When I was a business consultant. Assessing low morale was my specialty. Especially in this modern world of corporate legalese where we lose touch of our civility, empathy, and humanity.
Game design is a very mutually beneficial industry. You create a world we all wish we could explore. You gain monetary compensation in exchange for creating a popular product and/or service. Often times developers become legends, as Brad McQuaid was himself. The world you create brings us joy, indirectly creating relationships, and bringing us all closer together in specific ways
I hope the Devs understand that nobody in the community legitimately hopes for them to fail. I hope the community understands that the Devs fear failure more than anyone. Giving the devs a hard time doesn't boost morale. Them withholding crucial information, changing designs, or scrapping simple plans also doesnt boost morale. So, everyone is in a more vulnerable state than when it started. And it's been that way for a while since Brad passed.
But, this game isn't just another AAA studio cash cow this genre has been plagued with for the last 15 to 20 years. It's a passion project, that has been underfunded since the beginning. Overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Typical feelings with such a monumental project with such a limited but talented crew. Unfortunately we live in a finite world. Finite time. Finite resources. Finite patience. And, as a consequence of battling this, low morale.
But, as I stated, I was a business consultant. I didn't brown nose. My job was to go in and assess, and tell people what they didn't want to hear.
Here is what they need to hear, and by they, I mean everyone. Both the devs and the community need a rallying point. A major development or circumstance of some kind that not only makes waves in the already loyal but increasingly impatient community. But among the outside observers as well. An injection of energy, but not hype. Hype is purely a marketing tactic. The injection of energy has to be authentic -- genuine -- so that people know with absolutism that the path they've chosen was the right one. So that people know their patience, will factually be rewarded. Consider it, a second wind, for the development phase. And the Devs need that positive reinforcement so they may also have a second wind.
We are not newbies to this genre anymore. A great many of us enthusiasts understand how your business cycle works, and even the complexities involved. So, don't treat us like it either. And don't leave us in the dark. Not only do we all crave this energy I speak of. But clarity as well.
I'm not putting any of the blame on the devs. They're not the ones making the decision to create an extraction game, they're just programming like they're hired to. Very rarely is the problem the development team, it's leadership. If any of the dev team feels as though they've failed us, they have not.
justdrop said:I'm not putting any of the blame on the devs. They're not the ones making the decision to create an extraction game, they're just programming like they're hired to. Very rarely is the problem the development team, it's leadership. If any of the dev team feels as though they've failed us, they have not.
The team is so small the devs and leadership are essentially synonymous.
If you want an injection of energy, i have a genuine proposal that i would hope the devs would take seriously, and the community would even start a petition for.
Revert back to the previous version of the game, add some more servers, and open it up to at least all the Alpha pledgers.
That version of the game was great fun and would generate positive feedback and excitement from the community that would also reach outside observers.
That version of the game was exactly what we were looking for from the beginning. The zone was huge, and well thought out. Lots to do in every corner of it. Beautifully rendered. Classic group gameplay synergy and promoting socialization.
That version of the game i eagerly awaited test sessions for and would spend multiple hours long chunks of tine playing over the weekends.
That version of the game brought back major Everquest and Vanguard vibes (as originally promised).
Devs, you’re so close, just need to get back on mission. Let the community see what you had created.
There’s a much better chance of raising money from crowdfunding, and getting investors on board, if thousands of Alpha pledgers are actively playing it and praising it online and telling their friends about it.
It really was a great game that you had created. And it deserves to be seen by more of the community. Please consider it.
Haseno said:justdrop said:I'm not putting any of the blame on the devs. They're not the ones making the decision to create an extraction game, they're just programming like they're hired to. Very rarely is the problem the development team, it's leadership. If any of the dev team feels as though they've failed us, they have not.
The team is so small the devs and leadership are essentially synonymous.
This is absolutely true. They are indeed one and the same.
What we just need is the truth. Without a significant external investment what is the actual timeframe for release or without this is it just vapourware. They must have their own expectations of timeframes. If they do not that's a huge red flag in itself and it is just destined to fail.