Massively interviews Aion's new community manager, Tamat!

Knite · 10-28-2009, 01:28 PM

Hey everyone-

No sooner had Tamat, our newest community contact, sat down in Seattle when the interview requests started rolling in! Massively has published theirs today, giving us all a bit of insight about Tamat, what he'll be bringing to the table, and what's in store for Aion and it's community.

From www.Massively.com

Aion is easily one of the biggest MMOs of the year, so when a new North American community manager took over recently we decided it was the perfect time for an interview with the new team member, Andrew Beegle -- known as Tamat to community members.

We asked Tamat about new methods of community interaction, the hotly anticipated experience boost patch and even some personal questions about our new community manager. You can never really know enough about the person serving as the conduit to your main MMO -- at least that's what we tell them!
Massively: What steps will the team be making towards improving the channel between developer and player?

Andrew "Tamat" Beegle: While the Aion team already interacts with the community utilizing a number of tools (forums, event presence, official Web site, facebook and twitter), there are always ways to enhance and improve communication between a game development team and its players. In this regard, we've been making giant steps forward. We've started a weekly Eye on Community series where we answer questions that we receive from the community and highlight activities going on at Aion fansites. Another way we're working to enhance communication is with our monthly address to the community that speaks to the driving current concerns of the community. With those in mind, we're also working diligently to build the official website and forums to deliver exactly what players want.

These are examples of a few ways we plan to drive the overall communication. However, one of our secondary goals right now is making sure we communicate that we're receptive to the feedback that we've been receiving from the community.

But communication is not all about addressing serious issues. Stay tuned, as we have quite a few fun ideas planned that our players will want to look out for.

Can players expect the experience boost patch any time soon?

Tamat: Definitely. We've taken a good look at the current quest reward experience, and we should be increasing the amount of experience rewarded for a high percentage of the existing quests in our next update. Additionally, we've been reevaluating the experience rewards characters gain for individual kills. Ultimately, we want to make sure that each individual experience boost is in the best interest of the game, and as you can probably imagine, that takes time to properly evaluate.

What's your biggest priority coming into the position of North American community manager?

Tamat: The need to enhance the communication between the Aion team and the community. Thankfully, the entire NCsoft West team is committed to improving community relations, so there is a lot of opportunity to do just that.

How much control does the North American/European team have over the evolution of the game?

Tamat: The west plays a vital role in the overall success of Aion. All branches of the Aion team contribute ideas and information to each other for consideration. We evaluate each territory's individual needs and priorities, and then we plan accordingly.

That is a large and ambitious task with a game of this scope and size. Though it may not always seem immediately evident from the outside, we're in constant communication with the studio in Korea. Many of the changes implemented during the last year have been a direct result of that communication. That same influence has resulted in many of the future enhancements that we haven't announced yet.

Will we be getting the same patches as the Korean version of Aion, or will they be tweaked to be "localized?"

Tamat: Our goal is to keep updates as close together as possible in timing. Ideally we're shooting to keep these updates within a month apart of each other. Every update will contain similar content, changes, and features. However, there may be times that we pick and choose what we implement depending on what appeals to the Western market (North America and Europe). You can get a sense of how this will pan out by looking at the depth of Western customization and design we implemented in version of Aion currently available at retail in the west.

How has the team felt about Aion's reception since launch?

Tamat: Aion has been met with an overwhelming amount of praise overall. Our players love the game, the review scores have been cumulatively high, and despite the issues that exist in every new MMO, we had a solid launch-a fact that was recognized by both the press and the players.

With that said, we've been listening to the feedback that players have been sharing, and the team has been working relentlessly to address gameplay issues and abate nuisance issues that sap fun by putting in place changes that will be coming to the live servers sometime in the future.

What's your background on MMOs? What games have you played? What's your favorite?

Tamat: I'm a lifelong gamer, but I've been into MMOs since high school. It started with EverQuest, and that led to my first position in the industry at Warcry, which led to IGN, and ultimately my four-year stint at Allakhazam (now known as ZAM). During my time writing about MMOs, I had the opportunity to play nearly every MMO on the planet. It's funny looking back on it now. This all began many years ago as a hobby, but turned into my career.

Some of my all-time favorite MMOs include: EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, Planetside, Lineage II, EverQuest II, Vanguard, World of Warcraft, and now Aion.

Have you been a fan of Aion before taking on this position?

Tamat: Absolutely. EverQuest was and is still to this day my favorite MMO. For whatever reason, the combination of difficulty and overall depth appealed to my inner masochist and gave me a sense of immersion that went beyond previous online experiences. Aion is enjoyable for me because it has a unique set of challenges that transcend the majority of post-World of Warcraft MMOs, while also being easy enough to play casually and feel a sense of achievement.

Aion has the perfect combination of hardcore and casual elements that put the game into its own category altogether. For now, I'm calling that category "Totally Awesome."

Thanks for your time!

Tamat: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Aion.

coolgy · 10-28-2009, 01:32 PM

"Can players expect the experience boost patch any time soon?

Tamat: Definitely. Blah blah blah. Ultimately, we want to make sure that each individual experience boost is in the best interest of the game, and as you can probably imagine, that takes time to properly evaluate."

Contradiction much?

ashin · 10-28-2009, 01:42 PM

Fluff interview.

Guess he gets a free pass for his first time. =P

Would be nice to have fansites ask pertinent questions and/or follow up on non-answers, tho.

zekans · 10-28-2009, 01:46 PM

Overwhelming success?

Fortress Sieges don't even work (hai CryEngine crash!)

and recently I have found out it doesn't even work properly on Windows 7 - Fantastic!

I'd say its far from "success" :/

Sardoni · 10-28-2009, 02:04 PM

I'd personally like to see more of the bulletins/updates on what they are doing on the K-Aion test server translated more officially so we can see the games direction.

Google translator is fun and all, but I'd prefer to have a localized source.

gessekai · 10-28-2009, 02:18 PM

wow, can all the whiners and trolls quit the game already? don't you guys ever run out of tears?

anyway, i for one am excited that we have a fellow mmorpg gamer as a community director. hopefully he will be able to understand us and communicate our desires better.

Roba-Fett · 10-28-2009, 02:32 PM

It's the glass half full or half empty syndrome. Unfortunately, with players of MMO's, they've invested so much of themselves into the actual game for long periods of time that the smallest niggles turn into hurricanes to the player when they're bothering him "all day". You have to surely admit, things like "you need a free space in your cube" and not adding to the stack, just as a mob respawns and hits you, making you lose your green mat grate you in the wrong frame of mind.

Thanks for posting this.

Looking forward to the changes down the line.

How could they not know that some of these things were going to be issues though. Like the exp grind, beta players were only allowed to play 'til 30 right? So who did they allow past that mark for testing. Must have been chimps.
Didn't they test multi player PVP out on a variety of machines before release?

Anyway, just some personal gripes that I consider unprofessional in the entire MMO industry, not just NCSoft. I'm saying it though, all they have to do is sit in the chairs like the players and play their own game...

So we're probably looking at maybe, 2 months on the increased exp thing? I think a lot of players would be interested in whether they should cancel for a month or two and "revisit".

P.S. sorry if this post comes off harsh. I'm not angry

Just making a point about industry professionalism.

ratatapa · 10-28-2009, 03:11 PM

Oh snap he was at allakhazam/zam? this is massive fail

Daedalius · 10-28-2009, 03:40 PM

Would have liked a more concrete date on the next patch, which hopefully fixes siege crashing (totally maddening).

More xp would be nice too. The dead spots in the upper 30s are pretty pronounced, hopefully the quest xp fix will be spot on smoothing out some of them. I imagine the dead spots in the early 40s are even worse though. Tired of reading all the QQ about grinding.

Cristiano · 10-28-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sardoni

I'd personally like to see more of the bulletins/updates on what they are doing on the K-Aion test server translated more officially so we can see the games direction.

Google translator is fun and all, but I'd prefer to have a localized source.

^Very much this. If NCsoft West plays a "vital role in the success of Aion" why can't they bring us vital information about possible new features, test server patches, or any direct communication from the developers at East?

Aluen · 10-28-2009, 04:39 PM

Dunno, but does anyone actually care about this interview? They really should've interviewed one of the devs or so instead.

zekans · 10-28-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gessekai

wow, can all the whiners and trolls quit the game already? don't you guys ever run out of tears?

anyway, i for one am excited that we have a fellow mmorpg gamer as a community director. hopefully he will be able to understand us and communicate our desires better.

You are a fool.

Are my tears not justified? Unable to participate in large scale PvP because of a crash, and even if the crash doesn't happen there are absurdly bad framerates on a game "designed for these conditions".

and even worse, it doesn't work with Windows 7 (or rather alot of people are experiencing issues with it).

I can QQ all I want, I did not pay for this ********.

PS: Only a fanboy will look passed such gamebreaking issues, especially given the lack of response from NCShit.

Arazel · 10-28-2009, 04:56 PM

Since you say it does not work on Windows 7 how can you explain that lots of people on Win 7 have Zero issues, or they tried my fixed DLL and they don't crash anymore.

Since my DLL works for more people then not that leads me to believe there is something else conflicting with the CrySystem.DLL that is not allowing the DLL to function properly and crash out.

I'm not saying that there is no issues with CrySystem because obviously there is since my fixed version works for most people. IF you really want to help out this community then send me a FULL list of programs you have installed on your PC. But don't send me a list if you did not try the DLL fix.

AngelofLightning · 10-28-2009, 05:12 PM

This was just an interview with the new Community Manager, what the heck were you all expecting?

Toddski · 10-28-2009, 05:30 PM

As a PR exercise he said all the right things.

10-28-2009, 01:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
Knite Administrator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Minnesota Thanks: 1 Thanked 132 Times in 53 Posts Character: Knite Class: Templar Legion: Knights of the Divine Order Race: Elyos Server: Triniel	Massively interviews Aion's new community manager, Tamat! Hey everyone- No sooner had Tamat, our newest community contact, sat down in Seattle when the interview requests started rolling in! Massively has published theirs today, giving us all a bit of insight about Tamat, what he'll be bringing to the table, and what's in store for Aion and it's community. From www.Massively.com Aion is easily one of the biggest MMOs of the year, so when a new North American community manager took over recently we decided it was the perfect time for an interview with the new team member, Andrew Beegle -- known as Tamat to community members. We asked Tamat about new methods of community interaction, the hotly anticipated experience boost patch and even some personal questions about our new community manager. You can never really know enough about the person serving as the conduit to your main MMO -- at least that's what we tell them! Massively: What steps will the team be making towards improving the channel between developer and player? Andrew "Tamat" Beegle: While the Aion team already interacts with the community utilizing a number of tools (forums, event presence, official Web site, facebook and twitter), there are always ways to enhance and improve communication between a game development team and its players. In this regard, we've been making giant steps forward. We've started a weekly Eye on Community series where we answer questions that we receive from the community and highlight activities going on at Aion fansites. Another way we're working to enhance communication is with our monthly address to the community that speaks to the driving current concerns of the community. With those in mind, we're also working diligently to build the official website and forums to deliver exactly what players want. These are examples of a few ways we plan to drive the overall communication. However, one of our secondary goals right now is making sure we communicate that we're receptive to the feedback that we've been receiving from the community. But communication is not all about addressing serious issues. Stay tuned, as we have quite a few fun ideas planned that our players will want to look out for. Can players expect the experience boost patch any time soon? Tamat: Definitely. We've taken a good look at the current quest reward experience, and we should be increasing the amount of experience rewarded for a high percentage of the existing quests in our next update. Additionally, we've been reevaluating the experience rewards characters gain for individual kills. Ultimately, we want to make sure that each individual experience boost is in the best interest of the game, and as you can probably imagine, that takes time to properly evaluate. What's your biggest priority coming into the position of North American community manager? Tamat: The need to enhance the communication between the Aion team and the community. Thankfully, the entire NCsoft West team is committed to improving community relations, so there is a lot of opportunity to do just that. How much control does the North American/European team have over the evolution of the game? Tamat: The west plays a vital role in the overall success of Aion. All branches of the Aion team contribute ideas and information to each other for consideration. We evaluate each territory's individual needs and priorities, and then we plan accordingly. That is a large and ambitious task with a game of this scope and size. Though it may not always seem immediately evident from the outside, we're in constant communication with the studio in Korea. Many of the changes implemented during the last year have been a direct result of that communication. That same influence has resulted in many of the future enhancements that we haven't announced yet. Will we be getting the same patches as the Korean version of Aion, or will they be tweaked to be "localized?" Tamat: Our goal is to keep updates as close together as possible in timing. Ideally we're shooting to keep these updates within a month apart of each other. Every update will contain similar content, changes, and features. However, there may be times that we pick and choose what we implement depending on what appeals to the Western market (North America and Europe). You can get a sense of how this will pan out by looking at the depth of Western customization and design we implemented in version of Aion currently available at retail in the west. How has the team felt about Aion's reception since launch? Tamat: Aion has been met with an overwhelming amount of praise overall. Our players love the game, the review scores have been cumulatively high, and despite the issues that exist in every new MMO, we had a solid launch-a fact that was recognized by both the press and the players. With that said, we've been listening to the feedback that players have been sharing, and the team has been working relentlessly to address gameplay issues and abate nuisance issues that sap fun by putting in place changes that will be coming to the live servers sometime in the future. What's your background on MMOs? What games have you played? What's your favorite? Tamat: I'm a lifelong gamer, but I've been into MMOs since high school. It started with EverQuest, and that led to my first position in the industry at Warcry, which led to IGN, and ultimately my four-year stint at Allakhazam (now known as ZAM). During my time writing about MMOs, I had the opportunity to play nearly every MMO on the planet. It's funny looking back on it now. This all began many years ago as a hobby, but turned into my career. Some of my all-time favorite MMOs include: EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, Planetside, Lineage II, EverQuest II, Vanguard, World of Warcraft, and now Aion. Have you been a fan of Aion before taking on this position? Tamat: Absolutely. EverQuest was and is still to this day my favorite MMO. For whatever reason, the combination of difficulty and overall depth appealed to my inner masochist and gave me a sense of immersion that went beyond previous online experiences. Aion is enjoyable for me because it has a unique set of challenges that transcend the majority of post-World of Warcraft MMOs, while also being easy enough to play casually and feel a sense of achievement. Aion has the perfect combination of hardcore and casual elements that put the game into its own category altogether. For now, I'm calling that category "Totally Awesome." Thanks for your time! Tamat: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Aion. __________________ *KDO* Website Knite \| 38 Templar \| Triniel

10-28-2009, 01:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
coolgy Soldier Join Date: Sep 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Race: Elyos	"Can players expect the experience boost patch any time soon? Tamat: Definitely. Blah blah blah. Ultimately, we want to make sure that each individual experience boost is in the best interest of the game, and as you can probably imagine, that takes time to properly evaluate." Contradiction much? Last edited by coolgy; 10-28-2009 at 01:34 PM..

10-28-2009, 03:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
Daedalius Star Officer Join Date: Sep 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Character: Slayde Class: Gladiator Legion: Halcyon Race: Elyos Server: Triniel	Would have liked a more concrete date on the next patch, which hopefully fixes siege crashing (totally maddening). More xp would be nice too. The dead spots in the upper 30s are pretty pronounced, hopefully the quest xp fix will be spot on smoothing out some of them. I imagine the dead spots in the early 40s are even worse though. Tired of reading all the QQ about grinding. __________________ Fantasy Sci-Fi Art Galefire.com

10-28-2009, 04:39 PM	#11 (permalink)
Aluen Officer Join Date: Sep 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Race: Elyos Server: Undecided	Dunno, but does anyone actually care about this interview? They really should've interviewed one of the devs or so instead. __________________ "Hate is the consequence of fear, you fear something before you hate it"

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10-28-2009, 01:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
ashin General Join Date: Apr 2009 Thanks: 8 Thanked 18 Times in 18 Posts Legion: South of Heaven Race: Asmodians Server: Lumiel	Fluff interview. Guess he gets a free pass for his first time. =P Would be nice to have fansites ask pertinent questions and/or follow up on non-answers, tho.

10-28-2009, 01:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
zekans Officer Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Class: Gladiator Race: Elyos Server: Spatalos	Overwhelming success? Fortress Sieges don't even work (hai CryEngine crash!) and recently I have found out it doesn't even work properly on Windows 7 - Fantastic! I'd say its far from "success" :/

10-28-2009, 02:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
gessekai Officer Join Date: Aug 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Class: Spiritmaster Race: Elyos Server: Vaizel	wow, can all the whiners and trolls quit the game already? don't you guys ever run out of tears? anyway, i for one am excited that we have a fellow mmorpg gamer as a community director. hopefully he will be able to understand us and communicate our desires better.

10-28-2009, 02:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
Roba-Fett Soldier Join Date: Oct 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Race: Asmodians Server: Kahrun	It's the glass half full or half empty syndrome. Unfortunately, with players of MMO's, they've invested so much of themselves into the actual game for long periods of time that the smallest niggles turn into hurricanes to the player when they're bothering him "all day". You have to surely admit, things like "you need a free space in your cube" and not adding to the stack, just as a mob respawns and hits you, making you lose your green mat grate you in the wrong frame of mind. Thanks for posting this. Looking forward to the changes down the line. How could they not know that some of these things were going to be issues though. Like the exp grind, beta players were only allowed to play 'til 30 right? So who did they allow past that mark for testing. Must have been chimps. Didn't they test multi player PVP out on a variety of machines before release? Anyway, just some personal gripes that I consider unprofessional in the entire MMO industry, not just NCSoft. I'm saying it though, all they have to do is sit in the chairs like the players and play their own game... So we're probably looking at maybe, 2 months on the increased exp thing? I think a lot of players would be interested in whether they should cancel for a month or two and "revisit". P.S. sorry if this post comes off harsh. I'm not angry Just making a point about industry professionalism.

10-28-2009, 03:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
ratatapa Daeva Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Montreal Quebec Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Character: Achira Class: Cleric Legion: Hydra Corps Race: Asmodians Server: Triniel	Oh snap he was at allakhazam/zam? this is massive fail

10-28-2009, 04:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
Arazel Star Officer Join Date: Oct 2009 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Character: Arazel Class: Spiritmaster Race: Asmodians Server: Meslamtaeda	Since you say it does not work on Windows 7 how can you explain that lots of people on Win 7 have Zero issues, or they tried my fixed DLL and they don't crash anymore. Since my DLL works for more people then not that leads me to believe there is something else conflicting with the CrySystem.DLL that is not allowing the DLL to function properly and crash out. I'm not saying that there is no issues with CrySystem because obviously there is since my fixed version works for most people. IF you really want to help out this community then send me a FULL list of programs you have installed on your PC. But don't send me a list if you did not try the DLL fix.

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