Simplicity

General
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Most of this is my personal opinions and rambling, but I think others will find it interesting and agree with me. Soo- here we go!

I hate the direction upstream SS14 is going towards.

From overly complex “off-brand” medical, to the wizden community making up really complex and dumb lore. And corruption

One of the primary reasons I was able to get into SS14 was because it was simpler than SS13, it was easier to install, the mechanics were simple. And the game is genuinely unique. It’s open source, too!

But over time, I’ve kinda started seeing cracks. The game has been getting more mechanically complicated, wizdens leadership mostly resigned and got replaced. The game got further and further from what initially lured me in.

And uuh- I ended up getting banned, but that’s off topic from this specific post.

My point is that the game has been getting more complex, both in mechanics and other things. And I feel like this will negatively harm the SS14 project overall, and even impact other forks.

If players are deterred from the game because it’s too complicated, like SS13, than they’ll have minimal reason to play the game and look for other forks.

Most of the other servers currently listed on wizdens hub will merge most changes from upstream, and most of them are just as complicated or worse.

I think this would potentially threaten the game in its entirety. Less new players (whom are deterred by a new and too-complicated game) means less people coming to forks, and significantly less people coming to SSMV.

SSMV is an unpopular niche. Compared to everything else. The morals and goals SSMV has are good goals, but wizden proclaims themselves as the “official” place for everything SS14.

And we can’t exactly advertise that far, most people who join SSMV have likely faced similar wrongs. The amount of people who find SSMV out of pure coincidence has to be a minority.

SSMV benefits on the overall community fracturing, even if unintentional. And fracturing can potentially prevent new people from coming into the game.

Of course, since none of the analytics are publicly available, that means all my thoughts can only be opinions, even if I think my thoughts are logical. Because we have no way to verify.

I find this irritating. I like this game, I see potential in it, that’s why I made azalea. But, I’ve been left considering a lot of negative outcomes that appear more likely than the positive outcomes, and honestly, that’s a little depressing.

SS14 is a game that distracted me most from life, the game kept me distracted from past traumas, and helped me in a lot of ways. It was more effective than other games I’ve tried.

Yet, everything now just… sucks, everything is just conflict, and everything is going in a bad direction

Even if my server rejects that bad direction, we might not even get the chance to grow. This opinion can apply to all servers listed on the SSMV hub.

I’m curious what the community’s opinion is on this subject. Is it only just me, or have other people felt the same way? Only one way to find out! ;p

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Oh and the reclaimer, they pretty much ruined an entire department when they removed it, super cool!!!1111!

Cargo was the first department I tried, first one I unlocked a command role on.

Kinda felt targeted when that was removed v:

Ended up just, not doing cargo anymore. Cause it was ruined by that change.

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On the topic of simple vs complex mechanics, I think there’s opportunity for both types of servers. Really deep systems and mechanics can be interesting for long time players looking for something new to learn. But as you say, simple systems are great for new players and ones who don’t want to get bogged down too much. So ideally there are different servers experimenting with each strategy.

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If players are deterred from the game because it’s too complicated, like SS13, than they’ll have minimal reason to play the game and look for other forks.

Oh well, im not sure about it. People liking SS13/SS14, because it is a game platform, where you can do whatever you want. Something another, instead of space themes or fantasy. For now SS14 is too complicated with base content-pack (by Wizden) and its core mechanics.

I think this would potentially threaten the game in its entirety. Less new players (whom are deterred by a new and too-complicated game) means less people coming to forks, and significantly less people coming to SSMV.

More like a community issue. I mean - a group players. I founded some people, who prepared for, potential, migrating from original platform launcher, to SSMV. Mostly, because it is really hard to supporting your game, if it not just a fork.

SS14 is a game that distracted me most from life, the game kept me distracted from past traumas, and helped me in a lot of ways. It was more effective than other games I’ve tried

I can feel it. Yeah, this is a one thing, why i continue to live. Because another platforms is, mostly, dying. Space Station is good place to continue play anything, not just roleplaying/playing erp. Something more…

——————————————

Also. If SSMV can provide sitting and laying feature (in base content-pack) for humanoid entities - i will accept that design vision - more simplicity, less complex.

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My first department is engineering. Yeah, i love it. Repair wall, insert lights, repair APC, destroy SMES, escape singularty, and then go to tech. bar for drinking, until round is ends.

Too immersive, like in IRL.

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Only for new players.

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I feel like experienced players might also desire more simple mechanics

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That’s where I think you are wrong.

A new player wouldn’t care about the “platform” part of SS14, they either wouldn’t know, or come to the conclusion that the majority of other servers are too intimidatingly complicated to learn. And therefore stop playing. They have no reason to search further beyond that.

A group of players does not represent a majority audience. I never said all players would be deterred, just a majority of them.

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Like, let’s say, I was a new player. I go onto the first website that pops up when I search for SS14 (wizden), I downloaded it. Launched it, than I’m presented with a huge and overwhelming list of servers.

Obviously, my natural guess would be that wizden is the best one, because they run the site, after all. So I try it.

The new player would get blasted with new med, a huge rulebook (huge rules are excusable, this is one of the few things I’d consider an absolutely necessary compromise to simplicity)

And complicated departments. Like sci, engi. The only remaining beginner-friendly departments are service, passenger and cargo.

So this would deter said new player, when they end up getting frustrated with the game.

They might try other forks, but most of them are equally complex.

What incentive would they have to look further?

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A group of players does not represent a majority audience. I never said all players would be deterred, just a majority of them.

Well, for now SSMV is looks more like underground niche. If you need majority audience - you should find some server creators and community. Or making ads, videos, another mass media content.
What about a someone, who can be become community manager? Someone, who can do this things?

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That’s something Skye has been waiting for since awhile ago now. I’ve discussed a similar topic with them on matrix.

Hasn’t happened yet, there’s no real reason for a content creator to try out SSMV yet, none of the servers are unique enough compared to what wizdens hub offers. Blep is ERP, and I’m trying to learn how to code for azalea.

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Like, let’s say, I was a new player. I go onto the first website that pops up when I search for SS14 (wizden), I downloaded it. Launched it, than I’m presented with a huge and overwhelming list of servers.

Ha-ha, that is my first experience. But also, my first thing in this game - is going to crit by touching lights on walls and burn hand.

The new player would get blasted with new med, a huge rulebook (huge rules are excusable, this is one of the few things I’d consider an absolutely necessary compromise to simplicity)

Detach and slashing body parts is fun feature. Also - it makes the game more immersive. But in your case, from new player vision, it might be looks difficult, but impressive feature.

They might try other forks, but most of them are equally complex.

Oh well, i playing since the days when there wasn’t variations or diffirence between forks. Maybe language translation (like from ENG to RU). So, when you trying another fork - you trying the same game. But in nova days situation is different.

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Circumstances changed as of recent. There’s no more nyano, and a lot of older forks have discontinued or died out.

Plus PJB is starting to deprecate older engine versions for “security”

So many server’s will just get auto dehubbed based on engine version

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I trying migrating from RT to MV engine. But there is many problems on content-pack side, like authorization, whitelist and another changes.

SSMV is looks like a experimental area, or a Plan B, if:

  1. SS14 would be banned in my region. So i can switch/relaunch the SSMV auth with launcher for my game.
  2. If SS14 and wizdens will try to ban you. There is many persons with broken personality and LGBT+ furry pictures in profile.
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It’s also complicated. A new player wouldn’t exactly know what to do, it’s not like they are carrying a combat medical kit with them.

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But it is better.

Changing authentication removes any central dependence.

Technically speaking, SSMV offers a more secure and robust authentication protocol.

But realistically speaking, it also cuts you off from wizden.

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Circumstances changed as of recent. There’s no more nyano, and a lot of older forks have discontinued or died out.

That hurts

Plus PJB is starting to deprecate older engine versions for “security”

Oooooh shiit, very hurts. Thats why i want to move from RT to MV. I don’t want to upstream any “new” contents from original game, because someone removed deprecated method from C# code.

So many server’s will just get auto dehubbed based on engine version

More funny - you can’t join on server. Like from favorite server lists. Because “security” reason.

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Also take a look at how many rolebans wizden does, it’s insane

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But realistically speaking, it also cuts you off from wizden.

I already do it. Ended upstreaming of Einstein Engines since jan 2025. Working on my own content using the engine features. But im worry about supporting other games, that is not a OpenDream or SS14 “soft” fork. That is why i looking into SSMV last year with serious plans.

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Not only them. Also many russian servers do this same. It looks like a 1984 meme, you know :eyes:.