Leaderboard

Starting from this I have invited some of you to be part of a design meeting. I've selected participants from their contributions and suggestions on the forum, sens of constructive criticism and developped ideas. If you want to participate please send me a private message, I'll speak a bit with the other and invite you (or not). There shouldn't be a dozen of members to avoid a big mess and interminable meeting. Thus it should be the most objective (as it can be for design things) and opened to the forum. The first one will happen this sunday and will be about how we feel it with the lights of the design documents to define a few tasks and subjects of priority. The report will be posted on the forum. The aim of this meeting is to try to keep a cohesive design through the alphas and know where we are going, thus preventing moving back and forth (and try to make it clear so than everyone can work in the same general direction). And at least to evaluate suggestions and say if it would be interesting to include (with giving the time for it), if it won't break other things or if it should go as a mod for examples. I'm also working on the templates for alpha 19, I'll post more details on a dedicated post after the first meeting if it can validate I'm going in a sensible way.

I actually just sent in an email after seeing a post on the web site about open positions. I still don't really get why I was allowed on as I had no prior experience of this kind of project, much less leading one But I am grateful as it has allowed me to be a part of a wonderful project with talented people. (And while in terms of years I might have stuck with the project longer, I haven't put in anywhere near as much time/effort into the project as Jason did. Even years are debatable as he's still around to some extent ) A committee doesn't work, we did try that, but then you still need to have one person who is responsible for making sure there actually are meetings/discussions/decisions and makes the final decision in case people disagree. What we do need is someone with a vision for 0 A.D. and I'm afraid I'm not that person. When I joined Jason was still around, and after he left Michael was always there with his experience and historical knowledge. I guess I got a bit complacent in that regard, and never got on top of the design part. Could I become? Maybe, but I think 0 A.D. needs someone with more passion for the design. I mean I do care about the game, but it's more on the level of the Vision than the Design Document so to speak. I.e. I do want the game to be an RTS in the style of AoE, but with some added features like territories and citizen soldiers, but I don't really care about the exact number of civs/units or have a set opinion on unit roles etc. Another point, and one that's been made in-team before, is that it's probably wise to try and split roles up a bit to make sure that people actually have time to do what they are meant to do. The trouble is finding someone who is able to do it, and who is willing to continue doing it for at least a couple of years to come (there's no use in having someone start to get things in order and then leave before things are completed, at least not without having someone else taking over).

(I put the system info into a spoiler to avoid it making the page huge. In the future for things like this please attach them to the post by clicking on the More Reply Options button and attach the files that way.)