Until we meet again!

Are we still telling Sean Fish stories? I hope we're still telling Sean Fish stories, because here's mine:

Years ago, during the summer of 2008, the Tabula Rasa community had an event called the "AFS War College". They brought eight players from around the country in to meet the team and discuss ways to make the game a lot better. There was some desperation, since the game still had a lot of bugs (it was basically beta quality) because it was, at NCSoft's behest, launched about 1-2 years too early.

Redlynne and I ("Line" and "Lanster" in TR, respectively) were there because the event was in Austin and we lived there. I'll spare you the details of the rest of that Saturday, but while waiting for one meeting to get rolling, CuppaJo went and fetched Sean Fish and brought him by.

As soon as CuppaJo introduced him to Redlynne, Redlynne immediately (possibly reflexively) did the "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" routine from Wayne's World.

I didn't notice, because my back was turned to them and I was talking to another dev. So Cuppa got Red to Stop That, then tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see this guy with a big Nice Handsome Guy aura going (think Dirk Benedict as Starbuck). I say, "Hi. You are...?" and both Red and Cuppa say, "That's Sean Michael Fish." Upon which I reflexively started the "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" routine. The grin on Sean's face was huge.

I barely remember what we talked about. I think "Striga Island was awesome" and "TR needs a writer like you, badly," were a couple points of discussion. It lasted a few minutes until the meeting started and Sean had to get back to what he was supposed to be doing.

As we all know, Tabula Rasa went on to be cancelled around Thanksgiving (what is it with NCSoft and ruining long weekends?), and finally shut down on Feb. 28, 2009. But they got some dev support for the shutdown, and were able to make a big final event out of it. A lot of former devs even came in, unpaid, to run the NPC boss mobs one last time.

I have no idea what Sean Fish is doing these days, or if he's still in town. But at least I got to thank him for all the fun he wrote.

And to Positron and the rest of the devs: "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" I still have no idea what the "secret project" some of you transferred to is/was, or if it still exists. But wherever you go, let me know. Unless it's fantasy; I'm sick of that.

Just make sure that next time you control the server assets. That way you can spin off or something if the parent company decides they're done with you. No "great deal" is worth this kind of heartbreak.

Thank you for everything you've done for City of Heroes, Positron.

Best dev evar!!!!!

Mr. Miller/Posi,

You, sir, are a class act.

You can not spell "PARAGON CITY ROCKS!" without P-O-S-I-T-R-O-N.

You're right. This isn't "goodbye".

You'll be back; and we'll be ready --- pencil, paper, and dice --- waiting for you.

Positron,

I think you and the other Devs would have no problem finding a financier to help you guys branch off just like Cryptic did, while retaining the rights to CoH. Do it bro! Find a way! Hell, start a company to work on CoH2 maybe. The only SURE way to fail, is to not try!

I have been trying and trying to remember who the other players were at the HeroCon 2008 D&D Charity Game, other than Bloodspeaker and me. And I still have my Sister Solaris character sheet!

Matt's premise was that we six were the Cimeroran versions of the Freedom Phalanx: Imperious (Statesman), Sister Solaris (Sister Psyche), Daedalus (Positron), Marathon (Synapse), Parthenon (Citadel), and Orion (Manticore). We'd been charged with finding the Golden Fleece to protect Cimerora... except that not only was it guarded by all manner of traps and monsters (including a hydra), but the Fifth Column was also looking for it as well.

I really wish we'd been able to podcast or livestream that game. Frequent lapses into obscenity and juvenile behaviour not withstanding, it was an absolute riot. Much soda, Doritos, kibbutzing from Sean Fish and Bruce Harlick, tactics that could only be described as innovative, insane, or both, and a lot of laughter.

Some great quotes I remember from that night:

Matt (to me, as the only woman there): "Um, you're not offended by swearing, are you?"
Me: "Oh, f*** no."
Matt: "Good, thought so."

John (as Orion, the Cimeroran Manticore): "I'm not following Imperious' orders. He just happens to be going where I'm going."
Sean Fish: "Yeah, you've definitely got Manticore's mindset right."

The group as a whole: "Marathon, scout the Fleece... Marathon, scout the Hydra... Marathon, scout the Fifth Column..."

(to the challenge of getting up out of a canyon)
Me (as Sister Solaris): "I cast Fly."
John (as Orion): "I climb."
Marathon's player: "I run up the wall and am waiting impatiently for everyone else."

(on being challenged by an NPC as to why we should be allowed to pass)
Imperious: "We're on a quest from the gods!"
Daedalus: "We're trying to save Cimerora!"
*pause*
Me as Solaris: "Because I'm hot!"
(everyone looks at me as Matt facepalms)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Well this finally explains the little capes drawn on all the stick figures in the Mayan prophecies. Who knew it was always about Paragon City.

I joke, but this whole quick, sudden, seemingly unethical plug pulling......royally sucks.

On behalf of myself and my wife's account, you all will be greatly missed, as well as all of our characters. I truly hope there is still the chance for hope, and I will do whatever I can to help if need be. We are heroes, after all. Seems like it's one mission we just can't win, but that's never stopped me before. And I have the debt to prove it.

- Knight of Armor & Kaimera

The king of game developers. The camelot of development teams.

You sir were and are a class act.

I may not have agreed with everything you, and Jack before you did, but I appreciate the effort you put into it.

And I'm impressed you never put ANYONE on ignore!

Good Luck to you all where ever you are headed.

Adding my two cents - Matt, you and the crew here have continued to amaze me over the past 6 or so years by your consideration for the playerbase. It's criminally rare in this business. I'm gonna miss this place, and all of you.

Oh, and Tyrrano says you taste pretty good with ketchup, but he had to go see Mako's dentist to get the plating out of his teeth. Like eating popcorn...

Open Skies, brother. *waves*

I wanted to drop a line and say thank you as well. Thanks to you, and to all the Dev team. You guys created and ran a game that as far as I'm concerned, will go down, at least in my personal history books, as the greatest game ever.

But know that I haven't given up on you, or Paragon City, just yet. And neither have a bunch of other people. It's been nearly a decade, and I don't know if you still want to keep working on City of Heroes or not. If you do, you deserve the opportunity. You guys built a world that we call home. If not, you still deserve to have a continuing legacy.

We are Heroes. This is what we do.

Thank You, just thank you ...

Thank you again, Posi. I will certainly be missing this game.

Thank you everyone there at Paragon for creating the best game ever with all your love and hard work. How come the game has to end now after we've just been getting the best new content ever? Everything about the Dark Astoria revamp and Night Ward really are amazing.

Thank you Positron for allowing me to be a villain when no other game allowed it as City Of Villains did.

But I will say this, even though I've fought with the heroes for years, I will now stand by their side in trying to keep this game alive with every ounce of "SMASH" I have.