Players, (positions filled, info below)
We have some exciting news! For a while we have discussed the possibility of a player council, a place for players to meet with developers directly in order to pass on concerns, discuss upcoming game changes or just game concepts and mechanics. We wanted to avoid the pitfalls of many of the other council-type groups that you can find in games like EVE Online or many Sony Online Entertainment games, so we looked at those groups and spoke to members of those teams to get a better idea of what to go for.
In the end, we decided it would best to make a "trial run" council, made for the sole purpose of analyzing, protecting and possibly tweaking the lore, with the possibility that we would eventually open it up to other areas of the game like combat or the economy.
So, what would we need from you?
We'd like five volunteers to join us in weekly forum meetings to discuss a range of topics concerning the lore of Illyriad. Some of these topics could include the current date and time as it sits in the entirety of the backstory, the list of central characters who make up the ruling family or parties, faction details or maybe regional differences. We will post our findings the after each meeting, allowing a gap for the next discussion to take place. We could eventually open the discussions to different formats like Skype or Google Hangouts, all depending on how the players work out. You'll get a special forum title, access to a private forum and in-game medal if you join!
What is required to join?
First, an account in good standing. You cannot have a history of chat issues or cannot be in the middle of breaking a handful of rules. (It sounds obvious, but it's not to many players.)
Second, an interest in the lore and setting of Illyriad. We will be discussing a different lore-based topic each week, so you'll need to be a fan of the lore at the very least. We'll be using this as a chance to learn more about the lore ourselves, so there will be no pop quizzes required.
Third, access to the game, the internet, the forums and possibly Skype and other social media. If you hate Skype or cannot stand the idea of talking to other players outside of the game, this will probably not be for you.
Fourth, the ability to hold your tongue. While NDAs (non-disclosure agreements or "shut-mouth-about-this") are not something that will likely pop up, there is a possibility that we will seek the wisdom of the council while designing a new event or writing a piece of lore. In other words, in the unlikely event that we ask you to keep a secret and you do not, you jeopardize not only the council but your account as well. So shush.
The five positions (for now they will run for 3 months) are as follows:
1) Kodabear - Astronomer: this player will be responsible for keeping track of the current date and time, (even though it is accessible, we want someone who can rattle it off anywhere) of the seasons and how the effect gameplay and of special events like royal anniversaries.
2) Aurordan - Ambassador: this player will be an expert on the factions of the game and will let us know when a continuity issue arises or when a faction is acting up.
3) Artefore - Biographer: this player will need to know all about the royal family and its tree. If we have gaps in the story, we will look at this person to let us know. Imagine that this player spends time with the royals and fills out all of their paperwork.
4) Nokigon - Historian: this player will be an expert in the general lore, will let us know of any gaps or needs for corrections and will be on call to answer stuff like "Why Orcs?"
5) Rill - Geographer: this player will need to know the regional names and origins and will be able to tell us when regional conflicts come up.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please let us know here in this thread. We want the process of picking players to be in the open, with other players having the ability to speak their mind. We will be looking at potential members until the end of the month. We will announce the council and start the discussions by the second week of September.
If lore interests you or if you find yourself quizzing over the size and shape of the Illyriad world, let us know!
FAQ:
1) Will the council members get free stuff? No. They'll have access to a private forum, a special forum title and unique in-game medal, but nothing that changes gameplay or gives them an advantage. We will not be sending them free Prestige or tons of resources.
2) Why a private forum, why not let us all see? Several reasons. The players might be self-conscious about stating anything that might not be 100% correct. Our players tend to be exact players, min-maxers and very detail-oriented, so having a forum where our experts cannot make a mistake without being called out by 34 angry players would be... a mistake. Don't worry, we'll be posting our weekly discussions, edited for length.
3) Can we suggest positions for the council? Sure, go ahead. If you want to make a position and nominate yourself (or someone else) for it, that'd be grand. Write out your proposal and make it detailed! Remember, this is an experiment. Speaking of which...
4) Why aren't you making council positions for bug reporting, combat concerns, etc? Because this is an experiment and is a relatively harmless one. If we change the lore because of a mistake or post something new, it is (basically) easy to do and generally does not effect the in-game balance of power. We might (and note that I am emphasizing the word might) open the council to other, more influential positions later, depending on how this goes.
5) Will a council member get to talk to dev team members and call them on the phone and be their Facebook buddies and... In short, no. This is not the type of council that allows players to "influence" the developers. This is a council that is built for fun with the possibility of becoming a more "serious" relationship down the road.
Let us know what you think, and feel free to volunteer!
GM Rikoo
Edited by GM Rikoo - 26 Nov 2014 at 18:51
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