I wasn't involved with this event at all. I'm quite an enthusiastic Canonn member but I've been distracted by that other space game for the past few weeks so I've only been watching this unfold from the sidelines.
I feel a bit sorry for Canonn. They've got a fair bit of flak for this that I don't think they deserve.
I also feel a bit sorry for FDev in a way. *ducks* No wait... hear me out.
It's been a tough couple of weeks for them, especially their Community team, what with Q4 announcements and now this. Now, I'm not a 'White Knight' by any means, if criticism is due I'll give it.
[Qualification - A big part of my day job is criticising other people's work and to me criticising doesn't mean trashing. I believe the old adage "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" can be equally applied to criticism - you just swap the word 'nice' for the word 'useful'.]
I feel a bit sorry for FDev over the Gnosis debacle because I think they were essentially planning a surprise party. It didn't work out because first of all, somebody spoiled the surprise, but they also made a terrible error in the party planning... they didn't make sure that the people they were planning the party for actually wanted the kind of party they were planning.
Ultimately they gave the players what many had been asking for for a long time - a live Thargoid attack on a major base or installation, and they undoubtedly thought they were doing a really cool surprise new thing. The main problem was that, because of all the subterfuge, misdirection and apparent misinformation surrounding the party, they ended up with most of the people who would normally love that type of party not being invited... and the people who were invited being mostly the types who wouldn't be seen dead at that sort of party ...and worse, those people found themselves stuck there unable to leave.
I think they were trying to do a nice thing, but it went horribly wrong in a number of ways. Nice try guys, better luck next time, I'm sorry it didn't work out.
My constructive criticism?
1) In future, make sure all your party planning team are on the same page (and the same schedule).
2) Try and get to know your party-goers a little better.