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  1. #161
    Quote Originally Posted by styil View Post
    Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has previously been promoted from Lead Encounter Designer to Lead Game Designer. He has now been promoted to Assistant Game Director (presumably this means second in charge to Tom Chilton).

    Presumably this also means that Watcher now has much more creative control over the direction and vision of WoW. What are peoples' thoughts on this? Do you think that this fresh new blood at the top and new creative direction and leadership will revive WoW?
    I doubt it does mean he has more creative control. Of course we don't know how Blizzard specifically defines the roles, but lead game designer is generally as high as you can go on the pure design side. Game directors also have oversight on production, meaning the development process, worldwide support structures, QA, and so on.

    Personally, I have strong negative feelings towards the current generation of WoW developers and leads, for several reasons. First, because the already glacially slow Blizzard development process has actually worsened. And second, because they don't value communicating with players. We used to get frequent back-and-forth direct conversations in the forums, now we get very infrequent @Warcraftdevs tweets and proclamations in forums. It's a very different style, and I believe the game is much worse for it.

  2. #162
    Quote Originally Posted by QuiksLE View Post
    Only the loot part is useless(for me)

    There are other rewards aswell.
    So you said that loot part is useless and gold is the least valuable resource in the game.

    Then what rewards do you like?

  3. #163
    Herald of the Titans Baine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Punisher View Post
    show me one
    I like them.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by MoanaLisa View Post
    I don't remember anyone calling him an assistant game director until now. My impression that he was last known as a Lead Game Designer. Assistant Game Director sounds like a promotion to me anyway.
    Oh I remember to have seen that new title before. Maybe not Blizzcon like I thought at first but I am sure I saw that new function before (and not recently).

    I found a link where it is said he is assistant game manager. It is dated from february.
    http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/199...race-2-11-2016
    Last edited by Baine; 2016-04-13 at 04:24 PM.

  4. #164
    Pandaren Monk lightofdawn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Baine View Post
    Actually, I think he was assistant game director when Blizzcon happened. I like logical people and he seems to be quite logical. So I guess it makes me a fan of him.
    couldnt have said that better myself
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  5. #165
    I like it very good decision on Blizz's behalf

  6. #166
    Quote Originally Posted by Baine View Post
    Actually, I think he was assistant game director when Blizzcon happened. I like logical people and he seems to be quite logical. So I guess it makes me a fan of him.
    I agree with this. I like the guy a lot from what I've seen in interviews and blog posts.

    The only thing that makes me slightly worried about his judgement is he seems to be really focused on the high end raiding stuff and I'm concerned he might scrap something that might be fun for 95% of the player base because it's a slight mechanical annoyance to a very small minority of min/maxers.

    Also I think some of the rigidity of the encounter design could be loosened up a bit. Some people might like that really tightly tuned stuff, but I think something is lost there when a raid is designed to be so choreographed like a dance routine. I want to see encounters be a little rough around the edges, where players can be a little more creative with stuff.

    Seriously though, that's just really minor stuff. The guy seems really cool/smart.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by LilSaihah View Post
    From everything I've seen of him he seems pretty sharp, and his honesty about some things (particularly the "6.1 was not a real patch" stuff) was really refreshing. I hope this signals good change.
    Yeah, this too. He seems to be able to handle criticism really well.
    Last edited by ro9ue; 2016-04-13 at 04:30 PM.

  7. #167
    Quote Originally Posted by Nupomaniac View Post
    What?

    I dont.... did you actually read it?

    The new mission tables gets YOU out into the world

    They are about 3% of the expansion instead of being a large part of it.

    You dont build buildings or anything like that in your order hall. How exactly is it like the Garrisson`?

    What about this didnt you understand?
    You are delusional if you can't see the writing on the wall at this point. You'll believe anything they say evidently, despite the many, many, MANY instances of them saying one thing and doing another and IGNORING all the feedback people give. I'm done reading your posts. Thank god for chrome extensions.

  8. #168
    The Unstoppable Force Kelimbror's Avatar
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    Don't know why so many people are freaking out. Ian is the most honest dev I've seen at that level, speaks very straightforward, has a sharp intellect and logical mind, and seems to understand the game fundamentally. Despite people's claims that he's a 1% guy, it seems it allows him to see both sides equally and recognize the need to provide a thorough progression.

    I dare say this is the best staffing news I've ever heard about this game, to be quite honest.
    BAD WOLF

  9. #169
    well Ion was in charge of raiding and it was the only good part of the game for the last 5 years so maybe the rest of the game will get up to that level with him higher up

  10. #170
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    Quote Originally Posted by threadz View Post
    well Ion was in charge of raiding and it was the only good part of the game for the last 5 years so maybe the rest of the game will get up to that level with him higher up
    What makes you think that he can bring the same passion to every aspect of the game? If someone is really good at one specific thing, let him do that thing. Don't make him do other stuff too and hope he is good there too. Because the one thing he is good at will suffer from the distractions.

  11. #171
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    Quote Originally Posted by ComputerNerd View Post
    Being stuck in garrisons is no different to how in previous expansions players would rarely venture outside of a major town like Stormwind or Orgrimmar.
    Kinda is different.

    Orgrimmar and Stormwind actually had other people in it.

    Your garrison is just you and some NPC's.

  12. #172
    The Insane Glorious Leader's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sargnagel View Post
    What makes you think that he can bring the same passion to every aspect of the game? If someone is really good at one specific thing, let him do that thing. Don't make him do other stuff too and hope he is good there too. Because the one thing he is good at will suffer from the distractions.
    Irellevant. They largely don't care about other portions of the game except in so far as they can make them like raiding.
    The hammer comes down:
    Quote Originally Posted by Osmeric View Post
    Normal should be reduced in difficulty. Heroic should be reduced in difficulty.
    And the tiny fraction for whom heroic raids are currently well tuned? Too bad,so sad! With the arterial bleed of subs the fastest it's ever been, the vanity development that gives you guys your own content is no longer supportable.

  13. #173
    I've always been a fan of how he explains design decisions in a logical manner. Overall, I think this will be good for the game as he seems to be as passionate about it as we are.

  14. #174
    Quote Originally Posted by MoanaLisa View Post
    On the negative side, I've never really forgiven him for saying that the only important things in the game are raiding and PVP.
    To be charitable, you could interpret that to mean that raiding and PvP are the only kinds of content that they know how to make that can sustain player engagement over most of an expansion (at least for some players). Everything else just seems to expire quickly, and when they try to make it last a long time (example: apexis grind before 6.2) it just fails.
    "There is a pervasive myth that making content hard will induce players to rise to the occasion. We find the opposite. " -- Ghostcrawler
    "The bit about hardcore players not always caring about the long term interests of the game is spot on." -- Ghostcrawler
    "Do you want a game with no casuals so about 500 players?"

  15. #175
    Quote Originally Posted by styil View Post
    https://twitter.com/watcherdev

    Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has previously been promoted from Lead Encounter Designer to Lead Game Designer. He has now been promoted to Assistant Game Director (presumably this means second in charge to Tom Chilton).

    Presumably this also means that Watcher now has much more creative control over the direction and vision of WoW. What are peoples' thoughts on this? Do you think that this fresh new blood at the top and new creative direction and leadership will revive WoW?
    I read this more as Chilton may be getting ready to jump to a new job within the company, or promoted up, and Ion is being groomed to replace him. Not entirely a bad idea, as the game has been withering under Chilton's leadership, or lack thereof. Maybe Brack is moving up, or on, and Chilton is moving into his job.

    I don't see Ion as a creative lead. He's a lawyer. He's probably good at nuts and bolts mechanics and core ideas, but he's not a creative force. But god knows he's probably better than someone like Kosak being put in charge. The real creative force for WOW over the years was Metzen, love him or hate him, and his absence is seriously felt now.

    If they'd made Kaplan assistant Director - that would be interesting. I don'y agree with him all of the time, but he was THE creative force in the game in the early years, second only to Metzen.

    And...who's lead encounter designer now? That's an important slot.

  16. #176
    Deleted
    He seems very REAL so I like him. I just hope there wont be any involution in his attitude. You go, boy!

  17. #177
    Quote Originally Posted by corebit View Post
    Ion Hazzikostas is a true rags-to-riches story. He started as a passionate WoW player and theorycrafter. He got the attention and request of Blizzard to work for them, and now he is the right-hand man of the Game Director. Big congratulations to him!

    It tells you that Blizzard really values passion for video games and they will hire you without a doubt, if you can turn that passion into something tangible.

    Rags to riches? Really? He was working as a lawyer in DC before he went to Blizzard.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Transmigration View Post
    Haha, right? I read "This dude finished law school and chose not to be a lawyer. What a dipshit."

    Maybe that's what he meant? I mean a lot of people get degrees and find that they're more drawn to another field of study or work. Especially people who start college at 18. You don't know shit about yourself at that age.
    He was working as a lawyer before he went to Blizzard.

    hey, sometimes you get into a profession, and you find you don't like it. Law especially.

    But the bigger concern is a creative game is being run by a lawyer. They're not exactly....creative, if you know what I mean. Very logical,very nuts and bolts...very conservative...but creative? Yeah, not so much.

    They need vision for the game, like Moana said. Ion, for all of his good points? Not very visionary.

  18. #178
    How much did he contribute to WoD? A lot? He's shit. Very little? Sure, we need the game to be shaken up drastically.

    I honestly don't know who's in charge of stuff anymore, so I'm not going to immediately say he's good/bad despite my current thoughts about him.
    Still wondering why I play this game.
    I'm a Rogue and I also made a spreadsheet for the Order Hall that is updated for BfA.

  19. #179
    I am Murloc! Seefer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by styil View Post
    Do you think that that could also be his weakness? Designing the game from the top 1% down?
    Yes because raiders don't want anything to do outside of raiding *eyeroll*
    History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people - Martin Luther King, Jr.

  20. #180
    He seems like a competent guy. Good move.
    Congratulations Watcher.

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