Making a post about what Blizzard thinks, or plans to achieve is pretty popular. But, what do they actually think? Are they excited to release the game, and hard at work to round off the edges? Do they drag their feet into work and hate their long lives of game development? Do the Community Managers know what goes on outside of the forums? Is there dissent between the CMs and the people working on the games?
Does Blizzard have an opinion, or is it the !@#$ing Terminator when it comes to games?
These things have NEVER been fleshed out, I think it'd be interesting to see some magazine/interviewer do an actual report on Blizzard's outlook.
How does Blizz feel about D3/beta/community?Source
09/15/2011 06:43 PMPosted by ShadeAtNighti dont think anyone of us can answer for how someone else Feels.
I feel good, coach. I feel real good. I'm ready to get out there and give 110%.
Are they excited to release the game, and hard at work to round off the edges?
Yes.
Do they drag their feet into work and hate their long lives of game development?
No.
Do the Community Managers know what goes on outside of the forums?
Yes.
Is there dissent between the CMs and the people working on the games?
No.
Do you know if there is a general opinion among blizzard employees, on if they are disappointed when their fans act negatively towards each, and if you know and there is, could you please elucidate us on these amazing answers? Also, if there isn't one, or you do not know, would you mind sharing your opinion? And if you don't mind sharing your opinion, what is it?
Are we disappointed when fans act negatively toward one another? I'd hesitate to speak for everyone else, but I can answer for myself. I'm not sure if disappointed is the right word, but of course I'd prefer to see our communities come together, and for players to behave positively toward one another. I mean, ideally we're all here because we love the same games. When communities work to stay constructive, the experience of participating in the forums is better for everyone. The positive environment tends to produce the best kind of constructive feedback too. A constructive community doesn't have to agree - it's about how the disagreements occur, rather than them not occurring at all.
Do you enjoy publicly testing the game in beta(not you yourself, don't tease us with you having fun in the beta...! I mean, putting it out there), or are you displeased with the need to publicly testing the beta yet not being able to release it until after beta testing phase? Err, I guess I'm saying, do you like the process where it's incomplete and the community gets to put feedback in it and shape it towards completion, or would you prefer it if you could not show it to the fans until it is 100% complete, barring the effects public testing can have.
I'm not a developer, so I can't really answer for them. I do know that player feedback has always been a huge part of the Blizzard development cycle. So, I think it's important, and that trying to release a game without a beta phase would be really challenging on a lot of different fronts.
Is there dissent between the CMs and other CMs?
Dissent is a strange word to use in this context, but I'll choose to interpret it as 'disagree'. There's no strife between us - we're all friends, essentially. Just like any other human beings we might disagree from time to time.
What is your favorite Blizzard game? I don't need a "best" answer, just your personal favorite.
For purely sentimental reasons, the original Diablo, I think. Overall, though, I don't think it's accurate to say that I have a favorite. I'm a 'Blizzard gamer', which sounds like a cop out, but I actively play all our games and enjoy them for different reasons. I'm not much of a 'favorites' person. I tend to enjoy what I enjoy, when I'm in the mood to enjoy it.
Are you personally participating in the Diableard competition?
No. On the scale of beard trustworthiness, mine is already somewhere between questionable and unsavory. I'd better not push my luck.
When you wake up in the morning, do you think, "Yeah, I'm real cool."?
I don't think that I've ever thought that exact phrase at any time of day.
Am I asking too many questions? Have I overstepped my bounds? Will the Blizzard police come and take me away?
No.
What is your favorite class for Diablo 3?
I'm nowhere near picking a favorite. They're all very fun, and feel very different to play, so I switch which hero I'm playing frequently. I think part of the reason is that I'll find something cool that's good for a different hero while I'm playing. So I'll throw that in my stash, then hop onto the hero in question to take whatever it is I found out for a spin.
Do you have any particular builds you are planning on making?
Nothing in particular yet.
Are you going to play Diablo 3 incognito so that panic attacks are not had, heralding the arrival of a celebrity?
We (Blizzard employees) pretty much always play our games incognito.
Is it hard to resist trolling the community?
People keep accusing me of trolling, so I guess I already am? *shrug*
Wow, I managed to ask so many questions without asking to get into the beta.....
Oops.
Well, since I asked it...
Can you put me into the first wave of the closed beta?
I'm not going to be giving out any beta invites via the forums. Sorry. =/
09/15/2011 08:49 PMPosted by PsuedonautAnyway, what kind of impressions do you get when you do play incognito in your games? Or a few of the impressions.
The most important impression that we get is what it's like to just be another player interacting with the communities in our games. Obviously, this is most relevant in World of Warcraft purely due to the social nature of MMOs, but it applies in StarCraft II, and will apply in Diablo III as well.
The thing that I find most interesting is that my experience with the community has usually been much more positive than it's presented to be on the forums. I don't know if that's because you often get what you give, or if I've just been lucky to run into cool people over the years. That's not to say I haven't had some unfortunate encounters or moments of frustration - I'm only human myself, and when you get thousands of personalities and motivations and put them together, conflict is inevitable. I'd just make the case that, as a general rule, lots of random strangers are much more friendly, helpful, and fun to play with than they've been presented to be.
One could make the argument that what you get out of a community is what you've already decided to see in it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ForceSC2strategy#p/c/5C2F514ECED855CA/44/YsvrsW6fW94
That interview is absolutely worth your ten minutes, if you've got the time.
That interview is absolutely worth your ten minutes, if you've got the time.
09/16/2011 12:46 PMPosted by WoarpigIf someone asks you are you a blizzard rep do you have to disclose any information or liable if recorded?
?
09/16/2011 12:57 PMPosted by OkethHe'd make a great DM
I've run some pretty good games in my time. It's been awhile, though.
I should get one going!
If it's Shadowrun, Palladium, D&D 2nd Ed., Tales From a Floating Vagabond or Robotech; count me in.
Have you checked out Eclipse Phase? Some of the creators from Shadowrun worked on it. Very cool dark sci-fi with a transhumanist theme.
09/16/2011 01:42 PMPosted by ProtossSo does this mean people have impact on how the game turns out and so you making the game based on what people think it should be and not what you guys think it should be like?
I'm not a developer, so this is just my impression of the process, but I think the simplest answer is that we both respond to player feedback and stick to our guns when it's the right thing to do. We're always creating the games we want to create, but there's no reason why player feedback can't influence that process; it's not an either or proposition.
09/16/2011 02:33 PMPosted by Ryando you ever use your position as a Blizzard employee (knowing the people who have the power to do stuff), to get said person in trouble (ie temp ban)?
I try to live by the maxim that the measure of a person is not how they treat those of equal or greater station, but how they treat those over whom they have power. If someone is breaking the rules while we're playing in-game, then we'll report them using the appropriate in-game channels and let our support staff handle the rest -- just as any other player would.
09/16/2011 03:19 PMPosted by ItsatrapI'm sad that you ignored me Daxxarri
Aw, sorry about that. What was your question?
09/16/2011 04:04 PMPosted by ItsatrapI mean if you can't take a second to look a page or two back and see what I wrote in response to your post that i quoted, given the nature of my post then just forget it - i feel bad - I don't think the nature of its my post's) peaceful and optimistic content could now be appreciated.
Oh, I just misunderstood. I thought that was more of a rhetorical question.
We usually talk about the Blizzard family in terms of the people employed at Blizzard. I don't think it's much of a stretch to suggest that sharing a hobby can create a strong bond between people that don't otherwise know one another, though. Still, I think I'll stick with the word community, though, because I think it really encapsulates all the various kinds of people that play our games.
Does it bother you when people don't seem to read the "Welcome! Please Read" thread?
Or is it just me that thinks that there are lots of threads (sadly even my own), that seem to ignore it?
I would like everyone to be aware of the forum guidelines both for for their own well being and a better posting environment. That aside, if I allowed it to bother me, then I would probably have already imploded by now.
09/16/2011 04:48 PMPosted by hunts:( Now my question(s) got skipped and were only a few posts up :(
Yes to both! I wasn't expecting this thread to turn into a Q&A though.
09/16/2011 05:07 PMPosted by PsuedonautWould you like to take the initiative and post your own feelings about the beta/community as stated by the OP?
So far, you guys are awesome.
*raises clenched fist*
/supervillain voice
Do not disappoint me
09/16/2011 06:49 PMPosted by OkethSnarf snarf
I don't trust anyone who uses their own name as a catch phrase.
Oh, how do you guys feel at Blizzard when you see giant threads giving points and counterpoints etc for a game we have barely played any of the content on, let alone even seen any?
I think it's just an indication of excitement and anticipation. As long as it doesn't get too strident, it's actually pretty cool. Of course, until more solid information emerges, most of those discussions are academic, though they have generated some points of interest for the dev team.
