Cantousent

God, this is one of the funniest post I've seen in a long time. Still, be kind to meta, you Swedish Chef!

I think you've got a point. On the other hand, it's nice to be able to see something wrong with a game and try to change it BEFORE release. How many of you complain about bugs and design desicions in your games? I agree with much of your statement, Azure, but there are some really cool things about testing. Anyhow, I'll get to the actual interview in the morning tomorrow.

Why not? It's a perfectly business appropriate suit.

Funny. The one constant is that I still use my lunch hour to come to this forum, which I've been doing for years. You'd think, having a game to play, that I would play during my lunch hours, but no. I suppose I could install a different game on my computer and play it during breaks, but I haven't been tempted to do even that so far. The most addictive game around is the Obsidian Forum Community. OFC So, I thought I'd mention something of my interview. I contacted someone at the company for some advice on the matter and this person forwarded my information to the QA department. Very nice. I like being rewarded for initiative. Doing this sort of thing has served me well over the years. Okay, so the QA person writes and says they would like to interview me. That's well enough. Then the assistant producer (or is associate. I can never keep these things straight) writes with more specifics. Great. I have an interview. I decided to dress appropriately for an interview. I wasn't sure if I'd be over dressed, but I figured I'd take the chance. hahaha I walk into the receptionists office in a cashmere suit. I said to the receptionist,

I was looking forward to Hellgate a lot more before they announced that you'd have to pay a monthly fee to use decent items and have convenient storage space. They don't sound like they're doing enough to justify a monthly fee, and instead are going to crapify customers that only give them fifty bucks. That doesn't really make sense to me. Good Lord. That's what I get for not following these games during production. I think I'll have to reevaluate this purchase. Damn. Grrrr :Cant's hitting folks with chairs and causing mayhem in the streets icon:

@Child: No, I applied for an adjunct faculty position at Cal Baptist. I did not get the professor position, but they did hire me. I worked there one school year a few years ago. I'm lucky enough to have the luxury to try a bunch of different things. My wife really doesn't care where I work or if I work at all. @Kaftan: No, I just don't care to share the developer. Plus, you're a swine. That was just a general comment, not really related to your question. :Cant's being mean to Kaftan icon: I suppose I will have to divulge one thing. The game on which I toil is an RPG. EDIT: Poffesor. See why I didn't get it? haha EDIT 2: You know I was just joking with you, Kaftan. Right? :D

I decided recently to take the plunge and get an inside look into the computer game design industry. I'd heard, many times from many people, that QA is a good entry level position to gain access to the field. I've also heard that, even then, it's quite difficult to break into design positions from QA. Well, whether or not I decide to stay with game design, I'm here now exploring the experience and I thought I'd record some of my thoughts for all two of you who actually read anything I write around here. (Yes, I'm including myself in that number.) Okay, first things first. I won't say what title I'm playtesting right now. I won't even tell you the developer. If you guess, I won't tell you if you're right or wrong. I won't blink once if you get it right. I won't give a slight shake of my head if you get it wrong. I won't try to give you the name of the developer in a clever game of charades. It's as simple as that. I've had my doubts as to whether it's responsible on my part to start a thread on the issue in the first place. I don't think it is, but I'm going to be cautious, even though I doubt it would really matter in the least. On the other hand, I will be entirely honest, for which reason I would rather remain anonymous. This is my second week on the job, although my first week started on Wednesday. That means that my voice of experience has three entire days backing it. Yes, I can tell you everything about the industry now. One thing I can tell you right away is that you would not take a playtesting position for the cash. It makes less than half as much money as my previous job. That's okay. I'm one of those

I'm looking forward to Hellgate. If Blizzard makes an anouncement regarding SC2, I probably won't much care. Of course, it will provide fuel for many an online fire, I'm sure.

I'll have to read it tonight. However, I'm with the folks who'd like to see another Bloodlines game. That was a great experience. I've often thought that Bloodlines was the game that deserved all the slavish praise that the fanboys gave Troika. Too bad it came after soooo many years of slavish praise. Does make you wonder, however, if we slavishly fawn over Obsidian, will they eventually create a game as great as Bloodlines? ...And, while I like Obsidian and see great things from them, we ain't seen it yet.

I shut my pie hole when I understood what the Lady was saying. I mean, I can accept fast-food as a descriptor of action RPGs in general.

Give me a break, Lady. Who creates the gourmet dining experience to which you compare Blizzard's "fast-food." In the world of computer gaming, Blizzard is the gourmet chef. That's not because I've enjoyed their every game. In fact, I did not enjoy WC3, never played WC1 or2, and have only a brief memory of SC. What I can tell you about any of the Blizzard games to which I've had even a fleeting exposure is that they are polished. The idea that the games are fast food implies that the folks at Blizzard throw their games together quickly, with a very short development cycle, and that they don't take the time to craft their games with love and care. This is simply not true. Even as a statement in defense of Blizzard, your language is highly prejudiced.

I am kitty, hear me roar! My meta friend, you must understand that you're working a system for the purpose of including PvP. That's fine. There's probably a consumer base for it. (okay, okay, I was overboard with the wiki statement. :Cant's rueful grin icon:) Anyhow, I've actually been thinking over this issue while dining with my inlaws. I think a system made with thieving PvP as one of the foundations could work. It's simply not a casual item for the game design. If it's part and parcel of the overarching vision, and the players has ample warning of that vision, then no one has the right to complain about it. Either play or don't.

Funny you should mention that, TEETH. I keep noticing a character running around World of Warcraft named WITHTEETH. I thought maybe it was you.

"That solves it, but not satisfactorily." Correction: "That solves it, but not satisfactorily [for meta]." Sure, there is undoubtedly a sizeable group of players who would love to have a thief fest. If there's some inane wiki reference to it, I'm sure you'll find it. The fact remains that it's not worth the trouble. I especially like how you've watered the "IRL" way to handle thieves: Deterrent. Good Lord, meta, what the hell? In these games, the gear you have is vital. You have the best sword you can find because it can save your sorry backside in a pinch. You've got the best breastplate because it's going to see you through that instance. In real life, if someone steals one of my shirts or a case of coke from the trunk of my car, it won't really matter. Sure, I'll be angry, but that shirt isn't the difference between living through my next fight with a dragon and that soda isn't a quest item to save a village of hobbits. "IRL" someone can't steal my pacemaker unless they slice open my chest and kill me in the process. Then there's that "deterrent" idea. Are we going to transform the game into gangland turf wars? That's fine if the primary goal of the game is to create such an atmosphere, cause that's what we're going to get. "IRL" we have a justice system that encompasses everything from police to prison guards to probation officers to defendants and prosecutors to judges and to juries. Are we going to have such a system in your "IRL" game? How about this, your thief gets caught picking pockets and he gets to spend six months in jail with a 1,000s fine? Hey, it'll be boring, but maybe the prison will be its own mini game. Can your uber thief manage to keep his manly chastity, or will he succumb to the wiles of his cell-mate, "Bubba?" Finally, my meta digital friend, what MMORPG do you play that you think would be improved by the system you describe? I mean, are you thinking more of introducing this system into LotRO or WoW? How

I pretty much agree with Spider in his every word.

In your dreams, my pretty little bird.

That actually made me laugh out loud. :D

assbites. :Eldar's throwing furniture at people and making a ruckus icon:

Hey, I've just got large bones. :Cant's holding back the tears icon:

Ha. I'd rather be large and round. :D

I dated a couple blondes in highschool. I thought the question was whom you found more attractive. That doesn't mean that one group is ugly. It just means that you find one person more appealing. The fact that there are only two choices doesn't help. There are a lot of possible variables for this poll, with hair color being one of the most superficial. :Cant's easy grin icon:

It works, but the numbers are so small I don't use it. I prefer two d10s.

hehehe That's funny. First d4 of the group.

You are the large, round, friendly d20! (You probably didn't know this, but the shape of the twenty-sided die is called an Icosahedron.) You are the friendly, outgoing, outspoken, leader of friends. You are often looked up to, even though you don't normally deserve it. Most other types secretly wish they were you, and you'd give them tips on how, if only you had a clue yourself. Your charisma is often all you need, but you have your occasional moments of brilliance as well--just never when it's actually needed. You are the all-around good guy, a dependable chum, a respectable foe, and an inspiration to those who need one. Who says you can't get by on a smile and good looks alone? EDIT: Bite me.

Brunettes. I mean, in a big way, also. I don't know why, but I just love brown hair and brown eyes. I love fair skin also. Now, with all that aside, I'm like the rest of you, show me a fine woman of any coloring and I'm going to be a bit gaga. Maybe a little less since I'm married, ya know?