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[Pixelologist]

I don't like social situations. I'm a shut in, introvert, agoraphobic, whatever you want to call it. However, I like developing games. I consider myself a decent artist and I know at least basic code. What I'm worried about is making a game then having to constantly interact with the community that forms around it. Thing is, I hate forcing myself to act nice to mean people and that seems unavoidable with the way this works. I don't want to come off as an asshole myself either. Could I get like a community manager and have them handle it? Thanks for any replies.

[jamesprimate]

I don't think being a public persona is necessary, just make gam

[Pixelologist]

I don't think being a public persona is necessary, just make gam

Don't you always have to deal with fans and what they want changed eventually? Maybe I've been thinking about this wrong. Thanks for your post.

[Thomas Finch]

If you have a lot of fans, they usually like a little communication, but that doesn't mean you have to go on twitter and respond to everyone. You could just post detailed patch notes, or if tons of people are complaining about an issue you can post about being aware and working on it. You don't have to get in discussions with fans. They just want to know someone is listening and not ignoring them. If you have a ton of fans and money, you could definitely hire a community manager to deal with that stuff for you.

[Pixelologist]

That's what I wanted to know then. Thank you Thomas.

[Oddball]

You don't need to do any of the social media stuff at all. Plenty of developers pass by virtually anonymous. Even developers of some really famous indie games are totally absent from the publics gaze. It's true that the press loves a media whore, and indie game communities love socially active devs, but that isn't the only way to go about things.

[Superb Joe]

I want to go to the gym but I don't wanna get TOO buff, y'know?

[ｂ∀ ｋｋｕｓａ]

Get Superb Joe to be your community manager

[Superb Joe]

here is a good tip for you: you don't have to do things you don't want to do

[mzn528]

I want to go to the gym but I don't wanna get TOO buff, y'know?

this is a perfectly reasonable concern you know!! I don't want to lift for a week and gain 50 lb of muscle damn it

[Thomas Finch]

here is a good tip for you: you don't have to do things you don't want to do

It's not really that simple. If someone wants to be a big game developer and wants to make a lot of money doing it, then there's a lot of parts to it they might not enjoy but still have to do. I dislike all business aspects of being an indie, but I still do it because its necessary.

[Superb Joe]

the business aspect is necessary but interacting with people that you loathe is not so much. just my opinion. and, well, you could also cut out the business stuff as long as you're willing to get another job.

[Shine Klevit]

Considering how much effort goes into actually making a game, I don't think this should be the first concern. I'd be more concerned with making something good enough to even get fans in the first place. No easy task.

[Schoq]

hire a soulless but contrivedly hip social media guy

[s0]

the business aspect is necessary but interacting with people that you loathe is not so much. just my opinion. and, well, you could also cut out the business stuff as long as you're willing to get another job.

well yeah but unless you can afford to hire someone to do PR for you, you'll have to do it yourself which usually entails some form of audience interaction (including with entitled angry douchebags).

[Superb Joe]

the business aspect is necessary but interacting with people that you loathe is not so much. just my opinion. and, well, you could also cut out the business stuff as long as you're willing to get another job.

well yeah but unless you can afford to hire someone to do PR for you, you'll have to do it yourself which usually entails some form of audience interaction (including with entitled angry douchebags).

you don't have to. you can just do things to be creatively fulfilled. i mean if you want this or anything to be your job and you want to make money on it then im afraid i have some bad news: that means doing the bad parts too. or if your game is good enough to actually have fans you can get a publisher to do the hard yards and you just make the game part.

[s0]

i was assuming OP does want to develop games as a job, because the thread wouldn't make a lot of sense otherwise. i mean of course you don't have any obligations as a hobbyist.

[Capntastic]

Pay SUperb Joe to answer telephones for you

[alexp]

That would be a good problem to have! I mean fans! But just make your game and do it your way. If you don't want to speak to anyone about it that's fine.

[oahda]

I feel much the same way, but I'm less worried about fans and more worried about hate mobs TBH. I wouldn't consider angry people fans.

I've been thinking similar thoughts. All I've got so far is that I might stop using a personal twitter account at some point and open one up with some sort of "studio" name, which is less personal. OTOH I feel like that lack of personality tends to give one fewer followers, based on what I've seen...