I don't really know how to start this rant off not going to lie. This has just been something that's been stuck on my mind for a long time to a point I need to put it to words.
When I was a Kid, I used to watch a bunch of Minecraft and Roblox videos whenever I got the chance. I didn't really make a proper account until around 2023, but looking at a game that looked like it was made out of legos struck a cord in my young brain. I wish I could recall the exact feeling; best way I could describe it was that it felt like I was looking into a universe where people could create whatever their hearts dreamed of. I daydreamed of playing obbys with friends that I made up in my head. Creating my own fun little game generating countless Robux. Playing Pokemon Brick Bronze even though that got shot down by Nintendo a long time ago. All kinds of childish daydreams.
It's not news at this point that Roblox is a complete mess these days. What was once a place for passionate people to create their own games has now become a hollow shell of what once was. First it was predators being the complete sickos that they are. Then it was age verification which I will not do due to how sketchy that stuff is in the first place. And now... now they're gunning down games left right and center for god knows what reason at this point.
And to think this domino effect all began with Schlep getting banned for actually doing something against problem one...
it's sad really, I'm sad. Not for the Roblox corporation or the AI slop they're now trying to push, but for the good games that are getting caught in the crossfire. Doors, Block tales, Nullscape, Battle bricks, Regretivator, along with plenty of other good games are getting crushed by the new corporate mechanism of AI moderation and still trying to advertise itself as "child friendly". If someone reading this is a Roblox game developer or a scripter, I beg of you to please find another game engine to create your dream video game(s). I don't know what the future holds for the platform, But I don't suspect it's going to be bright at all.
As for my AU of Block tales Minus... I have so many plans for that AU, but there have been so many Ideas that have spouted in my head for a story to the point it's hard to even call it an AU at this point. The current story Block tales has is far from the one I have in my head. Not to say the game hasn't met my expectations, far from it. It's just that the story that I want to write has begun to evolve to a point that the safest move I can play for the sake of my sanity is to make it its own story. (Which means I need to rewrite the story the from the ground up AGAIN AAAAAUUGGHHH!!) I guess I should have anticipated this hence I started coming up with the idea when demo 3 first came out. There's so many plans I have for the concept I have somehow forged out of the depths of my fanfic loving mind.
I don't know how to conclude this vent-post of mine. It's getting late at the time of writing and I need some rest. I just pray that if Roblox is going to get it's plug inevitably pulled, it does so before any more potentially good games are wasted on this rotting corpse.
P.S. If on the off chance a block tales dev is reading this, then PLEASE take heed to my advice. Tons of people including myself love the game & it's story. Wouldn't want something to happen to it, especially if that something comes from Roblox itself. It's one of those games (IMO) that if it were to get on another game platform like steam, I would buy it 3 times over. This is not a threat, but a promise.