Edit: Soon... could mean 5-hours soon... or maybe they will just go ahead and stream under the radar because of all the negativity. Waiting on official updates... but the midora dev is inside the twitch channel, and the twitch title has been updated which is a good sign.
Soon means soon.. under 24-hours soon... yes.. yes it does... right!?
SOON WE WILL BE FED.... SOOONNNN!!! However soon, soon means! (More so backers which need fed a real update)
Hello, I'm the guy you call a "con-artist" (I learned a new word today!). Careful not to choke on the popcorn during the stream!
In all seriousness though, that was a nice read and good detective work there, Tybost. Hope you guys will take this seriously and listen to what I have to say during the stream. Currently, the stream is still scheduled for today but cannot happen this morning (US time), so don't waste your time waiting around. It will happen in the afternoon, if I can get a hold of everyone and everything I need.
Hello, I'm the guy you call a "con-artist" (I learned a new word today!). Careful not to choke on the popcorn during the stream!
In all seriousness though, that was a nice read and good detective work there, Tybost. Hope you guys will take this seriously and listen to what I have to say during the stream. Currently, the stream is still scheduled for today but cannot happen this morning (US time), so don't waste your time waiting around. It will happen in the afternoon, if I can get a hold of everyone and everything I need.
Hey, thanks for coming to the thread! Rare for my posts to be acknowledged by the one im talking about, but I have become very interested in Midora and cant wait to see which direction you head in. (Hopefully a positive one that reveals some of what you've spent the last $40-55,000 on) (Artwork/Mechanics/Gameplay/etc) in the livestream.While offering a playable build which would eliminate much negativity/hate towards you.
I plan to change the title if you succeed in changing my own view, all you have to do is show something, and offer a fair resolution for current backers.I wasn't throwing con-artist at you or anything seriously yet, but note down it could easily stay in place. Just sharing the current story that has been unfolding before us. The wheels on the bus would gladly do a 180.. assuming backers warm up to you and the livestream, it really all depends on how well it goes.
(that is if the livestream happens at all) if you posted the build without the livestream, well the demo will speak for itself on many things. If I do ask questions it will be on an appropriate level, but really we all just intend to listen. Hopefully you decide to record the stream and upload it for others later. Nobody truly wishes you to fall into a pit of despair unable to get out. You have a chance to turn all the negativity around.
/Tip - Make sure to write your own questions that answer a ton of past and future concerns!
Just for identification purposes the above account with 1 post "EpicMhyre" is indeed a developer of Midora from Epic Minds. Stream will be happening a bit later as he said in his above post in here, and this was posted in the twitch to confirm.
@Tybost : no offense taken. I understand what you're doing and I'm used to it. This is the internet after all.
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
@Tybost : no offense taken. I understand what you're doing and I'm used to it. This is the internet after all.
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
Now that is funny. One of the more entertaining threads I've read in a while. Excuse me while I go "choke on my popcorn".
@Tybost : no offense taken. I understand what you're doing and I'm used to it. This is the internet after all.
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
LOL
At least you are consistent!
This is great stuff!
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
@Tybost : no offense taken. I understand what you're doing and I'm used to it. This is the internet after all.
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
So... did the livestream happen today... on Monday?
No really... I couldn't make it.
My guess is turning to a solid no... we got a in stone schedule for the livestream instead... y-yay
This is my own first dosage of disappointment... like you're infecting non-backers now with your delays. How long are you going to make us wait for your impending doom or success? Oh.. Friday... well okay then.
Don't say you'll
livestream potentially that week, and instead end up saying you'll
livestream the week after. Just dont. I can wait a week.... yes... I can...except poor backers have been waiting
much longer for something/anything and I can only feel for them much
more now.
Don't make me bring out Shia and Caesar in the coming days.
WE POSTPONE THE SIEGE ON MIDORA AT DAWN! (Friday) 27th
@Tybost : no offense taken. I understand what you're doing and I'm used to it. This is the internet after all.
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
Dispelling claims of fraud should be a little higher on your to do list than chatting with people on the phone. Not to mention claiming an event and then it not happening doesnt help your situation.
Get your head on straight, your potential investors wont mean shit if half the internet is calling you a scammer, they will just pull out any investment and leave you in the wind.
Interesting all around. I'd just like to point out that though, the guys from Nintendo nuggets seem like a group of douche nozzles themselves. Both of these companies do a disservice to indie devs as far as I'm concerned.
I'd just like to point out that though, the guys from Nintendo nuggets seem like a group of douche nozzles themselves.
/agreed
"Sean (Murray) saying MP will be in the game is not remotely close to evidence that at the point of purchase people thought there was MP in the game." - SEANMCAD
Hello, I'm the guy you call a "con-artist" (I learned a new word today!). Careful not to choke on the popcorn during the stream!
In all seriousness though, that was a nice read and good detective work there, Tybost. Hope you guys will take this seriously and listen to what I have to say during the stream. Currently, the stream is still scheduled for today but cannot happen this morning (US time), so don't waste your time waiting around. It will happen in the afternoon, if I can get a hold of everyone and everything I need.
I found it funny that it is always the developers who are running Kickstarters that didn't ended up delivering much, finds the time and the energy to respond to remote gaming forums far from your own universe, with not that many audienceship, critizing your game, lol
Shouldn't your time be better spent on your own word rather than writing essay of the same excuses? lol
Not accusing anyone, just food for thought.
I mean, when I'm doing work I'll be too busy doing my own work than to post about doing my work on forums :P
The first, second, and third posts in this thread have been updated massively. Many
spots have been filled that were missing tons of information, new
snippet images, all necessary dates, and working links. I utilized the
third post to its fullest, and also added the latest events leading up
to 11/24/2015.
All for new MMORPG.com readers who are just jumping into the unfolding Midora story.
Normally,
I would update the thread with backer retaliation snippets. But since
the developer himself has spotted the thread. I don't really feel like
pushing any additional pressure and negativity on them before the big
day.
(Considering talking about the past some more)
Especially when they have a chance to bounce back into the positive light.
I'm going to go ahead and wait for the 27th to begin feeding myself with delicious popcorn, and some turkey before that too!
Will they succeed in turning the wave of negativity into waves of
support?
How & Will they amend their credibility as it stands, and what is in store for
the future of Midora!?
We shall see readers, we shall see indeed. (Unless the livestream/Playable build is delayed again)
Grasping a deeper understanding behind Midora, and the developer 'Epic Minds' Losers! 2013-2014 and eventually 2014-2015 understanding the fall!
This is a side-story of a developer that once held solid credibility as an indie games developer.
This is also a side-story that digs deeper into how things became the way they are today.
This is indeed a side-story of a developer that was once seen in the public as credible, and respected.
...But somehow ended up falling into notoriety, by the very people who supported Epic Minds.
THE MIDORA DREAM
Which has been in development far longer than you think!
Let us begin! Starting off with "Who ARE Epic Minds?"
Lets get this out of the way, and go ahead and say that Epic Minds is an awesome company name. It also sounds quite professional, and screamingly glows "We are experienced, we are capable and trustworthy, we can complete a game and end up with a full release, so please give us your hard earned money. Now if can you imagine them with a company name 'Weregoingtorobyou indie company' or 'ScrubsMcDev' well know that's how so many backers see their name now. Epic Minds is constantly in a negative spotlight.
Epic Minds Losers were never known as incompetent, incapable, untrustworthy, inexperienced before April-2015. They were once upon a time seen as 'Epic Minds' a fully credible and respected developer that was capable, confident, experienced, trustworthy. That also raised an impressive $73,470, from 3,359 backers, which believed they were backing Epic Minds, not Epic Losers. Additionally the KS was set in 2014 which is well after the golden days of KS, so $70k raised was not too shabby.
So what happened?
What really happened between June 13th, 2014 > Feburary 9th, 2015
How did an indie game developer with positive credibility go from this...
To flat out negativity (April-2015)
Before we begin travelling between 2014-2015 (2nd Kickstarter) we will truly begin from the start! 2013-2014
Read on to find out with me,
as I dive much deeper into the Midora universe and pull up year old
messages from multiple sources!
Midora has been under development for quite some time now. After digging up information from online apparently Midora's true
development began in April-2013 which i'm confident is factually correct
since Myhre posted it himself:
Keep in mind this was before their second KS campaign which debuted sometime in December 2013 (We will get that part a bit later)
Let us pause for a bit and switch gears to learn about the developers who have worked on Midora, and later who might still be working on it!
NOW FOR SOME BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE MIDORA DEVELOPMENT TEAM! WHO ARE THEY? DO THEY HAVE ANY REAL CREDIBILITY? THE ANSWER IS...
Zazzmatazz: Senior Developer - This guy is basically a ghost as I couldn't find anything too relevant other than he is a programmer/coder and I suppose the below image is the fruits of his hard work very early on.
He
was working directly with Zhi (Pixel Artist) below on the sprite
animations and seems quite active and talented. Interestingly he has
been working on other things/projects since Feb, 2015. Or has simply not posted anything further regarding Midora. Zhi (Pixel Artist) - Also known as Jang-Story
I'm
pretty sure Zhi is a legit/talented pixel artist that began working together
with Epicmhyre and his Midora dreams sometime in 2013 far earlier than everyone else, and has helped shape Midora early on for the first KS. Also he is an
incredibly talented pixel artist, and I cannot imagine what Myhre would do without these two!
Seriously
though listen to the midora soundtrack. The sound artist is great!
One thing is for sure the developers on this game have true credibility
after a deep investigation, and they are tied together with Midora. I'm really interested in figuring out when the negativity stacked against Epic Minds overwhelmingly. In my view point with the talent involved above, and the work done on everything that I've investigated (over 40-tabs opened)
I could easily see a minimum of $1,000-$8,000 being spent on the above talent. I'm tempted to contact each of them directly to maybe get some insider news. Haha. *AHEM*
Mhyre - CEO of Epic Minds, Game Director, Developer, AKA. the guy behind Midora pushing the dream forward since 2011.
(Skilled pixel artist: Zhi) was working on the game before the first
kickstarter (approx 5-months before the first KS)... whether
money was involved/promised at this point is unknown.
Early-2013 DEMO Gameplay or possibly 2013-KS trailer which eventually ended in failure and they left until June of next year.
What we know so far
April, 2013. Midora development began
December, 15th. 2013 - First Midora Kickstarter
June, 13th. 2014- Second Midora Kickstarter
July, 13th. 2014 - Successfully raised 73k
Skilled developers were apart of Midora
2014-2015 - The Downfall of Epic Minds -
Midora launched a second kickstarter and in the first three main posts in this thread we covered everything that happened between Feburary 9th, 2015 > November 25th, 2015 where backers began to turn on Epic Minds. But what about between June 13th, 2015 > Feburary 9th, 2015 when backers were following the development updates!
Unimportant updates... but ill post them anyway so you can follow along!
Update releases August 15th: Titled "We're still here" backers only
Update releases August 27th: Titled "The first devblog is up" (it has been deleted) 404
Update releases August 30th: Titled "We Sent you an email" however they failed to send the emails (Mass release) but quickly fixed the problem the same day.
Also just because I saw his name again, here he is again over a year later in Nov with a very special message to the developer which we managed to screencap before deletion!
This was one of the first real fruits of the money being spent and again Ian Schlaepfer has a talented background and is legitimate. Here is his blog again which is... *Cough* actively not working on Midora *Cough*http://herculeanpixel.com/
An entire month later an update releases - October 2nd Titled "We will rule in the DRM-Free Kingdom."
Let me point out important things to note down. Epic Minds loves you so much, that the game won't require steam to access the game. Now focus your attention beyond the positive post which again was made Oct. 2nd. "That means Devlog #2 is delayed to Oct. 6th" but given the news and progress we'll share, it's definitely worth the wait."
Now let me point out the very top sentence "FACT: we love you. And we hope you'll like what we have prepared for you with Midora Early Access, coming to you in November!"
GUYS? WHY
ARE YOU SO HAPPY! YOU FOOLS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE FALLING INTO
ITS A LIE! HE IS SITTING IN HIS THRONE PLOTTING TO TORMENT YOU FOR THE NEXT ENTIRE YEAR!
Oh by the way it was written by a demon from the future.
Update Releases - October 12th THE ONLY THING YOU'VE CONFIRMED IS YOUR DEATH! DOOM! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! I-it's too late to save them! B-but it's never too late to go back into the past and read such updates and uncover the mounting
*We will be going Dark in this post to better understand Epic Minds. Let us grasp a better understanding of the Midora timeline. (or you could totally skip this part and reach the next post, for instant light)
LET US FIND THE LIGHT!
We're getting to the point of the side story, but first let's have a recap on the current timeline of events. We're now going to push aside community, and dig deeper behind the scenes into the development team. What happened between their first kickstarter, and second?
Below is the most important link in the entire side-story.
Detailed timeline: Events leading up to the first campaign from the project leader himself (CEO of Epic Minds, Epicmyhre)
2011-2012
Mhyre, the game director, starts to work on the story and the
characters of Midora. A few pixel artists try to work on the game, but
not much is accomplished.
2013
April: Zhi, pixel artist, is hired to work
on a fresh new look for Midora. We decide to start from scratch and
give Midora the look it still has today.
June: Zazzmatazz is hired to work as senior developer on the project.
July: Nothing Interesting
August: Nothing Interesting
October: Giorgos, freelance artist, is hired to illustrate the game.
This is a slight surprise to learn the backbone formed before the first, and second kickstarter. At least until you read the wiki: http://midora.gamepedia.com/The_Team#Zhi
/Snip/ He started working on the project in late 2011 but,
after successfully completing his studies in 2013, decided to work full
time on it and spend all his savings to hire qualified developers and
artists. /Snip/
"and spend all his savings to hire qualified developers and
artists. "
Zhi, Giorgos were the talented artists that joined, and Zazzmataazz the programmer/coder to get the wheels spinning. Above video which was posted shows off all of their hard work from April, 2013.
November: We are quickly running out of
funds. We decide to give crowdfunding a chance and start a campaign on
Indiegogo. We fail to properly advertise it.
December: Games on Kickstarter are doing well, so we decide to try our luck there! We were, once again, far from being prepared.
We now get to find out what happened between the cancellation of the first Midora crowdfunding campaign leading up to the second successful one!
2014
January: The kickstarter campaign is
obviously not going to work. We decide to retreat and look for
alternatives, while working on a comeback.
February: Nathan, the composer, is hired to work on the game. Team's morale finally goes up!
April: Nothing interesting
May: Nothing reported
"February: Nathan, the composer, is hired to work on the game. Team's morale finally goes up!" We learn two things from this... Nathan (Sound/Music Composer) joined before the second Kickstarter, but after the first in 2014.
We also learned that after the first kickstarter failed: Morale was shattered. "Team's morale finally goes up!" Wait what?
First campaign caused a morale drop when it was cancelled? Well apparently so!
Did you know? - Midora's first KS-Campaign was set for 40-days
Campaign ended 21-days in December 15th, 2013 > Janurary, 5th, 2014
Raised only $6,000 of the set goal of $60,000?
Morale - Low morale, leads to poor results!
Money - No Money? No Results!
Moving along the timeline, and this timeline is important because it's about after the second successful kickstarter.
2014
June: Second Kickstarter launched, greenlight page launched
July: Nothing interesting/Success-Second-Campaign
August: Nothing Interesting
September: Ian Schlaepfer is hired as a second pixel artist, focusing on the animations of the game.
October: Nothing Interesting
November: We are not ready. We are
starting to feel tired, but releasing in 2014 would be a nice gift to
those who supported us so far. Let's try one more time!
December: Stress + no vacation for almost a year. Early Access is not going to happen in 2014
It's time to take a break.
We learn they want to take a break/vacation during the holidays, and eventually return in Janurary, 2015. *FIND THE LIGHT!*
Welcome back to the light! It's great to be back at the surface of things, last post was dark and full of the unknown. If you are still reading at this point, then you deserve a congratulations. We will be teleporting backwards 3-months in 2014 after our trip in the darkness.
To sum up the last post
EpicMyhre used his own money to hire his team in the very beginning
Nearly all staff members joined before the first KS-campaign
In 2013 they lost morale at the beginning of the year, and once again in 2014 around the end of the year.
Morale seems to be an issue and let's be safe and say that money is a huge reason those talented people have been working with Myhre.
Back to the community!
THIS IS WHERE THINGS BEGAN TO FALL APART IN THESE CRUCIAL MONTHS WHERE AN EARLY ACCESS DEMO WAS PROMISED, BUT NEVER DELIVERED ON.
Below
is the most appropriate reaction to the broken promises, and constant
delays (Keep in mind this is between (December 2nd, 2014 - April 10th,
2015.)
David Hope... one of the very few who escaped the demons grasps!
Ladies and gentlemen and those who have managed to make it this far to the point of the side story, which has been drawn out far too long. It all boils down to broken promises, and poor community public relations. Potentially funding mismanagement and poor project leadership. God damn, about time!
Why did Epic Minds lose community/backer support, and why do few care about playing his dream game MIDORA.
EpicMyhre lost his community and backer support because of the broken promises, and behind the scenes he alone failed to properly lead his team to victory.
EpicMyhre has very skilled developers working for him, but a key developer likely stopped working with him, or he simply ran out of money and couldnt pay4talent.
EpicMyhre is a Web-Designer, not a Games Developer and from my investigation the only thing i've found of his work is his websites which display the following:
We do not know the reason, It could be funding mismanagement, or maybe they simply lost morale, and wanted to work on a different game (Treasure Addicts).
We have no idea how much money was spent, but it is clear that money has most certainly been spent.
We have no clue who is still working together with him, but we know that he ran out of money and that he is currently seeking a publisher which is unlikely to happen.
We shall learn more in the coming days with the Q/A-Livestream, and the public build that everyone will be able to play.
How will he bring this to a resolution, what is his plan for Midora 2016 and beyond?
My thoughts on Myhre (CEO) Money is his bane, which eventually dried up before April, 2015 and thus
he couldn't afford to pay his talent to make the game for him. I'm
curious as to what Myhre does beyond paying people off for pixel art,
animations, soundtracks, building Midora his dream game for him.
I'm also wondering if he regrets working on the GDD and seeking a publisher instead
of working on the game? and I'm wondering what he does beyond web design, and leading his team, which might be the real issue here.
From my point of view and my investigation, the talent involved is on a
very high level and we know that he spent his own hard earned money to
hire them at first. Myhre is the one in the hotseat and is soley responsible for any failure.
This is the story so far of Myhre and his dream game Midora.
This is simply the story so far both in public, and behind the scenes
SIDE STORY - COMPLETED
Jesus... this took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer to write up and complete, than I originally intended! Ugh... I could've said it all in one post really... but nope had to go in deep!
Comments
Get your popcorn ready!
Edit: Soon... could mean 5-hours soon... or maybe they will just go ahead and stream under the radar because of all the negativity. Waiting on official updates... but the midora dev is inside the twitch channel, and the twitch title has been updated which is a good sign.Soon means soon.. under 24-hours soon...
yes.. yes it does... right!?
SOON WE WILL BE FED.... SOOONNNN!!! However soon, soon means!
(More so backers which need fed a real update)
As an embarrassed backer of Greedmonger I am interested in seeing how this plays out. Hopefully better than GM did.
EDIT: Looks like me and 3 other folks are hanging out waiting. I'll wait a little longer then I'm off to the Wastelands!
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
In all seriousness though, that was a nice read and good detective work there, Tybost. Hope you guys will take this seriously and listen to what I have to say during the stream. Currently, the stream is still scheduled for today but cannot happen this morning (US time), so don't waste your time waiting around. It will happen in the afternoon, if I can get a hold of everyone and everything I need.
I plan to change the title if you succeed in changing my own view, all you have to do is show something, and offer a fair resolution for current backers. I wasn't throwing con-artist at you or anything seriously yet, but note down it could easily stay in place. Just sharing the current story that has been unfolding before us. The wheels on the bus would gladly do a 180.. assuming backers warm up to you and the livestream, it really all depends on how well it goes.
(that is if the livestream happens at all) if you posted the build without the livestream, well the demo will speak for itself on many things. If I do ask questions it will be on an appropriate level, but really we all just intend to listen. Hopefully you decide to record the stream and upload it for others later. Nobody truly wishes you to fall into a pit of despair unable to get out. You have a chance to turn all the negativity around.
/Tip - Make sure to write your own questions that answer a ton of past and future concerns!
Wish you the best in your livestream!
Just throwing an update here: as we explained in the previous kickstarter update, we had the opportunity to chat with interested companies earlier this morning. We prepared the stream for the afternoon, only we didn't know we would get yet another call and the discussion went on for a while. That leaves us busy for the rest of the week but it did make our schedule clear enough to let us confirm the date/time of the stream: Friday @ 12 Noon EST.
http://www.entropiapartners.com/?r=22415
At least you are consistent!
This is great stuff!
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
No really... I couldn't make it.
My guess is turning to a solid no... we got a in stone schedule for the livestream instead... y-yay
This is my own first dosage of disappointment... like you're infecting non-backers now with your delays. How long are you going to make us wait for your impending doom or success? Oh.. Friday... well okay then.
Don't say you'll livestream potentially that week, and instead end up saying you'll livestream the week after. Just dont. I can wait a week.... yes... I can... except poor backers have been waiting much longer for something/anything and I can only feel for them much more now.
Don't make me bring out Shia and Caesar in the coming days.
WE POSTPONE THE SIEGE ON MIDORA AT DAWN! (Friday) 27th
Get your head on straight, your potential investors wont mean shit if half the internet is calling you a scammer, they will just pull out any investment and leave you in the wind.
Good read. Thanks for taking the time to put this together OP. Very entertaining.
Shouldn't your time be better spent on your own word rather than writing essay of the same excuses? lol
Not accusing anyone, just food for thought.
I mean, when I'm doing work I'll be too busy doing my own work than to post about doing my work on forums :P
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
All for new MMORPG.com readers who are just jumping into the unfolding Midora story.
Normally, I would update the thread with backer retaliation snippets. But since the developer himself has spotted the thread. I don't really feel like pushing any additional pressure and negativity on them before the big day.
(Considering talking about the past some more)
Especially when they have a chance to bounce back into the positive light.
I'm going to go ahead and wait for the 27th to begin feeding myself with delicious popcorn, and some turkey before that too!
- Will they succeed in turning the wave of negativity into waves of
support?
- How & Will they amend their credibility as it stands, and what is in store for
the future of Midora!?
We shall see readers, we shall see indeed.(Unless the livestream/Playable build is delayed again)
Grasping a deeper understanding behind Midora, and the developer 'Epic Minds' Losers! 2013-2014 and eventually 2014-2015 understanding the fall!
THE MIDORA DREAM
Let us begin!
Starting off with "Who ARE Epic Minds?"
Lets get this out of the way, and go ahead and say that Epic Minds is an awesome company name. It also sounds quite professional, and screamingly glows "We are experienced, we are capable and trustworthy, we can complete a game and end up with a full release, so please give us your hard earned money. Now if can you imagine them with a company name 'Weregoingtorobyou indie company' or 'ScrubsMcDev' well know that's how so many backers see their name now. Epic Minds is constantly in a negative spotlight.
Epic Minds Losers were never known as incompetent, incapable, untrustworthy, inexperienced before April-2015. They were once upon a time seen as 'Epic Minds' a fully credible and respected developer that was capable, confident, experienced, trustworthy. That also raised an impressive $73,470, from 3,359 backers, which believed they were backing Epic Minds, not Epic Losers. Additionally the KS was set in 2014 which is well after the golden days of KS, so $70k raised was not too shabby.
So what happened?
What really happened between June 13th, 2014 > Feburary 9th, 2015
To flat out negativity (April-2015)
Before we begin travelling between 2014-2015 (2nd Kickstarter) we will truly begin from the start! 2013-2014
Read on to find out with me, as I dive much deeper into the Midora universe and pull up year old messages from multiple sources!
Midora has been under development for quite some time now. After digging up information from online apparently Midora's true development began in April-2013 which i'm confident is factually correct since Myhre posted it himself:
Keep in mind this was before their second KS campaign which debuted sometime in December 2013 (We will get that part a bit later)
http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=a10f4f395013228dd5f535b1b49a5981&topic=38433.0
Let us pause for a bit and switch gears to learn about the developers who have worked on Midora, and later who might still be working on it!
NOW FOR SOME BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE MIDORA DEVELOPMENT TEAM! WHO ARE THEY? DO THEY HAVE ANY REAL CREDIBILITY? THE ANSWER IS...
Zazzmatazz: Senior Developer - This guy is basically a ghost as I couldn't find anything too relevant other than he is a programmer/coder and I suppose the below image is the fruits of his hard work very early on.Ian A.Schlaepfer (Pixel Artist)
I was able to find his blog: http://herculeanpixel.com/
He was working directly with Zhi (Pixel Artist) below on the sprite animations and seems quite active and talented. Interestingly he has been working on other things/projects since Feb, 2015. Or has simply not posted anything further regarding Midora.
Zhi (Pixel Artist) - Also known as Jang-Story
You can find his impressive works here: http://pixeljoint.com/p/14126.htm
I'm pretty sure Zhi is a legit/talented pixel artist that began working together with Epicmhyre and his Midora dreams sometime in 2013 far earlier than everyone else, and has helped shape Midora early on for the first KS. Also he is an incredibly talented pixel artist, and I cannot imagine what Myhre would do without these two!
Giorgos Christopoulos - Illustrator & concept artist - http://g-chris.deviantart.com/
Also confident that Giorgos is legit and very capable of making awesome backgrounds, just take a look at his deviant-art linked above!
Nathan Antony, a.k.a “Derris-Kharlan” Sound designer & composer - https://soundcloud.com/derris-kharlan/sets/ignis-aeternus
The music sings for itself... it's pretty good.
One thing is for sure the developers on this game have true credibility after a deep investigation, and they are tied together with Midora. I'm really interested in figuring out when the negativity stacked against Epic Minds overwhelmingly. In my view point with the talent involved above, and the work done on everything that I've investigated (over 40-tabs opened)
I could easily see a minimum of $1,000-$8,000 being spent on the above talent. I'm tempted to contact each of them directly to maybe get some insider news. Haha. *AHEM*
Mhyre - CEO of Epic Minds, Game Director, Developer, AKA. the guy behind Midora pushing the dream forward since 2011.
Better known as EpicMyhre these days. (here is the wiki link to deeper information on the other developers) http://midora.gamepedia.com/The_Team#Zhi
Early-2013 DEMO Gameplay or possibly 2013-KS trailer which eventually ended in failure and they left until June of next year.
What we know so far
2014-2015 - The Downfall of Epic Minds -
Midora launched a second kickstarter and in the first three main posts in this thread we covered everything that happened between Feburary 9th, 2015 > November 25th, 2015 where backers began to turn on Epic Minds. But what about between June 13th, 2015 > Feburary 9th, 2015 when backers were following the development updates!Unimportant updates... but ill post them anyway so you can follow along!
Also just because I saw his name again, here he is again over a year later in Nov with a very special message to the developer which we managed to screencap before deletion!
Update releases - September 1st - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/epicmindsinc/midora-0/posts/970989
This was one of the first real fruits of the money being spent and again Ian Schlaepfer has a talented background and is legitimate. Here is his blog again which is... *Cough* actively not working on Midora *Cough* http://herculeanpixel.com/
An entire month later an update releases - October 2nd Titled "We will rule in the DRM-Free Kingdom."
Let me point out important things to note down. Epic Minds loves you so much, that the game won't require steam to access the game. Now focus your attention beyond the positive post which again was made Oct. 2nd. "That means Devlog #2 is delayed to Oct. 6th" but given the news and progress we'll share, it's definitely worth the wait."
Now let me point out the very top sentence "FACT: we love you. And we hope you'll like what we have prepared for you with Midora Early Access, coming to you in November!"
GUYS? WHY ARE YOU SO HAPPY! YOU FOOLS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE FALLING INTO ITS A LIE! HE IS SITTING IN HIS THRONE PLOTTING TO TORMENT YOU FOR THE NEXT ENTIRE YEAR!
Oh by the way it was written by a demon from the future.
Update Releases - October 12th
THE ONLY THING YOU'VE CONFIRMED IS YOUR DEATH! DOOM! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! I-it's too late to save them! B-but it's never too late to go back into the past and read such updates and uncover the mounting
Throne of lies!
*We will be going Dark in this post to better understand Epic Minds. Let us grasp a better understanding of the Midora timeline. (or you could totally skip this part and reach the next post, for instant light)
LET US FIND THE LIGHT!
Below is the most important link in the entire side-story.
http://www.midora.net/kickstarter/thisis2015Detailed timeline: Events leading up to the first campaign from the project leader himself (CEO of Epic Minds, Epicmyhre)
- 2011-2012
- Mhyre, the game director, starts to work on the story and the
characters of Midora. A few pixel artists try to work on the game, but
not much is accomplished.
- 2013
- April: Zhi, pixel artist, is hired to work
on a fresh new look for Midora. We decide to start from scratch and
give Midora the look it still has today.
- June: Zazzmatazz is hired to work as senior developer on the project.
- July: Nothing Interesting
- August: Nothing Interesting
- October: Giorgos, freelance artist, is hired to illustrate the game.
This is a slight surprise to learn the backbone formed before the first, and second kickstarter. At least until you read the wiki: http://midora.gamepedia.com/The_Team#Zhi/Snip/ He started working on the project in late 2011 but, after successfully completing his studies in 2013, decided to work full time on it and spend all his savings to hire qualified developers and artists. /Snip/
"and spend all his savings to hire qualified developers and artists. "
Zhi, Giorgos were the talented artists that joined, and Zazzmataazz the programmer/coder to get the wheels spinning. Above video which was posted shows off all of their hard work from April, 2013.- November: We are quickly running out of
funds. We decide to give crowdfunding a chance and start a campaign on
Indiegogo. We fail to properly advertise it.
- December: Games on Kickstarter are doing well, so we decide to try our luck there! We were, once again, far from being prepared.
We now get to find out what happened between the cancellation of the first Midora crowdfunding campaign leading up to the second successful one!- 2014
- January: The kickstarter campaign is
obviously not going to work. We decide to retreat and look for
alternatives, while working on a comeback.
- February: Nathan, the composer, is hired to work on the game. Team's morale finally goes up!
- April: Nothing interesting
- May: Nothing reported
"February: Nathan, the composer, is hired to work on the game. Team's morale finally goes up!" We learn two things from this... Nathan (Sound/Music Composer) joined before the second Kickstarter, but after the first in 2014.We also learned that after the first kickstarter failed: Morale was shattered. "Team's morale finally goes up!" Wait what?
First campaign caused a morale drop when it was cancelled?
Well apparently so!
Morale - Low morale, leads to poor results!
Money - No Money? No Results!
Moving along the timeline, and this timeline is important because it's about after the second successful kickstarter.- 2014
- June: Second Kickstarter launched, greenlight page launched
- July: Nothing interesting/Success-Second-Campaign
- August: Nothing Interesting
- September: Ian Schlaepfer is hired as a second pixel artist, focusing on the animations of the game.
- October: Nothing Interesting
- November: We are not ready. We are
starting to feel tired, but releasing in 2014 would be a nice gift to
those who supported us so far. Let's try one more time!
- December: Stress + no vacation for almost a year. Early Access is not going to happen in 2014
- It's time to take a break.
We learn they want to take a break/vacation during the holidays, and eventually return in Janurary, 2015. *FIND THE LIGHT!*To sum up the last post
Back to the community!
THIS IS WHERE THINGS BEGAN TO FALL APART IN THESE CRUCIAL MONTHS WHERE AN EARLY ACCESS DEMO WAS PROMISED, BUT NEVER DELIVERED ON.
November 4th, 2014. - An early access trailer was released, which boosted hype for the incoming backer build.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/epicmindsinc/midora-0/posts/1040464
"We are making significant process on the Early Access build"
Uh, no your not.
December 2nd, 2014. - And then a month passes, and here is when the forbidden word begins to toss out... many were forgiving, but disappointed.
http://www.midora.net/kickstarter/thisis2015
Janurary, 2015. - Broken Promises = ISSUE!
FEBURARY, 2015 - We're doing something!
APRIL: PAUSING DEVELOPMENT
Below is the most appropriate reaction to the broken promises, and constant delays (Keep in mind this is between (December 2nd, 2014 - April 10th, 2015.)
David Hope... one of the very few who escaped the demons grasps!
Ladies and gentlemen and those who have managed to make it this far to the point of the side story, which has been drawn out far too long. It all boils down to broken promises, and poor community public relations. Potentially funding mismanagement and poor project leadership. God damn, about time!
Why did Epic Minds lose community/backer support, and why do few care about playing his dream game MIDORA.
- EpicMyhre lost his community and backer support because of the broken promises, and behind the scenes he alone failed to properly lead his team to victory.
- EpicMyhre has very skilled developers working for him, but a key developer likely stopped working with him, or he simply ran out of money and couldnt pay4talent.
- EpicMyhre is a Web-Designer, not a Games Developer and from my investigation the only thing i've found of his work is his websites which display the following:
- We do not know the reason, It could be funding mismanagement, or maybe they simply lost morale, and wanted to work on a different game (Treasure Addicts).
- We have no idea how much money was spent, but it is clear that money has most certainly been spent.
- We have no clue who is still working together with him, but we know that he ran out of money and that he is currently seeking a publisher which is unlikely to happen.
- We shall learn more in the coming days with the Q/A-Livestream, and the public build that everyone will be able to play.
How will he bring this to a resolution, what is his plan for Midora 2016 and beyond?My thoughts on Myhre (CEO)
Money is his bane, which eventually dried up before April, 2015 and thus he couldn't afford to pay his talent to make the game for him. I'm curious as to what Myhre does beyond paying people off for pixel art, animations, soundtracks, building Midora his dream game for him.
I'm also wondering if he regrets working on the GDD and seeking a publisher instead of working on the game? and I'm wondering what he does beyond web design, and leading his team, which might be the real issue here.
From my point of view and my investigation, the talent involved is on a very high level and we know that he spent his own hard earned money to hire them at first. Myhre is the one in the hotseat and is soley responsible for any failure.
SIDE STORY - COMPLETED
Jesus... this took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer to write up and complete, than I originally intended! Ugh... I could've said it all in one post really... but nope had to go in deep!All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
Countdown to the Midora Livestream (At least.. I think this is correct)
http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20151127T10&p0=197&font=cursive&csz=1
Important links:
https://twitter.com/midoragame
http://www.twitch.tv/MidoraGame
Keep in mind they will be releasing a public demo that will be available to the public today!
//Title Disputed//Making room for the livesteam [TAGS]