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Lepidus  10/26/06 3:31:02 PM

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Vanguard Technical Director Ryan Elam is the veteran, while Designer Derek McDevitt is the rookie. The two get together to expand on their opposing world views in this new monthly feature.

Derek McDevitt: My name is Derek McDevitt and I'm a Game Designer at Sigil Games Online. I got my start at Sigil back in July of 2005 when I was hired as an Associate Game Designer. I've been in love with games for most of my life. When I was just a young lad in elementary school my dad found a perfectly good Atari and a couple of games in someone's trash (he was a trash man, not a garbage digger) and brought it home for my brother and I to play. Ever since those days of 'Pong' I have been hooked. As far as MMO experience goes, the one I've played the most is Everquest. I started playing in middle school, but playing became hard after my parents found out that I preferred EQ to homework. More recently I have played World of Warcraft and, of course, Vanguard.

At Sigil I do many things, including playing ping pong and being pretty much the ping pong champ of the design team. When it comes to Vanguard though, my main responsibility is that of overland population. This includes, but is not limited to, allocating creature types per regions of the world, planning out level progressions for the overland game world, designing and building overland camps, and meticulously documenting all of the things that I've already mentioned. Some people here at work think that I have a slight case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but they're probably just thrown off by my documentation and how I organize the copious amounts of Sobe bottles on my desk by the color of their caps.

The whole article is here.

 
Distortion0  10/26/06 4:04:18 PM

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Can you really call this a debate? It's more like a duel interveiw. It sounds like it would be interesting if it were longer though.
 
blacksheep  10/26/06 5:14:04 PM

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How is it that this is not the longest running debate in Business history. The young is trying to make a name for himself, the old is trying to hold on tho the name he created in his years on the job. Hmmmm.

So the problem, the young has good strong ideas that cost money and may or may not be the answer in the old guys eyes. The old is supposed to have, or thinks he is supposed to have all the answers, or is paid to have all the answers.

So the solution to the debate is the balance. If they both understand their roles, and points of view, it is remarkably easy. Old timer, you are no longer the smartest guy in the building, you want to think so but it is not true, if it is true you have done a bad job hiring. Young guy you may be one of the smartest guys in the building, but not the wisest, unless you are truely elite, and there are probably parts of the picture you are not looking at.

Old guy, you are supposed to manage your talent, part of that management is to explain why so he can use the information at a later date and refrain from asking a similar question in the future.( Oh and get them to wright the code cuz it will get done faster)Young guy, I know this will be hard but you have to listen to what the old guy is telling you, i know sometimes they dont always say what they mean and it seems like they change their minds allot, but so will you when you are old.Find the hidden code!!!!that will make you uber!!

And young guy one last bit, sometimes the old guys no matter how wrong they are are still right, even if it makes no sense to anyone but the old guy, and even if later they realize they were wrong and change it to the way you wanted it to begin with, but just different enough not to be the same. You have to give them that because when you are old you will need it and the young guys will give it to you. Or you will fire them.

Oh and young dude the old guy is not you peer, so dont talk to him like he is, it's rude and insensitive, old guys are sensitive.Oh and old guy watch out for the Aggro emotions of the young guy they still work on the FFE plan.

Fight it, F*&k it, or eat it.

PSSSFFFFTTTT!!!! Debate over I win.I take donations for my counciling services, too.Beta keys excepted.

 
Rattrap  10/26/06 7:00:41 PM

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Freedom of choice
is what you got,
freedom from choice
is what you want!

Yay! I am all for you Ryan!

Teach that n00b Derek his place in the company!

"Before this battle is over all the world will know that few...stood against many." - King Leonidas

Dannypfern  10/26/06 7:48:10 PM

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Lol..
If the devlopers can't agree...

God knows how the game will end up :P.
 
Saerain  10/26/06 8:36:51 PM

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Friendly Disagreement > Unanimous Agreement > Unfriendly Disagreement

Debate within a development team helps the development. It breeds ideas. The best you can do for a game is bring as many major conflicting opinions as you can into a team and make them get along. If you can manage to do that -- and it is extraordinarily difficult -- you have a recipe for something great that will improve with age (see: EVE) rather than deteriorate (see: Galaxies).

Like the gene pool.

 
Terranah  10/26/06 8:56:39 PM

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The title should be 'Vangaurd: Saga of Heroes: Arrogance v. Wisdom: Dev Debate'

Real men don't have to puff up their chests and stand on their tippy toes to look big and manly.  When grasshopper learns this lesson, he will  have matured a little.

 

 
Dannypfern  10/26/06 8:58:35 PM

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Fair point.
 
Anofalye  10/26/06 9:43:09 PM

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The enemy is so dumb! They believe that WE are the enemy! - A famous orc commander.

Well, they are also at opposite jobs.

 

The tech guy has to make sure the game is functional, that it work.  If you listen too much to this guy, you will end up with PONG with maybe an extra feature.  It will run smoothly, very nicely, no lag, and the server will be able to support millions of players, lagfree.

 

The Designer has to make these guys work harder.  They have to find the stuff that will make this game cool and better, they basically have to figure what features and what aspect they can manage to get the older folks to accept to program and make functional.

 

Without the tech guys, I don't think the Designer can make much of a game at all, it will be all sweet and cool...in his head.  However, the best techs put together give results similar to what Microsoft do...and Microsoft isn't exactly earthbreaking in terms of interesting gameplays.

 

Basically, if we have to sums it up, the Designer have to find/figure/design a way to make sure the tech guys make an awesome game that will be a great success.  The Tech guy, he is the very core of what make the game...however, he needs support, because techies despite having awesome qualities, often fail at understand how to make the gameplay more interesting, cool...

 

To make the techies smile, the best designer on earth is prolly to drunk to care!  Which is a lot worser then the techies working for MS! 

- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - René Levesque about the denial NO on the poll to his dream, project and goal. (Free translation)

Rulan  10/26/06 10:28:21 PM