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Title: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Mrbloodworth on September 30, 2008, 10:01:08 AM Quote From: Ducks/forums/showthread.php?t=15566 "Some of you know who Jeff Freeman was; he was the lead designer at Sony when the major changes were made to SWG that left so many upset. Although it was not his fault he took the brunt of the criticisms, attacks, and even death threats. Some of you may have even known him back in the UO days as Dundee, Guild Master of the Nameless Ones on Lake Superior and later the administrator of the private UO server World of Dreams. I am not sure why I have chosen this forum to share this news; it may be that I would have loved to see Jeff build the game that he really wanted to, if he was running a private server. You see I am his brother. On September 24th Jeff took his own life. I am not angry at him or anyone else, sad yes, like so many others I feel a bit of guilt but I love my brother and I am thankful that he is no longer suffering. Below is part of the obituary that will run in the Longview News Journal on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. LONGVIEW - Memorial services for Jeff Freeman, 39, of Austin, will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, October 2, 2008 at Triumphant Christian Center, 1308 Reel Road, 903-xxx-xxxx. Born October 8, 1968, he was a computer programmer who worked on many popular programs including Star Wars Galaxies and had served this country as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. "Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from Him." 2 Cor 1:5 I hope all of you will join me and our family as we celebrate his life." AND in another post... Quote Yes, I do plan on posting on his blog but I do not have any of his login information. That is something I am working on today. When I do get access to his blog I will post some pics etc... to show what a great person he was. I am sure it seemed strange that I posted here, but this is the only contact I have the SWG community. I was a fan of pre-cu and have played on the test server. I have even considered running a server when SWGemu is released. I am not the programmer my brother was but I am excited about the project. Also, I want everyone to know that it was not SWG that lead him to take his life. He has been troubled for sometime. There were alot of personal issues that tore at him. I did not post here because this is a community of pre-cu fans. As I stated before this is just the SWG community I have a connection to. Regardless of how SWG turned out we must admit that many of the great things we enjoyed about pre-cu was because of his work. Kylrathin I to wish it was a joke. I miss him so much.... I need him back... Many sites are reporting this, no idea if its true. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace Post by: Oban on September 30, 2008, 10:15:28 AM : - |
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace Post by: Signe on September 30, 2008, 10:16:10 AM I hope it's not true. I like Jeff lots and he's nice to chat with.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace Post by: Mrbloodworth on September 30, 2008, 10:17:58 AM many people are posting that they have called spacetime, and confirmed it. However no news or media outlets have reported on it. I'm skeptical. This all originated on forums, as you know. Its on at least 5, hoax, or real, i guess is the question.
Its its a fake, i hope whoever started it gets a karma exchange. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace Post by: Montague on September 30, 2008, 10:18:13 AM Terrible news. RIP Jeff. :cry2:
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace Post by: sam, an eggplant on September 30, 2008, 10:19:10 AM Oh man, if it's true, that's terrible. I never met him in person, but I've been acquainted with Dundee since the alt.games.everquest days, like early 1999. He was thoughtful, intelligent, and fun to read. A real loss.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: Nonentity on September 30, 2008, 10:30:56 AM :(
I hope not, I liked him. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: sam, an eggplant on September 30, 2008, 10:40:04 AM Confirmed. (http://brokentoys.org/2008/09/30/jeff-dundee-freeman-r-i-p/) Damn.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: Signe on September 30, 2008, 10:49:18 AM Too sad. :heartbreak:
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: Azaroth on September 30, 2008, 11:29:49 AM This is difficult to believe, and extremely sad.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: Nonentity on September 30, 2008, 11:39:53 AM Man, that is awful. =/
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: Mrbloodworth on September 30, 2008, 01:01:12 PM yes, yes it is. :?
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace? Post by: tmp on September 30, 2008, 01:11:12 PM Not even 40 year old, that's very early time to go. Sorry to hear it and hoping it won't hit his family too hard...
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Surlyboi on September 30, 2008, 03:01:03 PM Requiscat in pace.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Slyfeind on September 30, 2008, 04:01:38 PM I remember when he started his private UO shard. I never played it, but I thought it was awesome he did that. It was back in The Day when player shards were still new. Damn, this is tragic.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Tmon on September 30, 2008, 04:07:29 PM What terrible news I'm going to miss his unique take on things.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Soln on September 30, 2008, 04:28:57 PM That's horrible. I really hope that is not the case. Anyone know?
Edit: Scott confirms it (http://brokentoys.org/2008/09/30/jeff-dundee-freeman-r-i-p/) Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Venkman on September 30, 2008, 05:39:34 PM Holy shit. That is way sad. Rest in peace man!
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Xuri on September 30, 2008, 06:38:53 PM That's very sad news :(
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Triforcer on September 30, 2008, 06:54:03 PM Rest in peace, sir...rest in peace.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Lum on September 30, 2008, 07:58:44 PM I just want to state for the record that the SWG jacktards posting on his blog, knowing his surviving relatives are reading, personify the absolute worst about our hobby and humanity in general.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Azaroth on September 30, 2008, 08:13:03 PM ... That better not be what it sounds like.
And I'm not even gonna go look. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: UnSub on September 30, 2008, 09:12:30 PM ... That better not be what it sounds like. And I'm not even gonna go look. Lum's been deleting them, so it's safe to look (or was 5 seconds ago, when I scanned). Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Raph on September 30, 2008, 09:42:37 PM I am pretty shattered. I wrote what I could about him on my site. There are some real douchebags on comment threads. Don't read Kotaku unless you want to get really angry.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: sam, an eggplant on September 30, 2008, 10:31:05 PM No, those comments are still up on Dundee's blog. Just anonymous cowards acting badly. Hopefully his family knows to look past them, or not to read them at all.
Very touching eulogy, Raph. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: squirrel on September 30, 2008, 10:32:08 PM Wow he was a good guy with some great ideas for our hobby. I liked his writings and he did some great work. I'm ashamed to hear that people are disrespecting his memory. That's just fucking abhorrent. God, what's happened to us?
EDIT: OK FUCK SADNESS GIVE WAY TO OUTRAGE. CAN WE KILL SOME OF THESE PEOPLE PLZ? FUCK! Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Azaroth on September 30, 2008, 11:45:39 PM I really enjoyed Raph's post. I didn't know Jeff beyond VERY brief conversations, so it was interesting to read.
Also, I still remember vividly a thread on Stratics back when Raph's house burned down. I can't really be amazed at anything anymore, but at the time I was about 15 and I thought to myself "What the fuck is wrong with these people?". Which I think kind of says it all. The lesson to take away is, I guess, that while some people can be incredibly immature and unthinking - they're being just that. Immature, and unthinking. Look at all of the comments from the rest of the people. Especially the ones that knew Jeff, which is what counts. The people making stupid comments didn't know him. They're just having a tantrum over a video game, and they can't say anything bad about him as a person. In short, what they're saying is stupid and it doesn't matter whatsoever. In fact, if any of the people making those comments are above the age of twelve, we need to feel very, very sorry for them. I hope any of his family members that see those comments understand all that. Not that it makes it okay. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Tebonas on September 30, 2008, 11:59:41 PM Rest in Peace!
And I really really hope all those fucktards die a slow and painful death. Age is no excuse for some things. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: WindupAtheist on October 01, 2008, 12:30:18 AM I don't care enough about :uhrr: comments to go look for them. What are they saying?
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Trippy on October 01, 2008, 12:58:17 AM Don't bring them over here.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Reg on October 01, 2008, 01:19:15 AM That's a terrible shame. I first heard of Dundee back in 1998 on the UO newsgroup. He was so funny and imaginative. He was able to make UO fun with fishing trips into dungeons and that kind of thing even when the game was horribly broken.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Tale on October 01, 2008, 01:32:09 AM RIP from a grateful SWG fan.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Ironwood on October 01, 2008, 01:56:50 AM Horrible. As someone who's been through such an aftermath, my thoughts are with the family.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Dren on October 01, 2008, 05:54:17 AM This is really bad news. My thoughts and prayers to him and all of those in his life.
I remember him from UO. I played on LS. While I didn't get heavily involved in the player RP communities, I had some contact since I ran a fairly good sized player run town. We certainly tried to keep up with the events, news, etc. I do remember doing a few events with his group (vaguely...been a long time you know.) I truly hope he found the peace he sought. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Nija on October 01, 2008, 07:11:34 AM I don't care enough about :uhrr: comments to go look for them. What are they saying? They are probably saying anyone that offs themselves is a worthless piece of shit. Just a guess. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Mrbloodworth on October 01, 2008, 07:18:44 AM I don't care enough about :uhrr: comments to go look for them. What are they saying? They are probably saying anyone that offs themselves is a worthless piece of shit. Just a guess. No, most are SWG related. Very uncalled for. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Bzalthek on October 01, 2008, 10:20:32 AM Sometimes I wish there was an IP-Address Hunter/Killer squad.
This news blows. I really don't know what to say, I'm just kinda stunned. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Soln on October 01, 2008, 10:35:55 AM Is there an address we can send cards to (maybe via PM to avoid more appalling behavior)?
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Raph on October 01, 2008, 12:29:09 PM Yes, I have the address. PM for details.
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Evildrider on October 01, 2008, 12:49:40 PM SWG was my first real MMO.. at least one I put way too much time into.
I remember Freeman and he always seemed to be a decent enough guy. News like this always sucks. :sad: Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Mrbloodworth on October 01, 2008, 01:27:22 PM SWG was my first real MMO.. at least one I put way too much time into. I remember Freeman and he always seemed to be a decent enough guy. News like this always sucks. :sad: Same. :heartbreak: Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Raph on October 01, 2008, 02:19:06 PM The official online obituary site accepts comments and is moderated:
http://www.legacy.com/News-Journal/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=118224322 Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Bunk on October 01, 2008, 02:29:17 PM I've tried typing several different things here, but it just keeps sounding wrong. So I'll just say that I thought Dundee was a pretty cool guy, and this hurts.
All my best wishes to his family. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Rasix on October 01, 2008, 05:05:17 PM This is tragic. I really respect the man's body of work.
Best wishes to his family. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: taolurker on October 01, 2008, 07:25:14 PM Jeff was one of the people who wanted to make a difference in the MMO industry, starting as a player, and eventually did. His loss is especially pain inducing because I used to read his comments on the SWG forums (PreCU) fondly and really feel he was listening to what us forum jockeys were screaming.
I, like many, admired him as more than just a name on a forum, or a dev of games, but as one of us who'd eventually gone on to do something he loved and make the changes he dreamed of. He'll be missed by peers, players and anonymous internet people everywhere. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: WayAbvPar on October 02, 2008, 10:17:48 AM I somehow missed this until today. How awful. He will be missed. Best wishes to his family.
:heartbreak: Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Comstar on October 02, 2008, 04:32:44 PM So ah, what was he responsible for, or not, in SWG and UO and other places? Any links to a obituary?
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Tmon on October 02, 2008, 05:35:09 PM He was a player in UO but he had a gift for coming up with interesting ways to play using the tools that were there in ways people didn't necessarily think of on their own. He sucked me into pvp when he came up with the idea of a lootless anti-pk army that would cost the PKers more to kill than they would gain in loot from the bodies. He did a bunch of stuff in SWG including creature handler but he is most famous (fairly or not) as the architect of the NGE
http://www.raphkoster.com/2008/09/30/jeff-dundee-freeman/ http://www.legacy.com/News-Journal/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=118224322 Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: MournelitheCalix on October 02, 2008, 08:54:41 PM I didn't like the man's work, but I feel nothing but the utmost sympathy for his family. I think the Kotaku people would do very well to remove the comments from their site. Raph is right they are truely classless examples of very worthless individuals.
To any individuals who either knew him or were friends with him, I am very sorry for your loss. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Drugstore Space Cowboy on October 02, 2008, 10:43:57 PM He didn't even have the martyrdom perk...
Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Jayce on October 03, 2008, 09:06:44 AM I'm pretty stunned.
I never had the close contact that some here seem to have, or played alot of SWG, but I used to read his blog regularly, and given my ADD when it comes to the web, that means it must have been good. I guess I'd just like to add my wish to the others that he found the peace he was seeking. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Azazel on October 05, 2008, 03:49:01 AM Horrible. As someone who's been through such an aftermath, my thoughts are with the family. What IW said. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: CmdrSlack on October 06, 2008, 01:00:26 PM Late to this, but wow.
Someone in politics once said that they wished they could invent/had a gun that would shoot sodomy through the internet. Given the fucked up stuff anonymous internet douches are saying about Jeff, the NSF needs to start funding the sodomy gun project. That said, he was a cool guy and regardless of people's rage about the NGE, a talented developer. Having recently lost my father, I can only imagine what his family is going through. It's something that only gets marginally better with time. Nice to see that his local paper uses the legacy.com online guestbook. It was a really nice thing to have when my dad died (and I still check it). Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Drugstore Space Cowboy on October 06, 2008, 02:18:19 PM Someone in politics once said that they wished they could invent/had a gun that would shoot sodomy through the internet. http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=punchtcpipjg0ex9.jpg Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: UnSub on October 06, 2008, 05:59:59 PM Late to this, but wow. Someone in politics once said that they wished they could invent/had a gun that would shoot sodomy through the internet. Given the fucked up stuff anonymous internet douches are saying about Jeff, the NSF needs to start funding the sodomy gun project. Would it be a giving sodomy gun or a receiving sodomy gun? *cough* Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Driakos on October 06, 2008, 09:13:08 PM Just found out about this. I played with Jeff - Dundee on Lake Superior, and then later in EQ, SWG, Ackadia, and World of Dreams. Terrible news. I'm sorry I lost touch with you over the years. I'm sorry that you were so low, that this was the only option.
I wish the best to his kids, I cannot imagine how this feels. Title: Re: Jeff Freeman - Rest In Peace. Post by: Morat20 on October 07, 2008, 07:16:35 PM I gave the man shit at times -- not like he ever noticed little ole' me, but I still tried -- but hell, at least he was out doing, you know? He wasn't afraid to do, and he stood by his choices. Gotta respect that.
Sorry to hear he's gone. |