[MUD-Dev] Horizons

[Tess Snider]

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003, Chris Holko wrote:

> It is a completely different ball game when testing out manpower
> intensive ideas in BETA compared to being released.

Well, they're pretty much admitting anyone into the beta that
applies, at the moment, as far as I can tell.  I don't know of
anyone that has been turned down, in any event.  So, it's not as
restrictive as some betas I've been in.

> Being released they will be.

>   1. Swamped with requests

They're carrying over player-made content from the beta into
production.  If someone is really chomping at the bit to make a
bunch of new hoverboard designs, they can pretty much sign up for
the beta and do it right now.  I think that this will probably ease
up on the swamping, to some degree.

Well, that, and people actually have to do WORK to generate content,
so it won't all arrive at once.

Also, their screening requirements aren't that manpower-intensive.
They're just skimming for indecency and copyright infringement --
not for fashion sense.  They don't really need to screen for
aesthetics.  If your designs are uappealing, nobody will buy them,
and you won't have any money to submit designs in the future.

>   2. Dealing with impatient customers, who won't be as
>   understanding as "beta" players supposedly are in regards to
>   both time restraints and what "gets approved"

Well, everything gets approved, unless it's a violation of their
clearly stated guidelines.  Now if nobody wants to buy it, that's
your own problem.  As for time, as I pointed out, I don't think
their screening rules require a huge amount of thought and
deliberation.

>   3. Game resources are free, developer time isn't, who is kidding
>   who?

Actually, game resources are U.S. $1 to T$1,787.  ;)

Seriously, if you don't want to spend real cash on them, you can
earn resources by A.) creating new content and selling it to others
(i.e.  creating quality content -- since nobody wants to buy crappy
content), and B.) running social and exploration events
(i.e. helping retain customers).  In other words, in their model,
you gain resources by doing things that decrease the amount of
content development and entertaining that the staff has to do.

You say that developer time costs money.  Damn straight.  What costs
more developer time?  Creating content, or screening content?

Tess
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