Contributors responsibilities?

[Antranianni]

Hi!
First time posting and already asking stupid questions

Tumbling on this website rather by chance, over the last two days I quite rapidly took to this game. This is one great project for beeing free of charge, both regarding engine and background, and I\'ld really want to contribute to this most promising venture.

Yet:

The BIG difference with members, is that you will have more loose deadlines on the work you should complete and obviously also lesser benefits in the game.

Does that mean there ARE deadlines for contributors after all?

I\'ld really love to help with background, npc, quests and maybe textures, but university, two other projects and my bad health definitely wouldn\'t permit something firm as deadlines and the like...
(I\'ld have to lie promising to be able to keep any deadlines at all)

Is there some way to contribute when \"time permits\", rather than on a regular base? Something like a junior contributor?

[Bnm85]

If you decided to take on the responsibility of a certain contribution that the devs are aware of, and where the they become dependant on you completing it by, say, the next major update, then it makes sense for you to have a deadline. But if you decide to contribute something by not revealing what you\'re contributing until it\'s done, then, obviously, there are no deadlines. Submit your completed contributions to this site:

http://www.ps-mc.com/index.php

And hope for the best.

[Kim]

I\'m sure there are deadlines for all positions, but I\'m not sure what each entails. According to the recruitment page, members are requested to dedicate at least 1-2 hours a day to PS. That can add up to a lot of time if you have school or a stressful job to deal with.

I\'d be interested to learn more about workloads and time schedules from any actual members, WTB members, or contributors. I would like to help as well, but need to know more about what would be expected from me. I would hate to promise an amount of work or time that I cannot possibly give due to RL responsibilites, in turn letting many people down. Missing a work deadline is something I personally can\'t stand and I wouldn\'t want to start now.

Bnm85, is that an official mod site for the game that the developers check out or just something put together by players?

Wanted to add, Antranianni, if you drew the art in your sig that\'s very nice work!

[Antranianni]

Originally posted by Bnm85
But if you decide to contribute something by not revealing what you\'re contributing until it\'s done, then, obviously, there are no deadlines.

The problem is, you can do that with illustrations, 3d models and retexuring - but with background, quests and the like you\'re rather dependant on communication with the team before starting to do anything.

Originally posted by Kim
I would like to help as well, but need to know more about what would be expected from me. I would hate to promise an amount of work or time that I cannot possibly give due to RL responsibilites, in turn letting many people down. Missing a work deadline is something I personally can\'t stand and I wouldn\'t want to start now.

*nods*
Yes, that\'s exactly my problem - I fear ending up being more hindrance than help.

Wanted to add, Antranianni, if you drew the art in your sig that\'s very nice work!

Thank you! )

[Nilrem]

If I recall correctly, AryHan did have this same doubt.
As far as I know, any contribution is welcomed, they\'ll probably want to test your habilities, but I guess you could contribute with what you want (specially considering that making quest and new textures aren\'t things that can get outdated soon; as if you were working in a bugfix, and someone else fixes it earlier so your work is almost useless)
That information about requiring some hours of dedication is indeed on the website, but honestly, if any, it could apply to regular developers.

[Moogie]

Are you speaking of just contributing material, or actually joining the team?

The 1-2 hours per day thing isn\'t a strict rule, and you will always have a lot of time to work with. Strict deadlines for work submission are rare, and only happen when we are gathering content to add to a big monthly/bi-monthly update to the game.

You won\'t be given any work to complete that you cannot handle. And, if for some reason you cannot complete the task given to you, speak to Talad (Sunday meeting is the best time, since he will almost always be online that day) and he\'ll just assign you something else.

It\'s nothing like being in a workplace with bossy people and hurried workloads and cold-faced, humorless collegues. Everyone in the team is extremely friendly, we all have a laugh in the IRC room, help eachother out, and just generally talk and have fun.

[Antranianni]

Originally posted by Moogie
Are you speaking of just contributing material, or actually joining the team?

I don\'t know what exactly I\'m speaking of (I never do j/k).

I\'ld really want to contribute more than just once, on a semi-regular base - yet I can\'t say how much time I\'m able to invest each day/week/month.

During holidays, when my health\'s fine and the other projects are going slow again, I\'ld be able to work 5 to 10 hours a day - but then again there are times when I\'ld have to stop working for an entire month or even longer. That\'s my main problem.

So joining the team as a regular member is out of the question, but would it be possible to become a contributor at this rate?

[Kim]

Originally posted by Moogie
Are you speaking of just contributing material, or actually joining the team?

I has assumed that certain types of contributions would really need you to be on the team, like concept art and world building, so that you know what sort of direction the rest of the project is going in.

The work sounds manageable from what you say, as long as you have stuff done in time for major updates. I would try to catch Talad for more info, but I\'m guessing he\'s horribly busy and don\'t want to be a bother. I may just keep working on a resume/portfolio and send it in. If anyone has any info on what would best be included with that, I\'m all ears!

[zabeal]

Well, not being able to do anything for months would not exclude someone from being a developer. Would be pretty silly if Devs were booted out as soon as they went on vacation
There is no \"contributer\" status, there are amny many people who threw in code just because they saw something they could fix. Anything art or model related is more tricky however. You\'ll have to agree to the special license for that.

I has assumed that certain types of contributions would really need you to be on the team, like concept art and world building, so that you know what sort of direction the rest of the project is going in.

Yes, that is pretty much the case.

[Bnm85]

Originally posted by Kim
Bnm85, is that an official mod site for the game that the developers check out or just something put together by players?

Well, it is mentioned in a sticky called \"Guide to 2D/3D Contribution\" on the Fan Art forum. Not sure how official it is to PS developers but people keep recommending it from time to time. For example, I think the alternative \"wood\" or now known as \"elves\" GUI was originally submitted to that site, I believe. And now it is in the game as an option.

Originally posted by Antranianni
The problem is, you can do that with illustrations, 3d models and retexuring - but with background, quests and the like you\'re rather dependant on communication with the team before starting to do anything.

That\'s true. It does depend on the type of contribution you\'re making. In your case, communication with the developers is a must.

[Seytra]

Originally posted by Bnm85

Originally posted by Kim
Bnm85, is that an official mod site for the game that the developers check out or just something put together by players?

Well, it is mentioned in a sticky called \"Guide to 2D/3D Contribution\" on the Fan Art forum. Not sure how official it is to PS developers but people keep recommending it from time to time. For example, I think the alternative \"wood\" or now known as \"elves\" GUI was originally submitted to that site, I believe. And now it is in the game as an option.

AFAICS, the PSMC is the place to put things you want to have a chance of them becoming included in PS. It has been stated that nothing posted in the fanart section will ever be used. Whether the latter won\'t have exceptions isn\'t known to me, and the reasons are debatable, but I\'d rather not test my luck.

As for the communicating aspect: I\'m sure that you can get into contact with some of the devs comparatively easily. To get started and check out what options there are, you don\'t need people like Talad, and if the need arises, I\'m sure questions will be relayed appropriately.

[Keyaz]

anything the public gets too see before its ingame will never be used from what i know, and thats a good thing imo, keeps all the funk etc etc.

*mumbles something about learning to use viewmesh then asking for tasks in modelling and walks off*

[Bnm85]

That\'s too bad. What the public gets to see first before it\'s in game is sometimes better than what\'s in game.

But good to keep in mind if that\'s how things work with contributions.

[lynx_lupo]

That\'s a very lax rule.
Don\'t bother about going missing for months either, many of the devs do that. But yeah, unless it\'s code, it\'s hard to be a clean contributor, without ties.