NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR DEV TEAM! L@@K INSIDE!!

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Slaariel

*The Only Real Life Girl Dev*
HEY! Dalaya needs YOU to turn your content-related dreams into reality OR your free time into C++ or php/web-tool code!

Well, not all of you--but at least hopefully one or two people who are reading this. That is who the 'YOU' is referring to.

I am inviting YOU to come join the E*L*I*T*E team of SoD devs in the quest to make the server better than it has ever been! We are looking for SOME (2 or 3) people who want to make content (monsters, quests, items, dungeons, raids, etc.) and we are ALSO looking for A person who is comfortable coding in C++ and maybe php or whatever.

CONTENT DEV REQUIREMENTS:

1) You have to want to make content, complete content, work within some pretty annoying limitations, test your content, and release your content.
2) You have to want to spend several hours a week doing this AND you need to actually have those hours to spend. No time-credit!
3) You have to be present in secret SoD developer channels and available for discussions about SoD stuff of if I get drunk/high and start rambling YOU HAVE TO BE THERE TO LISTEN TO IT.
4) You have to understand and be able to use good English. Not all the time! Just in your quests/content, okay?
5) You do NOT have to know how to program. If you literally know nothing about programming anything at all, you will emerge with an expanded skill-set, but initial coding knowledge is not required. We Exist To Help You Learn.

HOW TO APPLY:

Send me a forums PM with this critical information:
1) Your name (IRL)
2) Your name(s) (In Game (If Applicable))
3) Short, brief, history of your experience with SoD
4) Favorite part of SoD
5) WHAT YOU WOULD DO AS A SoD DEV. While all of these things are important, we're not going to hire you just because you have a great IRL name. This is where the money is! What would you do? What quest would you make? Spell it out! What encounters would you implement? In detail! What major changes to the game would you beg for? What! What! What! Make this section as long as possible I want blood in this section!!!
6) ANY OTHER INFO

CODING DEV REQUIREMENTS:

1) Know how to program Decently in C++ and be familiar with databases, etc. The existing code base is large and confusing and it will take even a pro some serious time to get a handle on it.
2) Have time to spend on SoD. If you are a good programmer but do not have or want to spend time working on SoD, then don't apply. I feel silly writing that out but there you go.
3) Be willing to implement my crazy-ass, stupid ideas even if you think they are dumb!!! They probably are!! Not important!
4) YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A COOL DUDE IRL but it helps know what I'm saying?

HOW TO APPLY:

Send me a forums PM with your coding stats / experience / coding desire levels / favorite anime / time available / etc.

JOIN THE TEAM THAT RULES THE HARDEST! TEAM SOD AND SUB-TEAM SLAARIEL.
 
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Here are some questions I have received in my PM box instead of the thread but I will answer them here!!!

The programming part has a normal SVN repository for version control and is set up for use in microsoft visual studio with an SLN file and everything. The database backend is all mysql and there are a couple ways to access it for work etc.

The content part.. as a starting dev it will be very very frustrating to implement and test content. Outside of learning the proprietary SoD scripting language, you will have no direct access to nearly anything. You will be able to create and submit scripts direct to the server, pretty much, but mobs, items, spells, and so forth will have to go through other devs. This is not THAT bad since these things do not take effect until a patch anyway, but it can be frustrating for new devs. As it is, when you are a Full Dev, there is a suite of webtools and in-game commands that make editing mobs and items and so forth much more palatable.

Any more questions!? May as well post In Thread!!
 
You should get on a DVCS like mercurial or git. I did, it's much, much better! Subversion is so limiting.

Technically, I suppose that's an opinion more than a question. So here is a question:

What languages do you use? You mention C++ and php, are there others?

I'd love to apply, however, I don't meet requirement 2.
 
The content part.. as a starting dev it will be very very frustrating to implement and test content. Outside of learning the proprietary SoD scripting language, you will have no direct access to nearly anything. You will be able to create and submit scripts direct to the server, pretty much, but mobs, items, spells, and so forth will have to go through other devs. This is not THAT bad since these things do not take effect until a patch anyway, but it can be frustrating for new devs. As it is, when you are a Full Dev, there is a suite of webtools and in-game commands that make editing mobs and items and so forth much more palatable.

Could you expand a bit more about this? For instance, if a new dev submits a script on Monday night, how long until they will have an opportunity to test the script? Is someone with magical mob-creating powers typically around to take care of that portion for the test?
 
There are some things that you can not put in without a patch such as NPCs and items. The thing is there is a multitude of things you can apply to the server hot such as scripts, mob placement and pathing etc. There is almost always something to do while waiting for patch stuff to go in.

Maybe 90 percent of the time there is someone around to help put stuff in for you. The thing is you can always write things on your side and test them all at once. If you have a quest with 15 mobs you can use the documentation to write all 15 and test (although this situation would be rare if you wanted to test as you go as there is usually someone around).
 
Not to mention, the GM-only zone is a really good place to test things, and if you need "outside perspective" on something, the GM-team makes good guinea pigs for testing scripts in unpredictable ways.
 
Not to mention, the GM-only zone is a really good place to test things, and if you need "outside perspective" on something, the GM-team makes good guinea pigs for testing scripts in unpredictable ways.

Is the zone named "The water cooler"?
 
I have a few questions:

1. I know a bunch of stuff is hard-coded in the client and basically not open to changing. Can you list some broad areas that are pretty much off limits or infeasible to update? Specifically I'm curious about:

* new item or armor graphics, particle effects
* new NPC models
* completely new zones built from scratch

Also, does this 'job' pretty much consist of simply creating new content, or is there other stuff more maintenance-like that needs to be done? Are you mostly interested in someone with a lot of new ideas they want to try out, or someone who can learn a complicated scripting language and implement tasks they are given?
 
* new item or armor graphics, particle effects
* new NPC models
* completely new zones built from scratch

All examples of things we can't change. Everything graphical you see on the client is fixed. However, the names, locations, and behavior of anything in-game is controlled by the server and thus changeable.
 
here is the thing.. tools exist SOMEHOW to create those things because i have SEEN all of those things.. but i do not know how to DO those things. needless to say, that ability would be a huge asset if well-applied.
 
* new item or armor graphics, particle effects
* new NPC models
* completely new zones built from scratch

For the app, this stuff doesn't matter too much. You are very free to reuse existing zones or make up your own badguys. This is a measure of your creativity, and how well you can conceive an idea and explain it to others. This is a crucial skill, and one that the staff can not teach you. That being said someone who makes an app within the confines of what SoD is, might have an edge over one who makes stuff up. If you've seen it in game, it's obviously possible in some manner.

Also, does this 'job' pretty much consist of simply creating new content, or is there other stuff more maintenance-like that needs to be done? Are you mostly interested in someone with a lot of new ideas they want to try out, or someone who can learn a complicated scripting language and implement tasks they are given?

All of the above. The SoD staff wear many hats, and develop many skills. You'll need to make new content, maintain existing content, learn a complicated and contradictory scripting language, and implement other peoples ideas within the framework that is SoD. It's alot to take in, but you'll learn alot. Trust me. Two devs picked up c++ without any formal programming training.

As a dev-trainee, you'll be assigned some task, based on server needs. How you go about this task is generally entirely up to you. Tasks can vary from 'Implement an SK newbie quest' to 'Here is an empty zone. Here is the theme. Make it happen', or anything else we can think of.

As you become a more trusted staff member, you'll be given more freedom in your decisions. You may still be assigned tasks (Ok we have this expansion coming out and we need zones done, can you handle zone x and y?), but you can also say something like 'I have this great idea for a zone with raptors and erudites!' and while it might not be an admin 'priority', if it can fit and you're enthusiastic, there is a pretty good chance you can just go crazy and do it.

Eventually you get to a point where even the asking part becomes a formality. Traditionally at that point you have some life crisis that takes you away from developing or decide you've had enough of SoD and move on to new projects.

At all points you'll be expected to maintain your content, and assist in maintaining other peoples. We tend to like devs who are active to handle their own problems, but if you CAN help someone, you should. Devs are 1/10 GM's and support the GM staff when possible.
 
Yeah, really making it through the trainee phase is really annoying and then everything after that is cool. Then you start thinking up cool ideas and trying to sneak them by Woldaff or whatever it's a lot of fun!
 
Will Cyzaine be around to help train new Coding devs?
Will there be more then 1 coding dev?
While I want to be *A* coding dev, I can't commit to *THE* coding dev. And jumping into a new code base takes alot of time and patience.
 
No one who takes on any of these positions will be THE guy. You'll have more than enough support, fear not.
 
What kind of programming

I am wondering what kind of stuff the c++/php guy will be working on? Does stuff need to be done on the SOD server? Will work be done on the website?
 
I am wondering what kind of stuff the c++/php guy will be working on? Does stuff need to be done on the SOD server? Will work be done on the website?

The c++ is all game code. The php is all web stuff. Two different areas entirely. If you are on the game side, you'll probably not have time for the web side. Likewise, the web side makes it more difficult to focus on the game side.

If you choose the php side, you'll be working with me. There's still lots to do.
 
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