Letter from the Game Director – Passing on the torch

[Neista]

Wow, Sil i am very sorry to see you go. Quite simply imo you turned AO around bringing more content and more fun to a game that was looking decidely stale after the previous two Game Directors who seemed to have rather limited contact with the community and even less interaction. To lose you to AoC, a game i have little or no interest in (after 24 years of D+D ive had my fill of fantasy RPG's) makes it worse. Good luck though and i hope you bring the same fresh perspective to that game as you have to AO.

However i cant imagine a better replacement than Means, a man who has driven me to distraction many times with his sadistictly inventive Playfields, Often while sitting at reclaim trying to figure out wtf i am supposed to do in this new pf i like to imagine him as a Bond Villian complete with white cat wearing a diamond collar, watching teams of players dying in his latest deathtrap while laughing evilly.

Well Means, it looks like you achieved World Domination after all, congratulations and i look forward to many more challenges in future.

[Dagget]

Grats to Sil and Means for their promotions, they both greatly deserve it!

I look forward to how AoC will be in 6 months. It already has an authentic setting and a great combat system, it just needs a soul.

I really do think Sil has been the best Game Director AO has had to date, and I really appreciate him honestly tacking all game issues, both -old- and new. Means has some big shoes to fill, as I'm sure he already knows.

Good luck to both of you!

Dagget
President
Venice Academy
Rimor

[nanoforcer]

oh damn, looks like we got a date on the new patch!

"The highly anticipated raid interface should be live September 22nd"

I'm quite confident Means will ride it out withou any problems, continue in the tracks where sil left off and we'll be just fine

[Snakeyes]

There isn’t any easy way to start this letter to the community. For me personally it’s definitely a little sad to be here writing this to all of you that have made my time as Game Director on Anarchy Online so very special. As many of you will already know it has been announced today that I have been asked to take a new role leading up the team on Age of Conan.

Leaving Rubi-Ka in this capacity is certainly not an easy thing to do, I owe the world created for Anarchy Online for my profession now, and the game will always have a very special place in my life. I have though also been involved in Age of Conan from its early development in one form or another and it’s also an exciting opportunity to challenge myself further.

I couldn’t be leaving the game in better hands though. I have always maintained my pride in the team we have built up on the project, and I have every confidence that they will continue to provide you with great updates and fantastic content for years to come. Colin ‘means’ Cragg and his content team have been finding creative ways to kill…sorry I mean ‘challenge’, you all for some time already and I couldn’t think of anyone better to be handing the reigns over to.

I’ll be sure to not loose track, so you might see me dropping by now and again. For now though I hope you extend the faith, support and feedback you have given me to Means and his team. The entire team here has a little piece of Rubi-Ka in their souls and I am sure you are only just starting to see the fruits of that dedication.

So to everyone that has taken part in this community down the years you have my eternal thanks for providing the incentive and motivation for everything we do here. Without you, our community, Rubi-Ka wouldn’t exist or continue to thrive as it does. I have enjoyed my time working on Anarchy Online as both Community Manager and Producer more than I can easily put into words. Suffice to say I am proud of everyone that has put the blood, sweat and tears into Anarchy Online to make it what it is today, and that goes for developers, the wonderful and hard working volunteers at ARK and players alike. Rubi-Ka is your world.

I hope to be enjoying it with you for years to come!

This sucks! Aoc is Bah! You have done more for this game than any other. why not let means take over AOC!. And you stay here.

[crattey]

Hopefully Sil will introduce some gender equality into AoC. I want naked men as well. Cabbage stuffing for life!

[Regression]

As icky as it is, Thong-wearing troxes will always be a part of this game and a point of AO pride.

Well you've got my support!!! congrats on the new appointment and thanks to Sil for what you've done.
Honestly though, AoC doesn't deserve you : P

[Spart]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES!

Well Craig, I must say, you did one hell of a job on turning AO around. Sure, I might not of agreed with the first part of it (17.1.x ), but over all, it was a huge change compared to pre-LE.

You are one that is going to be missed severely by this community, but being transferred to AoC? Why!?!?!?

AO > AoC.

Good luck to turning AoC around just like you did AO. Be sure to stop by when you get the chance as well.

The dev team loses someone great today. Lets hope that Means can keep up.

[Warhead]

Honestly though, AoC doesn't deserve you : P

Yes, but he deserves the pay raise

[sannz]

While I congratulate you, Sil, on your new position i simply cannot stop wondering if it is actually a step up or down the ladder

Well, what more can i say? The emperor is gone! All hail the emperor!

(bai Sil, hai Means)

[trousers]

Not Changing:

1. An ongoing strong partnership with our community in identifying and implementing improvements. It has been amazing what we can accomplish with clear communication and trust. Thank you to all of you who have taken time out to explain your ideas to me. Your feedback has often made crucial difference in what we produce to the benefit of all.

More Arrr Pee!

That's Pirate Roleplaying for you uneducated folks. Heck, More of all RP!

[Chrisax]

3. The new graphics engine initiative. I am looking forward to this upgrade more than anyone else. This is going to get done if it kills me or preferably someone else.

Wonderful but try to survive it! Now what about some new video to tease us?! Or new pictures we have not been nice enough to deserve a video?!

Anyhow, you can't escape, your quote above is already on the new engine page made in January to follow and report the progress on the engine (especially to inform old players who could/will come back when it's released!) and that was too quiet recently. Waiting eagerly for new info.

[Avari]

Grats to Sil and Means for their promotions, they both greatly deserve it!

Sil didn't get promoted... he got degraded

Grats to Means on the position, and Sil too ofcourse!

Will be exciting to see what Means and the new lead designer can bring to the table. I really hope that they will be able to sharpen AOs profile. No matter what it's always good with new eyes on the problems, and although Means has been a part of AO development for a while, then I'm confident that he will leave his mark also.

[Comi]

Seems they want sil to be a parachute for aoc...

[Darkbane]

Farewell and Hello Sil - AO has been the richer for having you as GD, and I'm sure AoC will be too, so I look forward to seeing what you bring to the table there.

As for AO... having Means in charge should be... interesting... Grats on the ding Means, and hope we'll see you drop by testlive from time to time.

[Lupusceleri]

Means, a man who has driven me to distraction many times with his sadistictly inventive Playfields, Often while sitting at reclaim trying to figure out wtf i am supposed to do in this new pf i like to imagine him as a Bond Villian complete with white cat wearing a diamond collar, watching teams of players dying in his latest deathtrap while laughing evilly.

Hahaha, sigged ^^

[bungerman]

this is good and bad news, Sil thanks for your time and effort into shaping AO into what it is today. Here's to great progress with Means in the future, I always liked him. Only thing I would ask is... be as vocal on the forums as Sil, it's great for the community.

In regards to

As icky as it is, Thong-wearing troxes will always be a part of this game and a point of AO pride.

I can attest to this, my first few days on RK I was initiated by a clan org that would surround fr00bs in West Athens while dancing in thongs called the "Naked Love Patrol". I still remember that as one of the funniest things I've seen in game and I hope that spirit continues as well.

[DarkSektor]

Grats to Sil and Means.

While I did not always agree with Sil, imo he did have a very positive influence on the game overall.

I am very excited about Means stepping up to the plate as I believe his long time experience with and vast knowledge of the inside workings of the game combined with his new position of power will bring many positive changes in the future.

The best may be yet to come.

GOGOGO Means!

[Crisalys]

Damnit Sil, you still owe me money! Get back here!

Thanks for the years of fun, my friend... Farewell!

To Means: Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but I think your feet will swell up nicely .

Congrats to the both of you!

[Xaun]

Bah sad day for AO but great day for AoC... You and your team have done a great job in trying to put AO back on track and Congradulations to Means. I believe he is a good one to turn things over to. Hopefully we will get to have fun quoting him for pages soon..

GL and Sil my #1 advice to you.. "READ THE OLD BETA FORUMS!!!" And return the Combat / Combo Style back to the way it was in the beta 300 days!!! (meaning 300 testers only) THAT WAS WHEN AOC HAD PROMISE! After they changed the combo system they killed my fun. I ranted and told everyone as much then. But hands were tied from above.. since you are going to be that "Above" please please please fix the combo system and make AoC what it could have and should have been! I might even buy it some day if you do... oh yeah and work on adding some of the social elements that got axed.. Drunken boxing.. Real time arenas with betting.. etc..

[Mannystk]

Thnx for everythink u have done, You will be missed

Gl in AoC ! <3

ps... Wheres my Burden/Phatz u owe me? lol