I guess it’s time to kind of update everyone about what’s going with me lately as far as maps go, and as far as the business has been going.
Let me start by saying that I have not played a game of SW since May. I’ve played 2 games of Heroclix last summer,and that's it.
My love and interest in gaming has really diminished in the past few months. A lot of it has to do with my life style shifting towards other hobbies, and a lot of it has to do with turning the maps in to a business. Creating maps became a chore, and it’s become stagnant. Interactions with “competitors“ have generally been a negative experience for me. The overall environment has changed in a direction that I am not really into. I am not saying it’s bad, I just feel like I’m not into it like I used to be, and for me and the way my brain works, that equals me being stressed, and over-theatrical.
I guess in a nutshell, this thing has made me miserable! hahaha! It’s all been more stress than it’s worth lately.
Some of you have said in the past that I need a break, and I did. I would take a break and it would all be better, but my life is moving in a direction that I don’t want to fight. I want to see where my next creative endeavors take me.
The reason for selling the entire inventory over to Miniature Market and giving Josh Derksen full control of Adventurers-Atlas was to faze myself out. I need to move on.
So as of I will no longer be publishing anymore maps. I really don’t think I will have the time to even create new maps, but when I do they will be maps for fun and done at a leisurely pace when I feel like it.
We have all had a fantastic journey together, and I’m proud of what we did, and I am so grateful to the life changing experiences I’ve been through in the past 4 years. I am especially grateful to Josh Derksen for getting me to where I am artistically and being a committed partner. His future is very bright and Adventurers Atlas will live on. I made 1 very good friend, a person I have a very deep friendship with. And that’s Jim McNaney. Out of all the great things I have accomplished with the map business, meeting Jim is the best.
I know some people will see this as some sort of grand exit. It isn’t. I felt everyone deserved to know why I’ve been so inactive, and honestly I didn’t want to leave people hanging about new maps.
And I do love you guys!

And I sincerely hope you guys jump over to talkshoe tonight to hear John and Matt's Roundtable!

Matt,

While I am sad about the announcement, I am glad that you let us all know of your decision. Your innovation and creativity is going to be dearly missed. I understand where you're comming from and can only too bitterly digest this. I've only met you in person 3 times, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to. I wish you the best of luck in whatever direction you decide to take your life. You are always welcome in my part of VA.

Even though you don't plan on making anymore maps for SWM, I hope you can make it up here on the 15th for the tournament my local group is hosting. If you can't, no worries. Let me know if & when there's something going on in your neighborhood and I'll see if I can make a trip down to you (its only like a 3 hour drive). Well, take care and live well my friend. Cheers!

Sincerely,
Jester007

I'm very sorry to hear that. You've always come across as a really, really nice person on the forums, both here, at the other site, and back at Wizards' old forums, and you will be missed. In addition, I'm already going into withdrawal over any and all awesome future maps you might have come out with. Your maps packs, and later yours and ArmoredGear7's map packs, make up the vast majority of my playable maps and more than made up for all the crappy, unfun, and useless maps that Wizards kept chucking at us for most of the game's lifespan. I've happily played the heck out of them. So thanks.

The later maps fix the game's biggest flaw... melee force-users get shot up by decent shooters on the mostly shooting-gallery WotC maps. You could look at it as a flaw in stat design (Jedi should be stronger), but that's hard to fix. Maps with better melee advance, like the majority of the non-WotC maps, are another way to fix the problem, and we're glad they did.

You'll be missed, JC. After a hiatus, I'm sure you'll land back in gaming somewhere eventually, even if not SWM. At any rate, thanks for everything.

JC, you and your work will be sorely missed!

Having worked on a personal hobby/project that eventually sort of became a chore, I understand the feeling. Hopefully, we'll see you back here some day, but you have to do what's right for you. Best of luck, and thanks for many gifts you've given the community!

Thanks for everything JC.

Your work has greatly enriched our game. If bowing out makes for less stress in your life, I am happy for you.
Catch you on Talkshoe one these days. Haven't been able to set time aside for the new show yet, but it sounds fun.

If I ever have the good fortune to meet you in person, I'd like to buy you a few rounds.

- Dave

Matt, I am sad that you are bowing out as one of our 3 excellent map sources. However, I too feel like I have made a friend for life. So, while our paths may not cross in the Star Wars Minis universe, we will be telling our grandchildren about each other. (For me that will only be a few years from now lol.) I won't wish you the best for the future because I plan to be in it. (Re-reading that last line... it sounds like I just insulted myself.)

Oh, one thing you could do: remember your own freakin' cell phone number. I am tired of calling the number you gave me only to have some goat roper named John answer and sounding like he's from a place so far from civilization that their leading export is sticks.

Thanks for the tip, Jim. I'll bring extra cash.

Matt, Just would like to say thank you for all your work ! You've done so much for us as a community and we will miss your work. Your maps are top notch!!!

Matt, it is definitely going to be a loss to the SWM community to lose someone like you. If you decide to come up to northern VA next weekend, we would be honored to have you. I know there will be many people who would like to thank you for your contribution to our community.

Roy