Hey there Major\Minor Community!
I'm relaying a message here from Klace.
Everyone have a nice read -- take care and have a great weekend!
Hello,
I would like to discuss a few things with everyone. This isn't the type of announcement that everyone is used to reading about the game, nor is it one that I find any particular enjoyment out of posting. Lots of events occurred during the launch of Major\Minor, and there were lots of accusations that I had done things I shouldn't have done. Is this true? Yes, it is; and I will elaborate on that further.
A lot of hard work has been put into Major\Minor, and when I released the first chapter, it was receiving quite positive reviews. There were however a number of reviews that were more critical in their analysis of the game. I moderated the forum with a hand that was heavier than it should have been. I deleted/locked topics that were criticising my hard work, and erroneously flagged legitimate reviews to protect the creation I held dear. This was wrong and I apologize to anyone who felt their right of free speech was censored. All of the flags on every review have since been removed.
The blame for this falls solely on my actions in being overprotective of my creation.
There was also a character in my game that belonged to a fictional race called a "Sergal". I was led to believe that this species fell under a Creative Commons license that enabled commercial use. The creator had then approached me asking for a cut of all sales of Major\Minor as one of the characters belonged to a race that they had created. I initially challenged this request and assumed they were acting out of greed, denying them this cut of the profit by removing the character entirely.
However, after speaking to the creator of the species further, and their volunteer staff -- I have learned that the upkeep of this species is a very challenging task. The creator has made this species their entire life, and they make a living off of the royalties they receive. I have since come to see that their species is a labor of love, much like my game is -- and they are simply trying to make a living off of their creation. That is why, even though they have went on to request that their species does NOT appear in Major\Minor, I have still went on to pay them royalties for their species appearing in marketing materials, etc... I wholeheartedly approve of their endeavor and desire their success.
I believe that I did not initially handle the situation as a professional should. But I believe that the resolution achieved is professional -- and beneficial to both parties involved.
Regarding the excessive moderation of the forums (as well as nuking threads on Reddit) and flagging of reviews, I have started to realize one thing. The criticism is the thing I should hold most important if I want to grow as a person and make both my product and myself better in the future. That is why over the last month or so, a large amount of criticism found in reviews has started to impact the development of the game. I have purchased another set of expressions from the artist on board, I have edited past dialogue, re-written sections of the game, edited the user interface, etc...
It became apparent that if I didnt take any of this criticism to heart, my game would never grow and become better, nor would I change as a person. The game has changed immensely over the last month or so -- because I came to this realization instead of hiding behind a "block", "flag" or "ban" button. This is something I will never do again. I only want to grow from here.
I want to apologize to Mick, the Sergal species creator. I want to apologize to everyone that felt victimized because of the overzealous nature of my moderating and flagging. I want to apologize to Kalibur for not taking their advice and hiring a Public Relations Manager sooner.
And this is not just an off-hand apology. I genuinely apologize profusely.
I know there may be some that doubt the validity of this apology, so let me close with this statement. I did not shift the blame for my actions onto anybody else. I realize this solely lies on me. I also did not blame my actions on any stress or duress I may have been experiencing as harassment was directed towards me online. I am responsible for my actions, not any emotion, or outside source.
I also hope that the lack of controversy over the last month or so gives my apology more credence. I have tried my hardest to refrain from repeating any of my past actions, and I believe I did a good job at this. My PR Manager is great at teaching me what should and shouldn't be done.
I also hope that the payment of royalties helps Mick in her endeavor to make a living off of her creations. I am trying my hardest to do this as well, and I know this struggle. Best of luck to her.
In closing, I do believe that everyone is deserving of a second chance. I am working my absolute hardest to deliver a product that satisfies everyone. And I have done my best to embrace the criticism so that the appeal of my game only grows as we move forward. I believe that we are definitely on the right track as of now, and we will create something special as a community in the end.
I humbly ask for the forgiveness of those I have wronged in the community, and I look forward to the adventure we will embark upon together as the game runs its episodic course.
In forgiveness,
I am not ignorant to my mistakes.
I screwed up. I've done everything in my power to reverse this.
I will continue to do so every day into the future.
Kyle "Klace" Lambert