Out of Life/Refutation of rumors and accusations

Preface

"Before you begin reading, it's important for me to understand the situation I've been in for several years now. Developing Out of Life has become not only a game creation but also a daily battle for my reputation and mental health.

For the past four years, I've been subjected to systematic harassment. I've been sent shocking images of violence, threatening phone calls, attempts to hack my social media accounts, and lengthy messages detailing how I should commit suicide. My data has been leaked online multiple times. All of this is a direct result of several major YouTubers who specialize in scandals targeting me.

The easiest way to quickly gain popularity and monetization online is to create a high-profile "exposé" of a popular figure. I have over a million subscribers, making me the perfect target for such content. These videos are 5% genuine criticism of game design and 95% personal attacks, ten-year-old quotes taken out of context, gossip, and outright lies. Their creators aren't interested in the truth. Their goal is to create an image of a "lazy, lying, evil developer" who can be bullied with impunity because she "deserves it."

Every time I try to defend myself or explain something, I'm accused of manipulation. They don't listen. As long as I remain a "digital villain" who can be profited from, this hate machine will not stop. The bullying has destroyed my motivation, exacerbated my burnout, and directly impacted the pace of my development. Please keep this in mind when reading further rebuttals."

"Loviise is lazy and deliberately delaying development to milk Patreon."

Rebuttal: This statement is not only false but also self-contradictory, and here's why.

• Income logic: If my goal were to make quick money, I would have chosen a much less risky and controversial game theme. Out of Life, with its complex plot about pathologies and revenge, is a commercially niche and complex project. I would have developed a simple horror game or dating sim.
• My financial model: My Patreon is my salary for working full-time on the game. From the very beginning, I set the bar at $3,500 per month as the bare minimum. Any amount above that is automatically set aside for the development fund. I publish annual financial transparency reports. My personal salary has not increased since 2021, despite inflation.
• Development Pace: The reasons for the "protracted" development are technical and human, not malicious.
  • Scope: Out of Life has evolved from a small concept into a project with three full-fledged 3D modes, each with its own mechanics, story, and dozens of unique characters.
  • Dependence on Volunteers: I can't create high-quality 3D models, animations, and voice acting alone. The rate at which content arrives from volunteers is unpredictable.
  • Bullying and Burnout: The constant attacks I describe in the introduction directly impact productivity.

I want to finish Out of Life more than anyone else. Completing this project for me is not just a game release, but an opportunity to finally breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

"Loviise is rude to fans and bans for any criticism."

Rebuttal: Let's separate healthy criticism from bullying and rule violations.

• Interactions: I conduct hundreds of interactions per month. 99.9% of the time, the communication is polite and constructive.
• What constitutes a "ban for criticism": The following are prohibited on my platforms:
  1. Personal insults and threats.
  2. Spreading knowingly false information ("Loviise stole money").
  3. Violating core community rules (spam, trolling, hate speech).
• Fair criticism of game design is NOT a violation and has never resulted in a ban. In rare, isolated cases, when I was approached by an aggressive user after a wave of bullying, I might respond harshly. This isn't an excuse, but an explanation for the human reaction to prolonged stress.

"Loviise is a bad programmer, her code is spaghetti."

Refutation: This myth is based on a misunderstanding of the stages of game development.

• 2019-2021 (Prototype Phase): My goal was a playable concept. During this period, the priority was the speed of implementing mechanics, not ideal code architecture.
• 2022-present (Production phase): Once the basic gameplay was polished, I began a complete rewrite and optimization of the codebase. Much of the old "spaghetti code" was rewritten.
• Optimization: Out of Life is resource-intensive because Erito Academy is a huge, detailed 3D environment with dozens of AI characters. Optimization is an ongoing process.

"Loviise hates fans and takes revenge on them through the character Midori."

Rebuttal: This is an absolutely absurd and harmful claim. Midori is a game designer's joke and a tutorial tool. Her "elimination" in early demos was grotesque, dark humor, meant to emphasize the game's genre. I am infinitely grateful to my community; the idea that I "hate" them is completely unfounded.

"Loviise is hiding the truth about Hana's lineage and deceiving fans."

Disclaimer: I'm not "hiding"—I'm carefully revealing the lore. Out of Life is, first and foremost, a story. The story of Hana and Buraddo's births is its core. Revealing all the maps and timelines in blogs would be robbing players of the joy of discovering secrets through gameplay. This is a deliberate narrative decision.

Conclusion

Behind each of these myths is a real person—me—who has been working on my dream project for the past six years. I've made mistakes, but I'm not a lazy cheater or a fan hater.

My request is simple: judge Out of Life on what's in the game—the hours of content in the "1989" and "1968" modes, the depth of its mechanics, and its lore. And treat me like a person.

Sincerely, Catherine "Loviise" Vance.