So I'm away from the game for a few years and everything goes to drek. =) Just got done reading threads and updates through May of 2010 on The Great Unpleasantness. Did it go to trial? What was the outcome? I am holding a Limited Edition SR4A in my hands, and CGL/BattleShop appear to be going concerns. Did the whole thing just smooth over and life continued, or did they go bankrupt and restructure? Did Post Human et al get satisfaction in court? Guessing the PACK system I'm looking at here in my Runners Toolkit isn't Ancient History's. How does it differ? Looks like AH's lore archive is no longer online. GAH!
Can someone summarize?
Can someone summarize?
There are plenty of threads around that cover things in detail.
But I guess a summary would be:
Someone at CGL (or maybe In Media Res) made some no-nos in regards to accounting methods and co-mingling of funds
Freelancers weren't being paid/paid on time
CGL was thought to be sure to lose the SR license
Bunch of people quit/refused to release their material already written
CGL kept the license
CGL put out some material that was already written and some questionable material that had to be completed anew after some material was withheld from various writers
SR started making money again and the products seem to be getting better
Errata is still a thing that is 'being worked on'.
I'm not certain everything I attribute to CGL was actually a CGL issue, I can't recall off-hand who owns what etc.
I'll be honest, and the fallout from the stuff still has me very wary to purchase SR products, which is a bummer.
But I guess a summary would be:
Someone at CGL (or maybe In Media Res) made some no-nos in regards to accounting methods and co-mingling of funds
Freelancers weren't being paid/paid on time
CGL was thought to be sure to lose the SR license
Bunch of people quit/refused to release their material already written
CGL kept the license
CGL put out some material that was already written and some questionable material that had to be completed anew after some material was withheld from various writers
SR started making money again and the products seem to be getting better
Errata is still a thing that is 'being worked on'.
I'm not certain everything I attribute to CGL was actually a CGL issue, I can't recall off-hand who owns what etc.
I'll be honest, and the fallout from the stuff still has me very wary to purchase SR products, which is a bummer.
The owner of CGL built his mansion using company funds. So the freelancers, their printers, and CGL's business partners (like Wildfire) didn't get paid because CGL had no money. Then all the competent people quit as a result of either not being paid or because they were told to shut up and ignore the facts. And all the partners like wildfire demanded their stuff and money. And people filed suits demanding their money or the company be liquidated if they couldn't pay.
Anyhow, the quality of SR products has completely crashed, with crap like War! as the leading example.
Anyhow, the quality of SR products has completely crashed, with crap like War! as the leading example.
kzt, Jhaiisiin and ravensmuse, thanks for the summaries. I had already read the contents from AH's chronicle of events you linked to, and have spent the last two days reading the actual threads. But as you'll note the chronicle ends in May 2010. Does anyone know if there was a legal resolution to the June bankruptcy proceedings? Someone is cheerily updating Facebook posts every few hours (presumably Jason Hardy) and product is still shipping out the BattleStore doors. Did the whole debacle just freeze in time after May? It seems Topps relicensed the rights to CGL and all, but I'm having trouble getting any closure on the specifics. Seems like the conversation and information flow just stopped in October 2010 when Mesh said "That sounds like a nice ending. Thread closed." More specifically, it's like I feverishly read through a thick, protracted epistolary novel (or SR 4 Campaign setting exposition) only to find the ending is missing. =)
Patrick Goodman's OP seemed like an epilogue of sorts, but the actual climactic final chapters are missing. If there was no ending, I get it. But if there was, would love to find the final chapters and what happened to the Colemans (if anything). =)
Furluge's prediction seems to have come true (I know it was true for myself until readying all this): "Catalyst is going to keep making Shadowrun with all the same old people in charge, they're going to do everything you hate, and 90% of gamers will like it and won't even have realized any dispute happened in the first place."
Patrick Goodman's OP seemed like an epilogue of sorts, but the actual climactic final chapters are missing. If there was no ending, I get it. But if there was, would love to find the final chapters and what happened to the Colemans (if anything). =)
Furluge's prediction seems to have come true (I know it was true for myself until readying all this): "Catalyst is going to keep making Shadowrun with all the same old people in charge, they're going to do everything you hate, and 90% of gamers will like it and won't even have realized any dispute happened in the first place."