Dylanrockin

At least you show honesty in your words. Not very many people have that nowadays. Anyways, how would you feel if you were an artist that works 60-70 hours a day, every week to make a living and was approached by a "developer" who acts selfishly for the sake of their own game? Approached on the basis of working for exposure, for an amateur developer who if he is turned down will insult you and say that you are in the wrong for turning down the offer. Would you enjoy that? No, I don't think you would. It makes me wonder why people in the Pokemon Fan-Game Community lack basic human morals to treat people properly, and not itemize them for the sake of their talents. Also with people in the community being fucking elitist ass-holes who think they can treat people like dirt, because they were turned down. I'm not gonna say who the person is, but I can tell you that they're from Relic Castle, and doesn't know any fucking better. He's the type of person who thinks he knows everything about game design, after being on the site for half a year, with little progress on his game, and therefor thinks he has this "divine rite" of artists working for him for free. Which pisses me off in several ways, mostly because he disrespected one of my best friends, who I've known for like 7 years. JUST because he was turned down! IT'S RIDICULOUS and it makes me so mad and ashamed to know that I am surrounded by people like him, on a day-to-day basis.

Thanks for the kind words. I know what you mean and it's sad that not many people have it nowadays. I rather just know the truths whether than deal with people lying to me because I'm a trusting and caring person so that could bite me if someone does that and they are secretly plotting against me for a while. I would not like to be approached by a selfish game developer which is why I try to make sure my team knows how much I appreciate everything they do for me and for the project and not just asking for whatever I need done for their role.  Am I being selfish still though even by doing this because now you worried me that I might be selfish because of what you mentioned. Problem is that it's not just people in the pokemon fangame community that lack morals these days, it's possible to be anyone sadly.  But no I would not enjoy being ridiculed just because I turned down their offer.  They are currently at RC because if they are then I don't know the male but I thought I had an idea of who he could be because I have had negative experiences with a male before like your friend seems to be having. Do you think it's wrong to ask people to work for free if they are okay with giving their services and talent for free? I'll continue this later. 

I honestly have no idea why I am here on the forums right now, given everything that's happened to me, but whatever. I'll at least answer this. The thing is... if someone is openly WILLING to do this, and were not approached by you specifically, then its fine. If it's someone like my artist, who does this for a living and works day and night to complete commissions, and you asked them "hey wanna work for me? I'll pay you in exposure." or something along those lines that make it sound like your project is just THAT much more important than their own well-being, then its wrong. I hire people to do the work for me because it's honest, and a good business practice. It's good a business practice for the real world, whether you like it or not. There's no getting around it. If you wanna become a game developer in the future, and pay people in exposure or a pat on the back, then I'm sorry, it's not gonna get you anywhere. Chances are, if you have someone working for you for free, they're going to leave sooner than if you were to actually give them compensation for the time they're allocating towards your work. People who do commissions, like my artist, who's been with me for 2 years now, hasn't had a second thought about my project, because I've kept up with my payments and have been an honest businessman who shows for his work. I've spent upwards to 20,000+ dollars on my game, in the past 6 years, and that's not something anyone can say they've done. I've gained a positive reputation for that, and it might sound annoying to have to pay people to get artwork, but that's just how it is. Amethyst has to do it, I have to do it. 

And to follow up on that. If these people you approach need to do commissions to sustain themselves, and you ask them to work for you in exposure or a simple pat on the back, then you're depriving them of what they need to survive, for the sake of your own fan-game. Which is... ABSOLUTELY wrong. They're putting in time for YOUR game, so if you wanna make an "honest trade" you better pay them in advance. Otherwise it isn't honest. It's labor that they're not getting anything out of. There is absolutely no way this can be justified, unless these people don't have to worry about personal finances or commissions and they're doing this willingly.

This is a quote from my artist, when I asked her about the subject of "working for nothing."

So, long story short, you do you, but chances are... I won't give anyone's game a second thought if I found out they had artists, who do artwork for a living, made artwork for their game, for just a simple "yeah, you did great." Also if you use Kickstarter, then you're also in the wrong, since Pokemon Fan-games, no matter who in the hell is making it, doesn't deserve funding from shit. It's a fan-game and they don't own the rights to it, to be funded. It's annoying, it's hard to accomplish with a fan-game, but if what's gotta be done, then it's gotta be done. I had to work 3 jobs for the entirety of summer, just so I could fund my game for an entire year, and pay off my aunt who robbed me blind, because she bought me a car and didn't tell me till the last second that I had to pay for it.

Anyways, I'm gonna be parting ways from the forums for a couple weeks. I've got many things on my hand and way more agitated than necessary with all the crap I've had to put up with, this past week. I'll still be working on my game, but not saying anything about it, until I return. Sorry if this seemed way more aggressive than it needed to be, but I needed to share my 2-cents on the matter of "exposure, and working for free non-sense."