16 hours ago, lawnjelly said:

Also that idea about cutting losses and take him off active work, maybe have him build a 3d snowman, and when it comes to review time, just say he wouldn't do any work and just spent his time making snowmen etc.

Sadly, it is often far, far easier to just shunt useless people off onto side tracks where they can't actively hurt a project, than it is to try to get them to be productive.  At times, I've spent so much more time cleaning up other peoples' messes and clusterfracks that never worked, that it would have been a net win to just assign them to go sit in the corner and play Tetris and stay the hell out of the source code.

I have finally been able to talk with my supervisor. From what he says it looks like it's better for me to resign.

I don't know how much I am allowed to say but using a analogy: no one will mind me jumping ship while they are all busy fighting over the lifeboats. That is to say things are very bad at work and they have been for a long time, it was just well hidden.

Glad you've been able to find some clarity regarding the future, even if it's not entirely positive news. Best of luck with the next steps.

7 hours ago, Scouting Ninja said:

no one will mind me jumping ship while they are all busy fighting over the lifeboats

That seems an accurate analogy. Sometimes its better to be the one who jumps early, before the company collapses, and the job market is flooded with folks who have been laid off.

11 hours ago, Scouting Ninja said:

I have finally been able to talk with my supervisor. From what he says it looks like it's better for me to resign.

That's hard, but the nature of the industry.

I've only got a few words of caution about that.

Applying and looking for jobs is good.  And if you get another job, accept it.  Hunting for a job is far easier if you are doing the hunt while you still have a job, while you still have income to pay the bills, keep a roof over your head, and buy food.  

Don't quit, don't announce plans to quit.  Stay on and keep doing your job.  That way if the company ends your employment before you've got a new job lined up, in most of the world you'll still be eligible for unemployment benefits of some kind. 

Since you know a change is coming, now is a great time to cut your spending and live on as little as you can. Save up whatever resources you can against the day you lose your job. It is always good to aim for several months of living expenses in savings just in case, but since you know it is coming, drop your expenses to the bare minimum now to soften the blow.

11 hours ago, Kylotan said:

Best of luck with the next steps.

Thanks for this and thanks to all who replied. Looking back to the first post, it looks like this was what I was aiming for even if I did not know it at the time.

It really is a large relieve to at least have some idea of what I am going to do; it gives me some control.

1 hour ago, frob said:

Don't quit, don't announce plans to quit.  Stay on and keep doing your job.  That way if the company ends your employment before you've got a new job lined up, in most of the world you'll still be eligible for unemployment benefits of some kind. 

I was wondering about this, because I haven't given in a resignation letter yet, the talk with my supervisor was off-the-books and I think he can get into trouble if others find out what he told me. I don't want to cause my supervisor trouble by making it look like I have been forewarned.

Although it's clear that if I don't resign I will be laid-off. For me not to be laid-off I would have to finish the whole project by myself; I am just too much of an ideal target.

1 hour ago, frob said:

Since you know a change is coming, now is a great time to cut your spending and live on as little as you can.

I am well prepared, because I don't belong to a union. I have four months worth in savings, although with the holidays coming up I will spend more. I have a good freelancing profile and often with the short freelance jobs people care more about what you can do than what you did in the past.

The only real loss for me will be software, I considered all software over $50 a luxury while building up my savings. This means that more than half will have to go, a chance to familiarize myself with some of the alternatives; so it's not all bad.

Honestly I feel better than I have in weeks. I probably won't be on Gamedev much the next week. I will be job hunting late into the night and building my portfolio, so it might be a while before I get to read your responses again.

Thanks for all your help.

7 hours ago, frob said:

Don't quit, don't announce plans to quit.  Stay on and keep doing your job.

Seconded. Better to get paid while you look for the next job. (Assuming you can take the heat while continuing.)

On 8/22/2017 at 6:20 PM, Scouting Ninja said:

Honestly I feel better than I have in weeks. I probably won't be on Gamedev much the next week. I will be job hunting late into the night and building my portfolio, so it might be a while before I get to read your responses again.

Good luck!