This is not an application for lead design

[NepomukLP]

Some background about me: I already designed and developed table games, card games. as well as cards for games like star wars ccg back in the day when decipher was big. I studied mathematics and got into game theory and it’s a so much fun. You guys should start with it! This is a serious post. I know, I won’t get listened by Mr. Bioware or anyone else. I post this to share my passion for this game. It would be nice if you left a comment like:

 

„Bioware, hire that guy“, or „wow, i would play your MMO man!“

 

If I had ~ 20 guys to develop this game further, I would give out the following directions as lead design to gain and to keep more players and to raise the money Bioware would earn. Here is my roadmap for 2017

 

January to mid March:

 

1) CXP/RNG issue (& refering end gear, crafting and operations) (4 programmers)

Goal: improving the new gearing process based on player concers while keeping rng. Changes should go online before christmas.

• Cut green and blue gear drops from commando crates. Numbers will proof that this type of gear is just going to get desintigrated anyway. However, bring them some way back to get crafted.
  
• Cut set token drops from commando crates.
  
• Cut all CXP by mobs.
  
• Add a legacy bound „token coins“ drops to commando crates with 3 different tiers (230, 236 and 242 like now).
  
• Add a legacy wide menu where you can change your token coins into token gear. The gear you already bought at this is getting highlighted that you don’t buy the same thing again. It’s intended that you can buy other Setboni for other classes.
  
• Sm bosses should drop tier 3, hm bosses tier 2 and nim bosses tier 1 token coins for everyone in an operation.
  
• Find a way to control the speed of gearing (like „tier 3 cost less then tier 2“? Idk)
  
• Add 10ish cartel coins whenever you gain a commando level
  
• Make the group finder operation endboss dropping a tier 2 coin.
  
• Bring back priority hm operation and add a tier 1 token coin drop at endboss and one at another boss depending on the operation.
  

2) PVP (1 programmer)

Goal: Slight improvement until christmas

• add: players can choose if they want to list for regular 8 man or 4 man bg.
  

 

3) Cpx/time ratio team (2 programmers)

Goal: To make „grinding“ fair. Consider players who do only one type of thing. Should be done until christmas.

• Calculate a cxp/time ratio for everything. Make them all equal.
  
• Control end gear loot by giving out extra tokens (operations only) or extra packs (pvp, fps, uprisings etc…).
  

 

4) Class balance (1 community manager):

Goal: prepare to balance classes on player choices until christmas. Make a survey between christmas and new year. Community must get told that

• Make around 5 ish suggestions for each advanced class to get feedback
  

5) Bug fix team (2-3 programmer)

Goal: fixing bugs

• Fix class bugs first (like PT/VG tank). (asap)
  
• Create new legacy entries for killing operation bosses at lvl 70 for each difficult modus. If someone doesn’t have the old entries, he will get them as well for a kill. (asap)
  
• After class bugs are fixed one programmer is going to fix bugs for the rest of 2017. Examples: legacy bugs, codex entries etc. (Community needs to help this guy to get a nice list. As well she/needs has to optimize the code. This will be a long time project)
  

 

6) Content design team (9 programmers/designers)

Goal: Preparing 6.0

• Redesign all sm/hm/nim modes on operations to numbers. (asap)
  
• Create and programm a master mode (not nightmare ) for Ravegers and ToS (should be done by beginning of march). Redesign EV and Karaga master modus with new mechanics.
  
• Do all the things that need to be done for 5.X (like cartel packs)
  
• Make ideas for a 4 vs 4 pvp non deathmatch map or other warzones.
  
• Story design: write a new story for a new class which begins at lvl 50 on Zakuul which takes care of the story holes. 4 planets to visit and it should 2 advanced class. One has an heal and rDD spec, the other a tank and mDD spec. (story must be written by end of march.
  

 

March to June

Team 1: Cartel market team (1 designer)

• Create cartel market items
  

 

Team 2: Bugs and QoL – Team (2 – 3 programmers and one who talks tot he community)

• Legacy wide credit bank
  
• UI optimization (LvD pop up)
  
• An option were you can delearn shematics you never are going to craft?
  
• An option where u can highlight stuff you craft a lot
  
• Optimize game code
  

 

Team 4: Class Balance

• Add at least one suggestion made before on each advanced class.
  
• Make dps numbers (in theory) max +- 5 % of average of each class.
  
• Dot dds specs < burst dd specs (if they have dot spread calculate with a spread on another target)
  

 

Team 3: Content D&D

• Story team (2-5): programm the new story of the new class. At the end you have to choose a faction. When story team programmers are done, they move to class balance team.
  
• PVE team (4 – 6): design and programm one to two new operations and two to three flashpoints for 6.0
  
• PVP team (2 – 3): programm one of the ideas for 6.0
  

 

With this each new expansion should get at least one Operation (a second maybe later), two to three FPs and a new pvp map. For 7.0 you can focus on the original stories you told last time with 3.0. That would be amazing.

Ok, that’s it. It took me a long time to write this. Pls remember, I am not a native speaking person.

Edited December 11, 2016 by NepomukLP

[AlrikFassbauer]

Team 3: Content D&D

 

What does the "D&D" mean here ? I only know this as a) "Do's & Don'ts" b) as "Dungeons & Dragons".

 

Sorry, but the rest of your post is written quite well, imho.

 

The only real point I'd add is - to more analyse player psychology. I don't know in how far this is made in "game theory", but I always have the impression as if player psychology is kind of underrated.

Zynga knew a lot about player psychology - but what they did is something I rather know as "Black Pedagogy" - they called it "Fun Pain".

And Zynga got bought by EA.

Edited December 11, 2016 by AlrikFassbauer

[NepomukLP]

What does the "D&D" mean here ? I only know this as a) "Do's & Don'ts" b) as "Dungeons & Dragons".

 

Sorry, but the rest of your post is written quite well, imho.

 

The only real point I'd add is - to more analyse player psychology. I don't know in how far this is made in "game theory", but I always have the impression as if player psychology is kind of underrated.

Zynga knew a lot about player psychology - but what they did is something I rather know as "Black Pedagogy" - they called it "Fun Pain".

And Zynga got bought by EA.

 

Dev & design

And yeah, player psychology is included in this post At least what I know about that

Edited December 11, 2016 by NepomukLP

[LastBrood]

5) Bug fix team (2-3 programmer)

Goal: fixing bugs

Fix class bugs first (like PT/VG tank). (asap)

Create new legacy entries for killing operation bosses at lvl 70 for each difficult modus. If someone doesn’t have the old entries, he will get them as well for a kill. (asap)

After class bugs are fixed one programmer is going to fix bugs for the rest of 2017. Examples: legacy bugs, codex entries etc. (Community needs to help this guy to get a nice list. As well she/needs has to optimize the code. This will be a long time project)

 

Team 2: Bugs and QoL – Team (2 – 3 programmers and one who talks tot he community)

Legacy wide credit bank

UI optimization (LvD pop up)

An option were you can delearn shematics you never are going to craft?

An option where u can highlight stuff you craft a lot

Optimize game code

The entire post sounds good but those 2, I would love to have. Just bug fixing and quality of life features.

[Puppypickles]

 

If I had ~ 20 guys to develop this game further, I would give out the following directions as lead design to gain and to keep more players and to raise the money Bioware would earn. Here is my roadmap for 2017

 

Not often I come across a total and utter, 100% complete failure of a post, but thanks for serving this one up on a plate with pink ribbons and chocolate sprinkles.

 

Anyone who works in either corporate or retail-focussed IT will know that you will have layers of senior management & various investment boards to get through before having the money to hire the 20 people to deliver your "business plan".

 

But in your world, I suspect money just grows on trees.

 

One day you'll get a job in the real world and will find out just how hard it is to set out and deliver against a plan that has imposed on you an almost contradictory set of expectations. But hey, you've knocked up a couple of board games in your spare time so what do i know

[NepomukLP]

Not often I come across a total and utter, 100% complete failure of a post, but thanks for serving this one up on a plate with pink ribbons and chocolate sprinkles.

 

Anyone who works in either corporate or retail-focussed IT will know that you will have layers of senior management & various investment boards to get through before having the money to hire the 20 people to deliver your "business plan".

 

But in your world, I suspect money just grows on trees.

 

One day you'll get a job in the real world and will find out just how hard it is to set out and deliver against a plan that has imposed on you an almost contradictory set of expectations. But hey, you've knocked up a couple of board games in your spare time so what do i know

 

You are right, I have no clue about money in PC games^^ I just assumed that there are 20 people left who care about the game^^

[Andryah]

Without being able to see the actual code base of the game, I certainly would not pretend to make such claims. You can of course dismiss or trivialize this aspect, but do so at your own peril.

 

Then there is the issue of studio vision and long term plans, vs what some players want. These will never mesh completely... more/less so for some players then others.

 

Fortunate or unfortunate... MMOs have to be designed for a broad audience of tastes, wants, styles and experience levels in the player base. The only exception would be a smaller boutique MMO which deliberately puts focus on a narrow segment of total play in MMOs. But this MMO is not one of those.. so the assumption simply does not apply.

 

Hence, MMOs are always imperfect and often ugly to some segment(s) of the broader player base. They are by definition a collection of compromises.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Andryah

[Hichitsuki-hime]

this is where i say: BW please hire this dude..... :D

P.S.: i have some ideas as well, mostly about questing, story and etc but too bad no knowledge in actual development code and etc =(.

[Taankjr]

If you put more effort into PVP, I'll reconsider advising BioWare to hire you. But for now it's a solid no.

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2016 by Taankjr

[Rankyn]

I look forward to playing your MMO.

[Neshira]

The Austin team is in fact hiring right now. You can submit your resume to them Here.