A lot of WvW hardcore players put in a lot of time in sentrying/scouting/providing lots of detailed feedback and suggestions into WvW, and I feel that your efforts and creativity could be put to better use!
As has been mentioned before, the GW2 crew that handles WvW content is low on manpower, compared to the PvE and possibly PvP side, so have any of you actually considered becoming a developer/programmer/designer for the WvW team?
I can think of some benefits:
1. You who have played WvW a lot, will know about how changes affect meta and can put into place the best changes that will positively impact the WvW experience across all tiers of WvW
2. You know what are the obvious things that need to be removed to make WvW a more challenging yet non-grindy, zergy environment.
3. You know what kind of events to create, what kind of WxP system should be in place to ensure that there is a good battleground for 1v1s, roaming 5v5s, guild group 20-25s.
4. You can help with the implementation of the GvG system which so many people are calling out for!
5. You will know what kind of NPC mobs to place in the environment that won’t become rally-bot in a big battle, and what mobs will fit into the WvW scenario in a setting befitting of Guild Wars 2 lore.
6. You help to lighten the load of the current dev team!
Many of the people playing this game are professional geeks of one type or another who would LOVE the opportunity to work in this field. Few will ever get the chance.
It’s economics, not motivation that decides such matters.
Many of the people playing this game are professional geeks of one type or another who would LOVE the opportunity to work in this field. Few will ever get the chance.
It’s economics, not motivation that decides such matters.
It’s not, it is the reality of how people who love this game so much can actually contribute to making the gameplay so much better for everyone.
You do know that it requires quite a bit more than “knowing WvW” in order to become a developer right?
Developing (especially something that isn’t new) is a rather major feat and far from all can do it.
Heck I studied system development for 2 years and I have yet to learn even close to enough to take on projects of this size.
You do know that it requires quite a bit more than “knowing WvW” in order to become a developer right?
Developing (especially something that isn’t new) is a rather major feat and far from all can do it.
Heck I studied system development for 2 years and I have yet to learn even close to enough to take on projects of this size.
Surely what we do in our future career will be of a different scale as compared to the specimens and examples we study while schooling. But once you’ve entered the industry it’ll just be a learning curve for you, right? Wouldn’t you consider it at all?
I’m sure that among all the thousands of players here, there would be some who can take on the magnitude of programming that some changes need in order to be implemented?
Of course. But you made it sound like every single person that knows WvW can simply go into ArenaNets office and start working on changes in WvW.
It would take MONTHS to even get into the code and start doing changes to it. Since the it would require quite some time to learn the code, learn the practices and such.
One also have to understand that people on these forums see things one way (and most likely in a way that makes stuff better for them personally) while ArenaNet needs to look at the game-mode as a whole.
Of course. But you made it sound like every single person that knows WvW can simply go into ArenaNets office and start working on changes in WvW.
It would take MONTHS to even get into the code and start doing changes to it. Since the it would require quite some time to learn the code, learn the practices and such.
One also have to understand that people on these forums see things one way (and most likely in a way that makes stuff better for them personally) while ArenaNet needs to look at the game-mode as a whole.
I didn’t actually suggest anything of that nature, but that surely among the thousands (or even tens of thousands) of people who play GW2 for the WvW, there would be a few that has the ability or knowledge to actually help be part of the potential game-changing tweaks, right? And I wasn’t even suggesting they do it for free or on a voluntary basis, but as a job. Surely when you have threads with hundreds of replies complaining about a wide range of things (or even different threads with hundreds of replies asking for the same changes), it would make some sense to inject more manpower into that department (in this case, WvW).
And yet based on most posts on this very forum it seems quite clear that the vast majority of the complainers don’t have a clue about development. (Which is made quite clear by the fact that they think stuff would be completed in a few days after being talked about).
And one of the main reason against it still stands: The people here would most likely want to work on stuff for their OWN gain rather than for the game as a whole, which would most likely end up in a conflict of interests.
Another funny thing to keep in mind is the fact that ArenaNet ARE hiring, and people that actually have the knowledge and want to join is fully able to apply for the positions.
You do realize that NCSoft and by extension ANet, already employ roughly the number of people they’d like to? If the WvW team is short staffed, it’s by choice, not because ANet just can’t find talented people.
The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real.
No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind.
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
You do realize that NCSoft and by extension ANet, already employ roughly the number of people they’d like to? If the WvW team is short staffed, it’s by choice, not because ANet just can’t find talented people.
I just checked the Anet website, as per lordkrall’s advice and true enough I found there to be open recruitment for positions such as “Server Programmer”, “Game Designer”, “Gameplay Programmer”, so I don’t think their current manpower is their maximum.
I don’t have a quote but I do remember reading that PvE devs who step into WvW sometimes have no idea what is happening or what truck hit them when a zerg/blob rolls over them, running 5-signet warrior or whatsoever, so I do believe that the WvW development team is very much separated and possibly segregated from the other develepment teams. Which leads to my conclusion that the WvW team is short-staffed and thus it being better if more people considered actually joining the development team! Obviously they would be unable to blatantly put out a recruitment message in a forum like this, but the fact is:
1) They are recruiting. (http://www.arena.net/#careers)
2) They are short-staffed.
3) There are a lot of complaints to deal with, which possibly means lots of pending game changes and projects but not enough people working on it = slow updates.
That makes the ideal solution to have more people working with their team, right?
Just because they’re hiring doesn’t mean they’re short staffed. Every business has some degree of turnover, and having an “always-hiring” policy is one tool to keep your staff motivated.
Not trying to be a kitten, but anyone who could do that job probably either already has it, at ANet or elsewhere, or is trying to break into the industry already. It’s just not terribly likely there’s a programmer sitting at home reading the forums who will see your post and say, “Woah… I really COULD go work at ArenaNet.”
The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real.
No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind.
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Just because they’re hiring doesn’t mean they’re short staffed. Every business has some degree of turnover, and having an “always-hiring” policy is one tool to keep your staff motivated.
Not trying to be a kitten, but anyone who could do that job probably either already has it, at ANet or elsewhere, or is trying to break into the industry already. It’s just not terribly likely there’s a programmer sitting at home reading the forums who will see your post and say, “Woah… I really COULD go work at ArenaNet.”
I know what you mean, I just meant that they are hiring and the short-staffed part is really just inference. I understand the “always hiring” policy and how it works, but imagine having a team of 4, whereas the other department has a team of 20 and every day you face thousands of complaints about the same thing over and over, you’re putting time into trying to program something that’ll work for everybody, but your team is small. I don’t think that’s really motivating though.
It might be a slim chance or close to none, but if it can incept that idea into 3 or 5 people out of a possible thousand who reads this, and out of the 3-5, 1 actually gets in… Why not? Sometimes all people need is just a little push. I will remain optimistic in this aspect.
I’m genuinely sorry. That’s what we call youthful optimism. Eventually, real life will knock it out of you.
We don’t get to do something because it looks like a fun or even useful thing to do. Most people have to actually struggle to stay alive and feed themselves and their family.
I know you don’t believe that, yet. But you will.
I’m genuinely sorry. That’s what we call youthful optimism. Eventually, real life will knock it out of you.
We don’t get to do something because it looks like a fun or even useful thing to do. Most people have to actually struggle to stay alive and feed themselves and their family.
I know you don’t believe that, yet. But you will.
Why does working as a programmer not keep them alive, feed them and their family? Anet doesn’t pay their devs?
I think what he is implying is the fact that the vast majority of the people on these forums most likely never will be able to work for ArenaNet, due to lack of knowledge or stuff like that.
No. I’m saying that the vast majority will never be able to work for Anet because they won’t get the job, no matter how qualified or how often they apply, beg, plead, threaten or cajole.
Right now, you see the job market as an orchard full of trees with ripe plums hanging from the branches. You just have to reach out and pluck whichever one takes your fancy?
‘Look out kid – they keep it all hid’ – Bob Dylan.
