Hello everyone,
We'd like to start out by saying we want to ensure that Flight Rising is a welcoming place for all races, cultures, religions, sexual indentities, gender identities and handicaps. We will not condone bigotry or hatred towards any group for any reason.
It came to our attention that Thrage made offensive comments on his personal facebook. While he has apologized for his comments, things that are said cannot be unsaid. We would like to make it very clear that these comments do not represent the views of Flight Rising. As such, he has opted to step down from his role as a site administrator. In addition, we have made contributions to the Epilepsy Foundation and Point Foundation.
Thrage's statements were harmful and hurtful. We therefore believe it is fair that he resign from his position of authority. Our players should never feel uncomfortable talking to an admin or bringing issues to staff attention. Thrage will be taking a leave of absence from the site. However, in the future he will return in a programming capacity to continue work on the coliseum and systems he created for Flight Rising, not as an administrator, and purely on the back end. @Undel, @Xhaztol, and myself will still be here to assist everyone and keep everyone informed of goings-on, so please do not be afraid to speak with us.
We wanted to be up-front about what is happening so there is no misinformation about who is working on the site, and in what capacity. If you decide you no longer wish to play Flight Rising due to this, that is something that we both respect and understand (although we will be sad to see you go!).
It is our highest hope that Thrage, and others, learn from this experience. If you were one of the people hurt by his comments, we encourage that you take him up on his offer to speak to him directly if you feel you have things he needs to hear. No good can come from situations like this unless people make an effort to talk with one another and learn from their mistakes. It is hard to do when you have been hurt, but it does not stop the cycle.
For our photosensitive friends:
Our games will always bear the photosensitive/epilepsy warning; however we will do our best to make our games as accessible to as many people as possible. Shock Switch Beta has been given a trial no-effects mode with the flashes and visual effects removed to better accomodate our sensitive players. (Warning: the blocks will move slowly upward, fall downward when their supporting structures have been removed, and swap position when you click them them. There is still movement in the game. If you begin to experience any of the symptoms of a seizure, immediately stop playing and consult a doctor.) In the Jigsaw revamp with larger working area and puzzle tray, Thrage has been working on a mid-tone background; the white background and dark puzzle pieces created issues for some users, and this change should help to make Jigsaw more accessible.
Thank you for playing our game.
Flight Rising Admin Team.
We'd like to start out by saying we want to ensure that Flight Rising is a welcoming place for all races, cultures, religions, sexual indentities, gender identities and handicaps. We will not condone bigotry or hatred towards any group for any reason.
It came to our attention that Thrage made offensive comments on his personal facebook. While he has apologized for his comments, things that are said cannot be unsaid. We would like to make it very clear that these comments do not represent the views of Flight Rising. As such, he has opted to step down from his role as a site administrator. In addition, we have made contributions to the Epilepsy Foundation and Point Foundation.
Thrage's statements were harmful and hurtful. We therefore believe it is fair that he resign from his position of authority. Our players should never feel uncomfortable talking to an admin or bringing issues to staff attention. Thrage will be taking a leave of absence from the site. However, in the future he will return in a programming capacity to continue work on the coliseum and systems he created for Flight Rising, not as an administrator, and purely on the back end. @Undel, @Xhaztol, and myself will still be here to assist everyone and keep everyone informed of goings-on, so please do not be afraid to speak with us.
We wanted to be up-front about what is happening so there is no misinformation about who is working on the site, and in what capacity. If you decide you no longer wish to play Flight Rising due to this, that is something that we both respect and understand (although we will be sad to see you go!).
It is our highest hope that Thrage, and others, learn from this experience. If you were one of the people hurt by his comments, we encourage that you take him up on his offer to speak to him directly if you feel you have things he needs to hear. No good can come from situations like this unless people make an effort to talk with one another and learn from their mistakes. It is hard to do when you have been hurt, but it does not stop the cycle.
For our photosensitive friends:
Our games will always bear the photosensitive/epilepsy warning; however we will do our best to make our games as accessible to as many people as possible. Shock Switch Beta has been given a trial no-effects mode with the flashes and visual effects removed to better accomodate our sensitive players. (Warning: the blocks will move slowly upward, fall downward when their supporting structures have been removed, and swap position when you click them them. There is still movement in the game. If you begin to experience any of the symptoms of a seizure, immediately stop playing and consult a doctor.) In the Jigsaw revamp with larger working area and puzzle tray, Thrage has been working on a mid-tone background; the white background and dark puzzle pieces created issues for some users, and this change should help to make Jigsaw more accessible.
Thank you for playing our game.
Flight Rising Admin Team.
Flight Rising Developer
Best Artist Not Allowed to Art | Business Ops | Engineering
