Josh Sawyer Interview - Adresses communication with communities

[C2B]

http://www.xp4t.com/2012/10/03/project-eternity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=project-eternity

 

XP4T: 1.5 million is certainly no small amount of money, how does it feel to get THAT much backing?

 

Josh Sawyer: It’s fantastic. We’re really excited to see where the funding winds up, but we’re confident we can make something awesome with the backing we’ve received so far. The response from the community has been amazing.

Kickstarter makes things very personal with future players, how do you deal with the requests and feedback and demands? Do you feel obliged to follow them?

We try to read as much feedback in as many different places as possible, on the Obsidian forums as well as places like RPG Codex, NeoGAF, Something Awful, Penny Arcade, and others. There’s a broad spectrum of responses, but I think we’ve been doing this long enough to know how to sort a signal out of the noise. There will always be outliers, people who want really specific things that fall outside of the scope and focus of the project. In those cases, the best thing we can do is politely let them know that we’re going in a different direction.

For the people who are talking about things that can go one way or another and do fall within the scope of what we’re doing, we try to think about the pros and cons of what they’re talking about. Often, we’re already doing something in line with what they’re thinking. In other cases, we can give the person the feeling that’s behind what they’re saying without actually doing what they’re saying.

As developers, we need to put effort into interpreting a variety of desires and opinions and synthesizing the best solution for the game. That best solution is only rarely a “somewhere in the middle” answer to the debate, but we do try to take in the full spectrum of feedback.

 

On that note, could developers also show up from time to time on the mentioned forums like NeoGAF or Penny Arcade? I think that would generate interest in said communities and help the project.

[metiman]

Jeez. I really do think he needs to pick a side.

[Piccolo]

Nice quote. That's one of the most reassuring things I've heard from the devs about this project thus far.

[metiman]

Really? What is it about his statement that you find reassuring?

[Jasede]

Codex mentioned before Something Awful.

[Piccolo]

Really? What is it about his statement that you find reassuring?

One of the biggest fears I have about the whole kickstarter concept is that developers will feel too obliged to listen to fan feedback and end up deviating from their overall vision for the game.

 

I don't want to buy some big mess of community ideas bundled into a game. I want to buy the game Obsidian pitched on day 1, with only subtle changes / new features based on fan feedback.

 

An example of a subtle change would be the Cadegund concept art, where they toned down the boob-plate armor. An example of a drastic change deviating from their overall vision would be switching from RTwP combat to turn-based (something I supported initially, until I heard them talk more about the planned RTwP system).

Edited October 3, 2012 by Piccolo

[Tamerlane]

http://www.xp4t.com/...roject-eternity

 

XP4T: 1.5 million is certainly no small amount of money, how does it feel to get THAT much backing?

 

Josh Sawyer: It’s fantastic. We’re really excited to see where the funding winds up, but we’re confident we can make something awesome with the backing we’ve received so far. The response from the community has been amazing.

Kickstarter makes things very personal with future players, how do you deal with the requests and feedback and demands? Do you feel obliged to follow them?

We try to read as much feedback in as many different places as possible, on the Obsidian forums as well as places like RPG Codex, NeoGAF, Something Awful, Penny Arcade, and others. There’s a broad spectrum of responses, but I think we’ve been doing this long enough to know how to sort a signal out of the noise. There will always be outliers, people who want really specific things that fall outside of the scope and focus of the project. In those cases, the best thing we can do is politely let them know that we’re going in a different direction.

For the people who are talking about things that can go one way or another and do fall within the scope of what we’re doing, we try to think about the pros and cons of what they’re talking about. Often, we’re already doing something in line with what they’re thinking. In other cases, we can give the person the feeling that’s behind what they’re saying without actually doing what they’re saying.

As developers, we need to put effort into interpreting a variety of desires and opinions and synthesizing the best solution for the game. That best solution is only rarely a “somewhere in the middle” answer to the debate, but we do try to take in the full spectrum of feedback.

 

On that note, could developers also show up from time to time on the mentioned forums like NeoGAF or Penny Arcade? I think that would generate interest in said communities and help the project.

Josh Sawyer posts in Something Awful's PE thread fairly regularly, actually.

[C2B]

Josh Sawyer posts in Something Awful's PE thread fairly regularly, actually.

 

I know, which is great and due to that it has a positive effect on Obsidian's following over there.

[metiman]

I think J. E. has been a something awful poster for ages though. He posts there on a regular basis regardless. I'm not sure he needs to make an appearance on every classic game forum. I think it's enough for him to come here. It's not like we are not all aware this place exists and if we want to speak to the devs this is a more logical place to do so.

[Wombat]

He really sounds like a GM veteran here. They will do good with game mecanic aspect. However, the content is rather murky due to the different tastes. Just browsing forum gives me a headach, especially when I imgagine how anyone can satisfy such conflicting desires.

[C2B]

I think J. E. has been a something awful poster for ages though. He posts there on a regular basis regardless. I'm not sure he needs to make an appearance on every classic game forum. I think it's enough for him to come here. It's not like we are not all aware this place exists and if we want to speak to the devs this is a more logical place to do so.

 

He doesn't. Other devs can. Just showing up from time to time would be fine enough.

[Badmojo]

In other cases, we can give the person the feeling that’s behind what they’re saying without actually doing what they’re saying.

 

I hope this isn't codespeak for including a few super rare *token* moments in the game to say they included X thing, but really just avoided the controversal topic all together. Its something a lot of game devs do, I hope we are not going that route.

Edited October 3, 2012 by Badmojo

[Superdeluxe]

 

On that note, could developers also show up from time to time on the mentioned forums like NeoGAF or Penny Arcade? I think that would generate interest in said communities and help the project.

 

Well sawyer is all over the SA forums, and Avellone is at codex. Feargus consistently communicates at KS comments. Those are just the ones I know about

[metiman]

Since when does MCA post at the codex? I've occassionally seen some devs there but it's exceedingly rare. Annie Mitsoda for instance used to post there occassionally. I think most devs are quickly turned off by the harsh, antagonistic, flamy environment. It's not the friendliest of places. Never has been. It does seem to be kinder/gentler during enticing kickstarters though. I often wish there were a forum pretty much like the codex, but with nicer people. Similar views on which RPGs are good and which suck, but more polite. Game forums in general tend to be awful places though. I've always assumed it was an age issue. The only game forum I've ever really liked was the old Compuserve RPG forum. Not really an internet forum per se though.