the "where has Statesman been" explanation
By
5th_Player,
Posted on: 2005-08-03 17:45 in Developers' Corner
Some things are more important than games or jobs; freedom and family are a couple...
Now, I hope you can shed some light on this silly game we all love to play 
Spines/ D A lvl 50 Scrap, stone/wm lvl 50 tank, Kat/reg lvl 50 Scrap
Grav/Kin lvl 50 Cont, Fire/Enegry lvl 50 Blast
Warshade lvl 50, PB lvl 39, nightwidow lvl 50, crab lvl 42
plant/thorns lvl 50 dom, ice/fire lvl 40 dom, grav/nrg lvl 41 dom
As someone who is often flippant AND snarky, I can say I've never thought your posts were flippant nor snarky. Although I don't always agree with them or the direction certain issues are taking the game, what the hell am I gonna do...go to WoW? HA! EQII? Double HA!
Good luck to your brother over there. Here's hoping he has a safe and quick return.
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Jack, there's a big difference between being brutally honest and being a snake oil salesman.
You are an EMPLOYEE and a REPRESENTATIVE of the company you work for. You have an OBLIGATION to be professional. As much as you'd like to spout your "aw shucks, I'm just a gamer like you" excuse, you're a freakin' professional that should know to temper his "gamer-ness" with some damn common sense. I know your intentions behind what you said may have been innocuous, but you make your bosses look bad. I'm pretty sure they don't appreciate it.
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I believe he IS the boss....
I dont think he makes his bosses look bad if he IS the boss, even if he's telling the truth at least its not some PR B.S.
By not spinning, I believe he is making better PR.
I cant believe some people actually dislike Statesman's honesty.
Professionals who tell you how it is, is the best professional out there. They dont spin B.S. and try to make you throw money at them. Now they want the money, granted. ( Who doesnt? Lets not B.S. ourselves ) but at least they make you feel like someone gives a damn.
Statesman, I respect you most as a developer, I keep telling my online buddies about Cryptic from how you handle things. They're frankly sick of me harping praises of Cryptic.
Dont ever change the way you do these things, its what makes you guys the best devs out there.
I hope Cryptic is up to other video games in the future, I will definately be buying them.
and last but not least: I hope your brother makes it home.
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Boss of what? I'm sure States has to answer to someone. Unless he owns Cryptic. And I don't know, perhaps he does. Good for him. If he is the boss (and hell, even if he isn't), he should be concerned about the customers and how he interacts with them. The "well, I'm only a gamer, just like YOU" doesn't wash with me. I may be a "gamer," but I also know how to talk to clients. Sheesh...it's not like he's some wet behind the ears kid out of college at his first "real" job.
And there's honesty vs. raw honesty. I'm not asking for PR spin. I'm asking for professionalism. I'm asking for some thought as to how to say things before a random clicking of the submit button. I'm shocked that I even have to point out that there is a middle ground between "whatever comes to mind right here, right now" and "smooth marketing/pr blah blah."
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One of DOIDD's finest.......Why am I not surprized with this response?
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Jack, there's a big difference between being brutally honest and being a snake oil salesman.
You are an EMPLOYEE and a REPRESENTATIVE of the company you work for. You have an OBLIGATION to be professional. As much as you'd like to spout your "aw shucks, I'm just a gamer like you" excuse, you're a freakin' professional that should know to temper his "gamer-ness" with some damn common sense. I know your intentions behind what you said may have been innocuous, but you make your bosses look bad. I'm pretty sure they don't appreciate it.
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I couldn't possibly agree more. Honesty is one thing, but being proffesional when speaking to customers is another. It's almost as though he's saying that we're a lower class of people so it's ok to be a jerk.
I am honest every day at my job, when someone is wrong or has misunderstood something, I have to tell them. But I do it nicely. What's wrong with that?
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That said -- As a marketing professional who spent 7+ years in the tech industry, I'd note that your views about "polish" are very common among technically-inclined people. Like it or not, though, you're not just another developer anymore, and you need to hold yourself to a higher standard.
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Marketing professionals give me a rash.
The main core of Jack's audience is technically-inclined folks. I'd rather have unpolished, unfiltered, off-the-cuff responses than the usual pseudo-[censored]-kissing double-speak most people mean when they say they want "professional" responses. If I want someone who can leverage my synergies, I'll go talk to the commercial accounts manager for the company I work for.
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I couldn't possibly agree more. Honesty is one thing, but being proffesional when speaking to customers is another. It's almost as though he's saying that we're a lower class of people so it's ok to be a jerk.
I am honest every day at my job, when someone is wrong or has misunderstood something, I have to tell them. But I do it nicely. What's wrong with that?
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Nothing's wrong with that. But we're not co-workers. And there is a significant minority of posters who don't feel the need to say things politely or courteously. In fact, the amount of personal mud that has been slung at the developers in general and Statesman in particular is simply embarrassing. Moreover, when have to explain something to a client more than once, much less over and over, I tend to get testy too. The clients don't leave, they start listening because I am providing a service that it's difficult for them to get elsewhere, as is Jack. Clearly, the game is meant to be played differently in I-5. While it's obviously not, as some folks have claimed, 1 hero=3 minions, clearly the spawn described in the post that's got everyone's attention was not meant to be soloed. And Jack's response was, as most are, taken out of context. He said the ZONE was meant for groups of 5+ players, not that particular spawn. He was driving home the point that the hazard zones are no longer a place for solo farming.
Whether or not you (and for this and the rest of this post I don't mean you, TheMiddleman, it's just a general rant)
agree with this vision is one thing, but the vision has been laid out. We can try convince the devs to change it or we can try to adapt to it. Either tact is justifiable, and a matter of preference. But ignoring it, as many posters are doing (And I still see quite a few posts complaining how difficult it is to HERD in I-5) is going to get you snarked at.
However, I don't recall Statesman ever calling a poster or the player community a *censored*, *censored*, or even a *censored*; things Jack gets called all the time on these forums. People feel free to call him things that if said to a number of people (including me) in RL would lead to a fistfight.
If the player community wants courtesy, then it needs to start by giving some. If it wants answers, then let Statesman give them without worrying about whether it might hurt someone's feelings. Geezus, these are the forums. If folks are going to be insulted or upset by sarcasm, then maybe the forums aren't for you. Heck, the game very well might not be for you. I've noticed far more sarcasm than RPing in the game.
Anyway, thanks for the vent. And to Statesman, as I said above, I hope your brother's tour in Iraq is boring and uneventful and that he returns home ASAP.
EDITED for typos. Too damn early for this. 
Good luck to your brother & I hope he can still get internet access to play COH!
And who knows perhaps RL situations may provide some inspiration & hopefully its derived not from tragic situations or events
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As a former army brat whos father served in Saudi back in 92-93? Or anyone for that matter, I gotta salute your brother and all the armed forces who are currently serving in Afgahn, Iraq, etc.
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My dad was in Saudi then too. 
Good luck to your brother Jack!
And as for the 'snarky' comments, keep them coming. They make me laugh.
May God watch over your brother.
Personally, I do want to know your honest feelings about something.
So now that you're back, how about telling us what happened development-wise in the week you were gone (once you get up to speed of course). Your loyal sidekicks have been quite tight-lipped in your absence.
And Godspeed to your brother. Hopefully his deployment places him in the rear with the gear and not anywhere close to the front lines.
woops
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I couldn't possibly agree more. Honesty is one thing, but being proffesional when speaking to customers is another. It's almost as though he's saying that we're a lower class of people so it's ok to be a jerk.
I am honest every day at my job, when someone is wrong or has misunderstood something, I have to tell them. But I do it nicely. What's wrong with that?
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Nothing's wrong with that. But we're not co-workers. And there is a significant minority of posters who don't feel the need to say things politely or courteously. In fact, the amount of personal mud that has been slung at the developers in general and Statesman in particular is simply embarrassing. Moreover, when I explain something to a client more than once, I tend to get testy too. The client's don't leave, they start listening because I am providing a service that it's difficult for them to get elsewhere, as is Jack. Clearly, the game is meant to be played differently in I-5. While it's clearly not, as some folks have claimed, 1 hero=3 minions, clearly the spawn described in the post that's got everyone's attention was not meant to be soloed. And Jack's response was, as most are, taken out of context. He said the ZONE was meant for groups of 5+ players, not that particular spawn. He was driving home the point that the hazard zones are no longer a place for solo farming.
Whether or not you (and for this and the rest of this post I don't mean you, TheMiddleman, it's just a general rant)
agree with this vision is one thing, but the vision has been laid out and we can try and change it or adapt to it. But ignoring it, as many posters are doing (And I still see quite a few posts complaining how difficult it is to HERD in I-5) is going to get you snarked at.
However, I don't recall Statesman ever calling a poster or the player community a *censored*, *censored*, or even a *censored*; things Jack gets called all the time on these forums. People feel free to call him things that if said to a number of people (including me) in RL would lead to a fistfight.
If the player community wants courtesy, then it needs to start by giving some. If it wants answers, then let Statesman give them without worrying about whether it might hurt someone's feelings. Geezus, these are the forums. If folks are going to be insulted or upset by sarcasm, then maybe the forums aren't for you. Heck, the game very well might not be for you. I've noticed far more sarcasm than RPing in the game.
Anyway, thanks for the vent. And to Statesman, as I said above, I hope your brother's tour in Iraq is boring and uneventful and that he returns home ASAP.
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Forgive my laziness...but I complete agree with Quickshadow here. I feel a lot of ppl on the boards are more about whining and less about playing and having fun. Remember, we are here to play heroes, not crybabies.
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Nothing's wrong with that. But we're not co-workers. And there is a significant minority of posters who don't feel the need to say things politely or courteously. In fact, the amount of personal mud that has been slung at the developers in general and Statesman in particular is simply embarrassing. Moreover, when I explain something to a client more than once, I tend to get testy too. The client's don't leave, they start listening because I am providing a service that it's difficult for them to get elsewhere, as is Jack.
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I wasn't talking about co-workers, I was talking about customers, which we ALL are.
My response is not to his recent statements alone, it has been a pattern of his for as long as I've been on the forum (for well over a year, this is my second account). I just don't see a need for his attitude. It just breeds contempt among posters who then respond in kind. Sure people say bad things to him and about him but he knows better, he just doesn't care.
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Gang,
Sorry that I've been out of touch for the past week. I spent most of the time with my family back East. My brother is set to deploy in Iraq in just a few days so I wanted to make sure that I saw him off right! He's a hero of mine, and one of the game's most committed players. I can't speak highly enough of my brother and all that he's done for this country.
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After finding out someone I went to school with was shot down and killed by an American helicopter, I kinda lost alot of faith in some things. I won't go into it too much, since most people here are American, and don't like to hear about the knockon effects that the White House decisions on oil pricing have worldwide.
Thanks for updating though, States. I hope that you will be back around more often and keep us up to date. You always answer my PM's promptly, and, as much as I would prefer more details sometimes, at least I hear back. That's more than can be said for many other games developers. Keep up the good work!
Hak Inc�
"Justice by the sword since 2005"
"......anyone who read the description of a blaster and actually rolled one up isn't capable of understanding... how to breath without visual aids and an iron lung." - TheMightyScourge
�Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.�
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And there's honesty vs. raw honesty. I'm not asking for PR spin. I'm asking for professionalism. I'm asking for some thought as to how to say things before a random clicking of the submit button. I'm shocked that I even have to point out that there is a middle ground between "whatever comes to mind right here, right now" and "smooth marketing/pr blah blah."
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From someone who has been in customer service for a long time, and is currently running a pretty big customer contact operation, I can tell you that this is a commonly held, and completely misguided conception.
What there is a difference between are professionalism and butt kissing. Professionalism doesn't mean I have to prostrate myself before every customer and give them all exactly what they want. "The customer is always right" is a complete fallacy and one that gives people the idea that they can have whatever they want. They aren't and they can't.
Professionalism means I give you the straight truth, that I do it without name calling, yelling or using profanity. It doesn't mean that I sugar coat, give in to every demand or speak to my customers like they're five year olds who can't handle reality and need it tempered for them.
I haven't posted much, but read the boards pretty religiously. And I have seen no instance of Statesman being unprofessional, rude or inappropriate. People need to stop feeling as if they're entitled to be treated like royalty simply because they are a consumer of a product. Unless a company has only one customer, which seems unlikely, that is never going to happen.
And Statesman, I'll add your brother to the growing list of fine men and women who are in my thoughts. Best wishes to your family.
Just gotta add my name to the list of people wishing your brother all the best. Apparently, Statesman comes from a family of heroes.
I've often said that there is no way to please people in a game forum. I think Cryptic should either not reply at all or hire a PR group to do all the talking. But you know what? Then people would complain about no response or not getting to the devs. So Cryptic lets people like States post and reply but then people complain about his tone. There is no way for Cryptic to win.
Sadly I'm one of the few who gets this. That's why I just roll my eyes when I see people posting "Did you see that States used the word crying in his post? Can you believe that?!" The same people would scream if you said nothing.
Good luck to your brother and all others in the services who are in harms way.
percentage wise, it's hard to keep up with when its constantly changing and you don't know which build is at test vs which one is in development and which one is in QA - but if you could run the percentages by the person actually coding that percentage it'd probably help with accuracy.
It's certainly Possible that ice tankers are getting .5 percent defense from an unslotted wet ice AND 3 percent from a 6 slotted for defense one... because it's Possible that they have changed Defense SO's to 33% increases. But have they? Shouldn't that be stated explicitly as a change?
I wish your brother well, Jack, and hope for his safe and quick return.
Jack, my prayers go with you and your family, especially your brother.
And welcome back.
Story Arcs I created:
Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!
Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!
Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!
Your brother is doing a great thing and he is a heck of a guy. May God watch over him and keep him safe and bring him home as soon as possible.
Best to your Brother also Jack... and we definitely would rather have your honest answers than edited through PR answers!!!!
Good luck to your brother Jack.
And regardless of tone, we really appreciate any and all input that the devs post in here. And heck, you guys post a lot comparatively, so it's allll good in my book.
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Sorry that I've been out of touch for the past week. I spent most of the time with my family back East. My brother is set to deploy in Iraq in just a few days so I wanted to make sure that I saw him off right!
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These things obviously take precedence over any job, and even over games. May God bring him home safely, and may he have all the invulnerability he needs.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
States,
I also have a brother being deployed. He will be gone for about 6 months this time. I wish your brother and mine a safe return.
I truly prefer an honest response and not the sales pitch. The sales pitch sounds like a politician telling us what we want. I know what I want! I want what I don't have!
Thanks for this great and amazing game. Even though there are criers out there this game is a dream come true for many of us who have had a superhero locked up in their heads.
We that are afraid to step in a vat of toxic waste or hug the local power generator in order to unlease our true superhero wish you the best!