AGDC - High Level Take Aways
Posted by Jay | Filed under Game Industry
AGDC was great! I had the awesome opportunity to network with many great folks. On top of that, I had a great time walking around the expo area. I saw lots of juicy tools. Definitely there is a lot to learn, and I can’t wait to jump right in.
But you came here to read about the talks! I know you did! Here you go.
Damion Schuberts talk was informative. He broke down end game content on mmos on a systemic level. Good food for thought.
The EQ devs on working with legacy systems was a great trip down memory lane. I got to speak with Jonathan Caraker at length about working with an older game system and the challenges. It was nice to know, on both accounts I believe, that we weren’t alone in our struggles. It should be noted that the accomplishments of the original EQ devs should be commended, they layed the ground work for the great MMO community we love and enjoy to this day. *Hats off to you*
In addition, working with legacy systems is a touchy subject, especially when dealing with a large customer base. The EQ devs were able to paint an insightful picture about managing the players reaction to changes made to the game.
Stieg Hedlund presentation called Sticky from the Start was a great exploration into character development philosophy. He’s famous for that little known Diablo 2 game out there. If you’re unfamiliar with Diablo 2 and why its a really great game, go buy it.
Mike Goslin spoke on Pirates of the Carribean. He primarily focused on selling a movie license, something I’m familiar with and designing for a younger audience. Really great points.
Finally of note was a talk by Thomas Sitch, who implemented the quest system on Wizard 101. Best quote from an engineer ever: “If your designer is spending an hour figuring out how to (1) learn/use the system or (2) learn/use the tool, that’s an hour they aren’t spending being creative. Being creative is what a designer is payed to do.”
If you’re an engineer looking to get into the business, read the quote above. If you make my job easier, you’ll make me a happy camper.
Overall it was a great experience. Shout out to John, Drew, Ron, Dan D, Brandon, Will, John and the host of others I’ve missed. It was a great experience and I look forward to discussing game design with you again!
Austin GDC
Posted by Jay | Filed under Game Industry
I’m really excited to be heading out to Austin GDC! There are so many great talks scheduled! So many, companies will be present, everything I could want!
What I’m super excited about is to talk some shop with other devs. There are quite a few new and exciting MMOs being released, Agency, Metaplace and other more mainstream released I won’t bother naming.
As for game design, MMOs have nailed the player retention issue we in the console land struggle for. On consoles, most games fail if there isn’t a form of multiplayer coop. With the high turn around and sea of available titles to play, many gamers don’t stick to one genre, let alone a specific game.
I’ll be attending many talk relating player retention. I’ll post high level take aways on my return! Until then, keep PVP alive and well!
So, you think you’re Hardcore?
Posted by Jay | Filed under Game Industry, World of Warcraft
Shared Topic: Casuals, Players and Raiders.
The recent shared topic on Blog Azeroth, Casuals, Players and Raiders, challenges those in the WoW Blogosphere to discuss the difference between casual and hardcore players. The common argument is that the difference between casuals and hardcore is either: time spent or skill level.
I propose that time spent is not correct. I also propose that skill level is partially accurate. I propose that the answer lies not in actual skill of the person, but it the application of a learned skill and the ability to relearn after new experiences. That was a mouthful, so let me diseminate the concept.
What is play?
What is play is a discussion for other sites. Many people have written numerous books and paper on what “play” actually is. There is an alternate question that we’re addressing: How does your brain play?
Play, for your brain, is endlessly repeating a task to perfection. Its why many a “casual golfer” enjoys the driving range more than the actual sport. Perfection each detail of their golf swing, one… swing at a time. This is also the reason why Michael Jordan would shoot 1000ish free throws a day. The brain LOVES to perfect. This is described by some people as “muscle memory” for physical activities. Your brain doesn’t like to learn, even though its built to be a learning machine.
If we apply this concept to our WoW player base, we can guess that hardcore players perfect their learned skills, either through raiding, pvp and instances. A casual player does not seek to perfect the skill they have learned.
For casual this can mean many types of behaviors. They generally create many alts, dabbling in many different forms of play. Or they stick with one character and push the buttons they’ve used to level up. This is the idea of a huntard that Ego once wrote about.
I’ll leave the rest of the thought process to you. I firmly believe that casual players generally LOVE the game! Their brain has chosen to not perfect their behavior, consciously or not. This is neither a good or bad situation. Just a choice.
What do you think?
PvE to PvP Transfer!
Posted by Jay | Filed under World of Warcraft
Blizzard has release that this glorious day in September, PVE characters are able to transfer to PVP servers! This… Is… Amazing!
Having begun my career on numerous PVE servers, I am EXTREMELY excited by the ability to resurrect my former character to my new homes! YAY!
Priest Survival Series - Mages
Posted by Jay | Filed under Priest Survival Series, PvP, World of Warcraft
Short survival post. Mages aren’t the biggest challenge if you are consistent. Surviving against a mage is dependent on your ability to survive through their burst. Having renew and shield up as often as possible is your saving grace. As always, against a caster, you will win by casting mana burn. Here are the main points to beating a mage.
Everything on a mage can be dispelled
Icy Veins, PoM, Combustion all come to mind as buffs I’ve dispelled in the past. Does the mage go all lightning? Dispel. Does the mage Ice Block? Mass Dispel. Does the mage have a buff other than an armor buff? Dispel.
Mages have trouble regaining mana
Mages have two sources of mana: Evocation and Mana Gems. Once their out, you can wand away.
Mana burn like your life depended on it
Do it!
Summary List
- Dispel everything
- Keep shield and renew casted at all times
- Mana burn
- Fear the elemental if you can
- Dispel fire and ice debuffs on yourself
A final note on mages. ! on 1, as discipline you will live. I’ve lived through PoM Pyros, ice elementals, counterspells, you name it! Where mages gain their strength is as a line backer offensive caster. In a group situation, if you leave the mage alone, you WILL die. Period. Mages stack very well with every other DPS in the game. Keep your wits, control their mana and have fun! Mage fights will be challenging, and they usually end with you wanding them to death.
What do you think?
