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Interviews: Community Corner Everyone follows the top sites regarding their current favorite game, but how many readers are actually aware of the time, devotion, love and hassles that go into running a dedicated fansite for their favorite game? We asked representaives, who are players just like you, what's involved in running thier sites which are currently the top rated site's for the game they cover. Joining us today are: MarsFreak from NeoTerm one of the top recommended Neocron fansites.Each person for the integrity of this interview was not aware of the other's answers before hand. You may be suprised by how much in common each site has with the other.
1. Let's kick this off with a self-introduction of yourself, the person behind who you are and what you do in the community. MarsFreak: In real life, I'm 22 years old, live in Vienna (EU/Austria), attend the local university of technology (business informatics: that's a kind of information science with economics) and work at a speech recognition systems company as testware dev and test engineer, and apart from all that I occasionally even have time for my girlfriend! In the community of Neocron, for a few months now, I'm the only person in charge of and responsible for http://www.rpgplanet.com/neocron/neoTERM a Neocron dedicated site on RPG Planet. Nathias: My name is Joshua or 'Nathias' within the community. I'm 22 years old from Chicago, IL. Pretty much have dedicated my self to gaming and technology. I currently run the Asheron's Call 2 fansite at World-Gaming Network. Nieves: My name is Edwin Samuel Nieves, but people just call me Nieves. I am the owner/operator of UOPowergamers.com/Powergamers.net and nwn.powergamers.net and their boards, boards.powergamers.net. What I do in this community is provide 'legal' powergaming information and methods. I also provide commentary about the practices of the parent company and review their releases to the game. Ophelea: Well, my RL-name is Kelly and I'm a mother of two on the Central Coast of California where I run my own home business with my husband. I'd like to say I'm a hardcore gamer but as a mother of two with my own business I'm a hardcore AC player - there's no time for anything else. :) On Warcry's Crossroads of Dereth, I am Ophelea, Site Manager (and news editor with a very poor sense of humor). I have a staff of approximately 40 and we work daily to keep the community up to date on everythng AC. And not just AC, but everything in the AC community. We have fiction, a Soapbox (a place where the players can write anything they'd like for discussion), an ENORMOUS compendium of weapons, critters, trophies, you name it. And perhaps the largest lore section to be found anywhere outside of Turbine. We also run frequent contests and just try to keep the player engaged in the game and also in their fellow players. Sachant: I'm Danielle or "Sachant," the Associate Editor of Shadowbane Vault. I have a ten month old and have been married for two years now. (Yes, to the father.) I am also the co-author of the Official Brady Games Strategy guide for Shadowbane. Silirrion: I'm known to the Anarchy Online community as Silirrion and am the site manager for IGN Vault Network's AO-Vault a fan portal for Funcoms MMORPG Anarchy Online. I previously ran my own smaller fan site at www.ao-zone.com before being recruited by IGN to run the vault for them. Talrias: Hello everyone :) I'm Talrias, from...errr...talrias.net. I set up my site relatively recently, but that doesn't stop it from being the best! I live in the UK, and I busy myself in programming. In the community, I answer questions people may have which I know the answer to, and offer reasoned arguments to extra features I would like to see. Valkyrie: I'm Valkyrie and I run Aerynth Sanctum. For the most part I do news, mini guides, and all the coding for the site, but I've also got a lot of help from everyone who contributes. 2. Why a fansite, and to what purpose? How did you get started with doing a fansite? MarsFreak: As a long-time community member, I had a lot of stuff collected; the logger, a couple of maps, a few guides and so on... It's also a slight advantage if you speak the developer's mother tongue. I early noticed that a lot of people start their very own thing, which is in my opinion ridiculous. No community needs dozens of medium and low quality portal sites. The community is in my humble opinion (IMHO), interested in only a few top sites, so I didn't try to start my own portal out of nothing, but teamed up with an already known and capable crew > neoTERM. Nathias: Why a fansite? What better way is there to be in touch with the fans of the game? Having a fansite gives you a place to voice your opinion, spread news, and deliver information. My fansite started planning back in April of 2002. I was a big fan of Asheron's Call and decided to make a site dedicated to the sequel. Nieves: UOPG actually fell into my lap. Redrum was the original owner of UOPowergamers at uoguilds(uopg.uoguilds.com). I came on as an updater and when he quit Ultima Online, he gave me the site. As to why, I think Redrum created UOPG as an information resource about UOPG. You can ask him at: http://www.warcraft-online.org/ to get a better answer to that question. Ophelea: I'll have to answer this backwards. I got started because I was one of the few players who use tradeskills in AC before they became useful and the site was short on an editor. The Asst Site Manager knew me from in-game and asked me to join. They hired me even though I'd never done an HTML tag in my life. That was a year ago in November. In April, Keth al-Sheth the current Site Manager, left to go work for Turbine. And, even though I was still very code ignorant I'd been a big enough thorn in his side by pushing him to develop the site that he thought I could manage it. I do have 10+ years retail management experience so people aren't are problem. Websites were new. So, I hired people who could code :P Why a fansite? Well, the thing is, by the time I took over WCoD AC was more than 2 years old and people were getting ready for AC2. As a fansite, I could move our focus away from strictly the game and more into the community. The PEOPLE who play the game. It's been a moved that's worked well for us and I think really given us a great audience. They're ALL enganged and that's a wonderful experience. Sachant: I got hooked on the idea of Shadowbane years ago when it was just Carnage.net. My former guild mates the Undead Lords had a few people keeping an eye on it and I sort of kept my eye on it too. Later after getting to know Div Devlin of Aerynth Atheneaum (and now GameRifts) a bit better, we discussed me writing for Aerynth. As things would have it, in time Chris "Vosx" Mancil was hired on by Ubi Soft to be community manager for Shadowbane and asked me if I would take over the reins and run Shadowbane Vault. I guess you could say I got sucked in and wanted to participate in getting news and new ideas out to the fans the best way I knew how. Silirrion: Why? My original site was never intended to become what it has, and that lead me to IGN eventually. It started out as just three or four pages specifically about starting out for some friends who were starting AO after quitting EQ. Slowly I added a few more pages and maps, then the Official Funcom site awarded my site it's 'Fan site of the Month' award in March of 2002. From there the whole site just took off. I'd love to think it was all part of some masterplan, but it's more like a strange alignment of the stars at some point that should take the credit! Talrias: My website originally started as being the website for my guild, the Order of Asrikane (http://asrikane.talrias.net) but while creating the website I felt that I should include news from games we play so the members can be up to date. This eventually lead to a alltogether seperate section, similar to a fansite. The main purpose is to provide news to the community, including my guild. Valkyrie: Well this is my fifth or sixth fansite, and I'm beginning to notice a trend... fansites seem to be what I do to try to give back to games I like. I enjoy being active in the community and trying to make a place where people instinctively go when they want answers or good company. I followed the game for a year or so, then decided I liked its ideas enough that I wanted to be a part of it. Then I started building the site and it's slowly evolved to what it is now. 3. Has running a fansite enhanced your gaming enjoyment? How so? How negative has the community been towards you as a fansite operator? Are you labeled a sell-out, and if so, how do you respond? MarsFreak: I believe it has in several ways. You're really focused on the game, probably much more than the average player. And you're no longer a bystander in the crowd, but as informed as possible. I got no negative response so far. I am a fansite operator and am not paid by the developers nor the publisher. My (news-)posts tend to be objective, without personal comments. So it's neither written in a fanboi's "oh, it's not that bad"-attitude, nor ranting or demanding. Nathias: Yes and No. Running a fansite takes alot of time, depending on how many people you have working on it. In a way it can burn you out on the game after a while, but it also can keep you in touch with the game more and increase gaming enjoyment. I think the gaming community has expressed nothing but good vibes towards us. I don't think I have been labeled a sell-out, because I really only sell out to the viewers. I'm all for the fans, that's why I run my own contests to help people pay for their accounts and I offer chances for people to win a copy of the game. Nieves: Blah. Enhanced my gaming enjoyment? Sometimes yes because I get alot of good information. Sometimes it's like a job. A job that is VERY underpaid. Baby sitting some of the folks in my forum becomes a pain thankfully most are very well behaved). And finding good, consistant help (regular updaters) is a hard thing. And sometimes I feel unappreciated. But, then I get a note, or I see some REALLY good info from a reader and it makes my day. A sell out? Nah. I would think I am the most disliked and well liked fansite operator for Ultima Online there is. It really depends on who you ask. Ophelea: Yes, it has DEFINIATELY enhanced my enjoyment because AC is such a LARGE game with such voluminous changes each month I could never see them all. And I at least learn about them as a member of the site. It's gotten me more deeply involved with lore, I've gotten to travel to represent the site and I've met some REALLY nice players I'd call friends. In a year I've only had ONE negative experience. It was during a VERY unpopular change in the game towards a certain class of player that I realized on a personal level would benefit me personally (well, me and everyone of my class). I made a comment in a community forum about how excited I was about THAT ASPECT only and it was misconstrued as me being excited about the entire change. I receive some hate mail and even lost some allegiance members over it. But honestly, I find that the community supports not only the site but me personally. The few times that I've been attacked it's not my staff that defends me it's the community. And I'm proud of that... that they respect me. Sachant: It has enhanced my gaming enjoyment in the way that I get to be "in the know" sooner and have access to a lot of other great fans with knowledge. It's easier to approach people and find out what they are thinking or how they feel if they know you have somewhere to voice their thoughts publicly and their time doesn't go to waste. As far as negativity... There is always some negativity aimed at you when others disagree with your opinions and the way you do things. There is a lot of positive feedback as well. As for being called a sell-out.. Yep.. I've heard it all before. For me though, it's all about what I can get my hands into and enjoy. Where can I get into the thick of things and do a good job? I honestly enjoy the community that I'm a part of and I'm a fan too. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Silirrion: It's definately enhanced my gameplaying, and far from a negative response, the majority of the AO playerbase is exceptionally supportive of the time and effort that is put into the sites. Sure, there is the odd troll who would find something negative to say about anything, but I must say that the AO community is by far one of the most 'friendly' I have been involved with in over eight years on-line. Talrias: Co-ordinating a fansite, while taking a lot of time, is very enjoyable as it gives you the chance to read up on all the latest news about various games. It also makes you happy, as by posting news to others for their enjoyment makes you happy too, in that buzz kind of way. Its difficult to explain, but other fansite operators will hopefully know what I mean :) Valkyrie: In a lot of ways it has enhanced my enjoyment. I don't have the opportunity to really be oblivious to a lot of the things that go on and just enjoy myself, but I think the political aspect and knowing what's going on is great, even if it's a different kind of satisfaction. The nice thing is, I don't feel like I'm totally outside the community because I don't get treated any differently for it. I've had... maybe 10 people in game say "Wait, are you Valkyrie from Aerynth Sanctum?" and then I get to feel like a celebrity, but it's not a daily thing. Am I labelled a Sellout? If anyone does say or think that they don't say it or think it it to me. I don't think I'm a sellout, but if someone does, that's cool. It means they think I'm buddies with the developers! 4. When interacting with the game company you support, (if you interact with them) and your site, how have the lines of communication been? MarsFreak: This varies. Seldom they've come forward and offered material, and most of the time you could perish before they would answer questions. But with time and patience you learn, who listens and who simply ignores your inquiries. Nathias: I really feel the lines of communication are pretty bad from my perspective. There really is no dedicated fan community leader that contacts different sites to give them a lead on information to help prepare sites for upcoming events, etc. I feel that all the fansites out there do a service to Turbine/Microsoft promoting their game and each site should have it's time to shine and get the word out about [items on] their site. Nieves: We no longer interact as much as we should. I don't like to deal with people that won't deal honestly with their customers nor with me. Yes, it sounds like a contradiction because I still support the game. But, I would respond with: "I support the PLAYERS of the game." Oh, and I don't deal with a company that plays favorites (and yes Div, you know exactly what I mean). Ophelea: I was lucky enough to meet the head of the live team at E3 last year and we became friends. Then, at ACPL I met a few other devs whom I'd also call friend. Actually, close friends. I speak to them daily :) As far as the game is concerned, they'll ask my opinion about things as a player. And I can offer it as well. On a rare occassion they're forthcoming about something coming up but they have confidentiality they work under. But, we've developed a really nice working relationship. I report bugs to them they may not be aware of, forward emails I receive I feel they should see, point them to posts they should respond to or at least be aware of. And again, I think they've come to respect me because I try to work for the game community and not for myself. But then, they may say differently *grins*. Sachant: There have been their ups and downs. I can understand the whys of when information gets bottlenecked for us. It's still frustrating nonetheless. Wolfpack however has always been extremely supportive of its fansites and the nice thing is, both Vosx and Ashen Temper started on Shadowbane Vault themselves so remember their roots. Silirrion: Funcom, the developers behind Anarchy Online have a very good focus on the community, and the lines of communication actually surprised me when I started to get involved. A big thank you must go out on that front to Funcom's community Manager, Thomas Johnsen, he is a marvel. I often wondered before having the insights that the relationship allows me, how the devs coped with some of the negativity you find in MMORPGs in general, and espcially official forums, but once I had spoken Thomas and others a couple of times, the devs enthusiasm for their product was infectious. The cynic may say that I am bound to say this, but the guys at Funcom have been as open and accessible as I could imagine them being. Talrias: I have interacted with 2 games companies, Codemasters for Dragon Empires, and Bioware for Neverwinter Nights. For Codemasters it has been an interview with their Community Liason Manager, and he has been very prompt in replying to my emails (within working hours, of course :D). With Bioware I helped write some code for people requesting feeds of the latest posts, and one of their webmasters has been very helpful with developing it. So, yes, my communication with the two game companies have both been prompt and useful. Thanks to them! Oh, I almost forgot. Bioware has also started a Fan Site system where they release information about their expansion pack to Neverwinter Nights to the fan sites, in advance of appearing on official sites. Its a great system to build up interest in the fan sites as well as the official site. Valkyrie: I haven't had a whole lot of contact with anyone directly. I've emailed a developer or two and they've always been really nice and civil, but for the most part I've been pretty independent. It feels weird to think of having much contact with the developers because everyone knows they live on a different plane of existance with ex-child-stars and hotdogs. 5. Have you ever felt like you wanted to just quit, and just shut your site down? What events led to that choice? What made you change your mind? MarsFreak: Some changes in the game were a slap in most people's face, but that was not a real problem for me. It's a game: they can maybe nerf my avatar, but not me. B) But what really made me think of quitting was being abandoned with the site. If you look at the team page (http://www.rpgplanet.com/neocron/aboutus.asp) you see that once a lot of people participated in the site, which are all gone by now. Nathias: It's hard balancing a game site with work. I work a full time computer consulant job and I need to do alot of studying of new technology for work. This is very time consuming and often times I am up till 2-3AM doing an update on the site hardware/software and need to be at work at 7AM. Times are tough in the world, but being able to get compliments from fans makes it worth the effort. (Wow... I sound like one of those hollywood chumps on TV.) Nieves: Yes. Dealing with bullshit. Dealing with a company that does not do right with it's customers and playerbase. Dealing with asshoes in my forum. What changed my mind? The players that still want UOPG to survive. And Nieves to stick around. Ophelea: Everyone wants to just quit sometimes. My site (including myself) is 100% volunteer. And with staff members having jobs, family, school, the game and a life well sometimes things just don't get done on time or the way you'd like. Or life overloads me and I just want a break. But, I've never seriously considered leaving because, I like it. I like the people I work with. I like the players I work for. I like learnning about websites (I can do html now, php is next!). And I like and respect Turbine and as long as I do I'm going to represent this game the best possible way I can. Sachant: Everyone has had those moments of "that's it!" But the thing about most site operators is we're just stubborn busy bodys that want our hands in everything. Trying NOT to be involved in a bigger way with the community is hard. But if I ever left the Shadowbane Vault, it wouldn't shut down. It would just pass on to someone else. I haven't left it yet and don't intend to yet. Silirrion: Time is really the only thing that would ever prompt such thoughts. There are occassions when you don't even have time to think, let alone actually play the game you started playing in the first place. So sure, on occassion you think 'is it really worth the hassle?' but I think what you get out of it is well worth the effort. I get an enormous amount of self satisfaction from knowing that the sites help other players and increase their enjoyment of the game. Talrias: Thankfully not! Valkyrie: Yeah, I haven't even had the site open for a year and I sometimes want to quit, but if I didn't I'd probably be in a straitjacket somewhere nice and padded. I have a tough time dealing with people who are just caustic no matter how nice or helpful I try to be. I've put a ton of work into the site and when people insult it with the specific intent of being an ass, I just want to wash my hands of the whole thing. Luckily thugh, the mean people do their thing and leave, and the people who like and appreciate the site stay. The people who stay are more than worth it to keep trying. 6. If you could run the company for your game for say, a week, what type of changes would you put into motion to enhance the enjoyment factor of the game, and open the lines of commmunication? Have there been problems communicating? MarsFreak: I highly doubt a week would change much =). KK highly depends on volunteers for things like moderation on the board or first line in-game support (GMs), and often people complain about the behaviour of those "helpers". They seem to be untrained and imho would have to be selected more carefully, especially on how to behave towards paying customers. KK's information policy (give out as few info as possible) is something I learned to agree with. In the past, it was proven that people whine, no matter if they get info or not. (If they get no info, they complain that they're uninformed; if they get info, they complain when dates are not 100% met, and/or features aren't 100% implemented as predicted.) Nathias: I would really just change the interaction with all fansites. They really do help the life of a game. I would make sure each fansite has a time when they get unique content they can post on their pages so they get their time to shine. Ultima Online Origins had a great fan community leader who did this things were very positive in the community. Nieves: Wow. Well, the #1 thing I would change at OSI would be for the company to be honest and up front with their players at every level (whenever possible). To not play word games with them and treat them with respect and like... customers that pay my salary. And if the company changes their mind about something say so! Not renig or make it seem like something always was when it wasn't. Ophelea: Hrm.... dare I say it? If I could run Turbine/MS for a week I'd triple the size of the live team, double the number of admins and find the money to put a paid advocate program back in place. ALL of these things would open communication because there'd a) be people to talk to and b) the devs could find the time to do more than work 12-hour games on the next patch. As far as problems communicating...wow, more dare I say answers. The more time MS spends on AC2 (which has been nearly all of their time as of late) the more AC is left behind. Their website - which should be their first line of communication - is often the last. It's nearly to the point now that fansites ARE the news system for what's happening in AC. Sachant: Phew.. I'm not sure I want to touch this one. The thing with having a deeper insight into what goes on within a game company is the fact that you both have privileged information most fans just don't have and you are given a better look at the whys of things that whether you like them or not, often make some semblence of sense. I think what I'd do is fast track a lot of features and requests the fans have that make good gaming fun and sense. The thing is, a lot of the very things the fans want are on tap for Shadowbane so I'm sure my plans would just be redundant in nature. Silirrion: Oh wow..not sure I'd know where to start! Not that I find anything horribly broken in the game as it is, but I think we all have an 'ideal' game in our minds, probably patched together from the best bits of all the other games you have ever played. It would most likely be almost impossible to code, but the thoughts would be there. I'd probably have the entire dev team quit within the first day muttering something unsavory about the practicality of my ideas. Talrias: The problem with most games is that by the time the community has really picked up and many people are on the forums or IRC channel, the game's development stage is nearly complete and it is too late to add the great features which users suggest. I'm no games developer, but I do know how hard it is to add core features when other stuff has been done. To enhance the enjoyment factor - this really depends on the game. For online games, the feature which really makes a game is the community. Active forums, and many people playing the game really helps. Valkyrie: Ideally? Bring in the horses! Bring in the ships and the pirates! Tell the community what's going on before (or at the same time as) the bigwig media companies. I wish it was that easy. It would be great!Realistically, though, I would have a tougher time with the first two because they're probably tougher obstacles than anyone realizes. I would definitely want to work on the third though. If people are enthusiastic enough to follow the game with a magnifying glass and make an effort to be part of the community, they really deserve to be kept in the loop and shouldn't have to find out about some major change or announcement from some company that doesn't really even care about the game. 7. How much impact does your site have in your community? Now that you have been thrust into 'net-stardom' do you feel a responsibility to your readers? MarsFreak: I'd call the site one of the 3 major international sites available to the subject "Neocron". I think I could do a lot of harm, if I'd behave differently. Bringing up a lot of fanboi(or the opposite, hate)-influenced news, could make people believe that my personal opinion, is the only truth available. I try to keep my official writing as professional as possible. Nathias: I really couldn't say how much impact I have in the community. I never look at myself as being a star on the net. I'm sure there are more popular fansites on the web than mine, but I just do what I can to make my page the best it can be and provide the latest and greatest information to our viewers. Nieves: Impact? Honestly, I do not even know. I don't hear as much from other updaters nor from the company OSI about it. Net Stardom? Er. I am a celebrity? Um, yeah. I guess. Only time it hit me was when Calandryll asked for my autograph (I am sure he's burned that by now), but other than that, I don't feel like a celebrity. Ophelea: How to answer this. I will say that there are issues in the game that have come to the attention of the devs because our site brought it to them. Would they have found out anyways? Probably. But, not in such a timely manner. And as far as an impact in the community, we're often the place people come to with questions that should be directed at the developers because they know we'll work to answer them. That's a good feeling, they they trust us. And of course I feel a responsibility to them. I set a standard when I took over and I'll be damned if I'll let that standard slip. We are here for the players - to make their game better by having either information at hand in the compendium, quest write-ups, patch trees, boards to vent on, or a place to communicate with each other and the devs. And we, as a staff, hold that to a high standard. And hell, IT'S FUN! Sachant: I'm told we have a lot of impact on people. We're very visible as being a part of the IGN network. How many we have swing by, I don't know. I try not to think about it too much because my main focus is just getting information out to those that enjoy the site and make it their main source of information. I often argue about the idea of "net-stardom". I don't consider myself a net-star at all. I'm just a fan, doing what most fans would love to do. I absolutely feel a responsibility to other fans because I AM so privileged. If I'm not doing it to help others it would be selfish and egomaniacle to think it was all about me. It's really not even though I often joke with people about it. Silirrion: I'm never sure on that one, and I certainly don't feel any different then before I did the site (maybe a little older perhaps...). The 'thank you' emails are great and always appreciated and I'd like to think that the sites help enhance players enjoyment of the game as a whole. Talrias: For Dragon Empires, the game is still relatively uncovered in terms of other fan sites. Hopefully, when the community grows more closer to release then the fan sites will become more active. As my fan site has been started recently, the community has not fully picked up but I hope it will soon. I do feel a responsibility for the readers, after all they can vote with their feet (or mouse) to leave, and unless I bring them the news and other stuff they desire, they will. Valkyrie: It's hard to say exactly what impact my site has on the community because I can't really see it without. I've tried to make a competitive site that tries to make content and not just report on other site's content. In that respect I think the site has had an impact because of the guides and information that are available there that no one else has. And I do feel a responsibility to everyone who visits the site to make sure they don't have problems, and to correct any problems they have. I've had things broken for a few minutes before and I'm in a huge rush to try to get it all fixed before someone tries to see the site and can't and doesn't ever want to come back. I don't think anyone has any idea how much pressure I'm under when they browse! 8. Have you ever been called to task for stories you released and printed before the full impact on the community was realized? What transpired? MarsFreak: No, as I clearly indicate what is fact, rumour or only private opinion. Nathias: Never had an issue with this. Nieves: Yep. If I am wrong, I WILL correct it and do a follow up. Truth in reporting is important to me. And some stories on UOPG have created serious s...storms in the community. Barth Van Dorn (don't ask) and the vendor change issue with Age of Shadows are among two of the things that have literally lit up the community with a passionate... retort. Ophelea: No, never. Sachant: Sure, I get emails from people on occassion that disagree with some of what I say. Though, I really try to weigh the impact of what I'm putting out there too. I have to keep in focus that when I'm talking about people in an article, I'm talking about real flesh and blood sitting behind keyboards and working behind the scenes. When for instance Wolfpack is called to task on things, there's a very real need to understand that they are running a business even if it's about a game. When I talk about another fan site and what is going on with them, I have to remember that they have a platform of their own to stand on and state their counter to me. I have to make sure that when I'm putting out information that it's based more on fact than opinion because while opinion is fun, facts are easier to back up. Silirrion: Alas yes, I once printed a guide on my original site which used stats and images from another fan site and forgot to credit them as the source, they were understandably annoyed!!! It was all the more frustrating because I am usually very careful to make sure any sources are given the proper credit they deserve. I can't stress that enough to be honest, its never nice to see someone else's name credited with what you know is your work. If there was one thing i could 'undo' that would definately be it! I managed to burn some bridges I have never managed to rebuild over that one. Talrias: Nope! :) Valkyrie: I haven't been called to task for any stories I've released. I've tried to be pretty careful about that and have my hands full enough with getting through my task list that I haven't had time to be controversial. I've been criticized for running an unorganized contest though. I thought it was going to be great when I planned it all out but as it went on I could see some things not working and made a few revisions to voting and things like that. Hell promptly broke loose and I wanted to shut the site down then more than ever because of the whining and screaming, but the tempest passed and it's been mildly breezy since then. 9. Running a fansite is often a labor of love, with little to no reward. How active is your community in volunteering info, for class guides, general news info, or help with the site? MarsFreak: They seldom come and offer what they have. But when I ask if I may publish their work, they usually give positive response, as someone cares about _their_ labor of love. Nathias: I think the community is very outgoing. People submit news to us all the time and I think it's great. I'll be honest, it is very hard to find dedicated people to work on the site as a news poster, coder, etc. Nieves: VERY! They post LOTS of good information about the game! Problem is data farming. I am only one guy and it's hard to catch it fast enough (threads tend to get buried or I miss them). Not too mention I procrastinate too much :p Ophelea: Well, AC receives monthly patches that I just can't compare to other games. Not bug fixes or little additions but HUNDREDS to THOUSANDS of changes each month. We receive HUNDREDS of emails each patch of people contributing. If we find we're missing something all we need do is ask, its sent to us. Like I said, when I took over I changed the focus of the site from the game to the players and you know, they returned the favor. :) Sachant: I have had some great fans getting me their event bits and screenshots. On occassion a fan realizes we have a great place to showcase their artwork as well. I hesitate at times to ask for volunteers because helping with the site does take away from game time. I also want to make sure that if they volunteer they are doing it because they really want to contribute something and not just coast along and have their name in lights. We really haven't pushed the envelope as of yet for fan submissions but we're hoping to start ramping it up very soon. We have something new on the horizon and people need to keep an eye out for the week of April 14th. Silirrion: It tends to go in swings and roundabouts, but by and large the community is quite active at providing news, guides, artwork etc. Our message boards are also an invaluable tool in generating leads on content and news info. The community is really the key, the site wouldn't exist without them, and is for them. Talrias: As my site has only recently started, it is picking up. Hopefully in a few weeks it will become properly active. I will select news administrators and other such positions from the responsible people in the community. Valkyrie: Well I've got some really great staff members on the site who volunteer to report on news, write guides, things like that... so in that sense it's doing pretty well. The larger community isn't as forthcoming with information, but occasional corrections and news bits do come in so I know there are people who care enough to try to help out even if I don't know them personally. 10. Where do you see yourself in a year with your site and the game, here for the long haul due to a labor of love, or an enjoyable pastime? Does it seem like work now? MarsFreak: I refrain to plan anything on hobbies such as the site. As the game is still young, it's probable though, that I'll still run the site. I like to focus on things and not switch each month between "my next favourite hobby". Nathias: I see myself still running the site. I have put to much time and love into this site to let it fail. It still feels like work sometimes, but it's a fun kinda work. Nieves: For now, the long haul. I hope. And yes, it's a job. Ophelea: I'll be here in a year for both the labor of love and because I enjoy it. Is it work? HELL YES. Some days I have to remind myself to do paying work. But, it's creative, its engaging and its with people. Who wouldn't want to do that? Sachant: It's work. There's no doubt about that. At times it can be frustrating because you want acknowledgement for your hard work and you want the fans to give you an easy ride, pat you on the back and tell you, you just saved their gaming career. But, we don't live in that fantasy world. Fans disagree sometimes and don't always like what you have to say. For those times when someone says "great job", it is worth it. Shadowbane Vault has become many things for me. It's a labor of love. It's hard work. It's enjoyable and being that I am stubborn as hell, it's something I plan on sticking with for a long while. Silirrion: Anarchy Online has come on leaps and bounds and I am very excited about the game and the upcoming expansion Shadowlands. Having played most of them, AO is currently the best MMORPG on the market and improving every patch. Is it enjoyable? Sure, or we wouldn't do it...sometimes we need to remind ourselves every now and again, but I think deep down you must enjoy it or you wouldn't have the patience to keep going! Talrias: Hopefully still going strong, with plenty of active users and it may have expanded to many more games! But only the future can tell. Does it seem like work? Kind of, but it will be enjoyable work. Valkyrie: In a year, if it continues growing the way it is now, I see the site being incredibly successful and even competing with some of the network-backed sites. I have no intention of abandoning it, even though I idly contemplate the idea when I'm mad. Unless there's some enormous unforseen turn my life takes, I'll still be working at it like a full-time volunteer job. 11. In Closing, would you like to add anything? MarsFeak: Greetings go out to: . the community (without whom my site would be totally useless:), . my clan (the Nomads of the DMW (http://dmw.clandomain.net)) and . (the best) competitor HaHa aka Kzap, of NeocronCentral.net. Nathias: http://ac2.world-gaming.com Thanks! Nieves: Can I go home now? Ophelea: Yes. Many of the questions above asked about me, what I did, how I feel. WCoD is not "Ophelea's Site". It's a compilation of 40 editors, coders, moderators and columnists who ALL volunteer their time to contribute both content and personality. They ALL deserve recognition for the time and work they do. It's an amazing group of VOLUNTEERS. Sometimes, I think people forget that we all do this for free. Sachant: Sure... The best thing for anyone considering getting into working on a fan site is to realize it's not some great big launching pad to fame fortune and working in that gaming career you always dreamed of. While some people get lucky, most just happened to work hard and stumble into a great opportunity that happened their way. Working on a fansite should serve the purpose of working for the fans, not furthering goals of fame and fortune. It should be about gettin out information and taking part in the community as a whole. If you don't like it, you find you aren't connecting with the fans in a way enjoyable get out. If you find yourself having a tough day, just take a deep breath and remember why you started doing this all... the love of the game. I think that pretty much sums it up. Silirrion: The site is at <http://aovault.ign.com/> and is updated daily. I think the thing that strikes me most about AO is the bad reputation it got due to it's troublesome launch, which was very buggy. The improvements made since then mean AO is a top notch title but mud sticks and when you mention AO to many players you get the old 'that buggy piece of crap?' line...it gets tired after a while...whilst I realise that at the time it was deserved, I love to think that people can revisit AO with an open mind and see for themselves the massive improvements that Funcom have made to their game. There is a free seven day trial available ( Talrias: Yeah, my fan site is teh best! Valkyrie: I'd like to say thanks for thrusting me to net-stardom! Being interviewed is kinda weird, in a good way. 12. Oh, and just so people know again, where can they find your site again! (Self-promotion here!) MarsFeak: NeoTERM (=> http://www.rpgplanet.com/neocron/) Nathias: http://ac2.world-gaming.com Nieves: UOPowerGamers.com Ophelea: http://ac.warcry.com Sachant: http://sbvault.ign.com Silirrion: http://aovault.ign.com/ Talrias: Go to http://www.talrias.net for the main website, http://de.talrias.net for Dragon Empires @ talrias.net, http://nwn.talrias.net for Neverwinter Nights @ talrias.net and http://asrikane.talrias.net for my guild, the Order of Asrikane. Valkyrie: Aerynth Sanctum (How about that server change?) Discuss: Thanks to everyone who took part!
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