Poster: Brad at 12/27/2005 5:41:29 AM PST
Subject: Lead Designer: Why the change of heart? |
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In January 2004 (when you were just an Associate Designer), Jeff Kaplan (Tigole) stated this:
"The single most important thing to remember when creating a game is that it must be FUN. When someone sits down to play your MMO, they are doing so to be entertained. An MMO should not feel like a job or obligation. It's very important not to fall into that trap of trying to manipulate your community, as if you're trying to run an ant farm. As a designer, it's your responsibility to create a world that's exciting, challenging, and FUN. It's not your job to play god over someone's play experience."
Now that you are Lead Designer for WoW, the vision and direction of WoW have changed since its release. The Level 1-59 game certainly lived up to the philosophy you espouced. The game seems to have changed direction since its release under your watch.
In the 1-59 game, players have fun choices for advancing their character. WoW never felt like work, and never felt like you were forced into any particular direction. Conversely, there are only a few options upon reaching the endgame: 1) Raid, 2) Grind for Reputation, or 3) Grind for PvP Rank. Most people agree that neither of these three are fun.
People on these forums are often saying you have to work to advance. They say that raiding isn't fun, and no one would do it if there were other options. How dies this fit in the philosophy stated above? "The single most important thing to remember when creating a game is that it must be FUN. When someone sits down to play your MMO, they are doing so to be entertained. An MMO should not feel like a job or obligation." While that is a wonderful statement, sadly that is exactly the opposite of the present endgame.
The present endgame does not feel like the players are in control. We are forced into content that is vastly different from what we loved in the 1-59 game. To advance, you are force feed content that is not fun. How is grinding not like work? We do feel we are ants in an ant farm, forced to raid or grind. If we can not or prefer not to participate in the raid content you loved in EQ, we have no fun options.
Mr. Kaplan, you are doing exactly what you said you should not do: "An MMO should not feel like a job or obligation. It's very important not to fall into that trap of trying to manipulate your community, as if you're trying to run an ant farm. As a designer, it's your responsibility to create a world that's exciting, challenging, and FUN. It's not your job to play god over someone's play experience."
Why the change of heart?[ post edited by Brad ]
Friends won't let friends buy the World Of Raidcraft
| | | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=6414546&p=#post6414546 | | | Poster: Eyonix at 12/27/2005 2:53:57 PM PST
Subject: Re: Lead Designer: Why the change of heart? |
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The design team still stands firmly behind this philosophy, Brad. Especially Tigole, whom you're quoting and was actually not an Associate Designer at the time of that statement but already promoted to Game Designer. In any case, "fun" is more than slightly subjective. Hypothetically, had our game been the complete opposite of what it is today in regards to playable content at level 60, someone just as easily could've read that statement, posted it on our boards and claimed it wasn't true if it were that the produced content which was available wasn't fun or enjoyable based on their standards, preferences and perspective.
I speak with Tigole concerning all aspects of World of Warcraft, including design philosophies and direction on a very regular basis. I can assure you, he's here before most and usually leaves last, and in this time focuses his attention on much more than simply designing raid content, and end-game "grinds". He's responsible for a great deal of the casual content players have experienced, even from very early levels.
Off the top of my head - the questing system, all of the dungeons, from the Deadmines to Blackrock Spire, even the /emotes in the game.
The outdoor zones were heavily impacted by his design philosophy as well, and he worked on all 3 Battleground maps. He was also one of the original designers who helped shape the vision that led to the 1-59 experience that he DID think was fun. The point is, I've been with the company for four years, and regardless of his title, Tigole has never had a change of heart, nor has there ever been a change in design direction relating to this matter. In addition, he reads these boards daily, and is heavily involved with designing content for the expansion. It should come as no surprise that moving forward he, along with the entire design team has been incorporating all that's been learned over the last year of listening to player feedback.
With that being said, we're dedicated to releasing the raid content that we began designing over a year ago, and it shouldn't be assumed that doing so is a sign that we've strayed from any of our design philosophies. As a matter of fact, we're very dedicated to creating content which most would consider casual for the expansion and have plans to make improvements in upcoming content updates,
In closing, Tigole and the rest of the designers are "still very dedicated to creating a world that's exciting, challenging, and FUN".
| | | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=6414546&p=#post6420822 | Poster: Eyonix at 12/27/2005 2:53:57 PM PST
Subject: Re: Lead Designer: Why the change of heart? *edited post* |
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The design team still stands firmly behind this philosophy, Brad. Especially Tigole, whom you're quoting and was actually not an Associate Designer at the time of that statement but already promoted to Game Designer. In any case, "fun" is more than slightly subjective. Hypothetically, had our game been the complete opposite of what it is today in regards to playable content at level 60, someone just as easily could've read that statement, posted it on our boards and claimed it wasn't true if it were that the produced content which was available wasn't fun or enjoyable based on their standards, preferences and perspective.
I speak with Tigole concerning all aspects of World of Warcraft, including design philosophies and direction on a very regular basis. I can assure you, he's here before most and usually leaves last, and in this time focuses his attention on much more than simply designing raid content, and end-game "grinds". He's responsible for a great deal of the casual content players have experienced, even from very early levels.
Off the top of my head - the questing system, all of the dungeons, from the Deadmines to Blackrock Spire, even the /emotes in the game.
The outdoor zones were heavily impacted by his design philosophy as well, and he worked on all 3 Battleground maps. He was also one of the original designers who helped shape the vision that led to the 1-59 experience that he DID think was fun. The point is, I've been with the company for four years, and regardless of his title, Tigole has never had a change of heart, nor has there ever been a change in design direction relating to this matter. In addition, he reads these boards daily, and is heavily involved with designing content for the expansion. It should come as no surprise that moving forward he, along with the entire design team has been incorporating all that's been learned over the last year of listening to player feedback.
With that being said, we're dedicated to releasing the raid content that we began designing over a year ago, and it shouldn't be assumed that doing so is a sign that we've strayed from any of our design philosophies. As a matter of fact, we're very dedicated to creating content which most would consider casual for the expansion and have plans to make improvements in upcoming content updates,
In closing, Tigole and the rest of the designers are "still very dedicated to creating a world that's exciting, challenging, and FUN".
| | | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=6414546&p=#post6420822 |
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