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A parting of the ways

TheGrimmOmen

UO Legend
VIP
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I've gotten quite a few questions about this so I thought I'd just go ahead and let you know that my time as a UO dev is coming to an end. By the middle of this month, I will no longer be art lead for UO, and by Sept 27th, I will no longer be a part of the UO team. Mythic is moving my position to Virginia.

I wanted to let you all know that I feel very honored to have been a member of the UO development team serving, over the years, as an Environment Artist, Character Artist, Character Lead, Associate Art Director, Technical Artist, and finally, Lead CG Supervisor. More than that, I've been very fortunate to have been a part of this community.

I'll never forget the first day I told the team that I was going to start posting to the community. It was right around the time that we had shipped Samurai Empire, and I had been promoted to Character Lead. Literally everyone was telling me that I really needed to be prepared because there was a LOT of hostility towards the artists. I told them that maybe it was because none of the artists talked to them! LOL. Now, not a day goes by that I don't check in to see what's getting posted and to take part in this wonderful community.

I remember the first animated tile I ever made, and a lot of you still have those green soulstones in your houses.

I remember unleashing thunder chickens at Luna Bank on the test shards and laughing along with you guys as the corpses piled higher, and the battle raged for an hour!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to sit and talk with so many of you at our player meet ups, and I fondly remember sitting at a table with a couple talking about UO - who, until the end of the conversation, didn't know I was a dev.

I remember working with dev legends such as Tact, Oaks, Hans, Karma, Sunsword, Wilki, Binki, and Troublemaker as well as us new bloods, Cathat, Grumpy, and others who never picked up a moniker. I still think of them as some of the finest devs I've ever worked with.

As a game developer, it's a rare opportunity to work on such an iconic project and with such a dedicated player community, and it is an opportunity that I am very grateful for.

I've spent close to a decade working on this game and building friendships, and I hope that those friendships and this wonderful game last for years to come.

Thank you all for years of great memories.

-Grimm
 

christy1221

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
This is a very sad day :sad3: I don't know what to say other then I don't want you to go :sad4:
 

Flutter

Always Present
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Awards
1
You know my feelings on this subject.
You are an amazing artist and any franchise will be better for having you *cough* thesecretworld *cough*
UO will not be the same without you.
(thinking about resubmitting her angry post from last night lol)
 

Nimuaq

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Can we change your mind on this? If this wasn't your call, I really don't understand why they are parting ways with a highly experienced developer of Ultima Online. I hope this is not just another cost cutting measure which, on the contrary, costs Ultima Online more than anything else.
 

Lord Nabin

High Council Sage - Greater Sosaria
Professional
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Glorious Lord
Sorry to see you go my dear friend. We will all miss you for sure. Thank you for your time, Effort and active engagement in our community
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
:sad2: *sighs*.... hate to see you go... but I sure hope all is well.... and wish you the best in whatever you do.
 
W

Woodsman

Guest
This really makes me wonder what is going on with UO. Really makes me angry. You were the one person who communicated constantly with the players when nobody else would, and you were driving the artwork upgrade.

Moving your position to Virginia after all this time.....this is ridiculous.
 

G.v.P

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Grimm, you listed some iconic devs, and found your place as one of them. I have been hostile/critical, I'm sure, but I always appreciated your efforts to reach out to the community. Art is subjective, and you can't please everyone. Most of all, I've never been a fan of the split client choice, but hey, what ya gonna do. I'm glad you were able to get some last minute changes in like the lava elementals, and Exodus turned out pretty cool.
 

Madrid

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I see your artwork for the first time at JPHARROD.COM and think there might be some hope for this game then 8 hours later I read this post.

I certaintly do appreciate the time you took to interact with the community here at Stratics.

Thankyou for your 10 years of hardwork and service to what is the mother of all MMORPG's and the greatest online game of all time.

Without a doubt you have the talent and what it takes to work in the industry.

I wish you the best and utmost success in the new chapter of your career.
 

Ron Silverbeard

Certifiable
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
WoW Grimm...sorry to see they move you out of this epic game....whatever reason stands behind this, i hope it was not because cost savings...
I know the feeling of getting pulled out of a long time job or project and move on to something new - always hard to leave my "baby" and getting confronted with all new problems and finding solutions for it...change management at its best....

I wish you all the best and hope to hear and see something from you again realy soon...

Jump in here and there and say hello man!!!

You will be remembered...
 

DJAd

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Bummer! That's a real shame Grimm.

Good luck with all your future ventures.
 

Larisa

Publishing Manager, Stratics Leadership
Editor
Reporter
Moderator
Professional
Editor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
I'm literally in tears right now. You have been such an amazing asset to this game...to this team...to this community....I don't even know what to say.

I share my sentiments with the rest of the people that you've brought so much joy to, you will be sorely...painfully missed.
 

Flutter

Always Present
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Awards
1
Sometimes there are just no words to fully express gratitude, frustration and sorrow. I'm just glad you and Matt know what you meant to this community and that will never change no matter where you are. Grimm's Corner is your corner for however long you choose.

My thoughts
I've also posted my post to my blog.

Believe me when I say it is the polite version of what I would like to say.
Someone mentioned to me he's like the last of the Mohicans. He's the dev we still had that we all felt was one of us. No offense to the present team intended, but these people have something special. A long list of people who have given their heart to the game. Too long of a list to name. We may not have always agreed with their ideas, and sometimes their plans fell through, but we knew how much they cared. Most importantly they included us, the players. in their lives and made us all feel like we were a part of something very special. Thank you for that.
 

Bazer

Slightly Crazed
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
dam, this really sucks that your being forced to leave us, always rember you will be in our hearts and dreams... if anyhting at least keep your accounts open to at least come in and check out everything and say hi every once and a while.. we will never forget you and never forget what you did for us. You will be missed, may your future be bright and hope to whatever your are going in virginia that they at least know they will be getting a top let artist and good friend.

What will you be doing there at least?
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Oh goodness and light................
Dear Grimm
I too feel as the kids here do..... I want you to stay but I do know asking you and your family to move across the country to a unfermilliar place is going too far.
I will miss you. Dont be a stranger to the forums my dear... your always welcome to chat our ear off :)
And I expect you to hop on a character once in a while and come beat up the population... (psst if you need anything any shard you give me a yip , thats if Bonnie dont beat me to it first!)
 
W

Woodsman

Guest
Believe me when I say it is the polite version of what I would like to say.
Someone mentioned to me he's like the last of the Mohicans. He's the dev we still had that we all felt was one of us. No offense to the present team intended, but these people have something special. A long list of people who have given their heart to the game. Too long of a list to name. We may not have always agreed with their ideas, and sometimes their plans fell through, but we knew how much they cared. Most importantly they included us, the players. in their lives and made us all feel like we were a part of something very special. Thank you for that.
I have no faith left in Mythic or the high resolution graphics update. They are forcing the guy responsible for the update out for a ******** reason of moving his job to Virginia.

I have friends at BioWare who have managers in different states.

More importantly, you hit it right on the head - they are getting rid of the guy that we felt like was one of us and that actually spoke to us on a regular basis. I'd almost given up on this game again, but his comments made me think that somebody had a plan for UO's future and his comments kept me around longer than I would have stayed.

I don't know what's going on, but this is wrong on so many levels. Those people who have tinfoil hats who claim that EA has been deliberately trying to destroy the UO community, first by screwing up the website with the UOHerald.com design, and then by getting rid of dedicated UO community representatives, sign me up and give me my tinfoil, because EA took a huge chunk out of our community by forcing him out.
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Grimm you ever decide to Haunt GL's look me up. I'm not hard to find.
 

Martyna Zmuir

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
At least somebody in EA management had a response to tonight's news.

View attachment 9520
As much as I'm sure he'd like to take credit for a solidarity-type tweet, he tweeted:

Jeff Skalski@Jeff_Skalski4 Jul
Honesty #UltimaForever

last night.

I doubt this has anything to do with what happened to Grimm. :( Even if it did, the Ultima Forever plug is incredibly tacky. (Justice was tweeted before Honesty BTW.)
 

Petra Fyde

Peerless Chatterbox
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
nah, just coincidence, if you go back further there are other tweets that just name one of the virtues.
 

Pinco

UOEC Modder
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
so sad :(
Since Grimm seems the only one that really know that the client is the real important part of UO, probably will be the end of EC.
As I've already said, if for the 15th anniversary there will be no serious improvements client side (and I mean graphical improvements), UO for me (and not just me) became a game over.
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Nooo this is just too sad . Why?:confused:
I loved your pieces of work , masks and everything. And the communicationwith us.
Can just wish you the best for the future. And keep my vendor with your name in the front row.
 

Aurelius

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Mythic is moving my position to Virginia.
Let me get this straight ... a company that is based around internet games and online transactions, in one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, can't cope with the concept of someone working remotely from their offices and would rather lose talent and dedication than find a way to make such a relatively simple thing work?

Quite literally unbelievable. I do not believe they could not find a way to cope with this 'problem' if they wanted to.

I just hope you go to a project that genuinely appreciates what you can do, and you settle into something you enjoy.
 
W

Woodsman

Guest
so sad :(
Since Grimm seems the only one that really know that the client is the real important part of UO, probably will be the end of EC.
As I've already said, if for the 15th anniversary there will be no serious improvements client side (and I mean graphical improvements), UO for me (and not just me) became a game over.
This is how I feel. The 15th Anniversary should be a time for talking about UO's future, not killing it off. When my gametime runs out, I'm done.
 

Martyna Zmuir

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I find it highly suspicious that "Mythic" suddenly decided to move Grimm's job to Virginia so shortly after a management shake up, especially since he'd managed to do just fine where he's lived for so long. Highly. Suspicious.
 
W

Woodsman

Guest
Let me get this straight ... a company that is based around internet games and online transactions, in one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, can't cope with the concept of someone working remotely from their offices and would rather lose talent and dedication than find a way to make such a relatively simple thing work?

Quite literally unbelievable. I do not believe they could not find a way to cope with this 'problem' if they wanted to.
They've been making it work for years. Something changed recently.
 

Tina Small

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Grimm, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this news. I can't say I knew you well, but I can say that your posts over the last couple of years made a very good impression on me. When everyone else on the team seemed to have gone silent, you still managed to find a way to get a few posts out now and then that showed us that you were still there, faithfully working on UO and coming up with new ways to delight us. You never came across as being arrogant or obnoxious, just someone who cared greatly about making UO something that everyone could enjoy. There have been a couple of times in the last year or so that your posts and your upbeat attitude were about the only things I could look to and feel like perhaps yes, UO will continue to exist in some form. That's a feat that is going to be very hard for anyone else to duplicate.

Thank you so very much for just being you and not shutting us out. I wish you and your family all the very best in life and am confident you will soon be moving on to bigger and better things. Please visit us as often as you can!
 

Rupert Avery

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Agreed there some must of changed to make it un workable... But what ever the change might be.. I think most of us would agree we would gladly reverse the change no matter what it is to see such a beacon for all the UO community go at such a pivital time in UO's life.... We are Grieving the loss of a brother and inspiration!
 
W

Woodsman

Guest
Agreed there some must of changed to make it un workable... But what ever the change might be.. I think most of us would agree we would gladly reverse the change no matter what it is to see such a beacon for all the UO community go at such a pivital time in UO's life.... We are Grieving the loss of a brother and inspiration!
Since you also help manage a UO website and since you also have Twitter, you should follow Petra Fyde's lead and sent a public message to Jeff Skalski and let Jeff know that a lot of us a very angry over the loss to the community and potentially UO's future.

You send him a lot of messages about UO related things that pale in comparison to this, I think this would be a good time to let him know that you aren't happy about this.

Everybody who helps manage a UO website should publicly get in touch with Jeff over Twitter since it's his preferred method of communication.

This is a good time for the community to show some unity over this.
 

Rupert Avery

Sage
Stratics Veteran
I made a reply to Petra's which also went to Jeff :) but I agree we should all show our disgust for the loss of Grimm and our support for a revert back to happier times!!!
 

Wenchkin

Babbling Loonie
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Nooooo!!! *whimpers*

Of all the things a successful game needs, it's good graphics... and a safe pair of hands in charge of them.... Someone who speaks to the community and is as much part of it as any player. We have that with you Grimm...

The forum ROC prevent me from saying exactly what I think of the EAMythic management here, but seriously [insert expletives for a good hour plus, complete with door slamming, furniture tossing and wailing like a banshee]

EAMythic should be moving heaven and earth to keep you Grimm, I know I've been critical of UO's art in the past but you "got" our concerns. I honestly felt we were at the point where we'd see awesome new artwork with the graphics update, because you take so much time to speak with us and listen. We could trust you because you were one of us and you cared about making things look right.

I wish you every success for the future, though I doubt it'll be long before you find another job heh. Please keep visiting us so we know what you're up to though, we'll miss you like crazy :(

Wenchy
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Well this sucks. Not like it's a surprise though. All the best ones move on eventually.

Good luck to you Grimm in your future endeavors.
 

Leather Lucy

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
:( So many people gutted, that must be a consolation of sorts :/

Yours is the only Dev name I like to display at my house, I've always like your name hehe. Best of luck to you Sir, see, you're even bringing people out of the woodwork who don't normally comment.

Gutted for you and gutted for the lot of us.

/salute
/blows kiss

Lucy
 
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