Massively recently conducted interviews with representatives of the two
largest WAR forums--WAR Vault and Warhammer Alliance. Representing WAR Vault was
Mithan, and our own PhoenixRed represented
Warhammer Alliance. Both were
asked a series of questions about their reactions to WAR's upcoming official
forums, and the direction their sites would now take.
What was your immediate reaction to Mythic's
announcement that they will be hosting official WAR forums and why?
PhoenixRed: We actually learned about
OFs for WAR back in December. There were some rumblings and some goings
on within the company and we have a few connections over there that told us this
might be coming down the pipe. My original reaction, one that still persists to
this day, is curiosity. Those people that know Mark Jacobs and Mythic from back
in the days of DAOC know that they've never had any kind of preference to have
official forums for a variety of reasons. They are a huge cost and definitely a
huge time sink. The other reaction I had was "Wow!" It's going to be insane.
Speaking as someone who has moderated forums over the past decade or so, it's
definitely a challenge. I wish the community team and moderators responsible for
managing and herding the community nothing but the best. I sure hope the people
they bring on board have prior experience with online communities.
How do you feel about Mythic releasing
official forums several months after release?
PhoenixRed: I think Mythic is making an
adjustment based upon how EA is supporting their other games but also how
customers have communicated to them concerns that they need to be better at
disseminating information. The disadvantage of having so many places to go to is
that none of the information is in one place. With OFs, you're able to
communicate from the top level down in one place. The con is probably going to
be a hit to PR. Mark has been against OFs for so long. A 180 like this may make
a lot of people lose their trust. Don't get me wrong, I think he does a great
job, but at the same time, when you say things like that, you have to deal with
them when they come back around.
Check out Massively's interview with Mithan and PhoenixRed to find out
more
