Ask the Design Team thread.

[White Noise]

Originally Posted by Bogusoid

Those ellipses give a tone of condescension, but that's OK; now I know. If we can ask what kind of units they would like to implement (like Grungebob's dreams of space marines), can we ask what kind of primadon units they would theoretically like to introduce as well?

I'm sorry, I didn't intend for it to sound condescending at all. I was just trying to get the text to look like the way I would say it (although looking it over, I can see where you can get the idea). It was out of line and I apologize.

You see, the designers are restricted by NDA's from talking about upcoming releases before the information has been released to the public. So questions about "will we be seeing X" can't really be answered. However, changing "will we be seeing" to "would you like to make more of" is fine, since the answer to that question tells you absolutely nothing about upcoming releases.

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by skyknight

We all stay out of customs for just that reason, it's also why I don't post my own anymore.

So when Grungebob pops in on my customs threads, he's being naughty?

[GreyOwl]

Hey, if they take an idea I used in a custom and put it on an official card, I'd gladly take down my custom.

I like GB popping in with comments, I don't want to discourage that!

[skyknight]

Originally Posted by Sherman Davies

So when Grungebob pops in on my customs threads, he's being naughty?

Eh, he's the designer so that is his call...me, I stay away just to keep from being influenced. But if you think about it most of us were custom designers at one time on this site.

[Grungebob]

Not sure why Skyknight would stay away from the customs section, but I do know that Craig and Rob avoided those sections like a plague.

Me on the other hand? I started as a custom designer. I'm familiar with that section. I go in to the Supers and the Jedi customs these days. There are some incredible talents at work over there and it doesn't seem to overlap with what we are doing for WOTC at all. I primarily go in to those threads to offer any help that I can, if they even need it at all. I am also an admin here and I wander around checking on things all the time. I even keep an eye on the hangout.

We design to the theme of the figure. No amount of custom browsing is going to change what we do and how we do it.

[skyknight]

You see thats it, it is a leftover from the Craig days when he first brought me on and per his briefing. I just never veered from that path really. Though like you said, things are different now since we are part of this community and always have been, especially with you being admin it is kinda hard to avoid those areas.

[fomox]

Great thread!

Question: What is the timeline for when each of you got involved in playtesting? What was your first project, and can you give any details to how it felt to be a part of making it?

[Grungebob]

Originally Posted by fomox

Great thread!

Question: What is the timeline for when each of you got involved in playtesting? What was your first project, and can you give any details to how it felt to be a part of making it?

I did not work on Wave 1 but it wasn't out yet when I was brought on. I have always felt a lot of anxiety associated with all this. The pressure has gradually increased over these years as my responsibilities have increased. There is fun, but this is also duty and I take it seriously.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by fomox

Great thread!

Question: What is the timeline for when each of you got involved in playtesting? What was your first project, and can you give any details to how it felt to be a part of making it?

I came on in the middle of the development of MS3.

For me, it's a mixture of really cool and weird. It's cool to be a part of the stuff behind the scenes, and see how (at least part of this game) is made. But there's definitely a bit of time pressure and testing changes the way I look at tournaments* and community interaction. It's weird to want to play and discuss stuff that is essentially done, but isn't available to everyone else.

Even when stuff does get released, I'll probably avoid talking about power rankings and tournaments and stuff for awhile, just to give the community a chance to digest everything.

Also, because of the change to the D&D figures, I think everything is under the microscope more than a lot of earlier releases when it comes to power creep and playability and "fitting" with existing units. This adds to some of that anxiety and friction, potentially.

*For example, I hadn't tested my army for the main event even once, and it showed.

P.S. I still need to give you 3 dice. Should I just mail them?

[fomox]

The "fanboy" side of me loves hearing this kind of stuff, but it's interesting just in analyzing the game, too.

On the anxiety: I think it is good you both take it seriously enough to feel some pressure. (If it helps, you're doing a great job maximizing the fun per $ subject to cost constraints.) If nothing else, I hope you can enjoy it the way a parent enjoys watching their kids open presents on Christmas morning. It may not be quite the same as being the kid, but it's still pretty darn great.

I imagine reading the forums may increase the anxiety a bit, as we all tend to discuss both our positive and critical thoughts pretty openly. The bottom-line, though, is that we love what you've been doing for a long time or we wouldn't be here.

(Jex: See PM.)

[skyknight]

I build big ol helicopters for a living, watching them work and fly away is a huge thing for me. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment that I just released an aircraft that has a huge future in front of it. The release of a wave is almost the exact same feeling. Ask the CG3 boys, they kinda get it I bet.

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by fomox

Question: What is the timeline for when each of you got involved in playtesting? What was your first project, and can you give any details to how it felt to be a part of making it?

Obviously a play tester cannot just think through testings, they have to put figures on the board and pitch some dice. So each play tester has to have other players that assist them in their testing efforts. Whether that is friends or family or whatever, it is other players that are not on the official play tester forum and not privvy to all that is in the works, but they are under NDA just the same. I call that being a 2nd tier tester. I started as a 2nd teir play tester in Jan 2006 working with GB on whatever was needed at the time.

The first units I was involved with as a 2nd tier tester where Nakitas, Gladiators/Capuans, Glads/Blasts and Kato/Ashigaru. It was a pretty exciting time as the mechanics for those unit combos were a bit different than what had gone before and represented some new directions.

I was brought on as a Tier 1 play tester in September of 2008.