I think that the important thing Adobe needs to understand

[crutonz]

I think the important thing that adobe needs to understand is that it is not just about marketing and resource allocation, and it is not just about Story. The true issue here is that adobe seems to be walking away from it's loyal user base to pursue the same kind of "new features" arms race that runs rampant in the camera manufacturing industry.

Of course you are expected to stay on top of trends, keeping your products working with the current technology. Everyone is impressed and appreciative of that. Everyone here has been paying upwards of $59 EVERY month to use your products. To have major features consistently culled inspires no confidence in the company. This is speedgrade all over again.

Adobe has been the go to for major studios, and small studios alike. A lot of people here are small business owners. Just to teach ourselves how to use all your programs is a HUGE investment of time and energy. Now piece by piece we're losing features? Features we depend upon. Features we pay through the nose for. Every time adobe takes away a feature, it's like watching your most valuable stock option tank.

I know it probably makes more sense to pander to the youtube vloggers that are surely your largest market at this point. Unfortunately adobe has gotten so huge that it has become completely blind to the idea that just offering it's older features, to the people who still need them, would be hugely favorable. It is literally the best marketing you could ever hope to do. But the big business it has become doesn't really care anymore, and that's too bad.

Using adobe products has become a gamble. Your investment of time to learn the programs could be swept away by one marketing statistic at any given moment. I for one am not much of a gambling man. I don't have the money for it. I'm being forced to completely abandon all adobe products because who knows when the features I NEED are going to be cut from the line up. Story was just the last straw. Fool me once...

[glaustin]

Well said! I always thought Adobe was the Pro end of the market, yet it acts like its customers are domestic consumers. With the opaque second-hand cars salesman approach to removing Dolby licensing from Pr and other profit over customer moves since introducing CC (as many forecast), it seems some are voting with their feet and many are seriously considering other options. The problem is Adobe cannot be trusted. They are so big, they simply don't care anymore about what the people buying their products deserve...

[justinjohnson76]

Gamble is a perfect way of explaining how I feel. Nicely put.

I fell in love with Speedgrade...gone...

Used Story and it's scheduling software...gone...

Used Muse to setup production sites quick and easy...gone...

Unfortunately 3 strikes = this user is gone next. I am currently using the new Resolve 15 and as testing goes I'll be replacing the last piece of Adobe software I used, Premiere and After effects. I am a small fish in a very large ocean, and removing these apps makes me feel like an even smaller fish. Shame, I really loved working in Premiere.

[crutonz]

I have found affinity photo to be a wonderful replacement for photoshop. It still has it's own learning curve, but there are plenty of online tutorials, and the basic setup is very familiar. I have mentioned before that KIT Scenarist is a truly fantastic and free program that is honestly lightyears ahead of anything that the basic version of Story ever offered.

Resolve is my next software leap so it is good to hear that you have been trying it out as well.

[justinjohnson76]

I have been using gimp but will be moving to Affinity photo soon. I think KIT Scenarist is really good, but I ended up going with Fade In Pro. A big feature I need is re-visioning and I wasn't able to find that in KIT. With Story/Fade In Pro, you can lock scene numbers/pages/dialogue number and then future revisions you only have to print out changed pages. It saves a lot a paper by only having to replace a few pages instead of an entire script all while maintaining scene/dialogue numbers.

As for Resolve, up until the latest beta I couldn't really imagine using it as an editor. Felt clunky to me. But now with 15, I am using it 100% now and even Fairlight has become a good enough replacement for Audition for me. And now with Fusion built in, I never leave the app anymore. For a small independent team, not having to bounce between different apps and free from round-trip workflows has been amazing.

[floramc]

It is hard to disagree with all that you say, as a customer you have all your rights to feel like using new tools is a bit like gambling. I confess I do feel the same way as to many mobile apps that I use regularly. I agree, we see useful things disappear all the time.

It is not wrong to be suspicious towards a business where the market takes over the needs of the customers, and at times I have a feeling too that Adobe is not considering this well enough. I would encourage you all to share alternative ways, and I am sure Adobe staff is reading around, but don't mix us ACPs with the paid employees. We are here on a volunteer basis to support your frustrations. In this case I can only listen and agree, but none of the ACPs have the power to alter the marketing policies of a corporate.

I am very very sorry about these incidents, it really does not pay well to the image and I wish with all of you that in the future the frenzy needs of a developing market will stop and rethink over where the center is. I don't think that customers are loosing the big picture, I agree with all of you now and then marketing choices at Adobe is loosing focus on the loyal subscriber.

It is important that you keep using the forum to vocalise your needs and show that you actively work to find a solution and I think this is a proactive way to let the company know that you really want THEM to offer the service. Not that I can promise this will change things, on that side I know as much as you do.

I think negative feedback is as necessary as positive and I keep on encouraging you, always keeping the tone as respectful and targeted as you do now, to express your disapproval. If I had the power to make a change, I would do that, and I will keep on monitoring this thread and support your frustration. That is all that I can do, and I know that Adobe is sensitive to customers' pain.

As flattering as it can be that some users rely on the fact we ACPs have the power to change marketing choices, the only ones that can make the difference, is the customer.

One thing I am not going to do is stop you from expressing your disappointment. It is your right as a customer and treasure for the staff that is surely well informed of this thread. Keep decor as you are doing and let the company know your opinion. Bad ones matter probably even more than good ones.

Loosing customers is surely something they do not long for, who would, so stay focused, stay constructive and I am sure at some point there will be new marketing choices that you will feel more customer friendly and less of a gamble.

Again: it is not in my power to do anything but apologise and sympathise and both of them are with you for loosing such a relevant tool for your workflow.