Post by Sean Harrington on Jul 30, 2009 1:46:58 GMT -8
To:
Ryan Thomas, Admin
Elements of Aesyr,
NWN2 Persistent World Server
I thought long and hard about this today, and I realize this can only end one way.
Post Sundren, I retired from Neverwinter Nights 2.
Ryan Thomas, you came to me and asked me to build you a server. I agreed on one condition, that I be given full access to the server, so that my development would not be bottlenecked like it was on Sundren. You promised me that I would have it.
In return, I built you an incredible server. I recruited the all of the talented members of the staff from Talernon2. I worked for 10 months consistently at a level that is unparalled on any other server. I refused all your offers to give me money from the donations. In short, I trusted you on your one promise.
How many times have you told me that if I left, you wouldn't keep Aesyr up? Did you really think that is what I wanted to hear? Flattery? Are you serious?
Then, but a week ago, you came and asked my opinion on something. I gave it.
In response to my solicited constructive critique, you insulted me, my work, and my efforts here.
Within 24 hours, you had broken your promise of access to the server controls to me. You locked me out completely. To add insult, when I tried to call you to gain an understanding of what was happening and to tell you I was feeling justifiably betrayed, you refused my calls and gave me a text message that amounted to "Leave me alone".
I spoke with Segalion who let slip that you were in communication with him. Telltale sign there.
Then you come and post this garbage:
Is there an apology in there for your harsh words in front of the development team about me? No.
Is there any words that you would restore your broken promise to me? No.
Tell me Ryan Thomas, who is it that you think you are to assume you can treat me like an employee? That you can insult me freely and I’ll come back to you like a whipped dog?
Did you really think you could flex your ‘internet’ muscle and I would be frightened into submission?
Well it backfired.
For the matter of public record I will post the rest of the thread here as well.
In fact, you have treated me with hostility as I have clearly lain out above. So your hopes that I would remain civil to you fall on deaf ears.
Obviously you feel that if I refuse to give you my voluntary time any longer you must decide on a "course of action" towards me.
You have allowed your position in a video game to become more important to you then my friendship, which I gave you freely. That makes it clear to me that you never valued my friendship for more then what you could get out of it.
As I stated, I do not trust you Ryan Thomas, and as such I will personally make sure your staff gets this information in its complete unedited edition. You will not make me look like the villain here. I will not allow it.
I have always thought you a better man then Mirek Bodnar. But in this instance I am proven wrong. At least Mirek was man enough to state what he was going to do. He didn't hide behind the internet, dodge phone calls, and break promises. He was just an asshole. You are a betrayer of trust.
I provided you with a resource; my talent for nearly a year, no pay asked for, no reward needed; only your friendship and trust in me was necessary. I supported the forum financially for as long as I could, trying to fulfill the role of your benefactor when you needed it most. And you have betrayed me.
And you have given absolutely no indication why you have done this. From the way it looks, you have done it out of whimsy and disregard.
You Ryan Thomas, claim to know so well Dante's Inferno. If so, tell me what layer of hell is reserved for betrayers of benefactors? That’s right. Ninth circle, where lie such other famous betrayers as Cassius, Brutus, and Judas Iscariot.
I may never understand why you did this. I may never understand the logic path you followed that made you believe this was a good idea. But I do understand the following:
Ryan Thomas, you have lost more than a scripter this day.
You have lost the person who was your most loyal staff member.
You have lost the person that built you a world in which to give life to your vision.
You have lost the person that gave you optimism when you feared for your job and livelyhood.
You have lost the person that always supported you when other spoke badly of you.
You have lost a friend.
Sean Harrington
July 30, 2009
Ryan Thomas, Admin
Elements of Aesyr,
NWN2 Persistent World Server
I thought long and hard about this today, and I realize this can only end one way.
Post Sundren, I retired from Neverwinter Nights 2.
Ryan Thomas, you came to me and asked me to build you a server. I agreed on one condition, that I be given full access to the server, so that my development would not be bottlenecked like it was on Sundren. You promised me that I would have it.
In return, I built you an incredible server. I recruited the all of the talented members of the staff from Talernon2. I worked for 10 months consistently at a level that is unparalled on any other server. I refused all your offers to give me money from the donations. In short, I trusted you on your one promise.
How many times have you told me that if I left, you wouldn't keep Aesyr up? Did you really think that is what I wanted to hear? Flattery? Are you serious?
Then, but a week ago, you came and asked my opinion on something. I gave it.
In response to my solicited constructive critique, you insulted me, my work, and my efforts here.
Within 24 hours, you had broken your promise of access to the server controls to me. You locked me out completely. To add insult, when I tried to call you to gain an understanding of what was happening and to tell you I was feeling justifiably betrayed, you refused my calls and gave me a text message that amounted to "Leave me alone".
I spoke with Segalion who let slip that you were in communication with him. Telltale sign there.
Then you come and post this garbage:
Sean, Matt,
This is supposed to be our hobby, a source of fun and escape from work, family, and real life. And yet, as I think we've all discovered at one point or another over the last year, sometimes it can become its own source of drama and frustration. From day one I have wanted this to be a place of enjoyment; yet, if it becomes so unsettling that real life becomes the escape from the hobby, obviously something is amiss.
I have considered whether or not I want to continue running Aesyr, and the simple answer is yes. I have a great deal of passion and love for this world, and everything we've done to construct it. As our player base grows, as our staff grows, as our world grows with new areas and functionality, I think we can look at our accomplishment and smile.
I've come to respect and admire both of you for your diverse set of talents. Matt, you have proven to be calm, responsible, mature, and artistic. Sean, your insight into the mechanics of the server, your desire to constantly tweak until something is perfect, and your relentless hard work differentiate you from your peers. There is no question that you both are major reasons for our success.
There are different ways to run a world. Some rule it with an iron fist, like Mirek; he's adopted this mindset after a series of betrayals, and perhaps some of it is his nature. Some try true democracy, which often results in too many voices all vying for their way. Some try a middle ground, as we did. Each has its own merits, their own pros and cons.
I have decided to take a different approach to how I run Aesyr.
In any business, there are roles that must be filled from the CEO to the entry level worker. Aesyr is no different. We have our own directors--you both--and we have our hard working employees, the DMs, mappers, and writers. We have a mission statement, which states our goal to create a fun, unique, and immersive world. We even have our own customers, the players. This is not to say that I intend to make Aesyr about money or profit, but rather to take a different stance on how things are run. Allow me to elaborate.
In business, the CEO of a company should not be in the weeds writing code. His responsibility is for the long term direction, stability, structure, and high level functions of the organization. It's his task to appoint people that are capable and dependable, and to let them do their jobs.
During the past few weeks I have failed at this and gotten too involved in personally coding a system that was not my responsibility, but rather the domain of one of my directors, Sean, the lead developer. It is not my job to program Aesyr; it is not my place to decide how many functions or includes a script should have. Rather, it is my place to decide on a vision, and to depend on a capable staff to implement it as best they can.
We will move forward as a small business, and in this you are the leads of your respective domains.
Sean will lead the development team, and take responsibility for in-game and online code, including stability, performance, and how functionality is implemented. When a team member is in need of a system or some functionality, they will contact Sean to initiate the process; no code or functionality will be added without his informed consent beforehand. Sean will determine what staff members have SVN access. How he chooses to run his development organization is his prerogative, from the people who do the work to each line of code written. He will determine a feasible road map, and hire and manage a staff to meet the requirements and timelines therein. He is accountable for these things, and will rise and fall on the successes and failures of his team. With Incinerator and Onyx Eyes, I believe that team is off to a great start.
Matt will lead the design team, and take responsibility for all maps, writing, wiki content, graphics, loading screens, and the overall look and feel of the world. His team will consist of Slanke, Bill, and Ticla to start, and I encourage him to consider dtlem and Khad for full staff positions as mappers. No maps will be released to players until approved by Matt.
In the future, a lead DM will be found and promoted. In the meantime, Torgar, CrystalDragon, and Counterfeit Rook will report to me.
Ultimately, these changes mean I'm asking more of you than I have before. You have earned these positions of responsibility. In return, I am granting you control over your domains as you see fit. I expect you to meet your deliverables and run your teams efficiently, but how you choose to do so is up to you. You both will let me know when you've hired someone else for your teams so I can provide the appropriate forum or SVN access as necessary. You do not need my approval for hirings or firings of team members. Recruit who you need to do the job at hand.
Our process should remain relatively unchanged. When functionality is needed, a request will be made to Sean. Sean will schedule the work, assign the task to someone on his team, and see that it is done. When a map is needed, Matt will be contacted and respond similarly with his team.
This clear differentiation of responsibilities should ensure we are streamlined and focused.
Ryan
This is supposed to be our hobby, a source of fun and escape from work, family, and real life. And yet, as I think we've all discovered at one point or another over the last year, sometimes it can become its own source of drama and frustration. From day one I have wanted this to be a place of enjoyment; yet, if it becomes so unsettling that real life becomes the escape from the hobby, obviously something is amiss.
I have considered whether or not I want to continue running Aesyr, and the simple answer is yes. I have a great deal of passion and love for this world, and everything we've done to construct it. As our player base grows, as our staff grows, as our world grows with new areas and functionality, I think we can look at our accomplishment and smile.
I've come to respect and admire both of you for your diverse set of talents. Matt, you have proven to be calm, responsible, mature, and artistic. Sean, your insight into the mechanics of the server, your desire to constantly tweak until something is perfect, and your relentless hard work differentiate you from your peers. There is no question that you both are major reasons for our success.
There are different ways to run a world. Some rule it with an iron fist, like Mirek; he's adopted this mindset after a series of betrayals, and perhaps some of it is his nature. Some try true democracy, which often results in too many voices all vying for their way. Some try a middle ground, as we did. Each has its own merits, their own pros and cons.
I have decided to take a different approach to how I run Aesyr.
In any business, there are roles that must be filled from the CEO to the entry level worker. Aesyr is no different. We have our own directors--you both--and we have our hard working employees, the DMs, mappers, and writers. We have a mission statement, which states our goal to create a fun, unique, and immersive world. We even have our own customers, the players. This is not to say that I intend to make Aesyr about money or profit, but rather to take a different stance on how things are run. Allow me to elaborate.
In business, the CEO of a company should not be in the weeds writing code. His responsibility is for the long term direction, stability, structure, and high level functions of the organization. It's his task to appoint people that are capable and dependable, and to let them do their jobs.
During the past few weeks I have failed at this and gotten too involved in personally coding a system that was not my responsibility, but rather the domain of one of my directors, Sean, the lead developer. It is not my job to program Aesyr; it is not my place to decide how many functions or includes a script should have. Rather, it is my place to decide on a vision, and to depend on a capable staff to implement it as best they can.
We will move forward as a small business, and in this you are the leads of your respective domains.
Sean will lead the development team, and take responsibility for in-game and online code, including stability, performance, and how functionality is implemented. When a team member is in need of a system or some functionality, they will contact Sean to initiate the process; no code or functionality will be added without his informed consent beforehand. Sean will determine what staff members have SVN access. How he chooses to run his development organization is his prerogative, from the people who do the work to each line of code written. He will determine a feasible road map, and hire and manage a staff to meet the requirements and timelines therein. He is accountable for these things, and will rise and fall on the successes and failures of his team. With Incinerator and Onyx Eyes, I believe that team is off to a great start.
Matt will lead the design team, and take responsibility for all maps, writing, wiki content, graphics, loading screens, and the overall look and feel of the world. His team will consist of Slanke, Bill, and Ticla to start, and I encourage him to consider dtlem and Khad for full staff positions as mappers. No maps will be released to players until approved by Matt.
In the future, a lead DM will be found and promoted. In the meantime, Torgar, CrystalDragon, and Counterfeit Rook will report to me.
Ultimately, these changes mean I'm asking more of you than I have before. You have earned these positions of responsibility. In return, I am granting you control over your domains as you see fit. I expect you to meet your deliverables and run your teams efficiently, but how you choose to do so is up to you. You both will let me know when you've hired someone else for your teams so I can provide the appropriate forum or SVN access as necessary. You do not need my approval for hirings or firings of team members. Recruit who you need to do the job at hand.
Our process should remain relatively unchanged. When functionality is needed, a request will be made to Sean. Sean will schedule the work, assign the task to someone on his team, and see that it is done. When a map is needed, Matt will be contacted and respond similarly with his team.
This clear differentiation of responsibilities should ensure we are streamlined and focused.
Ryan
Is there an apology in there for your harsh words in front of the development team about me? No.
Is there any words that you would restore your broken promise to me? No.
Tell me Ryan Thomas, who is it that you think you are to assume you can treat me like an employee? That you can insult me freely and I’ll come back to you like a whipped dog?
Did you really think you could flex your ‘internet’ muscle and I would be frightened into submission?
Well it backfired.
For the matter of public record I will post the rest of the thread here as well.
Sean:
I officially refuse this demotion on the grounds:
1.) It violates all the promises you made to me to get me to make this server for you.
2.) Recent treatement of me for a critique I was asked to give.
3.) Bottlenecking my Development just like Mirek does by denying all access.
4.) Obvious show of lack of faith and trust.
5.) Being completely cutoff from communication from you while Matt is not. Matt let this slip.
I figure this comes as no little shock to you. So I won't waste words being carebearish about it.
I officially refuse this demotion on the grounds:
1.) It violates all the promises you made to me to get me to make this server for you.
2.) Recent treatement of me for a critique I was asked to give.
3.) Bottlenecking my Development just like Mirek does by denying all access.
4.) Obvious show of lack of faith and trust.
5.) Being completely cutoff from communication from you while Matt is not. Matt let this slip.
I figure this comes as no little shock to you. So I won't waste words being carebearish about it.
Leaving Hope:
It is, of course, your decision if you wish to remain in the capacity of Lead Developer. I sincerely hope you will.
It is, of course, your decision if you wish to remain in the capacity of Lead Developer. I sincerely hope you will.
Sean:
I'm sorry, but I no longer trust you.
I will stay on as a player as long as I am allowed, but I will not lower my guard again.
I'm sorry, but I no longer trust you.
I will stay on as a player as long as I am allowed, but I will not lower my guard again.
Leaving Hope:
The entire staff will discuss the issue and get back to you
The entire staff will discuss the issue and get back to you
Sean:
Heh, the Mirek Bodnar Manuever.
Refuse to work, so.... BAN!
Nice.
Heh, the Mirek Bodnar Manuever.
Refuse to work, so.... BAN!
Nice.
Leaving Hope:
The staff will collectively decide how to handle the entire situation. I believe they have a right to know what is happening, and together we will come to a decision on a course of action.
I will see that they receive a copy of these messages, including the above. Please note I have no intention of being hostile with you, Sean. I'd appreciate it if you acted similarly.
The staff will collectively decide how to handle the entire situation. I believe they have a right to know what is happening, and together we will come to a decision on a course of action.
I will see that they receive a copy of these messages, including the above. Please note I have no intention of being hostile with you, Sean. I'd appreciate it if you acted similarly.
In fact, you have treated me with hostility as I have clearly lain out above. So your hopes that I would remain civil to you fall on deaf ears.
Obviously you feel that if I refuse to give you my voluntary time any longer you must decide on a "course of action" towards me.
You have allowed your position in a video game to become more important to you then my friendship, which I gave you freely. That makes it clear to me that you never valued my friendship for more then what you could get out of it.
As I stated, I do not trust you Ryan Thomas, and as such I will personally make sure your staff gets this information in its complete unedited edition. You will not make me look like the villain here. I will not allow it.
I have always thought you a better man then Mirek Bodnar. But in this instance I am proven wrong. At least Mirek was man enough to state what he was going to do. He didn't hide behind the internet, dodge phone calls, and break promises. He was just an asshole. You are a betrayer of trust.
I provided you with a resource; my talent for nearly a year, no pay asked for, no reward needed; only your friendship and trust in me was necessary. I supported the forum financially for as long as I could, trying to fulfill the role of your benefactor when you needed it most. And you have betrayed me.
And you have given absolutely no indication why you have done this. From the way it looks, you have done it out of whimsy and disregard.
You Ryan Thomas, claim to know so well Dante's Inferno. If so, tell me what layer of hell is reserved for betrayers of benefactors? That’s right. Ninth circle, where lie such other famous betrayers as Cassius, Brutus, and Judas Iscariot.
I may never understand why you did this. I may never understand the logic path you followed that made you believe this was a good idea. But I do understand the following:
Ryan Thomas, you have lost more than a scripter this day.
You have lost the person who was your most loyal staff member.
You have lost the person that built you a world in which to give life to your vision.
You have lost the person that gave you optimism when you feared for your job and livelyhood.
You have lost the person that always supported you when other spoke badly of you.
You have lost a friend.
Sean Harrington
July 30, 2009