Read on Twitter
It& #39;s good people are waking up to how bad cancel culture is. Like that time my $1000 game account got banned for a tweet as I was "unpersoned" from said game& #39;s community platforms.
It was easier than fixing the problems I guess, but ultimately very counter-productive.
It was easier than fixing the problems I guess, but ultimately very counter-productive.
Today this remains the only game I can recall being banned from. My second biggest infraction was a mere 3 day suspension in WoW back in 2015. It was the only such action before or since. I have over 400 days /played on that title.
Clearly I do not have a discipline issue.
Clearly I do not have a discipline issue.
To be banned from a game that isn& #39;t even in a testable state yet? That is the outlier.
I have ZERO issues with any other title I crowdfunded either in game or out of it.
Ashes of Creation is by far the exception for me, and more than a few others punished for wrongthink.
I have ZERO issues with any other title I crowdfunded either in game or out of it.
Ashes of Creation is by far the exception for me, and more than a few others punished for wrongthink.
So what happened? Well for 8 months all was quite well. Bans generally were rare, and obviously needed, such as overt racism on the discord.
Than we found out the "Alpha 1" test was actually a standalone battle royale game with a cash shop on it designed in secret.
Than we found out the "Alpha 1" test was actually a standalone battle royale game with a cash shop on it designed in secret.
I protested the use of an NDA on it. Protested the repeated extensions of that NDA.
In response, a harassment campaign was begun by members of the official discord. A formal complaint to head off the inevitable result of allowing such behavior was denied.
In response, a harassment campaign was begun by members of the official discord. A formal complaint to head off the inevitable result of allowing such behavior was denied.
This was there response. To be clear, the offenses reported by me included posting a disgusting video that was NOT my content while claiming it was, as well as posting tweets and other content I had created with NO relation to the game in order to create Unnecessary Drama.
These are the guidelines in force on the official discord at the time.
The very first one makes stirring unnecessary drama illegal. Ironically, THIS was the very same clause used to justify a permanent ban against me, ignoring progressive discipline entirely.
The very first one makes stirring unnecessary drama illegal. Ironically, THIS was the very same clause used to justify a permanent ban against me, ignoring progressive discipline entirely.
So yes, things did escalate far beyond anything I ever intended, but it was only because Intrepid Studios, and specifically Steven Sharif himself, engaged in provably biased enforcement to protect those who said "nice" things about his design choice, while punishing dissidents.
This process continued, inevitably leading to major issues because I refused to accept his decision. I still do, because it was wrong
Everything that happened after the unjust discord ban is on him, not me. I did what I had to do to seek appeal under the ludicrous process we had
Everything that happened after the unjust discord ban is on him, not me. I did what I had to do to seek appeal under the ludicrous process we had
That aside, I took a TREMENDOUS personal risk and upgraded my kickstarter account, spending $2350 in the process. I figured THIS would be enough to end the issue.
Oh no, he not only threw the money back at me, but threatened a LAWSUIT because I dared continue having an opinion!
Oh no, he not only threw the money back at me, but threatened a LAWSUIT because I dared continue having an opinion!
He terminated the account for terms that were in effect AFTER the account was transferred, but only after getting my personal information, including my ID to "process" the transaction.
They then denied it for reasons they had already been made aware of by me before asking for ID
They then denied it for reasons they had already been made aware of by me before asking for ID
Worse, he falsely accuses me of acting fraudulently in an attempt to deceive his company because I didn& #39;t use my real name on the NDA.
But the NDA did not ask for a real name. Heck, it was filled in with the game USER NAME.
I have the docusign metadata to prove this.
But the NDA did not ask for a real name. Heck, it was filled in with the game USER NAME.
I have the docusign metadata to prove this.
Intrepid Studios did not make any attempt to request or verify any sort of legal name until AFTER I had already proffered that I had used a pen name to sign the thing, under the very real concern that providing it would end up potentially putting me at risk.
As an act of good faith, I did anyway when it was requested to process the transaction. Along with my ID.
The next response I got were legal threats which used this personal information repeatedly, validating my concerns about sharing my real name with them unless I had to.
The next response I got were legal threats which used this personal information repeatedly, validating my concerns about sharing my real name with them unless I had to.
Here is how egregious this process was.
1)They sent the NDA where the second party was indeed my user name
2)Nowhere in the document I have in my records does it reference a legal name.
3)User name NDAs are not unusual, and a prior NDA I had signed was done under one.
1)They sent the NDA where the second party was indeed my user name
2)Nowhere in the document I have in my records does it reference a legal name.
3)User name NDAs are not unusual, and a prior NDA I had signed was done under one.
4)The document arrived with a signature already applied.
So to recap, they sent a signed NDA, to an unknown person, made no attempt to verify ID nor request a legal name, and then threaten to sue me for "deceiving" them? ABSURDITY.
So to recap, they sent a signed NDA, to an unknown person, made no attempt to verify ID nor request a legal name, and then threaten to sue me for "deceiving" them? ABSURDITY.
But this is how deep the bias against me runs. That the very act of me achieving Phoenix Initiative status, an act that for everyone else is a celebrated moment, resulted in threatening me with a lawsuit.
I note, there was NO BAN EVASION clause in the game-related Terms of Use.
I note, there was NO BAN EVASION clause in the game-related Terms of Use.
Included in this legal threat was a claim of defamation, made without a single example of the supposed libelous statements which is normally done.
Because they don& #39;t exist. What I said delved into a realm the creative director desperately wants to not have discussed at all.
Because they don& #39;t exist. What I said delved into a realm the creative director desperately wants to not have discussed at all.
So what did Mr Shariff do to achieve that aim?
Unban the guy he knows just wants his account back and for this drama to be over?
No, he further escalates the situation to ludicrous levels by threatening a lawsuit
A lawsuit which, even if they prevail, WILL likely ruin Intrepid
Unban the guy he knows just wants his account back and for this drama to be over?
No, he further escalates the situation to ludicrous levels by threatening a lawsuit
A lawsuit which, even if they prevail, WILL likely ruin Intrepid
And has he ever expressed remorse, as I have, for how things ended up? None at all.
By now he is quite aware his action in November 2018 drove me into dangerous levels of depression. Effectively ruining any quality of life I had for quite some time.
By now he is quite aware his action in November 2018 drove me into dangerous levels of depression. Effectively ruining any quality of life I had for quite some time.
If he wants the situation resolved, he can restore my community and game access which were wrongly taken.
Or continue as we are. Where nobody wins and nothing good ever comes of it.
I expect the later will happen. Because he& #39;s motivated by hatred, not logic or reason.
Or continue as we are. Where nobody wins and nothing good ever comes of it.
I expect the later will happen. Because he& #39;s motivated by hatred, not logic or reason.
I don& #39;t hate the man. I understand he was inexperienced in his position. He made a mistake. Then made several more related to it.
He thought by banning me I& #39;d go away. Here we are 19 months later. And I still have not accepted his decision.
He thought by banning me I& #39;d go away. Here we are 19 months later. And I still have not accepted his decision.
I guess the question is, will he go through litigation to avoid following his own community guidelines which excluded my personal twitter from consideration? His own community manager& #39;s public statements which assured out of game actions wouldn& #39;t apply to game discipline?
I don& #39;t know, but understand whichever choice he makes will likely result in an acceptable outcome for me.
I want this ban reversed. I& #39;d much prefer it happened under a mutual agreement where we all benefit.
But I will accept if it comes about because the game dies as well.
I want this ban reversed. I& #39;d much prefer it happened under a mutual agreement where we all benefit.
But I will accept if it comes about because the game dies as well.
It& #39;s a two button meme really:
"Keep Gigabear wrongly banned"
"Successfully launch Ashes of Creation."
Oh it won& #39;t be me that kills it. I& #39;m not making the threat of a frivolous SLAPP lawsuit to silence someone& #39;s opinion on the internet. But I will respond to it, obviously.
"Keep Gigabear wrongly banned"
"Successfully launch Ashes of Creation."
Oh it won& #39;t be me that kills it. I& #39;m not making the threat of a frivolous SLAPP lawsuit to silence someone& #39;s opinion on the internet. But I will respond to it, obviously.
I can prove every factual statement I have made in this thread. Absolutely not a single word of it is defamatory, nor intended to create any sort of misleading impression.
These events happened because a fledgling dev thought ruining someone& #39;s life over an opinion was ok.
These events happened because a fledgling dev thought ruining someone& #39;s life over an opinion was ok.
