I don't normally do this but since it has gained some interest (and I feel a little guilty about unfairly singling you out 578!), I'll try to give a bit of insight as to how things work and explain a little bit about my role.
So currently our next planned blog post (and there is always one) involves using visuals from the main map. We've decided not to release any blog posts without visuals, in order to meet expectations and always provide something that will please everyone with each post. Since we make our own engine, which is developed alongside the game, it's natural that as new tech is added conflicts arise. These often result in some graphical errors within the game as the artists catch up to updates in the engine, which is perfectly normal as the artists may be busy with other things. Right now, there happened to be a problem with the way the text on the map (showing the names of settlements is rendered) due to a new feature added, which ironically is part of the main subject of the blog post. In the normal course of development, this might be resolved in a month or so when one of the programmers responsible for updating the UI takes on that task as part of her or his normal workload. We could simply ignore the error but our approach is to avoid misrepresenting the game, either positively or negatively when we share information or visuals. The result, in this case, is that a hotfix has been applied to the text, which unfortunately takes time away from development (something we normally try to avoid) for the blog. It happens that this fix will be useful to us in other ways, so this time no real harm has been done...
To present something worthwhile, with visuals that we are satisfied do a good job representing the game, it can sometimes take time. If it was the case that development was more structured around sharing information then perhaps we could make more frequent posts.
Ultimately, I'm not too dissatisfied at the rate with which we share information... (don't crucify me!) It won't make the game come any faster if we share more, even though it may feel like it and in the end, that's what's important. That doesn't mean we don't hear your calls though, it just means we need to balance our efforts.
Every blog post typically has a different story but the flow is often the same: minimising extra work done specifically for the blog, while avoiding showing the game with obtrusive errors that simply sell short the excellent work done by the team.
I know I'm waffling a little but this is just the faceted nature of issues that come with sharing information. If we were working with a premade engine, as most companies do, managing this without losing time would naturally be easier. Obviously the reasons for using our own engine are separate. We have a fantastic team working on it and it's actually because they're doing so much and working so fast that these kinds of issues arise.
My role in all this is not to twiddle my thumbs and ignore the community but to help organise and find solutions, as well as arrange what we release and of course, write them! (that bit's easy though
)
I do all sorts of things in the company and right now, one of my main roles is being involved in planning what we will be showing in March at the PC Gamer Weekender (something I'm very excited about!). I also get involved in development in various ways, where I represent the voice of the community and offer my own ideas.
Doing the competitive streams and getting involved in the competitive community is something which (as mentioned) I was doing years before I joined the company and it still takes up a lot of my free time, almost functioning as my hobby rather than my main job. My belief in the Mount & Blade series is the main reason that I came out to Turkey to work for the company in the first place!
Hopefully this post doesn't come across too bleeding-heart or as an attempt to shed responsibility (or get me fired
). What I can't stress enough is that since I came out here three years ago, it is a constant source of joy for me to work with TaleWorlds, a brilliant company and developer full of talented and passionate people.
As a final note, I'd just like to say that I prefer not being the centre of attention, which is why I generally don't write posts like this. We're here to talk about the game and not me!
