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Felisfire's Potential Sale and Other Developments


Navy

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Around June 6th or 7th of this year, Felisfire went down and was completely inaccessible.  It came back up sometime early on the 9th. The following screenshots document the imageproxy.php?img=&key=79ce5d20afbeb9c7fundraising process before the site went down and what has occurred on the site since the site came back online.

News posts and comments on news posts are directly from Felisfire's on-site news section.

Forum posts are from a thread started on Felisfire's forums. The thread was created with intent to find a possible way to buy the site (in an effort to "save" the site, so to speak).

(All usernames other than the site owner, programmer, and head admin have been blurred.)

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Edited by Navy
accidentally omitted information
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An interesting series of screenshots, thanks for sharing. I haven't been on FF in ages.

According to the news, Slash (also owner of its 'sister site' Aywas) owns FelisFire, but had signed over management to @Cybura (aka Lyro) to run the kickstarter and manage the entire site fully and without oversight, I believe. So the downtime and any issues aren't Slash's fault.

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@Navy I personally believe that if you are posting to state that FF is up for sale, then it should have been left as that, rather than spreading drama... ^ ^' Like it's really the business of the FF community, for us to handle and resolve, not to be spread to people who don't even actually play FF. But, I guess you can post whatever you want, but I think the drama should have been left out.

@runeowl I am pretty sure at this point, everyone knows who I am, even on this forum, my username can be changed to "lyro" if need be, I am not at all hiding, only reason for this username is because I planned to just promote my game here and that is it... but apparently... I need to do other things as well.

I have made my reply to the forums of FF, and that will be my only reply, just as this will be my only reply to this thread.

@Digital Let me know your thoughts on how this should have been handled, like if @Navy should have just left it to speaking about the sale of FF, or if drama should have been brought to it. And also if the added info besides site sale should have been posted by the Owner instead. I am not sure how these types of things are handled here.

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I am the HA of Felisfire, and I suppose to avoid this thread turning into drama against FF's staff, coder, and owner I will add in my two cents. Since this is not a thread created by anyone related to FF's staff or ownership, I'm going to suggest @Digital step in and review this situation before it gets out of hand. It is my full intent to protect my staff and my user base with my following statements and to keep drama from affecting them.

To begin with, up until this point no current staff member, including myself, was ever aware of the exact numbers made by FF each month. I was under the impression that revenue was low, therefore I promoted the sale, as any head admin would do in support of those who are in charge/own the site. In no way should members of my staff be held responsible for any of this mess. They knew as much as I did (that being very little). That being said, I now have access to the site revenue thanks to Slash and will be able to keep users updated on our goals. Now, as of the last time I spoke with Slash, we will continue to hold a sale to make up for the missing server fees. We fully intend to keep FF up and alive until a contractual agreement can be made between Slash and one of the interested parties who intend to purchase the site. While it is not the best situation, we are making the most out of it. Hopefully Slash will have sold the site in the next few weeks and we can begin the process of building the site up again. 

I have been in contact with one potential buyer and I can say that I am optimistic on how things will turn out. However, all such updates regarding the sale and what happens will be posted on Felisfire, not here. I have little interest in being dragged into an offsite drama thread when my attention should be on the users of Felisfire. Anyone can send me a message on FF if they wish to learn more or ask questions.

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@Cybura @Niabi I do not think it was @Navy's intention to spread drama or anything of the sort to this thread, but to simply provide a discussion about the current going-ons of a game. If anyone used the word "drama", even, it was me; and even then, it was not used as a way to attack any staff members but as a way to describe the situation. All @Navy did was post screenshots of something that was unfolding, which was something that would have been read once users had checked out the site itself. 

I do hope the situation with the site gets resolved :)

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@Niabi I hope you're not offended by the existence of this thread -- Please know I don't think anyone was trying to insult staff's efforts, we were simply interested in what was going on, as we're a forum made up of petsite enthusiasts. What you've said here in your response echoes throughout the screenshots, and I have high expectations for FF's continued popularity with a new owner. 

Good luck! 

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The information in the threads are fair and do not insinuate or cause drama about anyone or anything in my opinion. They basically tell the story of a game going down, bills not being paid in a timely manner, and the owners intent to sell the site.

@Cybura Although I can appreciate your want to keep this out of the limelight, it already is public knowledge. As a forum that does appreciate gaming news in this industry, you can respect the fact that we must not hinder or remove any news posting that may make anyone uncomfortable. In this TGL remains neutral, much like any news or media organization does. Also, @Navy posted her thread with the intent of full transparency, and did nothing to make any false statements or create drama.

@Niabi Due to the fact that often times staff or official parties are not always willing to post such information, @Navy posting this thread is not entirely wrong, and she did so incredibly well by referencing posts and information that was available. Since this has been going on for a bit, either yourself or @Cybura, both staff members could of posted a statement. I can understand why you did not, and I respect that, however I do not see how this thread is out of line. Much like my statement above, I do not see any bad intent or creating of false information here.

That being said, I will be watching the thread, if it does get out of line, we will lock it (not remove it). If @Niabi would like to post updates in here, they are more then welcome to do so from a official standpoint. I am going to (hopefully correctly) assume that Cybura/Lyro will not be doing such.

Otherwise, everyone is free to comment on it, but please try and keep any drama to the minimum.

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 I would hate to see this forum go down the same rocky road VPL went down. I talked to a few devs who refused to go near VPL for this reason. I think we should respect devs and owners if they wish to not have things like this posted.

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15 minutes ago, Corsair said:

 I would hate to see this forum go down the same rocky road VPL went down. I talked to a few devs who refused to go near VPL for this reason. I think we should respect devs and owners if they wish to not have things like this posted.

Although under normal circumstances this would make sense, the community also wanted more content in the form of news and updates from game sites. Just because a dev or owner doesn't want what they perceive as bad news posted, doesn't mean it isn't news or news-worthy - or in this case even negative. The reason I chose to make news posting a community thing, and not a owner or dev thing was to encourage this type of thing, even if it makes game owners or devs who don't participate slightly uncomfortable.

Owners and developers at VPL, and here also tend to not want to share information at all, and I think everyone suffers because of it.

If the post was demeaning or designed to create controversy, it would have locked or removed of course, but this post was open - without judgement from @Navy, and was only used to report that issues happened, and what was decided on. @Navy even went so far as to not name anyone's name involved directly in her post. Even perhaps helpful by saying "Hey, this game is for sale.", which is exactly what @Niabi asked the owner about doing. It provides visibility with minimal drama.

Personally, I think if they avoided VPL, it was due to a multitude of reasons, not just this issue alone. If developers and owners who end up in this position are concerned about drama from TGL - they have no reason to feel so. If anything, they should take it as an opportunity to get involved in the discussion and share official accounts of what is happening.

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I appreciate hearing about this. I have an account on FelisFire, haven't longed on in forever but it was a fun game. At the time I was checking things out the economy was really poor so didn't necessarily stick too long, but the concept is neat. 

In general I like to keep up on any games for sale in the industry. One reason being is in case I want to buy myself. Of course not going to happen in this case since I don't have 10k lying around anywhere, :P too bad though and don't quite have the time to add another project to my list at the moment anyway. But still knowing it's for sale and the general cost is relevant to me as a game owner myself and just as a player and someone interested in the industry as a whole.

Of course knowing the financials being pulled in is pretty interesting as it helps to know that others in the industry are pulling in some. Keep in mind it's not really profit unless you make no updates, art, programming, etc... or have free labor available and your time is worth nothing as these games do need updates to continue pulling in financially. 

I personally as a game owner I have no problem with public information being released elsewhere and would not release any information to the public without knowing and being okay with that possibility. I would have a problem if staff or others posted private communication without permission however or if the reposted content was modified or put in a misleading manor in order manipulate what is being told especially in a negative light. 

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I agree with Digital, it seems perfectly reasonable to post this as it was just information that was publicly available on felisfire and I believe felisfire is open for anyone to join/read the news? 

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While I agree the information about the sale should be fair game for posting, I do not believe that any of the drama should have been added in as it seems rather unnecessary. Given the recent history of the site where we've had users go to other sites and try to bash Lyro and Slash, I do not want things to be posted that could be taken way out of context and negatively impact the site, especially when users could just ask questions and I'd be happy to answer them myself. There is a lot more to this than just the screenshots posted, but the screenshots are only showing the negative side of it. We would prefer that all updates about the site be made by an official representative of the site to avoid any drama or misunderstandings, should we ever decide that we wish to post here.

(Also, just to clarify, FF is not technically "open for anyone" as each and every application is looked over and decided upon by staff to make sure they reach the minimum criteria posed by the ToS. The news and forum are also not viewable unless you are a member.)

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22 hours ago, Niabi said:

We would prefer that all updates about the site be made by an official representative of the site to avoid any drama or misunderstandings, should we ever decide that we wish to post here.

If that's your preference, then we'd also appreciate getting updates directly from the source.

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In making this thread my intent was certainly not to paint the site in a negative light or any light at all. My intention was to share important developments within a pet site with the pet site community. No more, no less. If there is "positive" stuff I missed, I'd love to see it. I'm not being sarcastic or mean-spirited in the slightest when saying that either. I went through the information available to all Felisfire users. Yes, the screenshots don't show everything, but to post every single comment is silly. I did the best I could to show the relevant information to the developments the players have been told about publicly.

If at any point @Digital wishes to lock or even remove this thread, I will support that decision 100%.

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1 hour ago, Niabi said:

We would prefer that all updates about the site be made by an official representative of the site to avoid any drama or misunderstandings, should we ever decide that we wish to post here.

You see, this brings me back to my original point and the reason I support the free posting of relevant news. "... should we ever decide to post here...". It is incredibly combative stance to take for something of little consequence to the site or it's reputation. Considering @Cybura has already responded, there is little drama remaining where that is concerned, and his responses were simple and to the point, which was amazingly handled.

To add, being as I reside in the United States, and enjoy certain privileges afforded to free speech, and I believe that the members of this site be free to post any information they feel is useful to the community. The information posted was available to a wide user-base, as well as a cross-post to Aywas also if I read the screenshot correctly. @Navy did a fair job posting screenshots that pertain to the site going up to sell, the other content shows no real drama - while going out of the way to censor any user information in the screenshots to protect others. I applaud them for their honesty and respect in this situation.

Unless you would love to offer me a compelling reason why I should say only you can discuss FF here, then I see no reason why this topic is inappropriate, or the posting of any public (or member) view-able news cannot be posted. This community is built on transparency, and I stand by being well... transparent.

Now that being said, I would encourage that you feel free to make an official statement or offer news on what is happening now. After all, if you want to control information, you cannot expect to conceal or not report it - it doesn't really work that way does it? :D 

For the rest of the members, I support news posts like this, I support the free posting of news relating to sites that tells us what is happening. I support it because I feel it is important to be supportive of the community as well as the industry as a whole. Restriction of content because it is uncomfortable isn't a reason to restrict it. The reason I clearly stated that news could be added by anyone is to create an environment of open communication. When such things are put to the sites owners, nothing is ever really known or shared, and we all suffer for it.

1 hour ago, Navy said:

If at any point @Digital wishes to lock or even remove this thread, I will support that decision 100%.

Since this situation is still developing, I see no reason at this time to lock or remove this thread. I would encourage anyone with updated news to post it to keep the community up to date. Should @Niabi wish to offer official statements here as well, we would happily welcome the official responses.

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On 6/18/2017 at 2:57 PM, Cybura said:

@Navy I personally believe that if you are posting to state that FF is up for sale, then it should have been left as that, rather than spreading drama... ^ ^' Like it's really the business of the FF community, for us to handle and resolve, not to be spread to people who don't even actually play FF. But, I guess you can post whatever you want, but I think the drama should have been left out.

@runeowl I am pretty sure at this point, everyone knows who I am, even on this forum, my username can be changed to "lyro" if need be, I am not at all hiding, only reason for this username is because I planned to just promote my game here and that is it... but apparently... I need to do other things as well.

I have made my reply to the forums of FF, and that will be my only reply, just as this will be my only reply to this thread.

@Digital Let me know your thoughts on how this should have been handled, like if @Navy should have just left it to speaking about the sale of FF, or if drama should have been brought to it. And also if the added info besides site sale should have been posted by the Owner instead. I am not sure how these types of things are handled here.

@Cybura: Sometimes the biggest creators of drama at times are the pet site owners themselves and not the members of the site itself. One needs to learn to be a bit more tactful as well as to try avoid using the word drama in this type of circumstances as it is a relatively overused word. If one tries to restrict content of news too much the site itself can become a type of Dictatorship. Information needs to flow whether it is good or bad but it should do so in a way that doesn't generate bias on either end. It needs to state the facts of both sides to show the opinions of each one. A news writer must have no bias regardless of the outcome.

One must be cautious to not create a mountain from a molehill. Your emotions as a petsite owner Cybura need to be kept in check otherwise you can paint your website as a bad picture. Your leader of it and need to  remain calm and gentle even when things are out of your control.

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@Digital

I can see now that you intend to thrive off of the controversy of this thread and of the misfortune of FF and do not actually care about how it impacts the users or staff. I never stated that others were not allowed to discuss FF. I welcome it. However, anything along the lines of official updates should be left to official members of the Felisfire administration because at least then it would be valid information. But it seems that you have no interest so long as there is some kind of information to boost activity. I am disappointed in how this situation is being handled, and I see no reason why I should even continue bothering with it. Given your post, you seem to have no respect for me or my concerns towards the site I am trying to keep together during this time. If this is how you intend to treat users who come to you with legitimate concerns, then I see no reason to make an official statement on the behalf of Felisfire or to further affiliate myself with this forum. I have greater concerns at the moment than being played for entertainment. 

I am sure the drama will continue here, but I am taking myself out of this situation. It's just not worth arguing over. I know where FF stands, and I know where I stand. We do not have time to deal with something like this.

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@Niabi I don't think that is a fair assessment, nor do I see any so-called drama being started here.  This thread is simply stating the facts of what is happening with regards felisfire.  If staff want to dispute anything that has been said then they are free to do so, I fail to see how that is not entirely fair...

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To @Niabi - I do not disregard any members legitimate issues being brought forth. It does not mean I agree with the issue being presented, and I follow our community guidelines in this way. This topic breaks none of our community guidelines, and you have not yet shown any evidence to show this topic is creating any drama anywhere.

Much like yourself, you must respect that I have a community to nurture and grow, I am not going to stop a topic because a representative of a site says so, while they have made it clear they will not participate in further officially representing the topic or actually giving any evidence to their claim. It just doesn't work that way, and is unfair to anyone else who may be following the topic. I apologize if this bothers you, but I treat every member here fairly and special treatment does not exist, and have done nothing but show every member with respect in regards to being fair and honest.

If you can show any ill will being presented in this thread that has caused legitimate harm, please feel free to bring it to me privately. Let's move on.

To everyone else, this topic will remain open for updates as they become available, and anyone is welcomed to participate.

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