The devs!

[Kymba]

Ok my question to all the Istarians is, how many of you in the game know and are friends with a employee of Vitrium. I am not asking for names. This is just a question that has been buring in the back of my mind. I mean the Devs have to play the game and see what is going on. So how many of you may know someone is what this poll is about.


This is for information sake.
Kymba

[Zexoin]

I don't think anyone except the devs themselves knows who they are in game.

[Arietna]

one or two of them have admitted to it.. so yes, I'm saying I know at least two identities. And I'm certainly not the only player who knows them

However I am NOT revealing them - if they want to be "outed" they do it themselves

heck, one or two of them state clearly in their signature who their characters are

[awdz]

i'm clueless... the only way i know devs in game is if their name shows up in blue on the marketplace roster

[Steelclaw]

Now, generally I'm against outing people, however, once that information is made public, I believe that it is fair game.

To start, you can click on the "View Forum Leaders" link near the bottom of the community.istaria.com/forum page.

[Vaz]

I don't know any.

[peladon]

Ok my question to all the Istarians is, how many of you in the game know and are friends with a employee of Vitrium. I am not asking for names. This is just a question that has been buring in the back of my mind. I mean the Devs have to play the game and see what is going on. So how many of you may know someone is what this poll is about.


This is for information sake.
Kymba

Elder and wise.

My word are but the whisper of a forgotten wind. Let them be lost or found as suits the seeker.

Elder, sure I am ye ask with none of ill to thine intent. But this I would say, and old I am and thus have some small memory. Aye, and some of that memory may not quite be aged to rancid cheese... though most like most is so .

Such an asking has been asked of tides past. And of a tide past that, there comes a time when one will say of this or that one that hath replied... Oh, they gain new favour, they have power to bend this ear or that... and ill comes of it.

That it hath been so surely does not mean it will be so. And again, sure I am that ye have no ill to thine intent .

Let it be spoken thus. There are those set Emissary to the land, aye and those others called Herald. Sure it is that those have means of seeking the gods. Mayhap, if gods wander the land to delight as we, or about god matters, then there may be some who know of them. But might it not be best to let such matters sleep under the flowering rose? If a god's ear be sought, then mayhap the winds will bring the seeker an Emissary... and no, ere any ask, I stand none such. But those that are were created for purpose... and if gods walk among us yet cloaked, then what purpose serves from uncloaking them or to uncloak those that may have knowledge of their nature?

And yet... others oft have different views. So set mine aside as ye may.

My words are but the whisper of a forgotten wind. Let them be lost or found as suits the seeker.


Sephiranoth, called by some ShadowSeeker
Nobody and Nothing ever, save The Five do Feast
A Fool that walks among the Wise

[awdz]

To start, you can click on the "View Forum Leaders" link near the bottom of the community.istaria.com/forum page

i never knew that was there before, neato :-)

and i agree with sephiranoth. after all, if the alias is unmasked, it will most likely be abandoned in favor of another, so what's the point?

[Shian]

i'm clueless... the only way i know devs in game is if their name shows up in blue on the marketplace roster

Yup.. same here.

Nice to see them come in and play thier own game every once in a while.

[Arietna]

oh, just like to say, if I'm reading Seph's post correctly.. I do *not* claim to have their ear.. in fact I go out of my way to treat them like another player If they are online playing, it's always good to let them play and not be bombarded with questions (even though I am SOOO tempted to sometimes).. If you want a dev to reply to a question, raise a ticket or post on the forum. They DO read the forums..

[peladon]

oh, just like to say, if I'm reading Seph's post correctly.. I do *not* claim to have their ear.. in fact I go out of my way to treat them like another player If they are online playing, it's always good to let them play and not be bombarded with questions (even though I am SOOO tempted to sometimes).. If you want a dev to reply to a question, raise a ticket or post on the forum. They DO read the forums..

My words are but the whisper of a forgotten wind. Let them be lost or found as suits the seeker.

Elder.. it was not that any such as ye might claim so that I spoke.

It was more that I have seen such matters raised here in tides past. And there have been those that, having found word that this Gifted or that Gifted had knowledge of the gods among us, then for weal or woe, and more oft for reasons of their own sight or blindness... words were cast and those words of ire. That by knowing the gods, the Gifted in question had in some fashion favour or power.

That this was so or was not... Pfah. I care not. That the question be raised once more, aye and again and again... then save there be some purpose to the asking I know not, this asking may be a thing for the seeker and Gifted to reconsider. Or... not .

That we have gods that walk and wake, that dance among us as we and that wander on the work of the gods... this be a thing of delight and of joy and land's weal. That such wandering be any more of import than that, say, of one who knows the Fool wanders... that, in that same Fool's view be less so.

Honour to the gods, honour to the Emissaries, honour to the Heralds... and honour to the Gifted, that we live and we dance... and that we _are_, each as they desire to be .

Once more and again, I cast no word of ill to the seeker's intent... but suggest that consequences not intended be considered.

My words are but the whisper of a forgotten wind. Let them be lost or found as suits the seeker.


Sephiranoth, called by some ShadowSeeker
Nobody and Nothing ever, save The Five do Feast
A Fool that walks among the Wise

[Arietna]

well spoken

(I did not take your earlier words as a personal reference, I just thought I had better respond as I agree, some people may well take it that way)

[velveeta]

if i may presume to understand elder (elder than me!! ) pel's and ari's words - i agree that i try to treat any player, no matter what color their text is, as a player. after a brief acknowledgement of status, of course - even i know a god is greater than a queen!

however, if a god seems willing to answer questions or in the mood to chat, i will certainly take advantage of the situation.

i try to remember that this is a game, first and formost. games are meant to be fun. if a dev wants to play, i say so much the better for the game! if they can recreate and experience the same bugs we do, isn't that a benefit? leaving them alone to experience the game is only the proper thing to do.

[C`gan]

Do I know the devs are playing? Absolutely.

Do I see devs from time to time? It's been known to happen.

Would I bother them if I did see them? I may wish them well or at least send them a "Hi".

Would I tell anyone if I knew their characters? Well, the obvious ones are the pink dryad Amarie, who made a personal visit to the opening of Obsidian Order Builders and that's kind of hard to miss, and David, a level 15 gnome who I miss seeing pop in from time to time and yelling to the entire shard "Come see what we put in up here" and any who gave a response were instantly teleported.

But, realistically, yes, I do know Virtrium employees in game on Order shard. And that's all I'm allowed to say.

[Summbuddy]

i have heard much talk of late of devs playing in game and having advantages and i would like to voice my opinion on the subject. I feel that they have every right to. almost to the point of a responsability to. it is i feel the only way that a dev could ever look at us from our point of view. the best generals are those who have been grunts. personally i say all the power to them, after all the hard work they put into making new content for us and administering the game they deserve the right to walk amongst us and enjoy their creation. I do not think however that they should be exposed. many get upset from time to time and i do not feel they should be a proverbial punching bag. they should have all the rights of the rest of us to have fun and not be harassed.

[C`gan]

Oh, and if you DO run into that dragon level 93 COW (yes, a Holstein trained as a dragon), run quickly in the opposite direction! No way to explain how a bovine got the gumption up to train from dragons as a dragon.

And I'm not talking about Kumu.

[Menkure]

i have heard much talk of late of devs playing in game and having advantages and i would like to voice my opinion on the subject. I feel that they have every right to.

I have a character copied over to blight, and I use him for testing purposes. So if you are on blight and see "WM Menkure", well, you know it's me testing something.

However, I do that only on a copy. The real Menkure, which I created back when the game was released, and have played ever since, is totally uncorrupted 'by the power of the gods'. And I like it that way.. Why? Well, I've worked since December of 2003 on him. It took me a year to reach my first 100 seasons in my primary school. Yes, I could - with a single command - give myself 100 levels in every school, but that cheapens it. I like to work for things, be it working on my plot or raising another school to 100. Working for it makes it that much more satisfying when you finally gain that level, or when you pop that new structure on your plot.

And also, it is easy to forget what it is like to play as a regular player when you have the ability to "max everything out with a single command", and do.


-Menkure

[Velea]

Yes, I could - with a single command - give myself 100 levels in every school

-Menkure

Umm... not to put two fine a point on it, Menkure, but no you can't. Characters have to be flagged server side with whether they can or can not use the developer commands. And on the live servers (Chaos and Order) those characters are few and far between on accounts held by developers.

Just trying to douse any potential fires before they start.

[Favoran]

Working for it makes it that much more satisfying when you finally gain that level, or when you pop that new structure on your plot.

I wish my younger brothers could understand that concept... What's the fun in a game if you can instantly skip over actually playing it? I'm glad there's people out there who have such powers (whatever Velea says about not all characters being flagged for that and whatnot) but choose to fully experience the game regardless.

Still... I must admit I think it'd rule to be a biped with absolutely the best gear, all schools at 100, and every crystal you could possibly want. But it'd loose its excitement after a while.

[Steele]

Umm... not to put two fine a point on it, Menkure, but no you can't. Characters have to be flagged server side with whether they can or can not use the developer commands. And on the live servers (Chaos and Order) those characters are few and far between on accounts held by developers.

Just trying to douse any potential fires before they start.

Fair enough, Lady V, but even if he can't actually do it Menk's point is still valid - even if one COULD do it, why bother?

I mean, sure, there is a time and place for running around in a sort of "god mode" to test spawns, make sure everything is behaving properly, etc., but I rather appreciate knowing that at least some folks associated with Virtrium in whatever capacity (employees, emissaries, heralds, etc.) actually do enjoy playing the game as it is, for what it is (an obvious point, of course) - and experience what the rest of us experience, as we experience it (something that can be forgotten/taken for granted).

Certainly knowing that you guys can and do experience the sting of 24+hr DPs makes you seem more, well, "human" (for lack of a better word).

Not that we're getting off-topic or anything, but I'll put this thread back on it's proper shelf now.