Hello everyone, the posts you are about to read is as a reaction to the “Collaborative Development – Request for Topics” posts made by the devs. I find there idea really good, let’s say it’s finally going into the right direction, but it could be MUCH better.
These posts are about how we could make collaborative development really work and how both parties, the player base and Anet, will be rewarded with what they want.
First things first: dissecting the current idea of collaborative development
The way it works now you will have one thread about each discussion(that we have chosen) in each area of the game(pvp, pve and wvw). A mass of people will put their own ideas forth in this thread, random suggestions or in depth posts. Then Anet will have to filter out all the crap(which is time-consuming), see what is said the most(but no one will agree on the same things, EVERY POST WILL DIFFERENT) and then make the decision in our place. This is a step in the right direction but not entirely.
Why ? Because it is too time consuming, we will still have a lot of things NOT done(since Anet chooses mostly what to put and what not), won’t exactly know what is coming the next patch, is unorganized, etc etc
Abstract
Take it a step further and instead of having a clusterkitten of ideas that you have to consider, make it so that only well-thought ideas can be brought up in the public and let the people vote for the changes they would like the most. This way you are 100% sure that this is what your player base really wants instead of playing a guessing game. People will become confident in the facts that you actually listen to us and DEVELOP COLLABORATIVLY.
My idea in detail
-3 new forum sections for each area in the game: collaborative development for pvp, pve and wvw
-A whole topic about the current discussion in each section(e.g. Balance)
-Let people post their ideas about the current discussion in the form of a thread
-These threads should be structured, in depth, coherent etc etc
- example for balance: work together with a couple of friends where each addresses a different issue: the OP builds, the trait system, build variety, …
- this way the devs won’t need to put all the pieces together of each separate suggestion(in the case of separate posts under 1 thread), processing will be much easier
-Let people vote(within a timeframe) instead of post criticism what suggestion they find the most needed, suits the best, etc etc
- ONLY yes votes and only 1 vote/thread. Both for obvious reasons(shouldn’t elaborate this)
-Make it so that voting in a section can only be done if this is the area (wvw, pvp, pve) you play the most in
- Make a “poll” (implemented in launch client) where a player can choose 1 area that he wants to represent(and thus help making decisions)
-Then the devs should combine elements from the top X(3-5) threads and make their own X(2-3) threads that would actually be the patch notes ! The devs choose what can and can’t be achieved within the timeframe and specify the things they would like to implement in the next patch.(this way we know what will be done in the next X months in detail !)
-If clarification is needed the devs could invite the Original Poster for a talk.
-Again: let the people vote between those 2-3 threads and VOILA. We know what will come in the next patches and it is EXACTLY what we voted for. Ok, maybe not everything will be included but most of it will ! And if the timeframe is too small, then they have the obligation to let us know what they want to include in the patch that comes after.
The timeframe
I think if we work together like this we can achieve great things, but it WILL take TIME.
This is why I think 1 patch/month is TO MUCH for the devs to think and for the programmers to code.
A much more efficient way of working would be:
-After each patch, 1 week for answering the poll(through launch client !) “Do you think the current changes regarding [insert discussion] are sufficient ?”
-2 weeks for brainstorming(people posting threads) about the current discussion(if majority said no; read 60% or more) or about the new discussion that was in the list(if majority said yes ; read: 60% or more). The percentage is just an idea, choose to whatever you think is majority considering players that will give a random answer etc etc
-1 week for the devs threads voting
-This whole month, the DEVS have the time to look at our ideas and have their own discussion internally.
-1 month for the programmers to do their work
- 1 BIG patch with as much changes as the programmers can handle every two months