As of late...

[Glitch Girl]

I need to talk.  It's not life threatening, or life changing per se, but it is something I need to vent about.

For the past two years or so, I've been remotely doing work on an online game.  I started with just some content designs, but over the past year or so, I've been allowed to write and animate large parts of plot.  The bad news is, it doesn't pay, so at times I'm holding two jobs for the price of one.  I haven't minded too much - the work is occasionally intensive, but erratic so I have been able to balance.

So back two years ago, there was talk about a plot sequence that no one wanted to work (it involved zombies) on and just for the heck of it, I wrote the script for it in my spare time over a period of weeks.  It's kinda what got me noticed since I shared it with a friend who worked on staff while I was doing some of those early content design parts.  They liked it, but the script languished for a while, but it never got cancelled.

A couple of weeks ago, the time had finally come for the story to see the light of day.  I was kinda jazzed, 'cos in a way, this was the big one for me.  I started making resources and animating scenes, trying to get ahead of the deadline so I COULD give it the best I could.  This was kind of my baby.

One problem - part of the original stipulation was that it feature an NPC character created by the company owner.  Which means he gets script approval.

I expected a few edits, heck even a LOT of edits.  Comes with the territory but...

The script is in a GDoc, so I can see the notes, and basically, the top guy has written an outline of how he wants the story to go.  It's looking like a total rewrite.  His NPC is now the hero (whereas I had the player's character the hero), he's added jokes and forth wall breaking and a complete tone change...  Basically, it's a total rewrite. 

I'm trying to be mature about it, but... I absolutely HATE HATE HATE the direction he's taking it. 

And chances are, I'm going to be expected to animate the scenes for this thing.

I'm not sure I can. 

I'm not getting paid, which gives me an out right there, but there's another wrinkle... The rest of the team.  I've grown close to them over the past few years, and they've always been shorthanded and I've also gotten the impression that the aforementioned boss has never been a fan of this division of his company (not the people, the game setting), and I don't want to leave them in the lurch but...

Every time I read those notes, it's like a knife in the gut. 

Nothing's been finalized yet, it may end up only being line changes not the total rewrite; however, if it is a full rewrite... I don't know what I'm going to do.  Do I suck it up and do the work, or do I walk away?  The game has a finite life span, and that ending is coming within the next year or so, so chances are I won't be missed.  On the other hand, there's my friends who I don't want to let down.

So anyway... that's what's been happening lately instead of me participating in the Writer's Group (deeply sorry for that).  Thanks for listening.

[lugaru]

Sounds highly unprofesional and not exactly respectful of your involvement... now are you sticking around out of an assumption that this will eventually pay off, or is it purely a labor of love? Because based on your post it sounds like you are not really loving it these days.

[JeyNyce]

You have to ask yourself if this a labor love or not.  If you doing this because you enjoy doing it, then stick with it.  If not then excuse yourself from the project before it gets worst.

[PreRaphaelite]

Is there anybody you could voice your concerns to? I know it might sound obvious, or to some people abhorrent, but it might be worth trying to schedule a time to talk to a senior manager or the company owner. After all, you're clearly very passionate about this, and it would be a shame to throw it aside without fighting for it as far and as hard as you can. You're working for free. The least they can do is to give you a few minutes of their time. If they're willing to listen, great. If not, you can explain to your friends why you're choosing to walk away. They're your friends, and you've been placed in a horrible position. They will understand. As Lugaru said, it's a bit disrespectful, and seems to me as if they're taking you for granted: don't let it happen, don't lose your voice.

[ow_tiobe_sb]

Sounds highly unprofesional and not exactly respectful of your involvement...

...which, unfortunately, is the leadership paradigm frequently in place these days, wherever unit/group projects are concerned.  I can honestly say that I have been in situations similar to yours many, many times in the past, G.G., and I have learned a few lessons (which, I hope, you do not find insulting, as they are offered with my deepest sympathies):

1. 'Tis always admirable to put forth your best effort in all aspects of your job (compensated or otherwise); however, no matter how hard you work on it, never fall in love with your first (or second, third...penultimate) draft.  If you do, you are very likely to get hurt.

2. The accepted organizational wisdom is that bosses/supervisors are necessary, and I have found that they are often a necessary evil.  They frequently represent the practical locus of accountability on any project, so their bottom line often amounts to success at any cost.  This means that, should the supervisor disagree with your work at any level, your product will need to be changed to fall into agreement with the supervisor's designs or, at the very least, comfort zone.  In my own (frustrated) experience, I have also witnessed a committee chair (my supervisor, in that particular context) take my draft of a proposal, heavily revise it (pushing it in the wrong direction, IMHO), receive word from on high that this draft (his draft) will not do, and then revise it again, incorporating some of my original copy, which he then claimed as his own. 

3. Civil communication is always preferable to silent suffering.  If you feel your supervisor is taking your script in the wrong direction, tell him so in the best, most politic manner you can muster.  You would be surprised how often misunderstandings can arise between an incompetent supervisor (who actually means no harm) and a competent team member, who feels victimized by the supervisor's perceived malicious behaviour.  A brief chat (not a memo or an e-mail message, a tête-à-tête) can work wonders for your working relationship and may actually achieve some of your originally intended goals.

In sum, as Jey has indicated, you should gauge for yourself the level of involvement you are willing to commit to this side gig.  If you think the work you submitted for this project is worth fighting for, talk to your supervisor.  If not, there are plenty of ways in which you can remain friends with your coworkers without continuing to contribute to their team projects.  I hope this unsolicited advice proves helpful.   Good luck!

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker

[Tawodi Osdi]

It's good that you keep the welfare of others in mind, but there comes a time when you have to do what is right for yourself and allow others to do what is right for themselves, and it seems to me that this is one of those times when making a break is good idea for you.  You don't want present circumstances to leave you a bitter memory that would rob your passion for future labors.  I know that it can be tough leaving people you care about behind, but it can be done.  I know.  I've been through that recently in my own life on other issues.

[Podmark]

I'd definitely try to talk it out first. If you can't make any head way you've got a tough choice but you've got to choose whatever makes the most sense for yourself.

[Green Hornet]

I would take to your friends about how you feel. They could be feeling the same way and not wanting to speak up.

[Outcast]

There's a lot of good advices already mentioned. I'm not really good at giving advice, but sometimes when i let my emotions get to me, and i end up doing something rash. It almost always seems to me that i was making all these wrong decisions. Try to give it some more thought before making a decision, you know what you need and what's best for you. Sometimes i can be really particular on what i should or should not do, what's right and what's wrong, but i was told by someone that sometimes.. there are no right and wrong answers/decisions in life. What matters is what you(a person) feel(s) and what's important to you(for that person).

Hope i was able to help in even the littlest of way.

[BlueBard]

For the guy to come in with an outline AFTER the work has been done seems to be poor project management.  Now if he wanted to pay for the lost time, fine.  But you aren't getting paid.  Don't know if you're even getting recognition, or if it helps your career in any way.

You are a volunteer.  When the work you are volunteering for is no longer rewarding enough in any way, shape, or form, there is no contract or obligation that holds you to stay.  It could be that it is good for your career, or that parts of it are personally rewarding.  Only you can decide if the reward, whatever it is, outweighs the negatives.

Despite your misgivings, is it a good rewrite?  Does it work?  If it's junk, you have even less reason to attach yourself to it.  If it's a good rewrite, even though it means more work, sticking it out might make sense.

If you have a good reason to stick it out and do work that you don't want to do, then hang in there.  If it doesn't get better, you can always re-evaluate it later on.

If you decide the reward is not enough you need to do something about it.  A compromise of some kind must be reached for your own well-being.  You do need to voice your objections first, but if they go unheard you HAVE to walk or there will be more of the same.

Leaving does not necessarily mean you are losing friends.  It just means you aren't directly working with them anymore.

EDIT:  One last thing I need to mention in all fairness.  It sounds like you did a lot of work that really should have waited until you had at least tentative approval on a script.  It really is not the owner's fault that you did the extra work ahead of that approval.  It is his fault that he didn't communicate his criteria better ahead of time.

[stumpy]

GG, sorry to hear that something you've clearly put a great deal of time and energy into may be acquiring a sour taste.

Maybe you've already done this, but I would just emphasize that it's worth making sure the person pushing this other plot script knows that not everyone is on board with it. There's a chance that he doesn't. And, sometimes people start taking things in a different direction without really considering that someone else has put some real thought into the original plan and has good reasons to think it's better. He may have thought that people didn't have any enthusiasm for the sequence you worked on and and sort of assumed that anything he got would need to be reworked from the ground up. Sometimes, going into something with that mindset, it's hard to recognize when what's already done is very good.

Letting him know that what you've already done deserves more serious consideration might help him look at it with fresh eyes. In particular, put together a case for the plot sequence you have designed and explain in non-personal terms (i.e. in terms that have nothing to do with the fact that it's yours) why it is a better fit for the project.

IMO, that technique has some useful features. For one, taking a step back to set down the reasons your approach is best for the project makes it easier to look more objectively at how much you dislike the new version and easier to look at any compromise that might be proposed. In addition, if it turns out that he isn't willing to come together on a script you can work on and you have to leave the project, you can go with a clear conscience that you've made every effort to stay with it.

Obviously, circumstances may make it impossible to stay with the project. That would be too bad, since you clearly have interest and enthusiasm for it and have talent that would benefit it. But, I agree with others that you can't stay with something if it's going to be a miserable job doing it the way they want it done, particularly if it is volunteer work. You can find other ways to keep in touch with the friends you've made.

[Glitch Girl]

Update:
Thanks for all the advice.  It was a lot to take to heart.

Since then, I managed to do some more animation for them, however, one of the key graphics which was approved by aforementioned company head was several days late and turned out to be far more unwieldy than I expected. 

And then I got the notice to report for Jury Duty at the end of the month, which means a bit more crunch time at work trying to get ahead before my week long forray into catching up on my reading.

Which is why, once I finished the scene I was working, I wrote an email (with most of my related graphic resources attached) I had to drop out for now. 

Right now, I'm a whole ball of conflicting feelings.

I am also quite exhausted which is why I think I'm going to go to bed now (which I think is the earliest I've been to bed in a couple of weeks).

Thanks for listening guys.

[Reepicheep]

I think that may have been a wise choice, Glitch. You shouldn't be making sacrifices to your time if you have little to gain, and certainly not when it turns out to be a soul destroying labour.

I hope things cool down for you.

[Cyber Burn]

Sorry to see you stressing GG, I hope things do improve.

[BlueBard]

Well, at least the Jury Duty gave you an excuse to bow out gracefully and take a break from it.

"Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you..."

Maybe when JD is over with, you simply don't go back.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

Sorry to read about your problems there Glitchie, it certainly seems that you're being badly treated.  Hopefully you can find a resolution that works for you.