Neverwinter Dev Tracker

I am going to take a break from CDP I think for today and tomorrow. Sorry folks. Chris

While studying Design Thinking, I complained to an instructor that the devs I was working with were limiting their customer engagements to online forums and refusing to do any proper research because they "don't have time". The instructor agreed with me but pointed out that ANY engagement with actual customers is better than the devs sitting in their office and pulling ideas out of their bottoms. In my view and experience, the CDP is exactly that same old song and dance...a poor, limited substitute for proper design process, be it Design Thinking, User Centered Design or any other UX methodology that is known to work effectively. I feel the CDP is a time-suck for everyone involved and time that you, Chris, and the devs could and should spend on more effective means of customer engagement. My feedback on CDP is: stop and work differently, preferably with an experienced expert/coach advising you. (Not angling for a job here, I am retired and have no contacts to give you. It's just me s... Read more

My take on the "word count issue": I think it's more with people having a wall-of-text disease by feeling compelled to provide a thorough examination of the entire structure and conception of their argumentation and trying to already dump out answers to every possible argument that can be raised against it. I'm 100% guilty and I'm trying to change :D . Now, what I suggest about it is to not try and just make people chop off their argument, but to make them restructure their post by only explaining the point and the basic framework of thought as argument, then placing the big long analysis in a spoiler or in a different section. So only people who disagree with the original points will (maybe) read them or who are interested on how, but it's also helpful for those who are just want to see the ideas already made :D Yes. I think this is the best solution the group has put forward. Chris

Thank you to folks who gave additional insight into Solo Queue. From a personal perspective, I've always been hesitant to remove features once they are introduced - yes, it happens in every game but I'm likely the one in meetings with counterpoints to removal, preferring to first explore how something can be modified to make it feasible. Only after reasonable options have been exhausted am I ok moving towards a removal decision. Again, this is just my own philosophy! @trgluestickz made a comment that has really stuck with me and I'm mulling over: "Solo que is currently the only active PVP type right now and puts 2 different groups of players with incompatible interests in the same que as each other." And that gets to the crux of one of the biggest issues (for me) - incompatible interests among the different existing PvP, potential PvP players, and PvE players.

Hey everyone - I really appreciate all of this feedback and suggestions. I have a question for you folks though, based on your current opinion of PvP. If you do not play PvP, what do you feel it would take to get you to try it out for a bit? If you do occasionally play PvP, What do you feel it would take to make it more of a daily routine for you? If you play PvP frequently, do you feel like the time you spent in there isn't wasted? And if so, what do you feel would make your time investment feel more respected? Again, thank you everyone for your posts. I love seeing this discussion.

For those struggling to understand why some of us are proposing character or word limits on original proposals, please allow me to attempt to explain. 1. This idea isn't for your benefit; it's for the benefit of those who do not have the time to read novelettes or are discouraged from participating in the CDP after seeing walls of unnecessarily verbose text. 2. The ability to state a point concisely promotes clear communication of an idea by using only substantive information. 3. Detailed explanations, pseudo-philosophical justifications or digressive self-validation should be left for a tree or thread structure for those who have the time or passion to engage about a very specific idea. The idea of minimizing posts just to ideas and info in phase 1 which has been raised a few times makes sense (That is the intent of P1 but we probably should have been clearer). It is ok to ask for clarification and build on someone elses idea using the format (whatever we agree for Phase 1 idea form... Read more

> @"theraxin#5169" said: > (Quote) > Well, it is the part of the game industry, especially when a company grows after a size where administration costs start to skyrocket. But yes, it's the standard textbook example of how to go with things in a simple manner in a corporate environment. If you have 2 person or 2 different branch presenting the 2 viewpoint and they interact in a predetermined manner, it keeps the administrative costs in-check and keeps the company productive. > > But I also want to note that I admire and prefer the solution you are presenting. Mostly, because I agree, this is a more modern approach, more flexible and this and the digitalization and widespread ways of publishing and just copying other monetization models (or the rise of finance options as kickstarter and patreon) made the gaming community much richer. And also, thanks for letting us know! Your welcome Theraxin. I/we need to do a better job of giving more context where it is required and where possible... Read more

> @"backpetal#6044" said: > (Quote) > Then give more time. Treat it like a Michelin Star dining experience. Let people savour the flavorings and digest each course before moving on to the next one. :P (Sorry I mean more time between CDPs. For sure each CDP and each stage within it has ended later than it should have done. Some marginally and some by a wider factor.)x Section removed removed above. Yes I see what you mean. It is my hope we can come up with solutions that relieve the burden for all of us and sharpen what is already a valuable tool. Because I can say for sure the CDP has been extremely valuable so far but the time, and emotional sanity cost (-: has been high. Chris

Hi Chris, Thanks for answering me directly. Firstly, if the format of the CDP were structured properly, there would be little 'teaching' involved, it would be pretty straightforward - which is the goal I assume? Wouldn't this then, allow for a broader promotion of the CDP to get more people involved? I get that it would have to be moderated a bit more, but this is a ship you're captaining and a hearty crew gets the job done better than a skeleton crew I would think (but then again, this is your area of expertise, not mine). Secondly, having a broader scope of ideas, suggetions and opinions might bring a new and welcomed perspective. Thirdly, I understand that you've given time when time was requested, but running two CDP's along side one another, when time is an issue for some who would like to contribute to both is a bit much and this is the rushed feeling of some. Lastly, the moderation I'm speaking of is allowing people to float off-topic and pollute the forums with unrelated... Read more

> @"backpetal#6044" said: > Hi Chris, > > Thanks for answering me directly. Firstly, if the format of the CDP were structured properly, there would be little 'teaching' involved, it would be pretty straightforward - which is the goal I assume? Wouldn't this then, allow for a broader promotion of the CDP to get more people involved? I get that it would have to be moderated a bit more, but this is a ship you're captaining and a hearty crew gets the job done better than a skeleton crew I would think (but then again, this is your area of expertise, not mine). Secondly, having a broader scope of ideas, suggetions and opinions might bring a new and welcomed perspective. Thirdly, I understand that you've given time when time was requested, but running two CDP's along side one another, when time is an issue for some who would like to contribute to both is a bit much and this is the rushed feeling of some. Lastly, the moderation I'm speaking of is allowing people to float off-topic and p... Read more

> @"sobi#1980" said: > Most of the CDP is actually individuals pinpointing a single phrase of another individual and assembling a completely different topic based on that. I utterly despise such posts because they stray away from the heart of the discussion and often lead to the populous mess we have to skim read and waste our time on. Staying and sticking to the topic is an integral part of any discussion, especially an evolving one and the reason why the CDP topics feel like a thesaurus is because we branch out to specific topics not intended for that particular CDP, sometimes for the sake of the argument. > > I feel like Micky's Stack exchange forum would fit in well in this scenario. I agree that sometimes critiquing actually forms the basis of an evolved discussion but more often than not, it actually leads to heated debates. If you disagree with a particular mentioned suggestion, state the suggestion (without quoting), with your reasons and move on. But if the above is implement... Read more

> @"backpetal#6044" said: > As I read this and attempt to assimilate my thoughts (not easy, as I'm recovering from surgery and the mind is a bit murky) I am hit, once again, by the shear number of posts by several people defending/discussing their intial points of view. > > All CDP's have had phases. If we could eliminate banter during the first phase for ease-of-reading, that would be awesome. Just post your thoughts and be done with it until the next phase. I have spoken to several people who feel intimidated/time limited by the amount of back and forth between just a handful of individuals in the initial phase. Additionally, just having a gestation period for the amount of information that is provided by everyone can't be a bad thing. All CDP's have had a 'rushed' feeling to them so far. > > During Phase 2 let the banter roll on with a summarization of Phase 1. This could be done in a separate thread or a continuation of the current CDP thread (or you could open it up to a r... Read more

> @"theraxin#5169" said: > (Quote) > Now, while I have zero insight into Cryptic, balance is not really the good word for it. It has to be separated. I'm sorry, but developers should have zero or at least minimal say in monetization (except maybe the leading developer/designer who can inform how certain models can be fit in), but also, any development decision that does not relate to finance, should not be told to change by the finance part (PR can set red flags, but that's an other thing). In some companies, the lead designer is placed in a higher position than finance to make sure that monetization does not creeps into parts where it should be separate from to the detriment of the vision or the entire project. Because that's why you can find a ton of pretty buggy or outright broken game shipped. It's a vision corrupted by the push for finance, which ironically fail to justify it's costs as both part is necessary for success. > > But for a current example, that's why the VIP CDP was.... Read more

Twitch viewers, post agrees, reddit upvotes and so on will boost confidence, or in some cases shatter it, but the question remains does this popularity metric reflect an idea? Presentation? Good timing? There is a concept in voting (elections), voters tend to vote more against a candidate instead of for one. Twitch, in some cases, is a good example of this effect, a streamer who will have some "soap box preaching" mentality with, shouting, "rhetoric", and "fight" will get more viewers than someone who tries to create calm discussion of ideas. Pitchforks and torches create mobs - viewers. People like to unite in dislike / hate to something. Similarly, on a CDP posting an idea will gather some agrees or not, on the other hand opposing an idea, will yield to more agreement from all those who found something objectionable in the same idea. It is always easier to disagree, or agree with disagreement than to support an idea. So back to confidence, does it make my original idea better or w... Read more

How I feel the CDP could be improved: 1) I do not like the current recommended format for posting. It just is worded in a very clunky and not particularly clear fashion. I do like the proposed format that @thefabricant suggested in his first post here. 2) Keep the topics narrower. The rewards and progression CDP - while coming up with many great idea - was also a confusing mess to read and try to keep track of what/who/when. It was rather sad that a player had to make a spreadsheet for us to help keep track of various topics within that one CDP. That spreadsheet was great btw, thank you :) So please, keep the topics narrower even though that means there will be more topics to cover. As an addendum, I think three weeks is plenty of time for a CDP topic. 3) It's time to spread the word more. One of my guildies has ensured that all guild members who read our guild forums is aware of the CPD, and encourages people to participate. I doubt every guild has someone like that,... Read more

The only bad thing I can see, from the scope of the CDPs so far, is that the completely solo players' voices can not be properly heard, as the subject matters so far are not really stuff that concerns them. Yes rewards do impact them, but for the most part the rewards talked about were dungeon rewards, which excludes their playstyle. Now yes do a CDP on campaigns, questlines, lore etc then their voices can be properly heard. I agree Rick and we will. As per the road map our direction to exceed in the areas you mention are clear. As the episodes roll out, CDPs on campaigns, questlines, lore will be demanded (-: A few team members play solo or in my case did to get to Avernus etc. You can see the impact of our and CDP members experience in CDP 1 and our plans for M20. In the interim we are going to learn how to build really engaging narrative experiences in the Episodes and of course Mods as intersecting arcs that also evolve the world. It will be a journey! Chris

Such an interesting conversation. Is the product 'Popularity' metric part of a 'Confidence' psychology/metric? (I think it is. Twitch for example is a tool that can be used to boost confidence through popularity and vice versa) The confidence metric is tangible but hard to isolate and measure (Release quality impact short, medium and long term for example). Many factors play into confidence including User Experience. The CDP focuses on intent, evolution and execution (more to be done here in regard to how the CDP evolves) and therefore the 'Confidence' metric is necessary as part of the conversation in regard to how we evolve the User Experience/Business. I think we can probably try to measure this by looking at analytics at key periods of the game (recent) and then extrapolate how to utilize the data in the CDP as a lens/category and then apply that more broadly to larger pools of data like industry trends. But no mass voting (-: We are building (CDP) a star ship not a carnival ship.... Read more

Feedback Overview CDP and other Neverwinter mediums exposure One of the challenges, as you allude to, is that all these systems are not fully centralized. There is one tool for FB and Twitter, another tool for the blogs/news page (including blog itself and rotating images at the top) and the NW launcher image, the forums are separate, in-game mail is done by another team, emails are done by the publisher, and in-game intro page is done by some folks on the NW team. For the CDP, the current method of amplifying its existence is via FB/Twitter posts, mentions during streams, and content creator collaborations. Now that we've had several great CDPs, the next step is to begin utilizing the website and the launcher rotators (which require specifically templated assets so there is extra work involved). I would love to move forward with using email, localization, and other communication options but since those require work outside of myself (and fall under different business areas), ... Read more

Hey folks! Both @"rhroudadev#5641" and I are following this thread so thank you all for the great comments so far. Special shout out to those who work with the feedback format - even when not used exactly as stated, it really does help when there is some sort of structure to a comment! There's a lot here already (I have 2 pages of notes just from this first page of comments!) but there's a couple points brought up by various people that I'd love to hear more on: 1) Issue: Equalizing/Balancing the game/Making PvP more accessible but also not hurting/hindering/punishing long-time PvP players. I've heard some proposals like have different tiers/modes of PvP but could folks expand more on how they would approach the issue in a realistic way? 2) Solo Queue: This was actually a feature that was made permanent soon after I started at Cryptic. Initially it was offered as an occasional weekend event and a number of players clamored for it to be permanent. Could players on both sides of the ... Read more

If your suggestion is to exclude 99,9%+ part of the community from the decisions made, politics is the worst example you can make. You are the only one who keeps saying I am excluding 99.9% of the community in my suggestion, so stop putting words in my mouth. It is not difficult to comment on a thread and add to it, it only takes marginally more time than it does to rate a post. If someone cares so much about this game that they want to change the development on it, they should also be willing to devote more of their time than the 2 seconds it takes to press a button into saying why they think so. NWO is an entertainment product, popularity keeps the company afloat and at least most of the decisions has no true moral consequence. Also, popular solutions finance the meritful to be developed, so excluding the popular kills the rest. But to sidenote to your specific example, the developers should not give free gear not because the players are wrong to want them, but because the ... Read more