Asherons Call: Regarding the "Leaked" Information About Last Night's Quest

I know many of you have been wondering why I've been so quiet these few hours while a tempest raged on the ACVault boards regarding leaked information. I've been dealing with the repurcussions this has for myself, this site, and the Vault and just now have the time. So, I've prepared a statement for both here and the Vault. All I can ask is that you take it at face value, as that is how I've always dealt with you, our readers.

To the AC Players, I owe you an apology. To the Vault readers, I owe you an apology. And, to Turbine, I owe you an apology.

The 3rd teaser pic of the patch had become something fun; something that none of us could figure out and I even had a Vault reader ask if perhaps we could try it out on our boards. I don't think he meant because we have inside Lore info, but simply because we have a LOT of the old-timers on our Lore boards and well, an extensive lore section.

It's not a secret that I talk to the Turbine developers and even call some of them friend. Many of you have sent me issues you've had in game that I've forwarded to be taken care of - you know that I will if I know it warrants it. And yesterday, while talking to a dev about my kids and payroll and weather I asked if they didn't have anything they could tease people with about the 3rd picture.

Not because I wanted them to be mean, but because people were having FUN trying to figure it out. And you know what? It's my job to make sure you have fun in game and on our site. The dev mentioned that "it" was supposed to happen that night. Nothing more, nothing less. And then we continued talking about personal things. I asked if I could let my staff know to be in-game and I misunderstood the answer to be yes, when none had been given.

This is the email I sent my staff:

"That 3rd pic...we should have an answer late tonight. I don't know what time, I don't know where and I don't know how. Just that it's coming. And shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oph"

Please, don't misinterpret my "shhhhhh". I knew that if it got out that we were waiting it would be EXACTLY what it has turned out to be - a mess of accusations.

MY, Ophelea's, intent on telling the staff was SIMPLY TO HAVE SOMEONE IN GAME WHEN THE EVENT HAPPENED AND REPORT IT IN THE NEWS. Not to beat Vault at the punch, but to let YOU, the players know that something was going on so you could get to it. It is my job after all.

Unfortunately, two of my staff members took it upon themselves to brag (whether intentionally or unintentionally) about it on the VN Boards. Both of them were VERY wrong in what they did - and both of them will be hearing from me when I'm less angry. Maddy's vehemence at stating that we had not received the information was simply a missed email. And Optim Shi's finding of the portal was his LOOKING for it.

But I have no excuse for the bragging. If my staff members had posted to the Vault readers that they TOO should be aware of something coming I would have been upset, but less so. That would have been sharing. And quite frankly, I believe in sharing. I don't believe in competition between sites. We both have our strengths.

And never, in a million years, would I have intended to hurt the reputation of the Turbine devs. Anyone who thinks they don't listen hasn't watched the changes over the years...they do. And if I've done ANYTHING that will hurt that by shutting down lines of communication then I shouldn't be running this site anymore.

So, to the readers of WCoD, ACVault and the devs at Turbine, you have my sincerest apologies. It will NOT happen again.