Walking back to The Galaxy Gathering
Offices after the Clan War after party I see a figure standing outside the door
waiting for someone to let him in. Looks like this reporter just got lucky. I
have Don Davis wanting a post event interview. I welcome him in and after we
get settled in my office we get down to business.
GG: For the record
what is your name, player ID, clan you fought with this last CW and what medal
did you win?
Don: Don Davis #398405
- CLAN: Juggernaut - GOLD - That makes 2 for Juggernaut - 14 consecutive for
our original Fusion members.
GG: Welcome Don and
thanks for taking the time to talk to your friendly G.G. reporter. Now to the
questions!
GG: Did your team
perform like you expected this war?
Don: OH yes, LOL
Don: Everybody was
right on point. We ran coordinated
attacks even when we didn't need to, just to stay sharp and because we
can. We formed this Clan with people who
really know how to turn it on, so whether it's Kris or I calling shots, the
precision they can bring to bear is a thing of beauty.
GG: Yes I bet that
is exactly what goes through your foes mind before you kill him. Oh look how
beautiful! *Wink*
GG: Was there
anything you found to be a surprise this war?
Don: Well, very
little surprises Kris and I. We've been
coordinating Clan Wars together since Clan Wars VII in 3272, however, we
noticed last Clan War as well as this one that the RNG for multipliers and
consecutive hits is now creating "last-rank turnarounds" that are
often unpredictable. This is something
that Clan Leaders have to take into account.
GG: Sounds like the
Craftsman have done some behind the scene changes.
GG: For those
simple mech jockeys such as myself would you explain a little more about this
change and how it could change the expected outcome of a fight?
Don: Well, some
might argue it's "game engine" or just a shift in the RNG cycle, but
it's neither here nor there. It could
just as easily be the introduction of new equipment and weapons creating a
different dynamic that ripples out, but basically, it becomes more likely that
David is going to beat Goliath a little more often now. When you watch 5 mechs in the last rank take
down 18+ 85 to 100-ton mechs in a row that are all "maxed out", for
all practical purposes, on weapons and equipment, there's simply no explanation
other than the fact that sometimes the multipliers are all going to align and a
weaker element of a formation can pull off an upset.
Don: This is
something that Clan Leaders and players have to get a handle on through testing
- with the understanding that daily play and Clan War dynamics are not always
the same. In daily play, you might win
with overwhelming force against a certain player, but in Clan Wars, it's still
not a slam-dunk. This is where Clan
Leaders will need contingencies.
GG: Thanks for that
Don. Pilots and Clan Leaders pay good attention to what was just said. Your
next clan war victory might just depend on it.
GG: Was there
anything you found to be a disappointment this war?
Don: Well, my raid
winnings were about the worst I've ever seen, LOL - I've had better payouts
from missions.
GG: Yes, I can
understand that. I have had a few raids were all I got were the three 100%
chance weapons.
GG: Are the Raid
Prizes useful for your team or do you just sell most of it for needed Niodes?
Don: Very often the
extra mech can come in handy for rainbows or whatever. A lot of the crystal stuff gets cashed
in. Of course we'll keep relevant
weapons and equipment, especially if they are limited/in-excess of our limits.
GG: Yes winning a
weapon or equipment item that you can't buy any more due to shop limits is
sweet.
GG: How hard was
the Raid for your team?
Don: Well the Div 1
Raid always has a few hard spots, but it's rare that I encounter a formation I
can't beat from 100%. If I have an
"open frame", it's usually on the back side of multiple attacks where
I don't wait to heal. We often let our
lower-level folks take on most of what's left after the first kill cap.
GG: Yeah I can see
how the tactics for XP gain in a D1 raid favor helping your little accounts
catch up in level to your large accounts.
GG: This war every
clan needed a 20T specialist to get in the game. Were pilots quick to volunteer
for this in your clan or did you guys have to draw straws?
Don: For us that's
a 100% Clan Leader decision, however, the choice was obvious. We look at how strong everybody's main
formation is relative to their 20T, and again relative to overall average Clan
strength. We also evaluate all that
against the opposition. We scout the enemy,
so we know who has what specs, how strong they are and can pretty much predict
what the opposing clan's picks will be.
We're also strong enough in our specs to compensate for that in the
unlikely event the opposing Clan does something unexpected, but this is roster
stuff, right? There's nobody in the game
who can find the magic and build winning rosters better than Kris Fleet.
Don: Of course,
you've got to understand that this is Div 1.
A full brace of specs is pretty much prerequisite to be competitive in
the top division. I mean, if we as Div 1
players aren't ready to be the real deal, then we can't be surprised at getting
beat, right?
GG: Well I know in
D1 your clan comes loaded for bear in everything you all do. I also know there
are lots of 80+ pilots who do not want to be bothered to set up and maintain
all the needed specs for war. This kind of rule can hit those clans hard.
GG: What are your
thoughts on the secret bonus prizes given out to the 20T guys this war?
Don: To tell you
the truth, we don't play for prizes, so I really don't think very much at all,
LOL. I will say, however, that sometime
back I actually came 5th place in the Daemonaide Div 1 KoTM with only 2 Fides,
because I don't have any Daemons, LOL!
Sometimes even we have to throw something together and field it. If you can arm and equip your mechs
effectively, well, a running man can slice a hundred throats in a single night.
GG: Should Nick
always give out bonus prizes when we have to have a specialist just to get in
the war?
Don: I can't
imagine why not. Just from the outside
looking in, it would seem that prizes and payouts could and should have been
more significant and a larger percentage of the game economy from the
beginning. We've talked about the fact
that even the mechs "pre-leveled to 40" don't provide the same
"discount" or INCENTIVE to KEEP and LEVEL the mech to today’s >200
player that these things once offered the level 90-ish player. It makes sense to evaluate the
"spread" of player levels now and target payouts to those
level-ranges that are the most active contributors to the overall game
economy. I mean, think about it; niodes
only cost US money. To the "game
bank", it's "Monopoly money".
When the government injects a "stimulus" into the economy,
there is a downside on the debt side of the ledger. Within the game context, no such negative
ledger even exists. ANYTHING Nick does
in this regard can ONLY have an overall POSITIVE effect on driving active
gameplay.
Don: I mean, who is
going to win 2000 niodes and then quit the game four days later? Are you kidding me?
GG: Yeah if I had
2K niodes drop in my lap I would be bouncing around the room like one of the
Bunnies after a 5 day drinking binge... Well I know Nick and the team read
these interviews so maybe this will give them something to think about. Mr.
Shapiro, if you need a test subject for a load of free niodes I humbly
volunteer myself. *Smile*
GG: In your
opinion, what does Nick and his team do very well in this game?
Don: Some might
disagree, but actually the very kind of responsiveness you'd like to see to my
previous comment, LOL! Really, I've seen
lots of games where you never even know who the game lead is, who the devs are,
if anybody is listening AT ALL, etc. The
Player/Dev relationship in this game is actually better than most. The other thing they do well is LEARN. They've done things in the past that weren't
great ideas, but the fact that they do listen and pay attention allows this
kind of positive growth towards finding out what really works well.
GG: Yes staying in
touch with the player base is very important if you want to grow your company
so let us hope they never stop listening.
GG: In your
opinion, what could Nick and his team do better in this game?
Don: Relate the
game economy to the real-world economy in a more relevant way. The competition in the game is important, but
the player base has always been anemic in terms of supporting fully-competitive
divisions. I've always said that niodes
should be a reward of actual gameplay.
We're starting to see it. The
mini-quests are a GREAT idea, and there should be more. Of course, everybody wants "more",
but my reasoning is that the player base has to grow from the bottom. Nobody can come in and skip to level 150, so
when they see the broad range of level disparity and wonder how they'll ever
make it to Div 1 while *we* steadily level up and keep stretching it even
further, there needs to be enough game payouts for them to be able to play,
essentially for free through a good number of levels, now, in order to help
scale player development to keep up with the level disparity - and drive
competition - more effectively. I mean,
the alternative is that the top players ALL retire. That would immediately compress competition,
but it also immediately cuts the primary contributors in the profit column,
right? So there has to be a way to
reimagine how rewards for successful gameplay should SCALE to support growing
level disparity in a way that can still compress competition, attract new players
and keep mid-level players from being literally disenfranchised in their
development towards eventual Division 1 competition.
GG: Thanks for the
very well thought out response. From your mouth to Nick's ears may it be so.
GG: Your clan used
to be called Fusion. I am not sure everyone knows the story as to why that
changed. Would you be willing to fill us in?
Don: Fusion was
formed primarily by Gary Allsop, Kris Fleet and I. A lot of what got it off the ground and the
coup that put us on top from the jump was due to Gary's work behind the scenes,
while Kris and I ran with the Clan Leader duties. When Gary retired, Kris felt strongly that we
should retire the Fusion name in his honor.
Meanwhile, Paul Copeland went MIA and we still miss him, too. At this point, we're not really hung up on
Clan names, but "Juggernaut" seems to be accurate if nothing else,
LOL
GG: Yes it does
feel like an appropriate name indeed. Gary has been missed in the community
since he retired from the game so it was a nice thing for you to
"Retire" the clan name in his honor.
GG: Before we wrap
this up is there anything you would like to add?
Don: I'd just like
to thank you for carrying the legacy of GG forward. GG still holds the EXCLUSIVE for Clan Leader
interviews with Juggernaut.
GG: Thanks for the
kind words Don. I am just trying to do my part and keep G.G. alive as the voice
of the player.
GG: It has been a
pleasure talking with you and you are always welcome to stop by for an
interview or press release. My best to you and your crew *Smile*
Don: Thanks a
bunch!