Is the Ship Sinking at Mythic???

[Cavan]

Why are high profile names slowly leaking away from Mythic???

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14722

[Figtoria]

Mythic is still in business??

They were SO 4 years ago...

[Ivyrielle]

I seriously doubt the ship is "sinking."

If anything, I've seen an improvement in communication, fast response to issues, etc.

A guess here:

First, lead designer for 3 years to president... Most of us would make that career leap. EAMythic announced that they redid all the initial zones they first designed, when they realized the zones they worked later looked better and more complete. Maybe his work was phased out and redone, which lead to his dissatisfaction and willingness to work elsewhere.

Perhaps he was headhunted by a company impressed with his resume? Few of us could resist the lure of greater money and prestige. If the president isn't leaving and you want to be President, you have to go elsewhere. ;)

[Cavan]

I'm just concerned that it's becoming an EA game more then a Mythic game...

[Ivyrielle]

My opinion is that EA has opened up the budget to do the game justice through greater access to resources than Mythic had as an indy studio. I think this is the case with DAOC as well. :)

I'm under a strict NDA and can tell you 2 things. There is a closed beta for WAR, and I am a tester.

[Cavan]

Ultima Online... Ultima Online... Ultima Online...

[Oakwing]

I still have faith in WAR. I'm just waiting for my beta to come through.

Reading between the lines in Ivy's note, I'd say she is trying to tell you the game is great, but she isn't allowed to say that, hence a reference to increased resources dedicated to development (which translates to a better game when done right). If it wasn't being done right, I suspect she wouldn't be defending EAMythic.

[Aarimus]

I agree with Oak.

[Golmacmourna]

I agree with both you people, yet *continue* to be cynical and paranoid!

In my experience, game companies are very personal. People aren't expected to move on--even when they get better offers. It's not the kind of environment where people move around voluntarily. Usually, moves are made as a matter of necessity.

It *is* possible that the design was done, however, design, as it applies to games, isn't about the areas and their artistic quality, or customer support reaction time (whether in beta or not).

Regardless of how the end product came out, I think there's a real possibility that there was frustration and friction, internally, about the degree to which WoW was influencing the project. We've seen the public face of that, where original art pieces, and the choice of ork and dwarf as the initial announced groups all pointed to similarities with WoW which have only recently started to dissipate (to an extent). Paul, certainly, has repeatedly, and frothingly denied the idea that WoW should be emulated. In his words 'it's a work of flawed genius... because you don't know where the flaws are and where they genius is, you have to chuck the whole thing'. Yet, bullet point after bullet point of feature and structure imitates systems in WoW with, admittedly, difference--but differences that an outside observer would consider subtle. The look of combat, certainly, calls WoW to mind far more than DAOC--even with the advent of collision detection.

Even if I were misinterpreting *those* signs, I was lucky enough to cooperate with a couple artists working on the game on an unrelated mod for DoW--and they said, point blank, that they were being pushed to emulate WoW. That may be just art side, and it was said a year ago, or so, but it sets the stage for what I think is a straight forward tension.

As the designer, you would be in the absolute center of that conflict--do we imitate or do something new? It's much better to develop design for a game without a perceived direct predecessor/competitor. WoW certainly is WHO's unspoken rival--regardless of the details of the difference. It can't help but be, since Blizzard *built* their empire, and specifically WoW off of Games Workshop's IP! They've never really deviated from it, either, even in the diablo series.

Also, these kinds of internal fights can occur (and do) and not necessarily affect the final game in a way that 90% of people care about. I'm the sort of person who's waiting for the MMO of tomorrow, so to speak, so, to me, when innovation gets curbed in the interest of capturing market share by providing a familiar, yet distinct experience, I'm disappointed, but most people aren't--certainly, when someone feels that something was 'right' and they enjoyed it, what they want is more of that feeling--which comes from a similar experience with some differences. People are like this when they order food. I know of few people who go into a restaurant, say to themselves 'I can have anything I want' and then actually order something they've never had before.

General Tso's chicken... oh wait... *this* time... I'll try it with fried rice.

And that's ok. There's nothing wrong with that. But in the back, the 4 star chef who's on the gourmet fast-track is going nuts pumping out the general Tso's chicken. When he moves on from the kitchen, it's disruptive to the kitchen. Because kitchens are sensitive. Like kittens.

[lijien]

i would say the fact that it seems he got a promo would mean that mythic has some very talented people doing things.. like ivy said there is only so much room at the top

[Noleader]

In todays world it is odd when someone does not move on to a new company after 5 years (10 years max).