Quick shoutout to Syp over at his blog Waagh! for his idea of adding a developer commentary to the ToK ( http://waaagh.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/if-wishes-were-horses). I’m not sure if that idea was already kicked around by Paul (I think it has but I’m not sure) but it’s a damn fine idea regardless. I’ll put that down on our ToK wishlist as a possibility. No matter what, cheers Syp, thanks for the great suggestion and as always, your blog, I love reading it.
So, what do you think? Should we add a ToK unlock (user option as Syp suggests) for Developer Commentary just like DVDs?
Online Games Are a Niche Market 
Sep 24, 2008 @ 16:10:58
I think that would be a pretty excellent idea, actually, Mark. Personally, as someone who’s always loved game design, seeing this sort of stuff would be pretty awesome.
*sigh* One day, I will find a way into the business.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 16:21:36
Greetings Mark, I agree it is a good idea but in my opinion, don’t add the feature into the game. That is what wikipedias, websites and blogs are for. Focus should be placed on adding more contents that players would enjoy. Not many people are even reading the TOK.
From: A Warhammer Online Fan.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 16:53:50
As long as it didn’t interfere with performance (assuming it would be hard for this type of feature to affect performance) and it was an “Optional” patch I do not think it would be a bad idea at all. For those who like that it would be nice however it would also be cool in cases when you think… What the heck were they thinking, to know exactly that!
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:00:38
I think it would be awesome to see what the dev’s have to say about thing sin game via the ToK 🙂 on a side note about the ToK does it really need to be so hit or miss when it comes to finding info on tome tactics?
:p
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:00:48
Wow, that would be AWESOME! I’m ALWAYS for more developer commentary.
My ONLY complaint about the way The Orange Box did it was you couldn’t unlock achievements if the commentary was on. Lame. If you add it in, be sure not to hurt the people you’re making it for.
Keep it up!
DGS
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:02:06
@warthug
even myself who rarely looks into the lore of a game find myself checking random ToK entries when i’m not doing anything that requires much attention, like traveling between locations etc etc
If Wishes Were Horses « Waaagh! A Warhammer Online Blog
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:03:13
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:05:11
Thanks for the shoutout! Goes to show that quick, off-the-cuff articles sometimes have more punch.
I won’t claim 100% originality, I do recall Paul saying something way back when about wanting to put a developer commentary into the CE, or possibly as a downloadable MP3 or something. If nothing else, it goes to show how flexible the Tome can be for future ideas and features.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:07:19
Absolutely! One of the best parts of Portal was the developer commentary on why the game was designed that way and the process that went into modifying the game.
If a Lore unlock also had information on the design of the model, or area of the zone, that’d be great. The class specific Bestiary pages would be a great place to reveal dev commentary on class design.
A toggle for “Show Dev Commentary” would be excellent.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:08:55
I know I would love to see what went on in the wonderfully deranged minds of your team as they were making this game. I agree that it should definitely be optional, but it’s certainly an option I’d like to have.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:10:49
Oh, and by the way, “WAAAGH!” has three A’s in it. Might want to patch that in 😀
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:13:30
I think this is a brilliant idea. Implement immediately!
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:14:00
Would be cool, gets my vote.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:16:22
I read this entry at Waagh! earlier and thought it was a brilliant idea. Glad that it got picked up for discussion. I know that if anything like that was put into the game, I’d certainly read it… then again, that’s the artist/writer in me.
Oh, and hello — a little off the topic (I apologize)! I’m brand new to WAR (but not MMORPGs) as of launch day… and just discovered this blog. I’d like to say that as a casual and very anti-PVP gamer, WAR has actually coaxed me out on the battlefield against other players for the first time since I got a bad taste in my mouth from it (due to ganking experiences in old-time UO many years ago). Kudos to PQs for helping me to overcome “grouping-phobia”… I’m doing things and interacting with others in this game in a way that I’ve been previously too shy to do. And I’m having fun doing it!
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:27:12
I think it’s a great idea. I love to get developer commentary, it would make the ToK just that much more rich.
Speaking of the ToK, how about the capability to access/read your ToK while sitting in queue, or on the web? It would make those queue times (and bored at work times) go by a little faster. In the thick of battle I don’t always have the time to read each unlock as I go.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:27:58
I love the idea of more info about the background in the Tome of Knowledge. The ToK is filling that OCD need I have to replace when I stopped play eve online.
And another thing… I want to be able to print out the ToK or export it to PDF ( or insert name of super cool open source format here ), it is my journal I should be able to carry it around.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 17:45:13
Absolutely a good idea. I trust yall would not put it in unless it did not interfere with the rest of the game.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:13:33
In short….Uh, Yes! =)
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:27:12
I think it’s a great idea.
My wife said to me yesterday she’d like to see all of your class skills listed out in the ToK as well so you could see at a glance what you had to look forward to next level. I thought that was a good one as well!
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:48:08
It’s a terrific idea – forge ahead!
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:51:23
That sounds like an awesome idea.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:56:05
What I would really like to see in the ToK is the ability to add your own notes to the entries.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 18:57:29
Hell yeah. More ToK is all goodness.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 20:20:19
It sounds like a lovely idea. I’d certainly enjoy reading what the developers think of each area…
Sep 24, 2008 @ 20:24:39
I think it is a great idea, I would love to see it, just make sure it is a toggle.
I have a question though Mark, the ToK is pure awesomness, and I wonder if we will start seeing it show up in other games, possibly Imperator, or maybe other Dev studios will pick it up. Is that your plan, do you want to see something like it in other games, or do you kinda feel like it belong to WAR.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 20:33:00
Well, it worked for Valve, so I can’t see why it wouldn’t work here. I enjoyed listening through the developer commentary in HL2 Ep1 and Ep2.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 20:55:00
Dev Commentary is one of the best things in some games. I love it when you get like a dev DVD with CEs and what not, or Valve’s method.
Dev Commentary can allow you to kill two birds with one stone. First, it is a nice feature that is appreciated, and more content (especially easy and seemingly ready) is never a bad thing. Two, you can be sneaky and add it in a way where you are actually teaching the user a little about how the design process works… which is also never a bad thing.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 21:10:59
I like this idea but make it so that people that do not wish to see it can block it.
I would like to see -far- more things added into the ToK. I would like to every Career’s abilities, tactics, etc listed out and have a little ‘bug’ icon next to abilities that are currently bugged. Having this list would allow players to make informed choices when planning out their characters. Possibly have another icon for powers that are considered under performing / not living up to expectations.
I would also like to see a place for patch notes in the ToK. Scrolling down in the patch window to read everything in it’s narrow format can be tedious. Having the same information available to players that wish to see it, blockable by others, would be a nice addition as well.
The ToK is an invaluable opportunity for the Devs to pass information to the players about everything in the game. I don’t think you can add too much as long as the information is well documented.
OH! And a search feature inside the Tome would be nice as well. I realize this sort of feature would break the immersion of a Tome, but it would be beneficial to the players.
– Saraya Swordmaster, Ungrim
Sep 24, 2008 @ 21:18:13
I think it would be a nice feature to have, as well.
Sep 24, 2008 @ 22:34:38
Seeing what is put into a game is loads of fun, as long as it is new of course. Warhammer’s ToK is so fantastic, I think we all need to know a littlre moe about it!
Sep 25, 2008 @ 00:18:12
The more stuff in the tome the better. I find myself openijng it up every chance I get while waiting for groups and having a read.
Sep 25, 2008 @ 01:46:24
This idea is fantastic, and I would love to see Dev commentary in the TOK. I would love to learn a lot more of the dev process, and learn about the making of the game without having to watch a video, it would be amazing to find this interesting info out live while playing.
Sep 25, 2008 @ 02:15:54
@warthug — I disagree. More and more people are talking about the ToK, in game, on forums and at the watercooler at work! Not talking about it in terms of ‘what is it’ but in terms of ‘omg have you checked that out? It’s awesome!’
This gets my vote too
Sep 25, 2008 @ 04:28:15
Hell yes. I’m a Dev myself and would love to read the thought patterns of other Devs in the industry.
Another idea would be to make the ToK accessible whilst your waiting in a server queue. I think that’s the best time to read what your character has been up to and other stuff like Dev comments.
Sep 25, 2008 @ 05:20:51
No offense Mark by why do you even have to ask? 🙂
Sep 25, 2008 @ 07:19:21
Yeah,
Audio commentary, or developer commentary for WAR, already suggested about a year ago. I remember talking about the idea to the ToK folks in August of 2007.
http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20176
Sep 25, 2008 @ 14:41:06
Oh Garthilk, stop trying to take credit for someone else’s ideas you noob.
Sep 25, 2008 @ 19:36:28
Awesome Idea! There are times when you have plenty of free time in the game to browse such things as you wait for you group etc etc. I personally have a problem with alt-tab and locking the client up so this would be beneficial to me.
Sep 26, 2008 @ 08:31:25
Awesome idea, I’m an avid ‘how stuff works’- fan, this would be marvellous, no other words.
Sep 26, 2008 @ 22:15:45
Y
E
S
I would love to hear what the Devs have to say about the very world they designed.
Sep 30, 2008 @ 21:56:41
I would love some developer commentary in the ToK on stuff. Specifically the way you decided certain races/classes look/play. Having that extra information unlock in the ToK as you play would be neat. I find myself (as many others I now see) reading the ToK when I’m just chatting with friends or idly looking around.
Oct 04, 2008 @ 00:17:29
I was thinking lately how cool it would be to be able to unlock cutscenes or small in-game engine movies so I fully support this idea as a more achievable implementation. Do think about little movies for the expansion though!
Oct 06, 2008 @ 18:49:14
Well … the idea is quite good, I like it.
But I clearly remember your company’s footage before launch with a big promotion for the Destruction-Realm from several leading devs. Combined with the appealing Greenskin- and Chaos-Races and classes it led to an alarming population imbalance on most servers (at least in Germany).
And while my level 25 Ironbreaker looks like a medicore wiking-midget, a Chosen at same level could easily get a job as a instance-boss in the upcoming WoW-expansion.
Playing order feels a bit like “well… we need some RvR-enemies, so please take these generic and/or underpowered classes and get stomped by the unbelievable sexy force of destruction”
Jan 06, 2009 @ 18:41:02
I like that idea, gives a bit of flare to the ToK! I would love to see more things like that integrated in the game. Gives you a sense of “connection”. 🙂
Jun 29, 2009 @ 11:08:09
Feb 02, 2010 @ 14:53:01