<story><title>An insider&apos;s look at what he gave up to create a classic game</title><url>http://www.polygon.com/2016/6/1/11820966/fable-crunch-microsoft</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>rwallace</author><text>This is a good example of an important general point: &lt;i&gt;human social instincts are a really huge security vulnerability&lt;/i&gt;. The price we pay for adaptability is that we can&amp;#x27;t have a hardwired instinct of what&amp;#x27;s normal, so the solution evolution came up with was to program us to take our cue on that from the people around us. The downside is that if we put ourselves in an environment where people are doing bad things - working overtime, doing a PhD, taking drugs, bullying, working for a totalitarian regime, basically anything whatsoever - it won&amp;#x27;t be long before our brains start telling us it&amp;#x27;s perfectly normal and finding excuses for the harmful effects. Look at this guy: he admits it ruined his life, but he still thinks it was okay because he liked his initial group of co-workers.&lt;p&gt;Conclusion: do not put yourself in an environment where the people around you are doing bad things. If you are already in such an environment, talk to someone outside it, get their view on the matter, and take it seriously. And if you think you aren&amp;#x27;t in such an environment, consider doing that anyway as a reality check.</text></comment>
<story><title>An insider&apos;s look at what he gave up to create a classic game</title><url>http://www.polygon.com/2016/6/1/11820966/fable-crunch-microsoft</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>mrdrozdov</author><text>This doesn&amp;#x27;t exactly seem like the healthiest (or most efficient) routine.&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; A pattern emerged in my days during this period. Get up, get washed and dressed, wash down a couple of caffeine tablets with some strong coffee, pick up a red bull, a coke and some cereal bars on my way into the office. Once at work I’d be at my desk non-stop; all meals would be eaten at my desk, though sometimes I’d not eat at all. When I did eat, it would usually mean a sandwich from the supermarket for lunch. Work would often provide dinner, invariably takeout. Sugary caffeinated drinks and sweets would sustain me for the rest of the time.&lt;p&gt;Working 80 hour weeks is not okay, but working 40 hour weeks is also probably not okay when you&amp;#x27;re relying on this sort of sustenance.&lt;p&gt;Thanks incredibly for sharing your experience and helping build such a renowned game. Hopefully people can take away from your experiences strategies to avoid a similar fate!</text></comment>