Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! First off, I need to apologize: there wont be any Christmas content this year. Unless some Christmas miracle happens--and Santa himself drops off a fully finished update under my tree--its just not happening. Im sorry about that. Consider this post my awkwardly wrapped gift of reflection and rambling instead. (No receipt included. All sales final.) Now, lets address something Ive been "mulling" over this season: my abominable snowman behavior. Specifically, some name-calling. Sometimes, you encounter people so confident in their opinions that they treat any differing view as outright heresy. These cheeky fellows (light name-calling, I promise!) seem to believe their opinions are delivered by the Ghost of Christmas Logic and are thus beyond reproach. Any attempt to think differently is met with disbelief--as if you just suggested replacing their Christmas dinner with cold oatmeal. This behavior thrives in curated communities, especially those built around specific topics or personalities. No matter how many subforums they create (or how much tinsel they throw on the place), these spaces often turn into echo chambers. An ingroup of self-appointed Christmas elves and guardian gnomes forms, quoting their correct opinions like theyre reading from a holiday hymn sheet. Anyone who challenges their narrative is labeled a Grinch. Their year-round goal? Total assimilation, as far above understanding and dialogue as Santas sleigh can fly. And heres the tough part: its a bit of a mirror for me. Like staring into a frozen lake, it forces me to reflect on my own tendencies. I have plenty of opinions about my game series and Redaxium 3--and I sometimes think I cant be wrong. To be fair, such convictions are necessary for development. Yet, as any good developer (and probably Santa-Gabe) knows, game design isnt about one persons ideas. Its about collaboration, iteration, and occasionally realizing that the toy you thought everyone wanted is, well, just a lump of coal. Ive considered whether Redaxium 3 could benefit from open development. While it sounds great on paper by a cozy fire, Im not sure I have the time or energy to maintain it. Communities take years to grow organically, and even with crowdfunding success, juggling marketing, business, and social aspects would feel like riding a unicycle while balancing candy canes. Fun in theory, exhausting in practice. And yet, the more I stare into the cold, dark night of structured and unstructured communities, the more I value order. Ive even tried weaponizing curated-community tactics myself by feigning certainty about a topic only I cared enough about to dominate. Id shut down conversations like a box of last years Christmas ornaments. It worked--inside someone elses community. But thats just a walled garden inside another walled garden. Its stealing Christmas for yourself, like youre Ebenezer Scrooge. Real goodwill isnt fostered by dismissing others, and its not how I want to build a workshop (or a community). Craftsmanship deserves a different approach--one that invites collaboration without crushing creativity or differing perspectives. When it comes to the Discord for the Redaxium series, Ive shut it down more than once, realizing its a liability. Few people ever joined, and even if it were active, the same issues would emerge. Going full wild-west might work for some communities, but a Discord for a single game cant justify that level of chaos. Keeping discussions on-topic would require strict rules and moderation, which risks turning it into the kind of echo chamber Ive grown to dislike. It feels like a holiday trap: to create meaningful dialogue, Id have to become the Grinch Who Stole Free Thought. And when it comes to keeping my cool, Im no Frosty the Snowman--simple, iconic, and universally beloved is not on the table here. Truthfully, Im not sure I have the jingle bells (or the patience) to run a community, even if I wanted to. So the choice becomes: join the ranks of over-moderated snowglobes where nothing can breathe, or focus entirely on making games? A humble dev blog might be the better path--a simpler, quieter way to share updates without trying to herd digital reindeer. In the end, this is all something Ill keep reflecting on, probably with a mug of cocoa or eggnog in hand. For now, I just want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Even without special content, I truly appreciate your support. Youre the reason this sleigh keeps moving. Thank you, and Happy Christmas Eve!