Hey everyone,
I've read the official statement about my termination that was released on F95. There's a lot here, and I could write a lengthy rebuttal to most of these complaints. At the same time, I do not want to be drawn into a dragged-on online dispute with Inceton and Lancelot.
Given Inceton's statement that it will not engage in public arguments (though doesn't their statement actually count as engaging?) I will make this my final say regarding my firing and the matter.
I am trying to move forward, focus on my career and next steps, and begin my own AVN writing venture so I can continue to work in the medium I so enjoy. It is a tricky position to be in, as I do not wish to let my work on LT or LB go undefended or to back away from accusations I believe are unfair. At the same time, I cannot let my future be defined by my choosing to die on a hill for a project that is now behind me.
The most succinct way to respond to this latest message is to compare it to the original one I received about my termination, which I posted here shortly after being let go.
While several of the complaints have been upheld between their new message and the one initially sent to me, a key aspect that has been dropped is the mention of Lancelot's distaste for the story I was writing and his feelings that:
I "made the game boring."
Whatever else has been brought forward as grounds for my termination, the simple fact remains that much of Lancelot's primary focus at the time of my firing was on my writing and story, which took up the lion's share of his message.
Much has already been discussed and written about his ending to the game and the decision to implement an 11th-hour 'bad ending' that relies on players having made correct decisions that were never previously implemented, and which I was not asked to write with a view toward at any point in the writing process. The reception of this new ending, I feel, can stand as evidence of my writing skills, understanding of the plot, dynamics, and characters compared to Lancelot's. To some degree, I feel any shade cast over my writing can be easily countered by examining the difference in quality between Lancelot's Balloon ending vs my own.
At the end of the day, the strongest proof I'll be able to present that my work, my drive, my vision, and my work ethic are better than portrayed in the message above is simply to get on with what I am now doing: working on my AVN as a solo dev, bringing my dreams and visions to life, and proving myself to those audiences and players who want to follow me and who appreciate my style. So that is what I intend to do.
This whole drama of the last few weeks has really threatened my love of AVNs. I've had to do a lot of touching grass (playing updates to other titles I enjoy and which I haven't had a chance to catch up on while working with the Inceton team) to help keep my enthusiasm for the genre alive, while taking my first steps in designing my own title.
Inceton has a game to finish, and I have mine to start. I have already begun work on scripting and am slowly learning 3d design and Daz3d with an online course. I have people helping me with Ren'Py coding and understanding that, and I'm excited for what the future holds.
Hopefully, this will be the end of it. Inceton has made their statements, I have made mine. Discussion can now shift back to the game and its endings, which, despite everything, I hope turn out well and lead to a satisfactory finale for the fans.