If you know me, you know I love a good simulation game. So when I was contacted by Kris – Director at Future Friends Games- about Cloud Gardens I had to dig into this. I won’t lie, it took me a couple of days to understand exactly what this game was and even about. I almost passed on it because I simply said… I don’t get it…
So, we know it’s a simulation game but it’s not like any other I personally have played. There are some games I can compare it to but I feel it still just has its own vibe about it.
Creator Noio Games (Thomas van den Berg) put together a mother nature style simulation game. There are no people, no shooting, no boss battles; in a sense we are coming in after the apocalypse has occurred and helping mother nature do what she does best. And that is grow. You take complete control of nature in lo-fi scenes of urban decay and manufactured landscapes. It’s your job to be strategic in seed placement in these locations to embark on a full land of flowers, shrubs, trees and more without the walls of a greenhouse or potted soil.
When I first took a look at the trailer and screenshots of the game sent over to me, my mind went straight to Poison Ivy, she would be so proud. I picture myself as her in all the glory of letting plants take over what man destroyed. The soothing sounds of the music, even the click of placing items; I can see myself emerged into this for hours. The colors of the plants and even structure of buildings and automotives. Job well done.
The game runs in two modes: sandbox where you can sit and relax to the soothing sounds of Amos Roddy, composer of the Kingdom Series, and be as creative as you want to be or do campaign mode of 6 chapters of one goal. Cover all things manufactured in the love of greenery.
How can you have a game with no people, animals, interactions? When playing the campaign you do have goals and situations to hit. Just because there may not be people or animals , plants have needs too and certain conditions to thrive in. It’s up to you to be the judge of these placements and indicators to let you know where you are before you move on to the next location.
After diving in and really understanding the path the developer was going, I can not wait to get started. I released the information to my discord fam and I already got some interesting feedback on seeing how this game takes off.
The Cloud Gardens game looks pretty cool. Like super chill vibes
Eli – discord member
Cloud Gardens will be available on Steam Sept 9, 2020. I plan on streaming for the first time that evening around 7pm cst on Twitch (http://twitch.tv/lunamarie33)
In the land of content creating people usually started to stream because they saw how playing a video game made an individual more money than working a part time job or even 9-5. But it doesn’t work exactly that easy. Hours, days and sometimes years go into getting yourself to a “making money” standpoint. If you have what it takes to stand out and appeal to your audience.
Now of course… not saying all people started for the growth of money. We do have legit and honest streamers that started to stream to meet others, to not play a multiplayer game well, alone. But whatever the reasoning, once you start streaming you will notice the words; organization, community and stream team thrown around like hot rice cakes.
I took to the lovely polls and asked a range of different content creators/streamers through various platforms to answer some small questions pertaining to orgs, communities and stream teams. Hold up one minute… you don’t know what these are? Stream teams, orgs and communities are groups of people who ban together usually through what is called Discord to help promote, chat, connect and well push one another in their subject field of gaming.
One comes with more rules than the other and sometimes contracts depending of course who is running the show and if they are trying to get paid content creators/streamers.
Organizations for example are usually bigger than the 3 groups. Some come with contracts, payments deals and competitive teams you actually have to try out for. These types of groups can be very rewarding to a streamer when you find the right fit.
Stream teams are a little bit less demanding but you as a streamer/content creator still have to support and keep up with the group to keep your standing and work together. The org and stream teams usually do have some form of a management team; even if they don’t want to call themselves that, someone is and has to be in charge of the streamers.
Communities are usually what everyday streamers have of their own communities; a place to open up and let everyone use discord as a chat room grounds and organize channels per interests, get to know streamers, link drops etc. Anything that helps everyone involved promote themselves and well still support the main streamer that even started the community in the first place. But there have been streamers who paired up in discords to spread the responsibilities and it makes sense if you and a friend or two are always the ones playing together, why have different discords.
I won’t dive into context, most of the team I’m invited to join communities or organizations and the moment I join I’m immediately swept under the rug. Or most of the time there’s zero incentive to interact with anyone and usually there is only a small group of people out of a horde that actually communicate & said group is a major clique.
anonymous
Did you get all of that? Let’s take to the polls and see how people really feel about these groups and if they should just back off and let people be on their own like, well, they used to be.
** Also if you ever want to be a part of the open polls for the channel comment down below your email, twitch handle or email so I have a means to send the link to you. **
For those 21.4% of you who stated that you had no idea what the difference was between these groups in the gaming online world, well I helped you out there right above. In the meantime 64.3% of you feel like all of these groups are significantly different while 14.3% of you feel like they really aren’t. I am personally in the 64.3% of yes they are significantly different; my almost 2 years of streaming and about 7 years of content creating I have been in a org and a built stream team but I didn’t actually take the poll.
If you have already taken your own opinion on orgs, stream teams and communities and you haven’t taken the poll; one question I wanted to hear was how others felt about being under management when these groups are not “officially government jobs” but someone has to take the lead. I was graced to be a stream lead when I was in an org and a part of a start up stream team. Since leaving I heard a lot from others that they felt the owner or other top personnel didn’t abide by the TOS that they created for the org/stream team. In some cases the streamers had to sign off on.
On top of this alone, many felt it was always one sided; just for the ones who created these groups to get their own content and streaming ahead?
78.6% stated that they felt like these owners/leaders/top management did whatever they wanted to get ahead and were straight hypocrites actually to what they could do compared to what the streamers/content creators could do. They never played by the rules and were never true leaders for those smaller streamers to look up to. 21.4% felt a different way; this group thinks that those in charge shouldn’t be held to the same standards that well they own it, what they say and do goes. Very, very interesting.
When you want to start an organization it’s nice to have your friends by your side. When you run an organization it’s best to not only be with your friends.
anonymous
Feeling that heat come off, how does that leave equality across the board? 50% feel that there is no equality across stream teams, organizations and communities. It’s a dog eat dog and popularity contest and possibly who’s butt you can kiss who is one of the top dogs in Discord and stream. Ouch
There is never equality in any business or organization. You have those that go out of their way to suck up or the boss has their own friends. There is always going to be some that the higher ups feel don’t contribute but that’s do to lack of recognition.
anonymous
Usually network partnership deals involve a power scheme. Whether it’s said or not there’s always individuals who have a better work ethic than others which usually result with a lot of the decisions being finalized by said people.
anonymous
Streaming and content creation took off with a HUGE bang and now the loss of one of the platforms there will most likely be another push and shove to the top or at least to make some type of living for yourself. Add the pandemic on top of it. Just keep working hard; whatever your path and your reasoning for content creating, choose for you and always keep striving to better yourself for the love of creating. If you choose to join anything, do your research, ask recommendations. If an org, team etc. is legit they won’t be offended if someone is trying to make sure they are making a smart choice for their career.
Comment down below if you have a poll idea or check the contact tab for a way to get a hold of me to discuss anything you would like.
Galaxy Gaming 