SMALLWORLDS CREW POST : BATTLE MONKEY
Those who have done this before know how this works.
Ask any question you like, I guarantee not all questions will be answered but a fair amount will be.
Don't waste time on questions about specific items or your own personal
problems - these will be ignored or deleted if necessary.
But if you have any burning questions for the SWHQ staff - post them here and I'll collate the answers from HQ and post back.
The more interesting the question the more likely it will be answered!
I'll keep this open for a few days depending on how many questions there
are etc... and it'll be done before we close for Xmas.
Abide by the usual rules, trolling and abuse will be removed as per usual rules.
Wayne Webb
SmallWorlds Community Services Manager
...
...
Answers here:
Q. (From Nicci Minuit) Why are you so old and grumpy?
A. I am old because I was born many years ago, this is logical. I am grumpy because I work with you NM... (
)
Q. How did the idea of SmallWorlds originate?
A. SmallWorlds originated from Darren Green and Mitch Olson - if you
look through you-tube you can find videos from Mitch in person talking
about SmallWorlds and how it came about.
Q. Will there be a new logo and new world look?
A. The look of SmallWorlds is constantly changing and evolving. The logo
for SmallWorlds and the 'look' of our home page will be also be
evolving, Nicci has posted about that recently.
Q. Do numbers rise or fall with releases?
A. Rise. We hear people always complaining that numbers are dropping as
they want their opinion about things to be backed up by popular opinion.
In reality on average we are up 20% year on year every year since we
started, and this year we have had periods of 40% growth. Releases come
and go all the time, we are here for the long haul and so are the
players.
Q. Did the Tornado affect anyone at SWHQ?
A. It did not affect us directly here in the Central City, one or two
people here in HQ do live in that part of Auckland but no one was
directly affected/damaged/hurt thanks for asking. We did notice the
question and we forgot to post, there's always a lot to do this time of
year, apologies if you were concerned on our behalf.
Q. What program is used to make the "in world"?
A. Many programs, some are commercially available, some are tools we
made ourselves and some we are making and remaking all the time
Q. When are you going to/Are you going to do "insert my brilliant idea here"?
A. Read the instructions above.
Q. How many people work at SWHQ?
A. Exact numbers I will not share, just like I won't share any of their
names. However we have teams of 3D Artists, Graphic Designers, Code
Developers, Service Staff, Product Staff, Coders, Testers, Managers,
Accounting People, Interns (yes we do and no you can't become one by
posting here), Web Page Developers, Operational Staff, DBA's, Game
Designers, Writers, A CEO (Nick Willis)... and one Monkey.
Q. Will the Chronicle ever come back?
A. No. There will be a new 'news portal' type page in the new year some
time. It will be different from the Chronicle and it will not be named
The Chronicle.
Q. Are you doing Naughty/Nice this year?
A. I am both every year. Oh you mean the virus? No.
Q. How often do you guys go in-world and talk to your users?
A. Depends on the person. Some spend a lot of time in world, others do
not. Some cannot go in world without people spamming them with frivolous
questions or just making a nuisance of themselves. You can find Nick W,
Adam Tea and Nicole in world and willing to talk to sensible people
fairly often. Other HQ staff go in and talk incognito. I have very
little patience and a high grump factor as Nicci will tell you, so I
don't engage in conversation often.
Q. Will We Ever Be Able To See What Smallworlds Looks Like From Your Computer Or A Moderator's?
A. You have seen it many, many times. Looks the same as it does for you, I can just have more controls than most users.
Q. Do staff play most missions made by us players or only the ones nominated for Featured?
A. Featured ones are easier to find obviously so they bubble up to the
top, but we have some serious mission people in here who play far and
wide and not always on obvious staff accounts.
Q.What are you and staff up to? Anything new?
A. We are always up to new things. Always. We've been playing with the
new Nintendo Console recently and Halo 4 has been getting a bit of a
thrashing. We have a Xmas party soon too.
Q.How do you feel about Smallworlds growing population?
A. It's great. We love having more players and want to keep growing and growing.
Q. Do you miss Sam?
A. She's not gone, she is just no longer in the Loading Screen. Sam
still is in the missions she's always been in and the Mansion is still
hers, and of course she greets new users.
Q. What percent of original ideas make it to the final product?
A. We know that most of the ideas we seriously consider will get made
because we know what the system is capable of. We don't spend time much
on things we know won't work until we make enough changes to enable
them. Then it's open season on new ideas again.
Q. Do the developers in HQ have a clear vision or do they tweak accordingly via trial and error?
A. It depends on the project. Most have a very clear vision, some are worked on iteratively.
Q. What are the chances of someone being hired as a developer?
A. There are no chances, it's not a lottery. We hire people who can
legally work in New Zealand and have the appropriate skillset and
abilities to do the job we are hiring for.
EDITORIAL: An Unasked Question - Answered
I have seen a few questions about us, our vision, our intent and how the
company works. The company we all work for is Outsmart, and that
company has a Vision that I can share with you
We Engage People in a Culture of Unlimited Creativity & Fun
That Vision applies to the way we make our games and to the way we work as a company and to how our games can be played.
