Could you have fired tom hall?
Jun 30, 2024 18:28:40 GMT -5
Post by 40oz on Jun 30, 2024 18:28:40 GMT -5
Picture this.
You are you, and your age is 22 in the year 1993. You live in Texas and youre employed at id software, and you go to work at 6:30 in the morning. You park your car in your usual spot in the parking lot. You see everyone else's cars are already here, but Tom Hall hasn't arrived to work yet.
You recall that you have to help plan out the map order with Tom for the 6 episodes from his enormous doom bible today. Then you remember that the office kitchen is out of coffee. its gonna be a long day...
You walk into the office and you see Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, and John Romero standing in a circle, arms folded, talking loudly.
Noticeably irate, John Carmack is bluntly stating that Tom Hall isnt pulling his weight and needs to go. Adrian Carmack is a stonewall. His face is expressionless and doesnt say a word. John Romero is pacing, his long hair bobbing up and down. John Romero defends his work friend. But John Carmack barks back a retort each time. John Romero looks distressed but ultimately he remains neutral about the decision. Carmack is the most brilliant one here, and if he cant do his best work because Tom is holding him back, then Tom needs to know this.
You remember that all of you at id software quit softdisk together to start this new company, id software. Everyone has taken an enormous paycut to work here. It was a big risk to gamble on this team, so it feels a little icky to fire Tom, considering that he also took the plunge with us. If Tom goes, are you next?
You feel bad for Tom, but you also cant remember the names of all the characters he wrote. You wonder how youre going to integrate a coherent story into this fast paced action game engine that John Carmack is programming every night. It gives you a headache to imagine having to somehow design 60 damn levels this winter to fill out all 6 of Tom's whacky episodes. The main characters goes to space, goes to hell, then back to space again?? This makes no sense. Then you remember the pace that Tom can map (really damn slow)
Your thoughts are interrupted when you hear John Carmack utter this hilarious phrase.
"Tom spent all week working on this "Doom bible" that is full of story plot points and characters. We are not even going to use any of this... Story in an action game is like story in a porn movie. Its expected to be there but its really not that important..."
Carmack smirks, but no one laughs at the gravity of the situation. As much as you like Tom, it sounds like John Carmack knows what hes talking about. If you bet on Carmack, it might save you a hell of a lot of work and time. Maybe Doom will even be a better game.
John romero looks defeated. he retorts.
"Fine. are you gonna tell him or do i?"
Carmack replies
"Well we can all go into the conference room and tell him together..."
Romero, Carmack, and Carmack go to the conference room.
Tom hall comes in to the office carrying a notebook full of more Doom bible notes he was scribbling last night.
You meet him at the front door, and you tell him that everyones in the conference room. You walk Tom in and close the door. The other three are sitting quietly.
You know whats coming next...
soooooo....
hypothetically, if John Romero and John Carmack had said to you
'Hey, we are planning on firing Tom. Are you with us or against us...?'
What would you say?
You are you, and your age is 22 in the year 1993. You live in Texas and youre employed at id software, and you go to work at 6:30 in the morning. You park your car in your usual spot in the parking lot. You see everyone else's cars are already here, but Tom Hall hasn't arrived to work yet.
You recall that you have to help plan out the map order with Tom for the 6 episodes from his enormous doom bible today. Then you remember that the office kitchen is out of coffee. its gonna be a long day...
You walk into the office and you see Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, and John Romero standing in a circle, arms folded, talking loudly.
Noticeably irate, John Carmack is bluntly stating that Tom Hall isnt pulling his weight and needs to go. Adrian Carmack is a stonewall. His face is expressionless and doesnt say a word. John Romero is pacing, his long hair bobbing up and down. John Romero defends his work friend. But John Carmack barks back a retort each time. John Romero looks distressed but ultimately he remains neutral about the decision. Carmack is the most brilliant one here, and if he cant do his best work because Tom is holding him back, then Tom needs to know this.
You remember that all of you at id software quit softdisk together to start this new company, id software. Everyone has taken an enormous paycut to work here. It was a big risk to gamble on this team, so it feels a little icky to fire Tom, considering that he also took the plunge with us. If Tom goes, are you next?
You feel bad for Tom, but you also cant remember the names of all the characters he wrote. You wonder how youre going to integrate a coherent story into this fast paced action game engine that John Carmack is programming every night. It gives you a headache to imagine having to somehow design 60 damn levels this winter to fill out all 6 of Tom's whacky episodes. The main characters goes to space, goes to hell, then back to space again?? This makes no sense. Then you remember the pace that Tom can map (really damn slow)
Your thoughts are interrupted when you hear John Carmack utter this hilarious phrase.
"Tom spent all week working on this "Doom bible" that is full of story plot points and characters. We are not even going to use any of this... Story in an action game is like story in a porn movie. Its expected to be there but its really not that important..."
Carmack smirks, but no one laughs at the gravity of the situation. As much as you like Tom, it sounds like John Carmack knows what hes talking about. If you bet on Carmack, it might save you a hell of a lot of work and time. Maybe Doom will even be a better game.
John romero looks defeated. he retorts.
"Fine. are you gonna tell him or do i?"
Carmack replies
"Well we can all go into the conference room and tell him together..."
Romero, Carmack, and Carmack go to the conference room.
Tom hall comes in to the office carrying a notebook full of more Doom bible notes he was scribbling last night.
You meet him at the front door, and you tell him that everyones in the conference room. You walk Tom in and close the door. The other three are sitting quietly.
You know whats coming next...
soooooo....
hypothetically, if John Romero and John Carmack had said to you
'Hey, we are planning on firing Tom. Are you with us or against us...?'
What would you say?
