Letter from the game director - Hi guys!

[Siyra]

So no more friday updates then?

:/

There still could be - just perhaps not this week - for starters it is pretty much Christmas and people tend to be with their families by now. Secondly she did just take over, so give her some time to get settled and perhaps next week we can whine if there's no FWL (or at least for news on if she intends to keep with the tradition).

[Crowena]

There still could be - just perhaps not this week - for starters it is pretty much Christmas and people tend to be with their families by now. Secondly she did just take over, so give her some time to get settled and perhaps next week we can whine if there's no FWL (or at least for news on if she intends to keep with the tradition).

I think this part of her original post pretty much answered that question:

In January, I will write my first monthly update in which I will begin sharing my plans for 2012. A monthly update , where I can share the team's passion, visions and acomplishments with you!

[drakio]

i miss FWM ;/

[Krattonomic]

you all have to give her time, she has to get all situated and she has do do a lot of other stuff too before she can start posting her FWL's

[vitriolic-v]

Her FMLs?

[Mastablasta]

Month With Lindelu, more like. Which I think will be better anyway, and keep it in sync with AoC monthlies as well as make for better newsletters and pressfood.

[Colawrenn]

After the amount of whining and abuse in every FWM we're lucky to get any sort of updates

[Windguaerd]

Well, in the spirit of the Holidays, I’ve made a Postcard for you all. You can check it out here.

[Dummy]

In January, I will write my first monthly update in which I will begin sharing my plans for 2012. A monthly update , where I can share the team's passion, visions and acomplishments with you!

Though I guess a monthly "update" will keep it more interesting, the fwm's made some of the former/pausing players check the forums once a week. Im not sure this will happen once a month. And to be honest, I dont find it very interesting to read about passion, heart and how wonderfully the team works together.
Its not a bad thing, I am sure it helps all of you do a better job and everybody should have a work they find interesting and fun. It goes without saying. But when people start on the passion thing in my work it usually means they have nothing else to show.
But anyway, Grats on your new job and Im lookin forward to see what you will bring into ao.
A little late merry christmas but an in time happy new year

[Le-Quack]

Though I guess a monthly "update" will keep it more interesting, the fwm's made some of the former/pausing players check the forums once a week. Im not sure this will happen once a month. And to be honest, I dont find it very interesting to read about passion, heart and how wonderfully the team works together.
Its not a bad thing, I am sure it helps all of you do a better job and everybody should have a work they find interesting and fun. It goes without saying. But when people start on the passion thing in my work it usually means they have nothing else to show.
But anyway, Grats on your new job and Im lookin forward to see what you will bring into ao.
A little late merry christmas but an in time happy new year

LOL your so Right. it pissed me off that i had to read this ****t each friday on how much passion the team had for eachother and what not. it did sound werry ... and it was senseless for me to read. becose each friday more or less it was just a empty letter, it was rubbish for the community to read, becose it was no news almost about what was gonna happen, we only heard about the wonderfull dev team and how much he loved em etc.

[Venachar]

I'm encouraged to see the ink has barely dried on Means change of job title before trolls have decided to piss all over his work. This is very much biased moderation, as I like Means very much and enjoyed working with him, but the above examples will not be continuing. There are plenty of methods of feedback and 'Means wus crap' isn't one of them. Stop now, please, and do your slagging in private.

[kesh]

You shouldn't be so emotional when your posts are green and you shouldn't write crap. It's "c**p".

[Traderjill]

Not to be funny, but I've seen a lot more critical analysis of FwM than what I've seen in this thread and those statements were never moderated or even addressed by anyone in moderation. Its not like Means left and all of a sudden people have bad things to say about FwM or things that he has done as Game Dir of AO.. this has been ongoing in almost every single FwM that I've read in the past year or so. Calling people trolls for expressing their opinion.. especially coming from a forum moderator seems a bit harsh.. or we're not allowed to express our opinion about the work being done by the devs/GD?

People are still talking about Sil's work and he hasn't been GD in how long? That's just the nature of the beast in any job. You leave and people will blame you for things. We used to joke in my office that the blame always went to the person that wasn't working there anymore. No different here really. There's going to continue to be negative statements made about Means and continue to be those that make positive comments as well. I think there's reason for both, personally.

[Dummy]

I'm encouraged to see the ink has barely dried on Means change of job title before trolls have decided to piss all over his work. This is very much biased moderation, as I like Means very much and enjoyed working with him, but the above examples will not be continuing. There are plenty of methods of feedback and 'Means wus crap' isn't one of them. Stop now, please, and do your slagging in private.

If my post is one of the above examples I apologize if I hurt anyones feelings. I dont see much wrong in it, but its your game.
Keep up the good work

[Mastablasta]

Not to be funny, but I've seen a lot more critical analysis of FwM than what I've seen in this thread and those statements were never moderated or even addressed by anyone in moderation. Its not like Means left and all of a sudden people have bad things to say about FwM or things that he has done as Game Dir of AO.. this has been ongoing in almost every single FwM that I've read in the past year or so. Calling people trolls for expressing their opinion.. especially coming from a forum moderator seems a bit harsh.. or we're not allowed to express our opinion about the work being done by the devs/GD?

People are still talking about Sil's work and he hasn't been GD in how long? That's just the nature of the beast in any job. You leave and people will blame you for things. We used to joke in my office that the blame always went to the person that wasn't working there anymore. No different here really. There's going to continue to be negative statements made about Means and continue to be those that make positive comments as well. I think there's reason for both, personally.

People are called all the worst things imaginable on this forum all the time but especialy when they like change. What's it matter if a mod does it in a goodbye thread?

[Traderjill]

People are called all the worst things imaginable on this forum all the time but especialy when they like change. What's it matter if a mod does it in a goodbye thread?

Well this isn't the goodbye thread actually.. that's another thread topic altogether, for one. And there is a difference between you (just using an example here) calling people names and Venacher, that is supposed to be moderating content not participating in the problem, doing the same thing.

[Dream]

Well Means always took critisism, constructive or otherwise, on the chin very admirably from what I've read over the years on here. I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem handling recent comments as it's probably nothing new to him anyway.

That said I can't condone bad mouthing of somebody who did actually do quite a good job considering the limitations placed upon him (that being any of a million things, not to mention dual roles, limited development team size, family and personal life issues etc..). I guess you just can't keep all the people happy all the time. Life would be pretty dull if it did work that way though.

[Venachar]

Means was perfectly capable of looking after his own threads, and we generally left him to it. To my understanding he's essentially not here, so I'm unwilling for someone to besmirch him when he's not here to stand up to it. If trolling was left in FwM, then that was Means decision at the time.

[Utopian]

Actually, the whole FWM thing - for me - had become kinda stupid. I really could care less about how the FC folks feel, how they work with each other, how their vacation went, who is sick, what the office looks like, the food.....etc.

If AO employees want to share their personal information, then (again imo) place it somewhere for those players that do care can read and chat. I pay to play a game and really wasn't looking for friends or nice people to make the game - do a good job and the reward is continued subscriptions (and you get to keep your jobs). Everyone at FC can be a total tard for all I care - if they make a good game - I will continue to support it by paying my fees.

And Venachar - you trolled the players was the point. Opinions about how Means did his job were not attacks on him as a person (which is what you seem to think by your post). For the most part I think the opinion is mixed - some good, some bad. Isn't that just about how everyone's own work goes?

What I want is a thread that gives information about the game - the status of projects, future development, release dates, etc (you know, REAL information).

[Towerblock]

What I want is a thread that gives information about the game - the status of projects, future development, release dates, etc (you know, REAL information).

What you want from this thread is posted mostly in other threads, including pacth updates and whatnot. Go read them instead.