Wildstar Wildstar Interview - Social Systems with Tiffany Chu & Joeseph Piepiora

[Rajax]

Excerpt about Guilds & Circles

Full Interview here

You also work on the guild system. Let's talk about that for a second. Could you shine a light on how
guilds will work in WildStar?

Joe: Sure! Guilds are formal entities created by players around level 10. Guild members when grouped
together earn a special currency that guilds can use to purchase long-duration guild-wide buffs that do
not directly affect combat. There’s a bit more, but I don’t want to lift the curtain on them just yet.

How much control will a guild leader have over their guild? Will there be certain permission levels
available in the game?

Joe: Guild leaders have the ability to create and customize guild ranks with various permission levels. We
get pretty granular with the levels of control that these ranks can possess.

When I think of a guild, I think of people I like to do stuff with, explore the world with, hit the
dungeons with and so forth. You guys have mentioned "CIRCLES" before, which are, correct me if I am
wrong here, WildStar's friend lists. What can you tell me about "CIRCLES"?

Joe: So in WildStar players have a friends list where they accept and deny friendship requests and track
their online friends. Circles are different. Players can create circles immediately upon creating a character
in game via the social panel. In many ways circles are identical to guilds. They have ranks, circle owners, a
circle chatroom and a member list that allows you to see who from that circle is online. The big
difference is that while you can only be a member of one guild at a time, you can be a member of several
circles at once. Now should a player decide to join a raiding guild they can remain in a circle with several
friends who may be more interested in a different guild can remain connected via their circle.

Will "CIRCLES" have an influence on the Looking-For-Group tools?

Joe: Circles do not interact with the Looking For Group tools at this time.

What do you guys think about this new information?

There is a currency for grouping with guild members that give you buffs.

Also...Guild Housing!

 

[MyLittlePony]

The currency sounds a lot like the GW2 thing where we all "do stuff" and the guild can spend it on stuff. I'm OK with that...

Excerpt about Guilds & Circles

Full Interview here



What do you guys think about this new information?

There is a currency for grouping with guild members that give you buffs.

Also...Guild Housing!

Very cool, damn they somehow made housing sound even better.

I'm apathetic regarding circles. I see plus and minus qualities for them, time will tell.


And the important quote re: guild housing:

We talked about Housing and Guilds. What about guild housing? Do you have any plans for that yet or
is it something that is definitely on the table but not available for launch and to be implemented at
another time?

Joe: We have some very interesting plans for guild housing and more that we’ll be excited to share when
we’re allowed to!

So, not much on it yet, but it's going to be there, which is amazing.

 

[tr1age]

Excerpt about Guilds & Circles

Full Interview here



What do you guys think about this new information?

There is a currency for grouping with guild members that give you buffs.

Also...Guild Housing!

Where did you read guild housing?[DOUBLEPOST=1369957747,1369957724][/DOUBLEPOST]And nevermind missed the above.

 

[MyLittlePony]

Where did you read guild housing?[DOUBLEPOST=1369957747,1369957724][/DOUBLEPOST]And nevermind missed the above.

I tried to cut and paste, but it's always a disaster from a damn PDF (?) and I lost patience trying to format it. The site that scored the interview is in German and (I think) requires registration to even get to it. Unfortunately.

 

[MyLittlePony]

Nevermind, here you go.. (source: http://wildstaronline.de/threads/exklusives-interview-mit-tiffany-chu-joe-piepiora.4126/#post-12773)

Exclusive interview with Tiffany Chu and new Social Systems Design Lead Joe Piepiora

by fullenchilada @www.wildstaronline.de

Let's embark on a journey to planet Nexus, home to countless mysteries, adventures & challenges. Not only does it harbour a myriad of fierce creatures and breathtaking landscapes beyond your wildest imagination, the sophisticated MMO player also gets to experience some very cool unique features that other games simply do not offer.

Housing is one of those features that some successful MMOs haven't quite fathomed yet or tried to implement. Who doesn't feel like a small kid at Christmas when it is time to open up your presents? Well, WildStar will have this feature already built in when it will get launched towards the end of this year. And believe me you will forget all about Santa once you will be able to create your own home and spend endless hours decorating it to your liking.

When I think of Housing, I think of no one other than Tiffany Chu, one of the creative heads behind it. Not only is she a lovely woman and so much fun to talk to. She knows her craft. It is my pleasure to introduce to you Tiffany Chu.

Tiffany: Hi fullenchilda! Thank you so much for the kind words. Let me first start by saying that I love cheesy enchiladas, and I would certainly want a full one!
I've also pulled Joe Piepiora aside for this interview. I'll introduce him in more detail later

First of all, thank you so much Tiffany for taking the time away from your busy schedule to talk to us about Housing, one of the community's favourite features. I understand that you just got back from England a couple of days ago where you and some other devs got to spend some time with the European WildStar fans. How was it and what was your favourite experience?

Tiffany: It was amazing! I hope our fans understand how much we love and appreciate their enthusiasm and feedback. My favorite part was talking to people after they played the game. The game was fresh in their minds, and I got a lot of helpful feedback and awesome comments afterwards.
We had a PvP tournament and Dungeon Timed run contest, and Wildstar never felt more like a real game during that moment.
There was also this really yummy cherry pie thing they served at dinner one night... Wait, was I supposed to just pick one thing as favourite?

Could you tell our community a little bit about your background in the gaming industry and what exactly it is that you do at Carbine Studios?

Tiffany: I've been in the industry for about 12 years. The first job I had in the industry was working as in-house QA for a game called Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. Since then, I've worked on various RPGs and shooters. My last job was at Sony Online Entertainment, working on Free Realms before coming to Carbine over two years ago. Wow, time flies when you're having fun!
Even at Carbine, I've worn various hats. At Arkship EU, I was the team lead for Social Systems. I've since passed that torch on to Joe Piepiora, who is supremely driven and passionate about housing and other social features.
As the newly appointed lead of Social Systems, I'm gonna let Joe do more of the "talking" moving forward. He's smart and knows lots of stuff! Hey Joe, say hello!

Joe: Hello! I’ve been in the industry since 2008. I started at Turbine working in QA for Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online before eventually moving into a systems design role on LOTRO. In 2011 I left Turbine to work as a content designer for the now-defunct Project Copernicus at 38 Studios. After the studios closure I came here to Carbine where I have been working in content and systems.

How many people does the Housing team consist of? What do you do to ensure that things run smoothly in the office?

Joe: The engineering feature team consists of three engineers, three artists, two designers, a scripter and one producer. We hold daily 15 minute meetings every morning to discuss progress that was made the day before and to raise red flags about issues that might be coming down the pipe. Constant and regular communication is a necessity on the team as we continue to implement new features and iterate upon existing designs. The social systems team sits together in an office which helps us sync up quickly.

Let's talk a little bit about the creative process behind Housing. Do you guys get together on a regular basis to discuss ideas fellow team members came up with and who gets to decide if the ideas eventually find their way into the game?

Joe: We’re fortunate to have a team filled with developers who are passionate about our housing system. While ultimately I have the final say as to what ends up in game we try to maintain an open and collaborative atmosphere. If an engineer has a suggestion as to how we could improve our housing décor widget I am more than willing to hear it out and try to find the time to get it included. Artists regularly come up with great ideas for new housing plugs or décor pieces with themes that I may not have ever considered. So while the designers maintain a high degree of creative control over processes we remain inclusive of ideas outside our own.

When did you guys first decide to have Housing as an inbuilt feature for WildStar?
Housing has been a feature in the pipeline for WildStar since before we settled on WildStar as the name of the project. That said I’d say that it became a real pillar of the game in the last two years.
What do you think makes WildStar Housing different from housing systems in other MMOs such as Rift?

Joe: Whether we’re discussing housing in Everquest 2 or dimensions in Rift which are both excellent and worthy of acclaim, I feel as though they are treated as features set apart from the core gameplay. In WildStar we’re trying to make sure that all sorts of activities are available on your housing plot. One minute you could be engaging in challenges associated with housing plugs that you’ve placed, the next you could fighting off a floating pirate island with your friends. That’s not the sort of stuff you find in many other housing products.

If you were to let other Carbine folks decorate your house, who would that be and why?

Tiffany: Personally, I wouldn't let anyone touch my house. What if they crate a plushie?! My plushie... all mine...

Joe: If I had to pick someone to do my house up proper I’d probably pick Rutherford Gong, our lead 3d artist. The man has an eye for color! I’ll tell you who I wouldn’t pick, did you see what Stephan Frost did with his house in the Dev Speak video? It was a mess!

People say that only the sky is the limit. How restricted or limited is Housing in WildStar? Do you think that some of those restrictions might get lifted later?

We have a limited number of décor items that can be placed on your property and inside your house. The database needs to save all of these items, and given the fact that each character on your account can own a house you can definitely assemble quite a stockpile of décor items. The good news is that décor items, once unpacked are stored separately from your bank, keeping your storage for important things like Skeech ears and giant laser swords.
While I can never promise that restrictions such as the décor limit could ever be lifted. I will say that it’s our ongoing commitment to the players to ensure a constantly-evolving and fun system with housing.

What is your favourite Housing item in the game? If you could put one of your own items from your home into the game, what would that be and why?

Tiffany: The plushies in-game crack me up. I always laugh when I scroll through the art assets that the 3D artists created. They're pure genius! A real-life item I have at home that'd I'd want for Wildstar...? Maybe my cats. Does that count? Hey Joe, can you make that happen? Hahaha!

Joe: I like the idea of putting my personal journals in my house…

You also work on the guild system. Let's talk about that for a second. Could you shine a light on how guilds will work in WildStar?

Joe: Sure! Guilds are formal entities created by players around level 10. Guild members when grouped together earn a special currency that guilds can use to purchase long-duration guild-wide buffs that do not directly affect combat. There’s a bit more, but I don’t want to lift the curtain on them just yet.

How much control will a guild leader have over their guild? Will there be certain permission levels available in the game?

Joe: Guild leaders have the ability to create and customize guild ranks with various permission levels. We get pretty granular with the levels of control that these ranks can possess.

When I think of a guild, I think of people I like to do stuff with, explore the world with, hit the dungeons with and so forth. You guys have mentioned "CIRCLES" before, which are, correct me if I am wrong here, WildStar's friend lists. What can you tell me about "CIRCLES"?

Joe: So in WildStar players have a friends list where they accept and deny friendship requests and track their online friends. Circles are different. Players can create circles immediately upon creating a character in game via the social panel. In many ways circles are identical to guilds. They have ranks, circle owners, a circle chatroom and a member list that allows you to see who from that circle is online. The big difference is that while you can only be a member of one guild at a time, you can be a member of several circles at once. Now should a player decide to join a raiding guild they can remain in a circle with several friends who may be more interested in a different guild can remain connected via their circle.

Will "CIRCLES" have an influence on the Looking-For-Group tools?

Joe: Circles do not interact with the Looking For Group tools at this time.

We talked about Housing and Guilds. What about guild housing? Do you have any plans for that yet or is it something that is definitely on the table but not available for launch and to be implemented at another time?

Joe: We have some very interesting plans for guild housing and more that we’ll be excited to share when we’re allowed to!

WoW encouraged guild members to play together and rewarded them accordingly. If I chose to do stuff with my guild in WildStar, will there be special rewards for it?

Joe: Guild members when playing together will earn a unique currency that is owned by the guild and can be spent on temporary boosts for the entire guild. A simple example would be the guild purchasing a guild bank slot, or a 7 day duration 5% exp boost. Sadly I can’t go into much more detail, but we want to make sure that guild members are incentivized to play together whenever and wherever we can.

On behalf of everybody from WildStar Online DE, I wanna thank Tiffany Chu for taking the time to answer our questions.

Tiffany: No, thank you! I wish I knew more German other than Ich liebe dich (and I do, I really do... all of you!).
And thanks, Joe, for popping in and answering these questions with me. (By the way, his favorite pie is "dutch apple" if you ever need to bribe him for something!)

Joe: Thanks for the questions. Can’t wait to see you guys in Nexus!

 

[FranticFrag]

I think the circles look pretty neat for keeping up with my coworkers, so I guess that's an interesting addition.

The guild housing definitely intrigues me though. Hopefully it'll be as in depth as the player housing.

 

[Thovarisk]

makes me want a LOTRO style kind of housing