I can't see how 'look, someone else is doing something just as stupid' makes it any better.
Whataboutism, a valid tool to distract and derail uncomfortable lines of discussion, brought to its pinnacle by americas current president
If you simply cannot accept defeat or logic this is what you go to.
You know what strikes me as funny when it comes to RL expenses in computer games? Usually spending lots of money on computer games is universally laughed at pretty much the same as nerds were thought to live in their mothers basement, be fat, have thick glasses and are socially inept.
When I read through the thread it doesnt matter from what camp the comment comes. Its either "idiots", "morons" or "rich
kids" all of which are degrading on some level. But when it comes to Star Citizen these people suddenly turn into serious "investors" or are granted special treatment, not allowed to laugh and point at because Star Citizen is "serious business"
Investment usually is a personal decision. Everybody spends money on stuff that other people disagree with. Doesnt change the purchases or peoples behavior in general. I dont get why
others feel the need to defend such people tho while claiming they are only in at minimum entry level. Seriously. This has turned into some kind of internet meme. Wherever you look you have SC defenders claiming the are "only in for 45$ and happy with their expense" because they all realize admitting to a funding of several thousand dollars would immediately expose them to ridicule and laughing.
Its funny because Star Citizen....despite what these people think of it is above all
only a computer game. Its not the second coming of jesus, its not paradise, its not even worth your time and attention until it actually releases. Even if SC releases it will only give you a return value of the base game. Of course if its designed as P2W paying more will give you unfair advantages but I cannot imagine CiG getting away with releasing a 60$ premium base game AND basing it on P2W mechanisms. So lets assume that the SC fanatics are correct and Star Citizen will allow you to grind and buy every ship in the game. If that would be true an investment of several thousand dollars is even
more crazy then. I m sure there will be tiered game packages offering additional assets for more money same as deluxe, gold or ultimate editions of todays AAA titles. But we are talking about 100-150 bucks realistically.....not thousands.
If you have more money to spend or feel the need to pour that much into a computer game then you are on the same level as the "idiots" or "rich kids" from CS paying hundreds or more for a weapon skin.
Its just as it is....if you dont like being laughed at or making yourself vulnerable to ridicule then simply dont mention or admit to that level of funding. If you do and dont like the reaction trying to defend it is a little hypocritical IMO because we all laugh about those crazy people who spend unreal amounts of money on worthless stuff outing themselves as mentally conditioned, addicted or stupid in our eyes.
But flaming and calling names on this forum isnt allowed so generally its "its his money, he can do with it what he wants" which amounts to the same thing. Doesnt change my stance on it in any way
I wonder - Are the whales at fault? If the Montoya's didn't keep pumping money and hope into this project(not going to refer as a 'game' anymore,) would CR have believed that money is actually a finite resource and tried to stick within a budget?
IMO backers regardless what level of funding they have are not responsible for the companies decisions. CiG doesnt listen to its fanbase and does what it wants...mainly concerning itself with filling its coffers, not making a computer game. If Star Citizen has started out as a scam, has become a scam over time or isnt a scam at all is to be seen. What I think fanatics like Montoya are responsible for is the delay of this discovery. For every backer standing up and asking a hard question there is a swarm of yes-men who immediately shout him down in CiGs name. CiG itself just remains silent and stays in the back until the thread derails so much (which usually doesnt take long) that it can step in and ban or delete it without answering the pressing questions. This is the reason the offical CiG forums have turned into echo chambers. Opposing views and opinions were simply not tolerated or accepted, neither by the pro-SC fanbase nor the administrative powers regardless how valid or calm your initial post was.
If the project is in shambles or beyond rescue I can imagine CiG trying to hide it because admitting to it would result in an immediate collapse of the company. If they know they cant do it and just trot on with the same-old-same-old that qualifies as a scam for me and if backers help them to oppress the truth they are accessary to the scam. Blindly defending something without questioning any action or "bending" anything to fit your narrative in order to win an argument doesnt help the game. CiG is very skillful when it comes to rub the whales bellies. Special treatment, perks, special offers and being "honored" to talk with the devs directly. ATVs resemble more of a pacification tool then being informative. Usually the people being fattened up dont realize whats happening and when others complain about unfair treatment or unusual business practices they must be plebs or envious or simply haters right? Losing your rational sense of value and fairness. Thats what I can see plenty in SCs community from the very start. Pretty much every community evolves this way. Blizzard had the same problems with it as any other big company selling games. The difference is that these companies realize how self-hurting such a display of open aggression and hostility is to themselves (of course they claim its to protect their users but frankly....its mostly self-interest) so many invest time and resources to prevent this. Establish and enforce neutral rules like on this forum for example. It doesnt prevent you from making a fool of yourself but it allows you to voice your opinion without being punished for it which is happening in the CiG forums.
If Star Citizen is such an awesome or groundbreaking game that a certain pool of people think it is it
should be able to stand on its own and face all the hard questions coming out on top. Instead Star Citizen needs to be nursed like a broken or child. It hardly can walk, it needs assistance in almost everything and by god laughing is not allowed.
Various computer game sites reaching out to CiG for information meet silence, are being ignored or are being fed the same old propaganda crap from years ago. Maybe they are even threatened if they public unfavorable articles. CiG certainly isnt below attacking any negative piece about it (see Escapist). So most articles these days only state the obvious or try to remain as neutral as possible. And still SC fanatics swarm the comment section and drag it into a flame war. These days if you want to simply get clicks you say nasty things about SC and voila....you see where I m getting at.
So regarding SC fanatics, there certainly is complicity when it comes to the status of the project but they are not responsible for it. That burden lies on CiG and Chris Roberts alone. He placed himself in a position where he can do whatever he wants without justifying any of his actions and from my POW he is taking full advantage of this so its his blame alone.
