Ragnar Tornquist no longer in AO live team

Greetings, I was reading today Ragnar Tornquist site http://www.ragnartornquist.com/thoughts.html and i saw that:
"Unfortunately, there will not be a second volume.

I'm no longer involved with the Anarchy Online story, and since it's being written and run by other people, I think it's safe to assume that the story will change and grow into something different and new (and hopefully better). While the Big Picture -- the rules of the universe, the conflict, the history, past events, and so on -- will remain the same, the Future will probably not.
"

I was pretty shocked so I checked the live team page http://www.anarchy-online.com/conten.../liveteam.html and yes there is no longer any Ragnar Tornquist there. What is going on?
There is also no longer an event team. Does it mean we can forget about story? Events? Hello?

hmmm ...

oh well, i'm tryin hard not to imply that we'r goin *total eq* now ....

but ay, concernin ao, i'm also rather pissed these days ehehehe ... ,)

hey, but i liked your postings here ragnar ,)

/me hands out cookies

hmmm

/me hands out a bag full of cookies

just in case you happen to see cosmik ... ,)

Oh well, there goes the plot. Might as well call it a day now.

Its a sad day indeed

Personal Message to Ragnar: (if you ever come here again)

You will be missed by many.

As would be said in game:

GL HF and TC

Regards

Spiritdancer (lvl 62 Trader)
General DSoT

Redbard (lvl 37 Enf)

(and several others that I won't go into ;) )

Sad indeed... but did he mention anything about the storyline would be soptted? I did not, and i really doubt that Ragnar was the only one working on the storyline :)

Well, i just do hope that he will write more books, he is a good writer :)

The world of Rubi-Ka will never be the same again...

/me starts shredding documents

...can someone from Funcom (Cz?) PLEASE issue a statement to the community to the effect that there still WILL be a story?

Quote:

---

From Ragnar's 13 Nov. Throughts
...since it's [the story] being written and run by other people, I think it's safe to assume that the story will change and grow into something different and new (and hopefully better). While the Big Picture -- the rules of the universe, the conflict, the history, past events, and so on -- will remain the same, the Future will probably not.

---

/me sighs, wiping a tear from his eye

Thanks for everything (especially the book) Ragnar. Hope to see volumes 2 & 3.

Best of luck.

Oh ****......just noticed they NERFED the ENTIRE events team (must've have been in too much shock and missed it in the original post)

/me puts sirens and strobe lights besides this quote:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Alamexis
...can someone from Funcom (Cz?) PLEASE issue a statement to the community to the effect that there still WILL be a story?

---

Notum Wars is the events team now, I guess.

I really, really liked Ragnar and had some great post/conversations with him. I hope he trolls through here some time and sees this...

There are no aliens ;)

You'll certainly be missed, Ragnar, and I hope I'll see many more great works from you.

so where does the background to Rubi-ka stand, is the canon going to be changed?

Well, after poring through Ragnar's thought page, I noticed that he does say that the storyline is not dead, and that he was more a consultant for the storyline than an actual writer. And those writers are still there and will still be producing the storyline.

So no, the story is not dead. Just without the genius that is the almighty Ragnar. (methinks this signed Prophet just got a whole lot more valuable)

You will be missed, Rag-Man, you're one helluva writer. Here's to ya. *thumbs*

*slaps FC on the wrist* Bad FunCom. Canning the man who wrote your book. Shame on you.

Well, hell. This sucks.

:\\

Looks like FC is nerfing them self.

Very sad to hear indeed :( Loved the first book, heck was going crazy for a continuation by the end of it. Its getting rather painful it seems now to watch all these good people go (Ragnar, Cosmik, the events team, and many others). I hate to sound like those who worry about the future as I do like AO, and the ppl here since compared to the other games out there, these guys are great - and what they've done in the last year has been fantastic.

But changes like this are upsetting, and I know I won't be running off as others I know are to a certain swg game, why? whats the point when we already know the story? AO has its problems yes, but it has also come a huge way in the last year, more than any other game out there in the same time and that is something absolutly brillient...yes it has problems, but then again everything has (and before any swg fanboys have a go they can all get lost since everyone knows fine well that after the first 2 months it'll be nerf city when they realise nothing works as intended due to players being there usual annoyed selves). Anyhow, am getting side tracked here...was on about FC and AO, and how many don't see its long term survival. I am more in the camp of people who believe FC will more than likely just get swallowed up by a bigger fish, AO is a good product, and definatly can be taken alot further with funding. It doesnt take a genius to see thats unfortunatly FCs biggest binding factor. The have ideas, they have the heart to do it, but the backing is something which does seem to have been lost :(

Personally deep down I do believe it will survive - ok, maybe not as it has been or much as it is currently, but I do think it'll live its course. We the players see problems and seem to overly exagerate stuff, heck am as guilty of this as everyone else is. We also seem to overly get enclosed in our own little universes of our profession and sides and end up fighting with others, and seeing FC as a major hostile to combat. We are a wierd bunch, an undecidedly complex group of people wanting different things and not knowing how to acheive it, and half the time even surgest it to FC. I get criticised on here for being a troll and a fanboy, then fine so what - don't care either way, I just tell it like I see it. The good, the bad, its as it is.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Kelloran
Looks like FC is nerfing them self.

---

Now that is the kind of irony I just love! :)

Take care Ragnar. You'll be missed around here. Story Discussions always got more interesting when you started chiming into the threads :)

Well....we the players will continue to invent our own stories that become as much a part of AO lore as any official developer. As my alter ego, Shawnta "Viksentrix" Clancy, I continue to write for the Voice of Freedom (albeit at a slower pace now)...all those news pieces that player writers develope still make the world come to life for all who RP and are not 2-dimensionals.