Why not start a developer volunteer program?

California is far from the only place that does that and many places don't want unpaid workers as you never know what their real motivations are.

i think you missed my implied sarcasm.

Because US.
"Under the [Fair Labor Standards Act] FLSA, employees may not volunteer services to for-profit private sector employers."

https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/docs/volunteers.asp

Touché. Total nonstarter.

Easy bypass, create a game mode with tools to build a dungeon, quests, and/or zones. Boom, free labor. It’s just barely being challenged with the Roblox lawsuit.

“(KRON) — Roblox, a video gaming tech company based in San Mateo, was slapped with a new lawsuit accusing the company of exploiting child labor through its youthful players, as well as deceptive advertising.”

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area... — Roblox, a,as well as deceptive advertising.

Or just pay "volunteers" a small fee which does make them some kind of employees, like freelancers.

If a person works 40 hours a week and is doing it because they love something, then I'm sure we can safely ascertain that their motivations are noble and good. If I consistently volunteer for 20-40 hours a week at a dog rescue shelter it's a safe bet that I really love dogs and am trying to make the world a better place.

Let's transpose your argument to paid employees. How do companies know the real motivations of their paid employees? Industrial espionage is very common in the word. EverQuest which is a 25 year old MMORPG using archaic technology so no MMO studio is going to infiltrate Darkpaw games to smuggle out proprietary IP or tech. If you think so, you're been reading too many spy novels.

Business would grind to a halt if employers decided that hiring employees would pose too much risk because of unclear motivations. Who would they hire then? Family and friends? Cronyism and nepotism are universally known to create big problems in the business world.

I was a Senior Guide for EQ for 3 years back in the day when guides had real responsibilities and commensurate abilities. We worked our butts off. I volunteered thousands of hours of my free time to this MMO. I didn't want a penny. I did it because I loved it. During that time and since, I've heard every single argument against volunteers that you can think of and I have handily rebutted them all. Corruption and ulterior motives exist in all walks of life and in every single field of endeavor. Please stop imposing impossible standards and unrealistic requirements on passionate EQ players who want to help and make EQ better and are presenting out of the box ideas to achieve this.

Ask members of the Community Resource Council who are all volunteers. I'm sure they would agree that volunteers are a good thing.

EverQuest Next was planning on letting players build a new Norrath. SOE and Daybreak at the time were fully onboard and considered players as partners and stakeholders. It's not 1999 any more. Times change. Many players love EQ. It is near and dear to their hearts. They want to help keep this franchise going. A progressive studio Darkpaw should be leveraging the passion and dedication of it's loyal players.

EverQuest is more than just as MMORPG. It's a lifestyle. It's a community. Traditional business concerns invented in the 1900's don't necessarily translate well for the 2020s.

Let's stop inventing excuses not to do something and start thinking of what is possible. We should strive to be supportive of each other.

That is a very bad and dangerous assumption to make when it comes to computer software, plenty of people out there making malicious code or slipping other things into the code that they make. Just because they love doing something doesn't mean that they are doing it to make it better for everyone else. If my memory is correct there have been past problems with the guide program that led to it becoming more limited in what they are allowed to do not to mention GM's across various games that have abused their power.

A company would be making a very bad decision if they decided that people willing to put in the time are only doing it for good reasons.

And you never know what the real motivation of paid workers is.

Oh McMarrin...
Do never go out without wearing a helmet, because heaven could fall upon you !

The solution is simple. All they need to do is create a new trade skill in game that allows you to create content which is then used as part of the game. Then you're not actually working you're just playing.

It really does depend on what people do define as work. About all people are under total mind control. I am not working, I am only playing / moving my fingers / moving my feet, etc. I am sure that Daybreak could find a creative solution if they want to.

During the C theater years, a guy wanted to throw me out of a supermarket because there was a shield on the wall with signs like that: "Only entrance for persons that are wearing a mask !" I explained to him that I am A) a living man and not a person, and B) that he should leave those signs on the wall. He then was puzzled (mezzed) as his brain started to think, and I just continued my shopping tour / my walk. A few people glowered dubiously and apprehensively to me, but the mez lasted long enough, before a train could happen.

Your right there will always be bad actors who try to do things, but at some point you have to have some trust and it is generally easier with people who are on the payroll and have set expectations versus volunteers which are less likely to have them.

There is a reason that most for profit companies don't let volunteers handle the day to day parts of business.