Some bad news for Renegade

Monday 8th July, 2002 · 0 comments
Posted by Roguey, .

Cliff "Devinoch" Hicks as posted the following statement on the official forums (here):
"Hello... I must be going. I came to say I cannot stay, I must be going... I'm glad I came, but just the same, I must be going..." -- Groucho Marx

It's bittersweet news for everyone, I'm sure, but I am leaving my post here as Community Manager for Renegade down at Westwood and transferring within EA up to Maxis, to work as Community Manager on Sim City 4. I've had a blast with everyone down here at Westwood, but the truth of the matter is that I'm homesick for San Francisco. I have some very important friends up there (*waves to Erin, Greg and Lizzie*) and if there's one thing I've learned in my years, it's that you need to do whatever it takes to keep yourself happy. And I will be happiest when I'm back in the Bay area again.

My last day as Renegade Community Manager will be the 10th of July, at which point Delphi will step into the role in addition to his duties on Generals. I love Westwood and I'm always going to be looking forward to their new games as much as I'm sure all of you are, but as the song goes, my heart belongs in San Francisco. My time here has been fantastic and I wouldn't give it up for the world. I'm sure I'll still be swinging by the message boards to post and keep up with the happenings, and you know you'll find me playing online every so often. Don't think of it as a farewell, but as adieu for now.

~d.

Cliff "Devinoch" Hicks
devinoch@westwood.com
Community Manager

This is a sad day Renegade without Cliff . KoTPaine posted in the official forums, the message was:
"I'm sorry to say this, but i'd like to qualify these remarks afterwards:

I think it's a crying shame that Westwood's "higher powers" do not live up to their word - Now, I've been in this community a long, long time... Close to five years, and ive been a hardcore WS games since Dune 2...

It's amazing how sturdy and productive the modding community has been (and for ages) without modding support whatsoever - In fact, it seems to have thrived in spite of the total lack of any help from Westwood - Guys like Matze (FinalSUN/Alert), Koen (TibED), and Olaf (XCC, Samah (Shai-Hulud2K from the old Dune 2000 Community) have nearly supported this community on their collective shoulders, doing what you guys should have been doing for years. Guys like Justin Pereira, DeeZire, Wildefire (God rest her soul), RVMECH, and a handful of others (Yes, even you ACK) have offered modding help to others, doing what you guys should have been doing for years.

I mean honestly, whatever happened to the patch for Yuri's Revenge we were promised(1.002) that you guys scrapped ? What about the Windows XP Fix for Final Alert 2 that is FINISHED, yet site on the shelf, because you guys can't even find the time to release it, even though Matze did this out of loyalty to US ? Again, doing what you guys should have been doing for years. Emperor ? Man, a world of potential was there, but buggy netcode, and again lack of a conviction to support for this game was done by fans ... Doing what you guys should have been doing.

I mean honestly - I dont mind shelling out for the games, but is it too much to ask that if you create a game, not to quit on it 3 months later ? Hell, where would the Dune community be without Jesse Reid (Gobalopper)?

On to Renegade... All we heard was how fantabulous the mod support was going to be... then after the game is released, we get some buggy crap with GMAX (ie RenX) that even the most hardore guys think is crap... plagued by bugs that are endless, etc. Then comes the word - Renegade will offer no Singleplayer mod support. C'MON GUYS, this community has been doing SP mods in WS games for ages (seemingly anyway). What gives?

Now, I will give credit where credit is due - the new version of the modding tools are a vast improvement, but believe me, you ALREADY lost all but us hardcore Westwood gamers and modders, and it's a crying shame. You guys have dropped the ball in so far as customer support time after time now, dating back to the very release of Tiberian Sun. No wonder the community is shrinking - Promise after promise is broken, until the fans get tired of it, and decide to move on.

Now, I see some people blaming EA for this, but this in fact is NOT the EA way. I own MANY EA games, and the support is phenomenal. Anyone ever play MOHAA ? I rest my case. And remember, it's easy to blame a scapegoat, but in fact EA gave life and longevity to this company when all of the other small game companies were being swallowed up (with any good franchises being basically moved to the new brand), then buried. EA infused much needed cash into WS, and despite this, They aren't learning.

I for one am happy as a pig in p00 that EA is doing C&C: Generals - I look forward to a C&C Franchise game that is not only (as always) entertaining, but will be given the full support afterwards that it deserves. I realize that many of you may disagree, but if EA does in fact live up to my expectations, Which will you remain loyal to ? The great C&C Franchise done correctly, or more broken promises ?

And before I go, I'd just like to say that despite my words now, I bleed C&C/Dune/RTS by what shoulda, woulda and coulda been a GREAT company if they had just supported the games, instead of throwing us a meaningless bone now and then. My sons were raised playing Dune 2/2000, and ALL the C&C titles (and even Blade Runner and Nox)- They loved them so much, I became a fan, designed levels, then put up a fansite - So before you question my words, remember this isn't something I enjoy saying, but "It is what it is", and I can't hold my tongue any longer about it.

Hell, I feel sorry for guys like Greg, Cliff, and Chris, who are left to explain to the LOYAL FANS that the promised support wont be forthcoming, and despite the lack of support from the "higher-ups", still manage to put a smile on their face and do the D4MNED BEST job they can do.

Long live the fans, and shame on the ones who had a wonderful thing but didnt care for it. We all get what we deserve, and this time will be no different.

Still bleeding Nod/Harkonnen red,

KoTPaine

PS - I wonder if any WS employees would actually comment on this..."
This thread has been deleted now by westwood and no westwood staff commented on it. The thing is that i agree with a lot of it, there was so much planned for Renegade such as the different game modes etc. (personally loved to seen CTF in tanks etc.) but it never got finished. The commuity as been getting smaller cos of them features were missing. The mod / map support i could never get into, and looks like westwood has dropped it before its finished. Releasing patches which are not tested? not a good sign. This site will stay but i dont know about a Generals site now.