Watcher promoted to Assistant Game Director

[Roar-Powah]

I think he only just recently started getting promoted to any positions of power. Not even 2 years ago he was solely responsible for raid encounters, I believe. Maybe now that he is going up the ladder, he can start to flex his design muscles and change the vision of the game.

This game does need a new direction towards more of the older style direction(if you know what i mean). Time will tell and i hope we go back to something similar to the glory days of TBC where nothing was handed to you on a plate.

[High Marshal Sigismund]

This game does need a new direction towards more of the older style direction(if you know what i mean). Time will tell and i hope we go back to something similar to the glory days of TBC where nothing was handed to you on a plate.

I do know what you mean, but I am slowly watching WoW fall into obscurity because we are almost in a tug of war between new designs and old designs. WoW is now lacking so many features that newer MMOs do not. While we figure out whether we want this to be hard or easy, other MMOs are introducing entirely new systems.

I have my own fishing boat I sail around in Black Desert Online, I crafted it in a Shipyard. When I go fishing, it's actually interactive. I doubt we'll see any of that in WoW for years to come.

[hulkgor]

Really respect him and have trust in his direction for the game. He was always the dev\blizz member that always gave me the best impression on his interventions, in particular on Blizzcons.

Good for him.

[MoanaLisa]

That last paragraph is so strange considering what they've done with the game over the years. It seems like he understood that concept but apparently never had enough sway or what not to make that happen.

You have to remember that compared to Afrasiabi and some of the others he's a relative newcomer and his brief--had to say that because he was a lawyer and all--was raids and dungeons, probably not to think about the game overall. His moving up like this indicates that things are changing. How much and how soon is an open question. Legion seems to be something of a slight shift in tone if not direction with the attention being given to non-raid things to do at 110. The last is a personal observation so take that for what it's worth.

[Indigenously Abled]

Thanks for digging that up.

You're welcome.


He's also kinda hot.



And he doesn't make me want to punch him in the face like Tom Chilton.

[Florida Man]

I've always thought Ion was the epitome of dipshit (Goes to school for 8 years to be a lawyer, then quits that to get a job at a place that someone at McDonalds has the qualifications for). Then just today I find out he was the founder of Elitist Jerks (the website and the guild), and it all made sense.

But congrats to him. Every rung higher up the ladder, will hopefully make the pain feel a little less severe 10-20-30 years from now when he asks himself why he quit a promising career to play with video games.

Isn't a promising career one that allows you to afford the life you want to live AND brings you joy? If this is what he enjoys and it pays, who the fuck are you to say that?

And lawyer automatically means good career? Lol, what fantasy world are you living in.

[Uurdz]

Isn't a promising career one that allows you to afford the life you want to live AND brings you joy? If this is what he enjoys and it pays, who the fuck are you to say that?

And lawyer automatically means good career? Lol, what fantasy world are you living in.

As someone with a successful career in banking, I would give it up in a heartbeat to work on something I love like Ion is doing.
Pay matters only to those who think money matters in life.

Once your bills are paid, money means little.

[High Marshal Sigismund]

Isn't a promising career one that allows you to afford the life you want to live AND brings you joy? If this is what he enjoys and it pays, who the fuck are you to say that?

And lawyer automatically means good career? Lol, what fantasy world are you living in.

Some people only respect jobs like lawyer/doctor/engineer and shit on everything else. Too many of those types of people exist. If you can make it work in your chosen field, who cares what you do.

[Baconeggcheese]

You have to remember that compared to Afrasiabi and some of the others he's a relative newcomer and his brief--had to say that because he was a lawyer and all--was raids and dungeons, probably not to think about the game overall. His moving up like this indicates that things are changing. How much and how soon is an open question. Legion seems to be something of a slight shift in tone if not direction with the attention being given to non-raid things to do at 110. The last is a personal observation so take that for what it's worth.

Yeah I know, I just figure that they bring a guy on like that that they'd value the opinions more / have maybe had a similar vision in mind. Which is why I find it so weird that they clearly went in the total opposite direction from something as significant as that.

Hopefully he still feels that way and his new position helps to see such a shift.

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He's also kinda hot.

There was some interview he did during wod where the interviewer was all biting her lip and shit when talking to him that I found hilarious. She was so thirst.

[Florida Man]

As someone with a successful career in banking, I would give it up in a heartbeat to work on something I love like Ion is doing.
Pay matters only to those who think money matters in life.

Once your bills are paid, money means little.

I am a commercial lender for a NJ state bank, so YES MY FRIEND I UNDERSTAND!!! I agree 100% buddy.

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Some people only respect jobs like lawyer/doctor/engineer and shit on everything else. Too many of those types of people exist. If you can make it work in your chosen field, who cares what you do.

Well said Dude!!

[Baine]

True, I don't hate him, I hate his attitude and dislike his design ideas.


Wouldn't you, as casual, like more dungeons?

Oh yeah, I would prefer more dungeon content. Of course I do not necessarily agree with everything he says but I rather like how he tries to explain his ideas logically, even if they do not always materialize.

[Nakotsu]

I don't like him, he is essentially a for the 1% kinda guy.

well he is the retard who recommended no flying and then put that idiotic do quest treasures and rep thing together... so yea he is bad for business.

[Uurdz]

well he is the retard who recommended no flying and then put that idiotic do quest treasures and rep thing together... so yea he is bad for business.

Calling someone a retard with idiotic ideas is strong and offensive wording.

I liked the no-flying in Draenor. Made it feel more like Vanilla.
I understand however, the "no take candle" sentiment. Once they've opened pandora's box its very hard to close it again (i'd say impossible).

[thebelltolleth]

His moving up like this indicates that things are changing. How much and how soon is an open question.

Whoa. Wait. That's a subjective statement there. It's like looking at a politician who becomes President and thinking they will change the nature of the office and its outcomes, whereas the office actually changes the politician. They come to see the limitations of the system from a different perspective and what they are really facing or working with.

I'm guessing many want to believe all that (things are changing), but there has to be more to it than what he said way back when. And I don't think you'll see his impact on this too much in Legion. If he's now ascendant and really impacting things (and yet holding to the essence of what he talked about in the last paragraph of that interview), then you could see that in the future.

Time will tell if he has changed his views or if he has 'come to understand the ways of things' at Blizzard and altered his expectations. It is simply too early for a statement like that, though, imo.

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Calling someone a retard with idiotic ideas is strong and offensive wording.

And Ion and the interviewer used the same terminology in the interview.

It's simply reflective of the low moral caliber of a significantly vocal part of the MMO community. They could be 14 or 40, but they are truly 'slowed down' themselves, socially speaking.

[MoanaLisa]

Whoa. Wait. That's a subjective statement there.

The reason I said that is because as far as I know if there's ever been a position of Assistant Game Director I've never heard of it. Regardless of that, moving him from Raids and Dungeons and into a position that appears to be directly south of Game Director indicates that some changes are being made. Not 100% but it seems reasonable. If they created a new position like that for him then that likely has some meaning. I could be wrong. But it makes sense given the last few years. It certainly implies that his responsibilities now cover a lot more than just Raids and Dungeons. Make of that what you will.

[TyrianFC]

Eh... so I just found out from this thread that Watcher is Gurgthok aka founder/gm of Elitist Jerks website and forums back in the day.

Wish I knew that sooner =)

Its cool to see a community member go from hardcore player to 2nd in charge of the game itself....

[Transmigration]

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

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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.

I can see where you're coming from, but a lot of law students come from a philosophy background where open thinking could benefit someone in a creative position.

[Osmeric]

The reason I said that is because as far as I know if there's ever been a position of Assistant Game Director I've never heard of it. Regardless of that, moving him from Raids and Dungeons and into a position that appears to be directly south of Game Director indicates that some changes are being made.

Yes. I wonder if this is to light a fire under the Game Director. "Your understudy is now right there, so if you screw up..."

[Kelimbror]

I can see where you're coming from, but a lot of law students come from a philosophy background where open thinking could benefit someone in a creative position.

Number one undergrad degree for lawyers is English believe it or not, so yes...it makes sense that these people have high possibility to translate into creative positions with logical reasoning.

[Baconeggcheese]

Yes. I wonder if this is to light a fire under the Game Director. "Your understudy is now right there, so if you screw up..."

Or Chilton may also be burnt out and looking for a change of pace, considering he like a lot of them have been there from the beginning. It may just be as simple as putting watcher in a position to train him up for taking over the role.

Or Chilton could be the fall guy for what wod was, or a million other possibilities. *shrug*