(Video) CK2 Ep2 Steve responding to negative reviews

Well I just completed the Penelope path. Dude whoever thought starting to call Penelope Pe is a bad writer, that's so cringe. It's like teen try hard trying to be edgy stuff. The nick name for Penelope is Penny, not Pe.

I can say that while playable the pool party was ...... like someone took over the writing which you explained in the video. But for me it was enough different to be...not as enjoyable. For example in the prior scripting the choices allowed differing playstyles. You could be the somewhat rude or in your face style or different and helpful etc. In pool party not only were the graphics different and made some of the girls ...less like them from prior but most of the choices either ignore previous choices from the save game and or are only one real choice - rude or ruder. so it felt like a let down. Different scriptors is one thing but losing the previous flow and style should not have happened in particular for content we are paying again for. Easier said than done but my 2 cents.

Steve, I get the feeling that all the trouble with CK is generated by trying to please too many people. Make the game the way you want it and you will see all the problems fade. You did that in the very beginning and the game blossomed into a gamer's desire. Now you're chasing ghosts and the results are obvious. Go back to your roots, it was that good.

So I pay and get this ?

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Well first off, he sounds British, so what can we expect (Do I need to remind you of 1775??) But in all seriousness. was the game perfect, hell no. Was it fun, sure. I kind of look at it like a TV Series. We all have our favorite characters, our favorite storylines, and certain specifics we like about the show. You watch the show every week, and sometimes none of your favorites are focused on. It may be a story about a topic that interested you in no way. Does that mean the show sucks? Do you stop watching the show? Do you write the network and threaten to boycott it and all its shows...NO. You watch the previews for next week and hope it involves your favorites. I love Ms. Rose and Riley. This episode had very little content with them in it, and the content it did, especially with Riley, wasn't very good in my opinion. But it's just that, my opinion. To sum it all up, as we say in the great midwest, "Ya all needs to chill" Stop asking for money back and shit like that. The next episode might be some huge orgy where our boy scores with all the ladies. And then we will all be happy. LOL

I have played the latest release and I enjoyed it. The only thing that broke for me was when I tried to start an old save file and it got stuck with Ambers messages. Other then that I did not have anything break on me. I also liked the different story arches it took with different characters. So for me it was really good. It was short and very compact but I will keep replaying it. Like I have always said do not lose your vision Steve and if you feel that it is not right then do not rush it out. Just keep us in the loop and explain why you are going to wait to release it. My support will continue to you and your team.

I second most of Chillhelm's comments in his 1st paragraph. It isn't, IMO, the game it started out to be. Understandable that it's difficult to keep a game with quite a few threads in the correct corral, but even the staff increases don't seem to have helped appreciably thus far. I don't have any desire to be negatively critical, but there hasn't been any real improvement in quite some time, despite all the professions of improved this, brand new that. Not looking forward to playing CK is not planned or preferred, but where I'm at. Here's hoping you can get the tech stuff where it needs to be and you want it, but especially that your team can catch hold of the game that's getting away.

I've listened to this video before actually playing the episode, so I can't say anything about the episode itself, but you've touched on something super-important to me here. The game or even the whole project doesn't really feel like College Kings anymore. When I discovered CK originally, I absolutely loved it and it became my #2 AVN out there. I happily upped my pledge and looked forward to each new episode. But in the last year or so I felt like you've lost your way. It was expansion this, improve that, new feature/gimmick this, new staff that etc. and it all felt too much to me. Obviously, not everything was bad, but in general it was too much and just not the game, that I enjoyed so much anymore. So, a couple of months ago i've reduced my pledge and I've not even been looking forward to new episodes anymore (which is why I haven't played the current one yet). Really, I was considering dropping my pledge altogether and to just move on. All that being said, I'm very glad to hear you address this in the video and fully intend to hang around a little longer in the hope that you do find your way again and CK does go back to the fun game it was early on. We've all fucked up before and I can certainly understand that you're a bit overwhelmed at your age. God knows I couldn't have done this at 22. So, here's hoping CK goes back to the roots and to being a great game. Best of luck Steve!

Thanks for the transparency! I bought the supporter ed but have yet to play. A little nervous now but I WILL play and continue to support the game and your efforts as you seem to be addressing the issues. CK was one of the best written and most immersive experiences I have played for this type of game and I'm not giving up on it as long as you won't.

There is also a couple of dialouge bugs when I was playing as an Ape Grayson and Cameron would call me a wolf when I wasn't. Also I would be in the Wolves bedroom a bunch of times too.

I really appreciate the video and your explanations. You are right Steve, you F’d up. But not enough to throw away all the fun I’ve had with the previous episodes. In other words, it’s forgivable. Hell it’s not like you cheated with my girl Nora🥴, but it’s something we can work through. Real friends don’t toss you aside when you screw up. And, trust me, we all screw up at one time or another. The reviews worried me and caused me to hesitate in purchasing Ep2. But after hearing your video, my support is assured. Hell I blow that much at Starbucks, so in the age of this recession, it’s not going to break me. We learn by doing. So I hope you stay close to CK. I know you have to peek in on the new project, but it doesn’t have a fan base yet and can be written any way. CK is the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings of AVNs. You can’t F with them without some serious criticism.

I don't like the free roam or the currently conceived branching storylines. It's one thing to have decisions open or close other opportunities down the line to change different playthroughs, but too many of these branches don't feel like the same game played differently - they feel like different games. I played the first game and focused on Chloe. But when I played Pool Party, it was like Chloe was a side thought, barely in the game, and the interactions were not on the same level as they had been before.

You say that you improved the branching of the relationship and I see much regress in it. I've been dating Chloe and everyone knew it. Now Nora asks me if I want to be her boyfriend and Chloe is not mentioned. The same is with Laura. Finally I meet Chloe and there's no chance to breakup with her even though I'm the official Nora's boyfriend now. So I'm now an official boyfriend of both girls and cannot do anything about it and everyone seems to be OK with that. This is totally unrealistic and spoils all the fun. What's really interesting in such types of game is the realism in how the relations are developing. In the real world some girls would be jealous, the other would be angry with MC behaviour and I would have to do a lot of explaining to them why I behaved that way. Instead it is just meeting one girl after another and they perceive me always the same. All the decisions have very short-time or no consequences. Even Laura seems to be perfectly OK with MC after he cheated on her in the plane with Aubrey.

Is the option to Unlock All Scenes coming in an update?

I appreciate the transparency. I was definitely rubbed the wrong way with the pricing, but I think that's always going to be a bit messy: am I buying a final product, or am I funding future development? As a final product on Steam, it was definitely steep. I'm glad you've heard and are addressing the major concerns. My biggest issue has definitely been the direction - I'm not big on free roams as I get mad FOMO - free roams introduce opportunity for me to miss content. And while I do enjoy humor, it was never the focus for me. It's always been the relationships and story. Ep 1 pt III is peak CK for me thus far. Still looking forward to where the story goes!

I haven’t post any reviews yet but I will. The CK Chapter 2 looked and played well with a lot less bugs than the past updates but the writing is what got to me. The characters didn’t seem like themselves really at all and in turn this has affected decision making in the game. Girls react differently now to things that may have made them laugh in the past. I’d work hard on getting that old writer back! Keep working out those growing pains! CK has a ton of potential. I’m cancelling my subscription just due to the direction the writers took the episode. It didn't appeal to me like CK 1 did. Please win me back over Steve! I’m waiting for the next episode!

I think you focused on processes and formalities too much like you said, a game is built around a core EXPERIENCE that you want to provide to your players. There will always be some cool ideas but it needs to blend nicely into the core experience, not to replace it. And I feel like the play testing is definitelty not enough, either not in depth or not thorough enough

Who reviewed it? Autumn and Lindsey?! - in all seriousness I liked the episode. EDIT - Played through again, would have preferred it if more girls were at the pool party and there were more scenes available. Get rid of the weird meta Penelope game, that was my least favourite thing.

Sounds good. Had no problem so far with the game. And the learning is good. Everyone will have feedback and I see you are listening. Hope you keep it up. :)