Gather Round the Campfire...

Working in the industry, you build up gripes. A lot of gripes. There's a lot of stupidity, pettiness, and insanity involved, and as a small man on the totem pole (ie a creative) you are at the lowest point where all the shit rolls down. Sometimes, you consider quitting. In other darker times, you consider abandoning gaming altogether. In the most extreme cases, you start to sympathize with postal workers who've shot colleagues. But then, you read stories like this and feel like a whiny little bitch:

Archon Games' tale of horror
In the mouth of madness at Palladium
Bone-chilling responses from Palladium freelancers
"You're cutting HOW much from my manuscript?!?"
Why the Last Unicorn died


Granted, my game industry experience has had its problems (particularly in getting paid...for God's sake, does EVERY payment have to be 1 full quarter or more late?), but I've been real lucky. I've had great partners to be working with on Spycraft and a tight team that stuck up for each other and, when the chips were down, could affect change. But Pat can tell you tales of AEG that would make your toenails curl. And this is why Crafty exists.

Please, Lord, give us the strength to never treat people like this. EVER.