#moonvale critics

[reds-ramblings]

Moonvale

Because nobody asked for my opinion... I'm going to give it anyway.

Thought, pros and cons of the new game. It's not super spoilery but I'm going to hide it just in case.

First, I would like to say I was NOT at all expecting the new story to be a continuation of Duskwood or to even be a similar story to Duskwood. Everbyte made it very clear this is not what Moonvale was meant to be. I went into this with a completely open mind and tried my best not to compare Moonvale to Duskwood. I was still disappointed. There were several changes Everbyte made that were great but they were overshadowed by the negative changes.

Pros:

1. There is now an LGBTQ option when you enter your name and Duskwood code. This doesn't apply to me so I'm not sure what it changes in the game but this option was needed.

2. You can use diamonds to skip mini-games. I would have spent money just to do this if everything else didn't cost so much.

3. This is just my opinion but the mini-games seemed to be a bit easier.

4. The Duskwood side story. It's not much now but I would play the game just for that. Was it worth spending money to finish sooner? No.

Cons:

1. Money money money. There's no premium package that unlocks everything. I get that Everbyte has to make money off of the game but the content wasn't worth what they were charging!

2. I found the characters really unlikable. Eric was alright, but the rest I couldn't care less for. I started out liking charlie but he quickly became annoying. I really wanted to like Ash but something about her just rubbed me the wrong way. Where was the character development here?!

3. The story line! The Billy Blake story was long and pointless. Maybe it will be important later on but it definitely could have been shorter. It took like 3 mini-game sessions just to get through it! When he said "should I continue" I literally yelled no!

4. The story line! It was unoriginal. Some parts felt very copy, paste, change a few lines and here's a new story.

5. The mini-games. I didn't like how it forced you to play them at set times. One of the things I liked about Duskwood is that you could play all the mini-games in each set and then not have to stop the story so much.

6. AI! I get that they don't have actors for all of the characters but why not use stock images like before? Why do they have to use AI?!?!

7. You can't rewatch ANY of the videos or phone calls. They literally disappear. Yet somehow they are "saved" so you can send them to other characters.

8. We waited 2 years for that?! It had the potential to be amazing and even better than Duskwood. We know Everbyte can make an amazing game Duskwood is proof of that. This did not live up to those standards

I'm sure there's more but this is all I can think of at the moment.

[lyon-amore]

Tired of having to explain that in a first episode they are not going to give you so much potential in the characters and that they need development

In Duskwood the same thing happened, there was almost nothing that was information about Hannah or that you talked to Jessy and Jake about other things, because clearly it was different with them because they were romantic options

I liked that you can see that the characters in Moonvale are totally different, it should be noted that even in that game at least I can identify with a character because I don't talk much in chats either and when I do, it's not much and I put stickers 😅😂

They are giving us different characters and I like that, but since after Duskwood, did they want more? In a first episode that is not even a sequel? Who is it for new people even if it is difficult for us to admit it?

We are simply the ones who make the criticisms to improve it, we come from Duskwood and Everbyte knows it, and we have already seen all the changes they will make during the game

And the first episode is an introduction to the game with small clues to theorize, it is not the complete game, they still have to continue it, but some do not understand that 🙄

Also, in the end I started to think that we don't know what has happened in their private lives to prolong the release of the game, so I don't think they really have been waiting for years for a better AI when is the boom of this now, not before

I feel that they harshly criticize the story and its characters only because of everything that has happened with the changes that they did not like, but in my case I decided to put aside what upsets me to focus more on the story, which was what interested me, having a new mystery in a new game since before finishing Duskwood

[the-young-girl-of-casterly-rock]

I'm struggling so much with the shitty mini games and then when I finally collect 4 stars I got a BORING short chat and now I have to collect another 3 stars wtf

I haven't given up bc I want to see the Duskwood side chat but I might just check the tag and read spoilers and delete this shit

And fuck AI

[azural83]

Moonvale's pacing is insane,why is the richy wannabe guy telling the player his traumatic backstory when one of his friends is missing and the other one is all alone in the woods

[sunoo-rita]

Naw man I'm in the early stages of Moonvale so I don't want to judge just yet but is it just me or does the MC sound very bland. Like they are just done all the time?

The only "personality full" responses are those with the emojis and I don't really use emojis while texting irl unless in specific situations so using it excessively like in the game is smth I don't vibe with so I had to choose the other options.

The other options in question feel soo... formal??? or maybe authorative or maybe a mix or both??

Responses with emojis means your character is very jolly and friendly, but if u choose other options you end up having no personality - I feel like these non-emojis answers should have had some added spark (maybe sarcasm?).

But idk maybe its just me getting this critical so early on when i haven't even gotten through half of the game.

What do yall think?

[hacked-by-jake]

So, another thing I want to point out...

We ignore briefly that it is all AI art, but there is another problem in my eyes.

The not real presence of variations of characters.

Each of us has an exact picture of their MC, some have several MC's. Some people's MC may look just like themselve, others are self-created and different looking characters.

First of all, we have the problem that we cannot freely choose which avatar we want to buy. It happens by chance and that makes absolutely no sense. How do I set up my own profile if I don’t have a character I like? But here's the next thing.

The lack of choice for people who are not white? If they could choose at all. There are missing BIPoC avatars, there are missing avatars with different bodies.

I'm glad they finally gave people the option for lgbtq but sadly there's another problem.

I understand you can't think of everything. (But is including all people really a thing you have to remember, sadly, still, it is).. But the MC is such an important part of the game. Especially a profile your comfortable with. It will change your experience a lot.

But I mean, even if we could choose which character we want and get it when we pay, then all those who are not Victoria's secret skinny and white would have a problem either way.

And not to forget the completely normal looking people and not the societies favorite faces...

This is not supposed to be an insinuation, no. I just want to mention that unfortunately not enough attention was paid to all kinds of people.

Best solution is let people use their own pictures..

[9misorai]

I'm gonna be honest, I actually feared Moonvale would be like this—a cash grab game (eventhough I didn't expect it to be this bad) ever since I played the last episode of Duskwood.

I was thinking the reason they made Jake's survival very vague in the end is to make sure Duskwood players WILL play their next game which is Moonvale. Because no matter what happened in Moonvale the players will still want to know what happened to Jake, so their next game will still have players whatever our opinions about it.

But I tried to brush ogf the thought off because I want to stay optimistic. I want to think well about Everbyte. Especially since I've played their other game and I like it very much.

I'm so disappointed and upset that my initial concern was actually true, even worse.

[fenra-bookswritings]

Hey guys, I just wanted to share a few thoughts on the #Moonvale criticism.

I don't really know how to write this, but somehow I was pretty disappointed with all the fuss about the release of the new episode. Not in Everbyte but more in the community, without wanting to criticize anyone. Everyone can say what they want and I thought it was nice that some of you emphasized several times that this isn't about hate, but about constructive criticism.

I understand the points of anger, but then again, somehow I don't.

AI is interesting for a lot of artists at the moment, which doesn't make it reprehensible. Also the point that AI steals works. Of course that's not good, but honestly it could just be a kind of inspiration. If you look, you'll always find a suitable comparison. Like Arcane. But just because there's a woman with blue hair doesn't mean it has to be a version of Jinx. After all, people look for inspiration everywhere. That doesn't make it a copy. (I understand your point completely, of course, and I don't think stealing from artists is a good thing. I'm an artist myself and can relate to it very well)

And about the diamond system... Sure, they spoiled us a bit with the premium package and the diamonds are quite annoying. But good work is worth paying for. (That doesn't mean that you have to pay $50 for it all the time. Especially because there's no obligation behind it.) I'd rather pay something (and that won't happen more than twice a year at the rate they're releasing) than let this studio go under. After all out there are so many artist who get support through.. money. this game isn't a expectation.

The work they do, the effort, the technology they need, the actors. All the work they do behind the scenes to produce this episode... It was so sad to read all these hate comments after they probably put a lot of effort into it for 2 years. I can well imagine that after the release, they were relieved

and hoped that there would be a little more gratitude. Just because they had written something amazing again. However, it quickly went from comments like "bring Jake back" and "I can't wait" to "the game sucks" "this is shit". But as the saying goes: Nothing is so hard as man's ingratitude. For someone who just consumes, it may be justified. But for people who have put their heart and soul into it, even if they made mistakes, it is extremely devastating. People are so quick to only see the negative that all the good is quickly wasted. If you tear it down, then in most cases the criticism only concerns AI and diamonds. The story is structured very similarly to Duskwood in parts. We even got the introduction of the characters, the time when "unknown" appears, the clues, the relationships and even Jake at the end.

And we can even repeat the episodes as often as we like without losing any progress in the game.

I am definitely in favor of appropriate criticism. There is no need to sugarcoat anything that cannot be sugarcoated. What I was actually trying to say here is that I found it so sad how quickly all the positive things are forgotten because the community is upset about "two" settings.

If you've read this far, thank you. This isn't meant to offend you in any way. I... just wanted to share my thoughts with anyone who's into this and seems to be listening.

Have a nice day everyone 🫶🏻

[jailbimbo]

I think we are criticizing moonvale a lot for just 1 episode, deducing that EVERYTHING will be AI because the characters have AI photos, which is a bit hasty in my opn. Or is it just me who thinks this way??

[lyon-amore]

The thing is, if Sonic fans got them to change the design of the movie, why can't we, Duskwood fans, do the same with Moonvale?

Something that you know is wrong and will not be well received causes you to lose even more money than you thought you would get.

Everbyte simply has to listen to us and see what they have done wrong about what they promised us so before starting the next episode, I'd rather they fix it

That I will continue playing for the plot? Yes, of course, but I don't think I'll pay anything

I just hope that some fans don't criticize by throwing shit, because then we will never be heard, only ignored.

[mariposakitten]

So I finished episode 1 of Moonvale. And yes, I have all of the usual criticisms about AI and the gem system and the non-immersive nature of the side games, but that's not what this is about.

How did Adam get our number? It's clearly not a typo, as he had an addressed envelope for us. He knows who we are.

In that first disjointed call, he's warning us. At one point he clearly says "I can't help you anymore." He can't help us anymore?? How has he helped us before? And again, the envelope proves it's not a case of mistaken identity!

HOW are we accessing other people's chats??

Adam is pale, with dark hair. Are his eyes blue or green? Hard to tell in the shoddy light.

A mysterious message from someone who knows things they shouldn't be able to know, who seems benign - even helpful - but unnecessarily secretive.

We find the cave, we think he's hiding in it. The second phone call seems to confirm it - he's somewhere dark, and the wall behind him certainly seems like it's a cave.

Remember at the end of Duskwood, when Jake accessed the old mines via a cave entrance in a different town? Did he ever say the name of the town?

Anyway. I don’t actually think Adam is Jake; it would be too pat, and there's too many questions it raises. But I... I don’t NOT think it either, if you know what I mean.

Just something my brain's been chewing on.

[reds-ramblings]

More Moonvale thoughts.

All I had really hoped for was a "Hey we know you're not happy but here's why we did what we did." Because even if I don't completely agree with a company I can 100% respect them for acknowledging the criticism and making their fandom feel heard. I'm so glad they took the time to address the concerns.

Final thoughts and then I'm done.

1. Now that they've explained the diamond system and I have a better understanding I can totally get behind it. Personally I don't really see anything wrong with "We know we take forever and you guys are going to replay 10 times anyway. So here's something to keep it interesting while you do." It would have been better if this was explained beforehand but that's irrelevant at this point.

2. I really don't understand why people are so upset about the side story. Did people expect all the answers in episode one? We were promised a side story. They didn't make any promises as to how long it would be or what info we would get. They promised two things that we would get a side story and that the main game would be in the same universe as Duskwood. They delivered on both and I'm looking forward to what happens next.

3. Am I the only one who has never cared about message themes and customizing my profile? Apparently, everyone complained about that and I didn't even notice it.

4. I still stand by what I said about the characters being unlikable but it's the first episode so maybe they'll get better. I hated Dan and the beginning of Duskwood and he ended up being one of my favorites so...

[hacked-by-jake]

I have to say, I really think that Everbyte got lost with the "even better than Duskwood".

They were so focused on making it even better that maybe they just didn’t see some things anymore and didn’t understand that it doesn’t really do all that better than Duskwood.

They have been so focused on increasing that they unfortunately went in the wrong direction without realizing it.

As I mentioned before: The more you look at your own work, the more blind you become.

I remember it so well. Everbyte said it’s going to be much better than Duskwood. They said they learned so much and learned from mistakes and they’re getting much better now.

And we all just thought, "EVEN BETTER? Better than Duskwood? How does that work? What do they want to do better?? I don't believe that's even possible."

That was the exact reaction of the fandom, no one understood how to increase Duskwood, and I think that’s the problem. Because even if Duskwood had maybe one or two small mistakes, Duskwood was already at the top of the games.

Why else is there no more successful game in the genre?

I don’t know what they were thinking when they released Moonvale. Unfortunately, I really don’t understand it.. Compared to Duskwood, Moonvale simply has no chance in my eyes, which is so sad and hurts.

I simply believe that they wanted too much without realizing that they already had almost everything.

And I really hope that they will understand and see this.

We know what Everbyte can do, we’ve seen it for years with Duskwood, and I really hope they get back to their origins.

Because now Moonvale is not better, but they have to find back to the standards they had in Duskwood.

[paigenoelchas-blog]

No company “deserves loyalty” that’s an insane thing to say. Everbyte is not your friend. They are people working in a company for profit trying to make as much money possible. Moonvale has made that painfully clear. It’s not healthy to feel and encourage undying loyalty for any company no matter how small. Constructive criticism is not “hate” it’s necessary or things will never improve.

Constructive criticism is absolutely not hate, but not everything being written was constructive. There is also a way to give feedback without being hurtful. I didn't see a lot of kindness in the criticism and that is what I was commenting on, not of anyone's comments in particular, just the general commentary.

And loyalty may have been a poor word choice on my part, but I believe that you can understand what I was trying to convey even if the wrong word was chosen.

I am sorry that I offended. If you knew me offending people is the opposite attribute of the person that I am.

[hacked-by-jake]

SPOILER

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So...I just I just ended the first episode of Moonvale (and my thoughts on some point I already express it)....when I saw the screen glitching at the end and Alan bodycam's recording the backpack...I IMMEDIATELY knew it was Jake...

THANK YOU EVERBYTE FOR MAKING JAKE SURVIVE 💚💚💚💚💚

I have still some point I would like to talk with you... like what Charlie have to tell us?? Maybe he knows Jake?? Or Richy?? And I still have question form Duskwood... like I would like to know if Phil got discharged from prison?? Who gave Hannah our number and why??

And for the Everbyte dilemma...I really hope they would change the game purpose and restore the Duskwood idea's of the package for the all game

When I saw the first glitch, I was like "Wt-" and then the second glitch came and I immediately knew what is going to happen and my 'Wt' ended with "OH MY GOD!" I immediately started gasping and almost wanted to throw away my phone with excitement. Then it said "new message incoming" and the next second I saw Alan's cam and was a bit confused at first and then I was ready for everything.

At first I actually thought we're going to see Alan chasing Jake through the forest which would have been sooo cool as well but I loved how Everbyte decided to do it. It was seriously everything needed and wanted. 😩

I never thought they would make him die but still, always a little worry in the back of my head. But now I'm just a silly little happy fangirl and this ending have me so much motivation and I love it.

About the thing with Charlie, I link you this post here because I have already talked in much more detail and I certainly can not remember everything I said. And it would only be a repetition.

But I can say that I have absolutely no idea what this means. I have so many questions and theories in my head but somehow I don’t believe in most of them myself.

Just another really mean Everbyte thing to give us this grudge and then to say "Yes, see you later, we’ll talk about it again in the next episode" and then we have to wait and worry again. It really is torture!

And I’m pretty sure we’ll get things answered. As long as they have not forgotten this promise as well...

But no, I think the side story will definitely not be too short and we will have to deal with it in the next episodes and hopefully find out everything. I mean, Everbyte took good care of Duskwood, I hope they brought that to Moonvale.

Personally, I would much rather have a real premium version again, even if I’m sorry for those who can’t afford it. I don’t want to have such inequality and such an advantage but as we have noticed now it is still not so easy to get through the game without paying money. No one is happy about it, and makes it unfair either way.

While some can buy gems, others can’t, it’s simply unfair to everyone. And I also hope that Everbyte will change their mind and bring back a little more from Duskwood.

Everything that has happened is still a bit confusing to me and even if I'm calmer, the disappointment is still there. And I really hope they will give us some of the Duskwood vibe back.

Otherwise, I just hope that you also liked the story of Moonvale itself and that you had a really nice game experience besides of everything around it.

And of course, thank you a lot for sharing your opinion with me/us. I really enjoyed reading it and it's especially wonderful to see other people being happy about Jake as well. 🤭

Have a wonderful day/evening/night! 💚

[hacked-by-jake]

SPOILERS

Alright I have way too many thoughts and emotions so there ain't no way I'm gonna be able to organize everything into a nice sentence but I still gotta get it out 🤣🤣

First off, my notes app with some of my thoughts I wrote down while playing (in chronological order):

Where's Jake?

No premium?

Why and where is nymos

Why are we playing candy crush instead of hacking

Again: Where's Jake, he prob sees our chats and knows whats happening (hopefully)

The characters seem like an almost identical reflection to duskwood

What happened to Richy, please don't die on me 😩

Where's the others

We're now paying to see the secret chats

Why's this game taking so much of my money

Ash really be making me cry about Jake again 🥴

Eric be throwing himself at us when I still want to stay loyal to my hacker boy 💀

The ending: I KNEW MY BABY WAS ALIVE I LOVE HIM, I DEMAND HE TALKS TO US NEOW 👹

AND ALAN I MISSED HIM TOO MWAH MWAH

Rant 1:

The money milking makes me sick and don't even get me started on the ai 🫡 I spent 17 bucks today, halfway through the first episode and already out of all the materials I bought. It's disgusting how Everbyte has completely flipped and is practically scamming their players. Based on the prices, it's almost 3 dollars to view one picture 🙄 I would be more than happy to buy a premium package like duskwood for $20 or even 30 but $17 for not even half an episode is a crime 😭😭

Rant 2:

It's crazy how long this game took and yet it's way worse than duskwood. I was expecting a few additions, not subtractions.

Rant 3:

There is no way to see previous media and calls like in duskwood and no chat history like they promised. I never would've thought it was possible, but these mini games are way worse than duskwoods. And I realized how childish it all looks, I hate how we get no explanation for anything we're doing in the game.

Conclusion:

I'm pissed but seeing the anonymous mask gave me life. I need to go replay duskwood to cleanse myself of moonvale 😮‍💨

Pahahaha you're really killing me with your thoughts, I love your humor so much. 😭

I really should also start to write down my first thoughts while playing but I fear I will write down something to every little sentence I read. xD

But it's so true, where's Nymos? Give us Nymos back! My emotional bond with this unreal little dude is huge so I seriously need him. It's literally a program but it's a he you can't change my mind because I imagine Nymos as Jake best friend who's exactly like Jarvis from Marvel. (Sorry if you don't know it but then I really recommend you to watch the Iron Man movies. (Actually all marvel movies but we're talking about Jarvis here so you best see or more like hear him in Iron Man)

Btw my headcanon is that Nymos is not just any program but also an AI. So and now I will expand the headcanon and say Nymos is an AI that is against AI art and nobody can stop me, hehe.

The Candy Crush comparison makes me laugh every time and it hurts me because it’s true. xD

The thing with the characters being identical with the Duskwood characters... It's a hard topic in my eyes.

Some people say it way too early to judge this. And it's true. We didn't saw much now. But I do think we can already judge them a bit by what we saw. And when we compare it with how the Duskwood characters were in the first episode, I do think you can see that there's not much yet, sadly.

Like, we had Thomas, the idiot in love with problems to take criticism. We had Jessy the hanger-on that were clinging to Dan but then decided to change sides. We had the funny sunny boy Richy. The pretty cold acting Cleo. We had bitchy Lilly and of course we had the grumpy and unfriendly Dan. They all acted pretty strong from second one, in my eyes.

But I somehow absolutely don't think the Moonvale characters are like the Duskwood characters. Because well, I really think they need stronger personalities.

We have Eric who's a pretty normal guy and even though he tripped twice in one episode he's not at all like Thomas.

We have Ash who's like a very, veeery light version of Jessy and Lilly, in my eyes. Somehow kind but somehow absolutely not trustworthy.

We have Violet who's just.. there sometimes. Even the drunken police chief is more expressive.

Well and Charlie is.. Somehow like Richy and in my eyes has the strongest personality so far.

Oh and not to forget Brian who wasn't even there. Lol.

So yeah, I understand both points but I might see it a bit differently.

"Why's this game taking so much of my money" had me on my knees, laughing and crying at the same time because it's almost funny what Everbyte did and it's just as sad.

During my first playthrough I was also like: Someone give me a crucifix I need to get rid of Eric as soon as possible.

But while replaying I just had to see what happens if you decide to get closer with Eric and I swear it didn't disappoint me. It was hilarious and truly, I want this with Jake. I need such a chat with Jake! Everbyte, please!

I mean, I'm not flirting with Eric because I think he's hot or anything. Sadly, his character isn't interesting to me in this sense. (I need the mysterious guys xD) But I just had to try it and I mean, who knows if it will be important later. It's manipulative, I know, but don't judge me. And also, there's still this little hope for a jealous Jake. *ahem* Sorry, I promise I still feel bad for flirting with someone else. 😩

But gosh, the side story end. It was worth all the wait, really. I said before, I don’t forget about the negative things because of it but I'm just a silly, lonely, disappointed girl in love with a fictional hacker, let me have this adrenaline boost!

And yes, I was so happy when I saw Alan's body cam. I immediately knew what that means but at first I was just so happy to "see" Alan as well. I really like this guy, I can't stop myself.

About rant 1: I love the comparison with "So expensive is a picture" it is just as true and actually shows again how incredible it all is. I’ve said my opinion many times now, and I still want to protect Everbyte and give them a little empathy. But it's sadly just true.

I had a thought about that (what you said in rant 2) before and wanted to make a post about it later. So I hope it's okay if I get to it later.

Rant 3: This is actually one of the things that botherse the most. We can't rewatch calls, videos and pictures. The chats are disappearing and are gone forever. And they told us it will be different and that's so annoying. Not being able to see it in the app is just bothering for me. And yeah, that they broke the "promise" is as well. We all were so happy about the chat thing and now...

I actually like the look of Moonvale even if I would prefer something much darker. Especially with the mini games. The background is AI, of course, so. It would look much better with a real background.

And the damn mini games... I loved the ones in Duskwood so much. I really did. It was so much fun and I was one of the people who found them very easy.

But now the Moonvale mini games. By lord. Even though they're much easier for me in my replay, the first time I was actually this close to throwing my phone against the wall. I mean, I even went to sleep at some point and finished the game the next day! Everyone who follows me since duskwood knows I would rather shave my head than that. But they're just pain. And I seriously hope Everbyte will make them a bit easier or give us moves! Because this was often the biggest issue for me. Not enough moves. But they want you to buy gems so... 😒

Your conclusion sound good. I'm definitely planning to replay Duskwood as well. If I want or not. I have to. I need the comforting atmosphere and my emotional support hacker.

So I would say, see you in Duskwood, my detective friend. 🫡

No, jokes aside. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me and us. As I said, I love your humor and the way to describe the things. And I really enjoyed answering it. 💚

I hope you could calm down a bit as well. I definitely needed some days before I could see it more clearly.

And as always a huge pleasure to see you here again. 💚😌