MY opinion on some of what happened...which will probably not be noticed by anyone on these boards anyways is this...
Monte coming to WotC was not a unanimous decision. Some wanted him, others did not. SOME of those who were wary of him coming back to WotC did NOT make it easy for him, and in some ways may have made his life rather difficult at times. Hence it would go far beyond mere design quibbles IMO of course. It would involve other things, perhaps those difficulties extended into areas more noticeable than others, but overall I think that's the heart of the matter. There were some who definately were not being completely agreeable (at least one could say that) with Mr. Cook
It's a two way street though. It takes two to quibble, and two to tango. I don't think to say WotC is the big evil arena is fair, nor necessarily even the correct view.
One big thing I feel got Mr. Cook the job was that he WAS such a known figure in the gaming industry. His connection brought instant attention from particular groups within the RPG community of players and enthusiasts. In this he was being used...but I think he KNEW he was being used on that basis as well. Whether that was the right call to bring him in for that purpose or not probably has yet to be seen with it's ramifications.
I think WotC would benefit by at least appearing to use him for consultation if nothing else, as it keeps him connected, and hence those who follow him connected as well. However, ultimately it is their's and HIS call (remember, it takes two to tango, both with differences AND agreements).
I hope for him the best, and hope that he remains connected with those who love him at WotC, as well as those who are his devout followers.
I also think there is more to this than what is being seen up front, and probably best for BOTH parties if such information wasn't shared with everyone out there.
