Dark_Respite

*laugh* Poor Lord_Apollon, just when you think you're done...

How in the world am I going to convey the Mission Editor thing?

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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Oh I got the point. I got it a long time ago. This is a great way for the devs to have the players create content for them so that they don't have to. We already provide free Q&A services when we Beta test the issues. Now they want us to be quasi-content creators. Then if were lucky enough to be sprinkled with the blessings of 'Devs Choice' then our mission will give rewards. Great.

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Frankly, I don't think the actual mission designers are necessarily thrilled about the player mission editor. First of all, its a player-requested feature, so its not a grand conspiracy to lower their workload.

Second, its extremely unlikely that the devs will reduce the amount of story-driven content in the game just because the players are making player-generated missions, and player-generated missions, being outside of canon, cannot progress the story of the game in any case; they will still have to crank out just as much mission content as before.

Third, if the player mission editor system is successful, its very likely to cause harsher criticism to be directed to the dev-generated mission content, since there will now be content to compare it to. There could be one thousand crap missions for every one good one, but the good one will be held up as an example for the devs to *beat* since it was, after all, a volunteer effort, while the devs get paid to do it.

There's thousands of players, and only a couple mission designers, but they will probably be getting "so why didn't you guys think to do this" complaints until the end of time.

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Well said, Arc... well said.

Do I expect this to open the floodgates on some truly horrendous missions? Sure. Not everyone knows how to actually design one, or tell a story, or of course, there are the odds that someone's going to create a farm mission (which will hopefully get the farmers out of the main broadcast and keep them in the mission and away from the rest of us).

Will there be awesome content, too? I certainly hope so - because I've seen characters in this game with some truly intriguing bios or stories or RP experiences (even in-game) that would make for a fantastic experience. Are the devs supposed to magically know every single backstory of every single character and mine those for ideas?

They've got more than enough stuff left that they can create. And I say (and YOMV), if us focusing on creating some content gives them the breathing space to overhaul tech-related stuff that the game needs (fixing things, etc), fine by me.

And as for everyone who yowls that us beta-testing is just us doing the devs' jobs, think again. We just find the mistakes. Whose job is it to actually FIX them? I can send them a list of bugs as long as the Mississippi, but other than that, there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I can only tell the devs and have THEM fix it. (And please, let's not start the argument about what they do and don't fix. Yes, I know the Cathedral trial has been down since time began.)

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So uh...what happens when I log out from the secret lounge in Faultline? Is my day job an NCSoft programmer?

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More like part of the QA department where you are under appreciated, unloved, you work too many hours, you don't earn merits, you only get pizza once a week, but you DO have the ability to survive the new Controller primary "Producer" power called "Crunch" (it's a long term AoE power that slowly makes you Disoriented until it finally induces Sleep...)

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*laughing* How true, how true. If you want the Programmer job, you have to find that underground spot in Grandville, I think it is, where they have the NCSoft cubicle farm, and log out there.

***

Oh, yeah, one more thing (and again, YOMV) - since I've seen the accusation levelled at a few other folks on different threads that those who stick up for the devs are just [censored]-kissing... I say NCSoft creates a division for these people who think they can do a better job than the devs. Give them limited resources, personal lives, a half-dozen competitors' MMORPGs, a restricted budget, a public relations appearance schedule, and 100,000+ players holding their every word as sanctified gospel and breathing down their necks.

The devs are not perfect, guys. They're a bunch of folks doing the best they can with what they've got.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Sorry I've not volunteered, Ash... I've barely played at all this week, what with getting slammed at work and coming home exhausted. But I feel terrible that everyone always helps me, and then when someone needs me, I'm falling asleep in my office chair.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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Actually, I am going on vacation beginning Saturday (only for a week). Going fishing in Alaska!

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Oooh, have fun!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Stay tuned, then, coz as soon as I can, I'm taking a shot at Issue 13. Although I'm also trying to get the Videographers video done...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

BTW, Pez, wanted to compliment you on your tactics for dealing with the retards on your own video's comments. I only wish I were that scathingly eloquent.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

The Coming Storm. The addition of missions in Cimerora. The whole mess of opening up Darrin Wade's can of worms.

How many would you like?

(Not to mention that with a thread I started here, the devs have a ton of material they can still create just from the hints and story elements they've already created, and that players would love to see. Trust me, they're not running out of ideas any time soon.)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Let's see...

Log out in the University = Professor, Librarian, or Geek
Log out in Wentworth's = Bargain Hunter, Mystery Shopper
Log out in City Hall = Political Wanna-Be, Legal Eagle
Log out in Yin's Market = Addicted to MSG
Log out in Egg Hunter = Professional Time Waster
Log out in the Sewers = Health Inspector, Sewer Rat
Log out in Pocket D = Social Butterfly, Barfly, Raver
Log out in Perez Park = Naturalist, Botanist
Log out in Grandville = Sitting Duck
Log out in the Hospitals = Doctor, Nurse, Permanent Resident (haha), Terminal Patient (also haha)
Log out in the Tram Stations = Commuter, Subway Surfer
Log out in Crey's Folly = Health Inspector, Investigator
Logout in/near the Zig in Brickstown = Jail Warden, Public Defender

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Who else is going to take a shot at making videos for Issue 13? Yeah, I know the announcement just went out today, but I gotta plan! (And this time, I am going to starve myself for the week before I even suspect the issue goes live to avoid getting food poisoning again while trying to finish the trailer.)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

PS - No, I'm not really going to starve myself. I'm just going to live on bread and water.

Let's see...

Log out in the University = Professor, Librarian, or Geek
Log out in Wentworth's = Bargain Hunter, Mystery Shopper
Log out in City Hall = Political Wanna-Be, Legal Eagle
Log out in Yin's Market = Addicted to MSG
Log out in Egg Hunter = Professional Time Waster
Log out in the Sewers = Health Inspector, Sewer Rat
Log out in Pocket D = Social Butterfly, Barfly, Raver
Log out in Perez Park = Naturalist, Botanist
Log out in Grandville = Sitting Duck
Log out in the Hospitals = Doctor, Nurse, Permanent Resident (haha), Terminal Patient (also haha)
Log out in the Tram Stations = Commuter, Subway Surfer
Log out in Crey's Folly = Health Inspector, Investigator
Logout in/near the Zig in Brickstown = Jail Warden, Public Defender

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Actually, I am really, REALLY hoping we can import original characters in as contacts/hostages/villains/whatever into the missions, because if so, the story arcs and Task/Strike Forces my husband and I have developed can REALLY be taken to the next level!

AND I WANT TO CREATE CUTSCENES!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

While on the one hand, it'd be a shame to see such a nifty idea borked in such fasion, on the other hand, it'd be fantastic for getting all the farmers out of the way so the rest of us can get on with actually PLAYING the game.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Hertz, when the Mission Creator goes live, you have SO got to create missions where Stan and Lou send folks on assignments.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

*takes one look at the announcement and immediately thinks*

"Damn, new teaser video and trailer video to make... oh, boy..."

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Night_Vista, don't forget to post how it turns out when you're done. I was so zonked yesterday when I got home that I passed out and slept for twelve hours, and completely forgot to take a crack at this myself.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Can't believe this thread is still drawing attention - I just hope the devs got some useful info out of it...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

No, no. He's talking about 'commenting' out a section like you do in HTML code where you put in a line or double slash or something that tells the code/browser/whatever "Hey, I'm keeping this information here for a reason, but don't use this as part of the code of the page".

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I've not experimented with it, but it'd be something easy enough to try. I don't have time to try this before I head out for work (ungodly early today, ugh), but I'll take a crack at it when I get home.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Which one?

(I was thinking more of a gathering in Pocket D and mass socializing, but a TF works too.)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

So, out of curiosity, if one of the CoX forum videographers actually wins, where's the party going to be?

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

And at least one of these guys is still going. Unreal. I swear, it's like being around those boys in 5th grade who mercilessly tease a girl because secretly they like her and they're just too much of a wuss to admit it.

It almost makes me wish that when I go to HeroCon in October, the devs offer me a job. I say "Almost" because as satisfying as it would be to go, "Oh, yeah, the devs hated me so much that they want me to work for them," I have the gut feeling that Tweedledum and Tweedledumber over on the GT site would say I slept with Lighthouse to get the job.

Bah, don't mind me - it's just temporary brain contamination from reading their comments.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

*laughing*

Said it before, will say it again. Fricking hilarious, mi amigo. And now that hubby built Manky Scotch Git, you need to find a way to get him into the "Sentai Lavender" video.

And cheers to Lighthouse for posting this for others to see!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

To: Ashcraft - yes. You do. But this kind of attention to detail, you WILL regret. Muahahahaha.

To: Leandro - spiffy! Hopefully I'm smart enough to figure out how to use your program...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Oh, I'm sure I can fit him in somewhere... Might be a real fast shot, but I'll see what I can do.

This video is proving to be a lot of fun... And this weekend I'll be plowing a lot more time into it. With luck I'll have it done by Sunday, if not, by next weekend for sure.

But no, I'm not going to try and learn Leandro's Poser program by then for this one - THAT's for a later video that far more deserves that kind of attention to detail.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dude, you're expecting me to act like a rational adult?

No, no, no, no, no. Not this chick.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite