Since John has posted his own thoughts (he is the forum owner after all) and I've been asked personally about things, I feel that I need to post my own standing regarding this, as much as I hate to do this...
I really wish that my name could have been left out of this whole matter. That is my stance.
I have nothing but respect for everyone involved in the history of V&V, always has... but this extends to not only Bizar and FGU but also two certain gentlemen that have recently started a gaming company called Monkey House Games. I was a fan before I wrote for V&V, and I would also like to point out that I was also a pre-established game designer with several projects already under my belt. The reason that I am saying this is that I want to point out the fact that I didn't design the stuff that I have made for V&V to get published and get my foot in the game design door, I did so because it gave me the chance to work on a game that has been true and dear to me for years.
When I first started working on V&V again, I was honestly quite naive about the whole issue that was going on prior.... I assumed that Jeff had went on to bigger and better things and that Living Legends was simply a latter approach to super hero gaming through the use of a point based system. I didn't realize the controversy behind the scenes and honestly didn't do my homework. Prior to coming on board, I was mostly cranking out products in the interest of fantasy gaming... particularly system generic or SRD 3.0/3.5 related. My work on V&V was a fresh turn for me for 3 major reasons... 1. After working on fantasy for several years I was getting a bit burnt out at the time (I'm starting to get the feel again for it though... well, a little...
), 2. I hated 4th edition D&D... and I'm not afraid to openly say that in public (Pathfinder baby!!!), and 3. Most importantly, V&V was a game that I cut my role playing teeth with... yes, D&D/AD&D came first (but then, isn't that the way with most people), but V&V was the strong second game that I started playing in this vein... and it became a quite competitor to D&D as far as my attention span was concerned. Getting the chance to work on V&V was a dream come true.
When I became aware (or more aware than I would have otherwise preferred to have been) about the controversies of ownership claim regarding V&V I tried my best to remain positive towards the V&V game itself and not take sides with either aspect... and why should I have? FGU gave me the chance to work on the game of my dreams and MHG was the brainchild of my idols... the heroic game designers that made V&V a reality in the first place.... I had no beef with anyone, and so I chose to voice my words carefully.
And thus I should have done... there are people on both sides of this argument that feel very passionate about V&V and quite a few that are in the middle that are like me and are just glad that the game has been revived. The absolute last thing that I would ever, ever want to do is to say anything that would alienate anyone from the game. My primary objective was and will always be to promote the very continued existence of V&V, whether the rights are owned by FGU, MHG, or both parties for that matter.
As such, I wish that AK had not brought my name into this issue. Alabaster, I recognize that you mean no harm to me, but I would have preferred that you didn't do that. It has been depressing enough for me to think that my efforts to help revive the game might have somehow contributed to the fight over V&V, no matter how small and insignificant. I've never wanted anything but the best for this game, and it has been hard for me to remain focused on V&V related design interests while all the conflict has continued. The very last thing that I want is to see my name become another log to be tossed on the battle fires.
With that said, I'll say little more. I'm doing my best to remain neutral while the rights claim is being hashed out, but putting me in the center of the conflict, even by vague brief mention, doesn't help.