A GAME OF THRONES = Dead!!!

[Banshee16]

Thankfully I ordered my copy from Amazon when it was first released, and didn't have any problems, so I'd suggest ordering from them.

I truly hope that Guardians of Order is just experiencing financial difficulties, but that they'll be able to resolve them. Not answering customer complaints is definitely a problem...but if they're down to one guy, and he's getting hundreds of nasty e-mails every, it's possible that he's entirely backed off providing answers until he actually *has* an answer.

I would suggest that if there are some who pre-ordered the book, and have still not received it, they should probably contact their credit card company, and advise them that the charge was illicit, or made by a company that has failed to deliver the product you purchased. There is a good chance they may be able to reverse the transaction. I'm pretty sure credit cards offer some protection against this kind of problem.

Personally, I hope they manage to turn things around, and get back on track, even if it takes a while. This is a good example of why, IMO, preordering a product before it's completed is never a good idea....at least from smaller companies.

Banshee

 

[Piratecat]

This it?

Thanks, guys - got it! (I was searching for Guardians of Order, not S&SS.)

 

[Bront]

The influence system creates, for really the first time, a playable game system for inter-character relations that don't have to involve bloodletting.

Remind me to stay away from your parties, that sounds scary.

I've never had a big problem with interacting with others in game, using mechanics or no, though admittedly we play fairly fast and loose with the diplomacy rules. However, I'll admit something different does intrigue me.,

 

[Voadam]

Not if it's what I think.

Yes.

The fact that your statement reflects your thoughts honestly is irrelevant to whether your statement is insulting.

 

[Alzrius]

Can anyone provide backing for all the outcry over GoO being effectively dead? I don't mean just a link to their forums and saying "look around," I mean are there any posts specifically by freelancers saying they haven't been paid, or announcements from GoO asking for donations, or anything substantive regarding this?

I'm not saying anyone's a liar, but I'd like to see a bit more than angry posts before GoO is written off entirely.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Can anyone provide backing for all the outcry over GoO being effectively dead? I don't mean just a link to their forums and saying "look around," I mean are there any posts specifically by freelancers saying they haven't been paid, or announcements from GoO asking for donations, or anything substantive regarding this?

I'm not saying anyone's a liar, but I'd like to see a bit more than angry posts before GoO is written off entirely.

Well, there's been no company announcement since February and that's roughly the last contact I think any of us had with Mark.

Check this thread: About halfway down the page, Steve Trustrum talks about his troubles with GoO as a Magnum Opus client... That's GoO's publishing program to help RPG designers get their games distributed.
http://www.guardiansorder.com/boards/showthread.php?t=1015

I don't recall GoO ever asking for donations. They just clammed up and pulled a disappearing act...

 

[Banshee16]

Well, there's been no company announcement since February and that's roughly the last contact I think any of us had with Mark.

Check this thread: About halfway down the page, Steve Trustrum talks about his troubles with GoO as a Magnum Opus client... That's GoO's publishing program to help RPG designers get their games distributed.
http://www.guardiansorder.com/boards/showthread.php?t=1015

I don't recall GoO ever asking for donations. They just clammed up and pulled a disappearing act...

None of that is proof that they're bankrupt though. It could be that, yes, they're in financial difficulty, they're down to one guy, that one guy is overloaded trying to juggle all the balls in play, and as a result, isn't responding, and maybe won't respond until he can give a definitive answer.

GoO wouldn't be the only company that hasn't updated it's site in a few months. I know companies that haven't updated their sites in years...

Someone is still paying for that website, and those online forums to be active. Hence, something's still going on, unless they paid for an annual billing package, so are still covered for several months, and then when it expires, everything just disappears. My gut is telling me that is not quite what's going on, though..

Their domain records indicate the domain itself doesn't come up for renewal until at November, at least. They don't indicate, however, whether the servers are still being paid for...only Dreamhost could relay that information.

Banshee

 

[Son_of_Thunder]

Has GRRM said anything recently about GoO?

 

[Teflon Billy]

I am bitter and jaded. No offense, but I don't understand your attitude. Would you be happy paying $115 for a pdf?

I did get my hardcopy of AGOT (very late) and my pdf--in fact, it was me who made such a fuss to Mark that he finally gave us the pdf because the hardcopies were so late. It was also me who demanded (and got) pdfs of the bonus gifts released--without which DLE preorder customers would have been completely shafted. But I never get any credit!

What are you looking for exactly? A medal? A cookie? A round of Applause?

What kind of "Credit" do you think you deserve?

Because that would mean the power was in the hands of the consumer, rather than the lord and master publisher being free to abuse his customers and hand out crumbs whenever he felt generous.

Power?

Let's face it: Most people are perfectly happy being sheep no matter how many times they get fleeced, but not me. I won't stand for it and I will lead the charge for consumer rights every time my rights are violated--no matter how many others mindlessly suckup to the very people ripping them off! These sheep gladly drink the contemptuous spit the publisher rains down upon them and then villify me for getting them what they paid for, LOL. They'll take any excuse, no matter how lame (the dog ate my company)--heck, they'll even take no excuse at all! They'll just smile and say, "Oh, well--I hope I get what I paid for someday!"

You are coming across a lot like an entirely different lunatic on these boards. He also goes on about folk who deal with things differently than him "Being sheep" as well.

You are not some noble crusader man on a mission from God man, you are (or appear to be) someone who whined on a messageboard about a company who was in the process of folding their tents.

GoO was a one-man operation at that point and by all accounts that one man was trying to make a go of it.

He took time out of trying to make it work to release .pdfs to you. Here is your medal---> :\

I don't get it. I've been in business long enough to know you don't treat customers that way and I've been ripped-off often enough to know what to do about it. You shine a great big light on the subject, so the rip-off artist has nowhere left to hide and must start complying with your demands or else give up the ghost.

Tell that to the Credit Card companies you mentioned ripping off earlier. Or, alterantely, you can get off your high horse.

I remember I started a business once because I'd been ripped off by a total scumbag idiot who lied and cheated me and refused to make it right. I started a competing business and badmouthed him everywhere I could, along with his rip-off buddies running similar businesses. My smear campaign (and superior customer service) worked, because I'd driven him and several of his buddies out of business within 6 months to a year. Eventually, I crushed nearly all of my competition and delighted in their downfalls, not only for my bottom line, but because I had cleaned up the market and made it safer for consumers. Eventually, all good things come to an end, and 10 years later when I had to bankrupt the business (due to changing market conditions that made it untenable), I made sure I didn't rip-off any of my customers or freelancers--without whom, I would never would have had the success that I enjoyed.

I was under the impression from what you said earlier that you made the Credit Card companies eat your loss for you.

In your opinion, are certain business interests more deserving of being ripped off than others?

Or is it wrong right across the board?

PS: I think it was Palladium who was very upfront about their problems and handled it well, raising $100k in short order to keep going. GoO should have taken a lesson in how not to go under from Kevin Siembieda instead of clamming up.

If you say so. It was my understanding that Mr. Siembieda had grossly overstated his losses to drum up sympathy and is now selling bags of basically garbage for 100 bucks, but my information is (at least) secondhand.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I picked up AGoT when I found a really, really old B&N gift certificate and that was the most expensive thing in the RPG section. I liked the books (although I'm starting to cool to them the further they progress), and was curious to see how they would pull off the setting.

I must say I didn't care for most of the artwork. It is certainly well done technically, for the most part, and the production values on the book are top notch. I just didn't care for the style -- it reminded me way too much of the Sunday-school religious comic books with the static poses and coloring.