end of the day, I'm being labeled a "problematic developer" not because of something I've personally said or done, but because I've been associated with a Discord drama I wasn't involved in and because assumptions are being made about me based on the fictional characters I write.
* Don't hold me responsible for a drama I wasn't involved in, and don't assume my beliefs are identical to those of a fictional character I intentionally wrote to be flawed.
turnnoffyourmind
snowghoul
blakekathryn
gamechangershow
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
gracieabrams
