The following was written by the Free Cities Sports Network today.
“Hey gang.
So.
This is probably not the Season 2 Episode 1 you were expecting. In our defense, we did record it and decided not to release it.
TL;DR – There will not be another episode of FCSN for the foreseeable future, and if I were a betting man, I’d say ever. You can quit reading here, if you want. If you continue, it’s a little of a winding path, but I’ll get to the end of the story.
Now that Scum’s out of the bag, I’ll elaborate for those of you still reading.
For those 3 or 4 of you that listened (we appreciate you guys!), by the end of last season, you probably detected some frustration on our behalf. Most certainly mine, as I tend to just say what I think when I feel it’s warranted. We ended Season 1 with a few ideas, a tentative list of episodes, and all three of us on the playtesting team.
I think Kye probably felt it first. He burns the candle at both ends and stays busy with family, hobbies, coaching (actual coaching – not the Guild Ball kind). So, the holidays hit and after that Coach Kye coaches his kiddos’ sports teams. Going into that, I think I could pick up on some burnout. Everything he was doing was exacerbated by the fact that, for two years, he’d tried to build his local meta. He was at the store every night. He was running the tournaments. He was busting his butt to get models and resources and swag into people’s hands.
I don’t know if it was Clinton or myself who started mentally checking out next, as he and I see each other almost every week. Unlike Kye, we actually did manage to successfully build a meta (12 players going strong in Tulsa!), and they consistently show up every Wednesday night. But, as the two of us made it through the holidays and a few months into the new year, we both bowed out of playtesting as well. It’s a handful dealing with 10 “new” players.
Things had been quiet on the FCSN front internally from the end of Season 1 until we decided to record the first episode of Season 2. Not what you’d expect from guys gung-ho about a game. We were prepped for recording the episode, and about 10 minutes prior to starting, I asked a very simple question.
Do we want to do this anymore?
The consensus was no. Not just no. But a no flooded with relief and a newfound sense of freedom. Which sucks, just as much for us, as it does for the 3 or 4 listeners we have. Oddly enough, the straw that broke the camel’s back was Adepticon – and Clinton and I weren’t even there for it. I remember going last year (my first con ever!) and having a total blast. I played like 3+ days of Guild Ball, met Mike and Michal, and couldn’t wait to go back. Things didn’t work out this year financially, so I planned for next year. We were hopeful for a great turnout (despite the general lack of push on the SFG front to get attendees) that it would be huge, based on things we’d heard about last year’s attendance and limited spots. Year two had to be better, right?
Wrong.
We hear from Kye at Adepticon. Clinton and I are totally jealous to hear how awesome it is.
The terrain is Warmachine terrain.
The TO (who I’m told was nice) has never played the game.
The only full day of gaming (10 players) is Thursday, 4 of which were Kye and 3 of his friends he brought.
And… there are no Gameplan decks.
So, Kye, being the hero that he is, runs back to the hotel to get his gameplan decks and tournament terrain, and gets things underway. He does, and he comes home, even more burnt out than before. Then, on April 11th, there’s the post from Jamie about Warmanchester:
“With Warmanchester solidifying its place as the largest Guild Ball tournament in the world! It’s only fitting to keep adding support for this side of the event.
Today we can proudly announce dedicated Guild Ball referee Myk Myers will be looking after you all weekend. Additionally, Myk is bringing his camera setup to livestream the top table games!”
Bet they have Game Plan decks at Warmanchester.
And so, we said screw it. After two years of fighting for feedback, for solutions, for support, for customer service, we felt like we were now simply fighting for respect. Maybe it’s just the need to make sure the baby is best on their side of the pond. I don’t know. But I realized that I was an idiot to invest more time in this. Why should I care so much, when they obviously care so little? More importantly, why am I surprised?
So, I’ll continue to play Guild Ball. It’s a wonderful child even if Mum and Dad prefer the prettier, stompier brother that makes them money so they don’t have to give a Ratcatcher’s ass about what the Guild Ball community might need, think, or want.
If you have questions, holler at me. If you want to burn me in effigy, have at it – I’m a carbon-based lifeform, and a little on the fatter side, so I’ll probably go up like a house on fire. Otherwise, I caution you to be careful how much you invest. You might just find yourself regretting it and wishing you’d supported a game and a company that did a better job of supporting you. (GBCP guys – you aren’t included here. You guys rule.)
Sincerely,
Jeromy (on behalf of Kye and Clinton)
P.S. Thanks for all the support. Wish this was a different message.
