Goblinworks Blog: Time Keeps On Slipping, Slipping, Slipping into the Future!

[Ardogen]

In the same vein as Pilot Program, how does Concept Test sound? One draws Concept Art as the beginnings of an idea to give it shape and form and a base to work with. The players who're let in at the very beginning will take the Concept Test and give it shape and form as well.

My main concern is that the naming sounds too barebones, as if players'll be playing a skeleton of a game.

(I apologize for the useless, irrelevant eyesore that was my last comment. I need to learn to read more carefully).

[Mbando]

Abandoned Arts wrote:

I have two suggestions:

Living Playtest, and Incremental Launch (or Ongoing Launch)

Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts

I kinda like these ones--"Living Playtest" get's across that it's not just a stress test/wipe. "Incremental Launch" is really precise--isn't it exactly what will happen? A real launch, and a linguistic marker to anchor the name to what people already know, but also making clear that this isn't the usual cash-grab launch.

Mos def like "Incremental Launch."

[Elth]

I'm not a fan of the Pilot program. Like Alexander said above, it sounds fine for a TV program but this is a fantasy computer game.

Personally I think Pioneer is the word. It doesn't sound modern or futuristic, it means exactly what you want it to mean and it's what we will be doing. When the first players log into this game, they will be Pioneers, there may already be cultures present in the River Kingdoms but these players are going to be the pioneers for this era. So once again, I highly suggest The Pioneer Program

[Nihimon]

Yes, "Incremental Launch" clearly and unambiguously conveys the key concepts.

[Abandoned Arts]

GrumpyMel wrote:

I really like "Living Playtest"...nicely done!

Nihimon wrote:

Yes, "Incremental Launch" clearly and unambiguously conveys the key concepts.

Mbando wrote:

Mos def like "Incremental Launch."

[zoidberg] Hooray! People are paying attention to me! [/zoidberg]

I like Rokolith's idea of "Crowdlaunching" as well.

Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts

[boygussey]

So excited about this! For launch name suggestions:

• Wild Hex
• Chaos
• The Rising

Keep up the awesomeness!

[Misere]

Elth wrote:

I'm not a fan of the Pilot program. Like Alexander said above, it sounds fine for a TV program but this is a fantasy computer game.

Personally I think Pioneer is the word. It doesn't sound modern or futuristic, it means exactly what you want it to mean and it's what we will be doing. When the first players log into this game, they will be Pioneers, there may already be cultures present in the River Kingdoms but these players are going to be the pioneers for this era. So once again, I highly suggest The Pioneer Program

I agree with this.

[Hye Roler]

How about one of these names for the initial launch?

Pathfinder Online: Origins
Pathfinder Online: Beginnings
Pathfinder Online: Foundations
Pathfinder Online: The Founding
Pathfinder Online: The Dawning
Pathfinder Online: The Settling
Pathfinder Online: First Settlers
Pathfinder Online: Prologue

Thornkeep: Origins
Thornkeep: Beginnings
Thornkeep: Foundations
Thornkeep: The Founding
Thornkeep: The Dawning
Thornkeep: The Settling
Thornkeep: First Settlers
Thornkeep: Prologue

River Kingdoms: Origins
River Kingdoms: Beginnings
River Kingdoms: Foundations
River Kingdoms: The Founding
River Kingdoms: The Dawning
River Kingdoms: The Settling
River Kingdoms: First Settlers
River Kingdoms: Prologue

** Edited... removed Epilogue as it isn't about the end but rather the beginning of the Pathfinder Online and River Kingdoms story.

My personal favorite is Pathfinder Online: Prologue
It captures the narrative aspect of the PFO and I believe gamers understand what it means. Gran Turismo did it with GT5: Prologue where as the FINAL version of the game released sometime after. I think it sounds better than Pilot personally.

[DiSkOrD]

Epilogue is my favered and Origins ofc

[Bruce the Wanderer]

Misere wrote:

Elth wrote:

I'm not a fan of the Pilot program. Like Alexander said above, it sounds fine for a TV program but this is a fantasy computer game.

Personally I think Pioneer is the word. It doesn't sound modern or futuristic, it means exactly what you want it to mean and it's what we will be doing. When the first players log into this game, they will be Pioneers, there may already be cultures present in the River Kingdoms but these players are going to be the pioneers for this era. So once again, I highly suggest The Pioneer Program

I agree with this.

I agree with the Pioneer or Settler theme - also brings to mind the Oklahoma land rush, maybe the participants could be called "Boomers" as well.

[Andius]

Nihimon wrote:

Yes, "Incremental Launch" clearly and unambiguously conveys the key concepts.

+1. That may be the best suggestion so far. Must have missed it when it was made.

Elth wrote:

I'm not a fan of the Pilot program. Like Alexander said above, it sounds fine for a TV program but this is a fantasy computer game.

Personally I think Pioneer is the word. It doesn't sound modern or futuristic, it means exactly what you want it to mean and it's what we will be doing. When the first players log into this game, they will be Pioneers, there may already be cultures present in the River Kingdoms but these players are going to be the pioneers for this era. So once again, I highly suggest The Pioneer Program

Personally that is exactly why I don't like the term Pioneer Program. While it can roughly fit any MMO, it sounds more tailored to a fantasy MMO or maybe a space colonization game. I can sit here and think of MMO themes it clashes with in my head. All Points Bulletin, Matrix Online, etc.

This term is not just for Pathfinder Online. This is describing a process that may be imitated by future MMO developers on a broad range of games should it prove successful. For that reason we need to be steering away from words that are even slightly roleplay tailored, and going for a purely technical term IMO.

[Dak Thunderkeg]

Core Launch is still the term that is standing out most for me.

[Hycoo]

Pathfinder Online: Prologue gets my vote

[Valkenr]

It seems like a lot of suggestions here aren't taking into consideration that this needs to be a term to describe any game. It needs to also work for a game where you play a giant ball, and bounce on monkeys to get gold and level up, then have giant bouncy-ball fights in domed arenas, then go out and build rubber houses and small plastic communities.

[Ryan Dancey]

And it doesn't capture the essential difference, which is that development shifts from us telling you how the game plays, to a community directed development effort.

[Notmyrealname]

Long-Term Game Launch

or did someone say that already?

[Ardogen]

So, a purely technical term (As Andius has pointed out, which I agree with) which clearly and succinctly describes the beginnings of PFO?

I think Crowdlaunching has been the best I've seen so far that fits with those parameters. Anything with the word "Crowd" seems fitting to me.

Does Feedback Development do it for anyone?

[Cryptorus]

Hm... Player-Assisted Development then? Also abbreviated as P.A.D.? That way each community member assisting in development is in a way, important, as we each contribute as part of that whole to your work?

I'll throw that out there now instead of my Call to Adventure idea, but despite the whole idea of the name of this whole 'thing' being generic being important, it might be good to still have it be a unique title for this unique MMO; Since it involves Community Development In New Games (or C.D.I.N.G. Oh that's a funny one! made it without even knowing!). My "P.A.D." idea doesn't encapsulate that enough though in my opinion. But, I just want to pitch it since I like acronyms.

[Alexander_Damocles]

I still think Foundational Launch works well, or something to that effect.

[Drejk]

Live Development?

[Kard Warstein]

I like:

Core Release
Pioneer Program
Advanced Launch
Prelude Launch

[Midnighter]

How about:

Reference Design or Reference Design Package
Reference Release
Reference Launch

[Dak Thunderkeg]

What is this version referencing, though? This makes me think of Field Reference Guides or manuals, not game launches.

[Mbando]

Ryan Dancey wrote:

And it doesn't capture the essential difference, which is that development shifts from us telling you how the game plays, to a community directed development effort.

How about Community Development Launch, highlighting the change in development direction, and the fact that it is a launch, not a test?

[Midnighter]

Dak Thunderkeg wrote:

What is this version referencing, though? This makes me think of Field Reference Guides or manuals, not game launches.

From the wiki:

"Reference Design Packages enable a fast track to market thereby cutting costs and reducing risk in the customer's integration project. Reference designs enable customers to shorten their time to market. In this modern competitive world shortening the design cycle and speeding up the time to market is the major challenge faced by Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)."

[Notmyrealname]

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Launch,

long song ......long launch

[Dak Thunderkeg]

D'Syndri wrote:

Dak Thunderkeg wrote:

What is this version referencing, though? This makes me think of Field Reference Guides or manuals, not game launches.

From the wiki:

"Reference Design Packages enable a fast track to market thereby cutting costs and reducing risk in the customer's integration project. Reference designs enable customers to shorten their time to market. In this modern competitive world shortening the design cycle and speeding up the time to market is the major challenge faced by Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)."

Fair enough. To a layman though, that definition does not immediately come to mind when reading the term.

[Midnighter]

Notmyrealname wrote:

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Launch,

long song ......long launch

Hmm Pathfinder Online: In the Garden of Eden

Of course one would have to translate it into drunken, stoned out of your mind speech to come up with:

Pah-fun-der On-lun: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

:)

[Blaeringr]

Going with a Golarion historic theme: Pathfinder: Age of Growth
Almost as catchy as Age of Madness

[Darkrunner]

So I've been following this so far, and have to put in for Incremental Launch so far. That being said...

You were all about how the game was going to be built around those players and the core pathfinder community, and how the key idea was that it was not just a beta TEST but true development based strongly on player feedback.
Thus, I propose the term:

Community Development Launch
or
Community Dev Launch

The second just sounds better, in my opinion.

The point being: It's generic, it can be used in other games, and it sums up exactly what is going on - The launch of a game still being actively developed by the community.

[Urman]

randomwalker wrote:

My take is that it is not a test/rehearsal but a release of the actual game to a smaller group in order to start building the world and setting the seeds and direction for further development. This phase yet to be named will presumably last until capacity catches up with demand at which point the game is de facto open to all.

rw, I think you're right here. We'd be done with alpha and beta tests and would be placing initial players, more each month.

I think this phase is "post-Beta Player Seeding and Ramp-up".

[DeciusBrutus]

Seizing on the last idea- "Ramp up" followed by "Liftoff" (contrast "Liftoff" with "Launch".)

[Hye Roler]

Ryan Dancey wrote:

And it doesn't capture the essential difference, which is that development shifts from us telling you how the game plays, to a community directed development effort.

I think I get what you are saying here Ryan...Essentially you want something that says, "hey gamers, we've built the foundations of this virtual world [The River Kingdoms] and so the road ends here...now it's time to 'find yer own Path!'"

Just not sure how to embody that exactly. How about this as food for thought?

Pathfinder Online: Dawn of Civilization
Pathfinder Online: Age of Exploration
Pathfinder Online: Age of Development
Pathfinder Online: Charting the Path
Pathfinder Online: Uncharted Territories
Pathfinder Online: Uncharted Lands
Pathfinder Online: Settling the Lands
Pathfinder Online: The Time of Settlement

[Gerrik]

how about:

Survey testng/programming/phase/etc...
Q&A testing/programming/phase/etc...
Feedback testing/programming/phase/etc...
Community Response testing/programming/phase/etc...
Player drafted testing/programming/phase/etc...
Player Pool testing/programming/phase/etc...
Adaptive world feedback testing/programming/phase/etc...
Player trial feedback testing/programming/phase/etc...
co-dev (short for cooperated developent) testing/programming/phase/etc...
Communitive testing/programming/phase/etc... (communitive being a dual phrased word insinuating both community involvement and communication)
player choice testing/feedback/phase/etc...
PC(short for player character)judge testing/feedback/phase/etc...

i'll think of some more and post later.. let me know if any of these stick.

[Alexander_Damocles]

Just a quick reminder of a few things:

1) They need a setting neutral term that will be understood by the industry. A quick test for it is "could it be used by a game other than PFO". If the answer is no, it probably isn't what they are looking for.

2) This won't be a test, this will be the live game. What happens during this timeframe will last and be a part of the history of the game.

3) They need something indicative of their launch by a small number of people to create the in game structures and organizations. The term should probably reflect that.

Glad to see the community working coming together on this!

[Skeld]

Funny story: Mike Hines, the new art director, is the brother of one of my players (we all went to college together). Mike's an awesome guy and an excellent artist.

-Skeld

[Ryan Dancey]

I wouldn't use the word "Launch" either. That's a fine term for Day One. But what are we doing in Day 180? "Still Launching"?

[Dak Thunderkeg]

Still digging the Core term for what y'all are driving at, of everything that has been mentioned. If Release or Program does work well for the follow up term, perhaps Edition would fit.

You are essentially releasing a base game, then adding content. That strikes me as a Core System (Release, Edition, etc). Everything moving forward from it is supplemental to the base product.

[Mogloth]

World Molding

This comes to my mind as that is essentially what we will be doing.

[Obakararuir]

Core Release Iteration.

Incremental Core Release doesn't seem to describe it correctly... possibly Core Incremental Release Phase / Program?

[Ryan Dancey]

@Dak Thunderkeg - the difference is that we're going to be designing the game with player contributions as opposed to just making stuff and telling you you'll like it. The thing I'm looking for isn't a term that describes the fact that we're going to start making money on the game, its that we're transitioning from a game where we do all the work and tell you what we've done to a game where the community helps set the priorities on developing new features, helps us iterate on features already deployed, and helps us figure out the best way to implement or iterate on a feature.

[TerraNova]

How about Sunrise phase. It means the curtain is going up - slowly. At the beginning its still pretty dark and you might bump into things, but the day has started. ;)

Less poetically, I think most people probably have a pretty good first idea what this might means, and its not tech-speak.

[Alexander_Damocles]

The Foundation Phase

The World-Building Era

The Establishment Period

[DeciusBrutus]

The Live Collaboration phase?

When do you estimate you will transition out of the phase that exists when you start accepting subscriptions? (either in time or in events)

[Ryan Dancey]

@DeciusBrutus - My expectation is that the first 12 months after we go live will have the most amount of collaborative design. Once that period ends there will still be a lot of consultation with the community but most of the fundamental game systems will either be implemented or at least exist as a formal design pending implementation.

At that point, and for the next several years, our work is basically making the game work better, making it easier to use, making it scale better as the peak concurrent user count grows, and adding additional technology as that is warranted and affordable (mostly client-side rendering things to make the game look pretty, but potentially server side things like improved AI).

The community involvement shifts to making the social structures in the game more meaningful and helping us continue to identify and prioritize areas of the game that need work, be it bug fixes, mechanical balance issues, confusing UI elements, documentation, etc.

So that first year is really the period of time that folks will look back on and say "we built Pathfinder Online during those months".

[baalbamoth]

was kinda bummed you didnt wanna use pathfinder terms because I really liked anything having to do with "neythis phase" etc, just sounded damn cool.

if your trying to appeal to MMO players without using pathfinder terms I'd agree with others using generally understood sofware terms makes the most sense, assuming these dont confused with testing phases.

I like anything with "crowd" or "sourcing" included as crowd sourced content is really what this phase is (its not so much testing as developing) and If I read it without knowing anything about the business plan, or the pathfinder universe I would know whats going on.

crowd content pilot

crowd development phase

live crowd phase

live sourcing pilot

live CSD phase

no these dont have any dramatic impact, but its understandable without too much lingo defninition.

[Tasarak]

Pathfinder Online: A journey soon begins...

[Skwiziks]

How about "Cooperative Development Period"? Or Cycle? Or something like that.

EDIT: Maybe collaborative? "Collaborative Development Period"?

[the Haunted Jester]

A Name for the Launch...

Pathfinder Online: Emersion
Pathfinder Online: Immersion

To be honest, I think both of these words by definition could be used.

[Xeriar]

Ryan Dancey wrote:

@Xeriar - it will be interesting to see how people engage in social organization in those early months, that 's for sure.

A community is pretty strongly defined by its 100 most committed members.

Who do you want those people to be?

I do not mean their names, but rather their deeds, goals, etc.