Ok just be forwarded this may be quite long, but I would love some feedback.
When developing a project, specially an ambitious project such as this (Plane Shift) there is a lot of opinions flying around (mine included) and many people think they are right or that their idea is the coolest thing since sliced bread, but it doesn?t fit the developers ideas or is just too much of a pain to implement or various other issues that don?t come to mind at the moment.
But in the end a model is put forth, (what is needed, what is wanted, what can we do to fill the needed and what can we do to have all of the wanted in as well)
The first thing that gets sacrificed is the wanted list, and quite often what is needed gets sacrificed as well.
This make no sense whatsoever so let me start in a different way.
If I put out a poll that asked ?where should the attack command be?? and gave the following options.
A. on a button on the screen
B. a command string
C. on the keyboard
D. the right button of the mouse
E. on a action menu on the screen
F. A and B
G. A and C
H. A, B, E
I. A and D
I would get a bunch of opinions, but few people will really think where it should be, they would just say their preference and then slam people who did not think as they did, arguing that they are right because Y and X and you have no logic in your statement, or that is bogus, or you are a moron, I may be a moron but you are a jack-ass?you get the picture. And in the end the Developers are where they started or worse they are arguing among themselves saying do what the fans want, no do what is standard, no make it completely up to the end player, that is 50 extra hours of Code and if we do it with that we need to do it with the rest, we might as well start the user interface over?
The only way to have a project like this is to have a Leader who leads. Now he doesn?t lead by getting what he wants but by figuring out the best, fastest way to the Goal, many times the Leader sacrifices his wants for that of speed and improvement, other times he sacrifices speed for what is the best solution.
The leads best allies are his Department Leads, who also have people under them.
The biggest problem is when one department disagrees with the department lead or with the project lead. Then it is the project leads place to remedy the situation by succumbing to the demands of the department or by saying it is my way or the highway, usually is a compromise but the lead must be willing to put it all on the line for the project even if it might tank the project.
The other part is figuring what will the game be, who is it for and about 30 other questions around these same two because as you answer one you need to adjust the other.
Large companies usually have a great deal of data to start with and adjust accordingly (market research) but the Lead many times goes into uncharted territory to produce a shining success. To do this he fights and claws his way to what he/she wants. But usually he has some ammo (reputation, money behind him) other times he has nothing and must do it all with whatever he gets.
All that was said to get to my main point. As we ask for what we want the game to be, remember that there are a bunch of people who want you to have a blast playing it and are putting their blood and tears into the game, if they are not putting in one aspect of what you think is important, don?t keep pushing the same thing, figure out why it isn?t liked and present a more appealing idea, after 10 or 1000 different proposals maybe one will be looked at and someone will say why not. But just because you think Milking Cows and making Cheese is one of the most important features in a role playing game, it doesn?t mean that it will add a value greater then the work that it takes to implement into the game.
I used milking cows to represent countless ideas made by everyone (including myself) that the authors think is good but that others don?t, in most cases the developers will pick the good from the bad and run with it, but it might not be in an expected way or the way you wished it would be.
So if this forum allowed everyone to poll, or polled about every little aspect of the game, it would take forever to finish and the end result will be a whole bunch of messes because one thing and another don?t mesh.
Think before you post a new idea, think is this new or at least a fresh approach or am I badgering the crap out of everyone with this?
If I am how to I at least add a new Twist?
I?m not saying don?t fight for your cause, but at least figure how to make a discarded idea work with the things the developers want. And don?t post the same thing every 3 or 4 days try at least a week in-between ?Cow milking, makes the game realistic without it, the whole concept just sucks, there is no real life factor in the game?
Also hug your Project Lead today
Those are my thoughts at least, I am probably wrong on some of this, but then again I am not anybody who would really know, just my opinion.
What do the rest of you think?
