intresting post from FF i found

[ganthornx]

This weekend, I had the good fortune to go to Fan Faire and celebrate with the people I play with so often. It was a great time, lots of alcohol was consumed and “Povar SUCKS” was shouted many times.

On Saturday night of the event, after the Grand Banquet, I headed up to the Triton party. Gomar can make some mean drinks. After about two hours of drinking, I was quite wobbly.

I decided to head out and head back to my guild’s hotel room. On the way out of the hall I ran into three women. All of whom worked for Sony. QA Analyst, Lead-GM and one other (the last was really quiet, I never got what she did.)

Now, during my discussions with them, I learned a great, many things. All of which I feel you guys would be interested in. So let’s start it off…

1) Quality Assurance Testing pre-Expansion release: This was one of the topic’s I decided to bring up first, given the recent release of Gates of Discord. The way the QA Testing works for expansions before they go live is this. There are seven staff members who do the QA for the entire expansion. During Beta of this expansion, they call on the Beta testers and summon them all to one area and have them do whatever they need tested. I also was told that although this does happen, it isn’t all that often. The events are studied and the reports are sent. Past that, they have no control over what happens. Other than monitoring the players, they can’t really test the “end game” content unless they summon the players there and specifically tell them what to test as most of the “end game” is still locked, even to Beta testers.
2) Releasing an unfinished expansion: While also speaking with these ladies of Sony, I was also informed that Sony knowingly releases expansions, quests, etc that are unfinished. For example, Time was not finished in Planes of Power for months, and they were well aware that the expansion was released before Time was finished. Another example, is the Greenmist quest. Kunark was released again, knowingly with unfinished quests.
3) Expansion bug fixes: Currently, Sony keeps a full amount of staff working on important bug fixes after an expansion release. Understandably so. However, after the majority of the major bugs have been fixed, they pull most of the programmers off of those bugs and put them on the next expansion, leaving TWO programmers to fix everything else. I can easily see now, why some things either take way too long or don’t get fixed at all.
4) Luclin Two Handed Blunt animation: I also spoke about this subject with the graphics designers in the Graphics Panel. I basically just asked why this hadn’t ever been fixed. I got an answer stating, “We may be working on new PC models that will correct this issue.” Not getting a concise answer, I decided to ask why it has been two and a half years and no fix, and we “may” get new PC models. The Graphics Producer responded stating that if you change one part of the game, it could affect another, which would cause a pyramid scheme type destruction effect. He also then went into a 10 minute speech on how it isn’t cost productive to fix as well. At this point, they actually turned the microphone off on me so that I couldn’t push anymore. This was when I walked out of the Graphics panel. It was quite a load of shit. I've never seen such awesome question evasion.
5) The Petition System and GM’s: We currently keep hearing about this “new system” from Guide’s and such in game. Well, when are we going to see it? Apparently, they are now working on implementing a new system instead of the current in game petition queue system. This will supposedly boost GM Performance and allow for faster response times. As things go now, GM’s will delete something that they don’t “deem worthy of their time.” The new system will categorize all petitions by about five different categories and then prioritize the petitions via that. They will still be addressed in order they were received, but different GM’s will be working on differently prioritized petitions.
6) Outsourcing to India: It is true. The majority of GM’s now are working from another country. Most of you knew this, but part of me wanted to ask anyway.
7) Class balance: I spoke with them briefly regarding class balance, and how I don’t appreciate the fact that I can go three hours LFG and not be able to gain at least a moderate amount of exp on the side solo, but a Wizard or Bard can gain better exp solo than grouped. They felt this was unfair but again, the decision is not in their hands. There was nothing they could do.
8 ) How the three Sony employees felt: All of the Sony employees I spoke with regarding these issues felt I was 100% correct in my thoughts. They themselves even felt this way and wished that something could be done.

[Evan Nash]

Who cares. EQ is dead. Don't bother wasting your time asking these people questions like that.

[A Lizard]

were they hot?

[Yeta]

I'm sure they have great personalities...

[Lefazz]

I'm sure they were fat, greasy hogs.

And, yeah, who gives a shit anymore?

[Iannis]

So lemme get this right. You were three sheets into the wind. In a hotel, in a foriegn city, surrounded with strangers. Confronted by three lovey ladies (if nothing else, beer goggles man, beer goggles) and your overriding impulse is to ask them very specific questions about EVERQUEST? You, sir, might have just won the internet.

You're still no Nino tho.

[ganthornx]

this isnt me, i said i found the post

[Frawdo]

You broke my eyes...

This weekend, I had the good fortune to go to Fan Faire and celebrate with the people I play with so often. It was a great time, lots of alcohol was consumed and “Povar SUCKS” was shouted many times.

On Saturday night of the event, after the Grand Banquet, I headed up to the Triton party. Gomar can make some mean drinks. After about two hours of drinking, I was quite wobbly.

I decided to head out and head back to my guild’s hotel room. On the way out of the hall I ran into three women. All of whom worked for Sony. QA Analyst, Lead-GM and one other (the last was really quiet, I never got what she did.)

Now, during my discussions with them, I learned a great, many things. All of which I feel you guys would be interested in. So let’s start it off…

1. Quality Assurance Testing pre-Expansion Release:

This was one of the topic’s I decided to bring up first, given the recent release of Gates of Discord. The way the QA Testing works for expansions before they go live is this. There are seven staff members who do the QA for the entire expansion. During Beta of this expansion, they call on the Beta testers and summon them all to one area and have them do whatever they need tested. I also was told that although this does happen, it isn’t all that often. The events are studied and the reports are sent. Past that, they have no control over what happens. Other than monitoring the players, they can’t really test the “end game” content unless they summon the players there and specifically tell them what to test as most of the “end game” is still locked, even to Beta testers.

2. Releasing an unfinished expansion:

While also speaking with these ladies of Sony, I was also informed that Sony knowingly releases expansions, quests, etc that are unfinished. For example, Time was not finished in Planes of Power for months, and they were well aware that the expansion was released before Time was finished. Another example, is the Greenmist quest. Kunark was released again, knowingly with unfinished quests.

3. Expansion bug fixes:

Currently, Sony keeps a full amount of staff working on important bug fixes after an expansion release. Understandably so. However, after the majority of the major bugs have been fixed, they pull most of the programmers off of those bugs and put them on the next expansion, leaving TWO programmers to fix everything else. I can easily see now, why some things either take way too long or don’t get fixed at all.

4. Luclin Two Handed Blunt animation:

I also spoke about this subject with the graphics designers in the Graphics Panel. I basically just asked why this hadn’t ever been fixed. I got an answer stating, “We may be working on new PC models that will correct this issue.” Not getting a concise answer, I decided to ask why it has been two and a half years and no fix, and we “may” get new PC models. The Graphics Producer responded stating that if you change one part of the game, it could affect another, which would cause a pyramid scheme type destruction effect. He also then went into a 10 minute speech on how it isn’t cost productive to fix as well. At this point, they actually turned the microphone off on me so that I couldn’t push anymore. This was when I walked out of the Graphics panel. It was quite a load of shit. I've never seen such awesome question evasion.

5. The Petition System and GM’s:

We currently keep hearing about this “new system” from Guide’s and such in game. Well, when are we going to see it? Apparently, they are now working on implementing a new system instead of the current in game petition queue system. This will supposedly boost GM Performance and allow for faster response times. As things go now, GM’s will delete something that they don’t “deem worthy of their time.” The new system will categorize all petitions by about five different categories and then prioritize the petitions via that. They will still be addressed in order they were received, but different GM’s will be working on differently prioritized petitions.

6. Outsourcing to India:

It is true. The majority of GM’s now are working from another country. Most of you knew this, but part of me wanted to ask anyway.

7. Class balance:

I spoke with them briefly regarding class balance, and how I don’t appreciate the fact that I can go three hours LFG and not be able to gain at least a moderate amount of exp on the side solo, but a Wizard or Bard can gain better exp solo than grouped. They felt this was unfair but again, the decision is not in their hands. There was nothing they could do.

8. How the three Sony employees felt:

All of the Sony employees I spoke with regarding these issues felt I was 100% correct in my thoughts. They themselves even felt this way and wished that something could be done.

=slightly easier to read

[Jait]

6. Outsourcing to India:

It is true. The majority of GM’s now are working from another country. Most of you knew this, but part of me wanted to ask anyway.

Ahh, that explains why I saw two GMs worshipping an elephant in the Karanas and why I couldn't get assistance in VT but instead a strange reply "Bad mojo there"

[Templor]

bwhwha bad mojo there

[Szlia]

When content is designed to be explored little by little, a step after another, like PoP or GoD, it totaly makes sense to realease the expansion before everything in it is complete.

But, obviously, if you do this, you better do it right. Read: have that content completed when the players reach it.

Having players encounter uncomplete and untested content is not cool.

Blocking the progression of the players artificially to buy some time to complete content is not cool.

[kasey]

lol,someone post a pic of gms worshipping elephants.Btw hindu think cows are holy not elephants, dont they

[Xaen]

Spring cleaning in full effect here... All my EQ cds in the trash, accounts canceled. Happily playing WoW. Now if I can only get the balls to delete the EQ directory off my machine.

[Lenardo]

HEH got that from my board


happily playing wow for the most part now...semiretired/login to raid with friends in eq.

hit my first major bug in wow last nite

all my characters vanished...wiped, gone.

was 1 am when this happened

restarted my rogue navarone - was level 4 by the time i logged at 1:45 (with a few game crashes delaying me - i woulda been 5th or 6th easy...)

its beta, things like that happen, its no big deal. now i wanna see how fast i can get my rogue back up to snuff.

[Iannis]

Originally posted by ganthornx
this isnt me, i said i found the post

Yes, but you didn't use the little quote thingies. And you know full damn well that reading comprehension on this board is somewhere around a 2nd grade level. So my point still stands!

No, actually, I figgured that out about 5 minutes before I'd hit submit reply.. but it takes a lot of the fun out flaming you, now doesn't it.

Game. Set. Match!