I posted the next message into the thread about the next balancing patch.
I fear all this messing with changing can get a bit out of hand.
Some regulation and channeling of this idea's might be a good idea.
Also have some people a more formal authority in this matters. That is at least a group of 10 developers, + aoc admins + expert evaluators and beta team. No changes should be implemented outside the Aoczone userpatch.
Me as a so called "noob" cant say a lot about the value of the changes.
But as a designer and developer i have to say a few words about the way things go.
What i can say, if there is a need for changes, you better make them all the same time, in 1 single patch.
good intentions
It is good that someone does a proposal.
It is good that this proposal is very well worked out and not restrained
What designeers call this is a working concept.
Introducing changes
I do object against this way of inroducing, just dropping it into the crowd.
We all know that having different versions of 1 game is confusing and splitting up players between them.
If changes are to be implemented you better do this like they did with the Userpatch.
Changes should be evaluated, talked about neccesity and desireability, tested and calibrated by a panel of expert players.
Then all gathered into one single patch that is supported by the mainstay of the community.
about procedure
What might be missing here is an entry from anyone who believes having a good idea into this team of patchers.
It is obvious that only a very limited number of people can be involved in developing this kind of changes, because we actually dont want change on itself. Only if it is really obvious that a change would make the game only better without drawbacks a change can be proposed. Deciding about balance is an expert matter that can best be taken in a structured and objective team, without evevryone pushing and pulling decisions for emotional reasons.
formalisation of user patch proces
I do think it would be a good idea that this team of developers get a more formal recognition and assignment, in managing all changes to the game core. It is a common interest of us all that quality and unity of the game is preserved. Every change to the game should be imlemented through the now called "offical" UserPatch.
This board of developers should not be too narrow, for the sake of continuity and having a broad base into the community.
Next to this there should be a board of expert testers, or just visionary's, people who are able to rightly judge proposals before even taken into proces. They also must be able to clearly communicate about what they are doing.
About proposals
What is was starting to say: it is very important that the link with all members of the community is being maintained, and that the development team is not an obscure club. The team should clearly communicate in what they are working on, but also be accesible to idea from the community.
The threads about AoFE changes, balances and additions had learned us that there is a huge interest and pool of idea's to developing the game. Ever since this started we see new idea's popping up about patching the game.
I do think we should seperate all this game-changement fuss from the main forum.
my proposals in this:
- make a seperate forum, maintained by the UserPatch team, where all proposals can be placed and evaluated.
- every community member is free to make proposals on this forum
- each idea should be proposed in 1 thread, so if you want to propose 3 changes you make 3 threads
- the team will evaluate these in 3 stages. Bad idea's will be removed into a "rejected idea's" section of the forum. Good idea's will be taken "into consideration" section. Actual changes taken into development and testing will be taken into a "into development" section
- the testing and evaluation team should have admin priviliges over this section. They should clearly communicate about their choices. Changes should always be debatable by the community. The UserPatch should always be recognised by most players. Changes that can not be convincingly explained by the team should therefore not be implemented, whether they are good or not. Keep un up to date log of the current state of development.
- no more threads about changing the game in the main forum
It is good to formulate and keep an eye on to your mission statement. Change is not a goal in itself. Making the game better is.
Talking about the game is a great thing itself. Having idea's too. I have a lot of idea's myself, but i dont want to flood the forum with them. Because if i just drop them, they will be pretty much lost somewhere.
I fear all this messing with changing can get a bit out of hand.
Some regulation and channeling of this idea's might be a good idea.
Also have some people a more formal authority in this matters. That is at least a group of 10 developers, + aoc admins + expert evaluators and beta team. No changes should be implemented outside the Aoczone userpatch.
too many changes, too radical
Me as a so called "noob" cant say a lot about the value of the changes.
But as a designer and developer i have to say a few words about the way things go.
What i can say, if there is a need for changes, you better make them all the same time, in 1 single patch.
good intentions
It is good that someone does a proposal.
It is good that this proposal is very well worked out and not restrained
What designeers call this is a working concept.
Introducing changes
I do object against this way of inroducing, just dropping it into the crowd.
We all know that having different versions of 1 game is confusing and splitting up players between them.
If changes are to be implemented you better do this like they did with the Userpatch.
Changes should be evaluated, talked about neccesity and desireability, tested and calibrated by a panel of expert players.
Then all gathered into one single patch that is supported by the mainstay of the community.
about procedure
What might be missing here is an entry from anyone who believes having a good idea into this team of patchers.
It is obvious that only a very limited number of people can be involved in developing this kind of changes, because we actually dont want change on itself. Only if it is really obvious that a change would make the game only better without drawbacks a change can be proposed. Deciding about balance is an expert matter that can best be taken in a structured and objective team, without evevryone pushing and pulling decisions for emotional reasons.
formalisation of user patch proces
I do think it would be a good idea that this team of developers get a more formal recognition and assignment, in managing all changes to the game core. It is a common interest of us all that quality and unity of the game is preserved. Every change to the game should be imlemented through the now called "offical" UserPatch.
This board of developers should not be too narrow, for the sake of continuity and having a broad base into the community.
Next to this there should be a board of expert testers, or just visionary's, people who are able to rightly judge proposals before even taken into proces. They also must be able to clearly communicate about what they are doing.
About proposals
What is was starting to say: it is very important that the link with all members of the community is being maintained, and that the development team is not an obscure club. The team should clearly communicate in what they are working on, but also be accesible to idea from the community.
The threads about AoFE changes, balances and additions had learned us that there is a huge interest and pool of idea's to developing the game. Ever since this started we see new idea's popping up about patching the game.
I do think we should seperate all this game-changement fuss from the main forum.
my proposals in this:
- make a seperate forum, maintained by the UserPatch team, where all proposals can be placed and evaluated.
- every community member is free to make proposals on this forum
- each idea should be proposed in 1 thread, so if you want to propose 3 changes you make 3 threads
- the team will evaluate these in 3 stages. Bad idea's will be removed into a "rejected idea's" section of the forum. Good idea's will be taken "into consideration" section. Actual changes taken into development and testing will be taken into a "into development" section
- the testing and evaluation team should have admin priviliges over this section. They should clearly communicate about their choices. Changes should always be debatable by the community. The UserPatch should always be recognised by most players. Changes that can not be convincingly explained by the team should therefore not be implemented, whether they are good or not. Keep un up to date log of the current state of development.
- no more threads about changing the game in the main forum
It is good to formulate and keep an eye on to your mission statement. Change is not a goal in itself. Making the game better is.
Talking about the game is a great thing itself. Having idea's too. I have a lot of idea's myself, but i dont want to flood the forum with them. Because if i just drop them, they will be pretty much lost somewhere.