What do you do and where?

[Signe]

I like Leeds.  My husband lived and worked there for a few years when he was younger, before we were married.  We go now and then because we have really good friends there.  I don't think I'd mind living in Yorkshire at all, actually, although I loved living in the south, by the Solent and waking up every morning to the sound of screeching gulls and the smell of boat petrol.  Yeah, today's Yorkshire definitely smells better.  Even Leeds since all the industry shut down.    

[apocrypha]

waking up every morning to the sound of screeching gulls

I grew up in Brighton so I know that one too 

since all the industry shut down.    

That applies to pretty much every Northern city in the UK now 

[Lantyssa]

This is why I like living somewhere like Leeds. Decent sized city but 20 mins driving and you're in the Yorkshire moors. And less than 2 hours from the Lake District and the Peak District. Plus we have a gorgeous wood (although that pic doesn't do it justice) 10 mins walk away from us.

That picture does enough justice for me.  I grew up with a small patch of woods a block from my house.  Any large plot of land with trees and a bit of undergrowth makes me happy.  If I thought I could find a job that lets me live there, I would gladly move to my dad's 100 acres in West Texas.  I can telecommute some now, but that's not going to fly.

[Yoru]

This is why I like living somewhere like Leeds. Decent sized city but 20 mins driving and you're in the Yorkshire moors. And less than 2 hours from the Lake District and the Peak District. Plus we have a gorgeous wood (although that pic doesn't do it justice) 10 mins walk away from us.

This. I live two blocks - under 200 meters - from the Atlantic ocean now. I can gaze across the bay and see utterly uninhabited territories, nuzzled snugly up against majestic, snow-swaddled crags that encircle much of the city, like a sort of alpine crown. On a clear day, there's a glacier perched on a distant mountaintop that shyly peeks through the sea-swept haze.

Screw the land-cancer that is the sprawling US conurb.

[Sky]

The fiancee has an amazing offer for a tiny library in an nice small town (like 500 people) in the adirondacks, close to the Northway (fast to SPAC shows!). Salary would be a cut, but not much and we're on pay freeze here right now anyway.

Fucking velvet handcuffs. We're in the state retirement system and get lifetime medical bennies. Vs 401k and HMO. Not to mention I might have to work for some massive corpodrone place like AMD or IBM, I do SO WELL in a corporate environment...

[Lantyssa]

You'd look like your avatar after a week.

[Righ]

Plus we have a gorgeous wood (although that pic doesn't do it justice) 10 mins walk away from us.

Kirkstall Valley?

[apocrypha]

Kirkstall Valley?

No, Calverley actually, but Kirkstall Valley's nice too :)

[Johny Cee]

The fiancee has an amazing offer for a tiny library in an nice small town (like 500 people) in the adirondacks, close to the Northway (fast to SPAC shows!). Salary would be a cut, but not much and we're on pay freeze here right now anyway.

Which town, if you mind me asking?

Fucking velvet handcuffs. We're in the state retirement system and get lifetime medical bennies. Vs 401k and HMO. Not to mention I might have to work for some massive corpodrone place like AMD or IBM, I do SO WELL in a corporate environment...

I'd be pretty surprised if the State retirement system survives in it's current form another 10 years.  Between the fact NY is bleeding money, the tax burden is one of the highest in the US, and young people aren't sticking around in the numbers to support the aging population.....

[Baldrake]

I'm moving on. I handed in my notice earlier this week and will be leaving GOA after the New Year. I'm going to be moving over to Germany to work as a games designer for Acony in February which I'm pretty hyped about. They're making an MMOFPS so take this as advance notice of incoming shill-age.

I'm intrigued by the business model for Parabellum - no subscription, and apparently no microtrans for weapons or anything that might affect the game. So where do y'all make money?

[IainC]

I'm moving on. I handed in my notice earlier this week and will be leaving GOA after the New Year. I'm going to be moving over to Germany to work as a games designer for Acony in February which I'm pretty hyped about. They're making an MMOFPS so take this as advance notice of incoming shill-age.

I'm intrigued by the business model for Parabellum - no subscription, and apparently no microtrans for weapons or anything that might affect the game. So where do y'all make money?

It's a F2P with microtransactions. Mostly that will be leveraged through the campaign, the devs are pretty strong on maintaining the FPS purity with regard to 'all characters are equal'. There will additionally be aesthetic upgrades and so forth but at the moment the game itself is what is in beta not the monetisation options.

[Baldrake]

Have you been taking courses in marketing?

I have no idea what that means. Do you mean that the game will have gated for-pay content, and that you can pay for that hot new flak jacket?

[IainC]

Essentiually it means you can buy new shiny stuff that makes your dude look cooler but doesn't make him more powerful. You will also be able to buy campaign stuff if you want to that will add depth but won't take away from the basic FPS 'run around and shoot people in the face' gameplay.

[Margalis]

Isn't that the theory behind the new cartoony Battlefield game?

Update on what I do and where: eat snickers bars. At S-E. And sometimes work, when the mood strikes me.

[schild]

Squeenix, a healthier lifestyle for today's healthier man.

[Baldrake]

So anyway, IainC, I lived near that part of Germany for a few years. It's beautiful there. It's obviously a tiny town, but if you like hiking, cycling and skiing, the location's going to be amazing. The local cuisine and beers are great. I'm a little jealous. :)

I don't know if you've lived in Germany before, but there are some cultural differences that may smack you upside the head. It's very important to be able to speak German, especially in such a small town.

[Rasix]

It's getting scary today at work.  I've been told I'm "not affected".

[MrHat]

It's getting scary today at work.  I've been told I'm "not affected".

Damn dude.  Good luck.

[Sky]

Yeah, I hope the person doing the telling is right.

We're good for next year's budget, but every year for the foreseeable future is scary. Especially because I work at the same place as my fiancee and mother. Apparently I don't understand eggs and baskets!

[IainC]

I don't know if you've lived in Germany before, but there are some cultural differences that may smack you upside the head. It's very important to be able to speak German, especially in such a small town.

I have but each time I was surrounded by American or British forces - I lived in the American sector of Berlin (when there was a wall across the middle of the city) and in Gutersloh for a total of about 13 months when I was a kid. I don't remember meeting any actual German people in either place.

[Viin]

Yeah, I hope the person doing the telling is right.

We're good for next year's budget, but every year for the foreseeable future is scary. Especially because I work at the same place as my fiancee and mother. Apparently I don't understand eggs and baskets!

My wife works the same place I do as well, though I haven't decided if having her in a different division is good or bad when it comes to layoffs ..

While I don't *really* want to get laid off, at the same time it'd almost be a relief.

[Murgos]

Buddy's girlfriend works at a big financial.  She just got laid off, they gave her 18 months of severance with insurance.   

Honestly, If my employer offered me that I would be all over it.

[schild]

Buddy's girlfriend works at a big financial.  She just got laid off, they gave her 18 months of severance with insurance.   

Honestly, If my employer offered me that I would be all over it.

Bleh.

[MrHat]

18 months of severance and insurance?  Wtf.

[Engels]

Buddy's girlfriend works at a big financial.  She just got laid off, they gave her 18 months of severance with insurance.   

Honestly, If my employer offered me that I would be all over it.

She must know where the bodies are buried fo sho

[Viin]

That's real nice. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

I'll be lucky to get 2 months after working here for 10 years ..

[K9]

I grew up in Brighton so I know that one too 

Me too!

I love Brighton, every time I go back there I end up wondering why I don't live there.

[apocrypha]

Because house prices are so stupidly high there that you could buy 2 houses anywhere North of Watford for the same money? 

But yeah, I'd love to live there again, still got lots of family there so we visit regularly and if I ever become a rich & successful photographer that's likely where we'll end up.

[Sky]

If you can't do what you do here, go do what you do there! IBM offers incentive packages to move american workers into developing markets:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/outsourcing/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213000389

...if you don't mind making pennies on the dollar, of course.

[Signe]

If you can't do what you do here, go do what you do there! IBM offers incentive packages to move american workers into developing markets:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/outsourcing/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213000389

...if you don't mind making pennies on the dollar, of course.

Oh good.  Now they can lay everyone off and send them to Nigeria to make pennies.  They will fuck you over with their Big Blue balls.

[Righ]

"A lot of people want to work in India."

Mostly unemployed Indians.

[IainC]

So I'm now at Acony, working on fitting solid MMO elements into an FPS. It's been pretty interesting so far.

[Yegolev]

I have actually considered accepting a hypothetical offer to move me to our Manilla (Makati?) office.  A much smaller salary is perfectly fine since it would still afford me a mansion with a couple live-in servants and a driver.  I sure as hell don't have that in the US.  Also, quick flights to HK and JP would be cool.

[DraconianOne]

So I'm now at Acony, working on fitting solid MMO elements into an FPS. It's been pretty interesting so far.

Congratulations on the red restoration.

[Raging Turtle]

I have actually considered accepting a hypothetical offer to move me to our Manilla (Makati?) office.  A much smaller salary is perfectly fine since it would still afford me a mansion with a couple live-in servants and a driver.  I sure as hell don't have that in the US.  Also, quick flights to HK and JP would be cool.

Manila is a hellhole.  Stay away.

Seriously.