Opinions are like assholes... everyone has one.

[Ze_PilOt]

- Dirty Harry.

And it's good that you have one, it's useful.

A little rant to blow off some steam.

Now that I've got your attention :

It seems that some people think that I'm a little prick that can't take critics, don't listen to others, or only when their opinion goes in the same way than mine.

Here are some facts :

• I'm doing FAF on my free time. I've got a job and a personal life.
• I'm doing it for myself. I want to play FA forever.
• I'm doing it because it's fun.

Now, I will hurt your ego : You are not the only one having ideas of how it should be. A lot of people are contacting me everyday.

Another fact :
I must take every decision. I'm not bragging. I'm not saying that "I can make any decision". The difference is important.

I must decide the shape of a button, the color of the background, text fonts, colors, orders of the menus.
I must decide how a tool will be made.
I must decide what will be in the next patch. When it's ready for release.
Mainly because I'm the only one doing it. But hopefully I've got some help (Ubergeek, funkoff, Raging, moritz, Batto, I hope I'm not forgetting anybody).

Yet another fact :
I can't please everyone. But I'm trying. As I have to take countless decisions, the chances that you are not agreeing with me are pretty huge. In fact, it's almost impossible that you can agree with all my decisions. And again, that's only because I'm the only one making them, so of course you can't disagree with someone else..

I've have two main reactions :

• xxxxx is crap. You shouldn't do it like that.
• I don't like xxxxx. If you want I can help, here are some ideas.

Now, guess to whom I will listen.
Not liking something is normal. But really, I don't care that you don't like it.
It's not that I don't like you, or feel superior, but, again, sorry for your ego, but you are not the only human being with an opinion.
Now you are maybe the greatest mind of the century, always right about everything, but yet, I don't know you, so you still have to prove that your opinion is better than another.

Now if you come with an opinion AND some facts, and even better, helping hands or ideas, then I will care.

Real example of a good way to tell me something :
CSoller doesn't like the look of the lobby. He wants to help and ask for the lobby template. I gave him, but it's not really easy, so I've done that : http://www.faforever.com/mediawiki/inde ... tomization.
Now he is working on a new CSS, sometimes he got a problem with a font or something. I can't extend the system right now by lack of time, but I don't reject his propositions.

Real example of a bad way to tell me something :
(It's not a personal attack, but one example).
We (mainly ubergeek) are trying to make tourney tools. We lack some hands, so I've decided to use challonge.
Of course, it need to be tested, so I'm deciding that all tourney should try use it, as a test run before going further.
All the drama is here : http://forums.gaspowered.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=54202

Prince doesn't like to be forced to use that tool. Problem is : I don't give him choice, except if he got concern about the tools.
Koecher tell me you can't do swiss tourney with it, a false claim, you can. I asking again what's wrong with the tool.
Nothing came up except "I don't like it".
Fact is : I don't care if he doesn't like it. We need tools, it's a solution, so except if it proven bad-idea, it will be the solution.
Prince decide to cancel the tourney, and I look as the bad guy telling others how to do things.
Hopefully, after talking to Prince, all was sorted out, and he understood why I'm doing that.

It was a bad way because of a simple fact : It was an opinion, not a constructive critic.

Other examples :

• Moritz didn't like the fact that replays aren't saved locally. My idea was to wait for a replay vault. He had some good points, and I've listen to him, replays are saved locally now.
• I don't care about Sorian AI. All I know about them is that they desync games. Never tried them. If it was just me, I would remove all the AI of all multiplayer games. Still, some people got really good points, so I made it a top priority for next patch.
• Koecher thinks I'm splitting community. He rant a lot about it, I've ignored it. Then he came with some good concerns about tourneys, and we've found some solutions (cross-awards between gpg and FAF). He still rant about splitting community, I'm still waiting for some ideas, until then, I'm ignoring him.

And that's my whole points : I take critics when they are some facts or ideas behind.

Other example : The balance.

Some people doesn't like "my" changes (even they are not mine, but GPG and top players ones, heavily tested on Moritz FA-ladder for years).
Except "I don't like them", I still yet too see any prove that the changes are bad. Some people tried, but it was hardly enough :
I'm asking for replays and numbers, I never saw any of that yet.

"Most people want 3599 !" : viewtopic.php?f=2&t=187
Four people kinda want it.

I take critics when they are critics, not opinions. If you feel that I don't listen to your ideas, that's maybe because there is no ideas. If you really think you've got some, then speak ! Open a thread ! Do whatever you want, but don't spread shit on my back just because I've hurt your ego.

And, of course, it may seems that I only want/listen to guys having the same opinion than me.
Think differently : It seems that way because I've listened to them and now FAF is a little more like they want, not necessarily like I want.

[Kryo]

youre doing a good job, and some people dont want that. They may have their reasons for sticking with GPGnet or playing with AIs or the may not have any reasons for that, but just do it, to go against most others.

I love FAF, Im playing only with it, and its the best thing that happened to RTS since FA release

[-_V_-]

"Most people want 3599 !" : viewtopic.php?f=2&t=187
Five people kinda want it.

Reading this thread was fine until this part for me. Since it's aimed towards me, you're twisting the facts/what has been told by me and some others. I NEVER said MOST people wanted 3599. NEVER. I said that the freedom of choice SHOULD be given here or GPGnet or on wherever platform you use. You simply decided to deny some players that freedom of choice because of your OWN opinion, and to me that's not the way to act when you decide to recruit the community into YOUR platform that you SOLELY manage (for the most important part anyway). I hope you can make the difference here. And yes that concerns me that you are like the SOLE super extra admin of FAF.
Oh and for the record, others would post in that thread if they played on FAF. They just don't for their own reasons. So no we are not only 5. But honestly that is not the issue . Just don't extrapolate ( i don't want to use the verb "lie") on what has been said or not.

If you feel that I don't listen to your ideas, that's maybe because there is no ideas.

Just my 2cents opinion, but IMHO this states the opposite of what you've been trying to prove with this thread.

Just for the record, I am not one of those talking shit in your back. The work/passion you've put into FAF is great, I just wish there was a bit less dictatorship concerning SOME things, and some less elitism. Apart from that keep up the good work.

[-_V_-]

Townes-Brocks syndrome is a genetic condition that affects several parts of the body. The most common features of this condition are an obstruction of the anal opening (imperforate anus)

Just for fun

[Ze_PilOt]

Reading this thread was fine until this part for me. Since it's aimed towards me, you're twisting the facts/what has been told by me and some others. I NEVER said MOST people wanted 3599. NEVER.

I've also never said you did. But I've red that. I think it was Fredou, or someone else, that's not important.

But people that are on FAF doesn't care about 3599. Maybe more people will came if 3599 was here, but are they willing to make the jump ? Is that their only concern ? That thread doesn't look like they would.
Sadly, they don't speak up, so I will never know what they really want.

I said that the freedom of choice SHOULD be given here or GPGnet or on wherever platform you use. You simply decided to deny some players that freedom of choice because of your OWN opinion, and to me that's not the way to act when you decide to recruit the community into YOUR platform that you SOLELY manage

You don't have freedom of choice on GPGNet, nor on Blizzard online platform, nor on ANY online platform.
You have to use the patch the developer choose to use. Nothing more, nothing less.
You think you have the choice on GPGNet because of modding. But then, you have the exact same choice here as modding is supported too.

The only counter-example in my mind is TA-spring and his countless balance mods (there is no real official one).
It's a constant fight in that community, do we really want that ?

So I strongly disagree with freedom of choice when it come to balance.
Someone came with another good example with Earth 2600, I prefer to listen to the guys with experience in these kind of things.

Now, I can be proven wrong, but as I said, I need proof, not opinions.

(for the most important part anyway). I hope you can make the difference here. And yes that concerns me that you are like the SOLE super extra admin of FAF.

the administrator is the person who manage the tools and administrate the whole system.
We don't have another one because nobody stepped in to help me with the server-side of the code.

And yes, I'm the only one taking decisions for the lobby right now. At the same time, I didn't made any balance decision (except shipwreck) so far, and I've made my plan very clear. It's not like I'm working in the shadow and force everybody by surprise. And about shipwreck : If time prove that it was a bad idea, I will revert the change. But I will not revert it because some people says "I don't like that". I need proof that it break some game dynamics.
So unless I make a very bad decision that break the whole thing, and I refuse to go back to a working version, I don't think there is a problem. And in that case, I think the people against me would loud enough

If the problem is what may happen, then tomorrow THQ may shut down the whole project, so I should stop now ?

Oh and for the record, others would post in that thread if they played on FAF. They just don't for their own reasons. So no we are not only 5.

I know you are not only 5. But you are only five that want that on FAF.
I only care about people using FAF now.
If people doesn't understand that balance can and will evolve, and it's not static as GPGNET one, I can't do much against it.
I don't have time to explain personally to all of them that they shouldn't fear FAF. If you have it, you are welcome to do it.
And if they want a static and dead game, then they are right to not come on FAF.

If you feel that I don't listen to your ideas, that's maybe because there is no ideas.

Just my 2cents opinion, but IMHO this states the opposite of what you've been trying to prove with this thread.

Just for the record, I am not one of those talking shit in your back. The work/passion you've put into FAF is great, I just wish there was a bit less dictatorship concerning SOME things, and some less elitism. Apart from that keep up the good work.

I don't see how that phrase defy what I'm trying to explain ?

About dictatorship :
If it's not a dictatorship, to whom I should listen ? Look at the balance forum.

If I listen to everybody, I should :

• Buff Aeon
• Nerf Aeon
• Nerf Cybran
• Buff air t3
• Nerf air t3
• go back to 3599
• go back to 3603
• go back to 3603v1
• go back to 3603v2
• ....

So yes, in a perfect world, I would be able to democratic decisions. But the balance forum prove every day that it's impossible and probably not a good idea.

About elitism :
Again, to whom I should listen ? To the guys knowing all the units DPS by heart with countless of game behind, proving his capability to play by winning 1v1, 2v2 tourney, or the guys coming with a vague idea about something ?

[Plasma_Wolf]

As far as now, I don't see any really bad decisions. At the moment, everything that concerns the balance of FA-games in FAF is being discussed without too much fighting like "LOL you're a noob your ideas are stupid get out you idiot".

So I don't see much things going wrong there. Everyone is entitled to his opinion but also everyone is entitled to ignore someone else's opinion as long as it isn't properly supported with points.

I understand it's really a lot of work doing this, but I'm happy that it's going as it goes right now. We'd need a proper support structure for on-line play first before we can discuss things like balance. It's not perfect as it is now but also not game-breaking.

[pip]

Your global approach is good, don't change it. There needs to be someone who decides what's best for the project and it's mainly your (amazing) project, so it should be you.
Naturally, FA players will want to improve it. You listen, but you decide, not them. Some ideas may be good, but not a priority, etc. It's easy to understand that not everyone will be satisfied, and that one has to either back up with strong arguments or evidence that something should be changed and how.

Keep up the great work, it's honestly extremely impressive. Don't be too disappointed if some players are too demanding or write too harsh critics. It's very easy to get pissed because players are not happy with something, because they will be more visible than happy people. But I'm sure most people are extremely happy with FAF (understatement), even people who are annoyed by something they don't totally agree with here and there.

[Kekouse]

As I know Zep since 2005 (we started on Spring together) I will add some thoughts.
Yes he is an elitistic jerc. Like all of us. I'm one, you are one too.
When he told me "I'm doing a new lobby" and when we tested the first working build...I told him that it's great but that he will take many rants from players.
It's normal to take hits when you are the only name behind a project (ok there are now other contributors but in the front line there is only Zep).
I think he is doing it well. Not baning every hater and taking some constructive criticism. That's way more that I had done if it was my project

And for knowing him. if you have a valid critic, write it, explain it and you'll see that if it's convincing enough it will be taken into consideration.
Try that on GPGNet and write me a mail if it works

For the balance thing. Everything....really everything is better than going back to the 3599 build. The goal is to push FA further than GPG does. Staying on the 3599 build is not what I think of "pushing the boundaries of the game".
And as we started on Spring, we know what we don't want. Multiple builds everywhere with different balance. It ends in splitting the community into tiny player circle.
One "official" FaF version and if you want to play something else...do a mod.

My 2 cents.

[TA4Life]

Let us not waste Zep's time with bullshit. He is doing a great job, one of the first things he stated was that this is not a democracy, so people shouldn't be surprised.

[FunkOff]

And the reason FAF isn't a democracy is that any attempt at democratizing the process... like my friendly forum balance polls... are pretty much shot down and so addled with opposition that, if we required even a simple majority to make decisions, nothing would ever get done.