Role of PWA?
 

What exactly is the role of the PWA team?

To help playerworlds. o_O

Answer support tickets, solve problems, end drama, help out.

What Aeko said, and evaluate playerworlds for moving to different tabs.

And I don't care that there aren't tabs anymore, I'm going to call it that.

Its easier to explain what we don't do. We don't handle account or guild issues. We don't handle scripting problems although if one of us is able to help we do. We don't deal with issues on the forums nor do we handle issues with GK, Zone 3D servers or iphone (yet) or any of the other little side projects. I probably left something out but I think you get the idea.

I believe Houdini is working on a more detailed list that entirely explains our role but I'll let him post that when he's through.

You don't enforce quality either, right?

Quality like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

quality standards.

I would seriously like to have quality standards but there again. Who is to determine what is or isn't quality. I'm really not sure there is a method to even determine what would be classified as quality. There are too many gray areas when a person is asking you what the standards are. I see very little quality out there right now myself.

I've noticed that PWA is more of a backseat support group now than global enforcers of rules, quality, etc. I'm happy that they're not trying to impose every rule possible on playerworlds to restrict their speech but I am disappointed at how they handle things when it comes to quality control.

What bothers me even more is how little the PWA actually know about the staff working on Classic servers. Unholy Nation's recent management change (namely the removal/banning of Malinko) is a huge sign of ignorance on part of the PWA. He's had a history of lying and stealing, yet it took you guys a YEAR to see it. Not even that but Stefan was the one who caught him in the act of uploading Shangri-La's content onto Unholy Nation. (I didn't want to mention names but it was pretty much a must for the sake of argument).

I've heard reports of items being spawned on Era and Zodiac and sometimes even sold for USD. Are the PWA even bothering to look through item logs of different servers? Why do I know this but PWA don't?

This is why I created this thread.

Uhh, you?

One method would be to look at every major aspect of development (levels, graphics, scripts, ganis, and maybe sounds) and basically just form an opinion on each one. Not happy with what you see? Force it to be improved.

Gameplay should obviously be judged, not just by first impressions but an extended amount of testing time. This is to make sure the server doesn't completely suck and solely rely on events to keep people entertained.

I think its better to look at it from a gameplay perspective, everything else is icing on the cake.

Ugh, silly me. How could I forget the most important bit.

I kind of like to think that the major aspects of development come together to form "gameplay" and always forget to bring it up. My brain is weird.

yeah well what does the beholder know. he doesn't even have a job

You're misinformed on this but I won't discuss the details here.

I get those same reports and do investigate, but USDing itself is very hard to prove since its rarely done through graal itself. As for the spawning? When its proven they are fired.


UC servers asking for hosted receive a break in that they usually cannot get quality staff while still UC. If its really bad we won't even approve for hosted. However, when was the last time you saw us approve a server for Classic tabbed? Thats where quality really is necessary to come in. When a server is applying for hosted and we inspect, we give them suggestions for improvement based on what we can actually see. Please don't count those that have been classic tabbed for quite some time. Obviously scripting capabilities have improved since then so standards would be increased over time. That doesn't mean a server once qualified should be removed if they are at least trying to conform to a higher standard.

So what is high quality and what is low quality? Is it just the general game play and do graphics, gani's and scripts play a role also?

I'm sure Crono as well as myself mean it as an overall effect. One of the problems though come back to whats to determine a quality standard. One group will find that a set of levels plain just suck yet to another group they will find it to be awesome. The same could be said for most every other aspect of the game play as well. I still see the problem as being the quality talent is spread too thin. Its impossible it seems to have the best scripters, graphics, ganiers, storytellers, levelers, sound staff, etc, all on the same server working together. There is too much testosterone amongst the staff to be willing to compromise on anything. You will find it impossible to get everyone to agree on any one thing ever. This is proven entirely already by looking at just how much everything is spread around.

It could be resolved if we became a company that only hires professional staff to develop but that would make Graal an entirely different creature than it is now.