Saturday, 30-August
Developer Spotlight
Have you ever wondered what makes Chris "Aeralik" Kozak tick? What are Chris's main duties in the EverQuest II team and what does he do when he's not at the EQII development wheel?
You can find those answers and much, much more HERE!
Development Interview: Chris “Aeralik” Kozak
Name: Chris Kozak
Handle: Aeralik
Home town: Hudson, Ohio
- Would you tell us about yourself and how did you start your gaming journey?
I started gaming on the old apple IIe systems playing stuff like the original Kings Quest, the Zork games, Ultima, etc. The fantasy based games have always been a favorite so naturally I became fascinated with EQ and then EQII when it came out.
- When did you start working with the EQII team?
I joined the EQII team in December 2006.
- What are your main duties?
I am a hybrid of sorts here on the team. I will come up with a plan for something and then implement it in code. It makes my job easier I think because in the past someone would spec something out, submit it to be coded and then have to wait for it to be completed. If I need or desire a spells and combat change, I can usually prototype it very quickly and then refine it myself. Larger changes go through some discussions initially to refine the ideas but it's still fairly quick for me to implement things from concept to final design.
- What initially led you to become a spells, class and combat developer?
To be honest it was just kind of by chance. I knew Lockeye was leaving and I mentioned to Gallenite one day it would be fun to do. He talked to some people here and then it was done. Before that though I did most of my work on spells and combat so I knew the systems well already and it seemed like a good fit.
- What are the main challenges that you encounter while working on designing? How do you manage to overcome them?
One of the most difficult things is having the 24 classes. Everyone wants to be unique yet at the same time they desire some of the things that their counterpart class has.
It makes things a bit difficult but I welcome the challenge.
- In your opinion, what are the most interesting features of the EQII combat system?
I've always kinda liked the large number of skills and overall complexity of combat. Each class has a way to maximize damage output but you can also switch things up based on the situation. Also there are a large number of effects that allow you to tailor your class to your liking. Like if you want to solo you can specialize your character to that or if you want to raid you can also go that direction with abilities and equipment.
- You have recently talked about your plans to make changes in three classes: Coercers, Warlocks and Necromancers. What are the reasons behind those changes?
The warlock and necromancer changes are really minor and mainly resulted from the coercer changes. When I was looking over Coercers the thoughtstones didn't really seem like they worked in the context of the game today. This also applied to Necromancers and Warlocks since their components didn't really give them anything extra for the trouble.
As to Coercers, I think change was inevitable for them. Our internal data shows them far behind tanks in dps. There has also been a steady stream of betrayals to Illusionists as well as some frustrations on the forums. They needed some changes to work more into how the game plays today and I think that is largely how the changes worked out.
- What are the factors that determine what classes to work on? And how do you manage to balance these classes?
It's largely based on internal data, along with input from the players from various boards We look at how the classes are working out across the servers. There is also the general player perception. You know if raids and groups are favoring particular classes then that one is possibly too strong or the others need some work.
- What future projects are on your plate you looking forward to?
My main task right now is to finish up some stuff for our upcoming update. I'm really excited about the new mechanics and abilities we will be adding soon.
That update isn't the only thing I am working on though. As time permits I would like to continue polishing the classes. I am also working on converting poisons to auto consume so you don't have to always watch them to make sure you don't run out. There are a few other smaller things I'm sure I will also look into for upcoming updates.
- What other things do you enjoy besides games?
My main passion outside of gaming is bicycling. I love to go out for some long rides here in San Diego on the weekends. Besides riding I love the stock and commodity markets and I also enjoy reading fantasy and horror novels.
Lightning Round!
- Pirates, Ninjas or Robots?
I think I will take choice D for Dark Elves. They are far superior to any pirate ninja robot combination.
- Mountains, the city or the beach?
Well going back to my passion for cycling I would have to say the mountains. It's fun going up those long climbs and someday I would love to go ride the mythical climbs of the Tour de France like L`Alpe D`Huez and the other famous climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees
- Favorite food?
I love anything Italian.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would just like to thank all of the players who help to make EQII such a great game.
Source: EverQuest 2 News
[Developer Spotlight - full article]Rossee (Halfling Reporter) @ 23:49
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