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WRG layoffs - is Ben all alone now?

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  • Jurati_whoaJurati_whoa ✭✭✭
    edited February 2023
    In my opinion, we need a proper statement from WRG about this, and the state of the game.

    It is not secret that the player base has gone down in recent years.

    The worst thing for this game is bad rumours, because it will stop people spending. If this game is still viable, then those rumours will kill the game.

    Hence we need @WRG Ben to tell us what is going on long term, otherwise the game will just die.

    This is equivalent to a bank run.

    I think its fair for players to think the games status is in a state of crisis. In my mind, that means that there is an opportunity for the games underlying issues to be addressed, which would potentially lead to a recovery of some of the lost players and revenue.

    Wrg, or whoever takes over this game, for the love of spock, please, PLEASE read the various feedback threads here and take it to heart. Wrg has proven time and time again that they do not know how players are playing this game and it is a serious underlying issue. You need to listen to the people that play your game.

    Or, if the game is truly meant to be shelved, thanks for bangate.
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    WRG Ben wrote: »
    In my 6.5 years in STT, the game has been declared dying/dead so many times that I’ve lost count. These layoffs are not a good sign, but I still need 693 citations to FF my entire 5* roster and I simply refuse to believe anything bad will happen before then. 🫣🤞

    This is at least the third round of layoffs (with probably hires in between) since the game has been in existence. I wouldn't stick a fork in it yet.

    The lack of communication hardly supports your stance.

    Ben keeps tabs on the chats, discords and forums. Hes fully aware of what we know and hes not chiming in saying “hey dont panic timelines will continue some way somehow”.

    They put the precaps in to try and make a fast buck on the way out.

    If you see the 22,000 dilithium for 24.99 (for the 4th time in 6 months) you know its completely over.

    Don't you worry! The game has years of life left. Please see our official statement in Starfleet Communications. I wish I knew and could comment on this sooner but I was unavailable the past few days due to a death in my family.

    Words on paper. And not even on paper, honestly. Many of us experienced a game company repeatedly saying everything was all right and the game was going to continue for years.

    I cannot speak for anyone else, but my wallet is now padlocked. Sadly, the way the company "handled" all this is likely to lead to the other outcome and not the one they have you promising. Because if enough people are worried by the way all this came to head, it is going to affect the bottom line.

    ≠====================

    And those of you who need your hands held, Shan was dumped so she could be replaced by someone they could pay less, most likely.
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    Navarch wrote: »
    Thurthorad wrote: »
    Navarch wrote: »
    j94pcbq7klsm.jpg

    Great news!!!

    He had to say that. We’re going to need details in order to feel confident in spending money on Timelines.

    Yeah. Not believing it.

    And coming from someone who dosnt seem to fully understand the game or how ifs played, the bit where they say the game wont look or feel different to the players perspective is hard to believe.

    And, this is coming 3 weeks after shan and all other wrg staff was let go, and only after people started talking about if.

    Im betting that they are just going to try and automate as much of the process as possible. Whoch means the game will get even more repetitive. Not sure how to find positive when the only possibilities at this point are:

    1: tp employees will take on duties responsibilities of laid off employees, with presumably little to no pay increase. Will lead to burn out and staff turnover, resulting in inconsistent and frustrating gaming experience.

    2: games new content will be automated to be run by one or two staff. Game will get even more boring and repetivite than it already is. Quality will take a nose dive Leading to decreased player purchases, reduced game revenues and less new content.

    3: game will shut down, in contradiction of bens statement.

    Ill wait and see what is announced later. But i am girmly in the camp of “i dont trust what wrg says, i trust what wrg does”.

    There's an easy answer for you. Uninstall the app, close this tab and get on with your life. You can then choose to believe whatever you want and you'll never have any evidence of your ignorance to face.

    In this case, I agree with jurati_whoa. TP/WRG may have a plan to go forward, but if a large enough chunk of the playerbase doesn’t feel comfortable spending, it’s game over anyways.

    The fact that TP/WRG failed to give us a reason for confidence for 3 weeks does not inspire confidence in their future ability to do so.
    Yeah, the fact that Ben had a family member just (unfortunately) pass away certainly gives him a pass on why there was a delay.
    To do list:
    1: make sure everyone knows what's happening with the game
    2: family matters


    But, would not have fallen on Ben in the time of his family tragedy if they had not cleaned house.

    To Ben, condolences and love to your family.
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • Navarch Navarch ✭✭✭✭✭
    Navarch wrote: »
    Thurthorad wrote: »
    Navarch wrote: »
    j94pcbq7klsm.jpg

    Great news!!!

    He had to say that. We’re going to need details in order to feel confident in spending money on Timelines.

    Yeah. Not believing it.

    And coming from someone who dosnt seem to fully understand the game or how ifs played, the bit where they say the game wont look or feel different to the players perspective is hard to believe.

    And, this is coming 3 weeks after shan and all other wrg staff was let go, and only after people started talking about if.

    Im betting that they are just going to try and automate as much of the process as possible. Whoch means the game will get even more repetitive. Not sure how to find positive when the only possibilities at this point are:

    1: tp employees will take on duties responsibilities of laid off employees, with presumably little to no pay increase. Will lead to burn out and staff turnover, resulting in inconsistent and frustrating gaming experience.

    2: games new content will be automated to be run by one or two staff. Game will get even more boring and repetivite than it already is. Quality will take a nose dive Leading to decreased player purchases, reduced game revenues and less new content.

    3: game will shut down, in contradiction of bens statement.

    Ill wait and see what is announced later. But i am girmly in the camp of “i dont trust what wrg says, i trust what wrg does”.

    There's an easy answer for you. Uninstall the app, close this tab and get on with your life. You can then choose to believe whatever you want and you'll never have any evidence of your ignorance to face.

    In this case, I agree with jurati_whoa. TP/WRG may have a plan to go forward, but if a large enough chunk of the playerbase doesn’t feel comfortable spending, it’s game over anyways.

    The fact that TP/WRG failed to give us a reason for confidence for 3 weeks does not inspire confidence in their future ability to do so.
    Yeah, the fact that Ben had a family member just (unfortunately) pass away certainly gives him a pass on why there was a delay.
    To do list:
    1: make sure everyone knows what's happening with the game
    2: family matters


    But, would not have fallen on Ben in the time of his family tragedy if they had not cleaned house.

    To Ben, condolences and love to your family.

    I’ll go a step further: a system that relies on a single person as the entire point of contact is doomed to fail.

    My condolences to Ben for his loss.
  • Navarch wrote: »
    Thurthorad wrote: »
    Navarch wrote: »
    j94pcbq7klsm.jpg

    Great news!!!

    He had to say that. We’re going to need details in order to feel confident in spending money on Timelines.

    Yeah. Not believing it.

    And coming from someone who dosnt seem to fully understand the game or how ifs played, the bit where they say the game wont look or feel different to the players perspective is hard to believe.

    And, this is coming 3 weeks after shan and all other wrg staff was let go, and only after people started talking about if.

    Im betting that they are just going to try and automate as much of the process as possible. Whoch means the game will get even more repetitive. Not sure how to find positive when the only possibilities at this point are:

    1: tp employees will take on duties responsibilities of laid off employees, with presumably little to no pay increase. Will lead to burn out and staff turnover, resulting in inconsistent and frustrating gaming experience.

    2: games new content will be automated to be run by one or two staff. Game will get even more boring and repetivite than it already is. Quality will take a nose dive Leading to decreased player purchases, reduced game revenues and less new content.

    3: game will shut down, in contradiction of bens statement.

    Ill wait and see what is announced later. But i am girmly in the camp of “i dont trust what wrg says, i trust what wrg does”.

    There's an easy answer for you. Uninstall the app, close this tab and get on with your life. You can then choose to believe whatever you want and you'll never have any evidence of your ignorance to face.

    In this case, I agree with jurati_whoa. TP/WRG may have a plan to go forward, but if a large enough chunk of the playerbase doesn’t feel comfortable spending, it’s game over anyways.

    The fact that TP/WRG failed to give us a reason for confidence for 3 weeks does not inspire confidence in their future ability to do so.
    Yeah, the fact that Ben had a family member just (unfortunately) pass away certainly gives him a pass on why there was a delay.
    To do list:
    1: make sure everyone knows what's happening with the game
    2: family matters


    But, would not have fallen on Ben in the time of his family tragedy if they had not cleaned house.

    To Ben, condolences and love to your family.

    Hindsight is a wonderful thing. How did they know what was to come

    And I can totally relate to Ben having just buried immediate family in the past few weeks, especially when nothing was pre arranged & it's much more complicated without going into details
  • Firstly, I'd like to offer my deepest condolences to you @WRG Ben and your family ❤️

    Secondly I'd like to apologise for being the person who started what has become a dumpster fire of a thread, someone had to ask the question though.

    Thanks for the response both here and on discord, I really hope what you said is true and we can look forward to new content and an active game for a long time to come though I'm going to take a lot of convincing of that and honestly I'm not sure I can be convinced yet.

    I will, however, try to remain optimistic! 🖖

    My downspiral of faith has slowed down, but not turned around yet. Just hope that it is my imagination and it turns out that i am wrong. We´ll see in the time to come
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    WRG Ben wrote: »
    As for a roadmap, we are working on it, but we're not quite prepared to share it yet. but we will make sure to keep the community informed as soon as we are ready.

    Thank you, Ben! Open communication with specifics is much more reassuring to the players!
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2023
    I think it's reasonable for folks to be anxious, but if TP was planning to shut down STT it's unlikely they would have drawn it out. Much cheaper to get it done quickly.

    I agree that getting the next patch out will help restore some confidence. But putting pressure to rush that out won't help anyone, it's just going to add to the stress of the folks working on it. They've just lost a lot of support, and a lot of friends.

    A big part of Star Trek is altruism. If the community can send some of that towards WRG right now, I think it'll do a lot of good.

    Well, they are pumping out offers. Which literally cost them nothing but ones and naughts in a server and which bring in money. Just an observation.

    The months of false statements in the other game mentioned was financially motivated. They were quelling "rumors" to keep the company propped up value wise until a sale could be made, IIRC.

    However, the promise of specific plans being announced soon™ is reassuring, especially if done rather quickly.
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • SoupKitchen RikerSoupKitchen Riker ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2023
    Firstly, I'd like to offer my deepest condolences to you @WRG Ben and your family ❤️

    Secondly I'd like to apologise for being the person who started what has become a dumpster fire of a thread, someone had to ask the question though.

    Thanks for the response both here and on discord, I really hope what you said is true and we can look forward to new content and an active game for a long time to come though I'm going to take a lot of convincing of that and honestly I'm not sure I can be convinced yet.

    I will, however, try to remain optimistic! 🖖

    Cranky! You rabble-rouser!
    “A committee is a cul-de-sac, down which good ideas are lured and quietly strangled.” —Mark TwainMEMBER: [BoB] Barrel of Bloodwine... We are recruiting and putting the “curv” in scurvy! Best Event Finish: #3 Honor Debt: Inconceivable...Honor Bank Account: Slowly building...
  • Navarch Navarch ✭✭✭✭✭
    Firstly, I'd like to offer my deepest condolences to you @WRG Ben and your family ❤️

    Secondly I'd like to apologise for being the person who started what has become a dumpster fire of a thread, someone had to ask the question though.

    Thanks for the response both here and on discord, I really hope what you said is true and we can look forward to new content and an active game for a long time to come though I'm going to take a lot of convincing of that and honestly I'm not sure I can be convinced yet.

    I will, however, try to remain optimistic! 🖖

    Cranky! You rabble-rouser!

    Blame Cranky!
  • CalhounCalhoun ✭✭✭✭✭
    It is not secret that the player base has gone down in recent years.

    It has, going by the arena numbers, but the most active level seems pretty steady - the level of grinding for a top 1,500 place feels reasonably consistent to me. Community rewards don't seem to be drastically slower. I'd be worried about player numbers if I was getting into the top 1,500 without much effort or that we weren't hitting the community rewards within the first couple of days of a galaxy, but we're not there yet.

    Of course what really matters is what those players are spending. A few whales are worth (in business terms) more than many non-whales.
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    They did just hire a new Head if Accounting.....

    c77al69539kq.png
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • They did just hire a new Head if Accounting.....

    c77al69539kq.png

    If the next new card is The Loknar, I'm out. That thing makes the Borg look like kittens.
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  • While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.
  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed
    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed

    Holler

  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed

    Holler

    I hate that people now misuse that term. People are laid off because a business has a period of "slack time" {using production work as an example} or other reason in a company like this. But, that slack time or other slow down is expected to end and the employees have the opportunity to return to work. This very much seems to be a "cost saving" measure to cut payroll and the employees removed from the payroll obviously do not expect it to be a temporary measure. Or they would not be going on LinkedIn and similar sites saying they are unemployed and need work in the field they are familiar with and would not be listing what they can do in the relevant fields of work.....

    My mother was Union president for several years at the furniture plant where she and my dad worked. Company double speak is easily translated for me.

    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed

    Holler

    I hate that people now misuse that term. People are laid off because a business has a period of "slack time" {using production work as an example} or other reason in a company like this. But, that slack time or other slow down is expected to end and the employees have the opportunity to return to work. This very much seems to be a "cost saving" measure to cut payroll and the employees removed from the payroll obviously do not expect it to be a temporary measure. Or they would not be going on LinkedIn and similar sites saying they are unemployed and need work in the field they are familiar with and would not be listing what they can do in the relevant fields of work.....

    My mother was Union president for several years at the furniture plant where she and my dad worked. Company double speak is easily translated for me.

    And that, my old friend, is why I used quotation marks. Technically a company is required to offer the laid off person their job back before offering it to someone else. But if they change the name to something like, oh let’s say, community manager, then they can bypass that little hurdle.

  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed

    Holler

    I hate that people now misuse that term. People are laid off because a business has a period of "slack time" {using production work as an example} or other reason in a company like this. But, that slack time or other slow down is expected to end and the employees have the opportunity to return to work. This very much seems to be a "cost saving" measure to cut payroll and the employees removed from the payroll obviously do not expect it to be a temporary measure. Or they would not be going on LinkedIn and similar sites saying they are unemployed and need work in the field they are familiar with and would not be listing what they can do in the relevant fields of work.....

    My mother was Union president for several years at the furniture plant where she and my dad worked. Company double speak is easily translated for me.

    And that, my old friend, is why I used quotation marks. Technically a company is required to offer the laid off person their job back before offering it to someone else. But if they change the name to something like, oh let’s say, community manager, then they can bypass that little hurdle.

    I actually have a funny anecdote from the time my mom was Union president. Guess who got to crank the mimeograph machine to copy 300 copies of the weekly one page newsletter? I should have been an ace at shotput by the time she left the company. Every newsletter had a little cartoon on it about how companies are. One week, the cartoon was of a man being wheeled into an ER with a drill bit in his chest. A man running in behind the stretcher is saying "I'm his supervisor! When can we get our drill bit back?" UE sent word we could not use that cartoon. After I had cranked out 300 copies of the newsletter.

    Backstory: The safest way for rescuers to separate a patient from machinery is disassembly, if possible. Usually this means leaving the part or parts of machinery embedded into the patient in place and secured to avoid movement that can worsen injuries if the part moves around. The part is then usually removed by trauma surgeons in an operating room to have support handy if there are complications.

    The reason I had to crank 300 more newsletters with a new cartoon? Stanley Furniture had actually previously sent someone to Waynesboro Community Hospital because an employee was transported with a saw blade in their abdomen and they needed their saw blade back......

    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • While they have plans to keep going, a mass “lay off” firing is still a sign that things are not all sunshine and rainbows. And that may get enough people leery enough to stop spending which will bring storm clouds to replace the sunshine and rainbows.

    Fixed

    Holler

    I hate that people now misuse that term. People are laid off because a business has a period of "slack time" {using production work as an example} or other reason in a company like this. But, that slack time or other slow down is expected to end and the employees have the opportunity to return to work. This very much seems to be a "cost saving" measure to cut payroll and the employees removed from the payroll obviously do not expect it to be a temporary measure. Or they would not be going on LinkedIn and similar sites saying they are unemployed and need work in the field they are familiar with and would not be listing what they can do in the relevant fields of work.....

    My mother was Union president for several years at the furniture plant where she and my dad worked. Company double speak is easily translated for me.

    And that, my old friend, is why I used quotation marks. Technically a company is required to offer the laid off person their job back before offering it to someone else. But if they change the name to something like, oh let’s say, community manager, then they can bypass that little hurdle.

    I actually have a funny anecdote from the time my mom was Union president. Guess who got to crank the mimeograph machine to copy 300 copies of the weekly one page newsletter? I should have been an ace at shotput by the time she left the company. Every newsletter had a little cartoon on it about how companies are. One week, the cartoon was of a man being wheeled into an ER with a drill bit in his chest. A man running in behind the stretcher is saying "I'm his supervisor! When can we get our drill bit back?" UE sent word we could not use that cartoon. After I had cranked out 300 copies of the newsletter.

    Backstory: The safest way for rescuers to separate a patient from machinery is disassembly, if possible. Usually this means leaving the part or parts of machinery embedded into the patient in place and secured to avoid movement that can worsen injuries if the part moves around. The part is then usually removed by trauma surgeons in an operating room to have support handy if there are complications.

    The reason I had to crank 300 more newsletters with a new cartoon? Stanley Furniture had actually previously sent someone to Waynesboro Community Hospital because an employee was transported with a saw blade in their abdomen and they needed their saw blade back......

    That sounds about right. And they prolly also told the injured employee that the employee is responsible for getting his shift covered while he’s out.

  • DScottHewittDScottHewitt ✭✭✭✭✭
    I hate that people now misuse that term. People are laid off because a business has a period of "slack time" {using production work as an example} or other reason in a company like this. But, that slack time or other slow down is expected to end and the employees have the opportunity to return to work.
    "Layoffs" is the appropriate term of a position is removed.

    There are situations where layoffs are temporary, and you bring up a good example of this. Layoffs can also reflect a position being removed with no immediate plan to bring it back. (This still counts if a similar position with fewer responsibilities (and less pay) is created to replace it.)

    Being laid off reflects a "no fault" situation for the employee, as they were responsible for being terminated. Being fired, however, typically means the employee is responsible (at least partially, if not fully). This is important in the US because it impact your unemployment.

    TP and WRG were impacted by lay offs. You saying they were "fired" is incorrect.

    Okay. Wonder why we saw all those posts by "laid off" employees acting like they are unemployed and need a job.

    I guess defenders gotta defend.


    Have a nice night.

    What if I told you not every single nit needs to be picked literally to death?
  • Okay. Wonder why we saw all those posts by "laid off" employees acting like they are unemployed and need a job.
    Because when you are laid off, you no longer have a job.

    In some industries, you may get a callback if work picks up. This isn't terribly common in Tech, although something similar happens with contract work.
    Six degrees in Inter-species Veterinary Medicine. Treating all manner of critters, from Tribbles to Humans.

    Starport
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