[Faithful Reader]

Something's happened behind the scenes that needs to be hared with the community.

Project Anniversary entered testing the other week. This set is taking First Edition cards and making Second Edition versions. The design team took cards from the earlier days of the game, worked hard on getting them right, and was looking forward to seeing playtester feedback.

The testers hated a good chunk of them.

A lot of the cards had a lot of text. Personally, I don't mind having a lot of text on cards,. Imperial Engagements has a lot of text, but it has to in order to accomplish what it needs to do. Brian Everthers isn't a bad card because he has a lot of text, he's just not that great of a card. A lot of the cards had a lot of text in order to work in Second Edition in the same manner as they did in First. Most of those happened to be verbs. As an example, they had a version of Edo Probe that was a great facsimile, but had a lot of text to achieve that goal. They redesigned a good chunk of the set based entirely on tester feedback. In particular, Nathan was dead set on certain cards either being heavily redesigned or not going forward in their current form.

So the team set about reworking their set. Some cards were unworkable and are not going forward, but the rest are simplified. This is entirely due to the invaluable tester feedback we received from the first version and the set, while still in earlier stages, is better for it.

Why am I mentioning this? Designers are supposed to listen to testers, after all. There was a designer who disregarded tester feedback and it showed in the final product. That happened once and isn't the case any more. We're continuing to have a dialogue between the two departments.

[prylardurden]

You sure this is on the right board?

[Honest]

Whilst i am happy testing is underway for something new, I am not sure that last paragraph was needed. I thought the previous bunch of sets were fine, but even if I didn't, undermining a previous volunteers efforts reflects worst on you, not them.

I hope the next few sets are amazing. With the above statement you have set a trap for yourself if they are not.

All the best

Honest

[bhosp]

Why am I mentioning this? Designers are supposed to listen to testers, after all. There was a designer who disregarded tester feedback and it showed in the final product. That happened once and isn't the case any more. We're continuing to have a dialogue between the two departments.

Name him.

[Nerdopolis Prime]

Communication is always key. Always! A L W A Y S ! ! !

I am happy to hear that communication is going well. Although I´m a bit concerned it hasnt been that way before. Did nobody notice the importance of communicating with eachother? Well, whatever. It seems to be working now. All the best to the people involved in the projects. Rock the future of our hobby.

[The Prefect]

I can't comment on the culture of communication prior to my joining design. What I can say is that since I've been a part of the design team, the importance of testing and of listening to testers when they provide data or detailed feedback on cards has always been made clear to us. So, the idea that communication between design and play testers is something new would be mistaken.

That having been said, there may be occasions when testers and designers disagree on an aspect of a card. But, I can't remember a case in the last couple of years were tester feedback was outright ignored, especially when test game feedback was provided.

I'd be curious to know who you had in mind when you wrote that a designer had chosen to ignore tester feedback, because that's quite an accusation for the Brand Manager to make on a public forum.

[Faithful Reader]

I can't comment on the culture of communication prior to my joining design. What I can say is that since I've been a part of the design team, the importance of testing and of listening to testers when they provide data or detailed feedback on cards has always been made clear to us. So, the idea that communication between design and play testers is something new would be mistaken.

That having been said, there may be occasions when testers and designers disagree on an aspect of a card. But, I can't remember a case in the last couple of years were tester feedback was outright ignored, especially when test game feedback was provided.

I'd be curious to know who you had in mind when you wrote that a designer had chosen to ignore tester feedback, because that's quite an accusation for the Brand Manager to make on a public forum.

Obviously I can't give you a name, but it happened before my tenure.

You've been a designer almost as long as I've been Brand Manager and I've seen good communication between design and testing, both sets you have and haven't designed. All three Design Directors I've worked with have understood and done well in this aspect.

[bhosp]

I can't comment on the culture of communication prior to my joining design. What I can say is that since I've been a part of the design team, the importance of testing and of listening to testers when they provide data or detailed feedback on cards has always been made clear to us. So, the idea that communication between design and play testers is something new would be mistaken.

That having been said, there may be occasions when testers and designers disagree on an aspect of a card. But, I can't remember a case in the last couple of years were tester feedback was outright ignored, especially when test game feedback was provided.

I'd be curious to know who you had in mind when you wrote that a designer had chosen to ignore tester feedback, because that's quite an accusation for the Brand Manager to make on a public forum.

Obviously I can't give you a name, but it happened before my tenure.

You've been a designer almost as long as I've been Brand Manager and I've seen good communication between design and testing, both sets you have and haven't designed. All three Design Directors I've worked with have understood and done well in this aspect.

He means he’s talking about Teero Anaydis, he said so on the staff boards, but he’s too chickenshit to say so in public, because apparently it’s bad to badmouth people who are no longer around, but it’s ok to insult and defame (by implication and supposedly by accident) people who are still around, who he has to work with on an ongoing basis, and who already had ample reason to doubt his honesty and good character and judgement before today.

Mighty fine work, everyone who voted to retain this clown.

[Honest]

I can't comment on the culture of communication prior to my joining design. What I can say is that since I've been a part of the design team, the importance of testing and of listening to testers when they provide data or detailed feedback on cards has always been made clear to us. So, the idea that communication between design and play testers is something new would be mistaken.

That having been said, there may be occasions when testers and designers disagree on an aspect of a card. But, I can't remember a case in the last couple of years were tester feedback was outright ignored, especially when test game feedback was provided.

I'd be curious to know who you had in mind when you wrote that a designer had chosen to ignore tester feedback, because that's quite an accusation for the Brand Manager to make on a public forum.

Obviously I can't give you a name, but it happened before my tenure.

You've been a designer almost as long as I've been Brand Manager and I've seen good communication between design and testing, both sets you have and haven't designed. All three Design Directors I've worked with have understood and done well in this aspect.

Then I cannot understand why you would say such things about a design director 3+ design directors ago.

I am glad you plans are going well.

Honest

[Faithful Reader]

Why am I mentioning this? Designers are supposed to listen to testers, after all. There was a designer who disregarded tester feedback and it showed in the final product. That happened once and isn't the case any more. We're continuing to have a dialogue between the two departments.

I've gotten a lot of flack for this paragraph, here and otherwise. My motivation was to both let people who were put off that things were better now and see if anyone wanted to join. The set is still relatively new making this a great point to start with.

[monty42]

I've gotten a lot of flack for this paragraph...

Rightfully so...

My motivation was to both let people who were put off that things were better now and see if anyone wanted to join.

Really? It didn't come across like that at all. You just seemed snarky.
Try motivating people on merit, not by throwing somebody under the bus.

[SudenKapala]

Y'all pipe down now, play nice, be friends. Or you know what I have to do...

What I do best...



We don't want me doing that -- with my long, badly-informed, consensus-building-efforty rants -- now would we?

[/trying to lighten the atmosphere]

[monty42]

Chill out. If Ross couldn't take the heat, he wouldn't have become director of 2E...

[SudenKapala]

Chill out.

Nah... don't worry. My horse-flogging days are over. For today.

[Mogor]

Chill out.

Nah... don't worry. My horse-flogging days are over. For today.

Europeans flog horses, oh my, in America we just ride them