almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

Tomorrow we're having a special guest on Weekly MTG! Join us at 2pm PT on http://twitch.tv/magic as we welcome MTG Arena's new Game Director Jay Parker and chat with him about future in-game happenings.

almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

@NakedGrandma:

That was a nice Weekly MTG. I like where Chris Clay took Arena and was worried to hear him go, but Jay Parker seems like a cool cat.

I miss Clay terribly, but Jay is also awesome. Both of them are wonderful people who have the players' best interests at heart.

almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

@ShawnN#30637:

Not a lot of solid info, most of it not if but when answers.
No general chat planned, but Friends chat when FL implemented.
We'll start hearing more about the new Format with 2020.
Multi-player doesn't sound like an option in any foreseeable future.
They'd like to do no AI Drafts, not likely until after FL (Sooner rather than later I hope)
The major takeaway for me was that the team seems to be "just enough" He sounded like they have the manpower to get each new set done in time, fix bugs as they locate them and a few small features. Everything else major like a FL etc almost came across as a, if someone has an extra 5 min they work on it.
As I said that's the impression I came away with not what he said. I am concerned that the FL and such is much farther out than I thought reasonable. He said they basically start working on the new set when the current set launches, which would seem to indicate that older sets are out of the question without a larger workforce. I also would have liked it asked when does "Beta" end. Many have their own feelings/opinions on this but I would have liked to hear an official response.
Nice guy, doesn't wear hats, lol. Unfortunately I didn't come away inspired or hopeful or seeing a new vision, just more Not if but when and a feeling when is a very long time down the road.

As I've said many times, people will find out information when we're ready to announce said information. We can't be giving out inspirational speeches and company secrets haha.

almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

@ShawnN#30637:

@WotC_Lexie:


@ShawnN#30637:
Not a lot of solid info, most of it not if but when answers.
No general chat planned, but Friends chat when FL implemented.
We'll start hearing more about the new Format with 2020.
Multi-player doesn't sound like an option in any foreseeable future.
They'd like to do no AI Drafts, not likely until after FL (Sooner rather than later I hope)
The major takeaway for me was that the team seems to be "just enough" He sounded like they have the manpower to get each new set done in time, fix bugs as they locate them and a few small features. Everything else major like a FL etc almost came across as a, if someone has an extra 5 min they work on it.
As I said that's the impression I came away with not what he said. I am concerned that the FL and such is much farther out than I thought reasonable. He said they basically start working on the new set when the current set launches, which would seem to indicate that older sets are out of the question without a larger workforce. I also would have liked it asked when does "Beta" end. Many have their own feelings/opinions on this but I would have liked to hear an official response.
Nice guy, doesn't wear hats, lol. Unfortunately I didn't come away inspired or hopeful or seeing a new vision, just more Not if but when and a feeling when is a very long time down the road.
As I've said many times, people will find out information when we're ready to announce said information. We can't be giving out inspirational speeches and company secrets haha.
Come on Lexi, don't play me like a troll.
I mentioned info that was being withheld until a certain timemark. And how one thing would have to happen before another would/could. Those things are fine, they're part of marketing strategies or dependent on other infrastructure.
I didn't ask for a speech or trade secrets, please....
I didn't even complain about, not if but when answers per se. The point is he came across like the team is stretched thin which makes "When" sound like side projects that really amount to "someday most likely"
Look at him when asked about the FL, he looks down, gives an exasperated chuckle, goes on to talk about why a FL is a good idea, and says it's high on the priority list. This is almost the same demeanor everytime a "If/When" feature is mentioned.
Compare that with when he talked about Rotation, he seemed much more upbeat, he gave good answers without giving away info. Which supports the impression that the team is "big enough" but stretched. If that had of been the attitude with the "If/When" features it would have been much more inspirational, or whatever word would work without getting some response like I was asking for a Tony Robbins seminar....
It's hard to watch that and be hopeful for much more advancement in new features in any kind of relevant time frame when the new top dog comes across like "I really want to do these things but there just isn't the manpower" And those issues are a reality in the workplace.
I do applaud him for not blowing smoke. But to act like there is no way to make the future of new things come across as inspired or hopeful with out giving a speech or outing trade secrets is disingenuous.


It takes a LOT of time, energy, and resources to make a game so yes our team works extremely hard. We're also not going to give time frames because that opens up a can of worms. Read into things however you want because no answer I can give you will be satisfactory.

almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

@Zlehtnoba:

I liked the video, and I liked that Jay made the time to talk to us a bit. Lots of good PR there. But.
Is it really too much to expect to have Wizards field a team that is more than just enough? This is in no way meant to reflect on the quality of the work Chris, Jay and the team put in on Arena, it's a great product. But how can we expect new and exciting developments when it takes all the time between the sets to code a new set? Or are there also people that don't work on that part, and are developing new features? There was way too much of, it's coming, after the last new set is done.
And again, a big thank you to all of the people responsible for getting Arena this far.

Feel free to apply, then!

almost 5 years ago - WotC_Lexie - Direct link

@ShawnN#30637:

@WotC_Lexie:


@ShawnN#30637:

@WotC_Lexie:


@ShawnN#30637:
Not a lot of solid info, most of it not if but when answers.
No general chat planned, but Friends chat when FL implemented.
We'll start hearing more about the new Format with 2020.
Multi-player doesn't sound like an option in any foreseeable future.
They'd like to do no AI Drafts, not likely until after FL (Sooner rather than later I hope)
The major takeaway for me was that the team seems to be "just enough" He sounded like they have the manpower to get each new set done in time, fix bugs as they locate them and a few small features. Everything else major like a FL etc almost came across as a, if someone has an extra 5 min they work on it.
As I said that's the impression I came away with not what he said. I am concerned that the FL and such is much farther out than I thought reasonable. He said they basically start working on the new set when the current set launches, which would seem to indicate that older sets are out of the question without a larger workforce. I also would have liked it asked when does "Beta" end. Many have their own feelings/opinions on this but I would have liked to hear an official response.
Nice guy, doesn't wear hats, lol. Unfortunately I didn't come away inspired or hopeful or seeing a new vision, just more Not if but when and a feeling when is a very long time down the road.
As I've said many times, people will find out information when we're ready to announce said information. We can't be giving out inspirational speeches and company secrets haha.
Come on Lexi, don't play me like a troll.
I mentioned info that was being withheld until a certain timemark. And how one thing would have to happen before another would/could. Those things are fine, they're part of marketing strategies or dependent on other infrastructure.
I didn't ask for a speech or trade secrets, please....
I didn't even complain about, not if but when answers per se. The point is he came across like the team is stretched thin which makes "When" sound like side projects that really amount to "someday most likely"
Look at him when asked about the FL, he looks down, gives an exasperated chuckle, goes on to talk about why a FL is a good idea, and says it's high on the priority list. This is almost the same demeanor everytime a "If/When" feature is mentioned.
Compare that with when he talked about Rotation, he seemed much more upbeat, he gave good answers without giving away info. Which supports the impression that the team is "big enough" but stretched. If that had of been the attitude with the "If/When" features it would have been much more inspirational, or whatever word would work without getting some response like I was asking for a Tony Robbins seminar....
It's hard to watch that and be hopeful for much more advancement in new features in any kind of relevant time frame when the new top dog comes across like "I really want to do these things but there just isn't the manpower" And those issues are a reality in the workplace.
I do applaud him for not blowing smoke. But to act like there is no way to make the future of new things come across as inspired or hopeful with out giving a speech or outing trade secrets is disingenuous.
It takes a LOT of time, energy, and resources to make a game so yes our team works extremely hard. We're also not going to give time frames because that opens up a can of worms. Read into things however you want because no answer I can give you will be satisfactory.
Wow Lexi, just wow
Please show me once where I asked for an answer, come on, just once...
Are you really unaware of how Game Producers and the like come across energetic and provide confidence and hope for things without giving dates etc? Really?
Don't try and twist my words, when I want an answer I'll ask a question.
You could have given a satisfactory answer. Jay didn't come across so well would have sufficed. Hell even "I didn't read it that way would have worked. But instead you're going to try and twist this into I'm demanding something rather than I'm noting that the guy went through the majority of the interview and came across as wanting to do things he has no realistic way of accomplishing.
I even backed off the person who used a quote of mine and went to some extreme with it.
So the takeaway here is that any criticism of anything is to be downplayed. Would that be correct? Which would be a shame because even Jay acknowledged things that were not up to par.


Tone down the aggression, please. We are very excited about what we're working on, and our future plans, whether you felt Jay was energetic or not. :grinning: