The CGL situation p3 Options

[darthmord]

I think if you just post your proposal without any dev comments or anything that I'd be okay with that going up. There are other caveats--different devs have different preferences, and proposal formats change--but in general you're right, it could be a nice behind-the-scenes thing.

Jason H.

Especially for those that want to try their hand at professional writing. It could be a very educational experience.

[Adam]

I zapped through the SR4A files and found a page -- page 42 -- that was entirely text, had a mix of header sizes, no sidebars or art or anything. 1215 words. The next page, 43, with a piece of art on it: 868 words.

I had a *lot* of text to fit into that book and despite adding all the new fiction content, did not want to inflate the page count very much. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Pepsi Jedi]

SR4A is a magnificently beautiful book. Easily one of the most beautiful and ascetically pleasing RPG books I own, and I own 100s. You should be proud of that one.

It single handedly got me back into the game.

[nylanfs]

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...st&p=905894

Jason, just curious if you had been able to gather any info on the RED program yet? I completely understand if you haven't. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tiger Eyes]

It was a mistake. Shipments have stopped, but hopefully this will be resolved very shortly and the book will begin moving again.

Jason H.

Unfortunately, Midnight being mailed out happened, and I've been informed it was an "oversight" on the part of the company president, as they were just too busy getting ready for a trade show to tell the BattleShop employee not to ship the copies--showing, perhaps, the full seriousness with which they approach freelancers and the Shadowrun line, and their responsibilities to both. The situation has not been resolved, as Catalyst has chosen not to pay me the amount (less than $3000) that I am owed for the contracts, as I was informed today by the president of Catalyst of which projects they were choosing to pay. Because of this, Midnight continues to be unavailable, and I have requested that Catalyst destroy all copies of the item if they continue to decide not to pay for my writing. In other news, they are also not paying for my contracted writing for Vice...

On the bright side, this will make those of you who purchased it have collectors items. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) At least until another company (one can only hope) picks up the SR license and I will ethically and enthusiastically deal with that company to sell the remaining DotA series and the follow up campaign book.

For those of you wondering why I'm personally making such a fuss, let me state that I am a single mother of two young children, currently unemployed. The amounts they owe me for those projects make a WORLD of difference in my life - equal to 5 months of rent payments, to put it in perspective. That I would quit a job rather than compromise my ethics -- when I was asked by Loren Coleman to lie on financial reports to Topps -- should state just how completely terrible the situation was. All I am asking, at this point, is that Catalyst pay me the amounts I am owed, for the work I did in good faith, and that they have profited on. That those profits went out of the company, is not something I should be punished for. Loren's actions have a direct and significant impact on my life and wellbeing, and that of my two children.

[Ancient History]

Just to nail this home for people, a 120,000 word book at 3.5 cents per word is $4,200. The writing costs for two books is less than ten grand. I couldn't tell you how many freelancers or former freelancers were holding out for payment, but Catalyst not having ten grand to pay its freelancers and get the books it already has in print to market is ridiculous. This is the kind of business nonsense that makes me unwilling to work with them any more.

[AHonestPerson]

why is it BTW that the only freelancers complaining are shadowrun writers? is there a real or perceived favoritsm here, are SR writers a little more... "parinoid" of evil corperate shinnagens, or are Btech writers just less willing to air their greviances in public to the point of outright breach of NDA?

[Shinobi Killfist]

That I would quit a job rather than compromise my ethics -- when I was asked by Loren Coleman to lie on financial reports to Topps -- should state just how completely terrible the situation was. A

If this is true I'd screw ethics, you could get in serious trouble for falsifying financial documents unless you are getting paid mountains of cash it aint worth it. My last job I had to stop doing certain tasks as there legality became lets say questionable. And while I was opposed to the tasks on a ethical level I'm not claiming to be super ethical. But I am not going to prison for $18 an hour.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Unfortunately, Midnight being mailed out happened, and I've been informed it was an "oversight" on the part of the company president, as they were just too busy getting ready for a trade show to tell the BattleShop employee not to ship the copies--showing, perhaps, the full seriousness with which they approach freelancers and the Shadowrun line, and their responsibilities to both. The situation has not been resolved, as Catalyst has chosen not to pay me the amount (less than $3000) that I am owed for the contracts, as I was informed today by the president of Catalyst of which projects they were choosing to pay. Because of this, Midnight continues to be unavailable, and I have requested that Catalyst destroy all copies of the item if they continue to decide not to pay for my writing. In other news, they are also not paying for my contracted writing for Vice...

On the bright side, this will make those of you who purchased it have collectors items. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) At least until another company (one can only hope) picks up the SR license and I will ethically and enthusiastically deal with that company to sell the remaining DotA series and the follow up campaign book.

For those of you wondering why I'm personally making such a fuss, let me state that I am a single mother of two young children, currently unemployed. The amounts they owe me for those projects make a WORLD of difference in my life - equal to 5 months of rent payments, to put it in perspective. That I would quit a job rather than compromise my ethics -- when I was asked by Loren Coleman to lie on financial reports to Topps -- should state just how completely terrible the situation was. All I am asking, at this point, is that Catalyst pay me the amounts I am owed, for the work I did in good faith, and that they have profited on. That those profits went out of the company, is not something I should be punished for. Loren's actions have a direct and significant impact on my life and wellbeing, and that of my two children.

I applaud your resolve...

Keep the Faith

[Ancient History]

why is it BTW that the only freelancers complaining are shadowrun writers? is there a real or perceived favoritsm here, are SR writers a little more... "parinoid" of evil corperate shinnagens, or are Btech writers just less willing to air their greviances in public to the point of outright breach of NDA?

Not knowing many BattleTech writers, I couldn't say with any great authority. Having heard this line several times though, I do have my theories:

1) Yes, we're naturally more suspicious. It's not paranoia because hey, look, no-one is getting paid and the company shills have already admitted to financial shenanigans.

2) We have reason to be more suspicious. Shadowrun as a whole has had a hard time of it from the company over the last couple years. With every line developer that left, several good old-time freelancers tended to leave with them, and added tons of delays to the whole process. Considering that neither Randall Bills or Jason Hardy are what you might call "core Shadowrun people," their leadership was subject to a certain amount of suspicion.

3) Catalyst loves BattleTech. I don't say that because I think SR feels unloved, I mean really: the owners of IMR/CGL are huge BattleTech fans and have been for years and years. They're members of the community, they take a greater interest in the game, they interact more with the freelancers and fandom. Hell, do you know how long it was before Randall Bills got an account on Dumpshock?

4) We trust our own. I like to flatter myself to think of Adam Jury and Jennifer Harding as friends. At the very least, Adam is the single most professional person I know, and he and Jen have always been straight with me. When two people of that quality leave, I think that there is a very serious problem. If Warner Doles had comes to me in the middle of the night six weeks ago and told me CGL would never pay my outstanding balances, I honestly wouldn't have credited his doomsaying as much, because I only know the guy as a name on the other side of the boards.

[Maelwys]

why is it BTW that the only freelancers complaining are shadowrun writers? is there a real or perceived favoritsm here, are SR writers a little more... "parinoid" of evil corperate shinnagens, or are Btech writers just less willing to air their greviances in public to the point of outright breach of NDA?

Could be a couple of reasons. With noted BT people as the head of CGL, the BT side of the freelancers may feel alot better off and more secure. Could be they're paid more often than the SR side. Could be that they feel more secure with a well known Line Developer, as opposed to a relative newcomer with Jason Hardy. Would the SR side have this problem if Rob Boyle was still in charge? It could just be that the BT freelancers feel more secure in the BT-centric company (and yes, that is the aura CGL has).

Could be that they feel better because BT is producing alot more product currently.

Edit
And if you're the paranoid conspiracy types from the BT side, the freelancers are all doing this because they're trying to form a new company to get the licenses, and that's the only reason they're speaking up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
/edit

[Method]

Interesting...

[Tiger Eyes]

If this is true I'd screw ethics, you could get in serious trouble for falsifying financial documents unless you are getting paid mountains of cash it aint worth it. My last job I had to stop doing certain tasks as there legality became lets say questionable. And while I was opposed to the tasks on a ethical level I'm not claiming to be super ethical. But I am not going to prison for $18 an hour.

True. Hence my telling them that what they asked me to do violated my ethics, CGLs contractual obligations, and was potentially illegal.

[Dwight]

-- when I was asked by Loren Coleman to lie on financial reports to Topps --

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

If Topps management has any belief in this statement, especially if CGL happened to be so foolish as to turn around and send dummied up data anyway, then I'm not sure how it could not become lights out for CGL on the Shadowrun and Battletech licenses. At least under current ownership and management.

[Adam]

SR4A is a magnificently beautiful book. Easily one of the most beautiful and ascetically pleasing RPG books I own, and I own 100s. You should be proud of that one.

It single handedly got me back into the game.

Thank you. I'm very proud of that book.

[AHonestPerson]

. Loren's actions have a direct and significant impact on my life and wellbeing, and that of my two children.

and your making your accusations do to, because even if what you say is true, making these accusations in a public fourm has proably hurt your ability to get a job, but hey, you and these other "disgrunted freelancers" won't need to worry about that when you set your own company up. which is the real reason you're trying to sink CGL isn't it?

[AHonestPerson]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

If Topps management has any belief in this statement, especially if CGL happened to be so foolish as to turn around and send dummied up data anyway, then I'm not sure how it could not become lights out for CGL on the Shadowrun and Battletech licenses. At least under current ownership and management.

the fact that CGL is continueing implies Topps doesn't belive it.

[Dwight]

the fact that CGL is continueing implies Topps doesn't belive it.

Depends on the terms of the lease and whether there is solid proof yet. Plus it isn't clear yet if CGL is continuing. :/

[MindandPen]

It IS a lot. I wrote massive chunks of Vice and Corporate Guide, I did a respectable number of countries et al. in the Sixth World Almanac, I was contracted for two entire chapters in REDACTED, I did a lot of writing over the last year or so. No resting on my red curly-haired laurels for me, no sir.

As anyone will tell you, we don't write for the money. It is nice to be paid though.

So, as I read earlier, you terminated your contract. Does that mean the stuff you wrote can no longer be used and has to be replaced? Or does CGL have rights to some of it?

I guess my question is, how do the copyrights work and the approval to use it, and who owns the intellectual property you produce?

[ketjak]

True. Hence my telling them that what they asked me to do violated my ethics, CGLs contractual obligations, and was potentially illegal.

Hi Jennifer,

I have heard what you wrote said and seen it written before - did you do those things, or refuse and quit? Obviously I'm not looking to incriminate you, and it hasn't been clear in previous public statements.

- Ket

[Ancient History]

So, as I read earlier, you terminated your contract. Does that mean the stuff you wrote can no longer be used and has to be replaced? Or does CGL have rights to some of it?

I guess my question is, how do the copyrights work and the approval to use it, and who owns the intellectual property you produce?

Anything I've already been paid for, which is everything in print except Vice, belongs to CGL (or is part of the SR property, if you want to define it that way). Everything that I wasn't paid for at the time I terminated my contracts remains my own property, and Jason Hardy has been busy as a beaver assigning various BattleTech authors to rewriting several of my chapters, from what I hear.

[Bob Lord of Evil]

Because Adam's a nice guy who's never (to my knowledge anyway) ripped most of the upset people off or broken contracts he's made with them? That'd be my guess.

Kind of curious...I wonder what the owners of Fan Pro would say...about some of their former employees?

Considering how things played out there.

[D2F]

Anything I've already been paid for, which is everything in print except Vice, belongs to CGL (or is part of the SR property, if you want to define it that way). Everything that I wasn't paid for at the time I terminated my contracts remains my own property, and Jason Hardy has been busy as a beaver assigning various BattleTech authors to rewriting several of my chapters, from what I hear.

BT authors writing SR? Is that even rational?

[Ancient History]

Kind of curious...I wonder what the owners of Fan Pro would say...about some of their former employees?

Considering how things played out there.

You mean, where the owners (again) weren't paying the freelancers, didn't live up to their agreements, efforts to save the company from itself failed and the whole thing moved to another company?

[Ancient History]

BT authors writing SR? Is that even rational?

<shrug> Hell, I still consider Jason Hardy a BT freelancer and he's re-writing some of my stuff for Corp Guide now. I'm thinking this is more than a little of an "if all you have is a hammer" approach, but sometimes hammers get the job done. I personally don't know any of the writers involved, but I hear they're fine writers in their own areas.