Anonymous Mythic employee dishes dirt on WAR and SWTOR

[tmp]

There still isn't a single game done with Hero Engine that'd actually reach stage of going live, is there?

[sam, an eggplant]

You think SWTOR will be canceled before release? That seems fairly unlikely.

[Mrbloodworth]

HeroEngine has recently been licensed for a variety of projects including a virtual world with Enne Entertainment, a multi-title deal with a US publisher, virtual worlds with government and non-profit applications for a European organization, and unannounced projects from startups and major studios in China, Europe and the US. Details on these projects will be announced in the coming months. Previously announced HeroEngine licensees include BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic game and a stealth project from ZeniMax Online Studios.

[Modern Angel]

I wonder what a stealth project from ZeniMax might be!

[Lum]

My bet is an MMO based on 2009's smash console hit WET.

[Ghambit]

If you remember back to near the inception of the HeroEngine you'll recall its whole reason for being was for some uber-secret MMO that it had a licensee for.  That MMO now being SWTOR.  Fuck me, that was a loooong time ago.   

The length of development for TOR isnt doing the engine much positive marketing though.  Arent the damned things supposed to make things go quicker?

[UnSub]

World of Tanks is a BigWorld-developed title. Fallen Earth was meant to be the showcase for the Icarus Studios middleware, but I have to assume all those retrenchments saw that aspect of their business model dropped / greatly reduced.

SWOR is using a lot of middleware, including (at one point, at least) something developed by the failed Perpetual Studios.

[Xuri]

If you remember back to near the inception of the HeroEngine you'll recall its whole reason for being was for some uber-secret MMO that it had a licensee for.  That MMO now being SWTOR.

I thought that HeroEngine was originally being developed for Hero's Journey?

[Ghambit]

If you remember back to near the inception of the HeroEngine you'll recall its whole reason for being was for some uber-secret MMO that it had a licensee for.  That MMO now being SWTOR.

I thought that HeroEngine was originally being developed for Hero's Journey?

You're right (late 90's I guess).  But that's not what kept it afloat obviously.

[NiX]

My bet is an MMO based on 2009's smash console hit WET.

That got a good laugh out of me.

[Jerrith]

I wonder what a stealth project from ZeniMax might be!

No comment! :)

On the middleware topic though - One thing that I've seen at a few different companies now is that middleware companies seem geared towards wanting to provide you with a basically finished solution (client and server C++ code not something you should touch) that you then use scripting to customize for your game (and if you need some custom C++, they'll be happy to write it, for a fee), while the companies using them (at least for high end projects) tend to want the source code (available for a price) so they can customize it, or use it as the starting point for their own technology.  It always makes me wonder what a middleware product / company more focused on that would be like.

[tmp]

You think SWTOR will be canceled before release? That seems fairly unlikely.

Nah, i was thinking more along the lines what sort of warts may surface once the engine is actually put through serious live stress test conditions for the first time ever. Especially if it's one as bit as (potentially) SWTOR can be at least at launch.

Granted this applies to stuff rolled from scratch just as well, but still; would imagine the core being 3rd party tech may add some issues to patching/finding source of issues to begin with if/when they show up.

[AutomaticZen]

On the middleware topic though - One thing that I've seen at a few different companies now is that middleware companies seem geared towards wanting to provide you with a basically finished solution (client and server C++ code not something you should touch) that you then use scripting to customize for your game (and if you need some custom C++, they'll be happy to write it, for a fee), while the companies using them (at least for high end projects) tend to want the source code (available for a price) so they can customize it, or use it as the starting point for their own technology.  It always makes me wonder what a middleware product / company more focused on that would be like.

Depends on if they'd have to support it after the extensive client changes, really.

[Modern Angel]

No comment! :)

Oh, we all know what it is. Dogs know it.

[LC]

You're right (late 90's I guess).  But that's not what kept it afloat obviously.

I think they first showed off the hero engine around 2005 when they announced Hero's Journey again for the fifth or sixth time. Later on they decided to cash in on the engine while neglecting their mmo project. It seems to have paid off since they had to lay off all but a handful (5-7) of their employees.

[Mrbloodworth]

The hero engine is used a good deal in government projects.

[Murgos]

The hero engine is used a good deal in government projects.

This statement sort of sounds like it's used every time someone needs a new spreadsheet.  Maybe it might be better to say, it 'has been used in government projects'?  Personally, I've been involved in billions of dollars worth of government projects and I've not seen any evidence of the Hero engine being used.

[Abelian75]

The hero engine is used a good deal in government projects.

"Hero engine" now sounds like a codename for some sort of doomsday device.

[tmp]

The hero engine is used a good deal in government projects.

Wouldn't that be an hero engine?

[Lantyssa]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.  It doesn't sound right for an American accent to use 'an', even if technically grammatically correct.

[DraconianOne]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.

How (sorry, 'ow) do you mean?

[tmp]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.  It doesn't sound right for an American accent to use 'an', even if technically grammatically correct.

OK, i fold. Can't find a crayon with any brighter green in my box :/

[Lantyssa]

How (sorry, 'ow) do you mean?

I didn't say all of you, or even most, do.

I should probably say many Southern accents and certain words, too.  Such as 'honor'.  And every other instance I can think of instead of generalizing.

OK, i fold. Can't find a crayon with any brighter green in my box :/

I'm bored and possessing the attention span of a ferret right now.  Not a good combination.

[Mrbloodworth]

You guys are silly.

[Shrike]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.  It doesn't sound right for an American accent to use 'an', even if technically grammatically correct.

Like...an elk?

[sam, an eggplant]

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/An_hero

[Abelian75]

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/An_hero

Oh gods, it's the stinking, rotten underbelly of the internet!

[Moosehands]

SWOR is using a lot of middleware, including (at one point, at least) something developed by the failed Perpetual Studios.

Yep, web platform stuff as I recall.  Logins, server browser, and a nifty web view into the build archive that let dev leads bless/curse builds before they were propagated out to the patch farms.  No idea if they're still using it though.

[Simond]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.  It doesn't sound right for an American accent to use 'an', even if technically grammatically correct.

That's similar to the way it's supposed to be done, sort of. If the 'h' isn't pronounced (e.g. honour) or frequently dropped/a nicked French word (e.g. hotel) you're supposed to use 'an'. If the 'h' is pronounced, you use 'a'.

grammar chat itt 

[Abelian75]

I only use 'an' in front of a word starting with 'h' if it's supposed to be a British speaker which drops their h-sounds.  It doesn't sound right for an American accent to use 'an', even if technically grammatically correct.

That's similar to the way it's supposed to be done, sort of. If the 'h' isn't pronounced (e.g. honour) or frequently dropped/a nicked French word (e.g. hotel) you're supposed to use 'an'. If the 'h' is pronounced, you use 'a'.

grammar chat itt  

Yeah, I believe that's true.  My guess is the confusion comes from odd cases like "an historical account," which is correct (at least it is A correct version), which, the way normal american humans speak, seems to be a case where you're putting the "an" there even when you DO pronounce the h.  However, it's actually the case that you can pronounce this "an istorical account."  Possibly you're supposed to pronounce it that way, even.  It makes you sound really distinguished and vaguely douchebaggy.  I highly recommend it.

[waffel]

And in somewhat related news:

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/seasonal-roll-offs-hit-ea-for-third-year-in-a-row/

[Ingmar]

Roll-offs? 

[waffel]

Yeah, dontcha know? It's vital to maintaining a healthy business!

[Sjofn]

The employees gather around and roll d20's to keep their jobs, duh.

[Nebu]

Now I have visions of EA employees being given a THAC0 based on time served. 

Seriously, I hate seeing people lose their job this close to the holidays.  I wish all of them the best.