I'm your assistant producer. Ask me (almost) anything.

Aarbrok

A man who respects good underwear, my questions are sated, carry on the rest of you.

Gwenith

If you were a stripper what song would be your 'trademark' strip song?
Most embarassing song on your iPod/music player?
If your life so far was a movie, which song would play over the end credits?

Moirean

He quite proudly played the answer to at least one of those in plug.dj the other day. It was glorious.

Oleis

Gwenith said:

If you were a stripper what song would be your 'trademark' strip song? Most embarassing song on your iPod/music player? If your life so far was a movie, which song would play over the end credits?

First two would be Ride by Somo. 

Movie credits would either be Supermodel by RuPaul or Creep. 

Moirean

- What's your favorite thing to do in Aetolia as asst. producer?
- What was your favorite thing to do as a player?
- What's your current short-term goal for Aetolia?
- What's your major long-term goal for Aetolia?
- How do you feel the game stands, right now? What's the best thing about it? What's the biggest flaw?
- What do you like best about players and/or being assistant producer?
- What do you like least about players and/or being assistant producer?
- Do you see this transitioning into a full-fledged career?
- What is your favorite/most funny story from being up in the pools?
- What's the weirdest/funniest bug you've ever come across?

Oleis

• I really do just love to code. It's been hard at times, when projects are uninspiring or I have to refactor half of some big system to make it suck less, but the process of going from a blank file to something that entertains people is really fulfilling.
  
• I really loved group PK, and raiding in a way that wasn't griefy. Imperian, for a time, put a lot more emphasis on raiding cities and it was fun to have a little back and forth and then clear out so everyone could have a break. Unfortunately, not many people stuck to that. I haven't participated in a shardfall yet, but that might bring me some of the same fun.
  
• My short term goal is to find a project management style that gets content out better and faster. We've got a lot of old promises we've chucked and a lot more we're trying to fulfill, but there are still a few dysfunctional kinks to work out. This is very achievable.
  
• My long term goal for Aetolia is to shake its reputation a bit, both internally and across IRE. As an outsider, Aetolia was always the game with prissy vampires, 10-line emotes, and really bad management. Now that the game and I have both matured, the first is much less true, the second is a serious strength, and the third (I hope) is entirely false. I don't want to move away from its roots of gothic fantasy by any means, but there's a lot of the MUD market that would enjoy Aetolia who just aren't here yet.
  
• Aetolia's biggest strength right now is its playerbase. You all are active, passionate about your game, and unafraid to express what you're feeling. Managing that last part is a difficult task, sure, but finding the middle ground and improving the game should be tough. There are a lot of people to please! Aetolia's biggest flaw is its legacy. Were it possible to adequately inform every player of changes and decisions, we might be in a better spot. Unfortunately, most players don't read the forums and many don't even read in-game announce posts, much less changelogs. So a lot of players have misguided or half-baked notions of what really goes on in the game. There's quite a bit of room for us to improve on an organizational level, but we'll never be able to completely eradicate that problem.
  
• I like that players here tend to listen and process in a discussion. Sure, there are a few people who are obstinate, and everyone has had times where they're so mad they just won't hear reason, but on the whole most players are able and willing to have rational discussions about even their most strongly-held beliefs. I've learned a lot because of that capacity, and I know the game has improved as a result, too.
  
• I genuinely hate saying "soon!" I know it's almost a punchline at this point, but I hate knowing that something cool is on the horizon and I can't share it.
  
• Do I see Aetolia as a future career? Yes, in the sense that I'll stick around for as long as they'll have me, but I don't think it will ever be my livelihood. There's a bit of a trend on Aetolia where the only way to get full time is for the Producer to get fired, and I really don't want Razmael to go anywhere. Ever. I'm very happy having Aetolia pay a small chunk of my bills and doing my best to earn it. As for video games in general? Probably not. If I ever do anything with this awesome resume power, it would probably be some sort of player support or community relations role.
  
• This is a tough one. Even though it's way back when, I'd have to say helping with the Delve release when I came up the first time. There was an incredible energy in these Pools that week, and I can't wait for an event to make us feel that way again.
  
• Oh god the bugs. I'm always a sucker for the really bad global variable substitution bugs. "Moirean batters you viciously with a slightly-rotten sack of potatoes."
  

Rashar

Ain't a darn thing wrong with ten line emotes.

Trigru

Unless they're so long they actually lag the game!

(luckily we fixed that)

Rashar

Yeah, that's my b.

Chakrasul

If you had to step down immediately from Oleis and play a god role, which god would be most appealing to you?

Benedicto

If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?

On a more serious note, what are your thoughts on those of us from across the pond in good ol' Europe (as much as I hate being lumped in with "that" lot) and our long standing grievance that we tend to miss 99.999999% of any and all events due to the time differences?

Nalor

Benedicto said:

If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?

On a more serious note, what are your thoughts on those of us from across the pond in good ol' Europe (as much as I hate being lumped in with "that" lot) and our long standing grievance that we tend to miss 99.999999% of any and all events due to the time differences?

We dont miss nothing, IF WE DONT GO TO BED @Benedicto‌

Oleis

Well, I'll be honest with you. The fact that the bulk of our events fall in our peak online time (the periods when we tend to have the most players and the most active players) is not a mistake. It just makes sense to drive the plot forward during those times.

But, in terms of smaller events and especially fun random stuff, I feel like your question easily answers itself. We have plenty of non-US volunteers (and a staff member). If our timezone-challenged players feel disenfranchised, we need to get it together. It's crucial that we do more random fun stuff across ALL timezones, but especially yours.

Hadrak

Will you marry me?

Aarbrok

I'll be your houseboy if you guys get married, just saying.

Aishia

Oh yeah! More morning events! WooooOo. /midnight worker.

Lim

ASIA REPRESENT.

Gwenith

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, OI! OI! OI!

Aishia

Aussies and Swedes and random people I never pay attention to, best of friends.

Haven

Oleis said:

Well, I'll be honest with you. The fact that the bulk of our events fall in our peak online time (the periods when we tend to have the most players and the most active players) is not a mistake. It just makes sense to drive the plot forward during those times.

But, in terms of smaller events and especially fun random stuff, I feel like your question easily answers itself. We have plenty of non-US volunteers (and a staff member). If our timezone-challenged players feel disenfranchised, we need to get it together. It's crucial that we do more random fun stuff across ALL timezones, but especially yours.

A suggestion, maybe? I don't know how viable it is as I don't know what resources or staff you have available for this but perhaps after an event in peak time, you guys could perhaps get into the practice of doing a 'follow-up' or 'recap' event during the off-peak hours to involve the players of the other timezones.

An example:
There's been talk and rumors spreading across the continent about a mysterious cult that's been up to no good. People vanishing from their homes. Livestock being slaughtered and left in their fields skinned alive. No clear pattern appears to emerge but ya know players spread out to see where things might strike up next.

Howling/Peak Time - A horn is blown and a mysterious portal opens that unleashes Kerrithrim 2.0 upon Sapience. Full event proceeds as normal.

Off-Peak Time (perhaps same day or the next day) - A straggler cultist is cornered in Attica and has barricaded themselves in the church. As the mini-event goes on, the off-peak players manage to learn that the Oleisbian cult was responsible. They might learn that the horn was some ancient relic of blah. Whatever really. Minor details and obstacles would go in this event so as to not push it forward exactly but leaves them feeling included and learning/recapping what the peak players learned.

Just my two cents.

Oleis

That's a very good idea.

Oleis

This Week : 2 days, 6 hours, and 43 minutes

Nalor

Oleis said:

Well, I'll be honest with you. The fact that the bulk of our events fall in our peak online time (the periods when we tend to have the most players and the most active players) is not a mistake. It just makes sense to drive the plot forward during those times.

But, in terms of smaller events and especially fun random stuff, I feel like your question easily answers itself. We have plenty of non-US volunteers (and a staff member). If our timezone-challenged players feel disenfranchised, we need to get it together. It's crucial that we do more random fun stuff across ALL timezones, but especially yours.

For as long as Ive been playing, Only once has events happened at our evening 5/ 10pm from what I remember.. otherwise everything happens after midnight, as some times of the year our midnight is howling.


@Oleis have you ever thought of taken up a God role besides the producer one? When your not doing the coding stuff

Arbre

How do you feel about three full pages of people wanting to know about your life?

Oleis

Nalor said:

@Oleis have you ever thought of taken up a God role besides the producer one? When your not doing the coding stuff

Honestly, no. I played a godrole for a short time on Imperian and enjoyed it but I've never considered it here. Even if I had the time (and I sure don't), I just don't think I roleplay up to Aetolia's standards in terms of ease pumping out emotes. I'd be that annoying goon who takes forever to reply.

Arbre said:

How do you feel about three full pages of people wanting to know about your life?

I'm bummed that it's not 30. But really, I spend my days with 150 teenagers. I've had every probing question possible. These are pretty tame.

Gwenith

Boxers, briefs or commando?

(Probing enough?)

Oleis

Gwenith said:

Boxers, briefs or commando?

(Probing enough?)

Bottom of page 2.

Aishia

I noticed your PLUG.DJ Avatar was a bear, would you describe yourself as a bear?

Gwenith

Derp.

Well um, do you subscribe to any particular belief system?

Oleis

Aishia said:

I noticed your PLUG.DJ Avatar was a bear, would you describe yourself as a bear?

Let's say otter in training.

Gwenith said:

Derp.

Well um, do you subscribe to any particular belief system?

I don't. I do a lot of volunteer work with a local church, though, so I'm far from intolerant when it comes to religion.