#felixfae.txt

[ugliifae]

Day 3 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

phew, today was a close one.

it’s currently 10pm and the only reason i remembered to write today is because i saw a notification, haha - thank you random liker!

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

so, i mentioned yesterday in my incredibly long post regarding the current state of paralives as well as the fanbase that i would be writing a second part to that today - but if you weren’t aware, Paralives has actually postponed its Early Access release to May 25th, 2026.

I’ll attach the dev post below:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

in the aims of not kicking them whilst they’re down, i’ll hold off on posting that second layer of feedback for now.

overall, how am i feeling about it?

initially, i was kinda pissed off. yeah these things happen, but the fact that we were less than a month off from release, as well as the video specifying early access content being posted just two weeks ago, this kinda baffled me. this is WAY too late of an announcement, and i was incredibly surprised to see it at this stage.

however, i did decide to dig around a little bit and made a free trial for their patreon, as they had released a gameplay footage video alongside this announcement and Oh God. Devs, you made the right choice.

i would REALLY recommend watching it through if you’re in this same confused state as i was, because it genuinely felt like all the criticisms and scepticisms i had were finally revealed as true.

it suddenly made sense why they refused to show pure gameplay footage all this time, because god some of these issues are undeniable.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

however, it also got me wondering, why on EARTH did it take them so long to delay it when this was the state it’s in?

the answer? biased reviewers and playtesters, as well as the same overly positive fanbase i mentioned in my post yesterday.

Paralives devs: for the love of god, please invest in playtesters that are willing to criticise and help you make this game what it deserves to be. allow your patrons to give you that feedback and EMPHASISE that they can - they are there to help you.

in a field like this, you can’t be led by blind optimism, and i’m sorry but if i was a patron for the last seven years only to end up with this: it would be a smack in the face to have to wait SO LONG for gameplay footage. we, as consumers, have a right to understanding what we are supporting/potentially purchasing.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

all that being said, the devs made a ridiculously hard but humble decision today and i applaud them for it, but i do hope that there is a further level of transparency and professionalism going forward.

delays are normal in game development. no proof of content, faked gameplay footage (the footage we have seen on youtube clearly isn’t real, given the release stream we just saw with its hundreds of frame drops and buggy animations), and a severely delayed set of announcements are NOT normal however.

devs, i hope you use this time to make the progress you need, and i wish you the very best of luck.

[ugliifae]

Day 4 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

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I’ve received a lot of positive response the last few days with regards to my Paralives posts: thank you! really motivating me to continuously put my voice out there because, like i mentioned previously, the community did seem to look down upon any constructive criticisms.

like i mentioned in a reply though, this sentiment is starting to change since the delay news - or at the very least, IT HAS TO.

it’s all well and good to create a beautiful game, as paralives and inzoi already have - but what creates a life sim?

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* stating immediately that these thoughts aren’t entirely original, but they are formulated by me and have an added layer of my perspective and opinion on top hehe.

* i have been SCOURING the internet for the past day to read everyone’s opinions on the delay, and it led to me thinking about how we CREATE a life sim that feels good to play and keeps people coming back

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1. Where It All Began: What Made The Sims So Successful?

We have to give credit where it’s due and thank the beauty that is Will Wright for his invention (well, mastery) of this genre. The Sims 1 as well as the Sims franchise in general has been IMMENSELY successful since it first launched - but hasn’t been given any real competition since. Why is that?

The Sims 1 launched with the basic understanding of what this genre is meant to be, something that other companies seem to forget along the way. Yes, life is beautiful and made of smaller details - but what are these aspects detailing if the core foundation of the gameplay is missing, or empty?

Yes, the sims 1 (and even 2&3) weren’t necessarily ‘pretty’, but they had the foundations set up correctly that made it incredibly rewarding to KEEP coming back to the game. This aspect is what other companies seem to fall short on: what turns your life sim from something engaging to something repetitive, and how do you find a balance between the two?

But like i said, these sims game without the intention of looking amazing, had a core gameplay loop that was difficult, engaging, and rewarding. You had to actively grind to make some money. You had to grind to get a promotion. You had to grind to get those relationships to where you wanted them to be. This difficulty and level of achievement is what keeps a player engaged and coming back to the game. These reasons are also why we see a lot more players continuously restarting in the sims 4: the gameplay is beautiful and has so many amazing features, but that level of difficulty isn’t necessarily there and has to be fostered carefully. After all, what’s the point of going back to a game where you have all the rewards when the restart button is right there?

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2. How Do You Create Meaningful Gameplay?

To answer this question, we need to boil down the mechanics of the games to their smallest parts.

So of course, a life sim follows the mundane everyday. There’s always an aspect of: wake up < eat < go to work < socialise < eat < go to sleep. all games can easily implement this, but how do you make it engaging?

The answer? difficulty and reward.

Not only do you need resistance in completing these goals (like, get a degree for a better job! have these skills to these levels before you can be promoted! do this set of tasks before you can be a better student! etc etc) but you also need a reason to do it.

What is the benefit of a better job if you don’t need the additional money? what else does it give you?

what is the benefit of having your acquaintance become a best friend? what else does it give you?

what is the benefit of moving onto the next generation? what else does it give you?

without these questions answered and properly rewarded, the game feels stagnant and noncommittal. that’s when it reigns true that a lot of the fun comes from starting over, and going through that initial struggle again. the sims 4, i feel, had issues with properly rewarding some of the core gameplay loops which is why people announce it as ‘not as fun’ as the other games in that title.

legacy players are what create these games - you should want to explore the game to its entirety and find the game fun at most life stages (in an ideal world, of course, this should be the aim of the developers anyways). if you can’t see a reason to play with a sim past young adulthood with a mother lode in the back pocket, why would you ever go back to it?

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3. How Do You Begin To Make a Successful LifeSim?

it’s very easy for me to relate this back to paralives with all the news coming out right now - but know that this isn’t just the fault of the paradevs. it’s why this genre seems to be unbeaten by the Sims right now and has been a key issue for all those that dare attempt to tackle this genre.

you need to start with the basics. fuck your pretty game. fuck your genetics. fuck your seven types of pizza. those DO NOT matter if you can’t walk from A-B.

game developers seem to be placing an emphasis on the aesthetics as of late, and it’s why we are seeing more and more failures within this genre.

in the early stages: we do not need graphic designers. we do not need artists. we do not need adoring fans.

what we do need? boring as fuck grey blocks and a definition of what the core gameplay is going to be. everything else CAN COME AFTER.

if you intend to SIMULATE LIFE, your focus can not be the aesthetics of it primarily. life is mundane and we are all masters of the mundane in this area, how do you personally intend to make this fun? how do you provide structure and routine without it feeling monotonous?

i’ve played ugly games and i’ve played beautiful games - of course the pretty ones are what initially attracted me to it, but it is NOT necessary. i feel this is what devs tend to misunderstand.

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anyone can make a game, but not everyone understands game design no matter how many hours they play.

[ugliifae]

Day 5 of Attempting to Write Everyday

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

today will, sadly, be a shorter post than normal given that i am on my period and thus: dying lol

however, the issue at hand strikes a bit of inspiration in me, and it got me thinking about the unfair expectations of those with periods and the belief that we should be working to the same level consistently

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

over 50% of the population will have a period at some point in their life (give or take, that number is based on population counts). there really should be more equity based leniencies there when it comes to those that do struggle with their periods.

we are forced to work on what is essentially a man’s schedule. men’s cycle works on a 24 hour cycle with the ways their hormones fluctuate, for females (using that term based on sex, nothing else) that cycle is typically 28 days. for a lot of females, two weeks out of the month are incredibly limiting and debilitating. both mentally and physically.

yet we get NO assistance nor leniency for it? what a strange system

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

rant over, brain foggy, uglii tired lol

[ugliifae]

Day 1 of a New Blog:

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;)  really, i have no motivations for starting this blog. the only reason i decided to push through and do it is because im hoping that writing daily and forcing myself to put my thoughts down will help me, in some way. what way am i hoping for, however? not sure lol

i haven’t been to university in a week, and honestly this entire semester has been a flop for me. i have a project due tomorrow that i haven’t even started and here i am, lying in bed typing this, rather than starting it

i would like to blame every other little thing in the world, but it eventually all falls on my and my lack of motivation towards my degree right now, which, granted, there are a lot of factors contributing to that.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

‧˚꒰🐾୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ education as a tool is created to enhance future workers, and to prepare us for our intended future endeavours, but i honestly find this system quite lacking when it comes to disabled and neurodivergent people (and essentially every minority under the sun, but that’s a WHOLE OTHER conversation in and of itself).

being autistic, the environment is completely overwhelming and impossible to deal with. the days i do make it into class, i spend the next few days in a stupor at home - exhausted from the social nature of it all. essentially, i am left with about three spoons.

even with accommodations, i am still greatly unaccounted for in the system - even after continuous feedback and encouragement on my side attempting to better the environment.

all that being said, it makes me wonder, who on earth is university made for?

what is the other option for me and many others? to drop out and pursue a life of social isolation, never making it far enough unless i somehow become incredibly successful from home? is that really how im intended to live?

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა higher support needs autistics deserve a place in education and frankly, we are not getting it.

i have bent over backwards in an attempt to do my part in regards to this. i have spent the hours trying to make it more accessible on a personal and academic level. i have written countless emails. i have borderline begged and pleaded for some accommodations and yet, i go unheard and under addressed.

even without the proper accommodations, i’m still expected societally to be ‘less autistic’. i am expected to be quiet and still. i am expected to mind my tone and words. i am expected to perform the same as my classmates, despite having a disability.

how on earth is this system assumed to be achievable for all?

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

₊˚⊹ᰔ all that being said, it is now time for me to yet again suck up my exhaustion and continue forward, because i have been taught that the world refuses to wait for me