1) Who are you?
My name is Chris Mancil, also known as Vosx (pronounced Vah-Six) hehe not vohsk as some on the phone and in person have penned me. I am currently an Associate Editor with IGN Vaultnetwork. Other than heading up Atriarch Vault, I also run Shadowbane Vault, Halo Vault, and am currently driving StarWars Vault until one of our editors recovers from a broken arm - the death penalty injury for an internet journalist.
2) How long have you followed the development of Atriarch?
I am really new to Atriarch. I remember following it somewhat from the E3 exposition reports last May but I did not really get involved until recently. When Utildeayal was preparing to leave for a job at Artifact Entertainment (Horizons), our Editor In Chief, Jonric asked me to help out Shadowlight with Atriarch Vault last October. So I am a still an Atriarch Newbie compared to most. Shadowlight became the Editor in Chief of the HQgaming Network so when Jonric asked me to take over - I said yes - mostly because Gaming Corporations seem to like Site Managers from ATV and I want to cash in my chips. Just kidding! No I really like the community around Atriarch and I think World Fusion and Serafina are great. It just made sense for me to stay here at ATV since I knew the devs somewhat and a few in the community. My goal was to help out all that I could - which doesn't always seem like a lot, but running 4 sites is HARD! Plus they could have really goofed up and put someone like Herok in charge of the Vault which would have been a sad day for underachievers everywhere, like myself and Gary Coleman.
3) What game(s) did you play before finding out about Atriarch?
I play just about every game imaginable - or at least I did. I am a big wargamer primarily although I like Flight Combat sims like Fighter Ace. I played Ultima Online for nearly three years, and did some hard time in Everquest and Asheron's Call. The MMORPG is the only game that has lasting value to me as a player. You build a persona and history plus interacting and competing with other human minds in the backdrop of a persitant game is what gaming is all about. I still have very real and fond memories of wars, arguments, and adventures in UO and EQ almost a year or more a since I last played those games. I think thats a testament to the MMORPG genre, and the quality of the experience we can share in a virtual world (both good and bad). Ive played Age of Empires I&II, Rainbow 6 religiously and now Counter Strike. I enjoy those games - but I have no lasting memories of them now. MMORPG's really deliver more bang for the buck.
Gaming Aspects
1) What gaming design aspect are you glad is included in the game?
My favorite aspects surround the Empire Building mechanisms. I think the only thing lacking from pervious RPGs was the ability to build something lasting and to have a real impact on the world where you play and invest so much time. This is a visionary step in the Atriarch design and I hope it continues to progress in depth and complexity. I expect it will and Im looking forward to learning more about it - and eventually experiencing it first hand. I also like the faction system because of the potential (hopefully) to develop closer and more vibrant player communities. Regardless of the tools WF can design for factions and community building - the success of these ideas are ultimatly up to the player base. Im guardedly optimistic on that front.
2) What would you like included in/removed from the game?
Its still a little early to tell what I would like to see removed from the game. So far, I am impressed with what we have. Serafina told me I couldn't breed railguns or Kalishnikovs in my faction - so Im a bit peeved. I think shes starting to cave a bit on my M1-Abrams Tank proposal though :P
I would like to see aspects like cave building - dungeon creation and perhaps the ability to alter landscapes and weather patterns. A relatively advanced economic and banking system would be a plus as well.
3) How much/what innovation do you think Atriarch brings to the industry?
Well the most striking innovation is departing from the traditional Dungeons and Dragons/ fantasy theme of an MMORPG. Anarchy Online and Star Wars Galaxies are obviously space based, futuristic persistant worlds too - but Atriana is an alien world and thats a courageous departure from the norm. I hope they continue to design Atriarch with a strong eye focused on the in-game community and work towards letting the players really impact the game. I think the artwork and animation that I have seen is impressive - once we see the entire engine in action, I beleive it will have ripple effect in certain circles of the industry.
Atriarch Community
1) What factors build/destroy the Atriarch community?
Well communication and interaction between the fans and the dev team through fan sites and message boards are the best way to build a strong community. Plus ties are made between players on debates, in IRC, and in some cases ICQ or other programs. We share common ground with Atriarch and thats a great beginning to start our community. Waiting is always tough for a fan, but as long as the Dev team continues to engage and have dialogue with the community about issues concerning atriarch's development, then we become more than just groupies, we actually have a stake in the overall game design.
That fastest way to destroy a community surrounding a game - is to not increase it. Communities need players and personalities but most importantly it needs to new players and new ideas to grow. Communities that do not expand and grow will eventually stagnate and wither. Fan support and community are also crucial to getting a good publishing deal. In some ways, a game's fans are the best ambassadors to get the word out on a project and help it get the support it needs in the media as well.
2) How can the schism between longtime and new followers of the game be breached?
A bit of maturity =) I have pretty strong opinions about this subject and I have seen it in every game in which I have been a part of for the past four years. I despise elitism, and thats what this really boils down to. Some older fans of Atriarch for some reason feel they are more important, or have a greater stake in the game than the newer ones. Cliques form and lines are drawn between the new and old - whether that be in assigning a virtual pecking order, posturing for beta slots, or even setting the agenda of debates or topics of discussion. This is by no means mutually exclusive to Atriarch - far from it. Shadowbane had IMO a much harsher and destructive struggle between the veterans and noobs than Atriarch has had at this point. The only way it was eventually ended was when the Site Managers from the fan sites actively worked to stamp it out.
Its important for the veterans of Atriarch to realize and accept a few fundamentals about the MMORPG and specifically Atriarch. World Fusion will need a large number of subscribers to survive and succeed in this market. Our community now would make up far far far less than 1% of the total number needed. By virtue of being a veteran, new players will already defer and recognize the contributions older fans have made but more importantly will World Fusion. WF knows who they are - as do the Site leads of the fan sites. The veteran IMO has a responsability to recruit and welcome new fans and visitors to Atriarch - teach them about the game. Have patience when they ask questions or bring up topics that have been beaten like a dead horse on the boards for months. Our job is to help this game succeed and to create a climate thats favorable to new ideas and new poeple. It has always been my opinion that the first player to send an email about Atriarch way back in super alpha design to the last guy who buys a copy of the game at Best Buy are exactly equal in the grand scheme of things.
Players who have the most posts, or just punched the clock earlier than most, and then assume that by virtue of their continued presence in the community and having an opinion - somehow constitues a degree of superiority or standing with Atriarch over other fans - I really don't have a lot of use for that kind of player. They are really just taking up bandwidth, and if this kind of schism continues unabated it could realistically hurt the game. You create a climate where new poeple are unwelcome or ignored - then you doom a game that has not even begun. Poeple don't like hostile environments - and there is too much competition in the market for a situation to arise where the old and new throw rocks at each other in the community. Whats more important? Self image and vapor respekt from players - or building a community that helps World Fusion succeed?
The only time I have a great deal of respect for fans (old or new) - are those rare cases of poeple who go out of their way to help new poeple, spend time on building a better community, writing faqs or fiction stories, taking time to answer stupid questions, holding contests, starting websites, mail groups, and finding ways to 'give' something back to the community. Almost everyone in our community could do a little of this and I hope it catches on. In all seriousness, this is one of the most mature and certainly intelligent communities of any game in development right now - and thats one of the aspects of Atriarch that sets us apart from other titles. Its something World Fusion can definitely build on but community politics can ruin it.
3) Should visibility in the community curry special favour in the (pre-)game?
No - absolutely not and I assume by pre-game you mean beta. Visibility alone is not good enough. Change that term to 'Contribution' to the community and then you may be on to something. Even the most silent and hidden among us can have a positive impact on the game and the community. Sometimes being very visible goes hand in hand with having a large contribution, I can think of 5 or 6 ATV Board posters who post almost everyday and still have a significant impact on discussions and ideas. Sure they are very visible - but its what they do and have done for Atriarch that makes me appreciate them. Its not just because they post a lot - its because they take Atriarch seriously and they spend a lot of time and effort on subjects important to World Fusion, plus they are decent to noobs and they get bonus points for it.
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