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Have you ever lurked around some of the other PWE/Cryptic game forums? They make us look like we love our admins/mods by comparison.
Yeah it is a shame though that its based on scams which always reside in the grey areas and then they make posts where they say they don't understand why people are disgruntled with them lol.
Matt Miller designed content; reports are that he was primarily responsible for the new Klingon tutorial, for instance.
He must have been tired of working on the KDF computer then. Its the punishment system of Crypitc Studios if you get in trouble your punishment is to work X amount of days on the Klingon computer or you are fired lol.
I feel no love-loss for Smirk being gone - assuming he is. I felt he was incompetent at his job. He did not keep us properly informed and I never felt he was passing on our information to the Devs. We were going to other Cryptic forums to get information and that should never happen.
^^^
Pretty much this.
I also don't get the love for Matt Miller (Positron) - and I was one of the first 300 to be admitted to the CoH closed beta testing phases back in December 2003. He was LATE delivering 'Going Rogue' and it was missing promised features when it was initially launched. I get many loved CoH, but since it's sunset A LOT of CoH players seemed to have donned VERY rose-colored glasses. It was hardly the pinnacle of MMOs, past or present (and I enjoyed it quite a bit during the time I played from 2003 - 2009). Positron ROYALLY screwed up the implementation of the 'Mission Architect' (and many an MA beta tester warned that if they released it as they did, itr would be exploited to high heaven - which it was.
I will also say that if layoffs continue, I hope Al Rivera's (Captain Geko) item is on the chopping block as if you want a lead dev whose decisions have (IMO) been taking STO development in a bad direction for some time - he's (IMO) the guy probably the most responsible. DStahal admitted he'd reached the burn out point and stepped down. Mr. Rivera (again IMO) I feel refuses to see where he's at - and is WAY beyond burned out, but doesn't want to leave a position that allows him to attend Star trek conventions on the company's dime and rub shoulders with former Star Trek franchise actors (offering VO job opportunities to them.)
Methinks Mr. Rivera was incorrect about his Delta Rising assessment in that it isn't the best STO Expansion ever, nor do the players love a lot of what it brought to STO. Was there some good stuff in DR? Yes. BUT, the overall paradigm shift of STO from casual friendly to an increased grind fest doesn't appear to be bringing in the profits PWE expected.
It's never good when layoffs hit, but I DO hope Cryptic goes by more than seniority when deciding who gets shown the door.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
I didn't play CoH for very long - I could never get used to my beginning superhero, supposedly a lightning blaster, having to punch bad guys while waiting for his real attack to come off cooldown. (And when the best thing you hear from vets is, "Just wait until you hit lvl 20 - that's when your character starts to shine!", it's not much of a recommendation to stick with it.) So I don't know anything about Matt Miller's work there.
But I really liked his Klingon tutorial here - the reason for your character winding up in command was much more plausible than the reason from the original Fed tutorial.
And shifting him to CO would have brought the interest of those veterans of CoX who actually had good (even if rose-tinted) memories of Positron's work there. Besides which, CO could really use more content developers. Tacofangs left lots of good artwork lying around when he was sent to STO, but you can't just leave content assets stored around in weird spots on the map, ya know?
Well considering the live streams prolly cost an arm and a leg, we all know why Smirk, if rumor is true, was laid off. Couldn't be the obvious connection to Certain troll fleets as well could it, and all the PR TRIBBLE he got into?
The KDF tutorial? Wonder why Matt Miller was laid off.
Maybe someone wrote a letter to PWI, or PWE, and let them know how much of a joke, those devs/staff members took this game.
HURRAY! Though to the positive changes being made.
"FIRE AT WILL YOUR HARPENG, AND MAKE SURE TO UPGRADE IT!"
CoH was definitely not the pinnacle of MMOs, however it was undoubtedly the best of its niche. All super hero MMOs since have had promise, but decided to go the "action" route that corporate big wigs seem to be obsessed with lately. Last year after seeing DoFP I really, REALLY tried to get into CO for my super hero fix, but I just can't stand the gameplay.
i dont really dont know a lot about this matt miller guy, but if he is responsible for the revamped kdf tutorial i have to wonder why they let him go. its by far the best tutorial of the lot.
not a lot to say about smirk. i didnt see much of him and sometimes it seemed like he would moderate for the sake of moderation. i wish he had been more of a community guy and less of a pr representative.
i dont think i need to say who i really really hope gets marched to the door. i can only dream
It affects a lot more than those 18 people. Thoughts with the friends and families of those affected, and the employees still there who will undoubtedly be feeling very low in spirits right now.
It affects a lot more than those 18 people. Thoughts with the friends and families of those affected, and the employees still there who will undoubtedly be feeling very low in spirits right now.
Very much this.
Even if they missed the chopping block, my guess is most (if not all) are down today, simply because their friends lost their jobs... oh, and add to the fact that "the show must go on" and that work still needs to be done... just, now, down about 18 hands.
Feeling pretty demoralized. Those let go will likely have very little issue finding another job in the Bay area with a much higher salary. Still, very disappointing news.
Now we have the layoffs at Columbus Nova/Daybreak studios after they were sold off by Sony.
ZeniMax got hit with layoffs, and I'd expect more.
EA shuttered Maxis.
EA had layoffs in Montreal.
AOL shut down JoyStiq and Massively.
Sega is also 'restructuring'.
Frontier Developments laid off 15 people in Halifax.
Layoffs hit GameTrailers, The Escapist, and Gamefront.
Robotoki closed its doors.
The list goes on.
This unsustainable market in software is going to end quicker than any of us think. We are going to see many development studios out of work. We are going to see games cancelled. We are going to see lay-offs. We are going to see companies scuttling their flagships in order to simply pay the bills during the recovery. We are going to see unemployment in Silicon Valley at an unwelcome level when the tech bubble pops.
Even though there are a few people I do not think are good fits for their positions (and others that I think deserve better management than they have gotten from the PWE side), it does not mean I am insensitive to what that person thinks and feels.
I have actually been on the chopping block twice in my career. Once, I got caught on the wrong end of a corporate restructuring as the last person hired in and the whole department got told they had six months to get another position in the company or they would be laid off. Even with that safety buffer--still scary and upsetting.
In the one other position, I was not let go, but told pretty much plainly that I would never be supported for advancement in that field. Even though I already knew intellectually that I was ill matched to the position and had skill sets better utilized in another line of work, that didn't stop it from being a painful, difficult thing. Even looking for another job while you are still fairly assured you'll be kept on in your current position (which I was right until the end of my two week's notice), it is STILL damn hard.
(I got back into my field last year, finally, and am now happy.)
So I can see necessity sometimes but I realize that does not do away with the real feelings of shock and fear that comes with a notice like that--or worse, just being handed a pink slip. Whatever I may think of a person's performance, I can't forget that. That doesn't mean keeping someone on who is a bad match, but not forgetting they are human.
Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-) Proudly F2P.Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
Heh, I thought about that thread, and your comments, yesterday.
Just read today that Nintendo is now developing ports of their iconic games for phones, tablets, and PCs... which is a huge admission of failure, and a clear grab for survival on their part (they SWORE they'd NEVER do this... and yet, they are now).
Heh, I thought about that thread, and your comments, yesterday.
That prediction was made almost a year ago. Most of what I predicted came to pass. This round of layoffs at PWE/Cryptic is not an isolated incident. It has very little to do with the ambiguous success of Delta Rising.
This is a global, industry-wide bubble that is crashing down. And it is outside of our control. All we can do is mitigate the damage and pick up the pieces when the dust settles.
That prediction was made almost a year ago. Most of what I predicted came to pass. This round of layoffs at PWE/Cryptic is not an isolated incident. It has very little to do with the ambiguous success of Delta Rising.
This is a global, industry-wide bubble that is crashing down. And it is outside of our control. All we can do is mitigate the damage and pick up the pieces when the dust settles.
Because this isn't going to end with PWE/Cryptic.
I found it interesting, too, that the anonymous Cryptic employee that reported the 18 firings also said that the "secret projects" that people have been speculating off-and-on about were "unaffected" by this wave of cuts.
Seems kinda... futile, in light of your comments. :rolleyes: NOTHING IS SAFE!
I found it interesting, too, that the anonymous Cryptic employee that reported the 18 firings also said that the "secret projects" that people have been speculating off-and-on about were "unaffected" by this wave of cuts.
Seems kinda... futile, in light of your comments. :rolleyes: NOTHING IS SAFE!
Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.
I know this won't stop people with an axe to grind with PWE/Cryptic to state that it's because of their own mistakes with STO that this has happened.
It's extremely short-sighted, but not unexpected. This is not a problem with pleasing customers, this is a problem with investor faith in the tech industry receding.
How that recession of investor faith affects PWE/Cryptic (or really any company) will show in various ways as companies attempt different methods of mitigation.
Comments
OK...what were his responsibilities?
Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
Proudly F2P. Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
Can search posts by stodecker...
Yeah it is a shame though that its based on scams which always reside in the grey areas and then they make posts where they say they don't understand why people are disgruntled with them lol.
He must have been tired of working on the KDF computer then. Its the punishment system of Crypitc Studios if you get in trouble your punishment is to work X amount of days on the Klingon computer or you are fired lol.
Pretty much this.
I also don't get the love for Matt Miller (Positron) - and I was one of the first 300 to be admitted to the CoH closed beta testing phases back in December 2003. He was LATE delivering 'Going Rogue' and it was missing promised features when it was initially launched. I get many loved CoH, but since it's sunset A LOT of CoH players seemed to have donned VERY rose-colored glasses. It was hardly the pinnacle of MMOs, past or present (and I enjoyed it quite a bit during the time I played from 2003 - 2009). Positron ROYALLY screwed up the implementation of the 'Mission Architect' (and many an MA beta tester warned that if they released it as they did, itr would be exploited to high heaven - which it was.
I will also say that if layoffs continue, I hope Al Rivera's (Captain Geko) item is on the chopping block as if you want a lead dev whose decisions have (IMO) been taking STO development in a bad direction for some time - he's (IMO) the guy probably the most responsible. DStahal admitted he'd reached the burn out point and stepped down. Mr. Rivera (again IMO) I feel refuses to see where he's at - and is WAY beyond burned out, but doesn't want to leave a position that allows him to attend Star trek conventions on the company's dime and rub shoulders with former Star Trek franchise actors (offering VO job opportunities to them.)
Methinks Mr. Rivera was incorrect about his Delta Rising assessment in that it isn't the best STO Expansion ever, nor do the players love a lot of what it brought to STO. Was there some good stuff in DR? Yes. BUT, the overall paradigm shift of STO from casual friendly to an increased grind fest doesn't appear to be bringing in the profits PWE expected.
It's never good when layoffs hit, but I DO hope Cryptic goes by more than seniority when deciding who gets shown the door.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
But I really liked his Klingon tutorial here - the reason for your character winding up in command was much more plausible than the reason from the original Fed tutorial.
And shifting him to CO would have brought the interest of those veterans of CoX who actually had good (even if rose-tinted) memories of Positron's work there. Besides which, CO could really use more content developers. Tacofangs left lots of good artwork lying around when he was sent to STO, but you can't just leave content assets stored around in weird spots on the map, ya know?
The KDF tutorial? Wonder why Matt Miller was laid off.
Maybe someone wrote a letter to PWI, or PWE, and let them know how much of a joke, those devs/staff members took this game.
HURRAY! Though to the positive changes being made.
"FIRE AT WILL YOUR HARPENG, AND MAKE SURE TO UPGRADE IT!"
But let's get back on topic.
not a lot to say about smirk. i didnt see much of him and sometimes it seemed like he would moderate for the sake of moderation. i wish he had been more of a community guy and less of a pr representative.
i dont think i need to say who i really really hope gets marched to the door. i can only dream
free jkname
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:-(
It affects a lot more than those 18 people. Thoughts with the friends and families of those affected, and the employees still there who will undoubtedly be feeling very low in spirits right now.
Indeed... and sadly, it sounds like a number of people are adding an addendum to those sentiments: "... unless it's that one guy."
Pretty sad that some are openly cheering for someone to lose their job, but that's the internet for you.
Very much this.
Even if they missed the chopping block, my guess is most (if not all) are down today, simply because their friends lost their jobs... oh, and add to the fact that "the show must go on" and that work still needs to be done... just, now, down about 18 hands.
Not surprising news, however. I posted a thread some time ago about the new tech bubble we're in getting ready to burst, and was called crazy for it.
Now we have the layoffs at Columbus Nova/Daybreak studios after they were sold off by Sony.
ZeniMax got hit with layoffs, and I'd expect more.
EA shuttered Maxis.
EA had layoffs in Montreal.
AOL shut down JoyStiq and Massively.
Sega is also 'restructuring'.
Frontier Developments laid off 15 people in Halifax.
Layoffs hit GameTrailers, The Escapist, and Gamefront.
Robotoki closed its doors.
The list goes on.
Don't say I didn't warn you all.
I have actually been on the chopping block twice in my career. Once, I got caught on the wrong end of a corporate restructuring as the last person hired in and the whole department got told they had six months to get another position in the company or they would be laid off. Even with that safety buffer--still scary and upsetting.
In the one other position, I was not let go, but told pretty much plainly that I would never be supported for advancement in that field. Even though I already knew intellectually that I was ill matched to the position and had skill sets better utilized in another line of work, that didn't stop it from being a painful, difficult thing. Even looking for another job while you are still fairly assured you'll be kept on in your current position (which I was right until the end of my two week's notice), it is STILL damn hard.
(I got back into my field last year, finally, and am now happy.)
So I can see necessity sometimes but I realize that does not do away with the real feelings of shock and fear that comes with a notice like that--or worse, just being handed a pink slip. Whatever I may think of a person's performance, I can't forget that. That doesn't mean keeping someone on who is a bad match, but not forgetting they are human.
Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
Proudly F2P. Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
Heh, I thought about that thread, and your comments, yesterday.
Just read today that Nintendo is now developing ports of their iconic games for phones, tablets, and PCs... which is a huge admission of failure, and a clear grab for survival on their part (they SWORE they'd NEVER do this... and yet, they are now).
The times, they are a'changin'...
That prediction was made almost a year ago. Most of what I predicted came to pass. This round of layoffs at PWE/Cryptic is not an isolated incident. It has very little to do with the ambiguous success of Delta Rising.
This is a global, industry-wide bubble that is crashing down. And it is outside of our control. All we can do is mitigate the damage and pick up the pieces when the dust settles.
Because this isn't going to end with PWE/Cryptic.
I think no one can argue the game is healthy with this news...
It's been one of those checking various twitter accounts to see what's still there or not.
I found it interesting, too, that the anonymous Cryptic employee that reported the 18 firings also said that the "secret projects" that people have been speculating off-and-on about were "unaffected" by this wave of cuts.
Seems kinda... futile, in light of your comments. :rolleyes: NOTHING IS SAFE!
Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.
I know this won't stop people with an axe to grind with PWE/Cryptic to state that it's because of their own mistakes with STO that this has happened.
It's extremely short-sighted, but not unexpected. This is not a problem with pleasing customers, this is a problem with investor faith in the tech industry receding.
How that recession of investor faith affects PWE/Cryptic (or really any company) will show in various ways as companies attempt different methods of mitigation.
I can think of two or three games where I'd really like to see him land. One in particular is fantastic on action, but light on story content.