Clearing Misunderstandings

Usually, I wouldn’t waste time on this, but I think it’s worth addressing. I’ve seen recent reviews and outside comments about Elleria that misinterpret our words, twist them into “facts,” and spread them around as if they’re the truth. Let’s clear this up.

One recent review said:

“Tried to load my game and it crashed. I commend the developer for their honesty in their recent post but saying not enough people bought my game so I just finished it quickly is not great marketing and I won't be buying anymore of these.”

Here’s the reality: Elleria was not “finished quickly” or abandoned due to sales. The Wheel of Fate DLC was delivered as planned, with multiple patches, bug fixes, optimizations, and additional content after release. That’s not the behavior of someone rushing a product — that’s the behavior of a developer supporting it.

We’ve been transparent about the fact that Elleria didn’t meet the sales needed for large-scale production. That honesty is not the same thing as “I gave up.” It means I delivered the content as promised, improved it with feedback, and adjusted scope responsibly instead of promising things that couldn’t be delivered.

And then, I see another take being spread (ironically, from piracy forums of all places):

“Elleria is being rushed just to have some kind of ‘ending’… projects can start with passion but when money is the final goal something goes wrong in the long run.”

Let me be blunt: this is detached from reality. Passion may start a project, but without funding, it dies. Period. Electricity bills for rendering, software licenses, hardware upgrades, and production costs don’t vanish just because someone thinks money shouldn’t matter. That isn’t how life works.

I’ve spent this time financing Elleria out of my own pocket, giving content away for free, and carrying this project far beyond what was financially reasonable. Money isn’t the “final goal” — it’s the fuel that keeps the fire burning. Without it, there is no Elleria, no DLC, no continuation.

So let’s set the record straight:

• Elleria was not abandoned.

• Wheel of Fate was completed and patched extensively.

• Sands of Time DLC is next, and Book 2 will follow.

If acknowledging reality makes me the bad guy in some people’s eyes, so be it. I’d rather be honest than sell fairytales.

The story continues. Sands of Time is coming. Book 2 is coming. Elleria is not done.


P.S.
The moral of the story is simple: passion creates, but money sustains. Without resources, there is no project, no updates, no DLCs — just silence. Electricity isn’t free, bread isn’t free, and neither is the work that goes into making a game.

So the next time someone tries to say “money shouldn’t matter” while playing hundreds of hours of work for the price of a sandwich — remember that it only exists because someone paid the very real costs to make it.

The people shouting loudest that “money shouldn’t matter” are usually the ones who didn’t pay in the first place.

– Arcane Ink Productions