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Paul Trowe criticism on Kickstarter update


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Hey, gang. Maybe you've seen this on the Kickstarter comments page; maybe you haven't. Here it is, in all its dubious glory:

 

So 6 days have gone by with no update from Chris Pope or Scott/Mark. They obviously ran out of money. If you couldn't read between the lines on the update, let me spell it out for you: "we did lose one of our Unity programmers due to him having another contract to take on". This means they either a) weren't paying him/her any money OR B) we're paying him/her so little that the person needed to take on a job to pay the rent.

I know what it's like to run out of money on a Kickstarter because we went WAY over budget with our Leisure Suit Larry Kickstarter. A ton of stuff cost more than we budgeted for, and took way longer than we thought it would, BUT WE STILL DELIVERED an awesome game. How did we do that? We did it because we had a real company pulling in money for other avenues of revenue from Replay Games. I seriously think they're out of money are are up shit's creek without a paddle.

I honestly don't think they have an answer for any of this or else all the issues below would have been addressed by now.

When we did our Kickstarter we did an update every 2 weeks and we're completely transparent about needing to find a new development team, why we were late, and so forth. At some point you've got to ask yourself, what are they hiding and why?

 

Source: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spaceventure/two-guys-spaceventure-by-the-creators-of-space-que/posts/615568?cursor=4596069#comment-4596068

 

If you're late to the party, meet Paul Trowe. He's the CEO of Replay, who did the Leisure Suit Larry remake. And he's taking a mighty big interest in what the Two Guys are doing, for reasons that we of course can only speculate about (but are really quite obvious when you think about it).

 

It's no secret that the SpaceVenture project has had a rocky ride -- first with people sabotaging the Kickstarter funding itself, and now with difficulties in the programming department. That a programmer left because he "wasn't being paid," however, is pure speculation on Paul's part.

 

This isn't the first time Paul Trowe has tried his best to sow distrust in Chris Pope as manager/producer of the SpaceVenture. The irony is that he's calling out for transparency when, as some of you Superfans already know, Pope and 2GFA were planning a big announcement on the 16th where everything would be revealed.

 

What are your thoughts on this whole shebang?

 

Update: Paul's response to the negative backlash:

 

Wow, talk about a bunch of trolls!!! I backed this project myself and came to check on it ONCE since February since things finally started slowing down. My company didn't back this project I DID, and I'm entitled to say whatever I want to say about it. If it's out of line or violates Kickstarter's Terms & Conditions, then it'll be removed. I do apologize for causing so much drama, but I don't apologize for what I said. I don't have faith in this project anymore and I think the demo was flat out awful. If any of you made any games I would have heard of (and can verify in the credits), then you are entitled to say something to rebut my argument. But the fact is, you haven't the slightest clue what it takes to make a real game and all you can do is bad mouth me because I expressed my own opinion and it's not like yours. Well guess what, it's a free world and I can say what I want about a project I backed, end of story.

 

And as for you Tom King, I have plenty of stories about you too and why Al won't answer your emails anymore or listen to "your side" of any story. Grow up, Tom. You call me unprofessional? That's a joke.

 

If I were venting my opinion as the CEO of Replay then that's one thing, but here I'm a consumer of a project I backed and have no faith in. So go troll on spacequest.net and gossip about me because honestly, I won't lose sleep over anything you guys have to say about me.

 

Good night.

Source: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spaceventure/two-guys-spaceventure-by-the-creators-of-space-que/posts/615568?cursor=4620757#comment-4620756

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I've obviously shared my thoughts on this on the Kickstarter comment page itself, but I'm glad we're having a discussion about it here too.

 

I'd personally like to urge you other fans to either ignore Paul or let him know, politely, that his services are not requested. Finding dirt on Paul actually isn't very difficult, considering he's been covering his tracks with about the same grace as an elephant in a porcelain store.

 

But here's the thing: we're better and, well-documented delays aside, we're getting an original game. We're not getting a remake and we're not getting a "Space Quest" game licenced from Activision. There's no CEO involved who'll poke and prod the Guys till they change the interface during development. Nosiree. We're getting a brand new and exciting sci-fi comedy adventure game from Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe. We can afford to be better.

 

Paul seems to have the idea that this is a black and white 1960's thriller where he can drive Chris Pope mad by continuously harassing him. I say we ignore him and his sad delusions.

 

tl;dr SpaceVenture is happening, the Guys have finally gone independent and there's nothing Paul "I like to pretend I'm Ken Williams" Trowe can do about it.

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Good call, Fred.

 

It's worth reiterating that there will be a grand Kickstarter update to shed light on the status of the project and what the difficulties have been on October 16th.

 

That announcement/update was actually planned before Paul made his comment, so it's kind of annoying that he's accusing 2GFA of being secretive and sly and not giving out any information, which makes it seem like the update is a direct reaction to his criticism. It isn't. :)

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Paul Troll again? I thought the hatchet was buried and a deal made (as stated by Josh Mandel) that would insure his silence. It's not fair. 2GFA and Chris Pope have been nothing but supportive of Replay's endeavours (even advertising and promoting then in their updates) and, as far as I know, haven't said a single negative thing against them, have they? Is he really just so butthurt over them not joining forces with Replay? Or is he really just a troll? I just don't get it. If you don't like it then fine, but leave us alone who are grateful and trying to enjoy it. Wait until it fails, at least, before badmouthing it.

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I'll be honest here. I'm not a bit surprised. Dealing with Paul on a somewhat regular basis, give or take, I've gotten used to his behaviour. I'm convinced that he's some some major bipolar things going on. I've actually had a discussion with him about this. He's convinced that SpaceVenture is gonna tank. Don't tell him I said this, though. :wacko:

 

I shared with him that I'm a bit nervous due to the lack of communication but that I still had faith in the project. After all the money I put in the campaign I've got to be optimistic that it'll be a great spiritual successor to Space Quest. This is just a good case of foot-in-mouth disease.

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Why does he hate it so much, though? Just because they're not working with him instead? I mean honestly, I would have loved to see a new Space Quest (not a remake), but I'm much more excited about a new game. And I believe in them to finish.

 

Also, you just posted on a public forum so anyone can read it. :) And Paul has been here before.

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In my view, there would have to be a lot more than bipolar disorder going on. Granted, I haven't had the "pleasure" of dealing with the man himself, but I am privy to a certain amount of inside information that I've pretty much sworn I'll never share. Suffice to say, Paul Trowe is anything but your average Joe.

 

I don't personally mind that he doesn't believe in the project. He's not the first and he probably won't be the last. That's part of the package when it comes to crowdfunding, and even to adventure games. But he's been exploiting his professional status to privately harass Scott and Mark (especially the former), to deliberately delay the project and to discredit Chris Pope. There's documentation for every claim I've made here available. Some of it widely; I find it important to note that there are no baseless accusations in this thread.

 

I may come across as outrageously unsympathic here, but I don't even care much if he's suffering from mental disorders. If he is, I'm sorry for him, of course, and I hope he eventually seeks treatment, but a mental disorder is just not a licence to be as much an asshole as he has been since this campaign kicked off. There's just no excuse.

 

The funniest, and most tragic, thing in all of this is that he seems to really expect that Scott and Mark will jump ship and join Replay. It's just so obvious that he's aiming for that to happen. Is he really that delusional? At this point, it's a no-win scenario for him. Even if he was to step in and replace Chris Pope, his reputation would forever be in ruins among us "Space Quest" fans, and some of us might even choose to end our support for the project if this was to happen. I love Scott and Mark dearly, but I would personally pretty much be done with this, were it helmed by Paul Trowe. Just as I wholeheartedly support Al and Josh returning to the industry, but wouldn't dream of throwing money after the Replay LSL games.

 

And yes, Brandon is very right that this discussion is happening publicly. In my view, there's nothing harmful about that. Paul Trowe presumably knows that what he's doing is not okay by any definition, so we may as well talk about it. There's the old saying that "silence gives consent" and while I don't want to play as dirty as Paul clearly does, he sure as hell isn't going to catch me accepting this kind of behaviour either.

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That "don't tell Paul" was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. The thing with him is that he could be showering praises one minute and the next he's digging into something else. I don't think there's any rhyme or reason to his behaviour. Yes, his attacks on the likes of SpaceVenture and Sam Suede were rather off-putting and offensive. I didn't care for that then and I certainly don't stand for it now. In fact, I backed the latter just because of his rant towards the developers and felt they deserved some lovin' afterwards.

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Ditto. I'm so sick of this guy. Every time you think he's gone he comes back. He sounds like a 12-year-old.

 

Also, why hasn't he gone after Pinkerton Road and Phoenix Online for the GK1 remake? You'd think he'd be all over criticising them as HE'S obviously supposed to be the one taking on all licenses for old Sierra remakes and sequels. I'm surprised he's so quiet about it. Or even Moebius. Why isn't he upset with Jane Jensen for not joining him? Or Jim Walls and Precinct? Why does he dislike SpaceVenture and co so much?

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Probably has to do with Chris Pope being a rookie within the game industry. Maybe Paul has a special relationship with "Space Quest" or Scott and Mark. And then this social media guy who has never worked on a game comes along and has the audacity to help the Guys start up their own game company.

 

Again, I think the tragedy of all this is that Paul is doomed to fail no matter how much he pisses on the parade. He's never, ever going to work with Scott and Mark. I hope he has a moment of clarity some day where he realises how pathetic his little crusade is.

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Please take what I have to say below with a grain of salt, as it is only my immediate sense on the matter. Nonetheless, given that I probably don't have as much know-how or background information as some of you guys do on Trowe, given what I did witness him saying here on this board months ago, and what he's just posted now on the update, here is what I honestly think; clear-cut, and non-sugar-coated. I could be wrong on some points or even on all, but anyhow:

 

If you ask me, Paul does believe in the project, and he does not believe that it is going to fail, and that is why he is behaving the way that he is. He is jealous of the Two Guys. He is jealous of the uniqueness and quality of the product they're producing, in comparison to his own resevoir of accomplishments at replay, and he is threatened by the idea of the project being finished and being successful.

 

I also believe that some of the influence to his sour behavior roots back to some bad blood between him and Mr. Scott Murphy, and the possibility that Paul, in some twisted sense, feels that Scott owes him something, because, unfortunately, Mr. Trowe doesn't seem to possess a true understanding of the concept of "charity" towards a friend. He seems, for example, to hold the unfortunate misconception that charity by definition means to help someone who is desperately in need so that you can grow him/her as a plant later on, only to cash in for your "friendly deed," because that is the easiest and most personally beneficial application of the virtue. (See Paul's attitude here)

 

And, I also believe that holding the position of CEO of a company implies it's own unique stresses.

 

And I think, as others have mentioned already, that he is also jealous of Chris Pope.

 

And... most notably... I believe that the more he continues, as he has been, the better he's going to make SpaceVenture look, and possibly the worse his own company. I take no pleasure in the irony of it for his company's detriment, but I must say, if it helps the Two Guys...

 

 

...not that they need it, Paul, not that they need it.

 

 

Again, I could be wrong, but this is what I've taken away from what I've seen over the past year. You guys tell me if I'm making any careless judgements here.

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Everybody is spot-on here. I haven't been following this Paul Trowe situation, but his recent comment is unnecessary and spiteful. Backed by a company or not, all these Kickstarter projects are in the same boat. Teams are working off of donations, pressed to get things out in a timely manner, and morale support from the community is important. One less programmer and a missed update is no cause for alarm given how much they've already accomplished.

 

So I think I'll just listen to Frede and Troels on this matter since they're actually inside sources. Paul's not part of the team, his speculation doesn't get the game finished faster, and it seems like his end-goal is to say "I told you so" (which is the dickest string of words in the English language).

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I (Tom King) left a knee jerk comment on the Kickstarter thread, which I probably shouldn't have done. But it should be no surprise that Paul isn't the most pleasant person, so I don't think I'm necessarily letting the cat out of the bag there.

 

This is nothing but a big play for attention, and is best left ignored.

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I don't think your comment is out of line at all. Paul has had plenty of chances to man up, back out and leave SpaceVenture alone. Instead, he just kept going, even after publicly "apologising" for his behaviour. And your comment proves what I stated earlier - it's surprisingly easy to dig up dirt on Paul Trowe. He must think we're complete idiots; any of us can tear his work life apart with a couple of clicks and the insiders here might even be able to ruin his personal life as well. But that's just not the way we do things. That's not meant to come across as a threat, but Paul (provided he reads this) needs to realise he's not dealing with a bunch of fellow weasels here, and that he doesn't have a single shred of authority left.

 

Still. If you keep spewing out BS, you should at least expect some of it to rain back on you. As long as everyone here continues to adress the issue in a civilised manner (kudos to everyone who's taking a stand), I don't see what the problem is. We have a right to want this guy off our backs. And showing him that his tactics aren't working might actually be more effective than just ignoring him. Come to think of it, all of us Keronian Undergrounders tried to do the latter during the campaign, and he obviously didn't get the clue back then.

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First thing, I do have my own concerns about SV, and if you've seen my post elsewhere you might know what they mostly are.

 

But, I do think what, and how, Trowe has commented SV current progress is very unprofessional and out of the line. You could even say it sounds spiteful. I can't honestly say I know why he comments the way he does, I've never met the guy nor communicated with him directly, so I really don't know that much about him. Perhaps there is some amount of jealousy in him. He, from the posts and interviews I've read, seemed to think he was a sort of a herald of "Sierra's new coming", which was IMO a baseless claim as he only had rights to one series and everyone else was doing their own thing. Maybe it even is that because Larry Reloaded, and now I did like the game myself so nothing agains it, hasn't really been setting the world in fire in terms of sales Trowe is desperate in trying to find something worthwhile to latch on to.

 

I don't know what other projects Replay has going on at the moment, but from the looks of it Larry is at the moment their only big name and even that may go under. If Reloaded doesn't sell, the series won't continue. And at the moment it looks like Replay is desperately trying to make Larry relevant again with, of all things, freemium Larry poker game. Getting his hands on SV would be a continuation plan.

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Fantastic points, Frede.

 

I have no idea what Paul was thinking, but it's clear all agree that what he's doing is completely asinine. And I don't think that's just because we're fans of Space Quest and/or friends of the Two Guys. It's because we're all decent people, and despite not really knowing what's going on with the project, we would rather be patient than speculate and potentially hurt the project. For a CEO to do this is inexcusable. Don't get me wrong, I certainly have no regrets about my involvement in Larry and appreciate the many wonderful opportunities to work with the talents of Al Lowe, Josh Mandel, the folks at N-Fusion, and some amazing fellow volunteers; All of those people were absolutely fantastic to work with, it's just a shame the guy that's head it all and brought so many fine people together is the very person that's running it into the ground. It's more disappointing than anything, really.

 

To your point, there are plenty of things anyone could find about Paul with a simple Google search, and that's not even counting the stories former co-workers might have about him. But you're right, we have more integrity than to get into specifics and completely trash Paul, despite any of us possessing the power to do so.

 

I'm very proud of this community for not putting up with the BS while still being civil about the situation. It's these sort of friendships people like Paul cannot appreciate, which really sucks but it's the path he's chosen.

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Like Tom, I have no regrets for helping Larry become a reality and that I've enjoyed fostering friendships with the people that I've dealt with. That said, I also have respect for Paul. However, with antics like this and the other ones I've had the (dis)pleasure to be a part of it's kind of hard not to wonder if that respect is misplaced. His actions are inexcusable and it does leave a bad taste in the mouth.

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