This whole thing is really deplorable. I'm not sure if this quite qualifies as news but it seems like something people should know about.

http://galaxyinflames.blogspot.com/2011/05/games-workshop-in-ruins.html

Edit for full disclosure for anybody new to the thread:

kinghammer wrote:Let me bring some clarity to the situation. I was there when it was "blown up" not smashed. The stores were given specific directions of what to build as well as pictures of what was expected. They manager was being defiant and thumbed his nose at the Regional management. The manager had been written up multiple times for insubordination and poor performance. The manager and most of the staff were later terminated. A new manager and staff came in and turn that store around.

The shame is if they spent the same amount of time in promotion of events and hobby classes the store would have not been a giant failure. Hulksmash knows that the Regional manager at the time was no non-sense and the staff/manager knew that was unacceptable.

Now you have both sides.

Not really news or a rumour, plus it is rather tasteless, especially the "It contains a corpse for everyone of the hobby centers staff members" bit.

What's deplorable about it?

Games Days usually have specific themed tables. A piece like that (i.e. 'breaking the 4th wall') doesn't belong on the themed tables that are built up to be Cadia or Medusa V.

Should it have been stomped? Probably not. But still, they knew what they're meant to be creating terrain for.

Not news, not rumors, so off it goes!

Personally I thought it was a great piece of work and for someone to take it and break said work is what's deplorable about the story.

BrookM wrote:Not really news or a rumour, plus it is rather tasteless, especially the "It contains a corpse for everyone of the hobby centers staff members" bit.

It's just dark humor. Often times I wonder if I'll be here at my job till quite literally the day I die.

Putting it bluntly:

It's not that much of a 'great piece of work'.

Very little actual creativity went into it and it really just looks like it's meant to shock people who see it.

Not news or a rumour really (but it was news to me as I did not know it, so technically) but I think its funny. I get the impression that the skeletons are not meant to insult the staff. Its was made by them for them isn't' it?

Also a real loss on the basis it is such a cool thing, the skeleton playing 40k and actually rolling dice is awesome. Really creative the real insult is the douche bag that smashed it up. No matter what you think of someones creation does not give you thr right to destroy it.

I see it as more just a fun set piece. I thought it looked decent and all... definitely not worthy of being destroyed, but some folks take this hobby wayyyyy too seriously.

Having said that, and that I think it was just a fun one-off item, I personally don't think I would have taken it to an actual GW event... I feel like it's inviting a reaction from folks without a sense of humor. Just because it doesn't offend you or your friends doesn't mean it won't offend a corporate entity (and apparently some of their workers).

Still though, it didn't deserve to be crushed out of existence. That was pretty callous.

Oh my god, that's amazing. I like the little posters on the wall, How the heck did they do that?

lukewild1982 wrote:Not news or a rumour really (but it was news to me as I did not know it, so technically) but I think its funny. I get the impression that the skeletons are not meant to insult the staff. Its was made by them for them isn't' it?

It was made by the staff, to be used as scenery for Games Day Los Angeles. Shops make scenery that gets sent there for the big events they used to run. They get given a basic set of guidelines, and are supposed to do them within those guidelines.

You can pretty much be guaranteed that making a comedic piece about how the staff feel like they're chained into working for GW even if the shop burns down around them wasn't within those guidelines.

dang, Ninja'd by Kan....

Kanluwen wrote:

lukewild1982 wrote:Not news or a rumour really (but it was news to me as I did not know it, so technically) but I think its funny. I get the impression that the skeletons are not meant to insult the staff. Its was made by them for them isn't' it?

It was made by the staff, to be used as scenery for Games Day Los Angeles. Shops make scenery that gets sent there for the big events they used to run. They get given a basic set of guidelines, and are supposed to do them within those guidelines.

You can pretty much be guaranteed that making a comedic piece about how the staff feel like they're chained into working for GW even if the shop burns down around them wasn't within those guidelines.

Which are perfectly fine grounds for it to not be put on a table. . . .but are you really defending someone who would actually destroy it?

Unless I'm missing some big piece of back story, I think some people here are totally evaluating it in the wrong light. It was made *by* GW staffers as a funny joke; I can't imagine it's any serious, negative commentary, and hardly tasteless in this milieu. I also can't imagine they were trying to throw it down on some very serious, highly sculpted table or anything like that. It's just, you know, fun, and a pretty great modeling job.

But, you know, this is serious business!!!

What should they do with it Drum? You don't wanna send a kid home with it. Can't keep it in the shop (most upper management would not find it funny). Maybe just throw it away, but then it could be salvaged. Or do you do what a lot of companies do and destroy it before you throw it away?

Granted I remember seeing that building and laughing my butt off. But it probably wasn't a good idea for the NoCal guys to send that. We had a dude at my store we had to keep from constantly doing stuff like this before he had to be let go.

ok i see what you mean. yeah that was probably pretty stupid on their part then. Thats like sending a picture of your arse in an email to your area manager, its never going to be well received.

Still love the thing for what it is though, tragedy that someone smashed in. They could have just put it aside and given them a bollocking for not doing as asked later.

The piece is fun, it was a shame that someone had to take the nerdrage bit too far and tear it up.

Whats the old addage?


I don't have to like it, but I respect you that you like it? or something to that effect.


Even how things are going these days, we need some levitivity here on the subject of GW and whats been going on as of late.


Again, the piece was amazing. A colorful self dig if I've ever saw one, especially in light of a GW shop. ( Redshirts, I figure, would appreciate that inside joke there.)




Theres no insult there. It's called satire.

MrDrumMachine wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

lukewild1982 wrote:Not news or a rumour really (but it was news to me as I did not know it, so technically) but I think its funny. I get the impression that the skeletons are not meant to insult the staff. Its was made by them for them isn't' it?

It was made by the staff, to be used as scenery for Games Day Los Angeles. Shops make scenery that gets sent there for the big events they used to run. They get given a basic set of guidelines, and are supposed to do them within those guidelines.

You can pretty much be guaranteed that making a comedic piece about how the staff feel like they're chained into working for GW even if the shop burns down around them wasn't within those guidelines.

Which are perfectly fine grounds for it to not be put on a table. . . .but are you really defending someone who would actually destroy it?

They sent it to GW's HQ to be used. What the hell are they going to use it for? If it can't be put down at Games Day Los Angeles, there's no reason to keep it around.

Or do you really think they need to store every single piece of half-arsed card terrain that staffers make as jokes?

This kind of thing is something that's fine for them to have had on their tables at home, but otherwise there's no reason at all for it to continue to exist.

And I sincerely doubt someone 'stomped it to death' as the blog claims. More likely than not, it was just tossed.

Hulksmash wrote:What should they do with it Drum? You don't wanna send a kid home with it. Can't keep it in the shop (most upper management would not find it funny). Maybe just throw it away, but then it could be salvaged. Or do you do what a lot of companies do and destroy it before you throw it away?

Granted I remember seeing that building and laughing my butt off. But it probably wasn't a good idea for the NoCal guys to send that. We had a dude at my store we had to keep from constantly doing stuff like this before he had to be let go.

How about I dunno. . . .sending it back? If it's "inappropriate" at least tell the creators send shipping money or it goes in the garbage.

MrDrumMachine wrote:

Hulksmash wrote:What should they do with it Drum? You don't wanna send a kid home with it. Can't keep it in the shop (most upper management would not find it funny). Maybe just throw it away, but then it could be salvaged. Or do you do what a lot of companies do and destroy it before you throw it away?

Granted I remember seeing that building and laughing my butt off. But it probably wasn't a good idea for the NoCal guys to send that. We had a dude at my store we had to keep from constantly doing stuff like this before he had to be let go.

How about I dunno. . . .sending it back? If it's "inappropriate" at least tell the creators send shipping money or it goes in the garbage.

Again:
The creators fethed the pooch.

They, in all likelihood like every single GW shop that has built terrain or painted army pieces, had a specific set of groundwork to work from and disregarded them.

Imagine, if you will, you worked at McDonald's. You have to make 62 hamburgers in an hour, which you do. 40 of those hamburgers have to be plain, with no toppings or condiments on them.

You make all 62 of those hamburgers with pickles and onions making smiley faces as a 'joke'.
What do you think will happen to you in that situation?

I'm surprised at the chilly reception from some of you.

Kanluwen wrote:

Very little actual creativity went into it and it really just looks like it's meant to shock people who see it.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. If you think that you've seen something that like this before, do tell. If you feel that the this quote from one of the creators doesn't represent something valuable, say so.

"The patrons of our shop absolutely loved the building"

Not to be overly pedantic, but attacking the piece on the basis of its creativity seems really lame. It's okay to laugh at GW sometimes. Take another look, maybe you'll see the humor when you look again with fresh eyes.

That isn't the best example, Kan; food is hardly comparable to non-perishable scenery that can serve future purpose at some point.

Those hamburgers would have to be eaten or thrown away, otherwise they'd perish, scenery doesn't do that AFAIK.

I'm sorry but that comparison is terrible. Maybe I'm just too reasonable to think that something that obviously had a lot of work go into it shouldn't just be thrown away without giving the creator a chance to at least get it back.

A more accurate comparison would be that an art dealer is having a themed show and only wants grim-dark artwork. Someone sends in a one of a kind lolcat piece of artwork and instead of sending it back they punch a hole through it and dump it in the garbage.

I think it's pretty awesome, but not sure I'd send it out to Gamesday. They're right, they should have kept it for themselves.

AesSedai wrote:I'm surprised at the chilly reception from some of you.

Kanluwen wrote:

Very little actual creativity went into it and it really just looks like it's meant to shock people who see it.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. If you think that you've seen something that like this before, do tell.

People doing scenery of their shops burnt out isn't new.

If you feel that the this quote from one of the creators doesn't represent something valuable, say so.

"The patrons of our shop absolutely loved the building"

And that's like if I were to create a piece of scenery of the college where I and several fellow players go to. We would find it absolutely fantastic, but would you?

Not to be overly pedantic, but attacking the piece on the basis of its creativity seems really lame.

It's crummily built, it's a played out idea, and the only real thing it's meant to do is be one great big in-joke.

It's okay to laugh at GW sometimes. Take another look, maybe you'll see the humor when you look again with fresh eyes.

No, I get it. Haha, it's a burnt out local shop from Northern California. Oh how wonderful, I wish we could have a whole table themed around it!

You're completely missing the point. But I'm not really surprised.

The point is that GW shops are supposed to make scenery within a specific purview for the Games Day tables. It's so that one specific group of people isn't stuck doing terrain for every single table at the Games Day event.

They wasted their time building a joke piece, when they were supposed to be making something else. They then sent that in to GW's HQ for the Games Day and expected some kind of praise for it?

I don't know about you, but any job I've worked at where I goof off and do something completely outside of the boundaries of what I'm told to do--I get reprimanded for.

Avatar720 wrote:That isn't the best example, Kan; food is hardly comparable to non-perishable scenery that can serve future purpose at some point.

What future purpose can that piece of terrain possibly serve? It's a joke piece that really only applies to a specific shop. It's, for all intents and purposes, 'an inside joke'.

Those hamburgers would have to be eaten or thrown away, otherwise they'd perish, scenery doesn't do that AFAIK.

The point of the example was that if you don't follow directions and fail to follow through with the actual work , do you expect your bosses to appreciate the joke?


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MrDrumMachine wrote:I'm sorry but that comparison is terrible. Maybe I'm just too reasonable to think that something that obviously had a lot of work go into it shouldn't just be thrown away without giving the creator a chance to at least get it back.

First off: how do you know the creator didn't get a chance to 'at least get it back'?

You're going off a blog post for an event that was in 2004, when the blog post was done in May 2011.

A more accurate comparison would be that an art dealer is having a themed show and only wants grim-dark artwork. Someone sends in a one of a kind lolcat piece of artwork and instead of sending it back they punch a hole through it and dump it in the garbage.

And again, more assumptions.

Do you have any kind of evidence outside of a 7 year gap for them actually destroying it and not throwing it away after the Northern California shop jokesters didn't want to go get it?

I think they stomped it to death because OBVIOUSLY the marines are NOT to scale on those tables.

I mean seriously. How can you have a table with 20 ft tall marines on there?!?!?

Were they playing a game of Inquisitor? I don't think so!

I feel like this is a good time for the umadbro guy to queue in...

I made something like this when I was younger. It was smaller than theirs, and I cut up a free catalogue to get their logos and stuff to go on the walls. I had two broken windows on the walls of the building and a games table inside with epic figures on and a few dead skeletons. It was part of a shopping mall for Necromunda.

Anyway their thing didn't fit with the aesthetic of Games Day but my guess is that someone had a sense of humour failure when they saw GW staff being depicted as locked in chains working in the store.

It doesn't surprise me that you Kan should leap in with such defence. "Meant to shock people", it's not shocking it'll just get a laugh. GW used to be fine with people having a laugh, perhaps not so blatantly at their expense but breaking the 4th wall didn't used to be an issue.

They could have just quietly put it in the bin or offered it back to the staff first. Time and effort did go into making it after all. But no, they stamped it to pieces and then gave a verbal warning to staff for "not fostering the proper creativity in the hobby" which is a load of ass. Seems that behaving inappropriately is going at least both ways.

It was made by the staff, to be used as scenery for Games Day Los Angeles. Shops make scenery that gets sent there for the big events they used to run. They get given a basic set of guidelines, and are supposed to do them within those guidelines.

You can pretty much be guaranteed that making a comedic piece about how the staff feel like they're chained into working for GW even if the shop burns down around them wasn't within those guidelines.

I'd like to know what the guidelines were, should they actually exist. Otherwise you're just guessing that GW thought to give specific instructions as to what could or could not be made.

What future purpose can that piece of terrain possibly serve? It's a joke piece that really only applies to a specific shop. It's, for all intents and purposes, 'an inside joke'.

I dunno, perhaps being terrain on someone's personal table?

The point of the example was that if you don't follow directions and fail to follow through with the actual work , do you expect your bosses to appreciate the joke?

Then it wasn't great at getting the point across. I don't expect them to get the joke, but the repurcussions for scenery should be different from hamburgers.

@ Kanluwen

If you're whole point is to simply say "don't assume this actually happened they way detailed based on a single blog post" then why not just say that?

You also seem to be making the assumption that they didn't find some loophole to exploit in the terrain building policies, unless you have the actual policies then this may have fit just fine and then got deemed inappropriate anyway.

Howard A Treesong wrote:I made something like this when I was younger. It was smaller than theirs, and I cut up a free catalogue to get their logos and stuff to go on the walls. I had two broken windows on the walls of the building and a games table inside with epic figures on and a few dead skeletons.

Yes it didn't fit with the aesthetic of Games Day but my guess is that someone had a sense of humour failure when they saw GW staff being depicted as locked in chains working in the store.

Because without context, there's room for misinterpretation. But you should know that.

It doesn't surprise me that you Kan should leap in with such defence. "Meant to shock people", it's not shocking it'll just get a laugh. GW used to be fine with people having a laugh, perhaps not so blatantly at their expense but breaking the 4th wall didn't used to be an issue.

This was 2004. Not recently. There hasn't been a Games Day in LA for quite some time. They were still fairly laid back and had quite a few joke pieces that would crop up now and again.

To give an example: if you looked at the massive Lustria table that Games Day France did, the shop responsible for painting up and building a specific section had modeled the entirety of the store staff as Empire soldiers who 'got lost' and ended up in an Amazonian village completely away from the massive High Elf, Lizardman, and Skaven battle and surrounded by scantily clad women.

That got a mention in White Dwarf, mind you. Why? Because while it's a joke, it's still keeping with the aesthetic and the assignment that they had to do was still completed.

They could have just quietly put it in the bin or offered it back to the staff first. Time and effort did go into making it after all. But no, they stamped it to pieces and then gave a verbal warning to staff for "not fostering the proper creativity in the hobby" which is a load of ass.

And as usual, we're getting one bloody side of the story. But hey. It's fun to take everything at face value, right?


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MrDrumMachine wrote:@ Kanluwen

If you're whole point is to simply say "don't assume this actually happened they way detailed based on a single blog post" then why not just say that?

You also seem to be making the assumption that they didn't find some loophole to exploit in the terrain building policies, unless you have the actual policies then this may have fit just fine and then got deemed inappropriate anyway.

I can guarantee you that a "Burnt out Games Workshop with the corpses of staff chained inside" was not an acceptable piece.

They generally had, for 40k at least, a restriction on 'no real world structures'. They wanted things that would fit, not look shoehorned in.

Dang, its stuff like this that makes me glad there isn't an actual GW shop within a couple hundred miles, I'll just stick with my FLGSs. That piece was pretty cool, and it looks like a ton of work went into it, I'd be livid if some buraucrat destroyed it. Maybe it shouldn't have been sent to a Games Day, but it deffinately shouldn't have been stomped in a tantrum.

Creeping Dementia wrote:Dang, its stuff like this that makes me glad there isn't an actual GW shop within a couple hundred miles, I'll just stick with my FLGSs. That piece was pretty cool, and it looks like a ton of work went into it, I'd be livid if some buraucrat destroyed it. Maybe it shouldn't have been sent to a Games Day, but it definately shouldn't have been stomped in a tantrum.

Once again.
This? This piece was built by a GW shop. Not a FLGS.

Kanluwen wrote:

Creeping Dementia wrote:Dang, its stuff like this that makes me glad there isn't an actual GW shop within a couple hundred miles, I'll just stick with my FLGSs. That piece was pretty cool, and it looks like a ton of work went into it, I'd be livid if some buraucrat destroyed it. Maybe it shouldn't have been sent to a Games Day, but it definately shouldn't have been stomped in a tantrum.

Once again.
This? This piece was built by a GW shop. Not a FLGS.

I don't give a damn who built it, I just care about how it was treated afterward.

Creeping Dementia wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

Creeping Dementia wrote:Dang, its stuff like this that makes me glad there isn't an actual GW shop within a couple hundred miles, I'll just stick with my FLGSs. That piece was pretty cool, and it looks like a ton of work went into it, I'd be livid if some buraucrat destroyed it. Maybe it shouldn't have been sent to a Games Day, but it definately shouldn't have been stomped in a tantrum.

Once again.
This? This piece was built by a GW shop. Not a FLGS.

I don't give a damn who built it, I just care about how it was treated afterward.

And once again, he have nothing definite about how it was treated. All we have is hearsay from someone who heard it from someone who heard it from someone else. You're all in a rage over something that may not have actually happened(it was most likely just tossed whole into a bin somewhere). As well, once it was received by the GW heads, it stopped belonging to the store and the owners were able to do whatever they wanted to it.

As is, we have a piece created as a joke that was inappropriate FOR THE SETTING IT WAS TO BE USED IN(an all ages convention) that they most likely knew wasn't going to be used once received.

Yes, because clearly we know exactly how it was treated afterwards.

And the blog clearly doesn't take an antagonistic view towards the "soCal" goons.

I'm calling bull on the story. Throwing the flag here and now, bull. The guys were likely too fething lazy to drive down and pick it up or pay for their little in-joke to get shipped back--because there's no way GW or any employer for that matter would pay for your little poke at corporate policy to be shipped back to you.

People doing scenery of their shops burnt out isn't new.

All due respect, show me. Maybe I'm not as much into the scene as you, but I don't recall ever seeing a representation like this on dakka. I am prepared to stand corrected.

And that's like if I were to create a piece of scenery of the college where I and several fellow players go to. We would find it absolutely fantastic, but would you?

To be fair, if your terrain piece included a skeletal Kanluwen in a burnt-out lecture hall with a skeletal Mark Wells at a podium...then yes, I would think it would be absolutely fantastic because that would be you laughing at yourself. It would also be a creative expression of self deprecating humor.

It's crummily built

Nice cheap shot, sir. Can I play on your table?

Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Doing something like that was dumb.

That said, it was a well done and pretty clever piece. But there's not much GW could do other than dispose of it.

AesSedai wrote:

People doing scenery of their shops burnt out isn't new.

All due respect, show me. Maybe I'm not as much into the scene as you, but I don't recall ever seeing a representation like this on dakka. I am prepared to stand corrected.

You don't usually see them on Dakka for the same reason the OP didn't actually post the photos on here I'd assume.

They tend to be inside jokes, and not make very much sense to anyone else.

And that's like if I were to create a piece of scenery of the college where I and several fellow players go to. We would find it absolutely fantastic, but would you?

To be fair, if your terrain piece included a skeletal Kanluwen in a burnt-out lecture hall with a skeletal Mark Wells at a podium...then yes, I would think it would be absolutely fantastic because that would be you laughing at yourself. It would also be a creative expression of self deprecating humor.

See, but again. The point of the work wasn't to make some form of self-deprecating, humorous piece.

The point of the work is to make something to fits with a specific aesthetic. You can understand this, yes?

It's crummily built

Nice cheap shot, sir. Can I play on your table?

When it's finally built? Sure. Well. You'll have to surrender the nice fortifications to my Cadians, but you'll be okay with that yeah?
Right now it's still in the 'concept' process though.

Biggest issue has been to figure out how best to make the walls so that they can be scored and pitted.

For an inside joke, I think a lot of people seem to be getting it.

Polonius wrote:Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Doing something like that was dumb.

That said, it was a well done and pretty clever piece. But there's not much GW could do other than dispose of it.

And dispose the staff that was involved in this is also a possibility... I mean you just dont fool around on your day job and mail the proof to your boss... thats silly.

Because it clubs you over the head, likely.

I didn't say it was a good inside joke.

Polonius wrote:For an inside joke, I think a lot of people seem to be getting it.

I think a lot of people would have gotten that they were employees of the GW store, but wouldn't know it was a specific store and specific employees unless told so(like in the blog post) or if they were regular attendees at said store.

If this is so bad and lacks artistic quality, what do you think of the McDonalds Orks that were on here some time ago? In my mind, it's a very similar lighthearted spoof.

Also, look closer at those pictures, there actually is a large amount of fine detail on that piece. They have fake fantasy boxes up on the wall and little red/blue space marines (another clever dig) on the table. There's even a Tau poster on the wall in the back, not to mention the tiny tiny dice that the guy is rolling.

Like it or not, there looks to be a large amount of effort that went into this. I'd probably never be able to achieve something of that level of detail, which is what makes me sad that it's no more. I really doubt that this was such a trivial thing to create that the builders were too lazy to pay for their "little in-joke" to get it back. I mean, they were from that store, they made a skeleton for each person. They had vested interest in it. I'm guessing they never heard anything more of it, and having seen the amount of sheer self-righteous zeal that can surround GW, I wouldn't blink if someone did actually prove it was aggressively destroyed.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. To say the thing is in bad taste is one thing. I can't argue that. To say it's not clever or that they did a bad job on it though, that's just not being fair to it.

See, but again. The point of the work wasn't to make some form of self-deprecating, humorous piece.

The point of the work is to make something to fits with a specific aesthetic. You can understand this, yes?

Oh, I get it. Do you feel that self-deprecating humor and the specific aesthetic need be in conflict? I see a piece of post apocalyptic terrain (blown out windows, strewn rubble) with a wink. It would be at home on any urban tabletop battlefield. I find it so ironic that a games company can't laugh at itself and responds to a playful jibe with wanton destruction.

2:30 am in Tokyo, catch the thread on the morning commute--nothing personal Kan, I kind of like you.

I laughed, pretty creative and nice attention to detail. Black humor does it for some people---others not so much.

I'm shocked they stomped it (I hope they recited the 3rd zone of banishment and fired the ashes into the sun to make sure it's dead *eyeroll*). Given that I've made a great deal of terrain and painted a model or two----I would find it very difficult to destroy another person's labor of love---even if I found it offensive.

AesSedai wrote:

See, but again. The point of the work wasn't to make some form of self-deprecating, humorous piece.

The point of the work is to make something to fits with a specific aesthetic. You can understand this, yes?

Oh, I get it. Do you feel that self-deprecating humor and the specific aesthetic need be in conflict? I see a piece of post apocalyptic terrain (blown out windows, strewn rubble) with a wink. It would be at home on any urban tabletop battlefield. I find it so ironic that a games company can't laugh at itself and responds to a playful jibe with wanton destruction.

2:30 am in Tokyo, catch the thread on the morning commute--nothing personal Kan, I kind of like you.

I know it's nothing personal, so no biggie.

I don't think there would have been an issue if they hadn't slapped the great big "GAMES WORKSHOP" logo on it.

If they'd called it something like "WRATH OF THE EMPEROR TOYSHOP", and the staffers had been wearing red robes with fake augmetic implants on there to make them look like tech-priests--I don't think there'd have been an issue.

Let me bring some clarity to the situation. I was there when it was "blown up" not smashed. The stores were given specific directions of what to build as well as pictures of what was expected. They manager was being defiant and thumbed his nose at the Regional management. The manager had been written up multiple times for insubordination and poor performance. The manager and most of the staff were later terminated. A new manager and staff came in and turn that store around.

The shame is if they spent the same amount of time in promotion of events and hobby classes the store would have not been a giant failure. Hulksmash knows that the Regional manager at the time was no non-sense and the staff/manager knew that was unacceptable.

Now you have both sides.

The guidelines we got every year were quite specific. I think I left GW in 2003...though I'm not totally sure so it could have been 2004. So this might have been for my last games day. Which would make sense since I remember seeing it and I doubt it was out on the floor. I was a manager for one of the southern stores in California. You guys have to remember this was built on company time, sent into the regional HQ, and did not follow the guidelines for what they wanted.

What did the store that built it think would happen? As for sending it back, it's company property. The local regional vice president at the time could do whatever he wanted with it. I doubt it was stomped to death as that wasn't the Bunker manager at the times style but I could be wrong.

Jesus, it's like if it has to do with GW people lose go off their meds. Imagine any job you have ever had. You're instructed to complete a project and given specific instructions. You then follow the guildelines in the most obscure way (failing to follow a few at least), present a product that makes a joke of what you were assigned to do, and best of all did it on company time. Lord knows I've fired people for less than wasting hours of time.


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dang, I got beat out.

What a great little GW-store satire. Not Heavy-metal quality, but nicely done with lots of fun details. I don't have the level of outrage that some do, but I am disapointed that it was destroyed.

Not at all suprised though. No matter how many folks saw it and liked it (proabably most who saw it) I have no doubt there were a few Kanluwen'esque employees who were up in arms and more than ready to destroy it and defend their actions just as been done here.

Too bad they were so ready to get in a huff that they weren't able to take the joke.

As to whether or not it was appropriate, it's worth pointing out that it was obviously deemd appropriate enough by GW to display at the event. Only afterwards did the boots, excuses, and chastisements come out.

If me and friends/coworkers put time and effort into something like that and then someone 'stomped it to death', that wouldn't be the only thing to get stomped that day.

Weather you like the piece or not. Destroying it was uncalled for. This just show that some GW employees are literally bullies.

kinghammer wrote:Let me bring some clarity to the situation. I was there when it was "blown up" not smashed. The stores were given specific directions of what to build as well as pictures of what was expected. They manager was being defiant and thumbed his nose at the Regional management. The manager had been written up multiple times for insubordination and poor performance. The manager and most of the staff were later terminated. A new manager and staff came in and turn that store around.

The shame is if they spent the same amount of time in promotion of events and hobby classes the store would have not been a giant failure. Hulksmash knows that the Regional manager at the time was no non-sense and the staff/manager knew that was unacceptable.

Now you have both sides.

Hulksmash wrote:The guidelines we got every year were quite specific. I think I left GW in 2003...though I'm not totally sure so it could have been 2004. So this might have been for my last games day. Which would make sense since I remember seeing it and I doubt it was out on the floor. I was a manager for one of the southern stores in California. You guys have to remember this was built on company time, sent into the regional HQ, and did not follow the guidelines for what they wanted.

What did the store that built it think would happen? As for sending it back, it's company property. The local regional vice president at the time could do whatever he wanted with it. I doubt it was stomped to death as that wasn't the Bunker manager at the times style but I could be wrong.

So, it looks like there's more to the story than "Oh noes, our store was bullieded!".

I'm not busting GW's balls on this, I'm just admiring it the same way I'd admire any prank that was very well done.

SickSix wrote:If me and friends/coworkers put time and effort into something like that and then someone 'stomped it to death', that wouldn't be the only thing to get stomped that day.

Weather you like the piece or not. Destroying it was uncalled for. This just show that some GW employees are literally bullies.

Have you ever had a job?
If you get assigned to do something, to a specific standard, and fail to do it. And you dont just fail to do it, you do it to mock the company you work for. Expect to be stomped out of the company ASAP.
To add to it, you also have the situational awareness of a refrigerator... well... stomping it is.

The one really cool store I used to play at had a running gag about re-creating the entire shopping center the store was in as a piece of terrain. Never happened, but would've been cool as it was one of the 'fake small town' shopping areas currently in vogue so there'd be a great T intersection to direct movement down with a few interesting back alleys.

pixelpusher wrote:

SickSix wrote:If me and friends/coworkers put time and effort into something like that and then someone 'stomped it to death', that wouldn't be the only thing to get stomped that day.

Weather you like the piece or not. Destroying it was uncalled for. This just show that some GW employees are literally bullies.

Have you ever had a job?
If you get assigned to do something, to a specific standard, and fail to do it. And you dont just fail to do it, you do it to mock the company you work for. Expect to be stomped out of the company ASAP.
To add to it, you also have the situational awareness of a refrigerator... well... stomping it is.

Have you ever had a job where people are expected to be professional?

Regardless of wether or not the piece was inappropriate or not, the proper reaction would have been to ask them to remove it from any public displays while at the event and tell them not to put it in their store either. And then reprimand them. Not stomp it like a bunch of 15 yr old bullies.

It wasn't displayed at the event. They had to ship the terrain they built to Games Days. The photos of the piece have a bit of spillover where you can pretty clearly see the interior of a small store.

SickSix wrote:

pixelpusher wrote:

SickSix wrote:If me and friends/coworkers put time and effort into something like that and then someone 'stomped it to death', that wouldn't be the only thing to get stomped that day.

Weather you like the piece or not. Destroying it was uncalled for. This just show that some GW employees are literally bullies.

Have you ever had a job?
If you get assigned to do something, to a specific standard, and fail to do it. And you dont just fail to do it, you do it to mock the company you work for. Expect to be stomped out of the company ASAP.
To add to it, you also have the situational awareness of a refrigerator... well... stomping it is.

Have you ever had a job where people are expected to be professional?

Regardless of wether or not the piece was inappropriate or not, the proper reaction would have been to ask them to remove it from any public displays while at the event and tell them not to put it in their store either. And then reprimand them. Not stomp it like a bunch of 15 yr old bullies.

Well thinking as a manager of employees, if this popped up: I'd 1) fire everyone involved as in escort out with security fired; and then 2) call the police, in case this isn't just some sort of "give em the finger before I quote move." We take any appearance of threat here extremely seriously.

Loved it! Especially the employee chained to the cash register. Having spent some time in retail many moons ago, I can relate to being chained to the till.

Very creative piece, love the use of Epic marines and the mini-dice, especially the rack space. Very detailed, kudos to the artist!

lol apparently so, Frazzled. Where do you work?

Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

And yes now that I see more to the story, they were wrong. However, if someone stomped a cool piece I made I would still stomp them. But that was not the situation here. They should have been fired.

Lt. Coldfire wrote:lol apparently so, Frazzled. Where do you work?

Evil Banker and proud!

The stomping is a bit excessive.. I guess GW has no sense of humor about themselves

If my employees act in a very unprofessional way, in this case sending something like this to a -company event-. They'd really not deserve any professional courtesy apart from the formal letter explaining their termination.

What did they think would happen? Someone to call them up and say "Haha, very funny. You guys are awesome?"

I commend them for the lulz it created in the gaming community, but whining about it being destroyed? Come on...

SickSix wrote:Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

He means the part where you said you would stomp them in return.

Don't be dense, kid.

Frazzled wrote:

Lt. Coldfire wrote:lol apparently so, Frazzled. Where do you work?

Evil Banker and proud!

Seriously? You just tried to apply this situation to a bank? What you do at your bank isn't even in the same ballpark as a gaming store.

Platuan4th wrote:

SickSix wrote:Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

He means the part where you said you would stomp them in return.

Don't be dense, kid.

That or the piece being a representation of the store, bombed out with the corpses of his fellow employees inside.

Platuan4th wrote:

SickSix wrote:Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

He means the part where you said you would stomp them in return.

Don't be dense, kid.

Um no. He was interpreting the terrain piece with skeletons as a threat.

And kid? And then pixiedust assuming I have never had a job. This thread is really bringing out the pretentious arseholes.

SickSix wrote: This thread is really bringing out the pretentious arseholes.

We're only responding in kind to what you give us.

Yes, it's pretentious to:
1) Expect people to do the work they are assigned as assigned
2) Not feel bad when incorrectly done work is disposed of

Seriously, I think it's funny and all, but GW was absolutely doing the smart thing by getting rid of it.

Also, I'd rather be pretentious than the internet tough guy.

"if any of you... ****... Touch my stuff... I'll kill you."

Doesn't fulfil the brief
Not very well put together
and on company time

Not saying it should have been thunderstomped but not sure what the fuss is about.
It is mildly amusing.
Once you see the joke, chuckled and then moved on then so what? You are left with a shoe box with chained skellies.

Isn't Games Day some sort of big deal?
Would have thought that one would want to represent their creativity with something a tad more substantial.

I assumed you've had a job or two and could relate to company higher ups and whats expected of employees. Especially in retail & nationwide companies. Was I wrong?

Kanluwen wrote:Putting it bluntly:

It's not that much of a 'great piece of work'.

You misspelled "I don't care for this model."

Kanluwen wrote:Very little actual creativity went into it and it really just looks like it's meant to shock people who see it.

You misspelled "I don't appreciate the humor and would prefer they made a model that fit more into the game setting."


People are free to have their opinions, but to say very little creativity went into making a model where the vast majority of it could only have been scratch-built makes it sound like perhaps you're using a very unusual definition for the word 'creativity'.

It's an awesome in-store gaming piece. It's a poor choice to send to anywhere outside the store it represents. It's an even poorer choice to destroy the model. I can forgive an employee who is a bit unprofessional way before I can forgive an corporate representative who is so anal-retentive that they can't even tolerate the slightest bit of fun had at the larger corporation's expense. When a company involved in entertainment can't allow it's employees to once in a while look at their organization and have a little laugh (even a laugh as minor and inoffensive as this one), that's a sign of some serious leadership problems. Perhaps we should have seen this as a sign of things to come.

I must say, I found this pretty amusing. But I agree that it should not have been created during working hours, nor was it the kind of effort that deserves a place in a Games day event.

Stomping on it? That is just someone being silly and childish about the whole thing. But under those circumstances, disposal of the piece and an immediate warning about their conduct was entirely appropriate. Shame noone was offered the chance to keep it though, it'd be good fun toplay around...

JOHIRA wrote:It's an awesome in-store gaming piece. It's a poor choice to send to anywhere outside the store it represents. It's an even poorer choice to destroy the model. I can forgive an employee who is a bit unprofessional way before I can forgive an corporate representative who is so anal-retentive that they can't even tolerate the slightest bit of fun had at the larger corporation's expense. When a company involved in entertainment can't allow it's employees to once in a while look at their organization and have a little laugh (even a laugh as minor and inoffensive as this one), that's a sign of some serious leadership problems. Perhaps we should have seen this as a sign of things to come.

Except that this was sent to be part of a Games Day display, instead of what was asked for.

Corporate might look the other way if this peice was tucked into a back table at the shop. But when you send in work to corporate that's essentially a "screw you," what exactly is corporate supposed to do? Fire the employees and ship the piece back?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I suppose it's also worth noting that it was stomped by the LA bunker staff, not by corporate.

Kanluwen wrote:

They sent it to GW's HQ to be used. What the hell are they going to use it for? If it can't be put down at Games Day Los Angeles, there's no reason to keep it around.

Or do you really think they need to store every single piece of half-arsed card terrain that staffers make as jokes?

This kind of thing is something that's fine for them to have had on their tables at home, but otherwise there's no reason at all for it to continue to exist.

And I sincerely doubt someone 'stomped it to death' as the blog claims. More likely than not, it was just tossed.

So if you cant use it, ship it back. Thats not grounds for destruction. I mean, if I find YOUR models tasteless, its ok for me to take a hammer them then, right?

SickSix wrote:Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

And yes now that I see more to the story, they were wrong. However, if someone stomped a cool piece I made I would still stomp them. But that was not the situation here. They should have been fired.

If you're an employee tasked to do some sort of marketing (which is what this effectively is) and you showed up with something actively sabotaging the company, you would be fired, immediately. In order for the product not get photo'd or otherwise cause a problem I'd probably destroy it to (most likely just trash it). You ging to try to start a fistfight over it? That why I said security would help you out.

It is not pretentious to think those guys are wrong and the piece was blatantly not to standard.

What is pretentious is "have you ever had a job?" And blindly referring to someone as a kid. Especially when you are the one
Who didn't understand what was posted. (referring to the kid comment)

I replied to the OP. That was my mistake. As the story has been explained further. And I know others here do not read every single post in a thread before responding.

carmachu wrote: I mean, if I find YOUR models tasteless, its ok for me to take a hammer them then, right?

Your point doesn't stand. It wasn't THEIR model, it was GW's, commissioned by GW for their event. It's perfectly acceptable for you to do whatever you want to something you own, regardless of the work someone else did in making or finishing it.


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SickSix wrote:What is pretentious is "have you ever had a job?" And blindly referring to someone as a kid. Especially when you are the one
Who didn't understand what was posted. (referring to the kid comment)

Frazzled: "You ging to try to start a fistfight over it? That why I said security would help you out. "

As he JUST POSTED, he was referring to your stomp comment(as was quoted in his post, BTW), NOT any implicit act in the piece. But then, you couldn't act like the validated martyr if you'd actually acknowledged that, could you?

SickSix wrote:

Frazzled wrote:

Lt. Coldfire wrote:lol apparently so, Frazzled. Where do you work?

Evil Banker and proud!

Seriously? You just tried to apply this situation to a bank? What you do at your bank isn't even in the same ballpark as a gaming store.

I said Banker not in a bank. Don't insult me. I haven't worked in a bank since before your ma started to get morning sickness.

The ruin of the GW store was done in really bad taste.
If I worked with GW and was getting shipments from my stores and was supposed to use this, I'd take a baseball bat to the thing.

And if some aggro dude came after me ready to stomp me, I'm game. Microsoft doesn't put out ads where they talk gak about their own OS, why do you think GW would stand for the same thing.

Freedom of speech...totally. I am also free to show my speech. If I destroy an item given to me by another person then that is my own choice.
What happened happened, why cry over spilled sour milk?

/end argument

Kanluwen wrote:

Platuan4th wrote:

SickSix wrote:Frazzled: Threat? WTF are you talking about?

He means the part where you said you would stomp them in return.

Don't be dense, kid.

That or the piece being a representation of the store, bombed out with the corpses of his fellow employees inside.

This actually although the seocond statment supports it.


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Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Doesn't fulfil the brief
Not very well put together
and on company time

Not saying it should have been thunderstomped but not sure what the fuss is about.
It is mildly amusing.
Once you see the joke, chuckled and then moved on then so what? You are left with a shoe box with chained skellies.

Isn't Games Day some sort of big deal?
Would have thought that one would want to represent their creativity with something a tad more substantial.

Now had that been in store actual gaming terrain it might have been funny, especially if everyone knew the context.


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carmachu wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

They sent it to GW's HQ to be used. What the hell are they going to use it for? If it can't be put down at Games Day Los Angeles, there's no reason to keep it around.

Or do you really think they need to store every single piece of half-arsed card terrain that staffers make as jokes?

This kind of thing is something that's fine for them to have had on their tables at home, but otherwise there's no reason at all for it to continue to exist.

And I sincerely doubt someone 'stomped it to death' as the blog claims. More likely than not, it was just tossed.

So if you cant use it, ship it back. Thats not grounds for destruction. I mean, if I find YOUR models tasteless, its ok for me to take a hammer them then, right?

Wait, seriously?

I am sorry but some of you I think have your panties wound up a little tight. If I had been the executive in this situation, I would have laughed, and then fired them. And yes, if it was made on company time, it would technically belong to the company so they could destroy it. I guess some of us just have different thresholds of humour.

And you Guys keep misreading what I say about retaliation. I simply said if someone stomped my hardwork, I would show them the same courtesy. I did NOT say "if my employer destroyed something I made that that was a clear 'F U' to them, I would attack them"

Edited the first post for less kneejerk reactions, hopefully.

What a beautiful model.

Shame to the cavemen who decided to destroy it.

Reprimands should have been given out to the employees who made the piece for not following company instructions for the terrain (if any), but destroying such a wonderful work of art is just a crime, and the mark of a childish coward.

BuFFo wrote:What a beautiful model.

Shame to the cavemen who decided to destroy it.

Reprimands should have been given out to the employees, but destroying such a wonderful work of art is just a crime, and the mark of a childish coward.

I'm betting you don't actually work do you...

In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

I said Banker not in a bank. Don't insult me. I haven't worked in a bank since before your ma started to get morning sickness.

Nobody cares about the minutiae of your employment, get off your high horse.
You might be able to brag and act superior on account of your flashy investment banking job IRL, but not online, you don't. On here we are all simply hobbyists.

I'm willing to bet things went out like this...

GW HQ receives the thing and after looking at it they decide to trash it... trash bin to small, so someone breaks it in into tiny bits.... if those are the only consequences to this brain farted project then the employees are very lucky indeed...

Oh and I am sorry I can't instantly type up replies instantly. I am using a phone.

Oh and I apologize for estimating that a 'banker' worked in a bank. Crucify me.


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scarletsquig wrote:In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

EXACTLY!! THANK YOU!

scarletsquig wrote:In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

Its not creative, its a borderline threat and completely inappropriate as a marketing piece . You don't mail something showing everyone dead in a burned out store. Or then again, maybe you do, which explains your post.

I said Banker not in a bank. Don't insult me. I haven't worked in a bank since before your ma started to get morning sickness.

Nobody cares about the minutiae of your employment, get off your high horse. You might be able to brag and act superior on account of your flashy investment banking job IRL, but not online, you don't.

1. I'm not bragging. They are completely different. now you may be comfortable being factually wrong in life, but others aren't, and it directly relates to the issue. Its not a banking environment.
2. Someone asked me my profession. It helps when you read.
3. Three insults in one sentence. Your internet rage warms my heart. Working through some issues?

scarletsquig wrote:In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

Do you stuff like that for a major event that is pretty much just a huge marketing event? If you do then I guess we're just in two different places on this. Generally most retail companies above the store level are a corporate entity. Deal with it. It's a pity the manager dragged his staff down with him since like Kinghammer said, that store was restaffed not to long after.

Hulksmash wrote:

scarletsquig wrote:In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

Do you stuff like that for a major event that is pretty much just a huge marketing event? If you do then I guess we're just in two different places on this. Generally most retail companies above the store level are a corporate entity. Deal with it. It's a pity the manager dragged his staff down with him since like Kinghammer said, that store was restaffed not to long after.

Indeed, I could see that as a piece of terrain at the actual store, especially a cityfight type table.

We had some joke pieces in my store. They were well done and most people found them quite entertaining. Other store managers (my then district manager) found them entertaining.

But I wouldn't in a million years have sent it to the regional HQ where VP's are gathering and getting everything ready for 1 of 2/3 National Games Day events. That would be suicide.

I may have had my issues and chosen to part ways with GW. I still don't like the way overall they ran their company internally back then. But this is one of those completely justified events.

Frazzled wrote:

BuFFo wrote:What a beautiful model.

Shame to the cavemen who decided to destroy it.

Reprimands should have been given out to the employees, but destroying such a wonderful work of art is just a crime, and the mark of a childish coward.

I'm betting you don't actually work do you...

Speak better English please.

Frazzled wrote:

scarletsquig wrote:In my industry (animation) we do random stuff like this all the time, and it's even encouraged.

There is a big different between the creative industry and the corporate industry.

GW's #1 problem is that it is a creative company that thinks it's a corporate one.. leading to "bug up it's butt" situations like these, when the upper management are the exact polar opposites of the guys in the shop in terms of personality.

Its not creative, its a borderline threat and completely inappropriate as a marketing piece . You don't mail something showing everyone dead in a burned out store. Or then again, maybe you do, which explains your post.

To be fair, I've often joked about wanting to burn the building down and I've had numerous people laugh and agree with me. I work for a international software company. I believe there is a difference in level of acceptability with regard to stuff like this. It depends on if you're working in a 'suit and tie' type of environment or a 'tshirt and Chuck Taylor's" sort of place.

Frazz, do people gasp or shift uncomfortably there if anyone were to make a crude joke? Does everyone refer to everyone else by formal social title and surname? Do you still use the early 1900s punch-based timecards to clock in and out?

SickSix wrote:It is not pretentious to think those guys are wrong and the piece was blatantly not to standard.

What is pretentious is "have you ever had a job?" And blindly referring to someone as a kid. Especially when you are the one
Who didn't understand what was posted. (referring to the kid comment)

I replied to the OP. That was my mistake. As the story has been explained further. And I know others here do not read every single post in a thread before responding.

I guess it got kinda lost in translation. The paragraph under "Have you ever had a job?" was supposed to explain further that as an employee you don't have the leniency to mess up assigned tasks. Not: "You, SickSix, haven't ever had a job so let me explain it to you." I see why you interpreted it in that way though.

To add to the "creative industry" argument. I too work in what's supposed to be a really creative industry, where I'm paid for being just that, a creative (weird title).

Sending stuff like that, even in my area of work, wouldn't be appropriate. Perhaps it would work as an injoke between me and a colleague. Definitely not to a company event though. No matter how creative it is or how many hours I've spent on it. It would most likely end with me getting a written reprimand and an appointment with a counsel.

And to restate, if you have a history of messing things up or aren't in a good relation to your higher ups, sending stuff like this just reinforces that you shouldn't be working in the company. SAOFR.

Frazz, do people gasp or shift uncomfortably there if anyone were to make a crude joke? Does everyone refer to everyone else by formal social title and surname? Do you still use the early 1900s punch-based timecards to clock in and out?

No of course not. The proper address is "YESSS MASTER!" and "Minions." We don't work by those new fangled timecards, thats for wimpy folk. Here we abacus until the candle melts down to the 16th hour. On Sunday we're regular slackers and only have to work until sunset.

This thread is too much. Why can't people see that they got bad to make something they weren't supposed too. Also, GW might not have none it was shop specific and it could have been taking very seriously. Almost with a degree of threatening. Im doubtful any of the employee's own money went into this and therefore, it is GW's own terrain to do with what they please. It is unprofessional and very immature. Plus, it's basically insulting GW right to their faces. Thats just a dumb idea.

This thread needs a new title or it needs to be locked. Totally misleading now that we know the whole story.

Frazzled wrote:

Frazz, do people gasp or shift uncomfortably there if anyone were to make a crude joke? Does everyone refer to everyone else by formal social title and surname? Do you still use the early 1900s punch-based timecards to clock in and out?

No of course not. The proper address is "YESSS MASTER!" and "Minions." We don't work by those new fangled timecards, thats for wimpy folk. Here we abacus until the candle melts down to the 16th hour. On Sunday we're regular slackers and only have to work until sunset.

Ah, yeah. I've worked for those places too. That kind of makes more sense then.

Mewiththeface wrote:This thread is too much. Why can't people see that they got bad to make something they weren't supposed too. Also, GW might not have none it was shop specific and it could have been taking very seriously. Almost with a degree of threatening. Im doubtful any of the employee's own money went into this and therefore, it is GW's own terrain to do with what they please. It is unprofessional and very immature. Plus, it's basically insulting GW right to their faces. Thats just a dumb idea.

What Virginia boy said. AKA kiods don't do this at home, unless you really do want to be fired (which clearly the manager did).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

daedalus wrote:

Frazzled wrote:

Frazz, do people gasp or shift uncomfortably there if anyone were to make a crude joke? Does everyone refer to everyone else by formal social title and surname? Do you still use the early 1900s punch-based timecards to clock in and out?

No of course not. The proper address is "YESSS MASTER!" and "Minions." We don't work by those new fangled timecards, thats for wimpy folk. Here we abacus until the candle melts down to the 16th hour. On Sunday we're regular slackers and only have to work until sunset.

Ah, yeah. I've worked for those places too. That kind of makes more sense then.

AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!

tjkopena wrote:Unless I'm missing some big piece of back story, I think some people here are totally evaluating it in the wrong light. It was made *by* GW staffers as a funny joke; I can't imagine it's any serious, negative commentary, and hardly tasteless in this milieu. I also can't imagine they were trying to throw it down on some very serious, highly sculpted table or anything like that. It's just, you know, fun, and a pretty great modeling job.

But, you know, this is serious business!!!

The big piece your missing, is that employees of a business were given specific instructions involving a project. Instead of doing what they were instructed to do, like all the other stores, they put time and money, (Not theirs, their employers), into what they wanted to do. They also did it in a manner that pretty much guaranteed they'd anger their immediate superiors. They didn't meet the goal, and in fact, flaunted it. No surprise they got fired.

The scenery piece was very cool. Too bad they didn't make it on their own time, and keep it at their shop where people could appreciate it.

mikhaila wrote:

tjkopena wrote:Unless I'm missing some big piece of back story, I think some people here are totally evaluating it in the wrong light. It was made *by* GW staffers as a funny joke; I can't imagine it's any serious, negative commentary, and hardly tasteless in this milieu. I also can't imagine they were trying to throw it down on some very serious, highly sculpted table or anything like that. It's just, you know, fun, and a pretty great modeling job.

But, you know, this is serious business!!!

The big piece your missing, is that employees of a business were given specific instructions involving a project. Instead of doing what they were instructed to do, like all the other stores, they put time and money, (Not theirs, their employers), into what they wanted to do. They also did it in a manner that pretty much guaranteed they'd anger their immediate superiors. They didn't meet the goal, and in fact, flaunted it. No surprise they got fired.

The scenery piece was very cool. Too bad they didn't make it on their own time, and keep it at their shop where people could appreciate it.

Exactly.

it doesnt look like the argument was about the piece, the diorama was probably a breaking point displaying bigger issues ie "we dont like working at GW".

Overall the diorama was really well done...the detail amazing...the symbolic message clear.

Its disapointing to see GW take a diorama so seriously....but it defantly represented prior and deeper issues.

There is a rediculous amout of blather about how "out of line" this model was for a professional company, how it didn't fit the requested specifications, could be percieved as a thread, was an insult, etc, etc, blah, blah.

Have we forgotten that:
-This is a company that manufactures burned out buildings of it's own.
-Encourages it's staff and participants to shout WAAGH!
-Makes toys that depict incredible violence.

GW is a company, but viewing the creation and submission of this bit of terrain though the eyes of someone in a financial institution or some other buttoned up corporate entity is just plain silly.

Eilif wrote:There is a rediculous amout of blather about how "out of line" this model was for a professional company, how it didn't fit the requested specifications, could be percieved as a thread, was an insult, etc, etc, blah, blah.

Have we forgotten that:
-This is a company that manufactures burned out buildings of it's own.
-Encourages it's staff and participants to shout WAAGH!
-Makes toys that depict incredible violence.

GW is a company, but viewing the creation and submission of this bit of terrain though the eyes of someone in a financial institution or some other corporate entity is just plain silly.

I suggest you do similar immediately. Send to corporate headquarters a nice drawing of you chained to wherever you work at, amidst the burned out ruins, and dead bodies of your comrades. Tell us how it turns out. Also be sure to tell us is just one police officer appeared or they brought a a pair to escort you out and whether or not you go to have a nice long chat with them.

I would like to point out, seeing as I do frequent the LA Bunker, that none of the 2004 staff is there anymore. I remember that lot, they were part of the reason I avoided visiting the bunker like the plague the first 5 years it was open. My favorite was when one of them lost it and started talking about how awesome space wolves and sisters of battle porn would be.

The current staff there is pretty cool, even if the manager does hit the corporate kool-aid a little hard.

Frazzled wrote: Send to corporate headquarters a nice drawing of you chained to wherever you work at, amidst the burned out ruins, and dead bodies of your comrades.

Games Workshop has now patented the latest edition to their line of products called Waroffice 2011.

Only available on the GW forums for $100 USD ($250 Australian).

"GW doesn't need more bad press... But..."

Troll much?

It was GW's to stomp, so I'm not too bothered by that. I really love the suggestion that the Games Day folks should have showed more respect by sending the "burning in effigy" back to the creators. Respect works both ways.

I've been in illustration and design for 24 years. I've made lots of gag illustrations. I've never been stupid enough to send them out of the art department, let alone expected a pat on the back for insulting the person paying for the work.

YMMV.

Sorry Eilif but just because the guys are selling toys, it does not excuse their immature behaviour.

Some people seem to have a misconception about "creative " businesses, and possibily what being creative entails.
Creative is not the same as, "Do what the heck you want!"

Frazzled wrote:
I suggest you do similar immediately. Send to corporate headquarters a nice drawing of you chained to wherever you work at, amidst the burned out ruins, and dead bodies of your comrades. Tell us how it turns out. Also be sure to tell us is just one police officer appeared or they brought a a pair to escort you out and whether or not you go to have a nice long chat with them.

Context my friend. Absolutely essential for the understanding of humor. Which was the point of my earlier post. It's not a threatening drawing sent out-of-the-blue to a corporate office. That would of course bring the reaction you mention above.

Instead, it's a humorous diorama meant to be set in the context of other burned out model buildings. Further, this all happened in the environment of a company where there is a long history of creative model-making, dark themed models and humor. The skulls, chains, explosions and death are to be taken as satire because they are all pulled strait from GW imagery and used to make a humorous statement about GW. Apprarently the upper management didn't agree with the humor, but the fact that they didn't call the police backs up my point that while they did not look kindly on it, they certainly seemed to realize that it was just the bozo's from up north taking the piss.

I'm not surprised they were eventually fired. No company is going to keep malcontent goof-offs around for long. However, I am surprised at the extreme reactions some folks here are having to the situation.

WarOne wrote:

Frazzled wrote: Send to corporate headquarters a nice drawing of you chained to wherever you work at, amidst the burned out ruins, and dead bodies of your comrades.

Games Workshop has now patented the latest edition to their line of products called Waroffice 2011.

Only available on the GW forums for $100 USD ($250 Australian).

No way baby, thats MY IP! Will sell IP for chocolate (and an army made up of space wiener dogs)


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:
I suggest you do similar immediately. Send to corporate headquarters a nice drawing of you chained to wherever you work at, amidst the burned out ruins, and dead bodies of your comrades. Tell us how it turns out. Also be sure to tell us is just one police officer appeared or they brought a a pair to escort you out and whether or not you go to have a nice long chat with them.

Context my friend. Absolutely essential for the understanding of humor. Which was the point of my earlier post. It's not a threatening drawing sent out-of-the-blue to a corporate office. That would of course bring the reaction you mention above.

Instead, it's a humorous diorama meant to be set in the context of other burned out model buildings. Further, this all happened in the environment of a company where there is a long history of creative model-making, dark themed models and humor. The skulls, chains, explosions and death are to be taken as satire because they are all pulled strait from GW imagery and used to make a humorous statement about GW. Apprarently the upper management didn't agree with the humor, but the fact that they didn't call the police backs up my point that while they did not look kindly on it, they certainly seemed to realize that it was just the bozo's from up north taking the piss.

I'm not surprised they were eventually fired. No company is going to keep malcontent goof-offs around for long. However, I am surprised at the extreme reactions some folks here are having to the situation.

So in other words you're now backtracking. Come on, be a man and put your money where your mouth is. Do it.

EDIT: I'll stop now as I don't really want you to do that.

Eilif wrote: I'm not surprised they were eventually fired. No company is going to keep malcontent goof-offs around for long. However, I am surprised at the extreme reactions some folks here are having to the situation.

Not sure about anyone else, but my reaction was coloured by the title of the post about GW and bad press. To me that screams "look here everyone, another way GW is oppressing the masses!" only to find out someone wasn't happy that their humour wasn't appreciated. I can believe no one bothered to return the model, but I wonder if the "stomped" story is true or hyperboly.

If the OP hadn't tied this story to the price increases and change to resin in order to fan the flames, I doubt people would have reacted as emotionally.

Polonius wrote:Corporate might look the other way if this peice was tucked into a back table at the shop. But when you send in work to corporate that's essentially a "screw you," what exactly is corporate supposed to do?

I think assuming that this piece was a "screw you" is a pretty huge jump.

seanzor wrote:Microsoft doesn't put out ads where they talk gak about their own OS, why do you think GW would stand for the same thing.

Microsoft is not a company whose primary business is entertaining people. That means the image they are expected to project to the public is entirely different. When GW stops encouraging their customers to shout "WAAAAAUGH!" at their events, they will start moving to the sort of dignified corporate image where this sort of joking around isn't expected. As it is, they look to me like a company that thinks their toy soldiers are such SERIOUS BUSINESS! that they cannot tolerate even a single joke about them, even one that isn't particularly hurtful.

Eilif wrote:There is a rediculous amout of blather about how "out of line" this model was for a professional company, how it didn't fit the requested specifications, could be percieved as a thread, was an insult, etc, etc, blah, blah.

Have we forgotten that:
-This is a company that manufactures burned out buildings of it's own.
-Encourages it's staff and participants to shout WAAGH!
-Makes toys that depict incredible violence.

GW is a company, but viewing the creation and submission of this bit of terrain though the eyes of someone in a financial institution or some other buttoned up corporate entity is just plain silly.

It does, but it is in relation to SELLING to the unwashed masses.

Theres an unwritten, and unspoken of business shadow behind "The Hobby", that most people, unless you spend an awful amount of time within the environment, and see some of the behind the scenes stuff that happens within the corperate structure.


Don't kid yourself. GW is a corporation entity, just like your local bank, just like your suit and tie B.S. joe job. You don't go against the grain, no matter HOW much you hate your job, dislike internal memos telling you to increase the sales target, discipline your younger employees for wearing the "If you don't like my attutude..." novelty tee's, Rolling Stones T shirt, or your Twisted Sister stuff, when they should be wearing the basic red uniform.

They have a dress code, a corporate training program, and groupthink of any major company from A to Z. You work for them, on thier time, you WORK for them in spirit and in regulation.


Theres a basic misunderstanding that has cropped up in there, as well. The OP didn't go out there and provide the rest of the story, there was a few things in there that lead the conversation to take a couple of wrong turns when there was CLEARLY a conflict of interest in the shops management, and in the corporate regional management structure.

You can get away with inside Jokes in your local work area, or if you know the guy that you work for and have "That" kind of a relationship that you two can smoke and joke, and the internal dynamic between you gives you the unspoken, or mutually permitted grab assing that people that work together have.

Much like a fart joke, verbal ball busting, and ethnic jokes between each other as good friends and teammates within the work unit, there are some things "Outsiders" of the dynamic of your work unit just shouldn't be included in.

THIS is an example of one of these types of situations.

In the context of this conversation, WE as outsiders are not privy to the internal dynamic of these peoples work environments. We have no place in the discussion of thier work environment, and in the context of the conversation, we can easily pick sides, but in the grand scheme of things here, the opinions are really just personal biases and "outsiders looking in."

Not to mention, it seems to have been quite some time ago. This is all for intensive purposes one of those "Knows a guy who knows a guy..." stories we hear around the water cooler.
Basicly it is office talk.

When you work for GW, or any other company out there from the Army, to a Zoo, You have a professional obligation to do your job, not make waves, and not go against the grain against the machine. It sucks, it might seem penny-anny, but the general social commentary here is that it can get lost in translation that this is a basic Work related Faux Pas gone wrong.
I would more then love to rage against the corperate machine, and maybe they were a little extreme in the reaction, but I can say from working in this sort of an environment that discussion would have been had, and people would have talked to each other because of this situation.

People claiming they "didn't know" are lying, or intentionally being nondescriptive of the issues. People know that in a corporate environment, they don't go and do things on thier own, and higher instruction will have been forwarded, before anything as blaitent as outright destruction without internal disciplines.
lawyers consulted, memos written, decisions made.


Sorry that it was destroyed, but it shouldn't have been unexpected in this case. Especially when your talking about cranked out scenery for a Gamesday.

if you've been to one, you know that it is no little thing, and that each and every scenery piece is cranked out in methodical fashion from the regeionals.

its a business assignment, GW spent $$$ and serious $$$ for the construction and the materials.

Frazzled wrote:[So in other words you're now backtracking. Come on, be a man and put your money where your mouth is. Do it.

No backtracking here. I stand entirely by my assessment (as stated in my previous posts) that:

1)the piece was satire and should be considered as such
2)the company was silly -but within their rights- to destroy the piece
3)GW following your suggestion to call the police would have been completely over-reacting and entirely out-of-context

I think that terrain piece is awesome and I love GW stuff.

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:[So in other words you're now backtracking. Come on, be a man and put your money where your mouth is. Do it.

No backtracking here. I stand entirely by my assessment (as stated in my previous posts) that:

1)the piece was satire and should be considered as such
2)the company was silly -but within their rights- to destroy the piece
3)GW following your suggestion to call the police would have been completely over-reacting and entirely out-of-context

In that case I re-instate my suggestion that you try such as well, and see if its over reaction or not.

By the powers that be some of you need to take that stick out of your ***...And some of you should know better...

Frazzled wrote:

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:[So in other words you're now backtracking. Come on, be a man and put your money where your mouth is. Do it.

No backtracking here. I stand entirely by my assessment (as stated in my previous posts) that:

1)the piece was satire and should be considered as such
2)the company was silly -but within their rights- to destroy the piece
3)GW following your suggestion to call the police would have been completely over-reacting and entirely out-of-context

In that case I re-instate my suggestion that you try such as well, and see if its over reaction or not.

We're going to have to agree to disagree then, because I don't see myself working for, and building terrain for, GW anytime soon, and you already know I think that your initial suggestion of sending a violent picture to a traditional corporate entity (like a bank) is not-at-all comparable.

Nice diorama.

Should not have been sent to Games Day.

Seems like both sides were acting like gakheads.

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:[So in other words you're now backtracking. Come on, be a man and put your money where your mouth is. Do it.

No backtracking here. I stand entirely by my assessment (as stated in my previous posts) that:

1)the piece was satire and should be considered as such
2)the company was silly -but within their rights- to destroy the piece
3)GW following your suggestion to call the police would have been completely over-reacting and entirely out-of-context

In that case I re-instate my suggestion that you try such as well, and see if its over reaction or not.

We're going to have to agree to disagree then, because I don't see myself working for GW anytime soon.

Wherever you work. You're suggesting its over reacting. Go ahead and see if your current employer agrees with you.

Eilif wrote:There is a rediculous amout of blather about how "out of line" this model was for a professional company, how it didn't fit the requested specifications, could be percieved as a thread, was an insult, etc, etc, blah, blah.

Have we forgotten that:
-This is a company that manufactures burned out buildings of it's own.
-Encourages it's staff and participants to shout WAAGH!
-Makes toys that depict incredible violence.

GW is a company, but viewing the creation and submission of this bit of terrain though the eyes of someone in a financial institution or some other buttoned up corporate entity is just plain silly.

I own two comic book and game stores. I haven't worked for anyone but myself for 25 years. I'm about as 'non-corporate' as you can get.
I sell superheroes and space marines for a living. My eyes are pretty far from a 'buttoned up corporate entitiy'.

That said, I stand by my comments. I'd have fired their asses for doing that.

But I'd have kept the piece of scenery, taken it home, and put it on my gaming table. If you lop off heads, you keep the trophy.

NOw here's the interesting Q. If for store use they have a ruin table, and leave off the bodies, would anyone have a problem with it?

Im not sure what got me the biggest laugh...the piece itself, the other GW people getting so butthurt they stomped it, the reply from GW bashing the creators, or the first reply to the thread being defensive of GW.

Maybe it was all of the above...

JOHIRA wrote:

Polonius wrote:Corporate might look the other way if this peice was tucked into a back table at the shop. But when you send in work to corporate that's essentially a "screw you," what exactly is corporate supposed to do?

I think assuming that this piece was a "screw you" is a pretty huge jump.

Call it thumb their nose, call it whatever. It was a jokey response to a sincere request, which is always risky.

Frazzled wrote:NOw here's the interesting Q. If for store use they have a ruin table, and leave off the bodies, would anyone have a problem with it?

It depends on what they were told to do. If they had perhaps been told to make a ruined building then maybe. To be honest, I think it looked like gak for an official event. Even without the bodies it wouldn't have made the cut.

Frazzled wrote:[Wherever you work. You're suggesting its over reacting. Go ahead and see if your current employer agrees with you.

We're still talking at cross purposes. Your suggestion of a violent drawing would clearly not be acceptable anyhere (except possibly an avant-guard art gallery), whereas the situation I was defending is unique to the GW context.

Any employer taking action against a violent picture in no way contradicts my assessment of the situation posed by the OP.

mikhaila wrote:[I own two comic book and game stores. I haven't worked for anyone but myself for 25 years. I'm about as 'non-corporate' as you can get.
I sell superheroes and space marines for a living. My eyes are pretty far from a 'buttoned up corporate entitiy'.
That said, I stand by my comments. I'd have fired their asses for doing that.
But I'd have kept the piece of scenery, taken it home, and put it on my gaming table. If you lop off heads, you keep the trophy.

Ouch!

Frazzled wrote:NOw here's the interesting Q. If for store use they have a ruin table, and leave off the bodies, would anyone have a problem with it?

This is a good question. I would direct it mikhaila. Would you fire the employees if they built a burned out model of the store without the bodies?

I thought it was a really well done piece with lots of careful details, I think it was an awesome piece of terrain for their store, I don't think they should have sent it out for Games Day, I don't think anyone should have been fired over it, and certainly it shouldn't have been stomped (if, indeed, it was).

A lot of people need to lighten up. Wargaming doesn't have to be Srs Bsnss 24/7.

themocaw wrote:Nice diorama.

Should not have been sent to Games Day.

Seems like both sides were acting like gakheads.

Yeah, because we all know Games Day is srz biznz and it is the last place GW wants to showcase the creativity of the hobby.

BuFFo wrote: it is the last place GW wants to showcase the creativity of the hobby.

But this isn't the "creativity of the hobby", this is a group of employees taking a jab at their employers on the company dollar.

Yes, it's a fun little joke that, keeping it at the store, gets laughs and praise from the locals and regulars. But it's not some sort of "art" that should be presented at a corporate sales event, which is ALL Games Day is. Go to one and tell me it's not them just pimping their product.

It wasn't for their store though.
It was for Games Day. As to lightening up, don't feel very heavy, just of the opinion that it was not what was asked for, and as a showpiece for the intended venue the quality of work was sub-par.
You may disagree with that assessment but frankly if I had produced that for Games Day I would have sacked myself.
That would make me feel heavy!

I thought it was pretty well made and pretty funny. I think that GW would have been better served by taking that piece as being a joke instead of getting pissy, and then using it to show how fun and zany they are. It would have been a better PR move. (I know that someone is going to jump in and tell me it would have been terrible PR for reasons X Y and Z.)
Now, possibly they would have also needed to reprimand the employees for not doing what they were asked, and keep an eye on them to see if they were doing anything else innappropriately. But they could have used that diorama as a nice little piece of "hey look, we're not a souless corporate entity that exists only to convert your enthusiasm into money, we have a sense of humour!". That stuff keeps fans happy and on side.
I'm amazed at the vitriol some of the detractors are throwing at the topic. I think I wouldn't like to work for any of them that much.

But being pissy is what they do best! Just look at all the cease and desist letters and whinny lawsuits GW files all the time when they themselves borrowed/stole a lot of IP's over the years.

Ouze wrote:I thought it was a really well done piece with lots of careful details, I think it was an awesome piece of terrain for their store, I don't think they should have sent it out for Games Day, I don't think anyone should have been fired over it, and certainly it shouldn't have been stomped (if, indeed, it was).

A lot of people need to lighten up. Wargaming doesn't have to be Srs Bsnss 24/7.

They weren't going to be fired over it. According to Hulksmash and another employee of the same region, that store was well-known for thumbing their nose at corporate and they were slated for termination anyways.

As far as I know, GW has no ban on injokes. This is an april's fools joke, yay, but still a nice pun on their very own merchandise:

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=16100001a

That said, joking about your working conditions in front of your customers is not very professional to begin with... But neither is reacting to a defiant subordinate like a ten year old in a fit of rage.

A shoddy piece of scenery can't damage GW's reputation. The legend of the joking piece of scenery sent to a Games Day by a well-meaning little store, only to be stomped by the Workshop's evil corporate inquisitors who fired all the store's staff afterwards certainly can, and only because a middleman wasn't professional enough to send the offending piece back where it belonged, along with a polite reprimand to the store manager.

Ok.
1) The Diorama, concept and execution is top notch. Kan you criticize the quality of their work? riiiiiight L.O.L ...

2) Is it funny or suited to be used.... Yikes, a joke can always be taken different ways. They can say its an apocalyptic end diorama ,
or people can see it as a joke on GW's business practice. aka treating employee like slaves and wanting GW to be doomed etc etc. Certainly not appropriate.

3) Is stomping it appropriate? No i dont think so, even though they have no use for it, i dunno you tell me kan, do you think GW HQ always destroys pieces they dont need?
or just pieces they dont like? :'D

Its nothing new. There was a 'cities of death' ruined GW in the Watford store, complete with gaming table with epic scale miniatures on it.

The one in Watford wasn't there to make a point. I prefer it for that reason.

Even a caption on its base like "The new Armageddon GW store on Hive Primus was only open for 6 days before Orks attacked!" - something to put it in context - would've been fine.

Eilif wrote:

Instead, it's a humorous diorama meant to be set in the context of other burned out model buildings. Further, this all happened in the environment of a company where there is a long history of creative model-making, dark themed models and humor. The skulls, chains, explosions and death are to be taken as satire because they are all pulled strait from GW imagery and used to make a humorous statement about GW.

+1. I agree completely. Companies have been known to laugh at themselves without spontaneously combusting. In fact, the ability to laugh at yourself can do good things for your image. Actors for example have been known to take part in self mockery. Appearing on a comedy poking fun of yourself, or participating in a celebrity roast shows a depth of character. I don't think anyone can claim an actor's persona is not also a business complete with marketing and PR.

GW Obliterates Hobbyist Building, Millions Dead, More Wounded!

Whatever. They were joking/being insulting, it was bound to happen. If I made a diorama of the National Museum of Tolerance being destroyed by Hitler's 3rd Zombie Reich, I wouldn't be surprised if MY hard work was tossed and/or stomped...

Kanluwen wrote:Putting it bluntly:

It's not that much of a 'great piece of work'.

Very little actual creativity went into it and it really just looks like it's meant to shock people who see it.

+1

It's a nice piece for a private collection, but it was not work-appropriate.

Cryonicleech wrote:

If I made a diorama of the National Museum of Tolerance being destroyed by Hitler's 3rd Zombie Reich, I wouldn't be surprised if MY hard work was tossed and/or stomped...

Apples and oranges.

Apples and oranges.

That is the most obtuse bit of Cockney Rhyming slang I have ever heard.

I like it, it was funny and I thought it had a nice sharp point to it as well...but there is a time and place for these types of things.

My wife and I are a part of a professional dance troupe. If we told our dancers to have a group number ready for an important show and they show up to the show with some half ass piece of crap choreography...you bet we would be pissed and heads would roll. But this leaves me to ask a few things...

Didn't anyone check in on them? Because if I were the person who was responsible for managing the store manager, you bet I would stop in to see what they were doing. My wife and I would never just allow our dancers to show up with something on the day of the show that we feel is crap, we preview it weeks in advance first. So why wasn't there an area manager/district manager/something that checked in on them to see what they were building long before they finished?

Like I said, time and place. It was funny but it was not appropriate for the store to make and send that. They knew it would cause trouble or else they are that dense.

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:

That is the most obtuse bit of Cockney Rhyming slang I have ever heard.

I'm not sure if you're being insulting. I have three Brits in arms length of me at my office. Nobody has any idea what your on about with the Cockney slang bit. "Apples and Oranges" is a very common North American expession used in cases of people making comparisons between unlike things. If you were insulting me, I do have a wicked retort involving meat pies that I'm holding back until you clarify your statement.

The point is, if I send something deliberately insulting to either my place of employment/wherever, the people have their rights to react as negatively as they want.

I agree with you Cryonicleech. GW was fully within their rights to apply the foot of Gork to the piece. I don't think that that point is open to interpretation. That being said, another course of action could have been applied, which may have had a more advantageous outcome.

Was a joke
If you have three Brits one of them may possibly have made the connection to apples and pears

Not a lot rhymes with orange, hence very poor rhyming slang

sorry if my attempt at levity backfired and caused ill feeling.

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Was a joke
If you have three Brits one of them may possibly have made the connection to apples and pears

Not a lot rhymes with orange, hence very poor rhyming slang

sorry if my attempt at levity backfired and caused ill feeling.

Damn right.

Now up the apples and pears or I'll kick your Gary Glitter.

Ouze wrote:

A lot of people need to lighten up. Wargaming doesn't have to be Srs Bsnss 24/7.

Wargaming doesn't have to be, but Business is indeed Srs Bsnss.


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Platuan4th wrote:

BuFFo wrote: it is the last place GW wants to showcase the creativity of the hobby.

But this isn't the "creativity of the hobby", this is a group of employees taking a jab at their employers on the company dollar.

Yes, it's a fun little joke that, keeping it at the store, gets laughs and praise from the locals and regulars. But it's not some sort of "art" that should be presented at a corporate sales event, which is ALL Games Day is. Go to one and tell me it's not them just pimping their product.

Exactly. Now if they had tweaked it slightly (and ruins were acceptable) having just the building, or even the building with zombie store employees coming out would have been much more interesting.

I lol'd. I can see why GW might have been upset by it though.

So if this happened back in 2004, why are we just hearing about it now? Was someone just sitting on this until the right time, waiting for GW to make a bunch of unpopular decisions just so they could throw this on the pile and go "Look they did this too! lol what jerks!"?

Polonius wrote:

JOHIRA wrote:

Polonius wrote:Corporate might look the other way if this peice was tucked into a back table at the shop. But when you send in work to corporate that's essentially a "screw you," what exactly is corporate supposed to do?

I think assuming that this piece was a "screw you" is a pretty huge jump.

Call it thumb their nose, call it whatever. It was a jokey response to a sincere request, which is always risky.

I'm not even sure I'd take it that far. I can imagine many entirely positive, completely uncritical of GW ways this model could have been intended. It looks like people are filling in the blanks on their own, more based off of how they feel about different things than how we know the people who made the model felt.

It's the chained to the workplace that is a bit of a clue!

What is worrying is that their shirts have survived decomposition, but the kegs have gone.

Or the redshirts were chained to the desk with no pants and trousers on.

Just exactly what WAS going on at that store to make them so disgruntled?!

@Johira

You probably haven't read the post by Kinghammer or some of the ones written by myself. At least I'm going to assume so since we've covered that already.

The employees who built this and sent it into regional headquarters as part of their contribution to the Games Day scenery for the Massive Mega-Battle (wanna say this was the IG vs. Chaos, but I'm not sure) that runs all day were already in hot water. This particular manager was massively underperforming as were his staff. He'd been reprimanded many times for various reasons. That's who had this terrain piece built. Now real quick, knowing that, that you think people are "filling in" their feelings into it.

Chibi Bodge-battle wrote:

sorry if my attempt at levity backfired and caused ill feeling

Ah, cool, I'm relieved. I have read enough of your posts to have a sense of your personality, and I couldn't see you being a...meanie. No ill feeling at all, I should have used better judgement.

In the course of trying to get your meaning they did explain the apples and pears thing, and I googled words rhyming with orange and learned a new word as a result.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Chibi Bodge-battle wrote:

sorry if my attempt at levity backfired and caused ill feeling

Ah, cool, I'm relieved. I have read enough of your posts to have a sense of your personality, and I couldn't see you being a...meanie. No ill feeling at all, I should have used better judgement.

In the course of trying to get your meaning they did explain the apples and pears thing, and I googled words rhyming with orange and learned a new word as a result.

JOHIRA wrote:

Polonius wrote:

JOHIRA wrote:

Polonius wrote:Corporate might look the other way if this peice was tucked into a back table at the shop. But when you send in work to corporate that's essentially a "screw you," what exactly is corporate supposed to do?

I think assuming that this piece was a "screw you" is a pretty huge jump.

Call it thumb their nose, call it whatever. It was a jokey response to a sincere request, which is always risky.

I'm not even sure I'd take it that far. I can imagine many entirely positive, completely uncritical of GW ways this model could have been intended. It looks like people are filling in the blanks on their own, more based off of how they feel about different things than how we know the people who made the model felt.

I can't think of any "entirely positive, completely uncritical of GW" ways this could have been intended. We have two posters who posted in this very thread about this particular store and how they were known to 'thumb their noses' at the regional management.

When you 'joke around' with something intended for a big promotional event, don't expect to get a backpat and a raise. Expect a verbal reprimand and your boss to cut down on the free rein you're given.

AesSedai wrote:I agree with you Cryonicleech. GW was fully within their rights to apply the foot of Gork to the piece

This is where we disagree, I think. I don't think it's almost ever OK to stomp someone else's work, even if what was so bad they got fired for it/

wow, allot of people here really need to buy themselves a new sense of humour, looks like they've brought themselves a GW version that melts under light comedy.

Dunno that we disagree Ouze. It being within their rights and it being okay may be quite different. Permissible yes, advisable...that depends on what message they wanted to send. Smashing it up is puerile and lacking in imagination. It's the work of man-babies.

Kanluwen wrote:


I can't think of any "entirely positive, completely uncritical of GW" ways this could have been intended. We have two posters who posted in this very thread about this particular store and how they were known to 'thumb their noses' at the regional management.

Curious why anonymous internet people 1 and 2 have words that carry more weight than anonymous blogger 1 but whatever.


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Stella Cadente wrote:wow, allot of people here really need to buy themselves a new sense of humour, looks like they've brought themselves a GW version that melts under light comedy.

Hahaha, this deserves more credit than it's going to get.

Brother Gyoken wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:


I can't think of any "entirely positive, completely uncritical of GW" ways this could have been intended. We have two posters who posted in this very thread about this particular store and how they were known to 'thumb their noses' at the regional management.

Curious why anonymous internet people 1 and 2 have words that carry more weight than anonymous blogger 1 but whatever.

Probably because anonymous blogger 1 and the OP were posting about something that happened 7 years ago as if it happened yesterday?

Noooo, that can't be it.

Brother Gyoken wrote:
Automatically Appended Next Post:

Stella Cadente wrote:wow, allot of people here really need to buy themselves a new sense of humour, looks like they've brought themselves a GW version that melts under light comedy.

Hahaha, this deserves more credit than it's going to get.

It really doesn't. It doesn't add anything to the discussion at hand, which isn't "was this piece funny?" but "Is GW right or wrong in how they handled the situation". Saying that people here need to buy themselves a better sense of humor is just attempting to troll and insult several members of the discussion.

Platuan4th wrote:

It really doesn't. It doesn't add anything to the discussion at hand, which isn't "was this piece funny?" but "Is GW right or wrong in how they handled the situation". Saying that people here need to buy themselves a better sense of humor is just attempting to troll and insult several members of the discussion.

Would you say it's insulting in a similar way to asserting people on the opposite side have no jobs? Just curious.

And yes, you people need to buy senses of humor. It's a funny piece, and that was a funny joke.


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Kanluwen wrote:
Probably because anonymous blogger 1 and the OP were posting about something that happened 7 years ago as if it happened yesterday?

Noooo, that can't be it.

Oh right. Anonymous poster 1 and 2 jumped forward from the past, so it WAS literally yesterday for them. I forgot about that! Much more credibility there.

If that wasn't creative i will eat my favorite hat.

The dark humor was interesting to say the least. They had no right to smash it they could have just sent it back saying 'GW says no"

Brother Gyoken wrote:
Would you say it's insulting in a similar way to asserting people on the opposite side have no jobs? Just curious.

I would say it is insulting, yes(and if you look through my posts in this thread, I never said that, others did, so your attempt at a moral high ground fails here), but not in the same way. Insulting one person isn't the same as insulting a group.

And yes, the piece is funny IN A CERTAIN CONTEXT. That context being, a piece of terrain in the store it was made at. I'd love to play on that there. Know where I wouldn't want to play on it? GAMES DAY, which is where it was designed to be sent. In that context, it's a waste of time and money that blatantly ignores the guidelines of what was asked of them, something that(as has been pointed out by 2 users) has been a problem regarding those employees in the past.

Now get off your high horse and stop spewing your crap about "sense of humors" that have no bearing on or place in the discussion.

Stella Cadente wrote:wow, allot of people here really need to buy themselves a new sense of humour, looks like they've brought themselves a GW version that melts under light comedy.

Agreed.

Disagree
I have a very healthy sense of humour thanking you kindly.
As a joke this terrain is just too obvious. It lacks wit and shows a certain amount of immaturity.

Sorry. But attacking people that don't find the caper particularly jolly is as pointed and as barbed as a wet flannel.

You are failing to understand the reasons for the reactions that occured. Anyone with an iota of good sense would have anticipated the likely outcome, however much you try to obscure a reasoned opinion by saying there is a lack of humour.

As much as I think GW management needs a powerfisting for some of their decisions, this is not one of them.
Don't let a general dislike of the company cloud your view of everything they do.

Please feel free to check my copious anti-GW policy posts lest I be accused of being a fanbot (deliberate typo )

Plutuan
You may as well be talking to the brick wall.
I have also raised the issue of context as have others to no avail.

The thread is just going round in circles so like a dog chasing its own tail, so it is time to bow wow out

Ouze wrote:

AesSedai wrote:I agree with you Cryonicleech. GW was fully within their rights to apply the foot of Gork to the piece

This is where we disagree, I think. I don't think it's almost ever OK to stomp someone else's work, even if what was so bad they got fired for it/

Thats your problem right there. Its not their work. Its GW's.


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Stella Cadente wrote:wow, a lot of people here really need to get a job and know what the word "work" means, looks like they've brought themselves a GW version that melts under light comedy.

Corrected your typo


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Brother Gyoken wrote:

Platuan4th wrote:

It really doesn't. It doesn't add anything to the discussion at hand, which isn't "was this piece funny?" but "Is GW right or wrong in how they handled the situation". Saying that people here need to buy themselves a better sense of humor is just attempting to troll and insult several members of the discussion.

Would you say it's insulting in a similar way to asserting people on the opposite side have no jobs? Just curious.

And yes, you people need to buy senses of humor. It's a funny piece, and that was a funny joke.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kanluwen wrote:
Probably because anonymous blogger 1 and the OP were posting about something that happened 7 years ago as if it happened yesterday?

Noooo, that can't be it.

Oh right. Anonymous poster 1 and 2 jumped forward from the past, so it WAS literally yesterday for them. I forgot about that! Much more credibility there.

So you're not employed then? Come on admit it that you don't have a clue about what gainful employment means. We're here to help.

In the Grim Future of GW Wargaming There is no Humor

Platuan4th wrote:It really doesn't. It doesn't add anything to the discussion at hand

you mean much like 90% of the fanboy-ish tripe thats been said by people already on the matter?
"oooh GW your such poor victims I feel your pain I share your pain embrace me GW and while your at it recognise my bum licking and gimme more models for my SPESS MAHREENS you poor poor victims of this savage attack on your company which could cost you billions at the expense of a chuckle"
yeah I don't think me not "adding to the discussion" should be your primary concern here when plenty of that goes on before I reach a topic from matt wards comedy deprived love children

MightyGodzilla wrote:In the Grim Future of GW Wargaming There is no Humor

Or Toilet Paper.

Frazzled wrote:
So you're not employed then? Come on admit it that you don't have a clue about what gainful employment means. We're here to help.

Yawn. Yep, the ones saying to get a sense of humor are the insulting ones.

Frazzled wrote:

MightyGodzilla wrote:In the Grim Future of GW Wargaming There is no Humor

Or Toilet Paper.

no, you have white dwarf remember, the standard bearer article is perfect for wiping

Excellent point.

...Ignore post.... can't find delete post button anywhere.....
you see I forgot to read the quote on the OP!

No way dude. You can't avoid a lack of toilet paper. Thats serious !

Can I just drag the thread back on topic and ask if I understand the original post?

The staff at a GW shop made a terrain piece depicting the staff at a GW shop as skeletons in a GW shop.

They got sacked.

Is that the story?

How dare you bring the thread back on topic.

From what I understand, their terrain piece was rejected at the tournament (I doubt it was literally stomped as everyone is fretting) and at a later time the shop was re-staffed. I doubt they based their re-staffing on a single terrain piece. I could be wrong.

Kilkrazy wrote:Can I just drag the thread back on topic and ask if I understand the original post?

The staff at a GW shop made a terrain piece depicting the staff at a GW shop as skeletons in a GW shop.

They got sacked.

Is that the story?

The staff at a GW shop, which were known for being insolent towards the regional management, were told to make a terrain piece for Games Day Los Angeles' big event table.

They made a piece depicting themselves at their shop, chained to their job after death, and sent it in.

They got fired later, for reasons not necessarily related to the piece in question.

And from what I read...this all happened 7 years ago yes?

Mr Mystery wrote:And from what I read...this all happened 7 years ago yes?

You got it.

It must be that we're all at work, going back and forth over something that happened seven years ago with such fervor. Well at least we'll all have money for more minatures.

Eilif wrote:

Frazzled wrote:[Wherever you work. You're suggesting its over reacting. Go ahead and see if your current employer agrees with you.

We're still talking at cross purposes. Your suggestion of a violent drawing would clearly not be acceptable anyhere (except possibly an avant-guard art gallery), whereas the situation I was defending is unique to the GW context.

Any employer taking action against a violent picture in no way contradicts my assessment of the situation posed by the OP.

mikhaila wrote:[I own two comic book and game stores. I haven't worked for anyone but myself for 25 years. I'm about as 'non-corporate' as you can get.
I sell superheroes and space marines for a living. My eyes are pretty far from a 'buttoned up corporate entitiy'.
That said, I stand by my comments. I'd have fired their asses for doing that.
But I'd have kept the piece of scenery, taken it home, and put it on my gaming table. If you lop off heads, you keep the trophy.

Ouch!

Frazzled wrote:NOw here's the interesting Q. If for store use they have a ruin table, and leave off the bodies, would anyone have a problem with it?

This is a good question. I would direct it mikhaila. Would you fire the employees if they built a burned out model of the store without the bodies?

There was nothing wrong with the model whatsoever. Very cool piece of work. I'd be happy if one of my employees made that. However:
-If he spent 20 hours of work on it, that makes 200.00 I paid him to build it. Not sure if I'm as happy as I would be if he just built it on his own time.
-If he didn't get the work done that his was supposed to be doing. I'd be less happy.
-If he used the diaroma to direct something at me or my wife, (Closest things to higher ups in my shop.), I'd have to decide if it was appropriate or inappropriate.

Good piece of scenery, but they went 0-3 by making it on store time, not getting the work done they were supposed to do, and sending an inappropriate message.

Beware of doing stupid things for it will get you sooner or later. I bet those former employees are just laughing at the situation.

They may made their point and have lost the battle 7 years ago, but the unforeseeable events that unfolded in the future, can bite you in the yaya's, adding to GW's already bad reputation.

I think we should remake what has been unmade. There are enough pictures to recreate it.

Just a thought.

mikhaila wrote:There was nothing wrong with the model whatsoever. Very cool piece of work. I'd be happy if one of my employees made that. However:
-If he spent 20 hours of work on it, that makes 200.00 I paid him to build it. Not sure if I'm as happy as I would be if he just built it on his own time.
-If he didn't get the work done that his was supposed to be doing. I'd be less happy.
-If he used the diaroma to direct something at me or my wife, (Closest things to higher ups in my shop.), I'd have to decide if it was appropriate or inappropriate.

Good piece of scenery, but they went 0-3 by making it on store time, not getting the work done they were supposed to do, and sending an inappropriate message.

Just to clarify, if the employee either asked permission or did it on his own time you'd have no problem as long as it wasn't directed at you or your family?

That's pretty cool of you. I'd like to work for you, but you couldn't afford me.

It is worth noting that the staff of the store -who presumably were involved in building the piece- were the ones who were depicted as dead and chained, not upper-level management.