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... at Bell of Lost Souls.  Not much in the way of rumors or anything but it may be worth a read.

One thing I like about these articles is that it does help to put a human face on the people who work at GW.  I know that we (including myself) have a tendency to demonize the faceless drones who crank out this product that we love (or we wouldn't be here on Dakka), and these interviews help mitigate that.  I met Tim Huckleberry and Pete Haines a few years back, and both were extremely nice in person.  It's a little harder to blast someone after shaking their hand (although I remember Tim always being a nice guy).

Thanks for the link.

Wow, he really has mastered the interview skill of 'saying lots of nothing'. "Andy: All will become clear in the fullness of time " sums up almost everything he said. A tragic waste of his time, the interviewers time, and more importantly; my time.

Well, considering that he most likely couldn't say anything due to NDA's and the like it was an informative interview about the man. That and the fact that I said there wasn't much in the way of rumors should have told you something.

Pretty good interview about the man. Had quite a bit of good info. Not everything has to be rumours to be good

Yeah, I liked it. It did clear up some things that had been niggling at me.

Posted By Ghaz on 05/09/2007 1:07 PM
...and the fact that I said there wasn't much in the way of rumors should have told you something.

In future I shall be sure to take you at your word. Lesson learned.

Actually I did find one nugget.: "I play LotR, but don’t have my own force..." read: it's ok but I wouldn't spend my money on it.

Maybe it's just me, but if I read an interview from someone form a games company I want to know about the games he's making not what CD's he buys. You can keep your GW cult of celebrity.

Here's a question: What was it about the extremely bent Iron Warriors army list that first attracted you to it?

I remember an old interview with Jes Goodwyn with his favorite movies, music and other hobbies. A lot in common. It's nice to realize at times that these people are pretty much the same as us.

Posted By Toreador on 05/09/2007 1:41 PM
I remember an old interview with Jes Goodwyn with his favorite movies, music and other hobbies. A lot in common. It's nice to realize at times that these people are pretty much the same as us.

I firmly believe that the "gamer" stereotypes are the same worldwide.  Having gamed in the US and now in Romania... same types of people, different languages.  I'm sure the folks who work at GW, TSR, and similar companies all have or had the same types of characteristics (ie stigmas) that we have now.

 

-James

Or maybe it means exactly what it says when he says he's busy and doesn't get to do as much in his spare time as he'd like to.

It feels like trying to divine the Federal interest rate:

"Honor the gods. Remember the Carneia."

Posted By Ghaz on 05/09/2007 2:02 PM

Actually I did find one nugget.: "I play LotR, but don’t have my own force..." read: it's ok but I wouldn't spend my money on it.

Or maybe it means exactly what it says when he says he's busy and doesn't get to do as much in his spare time as he'd like to.

The two positions are not mutually exclusive. The spare time he does have he spends on his Imperial Guard (impeccable choice IMO), which he recently expanded to 8,000 points.

Maybe you're right, he's been at GW six years and LoTR has been out just as long. Yeah, he did'nt have time - it all makes sense now.

Here's some more missing questions:

Why is your Imperial Guard army so large, are you playing bigger battles?

What have you expanded your Imperial Guard with, a new tank perhaps?

It must be terrible to be so pessimistic and so angry with GW that you have to find fault with anything one of their employees says and try to turn it into a negative. Perhaps you should actually stick to the facts instead of making up reasons to hate GW when the Andy's comments in the interview don't say anything near what you're implying.

Posted By Ghaz on 05/09/2007 2:34 PM
It must be terrible to be so pessimistic and so angry with GW...

Perhaps you should actually stick to the facts...

...don't say anything near what you're implying.

Umm yeah, you too. So you don't believe he didn't have time anymore? Would that be a fact I could stick to?

He's an employee from a company engaging in a little PR, it would be naive to take what is written at face value, especially when he says so little.

Back to things I'd like him to talk about for a moment. I'm starting to wonder what's in his 8,000 point guard army, not just the pre release stuff - all of it. I'd like to see his 8,000 point army; I wonder what doctrines he uses. What would be his perfect list to take on a SOB army? Now there's a question.

I sit at a computer all day at work. When I get home, the last thing I want to do is go on my computer. I imagine it's probably pretty similar being a games designer. Plus, it's not like he spends a ton on GW stuff anyways with the discounts they get, he could get a LOTR force pretty cheap if he wanted.

So cut the guy some slack.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

Another reason, perhaps, why Andy Hoare doesn't collect LOTR is simply he enjoys playing 40k too much. Most people reach a limit when enjoying something - this is what makes 40k gamers try out WHFB, or WARMACHING, or HORDES, or whatever. Other reasons factor in too, of course, but a need for variety is a prominent one. But maybe Andy still hasn't reached his limit yet, so every time something new and shiny comes out for his Guard, he has to collect it. I have a friend who is a Space Marine whore, and simply must get get very SM codex, variant, and build/paint 2000pts of each.

So it's 'naive' to take somebody at their word when they've not given me reason not to? Once again, come back when you want to discuss what was actually mentioned in the interview and not your petty little vendetta it seems that you have for Andy Hoare.

Considering even us "normal" non-developer people don't have everything we like. I think LOTR is a really good game. The figs are nice and it is a joy to me. I just don't have anything. I have just never gotten into it. Same thing with a lot of other things. Not having does not mean do not like.

The piece that I though was most interesting is his statement that the developers get their release timeframe from corporate.  It makes me wonder just how much the upper level illuminati are aware of the game systems and who has the final say on rules and whatnot.  I can see some Games Developer coming up with rules and then having a rewritten codex sitting on his desk the next day.  Good interview for sure.

I agree...the most interesting thing for me also was that little insight into Games Development, particularly (as Samwise has mentioned) the bit about "Corporate" input.

Makes you wonder...

Oh, and Ghaz ?...love ya work ! :thumbs up:

Posted By Toreador on 05/09/2007 7:39 PM
Considering even us "normal" non-developer people don't have everything we like. I think LOTR is a really good game. The figs are nice and it is a joy to me. I just don't have anything. I have just never gotten into it. Same thing with a lot of other things. Not having does not mean do not like.

T, if the Dev Team's next release was bronzed horse-$#it, you still wouldn't complain.

Overbearing negativity and pesimism is annoying - but the direct opposite is far more annoying.

BYE

That was great interview.

I got alot of info about what was not said then I expected, such as -

-they claim to playtest the armies extensivly, even though in other sources they confided that they didn't.

-The rules are NOT screened by other development staff, and they are proof read, but not by a tech write.

- That the Business end makes the decisions, and the game developer dances to sales tunes.

 

The article explained alot of the why, who, and whats really happening in the company. As much as I haven't really been an Andy Hoare fan BECAUSE of the kroot, I do find that I can cut him some slack now because of the big picture.

all in all a great interview.

Posted By Ghaz on 05/09/2007 7:12 PM
So it's 'naive' to take somebody at their word when they've not given me reason not to?

In this case yes I believe it is. "Reason not to" for you is different to reason not to for me. You can believe what you like, I believe differently and said so, and perhaps you could just learn to live with that.

BTW: Ghaz if you're going to post "The best way to deal with trolls is to IGNORE them" then don't quote me and ask me a question in the same post. Just think it through, yeah?

I firmly believe that the "gamer" stereotypes are the same worldwide.  Having gamed in the US and now in Romania... same types of people, different languages.  I'm sure the folks who work at GW, TSR, and similar companies all have or had the same types of characteristics (ie stigmas) that we have now.

-James

Well, not really (sorry!).

Navin in South Asia, where geekdom is quite a different sort of creature

Hmmm.
It's depressing to think that the games developers have no control over the release schedual, but I do feel a lot less bitter towards them now.
I must admit, I dislike most of the stuff that guy has written for the game, but I don't dislike him personally or anything. My personal dislike is kept for the as yet un named *fudge*er who keeps the ork and Dark Eldar codices languishing in development hell.

Posted By H.B.M.C. on 05/10/2007 12:10 AM

T, if the Dev Team's next release was bronzed horse-$#it, you still wouldn't complain.

Overbearing negativity and pesimism is annoying - but the direct opposite is far more annoying.

BYE

Or maybe he would...he'd just be a man about it.

Posted By H.B.M.C. on 05/10/2007 12:10 AM
T, if the Dev Team's next release was bronzed horse-$#it, you still wouldn't complain.

Oh, get real.  That would never happen.  It would be plastic horse-$#it.  They're doing all the big releases in plastic now.

A multi-part plastic hose-$#it kit? Hmmm,... I would have to think about that. It would save me going out and getting the real stuff for those really realistic dioramas...

H.B.M.C. Spitting vitriol all the time for no reason gets older a lot faster. I haven't heard a bad review about LOTR, in fact most people think it is a great game (from the game rules point of view). A lot of people just don't play it. Not for them, not for me. If you think it is a horrible game, just say so and state your opinion. Don't just dog on mine just because I like it.

That's not why he was "dogging on" yours, but I agree it is pretty tedious. You're optimistic, forgiving, and like being the disenting voice. H.B.M.C. is bitter, pessimistic and likes to moan.
Hence, conflict.
In the Grim Darkness of the Near Future, there is only Endless Arguments.

Its funny that liking GW is the "voice of dissent"...

Ozymandias, King of Kings