Priority One Podcast: Elijah retires

thegrandnagus1 · May 2015

FYI, Elijah posted a message on the P1 site today explaining he is retiring as a regular host from the show. You can read the full post here.

virusdancer · May 2015

Lies! He's being forced out by a global consortium that denies how bad DS9 is!

- tinfoil hat #723

hausofmartok · May 2015

Never was a fan of Elijah or his hosting style. Always preferred STO'ked radio for that reason, and they're done too, right. So, meh. Just another sign of Dooooooom! There are so many better games out there to play single player console/pc games and MMOs alike. You can't blame people for leaving this buggy mess of a game.

erei1 · May 2015

I hope this is not taken as a troll, because that's not one at all.

You just wont hear me rant on behalf of the silent majority anymore (btw, thanks for that one r/sto).

Which one, every side claims to be the "majority" ? And about what ?
Oh, Reddit... That one then.

In the meantime, we will begin scouting for someone to fill the gap. Im hoping to find someone that like me is a middle-class player. Someone that floats between the Min-Maxer and the novice. Someone who casually plays STO but, has a passion for the game when they do play. More importantly, someone who can keep their ear to the ground and be attentive to the Star Trek Online Community vibe.

Then you might want 2 different people, instead of 1, with (more or less) 2 kind of opinion. Someone like you, IE pretty much always happy with Cryptic, and someone a bit more critical. By critical I mean, not the DOOOM guy, but someone that will be able to actually dislike something Cryptic does. And able to be constructive about it.
Because usually, and especially during DR post release, you were attentive to only a single side of the "community vibe", basically considering the other side was a minority, for some reason, and not worth listening as such. Borderline insulting, even.

Any sane people knows the truth is usually in the middle road. Both opinions are worth listening, always. Even the ones from the minority.

Anyway, you probably stay far away from the forum, so it's likely to fall into deaf ears, and the P1 will continue to be the "voice of Cryptic". Sadly.
I wish you luck in your future endeavor anyway.

iconians · May 2015

How do you retire from something you volunteer for?

erei1 wrote: »

Anyway, you probably stay far away from the forum, so it's likely to fall into deaf ears

I see what you did there. Even if I can't hear it.

szerontzur · May 2015

Sad to see; it's been a fun ride.

grayfoxjames · May 2015

Sad I liked Elijah as host. From his post it sounds like he's burned out with Star Trek Online. As a regular P1 listener and donator I was considering applying as I just love this game, even with my XBox One, this is practically the only game I play.

However, running a Tier 5 fleet is not easy and I don't think I would want to split my time between them. Being that I also practically live in these forums, if I took on anything else I'd probably end up being single :P

To Elijah, Jayce, and Cookie I wish you all the best in finding someone as entertaining as Elijah.

valasveladorn · May 2015

I don't think some folks understand that, at least for me, if I were really negative about the game I wouldn't spend hours a week podcasting about it and even more time than that reading, researching and writing for it. From my POV it feels like we complain about the things that bother us -- lag, loadouts, crafting mods to name a few -- on a regular basis. We report on new things that are coming in and generally have some enthusiasm for them but it's not like we buy every bundle that comes out and squee about it, for example (I just finally bought the Phantom on sale).

There's this common insult of sorts used to dismiss opinions on forums (not just this one) that anyone who disagrees with a strong negative opinion, or even merely doesn't share it as strongly, is deluded, a "white knight" or somehow nursing at the corporate teat. It's difficult to debate against as it's such a flawed argument. I rarely respond to it because it's rather pointless and feels overly defensive to do so. I won't speak for Elijah but he's certainly much politer about the rude assumptions regularly made about us than I would be if I were in charge (this is why I'm not in charge, and rarely post even this much).

No offense intended to anyone in this thread, just some of my thoughts. Even in a small, fan-made volunteer production I find that people speak of you and treat you differently but I'm just a player like anyone else who has been here since launch and continues to wax and wane in my play as time goes by.

Thanks for listening,
Jayce

crypticarmsman · May 2015

valasveladorn wrote: »

I don't think some folks understand that, at least for me, if I were really negative about the game I wouldn't spend hours a week podcasting about it and even more time than that reading, researching and writing for it. From my POV it feels like we complain about the things that bother us -- lag, loadouts, crafting mods to name a few -- on a regular basis. We report on new things that are coming in and generally have some enthusiasm for them but it's not like we buy every bundle that comes out and squee about it, for example (I just finally bought the Phantom on sale).

There's this common insult of sorts used to dismiss opinions on forums (not just this one) that anyone who disagrees with a strong negative opinion, or even merely doesn't share it as strongly, is deluded, a "white knight" or somehow nursing at the corporate teat. It's difficult to debate against as it's such a flawed argument. I rarely respond to it because it's rather pointless and feels overly defensive to do so. I won't speak for Elijah but he's certainly much politer about the rude assumptions regularly made about us than I would be if I were in charge (this is why I'm not in charge, and rarely post even this much).

No offense intended to anyone in this thread, just some of my thoughts. Even in a small, fan-made volunteer production I find that people speak of you and treat you differently but I'm just a player like anyone else who has been here since launch and continues to wax and wane in my play as time goes by.

Thanks for listening,
Jayce

Yeah, sorry but honestly the way you guys do NOTHING but praise Captain Geko (Al Rivera) and essentially just lob NOTHING but real softball questions for him everytime he's on your podcast; you honest come across as sycophants more often then not.

I'm not saying 'get nasty'; but I'm just amazed how major player concerns are rarely brought up, and when they are if Al seems a bit nervous, you immediately back off and let him rail at the playerbase or the concern as 'nothing big' or 'yeah player hate change'. The guy knows if he wants to come on and bash the STO playerbase, you'll support his and reinforce him as he does so, and have on many an occasion.

zathri83 · May 2015

deokkent wrote: »

Who?

/10char:D

Star-Lord man, legendary outlaw.

hausofmartok · May 2015

crypticarmsman wrote: »

Yeah, sorry but honestly the way you guys do NOTHING but praise Captain Geko (Al Rivera) and essentially just lob NOTHING but real softball questions for him everytime he's on your podcast; you honest come across as sycophants more often then not.

I'm not saying 'get nasty'; but I'm just amazed how major player concerns are rarely brought up, and when they are if Al seems a bit nervous, you immediately back off and let him rail at the playerbase or the concern as 'nothing big' or 'yeah player hate change'. The guy knows if he wants to come on and bash the STO playerbase, you'll support his and reinforce him as he does so, and have on many an occasion.

I think you guys and anyone who brings this up towards podcasters time and again are pretty ridiculous. If you think volunteer Podcasters should be hard hitting journalists and critical of the game developers that come on their show, willingly and for free, to promote new content or features you're just delusional.
I'm not defending Capt Geko, but if that happened, guess what, I just would not come back to the show. As a podcaster who wants their show to succeed and for people to listen to it, you need interesting guests and having access to Developers is something you probably need. So there's a very fine line there for being a good host and being able to get repeat guests and listeners.
So be real. You either have no clue how the real world works, or are just too consumed by your blind nerd rage to see how silly the TRIBBLE you are saying is.

thegrandnagus1 · May 2015

hausofmartok wrote: »

I think you guys and anyone who brings this up towards podcasters time and again are pretty ridiculous. If you think volunteer Podcasters should be hard hitting journalists and critical of the game developers that come on their show, willingly and for free, to promote new content or features you're just delusional.
I'm not defending Capt Geko, but if that happened, guess what, I just would not come back to the show. As a podcaster who wants their show to succeed and for people to listen to it, you need interesting guests and having access to Developers is something you probably need. So there's a very fine line there for being a good host and being able to get repeat guests and listeners.
So be real. You either have no clue how the real world works, or are just too consumed by your blind nerd rage to see how silly the TRIBBLE you are saying is.

Part of the problem is that some people have unrealistic expectations about what a video game fancast should be. Honestly, people who fancast about a game they play are like people who go to watch their favorite sports team play. Those people aren't there to "boo" the team, they are there to cheer them on because they are fans of that team. And yes, those people love the players, and want their autographs. A video game fancast is essentially the same thing, so anyone who expects to hear them "booing" the game or bash the devs apparently doesn't have a clue what is going on.

Having said all that, the other part of the problem is that P1 has said that they do the podcast for the community, and when they go to Vegas they say they are representing the community. While that is not a problem in itself, the reality is that community includes not just people who are hard core fans like they are, but also people who are very critical of the game. So you cannot accurately say you represent the community, if you are only going to represent the hard core fan section of the community, as discussed above.

At the end of the day, it's their cast, and they can do it any way they want. And by now, everyone should know what the show is like, and therefore know whether they want to listen or not. So if you decide you don't like the show, but still choose to listen and get upset by it, that is your own fault, not theirs.

eldarion79 · May 2015

Elijah's positivity towards the game is awesome and it is one of the reasons I enjoyed listening to the the podcast before all the Devs started to go on the show. Then you an tell the atmosphere changed with him. He was way more dismissive and his "rants" were more about him telling the some of the community were wrong. Its ok to to question the game and some of the decisions made by the Devs and it is understandable that they do not want muck the waters with Cryptic, but you want to be the podcast of the community, you have to be that middleman.

You can tell Elijah is a big Trek fan and his enthusiasm is very contagious and I will be looking forward to the new show.

valasveladorn · May 2015

crypticarmsman wrote: »

Yeah, sorry but honestly the way you guys do NOTHING but praise Captain Geko (Al Rivera) and essentially just lob NOTHING but real softball questions for him everytime he's on your podcast; you honest come across as sycophants more often then not.

I'm not saying 'get nasty'; but I'm just amazed how major player concerns are rarely brought up, and when they are if Al seems a bit nervous, you immediately back off and let him rail at the playerbase or the concern as 'nothing big' or 'yeah player hate change'. The guy knows if he wants to come on and bash the STO playerbase, you'll support his and reinforce him as he does so, and have on many an occasion.

You offered some criticism and asked to not be taken as a troll. I offered some explanation of my point of view. You come back with hyperbole and insults. I don't think you are trolling but I feel you haven't made a good faith effort to understand my perspective. We've both shared our opinions and I suppose we'll leave it at that.

To answer Nagus: We represent the community -- especially our listeners -- by sharing what feedback we are given to the best of our ability and by getting the overwhelming majority of our interview questions from our listeners. We've also taken suggestions for segments, shared community generated content, spotlighted Fleets and collaborated with others in the community on projects at times. Our personal opinions remain our own and that's not going to change nor should it. There is always more that we could do and I don't claim all our decisions are perfect but we are only human despite my Vulcan alter ego.

Thanks to all those who offered comment or well wishes to the show,
Jayce

PS: Feel free to look me up as @xeperi in-game anytime!

thegrandnagus1 · May 2015

valasveladorn wrote: »

To answer Nagus: We represent the community -- especially our listeners -- by sharing what feedback we are given to the best of our ability and by getting the overwhelming majority of our interview questions from our listeners. We've also taken suggestions for segments, shared community generated content, spotlighted Fleets and collaborated with others in the community on projects at times. Our personal opinions remain our own and that's not going to change nor should it. There is always more that we could do and I don't claim all our decisions are perfect but we are only human despite my Vulcan alter ego.

To be clear, I enjoy the show as it is, and am not saying it should change. My point is simply that because of the fact that you guys are all pretty big fans of the game, there is no way you can accurately represent the "doom" part of the community(even if you wanted to). And I'm not saying that is a bad thing. But when you do say you represent the community, yet can't represent that part of the community, it leads to some "confusion" by some.

tehbubbaloo · May 2015

i have always considered elijah to the the 'company man' of the team, and i reckon its both a vital and necessary role. in the best of circumstances, a guy like elijah would be the foil to a cohost that was less supportive of the company. not hostile, just less supportive and a touch critical. i did see a bit of that, but maybe a bit more would have been beneficial. that balance would have gone a long way imo. again, i recognise that there was already a bit of that happening, but p1 needed more.

my problem was never elijas 'yes man' opinions; it was the near absence of counter-points. as a result, p1 wasnt very engaging. instead, it was somewhat of a feedback loop, and that really made the podcast sound disingenuous.

so what happens now? is the cast going to move forward without elijah in the primary seat?

garaks31 · May 2015

Hatred ,unconsciously blind Hatred should never be promoted.
there were podcasts in the past like this with the simple format gossip mongering. they failed miserably.
The truth is like a Lion. You don't need to defend it. Let it loose, and it'll defend itself.

Priority One team thank you for your true and right way of podcasting ...

thestargaze · May 2015

Sad news really, Elijah is a big reason I keep listening to STO but I digest. I guess I will keep listening but its not going to be the same. Hate changes,.. hope to see him back sometime soon.

thegrandnagus1 · May 2015

thestargaze wrote: »

Sad news really, Elijah is a big reason I keep listening to STO but I digest. I guess I will keep listening but its not going to be the same. Hate changes,.. hope to see him back sometime soon.

You what?

/10char

aelfwin1 · May 2015

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

... good luck in the future Elijah ...

z3ndor99 · May 2015

So long Elijah and thanks for all the fish

( Deep space nine rules!! )

fynncobb · May 2015

garaks31 wrote: »

Hatred ,unconsciously blind Hatred should never be promoted.
there were podcasts in the past like this with the simple format gossip mongering. they failed miserably.
The truth is like a Lion. You don't need to defend it. Let it loose, and it'll defend itself.

Priority One team thank you for your true and right way of podcasting ...

You are wise, GandALF...Wise indeed

grayfoxjames · May 2015

valasveladorn wrote: »

You offered some criticism and asked to not be taken as a troll. I offered some explanation of my point of view. You come back with hyperbole and insults. I don't think you are trolling but I feel you haven't made a good faith effort to understand my perspective. We've both shared our opinions and I suppose we'll leave it at that.

To answer Nagus: We represent the community -- especially our listeners -- by sharing what feedback we are given to the best of our ability and by getting the overwhelming majority of our interview questions from our listeners. We've also taken suggestions for segments, shared community generated content, spotlighted Fleets and collaborated with others in the community on projects at times. Our personal opinions remain our own and that's not going to change nor should it. There is always more that we could do and I don't claim all our decisions are perfect but we are only human despite my Vulcan alter ego.

Thanks to all those who offered comment or well wishes to the show,
Jayce

PS: Feel free to look me up as @xeperi in-game anytime!

Jayce you don't have to explain anything to anyone man. All I know is when Jayce when on a rant about the cost of Crafting, Al jumped right on the phone and agreed with him. I believe right afterwards there was a reduction cost to all crafting.

dontdrunkimshoot · May 2015

the ongoing ripple effect of cryptic ruining sto with DR, and doubling down on the fail with every addition since.

chalpen · May 2015

Been listening to p1 since it started. In fact, I think it the only sto podcast that I do listen to anymore.
Probably the only one left. I have even donated to it. Won't donate in the format they have now but donated in the old format.
Anyways, hope he likes his new direction.

stumpfgobs · May 2015

valasveladorn wrote: »

We represent the community -- especially our listeners -- by sharing what feedback we are given to the best of our ability and by getting the overwhelming majority of our interview questions from our listeners. We've also taken suggestions for segments, shared community generated content, spotlighted Fleets and collaborated with others in the community on projects at times. Our personal opinions remain our own and that's not going to change nor should it.

And thank you for that.

It takes a lot of discipline to not fall to the negative nancies or naysayers (doom doom!!!) that constantly proclaim that everything is bad and blame it on the developers.

It is not only professional but also very star trekish to keep a positive outlook even if something isn't just as we like it. Keep doing what you do and don't let trolls, that try to call everyone that is not whining and complaining "white knights" or sycophants, get a foothold on your show.

iconians · May 2015

thegrandnagus1 wrote: »

To be clear, I enjoy the show as it is, and am not saying it should change. My point is simply that because of the fact that you guys are all pretty big fans of the game, there is no way you can accurately represent the "doom" part of the community(even if you wanted to). And I'm not saying that is a bad thing. But when you do say you represent the community, yet can't represent that part of the community, it leads to some "confusion" by some.

I've never sincerely believed P1 represented the "community". The "community" is so fragmented and consists of so many various facets of the playerbase that to expect them to represent even a majority of players as unrealistic.

If they make an effort to represent a large portion of the STO community, then they have spread themselves so thinly and so broadly that they end up representing nobody at all except their own fans. Which, as has been pointed out -- something they acknowledge. They represent the P1 fans of STO more than any notion of community.

To paraphrase Alexander Hamilton, if you say you stand for everything, you stand for nothing. P1 has tried to so broadly represent "the community" that they end up standing for nothing but themselves and their donators/listeners. That's how I've seen the various media projects of STO. The several dozen radio stations and podcasts -- they end up pandering to who brings in the donation money, not the game community as a whole (or even in a large part). They pander only to their clique, their niche. They're simply unable to represent anyone more than that.

That's how I saw Elijah's half-hearted "retirement" message. He wasn't leaving to spend time with his family, he didn't have any medical problems (not that I'd wish them on anyone), he was just not lending his voice. He's still going to be behind the scenes, and he's still going to work on other projects with CookieCupcakes. So it's not like he's leaving forever.

So, who was the retirement message actually for? It was pretty obvious it was to the fans of P1. It wasn't to "the community". It came across as self-aggrandizement who is more focused with his own personal image and his reputation rather than any serious thought into just how signifigant P1 actually is to the fragmented and diverse STO playerbase. Which is to say, not very signifigant -- for all the aforementioned reasons.

It was little more than a vanity message. "I'm not going to vocally be on P1 anymore but I'm still around so keep listening and keep sending us money."

That's just my opinion, though. I do appreciate all the podcasts in STO, all the radio stations. I may not agree with their methods, and I tend to be critical. But even if they represent just a fraction of the community, then the community as a whole is the better for it.

puttenham · May 2015

firstly, I think p1 is a pile of garbage anyways, but.. that being said..

this is the best news I have heard out of p1.. he was probably the worst part of what made p1 suck for me.. so here is to p1 possibly finding someone to try and elevate the show a little.

shows and hosts that cater more to keeping a good relationship and kissing but to do so with cryptic kinda get old quick for me.. I want to hear someone who holds devs and the company accountable for bad decisions and asks the tuff question. and doesn't just roll over when they get an rather crappy I don't know answer.. I mean yes, give props where props are due, but also keep them accountable to..

ravin · May 2015

I like the show, and have personally met Elijah, and like him. Sad to see him go.

Of late, though, I've had an issue with P1's crowd funding campaigns. When P1 first started and they wanted to attend STLV, the money raised was for the price of admission only, everting else was up to the hosts to pay for. Now they get an almost complete free ride. Lodging, flight, admission, autographs, photos, and what have you. TBH if we're funding all of this, then any photos or autograph should be given up to the community.

gavinruneblade · May 2015

Jaayce and cookie,good luck finding a new person I hope they mesh with you well.

Elijah, thanks for the show, I enjoyed it.

Nagus, thanks for the heads up!

Priority One Podcast: Elijah retires

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