110775-gaffer-resigns-as-president

== Content ==
			
What do you guys think of the future of Wildstar with Mr. Gaffer resigning?
 
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/110765-taking-on-a-new-role-with-carbine-studios/	
----
			
I wish him all the best, in private and professionally.
 
Thanks for being forthcoming. Take care of yourself and yours.
 
 
Cheers,
Tex	
----
			Currently i see only good changes coming, so i have no need for doom and gloom.	
----
			Looking at his post most likely got overworked.	
----
			I really liked his mix of no BS with commitment to customer satisfaction which led to Carbine developing a pretty awesome MMO. This happened before with Scott Hartsman leaving Trion entirely when they canned their breakneck patch schedule for more periodic ones. Alas, Scott Hartsman came back as CEO of Trion this time and things in Rift started looking better. I wouldn't count Gaffney out for the long-term. If he loves what he does enough he will be back to get his hands dirty with Wildstar or some other company at some point. I wish him the best of luck in the short and long term, however, as he's an industry juggernaut who's attitude is sadly going MIA in video games more and more.	
----
			
I didn't even know he'd had cancer.
 
Kindly surprised he stuck around to see the launch.  I think if I let potentially lethal cancer sit for more than a month, my wife would carve it out herself with a melon baller.	
----
			
Have to agree with Tex. I wish him all the best in everything.
 
I don't see this being an issue for Carbine. This hasn't been his first successful and self-sustaining project and probably won't be his last; he's a successful leader and creator.	
----
			          I saw one of the Wildstar streams and Mr. Gaffney made an appearance and chatted awhile. For a company president that was pretty cool but when he got up to leave and sporting the shorts and flip-flops was awesome! This and the teams willingness to show up, get grilled with questions and such made me want to get to Nexus as fast as I could.  Your post says you will be consulting with Carbine and NCsoft  so your not leaving,  just easing the schedule back to take some time for yourself and to heal up. You and your team have made an awesome game and I will continue to have a blast running around in it :)     My family has a nasty history with cancer as well so I am very happy you got taken care of. Please take the time to get better and have some fun ( Chua anything should brighten your day... spent 10min last night jumping and down and laughing at the expression :D  ) ! Best wishes and look forward to your next post!	
----
			
I too wish him well. More importantly I am glad to hear about the improvement in his health as I have lost friends to cancer.
 
As to the future of Wildstar, that rests in the hands of NCSoft the owner.	
----
			
Two things:
- I wonder why buster locked your first one and not this one... unless he unlocked this one.
 
- I don't think anyone outside of Carbine employees will see any discernible difference.	
----
			Cancer is one hell of a wake up call. I'm just thankful that something like that happened to me yet. I wish him luck on his future.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Two things:
- I wonder why buster locked your first one and not this one... unless he unlocked this one.
 
- I don't think anyone outside of Carbine employees will see any discernible difference.
----
			
I thank him for his honest post about the topic, but it seems some people are focusing on the personal reason (skin cancer that was removed and successfully treated), and ignoring the little bit that followed that relates to Carbine/NCSOFT, that suggests why he's really leaving at this time.
 
"On the professional front, when you lead a team this size in a company this size, there are a variety of strong opinions on every major decision. It’s been a pleasure helping steer us through to launch, but I think having one less strong opinion in the mix can be a good thing too. Even if I’m always right, of course."
 
My take on that is he was *cupcake*-blocked on moving forward the way he wanted to by NCSOFT and with the wake-up call of mortality, said *cupcake* this, life's too short to put up with all the bs and walked away for sanity sake.
 
I get the feeling Wildstar's direction is changing, and we'll see where it goes now.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
My take on that is he was *cupcake*-blocked on moving forward the way he wanted to by NCSOFT and with the wake-up call of mortality, said *cupcake*this, life's too short to put up with all the bs and walked away for sanity sake.
 
I get the feeling Wildstar's direction is changing, and we'll see where it goes now.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Two things:
- I wonder why buster locked your first one and not this one... unless he unlocked this one.
 
- I don't think anyone outside of Carbine employees will see any discernible difference.
----
			Probably a good idea NCSoft is steering wildstar in the right direction considering the state it is now.	
----
			So it begins.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
So it begins.
----
			
I wish Mr. Gaffner luck in his new endeavors.
 
With this major shift in idealism, I wonder what will happen.
 
Will the game be more friendly to casuals?  Will it go F2P as a possible option (hopefully not IMO)?  Things became very uncertain.	
----
			so long and thanks for all the laser beams	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Currently i see only good changes coming, so i have no need for doom and gloom.
----
			I see the game may be going to be more casual friendly as they could just use guest accounts as free trials.	
----
			
I think this next drop and how the devs map out what development will look like past that will be a good indicator on how the game will shift.  It will be interesting to see.  The impression I get on this is that there have been major disagreements in game direction and vision at the leadership level.
 
To be honest, the current vision of wildstar (bring back the glory days of vanilla wow) did not work.  I think right now the game is in a tough position because at it really has going for it right now is the telegraph system and the housing system, both of which are the only really unique aspects of the game.  When you look at raiding, WoW is still the king and RIFT still has a very strong presence.
 
Personally, I decided to take a short break, just logging in to do scorchwing and my daily weaponsmithing chip.  Aside from that and maybe 1-2 hrs of RP a week, I'm back on Skyrim (the ultimate backup game, it never gets old because everytime you let it sit, 1000+ new mods come out).
 
I hope that whoever steps into Mr. Gaffer's shoes brings the development team together in some sort of harmony towards a common vision.  Hopefully one that is spurned in response to the player feedback.	
----
			Cmon be serious, Rift has a strong presence? The raiding in WS is pretty great and a lot of people in my raid joke how GA trash does things similar things to SWToR raid bosses (I don't know I don't play SWToR), bosses are also really fun to kill and fairly difficult. I think the changes we know that will be coming are all the nerfs/buffs that need to be done to the game's progression/RNG issues.	
----
			Reducing/eliminating tediousness is always a good direction.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I think if I let potentially lethal cancer sit for more than a month, my wife would carve it out herself with a melon baller.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I wish him all the best, in private and professionally.
 
Thanks for being forthcoming. Take care of yourself and yours.
 
 
Cheers,
Tex
----
			I dunno if they are spinning this or what but if he was the driving force behind the philosophy that's driving this game the change is unfortunate but welcome. He always came off as pretty old school. I appreciated his frankness in some of the earlier interviews. Good luck to him in what ever he pursues. Wildstar didn't set the world ablaze but it is what I have been waiting for from a mechanics standpoint(even though I've quit at least 4 times lol). I might have finally found that game that ruined traditional MMORPG mechanics for me. It took long them long enough:)	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
This.
It's just crazy (literally...) dedication to put your baby (Wildstar) before your health to this extent.
I can't say I approve of such behavior, but I do have a weird kind of respect for it and... as fans of the game I guess we should... appreciate it? It's kind of weird. :unsure:
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Cancer is bad, yes. As far as cancer goes, though, skin cancer ain't the worst. I'm sure he knew what he was doing.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I think this next drop and how the devs map out what development will look like past that will be a good indicator on how the game will shift.  It will be interesting to see.  The impression I get on this is that there have been major disagreements in game direction and vision at the leadership level.
 
To be honest, the current vision of wildstar (bring back the glory days of vanilla wow) did not work.  I think right now the game is in a tough position because at it really has going for it right now is the telegraph system and the housing system, both of which are the only really unique aspects of the game.  When you look at raiding, WoW is still the king and RIFT still has a very strong presence.
 
Personally, I decided to take a short break, just logging in to do scorchwing and my daily weaponsmithing chip.  Aside from that and maybe 1-2 hrs of RP a week, I'm back on Skyrim (the ultimate backup game, it never gets old because everytime you let it sit, 1000+ new mods come out).
 
I hope that whoever steps into Mr. Gaffer's shoes brings the development team together in some sort of harmony towards a common vision.  Hopefully one that is spurned in response to the player feedback.
----
			I'm hoping they got him a life-sized stuff Chua for a going away present.	
----
			Good on ya Mr. Gaffney, health comes first..  No one ever arrived at the Pearly Gates saying "I wish I'd spent more time in the office."  Best wishes.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Cmon be serious, Rift has a strong presence? The raiding in WS is pretty great and a lot of people in my raid joke how GA trash does things similar things to SWToR raid bosses (I don't know I don't play SWToR), bosses are also really fun to kill and fairly difficult. I think the changes we know that will be coming are all the nerfs/buffs that need to be done to the game's progression/RNG issues.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I wish him all the best, in private and professionally.
 
Thanks for being forthcoming. Take care of yourself and yours.
 
 
Cheers,
Tex
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Im possibly one to have a little bit more doom and gloom to be honest, it is shocking to see the news in both cases, stepping down and his cancer related life-check.
 
But at the end of it all, it also comes across that he is taking that decision to help Wildstar too. Its no surprise to anyone to know that Wildstars population is dwindling, its development team has been a little less public as of late as it seems to be moving in a direction of down-scaling - which is understandable as it happens to most MMOs at this time of launch, its more or less backed up by how they're focusing towards a big patch rather then very little ones every so often, the same for content updates too.
 
As things start to consolidate and as investors and financial teams start to get they're whips out, it is undoubtedly a tidge messy right now. Question is though, will Wildstar benefit long-term, given NCSofts track history ^^
 
I really hope it does, as Gaff said - a no-name IP to a kickass, widely recognized MMO IP that has its own little bits of merchandise, an entire world of lore and really so, oh so many possibilities - is a rare thing in today's MMO world, The Secret World was the last that managed it.. kinda.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I'm hoping they got him a life-sized stuff Chua for a going away present.
----
			Serious don't think you can keep everyone happy in a game. 	
----
			
Just want to wish him the best of luck, to him and his family, and glad he'll be around to continue enjoying his family!
 
Having just lost my father-in-law to cancer not quite two weeks ago, well...it's important to take care of yourself and regardless of any game, I'm glad to hear he's in a position to do that now.	
----
			I'm scared! I love Wildstar for the challenge and I'm afraid changes like this will only lead to more and more casual content. I wish people would just take it for what it is instead of demanding terrible changes only to quit the next week. If you want casual, cookie-cutter, holding-the-hand, don't-have-to-look-at-the-screen-to-be-good MMO, there's plenty of time to waste in WoW, SWTOR, FFXIV, ESO... and did I read RIFT..? Seriously? If you can't do it, the game doesn't need to change; you just suck and need to rethink your genre.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I'm scared! I love Wildstar for the challenge and I'm afraid changes like this will only lead to more and more casual content. I wish people would just take it for what it is instead of demanding terrible changes only to quit the next week. If you want casual, cookie-cutter, holding-the-hand, don't-have-to-look-at-the-screen-to-be-good MMO, there's plenty of time to waste in WoW, SWTOR, FFXIV, ESO... and did I read RIFT..? Seriously? If you can't do it, the game doesn't need to change; you just suck and need to rethink your genre.
----
			Stay healthy and good luck!!!	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
My take on that is he was *cupcake*-blocked on moving forward the way he wanted to by NCSOFT and with the wake-up call of mortality, said *cupcake*this, life's too short to put up with all the bs and walked away for sanity sake.
 
I get the feeling Wildstar's direction is changing, and we'll see where it goes now.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I thank him for his honest post about the topic, but it seems some people are focusing on the personal reason (skin cancer that was removed and successfully treated), and ignoring the little bit that followed that relates to Carbine/NCSOFT, that suggests why he's really leaving at this time.
 
"On the professional front, when you lead a team this size in a company this size, there are a variety of strong opinions on every major decision. It’s been a pleasure helping steer us through to launch, but I think having one less strong opinion in the mix can be a good thing too. Even if I’m always right, of course."
 
My take on that is he was *cupcake*-blocked on moving forward the way he wanted to by NCSOFT and with the wake-up call of mortality, said *cupcake*this, life's too short to put up with all the bs and walked away for sanity sake.
 
I get the feeling Wildstar's direction is changing, and we'll see where it goes now.
----
			As someone who put himself in the hospital with pneumonia by (over)working a job I cared about, I have nothing but respect for his decision.Those of you looking for flaws in his statement and reasoning, or just not sympathetic to the amount of work the guy's done and what it cost him, just stop. You clearly don't get it.It's not a conspiracy. There aren't big secret reasons they're not telling you. There aren't even big obvious one's he's not admitting.The man worked long and hard to launch the game, at the cost of his own health, and now he's decided the period after launch is a good time to bow out and re-prioritize. While not in the gaming industry, I've had it happen to me. And as a player of these games for decades, I've seen very similar things (without the health scare) happen in games that did well and games that did poorly. It's how the industry works, and there's nothing sinister about it happening again with Wildstar.Running a Live game is a fundamentally different job than launching one. It's a marathon not a sprint, and it takes different skills. I can't say if Gaffer has those skills or not, but if he feels he doesn't or he feels the other people staying are better suited, then it's a GOOD thing for him to step down. Not a betrayal, not a lack of conviction.	
----
			Any word on who, if anyone, will be occupying his position now that he's 'stepped down'?	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Any word on who, if anyone, will be occupying his position now that he's 'stepped down'?
----
			
 I don't see this game going F2P maybe B2P with a monthly option and a vanity cash shop theres to much interest in credd to allow that to happen anytime soon.. well at least that's my observation.
I wouldn't be surprised however to see more content focused on casual players as well as some difficulty adjustments to help iron out some of the wrinkles in the game.. its pretty obvious that the hardcore community is starting to run into recruitment issues and it will continue until the monkey wrench stops the gears.	
----
			Do not kid yourselves.  Even if he had cancer (HAD being the key word as he beat the cancer) he is stepping down which is usually not a good sign in any business or company.  When the captain abandons ship, regardless of reason it leaves the ship rudderless for a while.  On the positive side, if the right person comes into the position there is the potential to get the ship back on course.  One thing is for sure....I would hate to be the person taking on that position as they have a big role to take on and a lot of major changes to be implemented.  Lets hope for the best.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
 I don't see this game going F2P maybe B2P with a monthly option and a vanity cash shop theres to much interest in credd to allow that to happen anytime soon.. well at least that's my observation.
I wouldn't be surprised however to see more content focused on casual players as well as some difficulty adjustments to help iron out some of the wrinkles in the game.. its pretty obvious that the hardcore community is starting to run into recruitment issues and it will continue until the monkey wrench stops the gears.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Do not kid yourselves.  Even if he had cancer (HAD being the key word as he beat the cancer) he is stepping down which is usually not a good sign in any business or company.  When the captain abandons ship, regardless of reason it leaves the ship rudderless for a while.  On the positive side, if the right person comes into the position there is the potential to get the ship back on course.  One thing is for sure....I would hate to be the person taking on that position as they have a big role to take on and a lot of major changes to be implemented.  Lets hope for the best.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
The core design isn't an issue. They just can't be slow to change/shift their Philosophy. Most of what's wrong is superficial. 
----
			
@Lemurian - you have misinterpreted my post.  I was not questioning whether he had cancer...of that I am sure he did of course.  I was rather insinuating that he HAD cancer in the sense that he had it, it has been gone and beaten for some time now, and now that if he has beaten the cancer 100% - which he has, then technically he could stay on at Carbine.  The fact that he is staying on as a consultant just means they will hire him to help out if he is needed, but he has effectively moved on to something else.  He even points out that stating he will "spend more time with family" is a common excuse used when people have been pushed out the door, and then he goes and uses that same excuse himself.
I have respect for the work he has done, I am just thinking there is much more going on here than we know.  If the game had been extremely successful I would highly doubt he would be moving on like this, especially since he is 100% healthy now.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
This. Just look at the PvP section after a few minor tweaks last patch.
People jumping for joy, making gratitude threads.
 
It's obvious there's a large number of potential resubbers just waiting to jump back in if, if their issues are fixed.
We just have to hope that change comes fast enough for enough returners.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I wish him all the best, in private and professionally.
 
Thanks for being forthcoming. Take care of yourself and yours.
 
 
Cheers,
Tex
----
			The man deserves a break, regardless of Wildstars state, we all know the ship isn't run by just the captain, so our voyage continues, possibly in a new direction.	
----
			
^^^ If he deserves a break that's what vacations are for, not quitting now that he is 100% health.  If he needed an especially long break then he could take a month off or something.  Anyways he has accomplished a lot and made a great game, but lets face the facts- many people foresaw this change coming based off the state of the game, and many in these very forums even said NC Soft would start pressing changes fast to get the game on track.  That's what I truly believe is going on here.
 
A game literally razor focused on the 2% hardcore was a great idea, but guess what?  Here come the changes to get realistic.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
^^^ If he deserves a break that's what vacations are for, not quitting now that he is 100% health.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
^^^ If he deserves a break that's what vacations are for, not quitting now that he is 100% health.  If he needed an especially long break then he could take a month off or something. 
----