When i first looked at the roundtable section i didnt expect to see what is there, why not rename it something like new patches, and any issues with them? I thought i would see a list of threads started by developers asking for feedback about different aspects of the game as a whole. Like tank balancing, specific class spell lines and ideas for new spells, a few threads about new content (that anyone can discuss, not just those in alpha or beta).
The developer's table is just that. It's what is being served. You have no input. You can either eat it or walk away. When you see the IRC chats- thats kinda like going back to the kitchen. You get to see the Dev's but again you'll have no input. Thats up to folks like Shiftee and Fatbuk to push their agenda's onto the Dev's. The whole process is basically like a Masterchef except people cannot vote off Shiftee.
Lol I like the analogy. However Shiftee doesn't really have any more influence than any of you. The devs will read well constructed posts, or arguments for specific things if backed up with rational logic. However sometimes, even where there is a clear problem, requests will be totally ignored if phrased badly or if someone asks for the moon on a stick. Eg: 1) "Class X is underpowered. Can we get a 1000% damage disc for 2 mins?". Result: ignored. 2) "Class X is underpowered, here is why. Can we get a short duration disc to improve burns so we compare well against classes Y and Z?". Result: it'll be read properly at least, even if it's ultimately rejected.
A round table is supposed to place everyone on an equal footing, mythologically its primary purpose was not to serve up whatever the scullion happened to scrape out of last years pot. It was more for a meeting of equals to discuss things and make decisions. Even if topics are hidden within the patch messages, it would still be better for players to have a seperate non patch message forum where devlopers openly discuss game topics. I can only guess that similar steps were taken to create other games, including the ongoing development of warcraft. Hearing what players have to say about all aspects of the game, not just bugs, can only benefit everyone involved. I know that you cannot add every single bell and whistle to a game to cater to every single player, especially when players have conflicting wants. Even trying to add most of what players want can be bad, it alienates what most call the hardcore gamer. If you think that the devlopers and sony in general just want to make a particular game, the way they want to, without any worry if any player would enjoy playing it.... Then i really dont think everquest would have copied so many of the traits that warcraft began using, instead the game would play more like a dragons lair game, little choice for the player. I could care less about endless rants about balancing classes or archtypes, or how one class is underpowered or overpowered. Classes in everquest should be picked not because they do the most dps, or the most dps in a certain fight. In the long run a character that had the most dps can only end his own game more quickly, kill faster, level faster, get more power by levels and spells faster, and thereby get better items. When you get to a point where your character is so powerful, that you have to try rediculous things for a thrill, you will get bored and the game will end for you. At least for a time. Instead you should have picked your class for the role you want to play in a group or raid setting, and the distinct flavor of attributes and fighting style that suits you. It is true that i really enjoy playing as a tank type class in everquest, and it is true that warrior make the best raid tanks in almost any fight, but with the option to play a shadowknight i cant see myself ever taking a warrior seriously. the shadowknight just brings so much more to the table than raw meat. I dont see myself devoting all of my time to draft perfectly forumulated briefs o' pinion, in the hopes that their purfekt spelling and grammaticall realness keep enough troll sharks off my kitten long enough for a few positive responses to snag the attention of a moderator or developer before its even considered to be a part of the game. Not without a salary, and more access to information in the creative process.
Sounds like you want to go post in your class/role forum. There are lots of people there that you can argue with and you can talk about whatever flavor of pie you want. It may or may not be read by developers. It isn't possible to have everyone give their input - have the developers read all that input - and make all the changes requested. I don't even think I'd want to play such a game even if the company had the nearly infinite resources to do that. At one time in WoW (which does have nearly infinite resources), developers were much more active in forums than they are now. The reason they quit participating (for the most part) was because people were asking constantly about nerfs to other classes, buffs to their own, and calling the developers names when they didn't get what they asked for. EQ developers are actually more active on these forums than WoW developers are on theirs. I also participated in the SWTOR beta for over a year before release. We were expected to report bugs and answer very specific questions about game play. Developers did not post on the beta boards and it was made clear that most posts that were not related to bugs or the specific questions would not be given a lot of credence in the game design. I'm not sure what game you are referring to where the developers are all over the forums discussing their development plans. I've never seen one.
Theres alot more to the game than just the classes and their roles, unless you are refering to roleplaying as in what is expected but not found on firona vie. And im not even talking about playing comming to the table and starting threads with their own ideas for how to change the game or make it better. Rather i think it would be nice if one developer, would not have to be a programmer, started a thread every so often and let the players run with it for a week or a month, then come back and read it all or have a moderator read it for them and pick out scraps that have meaning. It would be alot like digging tons of dirt out of a hillside the director pointed at, and after a month of players scrabbling away, and a moderator running a sifting machine, the developer could come back and see what gems or gold can be found among tons of... kitten. Then the devloper could lock that thread, and start a new one with the scraps copied from player submissions and his or her thoughts on it, and let it run another month or a week and see what ideas come along to embellish it. And yeah, maybe i did generalize when i intimated that blizz was more in tune or in contact with its player base than it is. For that, is just what i have deduced not from facts, its just my opinion. I am sure that very few people who make games such as this go talkin about what they are making now or in future so as not to jepardize being the first one to bring it to the market, and try copyright it.
I believe we get a lot more input into the IRC chats than people are giving credit. I felt very well represented by the enchanters who showed up, and we set up a channel and gave everyone a chance to come in and have their ideas offered to Eli. Except for a few select ones (including one who screwed one of the ideas I wanted to throw up by asking it in a completely inappropriate way) we got most of the ideas out there.
There is of course the Community Round Table scheme too, which allows players (chosen by SoE) to have greater access to the devs in discussions. However it's probably still not the "round table" scheme you envisage it to be. It's also non-public, so what gets discussed behind closed doors stays behind closed doors until the devs choose to make things open, if at all. I think the original plan was to expand on the CRT membership to bring the total number of players up to the 50ish mark, but I forget the precise details. For whatever reason it hasn't (yet) happened though which is a pity as currently some aspects of the player base are omitted (eg monks), not by design but accident really. More members would help that IMO. If you have any specific questions though, PM a CRT member or a dev directly. No one can promise action, or even necessarily a reply sometimes, but I certainly found civil and polite questions do get answered. (Before I became a CRT member too.)
