What has happened to the designing world? Not only Age of Empires III, but Age of Mythology as well? When I got into scenario design, which is just over a year now, the design teams were still very powerful and doing very well. Although they were in decline, which was the cause of a mixture of unfortunate events. These events only proved to be catalysts to further speed the decline of designing. Such events were the failure of the new LZS forums which ultimately ruined them, the delayed CSO support from ES, the downfall of important sites such as NE and Phoenix.
Even when I got into designing, the design teams, were mainly formed of oldies, from the grand days of AOM. Sure, a lot of new blood has poured in, but as of recent, we're losing them, right when AOE3 is showing its greatest prospects, especially with the recent CSO news.
The one major factor that may have caused that was that the very prideful and highly independent design teams were maybe just a little too independent. Scenario Design, even when I first started, was very scattered at the time, and unless you traced a flier thread from HG back to the design team's site, and then scrounge through their forums, could you learn more about a project. As of recent, it's been even worse, with the large decline of members of the designing community. Many have went off to the next step, designing Dawn of Fantasy, and working for other large design companies, but there is no fresh blood coming in to replace them, something I have noticed lately here at the ECG.
Due to the teams being so independent, they were and still are but a confederation of related sites working towards the same goals, but so focused into their own affairs, that they cause the system as a whole to fail. I have tried fruitlessly many a time to work out events to help promote SD, but as I have learned, it's very hard to coordinate anything with such a scattered confederation, another downfall to the current state of beings.
There is no headquarter, or capital for the scenario design world. It has no place to call home. It works out of its own homes in the design teams, and puts up fliers at HG, a large system that isn't what the teams need. HG is a great site, but it isn't there for the designers. Once the fliers are posted, little support is given away from home anyways. Even at here, at the ECG, unless it is from a frequent member, a project may be posted, and that's all we ever hear from it. Gaurdian has done so several times in the last month.
The only support and debate that goes into the creation of the projects takes place at the design teams, and we wonder why there is no support for SD anymore and why there's isn't much fresh blood coming in. Most of us are oldies, and most likely in the near future, are going to retire from this state of designing projects. If we want to be remembered, want our work to be passed on, and others come in and fill our shoes, then we'll have to inspire more. In the current state of how things are working out, this is not going to happen at all.
So I am suggesting the centralization of the design world. That doesn't mean the merging of design teams. It is like Spain, broken up into its many provinces, yet, it runs efficiently with it's centralized capital of Madrid. The design world has no place to call home, but it's design teams, which are always bickering with one another, and the support of projects is at a low. But, if a site was to become the centralized center just for the design world, not AOMH:SD or AOE3:SD, for even they are branched, this would help solve that problem.
With a centralized site for the teams, the teams could not only post up ideas for projects at their own design teams, but put them up for all of the design world to come in and comment, debate, question, etc...This would result in much finer projects, and projects that would actually get completed and put out in a faster amount of time.
With all of the design team together in one spot, while remaining just as independent, coordination would be possible between the sites, to enable great contests, with which could be used to promote scenario design at larger all-around sites, such as HG and GameReplays, to get more designers into the field.
It would provide a training center from which new members could be trained, and then up to the design teams to pick, and it would expose the new members to all of the teams and be able to choose for themselves which one to join, having been exposed to them all at one place.
The teams would be able to relay information between each other much easier. And the list just goes on and on.
I am suggesting that the Eye-Candy Guild fill that role. For the last year, it has already served as a sort of corresponding point between the teams and HG. It has served as a capital for eye-candy, in the very least. It not only hosts it's own set of guidebooks to help train members, which has been happening for the last year for teams to pick off of, but has sparked the largest increase of potential designers than any other form in the last year in AOE3.
It is not like the design teams that are privatized, but hosts a completely open public design team, from which valuable experience can be gained. Already, more than seven projects are currently being worked on openly. It is not like HG that is all around, but it's sole field has been scenario design from its roots. On top of all that, the Guild has one of the most intact and tightest communities I've seen, yet, keeping with the openess of the site, are very open to new members. It has the coherence other sites lack.
I am saying this not as a leader of the Eye-Candy Guild, trying to promote our own growth, but to promote SD as a whole. If a centralized site could be chosen, which the Eye-Candy Guild has the most qualifications for, SD could become the next big thing, and bring back the days of old. Things are dying off...maybe we can stop it, but it'll take the support of the design team and the working together to make this happen.
I've talked to Rider, and he is all for it. I've talked to Twoqtimes2, and with the proper support, he is all for it. I have briefly discussed with Pepsi, and he is all for it. So let's make something great happen.
--Custer
The bulk of the design teams already seem ready for it, how about you?
Head of Research and Development for the AOE3 Editor
Designer's Mod Co-Creator
Official Story Writer of Wherever
Come join the Guild!
[This message has been edited by Custergrant (edited 03-02-2007 @ 08:24 PM).]