sure, i don't expect every set to have boot cut jeans or a legend of zelda t-shirt, but at least one non-flapper-bob short men's hairstyle would be nice

annoying quests, boring in the main story, characters that have nothing to do with anything

like why is it here

Though I very much appreciate the fact that the dailies aren't nearly as mind-numbingly awful as they used to be and are way quicker, I still can't overlook my lack of excitement towards the game.

I used to be active on an actual pet site (I really wouldn't call DV a pet sim site because the pet aspect is far less involved than the avatar dressup) which barely ever updated and yet DV in comparison feels... hollow? Perhaps it's because I'm an adult now with less free time to be involved with the community or consistently do dailies, but the fact that so much of the assets being downright unattainable is what bothers me the most.

I'm not saying that as a player, I'm entitled to everything that I want in the game— I'm not saying that at all. I don't have a problem with earning whatever I have my eyes on, whether that be through daily quests, art commissions, or even purchasing premium currency with my own money.

What I *am* saying is that players are given way too much control over site assets and what I'm referring to is the shoddy customs system.

I know there are plenty of kind and generous custom owners that have come up with creative events and are kind when it comes to the price point of the customs that they distribute and I appreciate them immensely for sharing the fun and helping to make the game a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Without them, I would've decisively quit a long, long time ago. I've actually even purchased copies of several customs over the years as well.

However, I ultimately don't understand why the customs weren't limited to being an item/pet that anyone can purchase from an NPC shop rather than from the custom 'owner'— in my eyes, these would better incentivize players to continue playing the game because these things would not seem as impossible to earn.

Keep in mind that the people who use these custom creator items do not personally own these site assets as they still belong to DV.

The first word that came to my mind when I heard that a custom owner who quit is still willing to trade copies of the custom for the site currency of a completely different game is... 'stupid'. If you're not playing this game, it feels scummy to try to still benefit from access to this unlimited site asset. 

There's nothing wrong with trading assets that you have between games, but the fact that this player is trading their unlimited access to an 'infinite money printing machine' (which seemingly doesn't cost them anything assuming that the player that's willing to initiate a trade is required to provide the custom mirrors while the other party only offers a grant) for something that actually is limited in quantity leaves such a sour taste in my mouth.

I've scrolled this blog and found it interesting how people have joined FR to grind for things to trade on DV— because most off-site trades are for FR assets after all— and have unintentionally found it to be a better and more rewarding game than DV. In all honesty, this game is a wonderful advertisement for FR.

In my opinion, customs should have either been relegated to NPC shop items/pets or they should have existed as just one copy for the custom maker-rolled player to use. 

And when I continue thinking about the customs system in general, my mind can't help but wander over to the site's other flaws.

When the custom maker drop rates were announced, the makers stopped dropping only a few minutes after each rollover: this was deliberate and not a coincidence. They changed the rates after they were announced.

Agnes is said to occasionally give out items from previous limited monthly sets, but it's been a few years... is that still being implemented? Otherwise, new players will find it hair-pullingly frustrating to try to acquire any past monthlies and to earn entire  sets is something completely unfeasible.

Why is adventuring still so bad?

What about housing?

As I mentioned before, the site has its good qualities such as the frequent updates, charming characters, and the stunning artwork. I didn't even mind the missed deadlines when it came to updates and events— like how DV skipped over the second summer event entirely.

Truth be told though, the artwork was the only thing that was tethering me to this game. Not the gameplay, not the story, and certainly not the exclusivity that the customs system brought— without mincing words, that ruined the game for me.

Despite having bought some of my own custom copies, it felt like a chore to keep chasing after these custom copies, knowing that I had such a minuscule chance of ever attaining rights to a custom of my own and believe me, I've played for a few years and tried. 

Every time I see a customs topic on the forums where the owner is only willing to trade other custom owners for a copy, it feels like I'm completely being shut out from a part of the game with no ability to access it. I understand why they do it since they want to enhance their own gameplay experience by receiving these special site assets, but it's just another thing that someone without their own custom rights can't set a goal towards and achieve.

At the end of the day, I'm more far more upset at the poor admin decisions than the players themselves.

And hey, I'm actually glad that the site implemented a 'potato sink', because I was able to quickly and efficiently throw away all my potatoes, knowing that I can't afford anything worthwhile with what I have now.

I knew that I was done with the game when I stopped opening the monthly chests that I've collected since October 2023 (and I've collected each chest since January 2021), but I felt like I had to continue doing it since FOMO wouldn't leave me alone.

I really didn't have much more of a reason to keep logging on so I leave you all with this vent and airing out my grievances towards DV.

I think they mean things like this.