guild-politics
Latest
The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1
After a couple of weeks of talking with players about their favorite experiences in Shadowbane, I decided it was high time to flip the discussion from those who played it to those who made it. Today we're going to kick off a two-part interview with the makers of Shadowbane, Josef Hall and Todd Coleman. It's interesting to realize that while MMOs come and go, many developers remain in the industry, moving between projects in surprising ways. In this case, both Hall and Coleman went from the brutal lands of cutthroat PvP to a colorful kids title: Wizard101. It's hard to imagine two MMOs being more different, but that goes to show you that developers, like gamers, don't always like being pigeonholed into specific roles. The duo were extremely eager to talk about Shadowbane, as you'll see from this interview. Buckle up -- you're in for a treat! The Game Archaeologist: Can you introduce yourself to us and explain how you became involved with Shadowbane? Josef Hall: I'm Josef Hall, co-founder of Wolfpack Studios, the creator of Shadowbane. Currently, I'm the Vice President of Development at KingsIsle Entertainment, creator of Wizard101. Todd Coleman: And I'm Todd Coleman, co-founder of Wolfpack. I'm currently the VP of Production and Creative for KingsIsle. Josef and I still work together; we were the two first people brought in start the dev studio for KingsIsle here in Austin. Hall: In fact, Wizard101 was our idea, which is a bit odd, given that we were also the first two people to come up with the core idea behind Shadowbane.
The Daily Grind: Everybody wants to rule the guild (probably)
Others have said it before, but it bears repeating: Human beings take part in politics with the most intensity when there's the least at stake. You only have to look at the political dynamics of guilds (by any name) to see the principle in action. Even though the organizations are wholly voluntary, people fight for their position within the guild ferociously. Internal and intra-corporation conflicts in EVE Online are so vicious that some incidents are almost legendary. The drama that can erupt in guilds of almost any size and purpose is familiar to almost any player. Some people, of course, work overtime to either ignore politics or stay uninvolved. But there are often an awful lot of people who want an officer position as soon as it becomes available, sometimes with very little consideration for what being an officer might actually entail. The fact that more people want power than know what to do with it is an old truism. Where do you stand in the schematic? Do you try to advance yourself in your guild's power structure, or are you happier being a smaller part of the machine?
The Daily Grind: He's simple, he's dumb, he's the guildmaster
Sometimes he's the head of the guild, sometimes just a member. He's friendly enough, minds the rules of the guild, and might even go above and beyond from time to time. He's never been anything but friendly to you. Whether you're waiting for a raid, or a special battlefield, or a city assault, he's there offering to come along if possible and cheering you on otherwise. And as a result, it's a good thing he doesn't know how much you hate his guts. We all know the guy (or girl) this is about. Whether by dint of horrendous stupidity regarding the game, or just a general attitude issue, you find yourself interacting with a guild member you can't stand. Sometimes even working extensively with them, depending on the game. When has this happened to you? What annoyed you about your fellow member so much? Perhaps most importantly, what did you ultimately do about it? From Star Trek Online to EverQuest, your guild is one of the most important parts of the game -- how do you tolerate an intolerable member?
Breakfast Topic: Is it possible to /gquit gracefully?
Inspired by this thread on the official forums, I have a pretty simple question: How do you view guild quitting? Is it possible to gquit with dignity? Is it possible to leave behind a guild with no bad feelings and as little malice as possible on the part of the quitter and the guild? Unfortunately, it happens to the best of guilds, sometimes things just fall apart and EVERYONE leaves at once. It's also true that a lot of us know of at least one spectacular /gquit that spawned a multi-page "grab the popcorn" type thread on the server boards. Sometimes it's over loot. Sometimes it's over repeated wipes or perceived lack of skill or dedication on the part of a raid group or raid members. Sometimes it's over emotional issues or personality clashes. Sometimes, even if the /gquit seems relatively benign, there ends up being some underlying problems that come to the surface and explode at some later date, like a ticking time bomb. Now, myself, I believe it's possible. I've seen friendships survive gquits, as much as all the drama that makes it to server boards and blogging sites would suggest that that isn't possible. Sometimes you just need a new experience, or your goals and your guild's goals diverge, and there's nothing wrong with that. With enough grace and aplomb from both sides, you can simply agree to part ways, and go on. Heck, sometimes you can even continue grouping and pooling resources even while you have separate guild tags. Of such things are guild alliances formed! What do you think? Is drama nearly unavoidable when it comes time to /gquit? Who's at fault when it crops up? And how do you avoid it?
Breakfast Topic: The stealth /gquit and other lost art forms
If a guild mate logs in at an hour when most of the guild is sleeping (or simply nobody is around) and /gquits, is it a stealth /gquit?Amanna over at Adventures in Azeroth (who I have to wonder might be the first appliance-spec druid judging by the name) asks this question after having done this exact thing. Many times over the past couple of years I have been tempted to do this myself. There is always such a recoil when you leave a guild, even if you try to take the high road and make it as drama-free as possible. No matter how many people there may be that irritate you in any given guild, there are always two or three -- or twelve -- that really like you and don't want you to go. Thus, your planned drama-free departure is suddenly less drama-free.How can you get out of a guild and make a clean break? Have you ever performed the stealth /gquit personally? Was it successful?(And yes, I watched Mr. Deeds the other day, and it was foremost in my mind when I created the accompanying picture. Does it show?)
