Curse

Fril Estelin · Jun 01, 2009, 10:47 AM // 10:47

From Linsey's journal, what sounds like an excellent news for the future of GW1:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:...urdock/Journal

Quote:

Sunday, May 31st

I forgot to post about this on Friday, so I wanted to make sure to do it before I forget again!

The Live Team is hiring a designer! I mentioned that there were some organizational things coming up, and this was it. We've posted a job listing on the website, here is a copy...

--------------------------------------------
Design - Live Team Designer
Location: Bellevue, Wa
Description:
ArenaNet, creator of the block-buster RPG, Guild Wars, is looking for game designers with a passion for online games and mission design to work on Guild Wars as a member of the game design team. Candidates must have extensive game playing experience across a wide variety of genres, and be able to script missions and quests using our in-house editing/scripting tools. For information about our team and products, please visit www.arenanet.com.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.
Other duties may be assigned.

Give input on design issues
Scripting of Missions and Quests using our in-house tools
Writing of quest and mission text including NPC dialogue
Writing of formal messaging to communicate design to the community
Play through Quests and Missions and take feedback to tune designs
Drive systems playtesting: setting up and running the tests, gathering feedback, and driving task lists to iterate upon
Communicate with artists, programmers and other members of the design team

QUALIFICATIONS

Understanding of how game play affects the end user experience
Creative writing ability
Experience using game level and world building tools
Experience with scripting languages
Familiarity with Word and Excel
Must work well in a creative team environment
Must be a hard-core gamer with extensive experience playing games
Passion for Guild Wars and a deep understanding of Guild Wars mechanics
Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
Creativity and innovation
Strong problem solving abilities

You can apply for the job through the [NCsoft Website]

I'm pretty excited about this and hoping we are able to fill the position soon!

AmbientMelody · Jun 01, 2009, 10:51 AM // 10:51

If more 'optional pay-to-get' updates are a 'brilliant future' of guild wars universe then surely I couldn't care less about that designer and his 'brilliant' ideas.

Fril Estelin · Jun 01, 2009, 10:58 AM // 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

If more 'optional pay-to-get' updates are a 'brilliant future' of guild wars universe then surely I couldn't care less about that designer and his 'brilliant' ideas.

Ok so free pane, Nicholas The Traveller weekly gifts and zquests are not brilliant design? Or is this an attempt to derail the thread from the outset and transform it in a huge QQ?

Apollo Smile · Jun 01, 2009, 10:58 AM // 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

If more 'optional pay-to-get' updates are a 'brilliant future' of guild wars universe then surely I couldn't care less about that designer and his 'brilliant' ideas.

Hurr durr

Anyways. Good to hear.

AmbientMelody · Jun 01, 2009, 11:13 AM // 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

Ok so free pane, Nicholas The Traveller weekly gifts and zquests are not brilliant design? Or is this an attempt to derail the thread from the outset and transform it in a huge QQ?

GWGURU is one big whining fest since last 2 years. Open your eyes and ask 'why?' people whine. You can't point fingers at the community all of the time.

Longasc · Jun 01, 2009, 11:20 AM // 11:20

The ideas for the big update were recycled ideas from games that already had them for a long time. They also managed to implement them worse than in the originals.

They also totally missed the point, in all other games token systems offer alternatives to get gear and equipment plus reduce grind. This only works so-so in terms of allegiance faction so far.

I suggest playing other games, too, then you might get the impression why GW is no longer going ahead, but going backwards and more grindy than contemporary games.

I hope their new designer is better indeed. I will cry if they manage to re-invent the DIKU MUD for GW2 and just add a new graphics engine and payment model.

Fril Estelin · Jun 01, 2009, 11:22 AM // 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

GWGURU is one big whining fest since last 2 years. Open your eyes and ask 'why?' people whine. You can't point fingers at the community all of the time.

GWG is a tiny part of the GW population, because most players actually play and don't spend time on fansites. This is not a QQ thread, there are other threads for that.

OT, what I'm wondering is whether this is a consequence of the April update, in the sense of it being so successful that they want to grow their activities on GW1 and need someone to help Linsey (could also simply be to help here as she said she's swamped and had some difficult times). I'm not sure this is possible because it usually takes a while to set up these posts in a fairly big company.

pumpkin pie · Jun 01, 2009, 11:29 AM // 11:29

wanders if Joe got a promotions or something.

Fril Estelin · Jun 01, 2009, 11:32 AM // 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkin pie

wanders if Joe got a promotions or something.

Why? Joe is a dev, not a designer.

I checked the Live Team on wiki, but couldn't find the new dev they've got, or is the post just recruited?

Regina is on LT but not Martin, but it's probably only a missed update.

Coast · Jun 01, 2009, 11:35 AM // 11:35

good to hear

Toxic OnyX · Jun 01, 2009, 11:47 AM // 11:47

Hopefully this means they will push forward and actually do more with the game. (PvE wise anyway as there seems to be no love directed towards PvP at all)

Although for PvE I think the best thing to happen in past 2 years is definitely the daily z-quests, maybe they should have filched the idea from WoW sooner?

How long until they decide to add new dungeons with 32 man parties and no heroes ( 2 perma, 28 RoJ + 2 Heal monks gogogo

)

Seriously though, I hope they will implement a huge skill balance before the next content update, or even scrap the next content update in favor of a game wide skill balance on both PvE and PvP and freshen the game up (plus it will make me laugh to see the QQ fest that follows the death of perma's)

Mr. G · Jun 01, 2009, 11:56 AM // 11:56

Hmm good to see the "designing of missions" mentioned a lot. A new BMP might be fun. Then again this could just be C&V from a position offered before.

pumpkin pie · Jun 01, 2009, 12:11 PM // 12:11

lol, okay, now I wanders if Ms Linsey has been promoted

bena · Jun 01, 2009, 01:41 PM // 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

If more 'optional pay-to-get' updates are a 'brilliant future' of guild wars universe then surely I couldn't care less about that designer and his 'brilliant' ideas.

you do realize that guild wars basic philosophy is... basically that. check factions, NF and eotn. ADDING but not requiring in any game manner the ability to purchase storage and char makeovers is an ADDITION to the game. nothing even compels you to get them, you enjoy the full game without them albeit with less storage.

i see your point if it gets to the point of pay 40 for new camp, and pay 5.99 for the skill searing flames and 9.99 for RoJ etc.... but no, GW is not there yet and it's not heading in that direction.

unfortunately the implication of the live team hiring a designer for gw1 means gw2 is not in the near future. and from the perspective of a designer.... during the interview i'd be darn sure to be asking what happens to me once gw2 comes out. hopefully the designer would be rolled into the gw2 team.... assuming he/she works out well.

Mr. G · Jun 01, 2009, 01:46 PM // 13:46

Quote:

unfortunately the implication of the live team hiring a designer for gw1 means gw2 is not in the near future.

Really? Thats a wild leap isnt it?

Personally I'd assume that it means that they want more people to work on GW1 so they don't have to stop people working on GW2.

God every silver lining has a cloud right?

Verene · Jun 01, 2009, 02:50 PM // 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

GWGURU is one big whining fest since last 2 years. Open your eyes and ask 'why?' people whine. You can't point fingers at the community all of the time.

I'd say a lot of people purposely go looking for and twist things around just so they do have something to whine about, myself...

Anyway, I have a couple of friends I may forward this to (one is waiting to hear back from an interview from 2k Boston but hey, never hurts to get yourself out there, right?). So yeah.

xanarot · Jun 01, 2009, 02:55 PM // 14:55

Sadly i agree... this is very bad news.

At the start of the gw1->gw2 process, the only task left for the live team was to finish HoM's compatability with gw2 and keeping gw1 running (regular events, bugs, skill balance).

The more effort they are putting into gw1, the worse the prospect is for GW2. With them hiring a designer for gw1 instead of gw2 im starting to lean more and more for the stories on gw2 being cancelled.

R.Shayne · Jun 01, 2009, 03:01 PM // 15:01

I would bet who ever applies for this position will have to compete with some people from the Quality Department.

Fril Estelin · Jun 01, 2009, 03:27 PM // 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by xanarot

The more effort they are putting into gw1, the worse the prospect is for GW2. With them hiring a designer for gw1 instead of gw2 im starting to lean more and more for the stories on gw2 being cancelled.

GW1 and GW2 aren't communicating vases, where resources are constant between the two. There are various more probable scenarios where they increase in terms of resources (April update selling well, confidence gained after the May GW2 major internal deadline, Aion close to release and looking rather good), leading to recruitment.

And if Linsey is happy, it can't be bad

.

Minako Sawai · Jun 01, 2009, 03:39 PM // 15:39

ArenaNet, according to the latest NCSoft quarterly report, has grown to 176 people and that number has been growing steadily since 2007. Staff costs at ArenaNet were the biggest drain on NCWest's bottom line, indeed one of the biggest costs for NCSoft as a whole, aside from the NCSoft staff in Korea.

I hardly think they'd continue to hire staff at that rate and not be working on GW2. That is the only game ArenaNet has! Compared to other NCSoft titles (or even most other games), that is a BUNCH of people. Clearly, a lot of effort is being put into the project, especially since they mentioned expanding the entire game concept over what had originally been planned when they stopped major work on GW1.

If GW2 is much more than just a "fixed" GW1, which seems to be the case, then they will most certainly want to keep GW1 running along with GW2. To do that, minor additions are needed and the GW1 Live team is slowly expanding (they need to hire a Xunlai Auction House Designer/Manager for GW1, please).

GW2, from what little has been released, also isn't "human centric" (bleh, who wants to be a Charr?), so will most likely be very different from GW1 in setting and character types, so keeping GW1 around makes a lot of sense. Just like Lineage I (1998 release) is still around even though Lineage II has been out since 2003! GW1 still brings in a lot of money, so hopefully some of that will be used towards GW1 and not all put towards GW2, which is getting plenty of funding from both past GW sales and investment from NCSoft's push towards concentrating on AAA titles from now on. Once Aion Tower of Eternity has been fully released in the west and is running smoothly, then GW2 will start to take center stage. They'd be stupid to hurt Aion by releasing GW2 info now. Aion, while looking and sounding great (from what I've seen on trailers, fly-throughs and in-game footage), is nothing really new. While a bit more than "WoW with wings", it isn't anything new or revolutionary in any shape or form. It will do well (is doing well in Asia), but GW2 (if it is good) will be a far bigger game in the west. While many here like to rag on GW1, most players (former and current), love the game and will be lining up to buy GW2 when it comes out.

You "GW2 is vaporware" types should crawl back into your troll caves or, here is an idea, actually go play something you enjoy and not keep spreading this doom and gloom drivel you are so fond of, i.e. get a life.