I can has steam street cred.

Not trying to stir anything up, particularly as George's post above mine seems to have a note of resolution to it, but I suppose this is on a slightly different note (and this is a general response not necessarily directed at you, Lord Ba'al). But I honestly don't imagine it should be all that surprising that we'd select a moderator who has a generally optimistic spirit towards the game. We're not looking for a "yes man" but we also have to keep the broader context of things in mind. There seems to be a bit of a misnomer that anyone who has anything positive to say about the game must clearly be disingenuous. Frankly, that's a bit silly in my opinion. Saying someone's opinion is invalid because they have an opinion, especially when they've never pretended otherwise, is a bit much.

On a similar note, and for those who are curious, here's a quick recap of Aynen's community history. He joined the backer forums (which means he's a backer, just like many of you here) on 31st January, 2013. At 12:51pm. In the near year and a half that he's been a member of that community he has contributed 926 posts to date. That's very nearly 1,000 posts! He has always lurked on Steam and is keenly aware of it and its history but posted there sparingly. Muir is typically more active on Steam but less active on the backer forums. Aynen is typically more active on the backer forums but less active on Steam. We felt this complimentary coverage was optimal. Also, even before he was a moderator he would personally reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and private messages on the forums giving me suggestions for what the community would like to see, their concerns, and so forth. For example, when I first mentioned that the forums were getting revamped he got in touch the very next day with some suggestions and changes that we might want to consider. He genuinely wants the best for this community and, ultimately, the game that we're all here talking about. We also needed more help on the community front for a number of reasons, two of which are that things will be getting quite busy when the PC sprint comes around and also because George and I are fairly busy already. We're not looking for manpower, we're looking for support. Optimally, Aynen isn't here to discipline but to help fill in some gaps on the community team.

Lastly, I find it a bit demoralizing that some of you seem so vehemently convinced that because George and I work on the community team that we, surely, must be marketing goons with no souls whose only function is being a mouthpiece for some corporate mastermind. Perhaps this is me being a tad too forward but I don't think you realize that, in many ways, George and I are some of your biggest supporters. We're in your corner more than you may realize. Granted, it's a two way street of meeting the needs of the game while meeting the needs of the community and we try to make these two things mesh as much as we can (and without the influence of any of our own opinions, bias or otherwise). We're gamers, just like you. Hell, take a look at my Steam profile. I love games. And I, just like many of you, have my own opinions on what is and isn't a good game. So when I share that opinion, whether it's about another game or the one we're working on, I am truly being genuine. I personally feel that someone in my position should never support or espouse a game in which they do not personally believe in. So if I talk positively about the game then that's because I genuinely like something about it. There are countless opportunities for community work in this industry, which is to say that I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be.

Anyhow, my apologies for any possible ranting that just occurred. I'm always pretty direct with you guys, even when it skirts a fine line. It's my hope that you all appreciate that directness, if only because I feel it's important.