Green Monster Games (Curt Schilling)

[Angerz]

Shirts need more little green monster.

Game needs little green monster as well.

[T'harkis Xaros]

Originally Posted by Ngruk

Still working on getting comfortable with the format. Doesn't seem to want me to double space atm.

I promise I'll get to some 38 Studios stuff! Btw anyone check out the shirts/hats? Thoughts?

I bought a shirt the minute I discovered they were on sale <3 Munch ! A few people at work who I talk sports with actually knew what it was and what 38 Studios was the day I wore it into work last week. That supprised me because most of them look at me funny when I mention anything involving games, and look at me even funnier when I say that someday I'm determined to work writing code in the game industry. Guess most of the storage hardware geeks down at EMC dont play too many games =(

I dont wear caps that often so had to pass on the hat however. Shipping was wicked fast, albiet it only had to go about 20 miles =)

Great blog btw. As a diehard Red Sox fan, having been Boston born and raised, it's great hearing your comments and observations. My only suggestion however is, dont do what many people I know have done with their blogs when they start them... post TOO much and get burnt out on them. I'd rather less frequent posts if it means they'll keep comming than a great flurry for the first months and then once every 4 months after =)

Thanks !

[Cuppycake]

I bought one of the tshirts and I just got it in the mail and haven't even opened it yet. I'm excited to wear it, even though I'm sure no one will have any idea what it is.

[T'harkis Xaros]

<3 Munch ! It's cute =)

[Ngruk]

I know this is going to sound like something it's not intended to be. Danuser might shoot me as well, but anyone that is perusing the blog that wants to ask an intelligent industry question please feel free. You guys know I can't get into the detail you might want right now but opening up industry dialogue is something I am hoping to see come out of this as well.

[Kaxmax]

Not really a question, more of a suggestion: Take a long look at some of the discussion that's gone on here in regards to the FFXI Job system. It's almost universally praised as one of the best class systems in MMO's to date, and really lends a sense of attachment to your character as opposed to today's games where everyone has 5 alts.

Not that you guys should copy it directly, but a system where you can level up multiple classes with one character is something that really needs to be used in other MMO's.

[Fog]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

Not really a question, more of a suggestion: Take a long look at some of the discussion that's gone on here in regards to the FFXI Job system. It's almost universally praised as one of the best class systems in MMO's to date, and really lends a sense of attachment to your character as opposed to today's games where everyone has 5 alts.

Not that you guys should copy it directly, but a system where you can level up multiple classes with one character is something that really needs to be used in other MMO's.

*cough*EVE*cough*

[Kaxmax]

Granted I didn't play Eve for long, but I don't recall it having a class system.

[KharzaWHA?]

Eve does and it doesn't, Kaxmax. There's not any strict definitions like you might find in D&D derivative RPGs. However there's very much different gear selection and abilities. Ship loadouts sort of become classes of a sort. The close-range MWDing blaster ship might be analogous to a rogue in a fantasy RPG. But Eve doesn't restrict your abilities (damage type and delivery, Ewar, armor tank, shields) by your definitions at character creation, only by what your current skills allow.

Which is where the versatility comes in. The longer you play, the more your skills go up. Eventually, your gear options broaden. If you don't like one option for whatever reason you can just start training for another, AND still retain the same character, with all the emotional investment that it has.

[Fog]

There are effective classes in the sense that when you are flying a ship, you are playing a fairly well-defined "role" that you need to switch ships/fitting to change.

For example, when I'm in an interceptor, I adopt the role of a fast tackling ship and scout; my navigation and fitting and cap skills are very valuable. If I level up those skills, I'll perform better in my role.

When I'm in a covops, there's a very different set of important skills which affect my performance. I need a bunch of good probe skills (and a lot of player skill too) to do my job well, and those skills, for the most part, are very different from the skills I would need to do a good job in a different ship.

When I'm in a station producing or trading, there are a whole different set of important skills; DPS battleship, some overlap, but mostly a whole bunch more skills; and so on. And when I switch from one role to the other, which I can do freely, I retain all the skills that I trained for my previous role for the next time I put myself in that position.

So to me it seems extremely similar to FFXI's system. Just replace "class" with "ship/gear" and "levelup" with "skillup" and it's the same thing.

[Cadrid]

Q-What kind of audience are you seeking to grab with GMG's game? The casual (5-10 hrs/wk playtime), the moderate (11-20 hrs/wk), the hardcore (21+ hrs/wk), and/or are you focusing more on play styles (soloers vs. small groups vs. raiders) and/or the type of play (PvE vs. PvP)?

Q-Any word on the type of setting for the game yet? (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Western, Historical, Steampunk, Modern, a combination of any of those, something else)

Q-Do you have any idea yet about what kind of customer service department you'll have? (veteran players ala EQ's Guide system,paid "professionals" ala Game Masters, outsourced macro punchers, a combination of any of those, something else)

Q-Have you decided whether 38 Studios will license an engine for its flagship title, or will you develop your own? If the former: can you give us a hint as to which engine it is? If the latter: are improved graphics a big focus point for you, or will the more "behind the curtains" properties be put first (physics, AI, scripting, etc.)?

Q-While you are a player of MMOs you have limited experience developing one. Yet, oftentimes players can see issues and devise interesting designs that professional developers may not have thought of or lack the support of the team leaders to implement. Will/Do you propose any ideas to the professionals that you or other gamers (such as those on this board) think up?

Q-Are you/Will you be investing your own money to (even in part) finance the creation of 38 Studios' first game, or is it/will it be coming from other investors/loans/a publisher?

Q-Will your flagship title be based off of an original IP, an IP from McFarlane/Salvatore, or an IP from another source?

Q-Please remember: More polygons does not automatically make a game pretty!

[Ngruk]

I will give these a shot on the next Q &A go around.

[Frax]

Man, Curt is putting alot of effort into his blog for someone with two full time jobs. Good stuff

[Cadrid]

I really appreciate the answers, Curt. I'm especially grateful for how you responded to the question about the structure of the CS department.

I think you misunderstood what I was asking when I talked about the number of polygons in a game. I was insinuating that just because a game needs a high-end graphics card to run doesn't mean the art is pretty. A great deal of people preferred WoW's graphics over EQII's original because WoW had an appealing style, whereas EQII looked very bland/muddy in a lot of places.

After wracking my brain, here are a few more questions for your next Q&A:

Q-You have set incredibly ambitious goals for 38 Studios and its role in the gaming industry. Are you worried at all about losing sight of your goals, or the company being passed down into incapable/corrupt hands? If so, what measures have you put in place (or wish to put in place) to prevent that from happening?

Q-What game mechanic concept has really psyched you up in the past that you have yet to see in an MMORPG?

Q-Which upcoming MMORPG are you most looking forward to, if any? Is there a particular reason to why this particular game grabbed your interest? If you're not looking forward to any MMORPG "soon" why not?

Q-World of WarCraft did an incredible job widening the MMO market with its 8.5 million account mark, however Blizzard had a huge fan base built long before WoW's release. How do you expect a fledgling company like 38 Studios to compete in the vicious and highly-scrutinized arena of MMORPGs?

Q-There are a lot of developers that try to put too much "stuff" (content, world, complex mechanics, etc.) into their games and the title suffers as a result; some get pushed back, others get pushed out early, and some get canned completely. Do you foresee any of these issues afflicting 38 Studios' games? If so, are you prepared to handle them? If not, what have you done to prevent them from occurring?

Q-Some developers release far too much information on games way too early. How many years do you estimate it will be before it's prudent to toss gamers a morsel on 38 Studios' first endeavor?

[Witoubo]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

Not really a question, more of a suggestion: Take a long look at some of the discussion that's gone on here in regards to the FFXI Job system. It's almost universally praised as one of the best class systems in MMO's to date, and really lends a sense of attachment to your character as opposed to today's games where everyone has 5 alts.

Not that you guys should copy it directly, but a system where you can level up multiple classes with one character is something that really needs to be used in other MMO's.

Also can take a look at how well the Druid class works in WoW. Granted in that game it ends up stepping on a lot of toes but players really like 1 character that can change roles.