Can we meet the other new members of the UO Team?

[Woodsman]

This comment on the Herald got me thinking

As you might know, we are currently moving previously external lead positions into our office in Fairfax to create an even stronger team and lead Ultima Online through its 15th anniversary into the future. This change has given us a new team member, Jim Crawley the new Art Lead.

Since last summer, we've lost Cal (Producer), Axel (Engineer), Argyle (Engineer), Kerlean (Q&A), Logrus (Designer), Shade (Designer), Drummergirl (Lead World Builder), TheGrimmOmen (Art Lead), and Supreem (Lead Engineer). Those are just the ones I can think of, and I'm probably missing a few.

We've known Mesanna for over a decade. We've gotten an introduction from the new art lead, and I do look forward to what he can tell us about the high resolution graphics upgrade for the EC. There's also the new designer Jeff mentioned back in March (whom we still don't know), and we met Kyronix (Q&A) during the MMORPG.com event last month.

So we've had 4 replacements, but what about the other 5 replacements? We're less than 2 months from the 15th anniversary, and I'd feel a lot better if we were meeting the other 5 replacements, since positions like Lead World Builder and Lead Engineer are incredibly important to UO's future, and since people are wondering if Ultima Forever is taking resources from UO (I doubt they are, UO is profitable, but some are making that claim).

Since the UO team told us there is an even stronger team, I'm sure those people have been replaced, and many would just like to welcome the folks who are going to lead us to the 20th anniversary.

 

[Penana Car]

This comment on the Herald got me thinking


Since last summer, we've lost Cal (Producer), Axel (Engineer), Argyle (Engineer), Kerlean (Q&A), Logrus (Designer), Shade (Designer), Drummergirl (Lead World Builder), TheGrimmOmen (Art Lead), and Supreem (Lead Engineer). Those are just the ones I can think of, and I'm probably missing a few.

We've known Mesanna for over a decade. We've gotten an introduction from the new art lead, and I do look forward to what he can tell us about the high resolution graphics upgrade for the EC. There's also the new designer Jeff mentioned back in March (whom we still don't know), and we met Kyronix (Q&A) during the MMORPG.com event last month.

So we've had 4 replacements, but what about the other 5 replacements? We're less than 2 months from the 15th anniversary, and I'd feel a lot better if we were meeting the other 5 replacements, since positions like Lead World Builder and Lead Engineer are incredibly important to UO's future, and since people are wondering if Ultima Forever is taking resources from UO (I doubt they are, UO is profitable, but some are making that claim).

Since the UO team told us there is an even stronger team, I'm sure those people have been replaced, and many would just like to welcome the folks who are going to lead us to the 20th anniversary.

Haha, team is a loosely used term these days. OSI was a "team" they worked in unison on their concepts. I don't believe if somebody didn't have the opportunity to at least play the original product, they shouldn't be working on the game, quite honestly. How can they have any sense of direction at all? Show me a real team, and a game that is continuously improving and I'll show them a subscription. Until then I'll just sit back and watch the game remain on life support and watch people share ideas of why they believe UO is still the greatest MMO on the market. I've got 14 years backing me I'm sure my opinion is as good as anybody elses.

 

[Druido2]

IMO I would rather have the whole team working on the game trying to solve some issues, instead of having them here chilling with you because you request it. In addition to this, it would be nice if the team assigns a representative rely any questions through the forum. It would be pointless, uneventfull, and counter productive to have all the team tracking the forum to read about how bad of a job they are all doing. I never seen a single thread in which the developers get credit and praise a out the hard irk they put into the game.

 

[Woodsman]

IMO I would rather have the whole team working on the game trying to solve some issues, instead of having them here chilling with you because you request it. In addition to this, it would be nice if the team assigns a representative rely any questions through the forum.

I'm not asking them to chill, I was just curious since I'm sure EA would fill such crucial positions leading towards the 15th anniversary. To not fill those positions would be a really bad sign for the UO community.

You do have a good idea about having a representative field questions though, since every MMORPG does it, and especially since last September Jeff Skalski, who is Mesanna's boss, said this:

I hear everyone from Stratics and the other UO forums that the communication level has been poor. It's one of several items I'll be discussing with our Community team as we work on ways we can improve that for everyone.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

especially since last September Jeff Skalski, who is Mesanna's boss, said this:

I hear everyone from Stratics and the other UO forums that the communication level has been poor. It's one of several items I'll be discussing with our Community team as we work on ways we can improve that for everyone.

After nearly a year, I'd say he's done a bang-up job...at failing miserably. Communication is still a shameful, grossly unprofessional parody of what every other MMO not run by Mythic receives. (aside from TheGrimmOmen's ability to keep us informed and entertained)

 

[Woodsman]

and we met Kyronix (Q&A) during the MMORPG.com event last month.

This is me blushing Kyronix is a designer, and I apologize for the confusion.

 

[Taylor]

Should they decide to visit, we're happy to host them. I realize that we don't have a statistically significant portion of the UO population registered, but I defy anyone to argue we don't have some of the most passionate (double negatives are cool). Stratics users live and breathe UO.

 

[Gospel]

Take a look at the recent welcome thread and explain to me why anyone working on UO would voluntarily post on a forum that where the "community" behaves like that. In some cases the mods are as bad as the players. The unfortunate truth new UO team members must accept is that in taking such a job they inherit a decade plus of negative attitudes towards the game and anyone working on it.

I'm no fanboy, I can rant for hours about the way things are and the way they should be. Fact is, the crap attitudes so many of the statics users have are directed at anyone who will listen and no same human being is going to want to post to a forum like that. Users like that aren't part of the solution, they're part of the problem, and if stratics expects more official communication they should start doing something to clean it up.

 

[Flutter]

Should they decide to visit, we're happy to host them. I realize that we don't have a statistically significant portion of the UO population registered, but I defy anyone to argue we don't have some of the most passionate (double negatives are cool). Stratics users live and breathe UO.

I demand to be crowned the most passionate!

Also, I'd like to put my vote in for some introductions. Would love to "meet" the team and see who's working on what!

 

[NuSair]

I'd just love for Jeff to own up and actually do what he said he was going to do.