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Do the Devs Incognito


Holocron

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So Eric's response to my previous thread about the removal of the "Suggestion Box" sub forum really got me thinking.

 

Do you think the devs possibly use regular player accounts to interact with the community to get insight on ideas, or offer alternative suggestions to issues, etc.? A sort of incognito data miner of players, that has more interaction and granular control, rather than the posting constraints of posting as a dev.

 

Thoughts?

Edited by Holocron
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So Eric's response to my previous thread about the removal of the "Suggestion Box" sub forum really got me thinking.

 

Do you think the devs possibly use regular player accounts to interact with the community to get insight on ideas, or offer alternative suggestions to issues, etc.? A sort of incognito data miner of players, that has more interaction and granular control, rather than the posting constraints of posting as a dev.

 

Thoughts?

 

I'd hope they play and enjoy the game as it's a rule of thumb when I write. I like writing my own stories more than anyone else's- there's a problem when you can't get pleasure from your work in this area, creation wise.

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So Eric's response to my previous thread about the removal of the "Suggestion Box" sub forum really got me thinking.

 

Do you think the devs possibly use regular player accounts to interact with the community to get insight on ideas, or offer alternative suggestions to issues, etc.? A sort of incognito data miner of players, that has more interaction and granular control, rather than the posting constraints of posting as a dev.

 

Thoughts?

 

I hope so. Though it would be nice if there was a counter of sorts like "Seen by a Developer" on threads in Suggestions Box that doesn't give away who looked through the thread or how many times, just that it was looked through.

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Now I'm imagining this Twilight-Zone-style reveal, where it turns out that every poster is a dev, whether from this game or another one, and all of them think that everybody else is a player, and it's like this on every game forum, and they're all just locked in this eternal struggle, believing that they are themselves players and are arguing with other players, but they're all devs and not only that, but none of them actually play any games.
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While it is fun to think about the devs posting secretly, I think its more likely that they are playing in game right next to you. Not trying to be mean, but the forums tend to go overly negative and if I were being criticized constantly, I might not want to be exposed to that everyday.
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Some players think employees are secretly watching them, healing the bosses, disconnecting players, etc. Had a thread a few days ago from someone saying that this was happening to their guild's ops run.

 

Can't find the thread right off. Hmmm, I wonder why....

 

*shrug*

 

I do hope they enjoy the game.

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So Eric's response to my previous thread about the removal of the "Suggestion Box" sub forum really got me thinking.

 

Do you think the devs possibly use regular player accounts to interact with the community to get insight on ideas, or offer alternative suggestions to issues, etc.? A sort of incognito data miner of players, that has more interaction and granular control, rather than the posting constraints of posting as a dev.

 

Thoughts?

 

Let the witch hunt begin :D

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Well, clearly Holocron is a dev, since he posted this. Hiding in plain sight, reverse psychology... that kind of thing. :p

 

It's true. Eric and I sit and have long laugh sessions on how we can use my account to incite and inflame the community, all while no one believes me. :cool:

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Do you think the devs possibly use regular player accounts to interact with the community to get insight on ideas, or offer alternative suggestions to issues, etc.?

 

Thoughts?

 

I would bet my life on the fact that there are devs, community managers, and other branches of the swtor staff, that play their own game and are even in some of your guilds, or on your friends list or what not, and you guys don't have the slightest clue. They probably don't stand out to much either, in most cases. I'd imagine more or less the silent type, who observes things, and every now and then contributes a bit. Now if they also post on their civilian accounts as opposed to work accounts, idk. I would have to imagine there are some that definitely do, and we're just none the wiser.

 

General rule of thumb for me is that if I see someone saying how they think this or that is so awesome, when like 90% of the player base seems to disagree. I start to wonder, is it the staff that's posting the comment or....

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I'd hope they play and enjoy the game as it's a rule of thumb when I write. I like writing my own stories more than anyone else's- there's a problem when you can't get pleasure from your work in this area, creation wise.

 

It is abundantly clear when we get to watch them "play the game" that they do not play the game.

 

I'm not blaming them, I do what I do at work, and too often at home as well ... but I don't do it in my "free time".

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It's true. Eric and I sit and have long laugh sessions on how we can use my account to incite and inflame the community, all while no one believes me. :cool:

It's the perfect cover. Also, you just used a sunglasses emote and Eric loves to use the rakghoul sunglasses emote. Conspiracy confirmed! :rak_03:

 

You know, I didn't used to understand what people meant about getting lost in TVTropes, until I got big into writing. There's this magnetic pull every time I go on a page there... so many links branching off into new insights about tropes...

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Now I'm imagining this Twilight-Zone-style reveal, where it turns out that every poster is a dev, whether from this game or another one, and all of them think that everybody else is a player, and it's like this on every game forum, and they're all just locked in this eternal struggle, believing that they are themselves players and are arguing with other players, but they're all devs and not only that, but none of them actually play any games.

 

And imagine also, the majority of people you have played with, friends and guildies in-game, were in reality devs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even your cat may be a dev.

Edited by KWONRYU
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It's the perfect cover. Also, you just used a sunglasses emote and Eric loves to use the rakghoul sunglasses emote. Conspiracy confirmed! :rak_03:

 

 

You know, I didn't used to understand what people meant about getting lost in TVTropes, until I got big into writing. There's this magnetic pull every time I go on a page there... so many links branching off into new insights about tropes...

 

TVTropes is a really bad place to get lost.

 

:rak_03:

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And imagine also, the majority of people you have played with, friends and guildies in-game, were in reality devs.

Exactly.

 

TVTropes is a really bad place to get lost.

 

:rak_03:

:rak_03::rak_03::rak_03:

 

I've never seen anyone that appeared to have a professional stake in the arguments. Well, at least not on the pro Bioware side. I swear it seems like a few people over the years have been paid by other games to trash this one in depth.

This is a definite possibility as well. Considering that it is a thing where companies will sometimes pay people to write fake bad reviews on other companies' product, it's possible that they'd pay them to do forum work as well.

 

:rak_03:

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It is abundantly clear when we get to watch them "play the game" that they do not play the game.

 

I'm not blaming them, I do what I do at work, and too often at home as well ... but I don't do it in my "free time".

 

I've always believed people who works at an MMO should absolutely spend an hour a day in game playing normal accounts, on the clock. Nothing would give them a more clear look at how the game is actually working than spending a typical amount of playtime in game. They'd see clearly which content gets stale, overused, easy, hard, broken, frustrating, etc. That would be a great use of company time.

 

Not even necessarily every employee, just a decent sample size from each functional area. But the same people consistently each day so they can't cherry pick and think oh this is so fun, but it's really only fun for a week or so.

Edited by annabethchase
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