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Hero's Journey News - Developer Journal
Posted by Jon Wood on Jun 20, 2006 | 32 comments in our forums
Today, MMORPG.com presents you with a Developer Journal from the Simutronics MMORPG, Hero's Journey. The Dev in question this time is Gamemaster Erik "Sev" Roggeveen, and he discusses the job of a Gamemaster, Simutronics, Hero's Journey and more:
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For myself, every day of the week I pop out of bed at daybreak, shriek away my dream demons in ablution to the pagan gods of fire and pain (wake up neighbors!), slap myself into coherence to get the blood shuffling along the tubes, and then sit down to a few hours of intensive designing before lunch. This is a good time of day for me to get my own writing and building done, because the on-site staff is available for any major issues I might have, and most of the other offsite people are still at their day jobs. Later in the evening I tend to keep an open door for any issues other offsite GameMasters may have, and my mat is fairly worn through. What amuses me is how much amazement we can still evince from the masses, due mostly to our relatively small size as a company. Simutronics is nothing if not a braintrust from the preeminent days of gaming, with a constant flow of brilliant minds passing through our virtual halls, that often later go on to infiltrate every level of the industry in their own careers. So to someone familiar with the inside workings of Simutronics, it seems almost bizarre that people are surprised by what we come up with. We’re totally obsessed I tell yas! Nobody wants highly-detailed and interesting content more than us, so we are even hungrier than the audience for something fantastic! |
You can read the article, here.
Remember Sisca, you GET to work with me
Plus I'm a staunch supporter of the feline persuation, and not particularly keen on Big-Pharm.
Geez, you should read my article, get to know me!
Hehe. That article was fun to read. ^_^ And I like the sound of those "Wyr"...
*peers a bit more intently at Hero's Journey*
Bla bla bla.
I like more meat with my potatoes.
Still looks like a great game though and can't wait to play it.
Finally, Sev gets a small amount of the spotlight that he deserves!
Soon enough you will all get to see his work! Until then... this'll do just fine!
Go Sev! Go Sev! GO GO GO SEV! Shake your booty! Its your birthday!
I wish HJ reps spent a little less time trying to be so "funny" and a little more time giving some actual information about the game.
I guess it all depends on what kind of "information" you're looking for. You just learned a great deal about the personality of one of our established GMs who's also helping to develop the world. I'd say that's worth something.
I don't even remember the last time I learned something new from one of these.
The Class articles were pre-E3, and the Player Services article was a fairly significant bit of information about a game design that Mike Paddock is working on.
We'll be focusing on Wyr more strongly next time. We release information as we feel confident that it will be in the final game. Otherwise, you'll be disappointed in a different way. We'd rather you find us "too funny" than "total freakin' liars".
Accidental double-post. So sorry.
Our definition of GameMaster is a little different. In most games, GameMasters are essentially customer care associates. We have those, too, but we also have GameMasters who do nothing but build areas and design the world.
We're aware that people are going to look at our use of the word "GameMaster" and be confused, but this is what we've been calling these people for fifteen years, and we figure while we're putting the "RP" back in "MMORPG", we might as well put the "Game" back in "GameMaster"...or...something like that. :)
Our GameMasters are astonishingly talented and creative individuals. They're given a lot of power and a great deal of freedom to build awesome stuff. They never cease to amaze me.
To be as frank as I can, this is why you'll have my money from the very start.
So I gleaned the fact that wyr has something to do with the history of the world - or possibly that significant events create wyr.
And that Simutronics GM's require stronger medication :)
But is it me or are the lastest greatest batch of outreach posts here merely FLUFF? No usefull info but more of an exercise in creative writting skills by the posters. Notwithstanding the talented folks surrounding the development of the game I for one dont come here to get these "Human" stories, they seem more like obligitory postings to keep a game name in circulation rather than an actual sharing of game status. While they may serve to keep the game name front and center the content is rather devoid of the context of the title they are posted under. This kind of stuff tends, at least for me, to shade the company in a rather less than desirable light
FYI
Now if I may pop in and respond to this.
The greatest thing to me when looking at a game I'm interested in, is the mystery. I don't WANT to know what's in the game. I like these "FLUFF" posts as you call them because this shows just how creative the staff at Simu is. Rest assured if you were entertained by any of our rantings...um I mean journals, then you WILL love HJ.
I have yet to meet a Simu game I didn't love, and this was even BEFORE I worked for the company. Patience my young Padawans. In time all things revealed will be.
Add Cinnamon and stir.....
HJ-Cinnamon
I prefer them holding information back for now until they know for sure that what they're telling us is accurate. If they do tell us something wrong, or have to scrap an idea because it's unfeasible, then they'll get flamed because they "lied". Then those of us that are all loyal to Simu after bunches of years of wonderful gaming will be forced to flame right back and... yeah, better off this way.
[quote]Originally posted by HJ-CinnamonPatience my young Padawans. In time all things revealed will be.
Add Cinnamon and stir.....
HJ-Cinnamon[/b][/quote]
Umm - so there are Jedi making this game. And based on the creatures Cinnamon is putting in it sounds like she bats for the dark side :)
It makes a change doesn't it...
**spelling edit
Ok I'm gonna come right out and say it:
I haven't been paying any attention *at all* to this title till now. Oddly enough this "fluff" piece (which was quite funny by the way) got me very interested to see what this game is going to turn out as. I've played a few simutronics games in the past so I know the company puts out high quality stuff. The fact that the company is even allowing the dev team to post is revealing as well, they are being careful, of course, but they're also at least talking to us (when is the last time you saw 6 or 7 GM's from 1 game posting on an open forum in regards to the game they were working on?)
Anyway, thanks for the article... fun read and managed to pique my interest in the game :) Well done... adding HJ to my list of 'must keep an eye on' upcoming MMO's.
Okay, okay, so my guild leader lost interest in HJ while working on their out reach white board dealio and I've only been checking on news once a month or so since about this time last year. Plus, I've avoided everything posted by Steph thanks to her 'no surprises in this game' post after saying the game will be about the RP and no tedium, besides the fact that I personally class tedium as having no surprises. Run on, end.
We know Wyr are cool. Sounds a lot like your standard equip upgrade via a slot type deal. Also a lot like City of Whatever's Enhance slot dealio. Just, I'd rather see you guys keep your dry wit soaking a bit longer and stop repeating stuff we know by sharing with us stuff we don't know. I've seen lore in bits and pieces over all the MMO covering pages. I've seen some screens and vids. Just, mind actually being fun and open with telling us what to expect in the game? Share with us good ideas that didn't make it? I understand what non disclose this and that means, but there has to be something worth sharing other than. "We're making a not surprising less tedium (note less is more than none) dress how you want RPG mmo." Wyr, check.. GMs make the world with cool tools. Check, check. Someone burnt the biscuits on Friday and now I'm going to go throw a cinder block at the old man's goat. Yeah, check, double check.
I've asked a few questions already, I'm going to ask one more then I'll hush up my rant.
Is anyone in that mad lil' house of wretched Mountain Dew drinking ne'er-do-wells planning on releasing an extensive lore / history / role-play nicely guide on the official web site or here or anywhere any time soon? Danke. There's someone above the restraints you folks are honor and blood bound to that can yea or nay that right?
I get nice-nasty when folks label themselves something. LoL I like to see them earn it.
Plus I know this game is still a ways away off. Took me awhile to grasp that after being sold E3 before last, but thus is the nature of the business.
I'd just like to see more dev and less journal I suppose. Plus I'm serious about the soaking part. It was cute at first, but now they're just getting like W. Bush and his truthiness responses at press conferences. I'm surprised they're not making up words in these to the point we could sell calendars laced with HJisms.
"Pauldrons of Baking +3 pwnz"
Hopefully there's more character in the game.
Oh and when's the last time anyone from the team mentioned the nemesis system? Is it still in?
And what do you mean by more characters? If by races, there's already three races with two subraces in each, and more on the way after release. If you mean mobs (enemies and monsters) there's likely to be tons of them, just like any other game.
Plus I'm not asking for this stuff in a forum post, in the next developer's journal. Helping them try and get some filler other than their corny cornish cornisms.