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Nightwraith -> =ED= The New Forum vs The Old (7/5/2011 10:42:36)
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AE is a truly unique company in the field of game development. What makes us unique is that we allow players into the development process in a way that is unprecedented in this industry. The community is the pillar that has supported this company and made it what it is today. However, there are some unfortunate, but necessary, limitations to this relationship.
At one point Titan and I had a very intimate relationship with our players. Since most of our first players were friends and family, when we first started, Titan and I used our real names instead of game handles (we changed that fast)! As time progressed, and the game grew in size and complexity, we found ourselves with fewer and fewer hours to spend interacting with the community each day. Those who have been with us long enough remember fondly when the community was that small. Unfortunately, if we stayed small, there would be no EpicDuel today, just another failed indie browser game and two broke college graduates. Success has necessitated some distance from the very community which valued that connection so dearly.
When we first transitioned from the EpicDuel Forum Classic to our new section on the BattleOn Forums, there was a great deal of discontent. Now, many months later, the ghosts of the old forum remain. Many players reminisce about the "good old days" when Titan and myself were more active on the forums and everything was perfect in the game. Those days are perpetually in the past. We simply do not have time to be as active as we once were. One of the reasons we put our community in the AEF's capable hands was so we could focus more time on development to produce bigger, more consistent updates.
"But it only takes a few minutes of your day to respond to forums?" Often, it's not a matter of time. A response from a developer carries a lot of weight. If I say, "That sounds like a good idea," Many players will interpret that as a promise to develop that feature as quickly as possible. This is even worse with a larger community in which rumors spread like wildfire and lead to wild misinformation. This results in more disappointment and discontent than if we had remained silent. However, all suggestions are reviewed, and the best are compiled and organized for quick viewing during brainstorming sessions when we need some fresh input. Believe it or not, nearly every feature in EpicDuel was either suggested, or inspired by the players. We actually hand-picked Cinderella, as our most experienced mod, to serve as ED's community liaison. In fact, one of her primary responsibilities is to organize and condense your feedback into delicious bite-sized morsels for us to process. The other is to let you know, on a wide scale, what we are doing with each release.
Not everyone will like this change, but it's how it has to be moving forward. The Developers are not obligated to respond to every topic. We have volunteers to manage the community for a reason. We will still see your posts, your ideas, but we will not engage in the same direct way we have in the past. As such, creating topics directed pointedly at the developers or posting in a manner that is threatening or confrontational will not be tolerated. As adults, and employees of AE, we have a responsibility to maintain a certain level of professionalism, and being brought down to argue with players is not behavior conducive to maintaining that professionalism. The days of debating the finer points of balance are in our distant past, not our future.
I have said this before, but I will reiterate: EpicDuel has the smallest development team of any of AEs primary games. Titan and I are the only full time developers, while Charfade is part time. We also have mods like Cinderella who go above and beyond to help us maintain a steady level of productivity. Why is the team so small? Because the company is small and everyone is already stretched to their limits with many projects at once. Why? Because we don't want to disappoint you by giving you any less than 110% of our efforts.
You may have noticed that lately, with a few exceptions, we have maintained a fairly regular development schedule. This is largely due to the community management support we have received from the AEF and other volunteers. Design notes are earlier, more regular, and more thorough than they were previously. Bug reports are more organized. Suggestions are more likely to be implemented due to better organization. Despite claims to the contrary, EpicDuel is running more smoothly than ever. EpicDuel's future is bright, but you'll never see it if you're still facing the past.
The EpicDuel Team
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