Thread by @MorelloNMST

I wanted to talk about a unique part of game dev: access to developers, and the expectation therein.

Fandoms, and particularly game, have an insane relationship to this - something not really in other industries.

Some tips, also, from someone who's been in the public eye a lot.

This might be a tempting topic to oversimplify, but as with nearly everything in game dev, it's nuanced.

Often I think the problems with this subject come from extreme takes on some very understandable issues, so hopefully this will color a more complete picture.

People who play video games get *very invested* - moreso than most other entertainment forms. There's a deeper passion, connection and meaning for people who play video games.

The experiences matter to us. That's part of the magic after all.

Developers also care a great deal; most of us are really dedicated to making stuff we really want people to like! The play is fueled from passion, as is the creation.

This in and of itself is great. This is the wonderful part, at least on paper.

The dark side is something most of you are familiar with; the expectation and entitlement that comes with a passionate fanbase, with people who care * alot* about something, and have their own opinions on what that thing should be.

Combine this level of care with the level of conduct people find acceptable on the internet, the additional visibility of developers who are often seen as celebrates , and you get a level of desired access that looks more akin to the paparazzi than people who love a product.

This is where things are toxic.

An unhealthy amount of players (and even some companies - more on that in a minute) think developers should be available - nearly anytime, anywhere, for any reason.

That to not be is ingratitude, thin skin, or ego. Or a lack of commitment.

These expectations have terrible outcomes, full stop. Never does it do anything positive for players or devs.

If they meet these, it allows abuse and burns them out.

If they turtle, players get much communication about legitimate issues that are worth discussing.

I'll also be clear; these expectations are absolute insanity.

It's what insane people would do or think. You don't even have that kind of access to *your friends* usually.

If you recognize you have this expectation, *take a hard look at yourself.*

I don't deign to feel I can wash these expectations away with some words on a page. Instead, I want to focus on a couple tips for managing a frankly *insane* world if you're a passionate dev who is stuck between wanting to communicate and does not want to be 100% available.

1) Set firm boundaries

Only you can choose how and when you talk to people about work - whether at work or not! Maybe you choose a method, like "Reddit only" - or times to do it - 9am on Mondays, or after major releases.

Even if you have broad rules, have them and be *firm*.

I've made this mistake a lot. The stream for Valorant was the last straw. I'd try to leave my DMs open, do Q&A, everything.

While I was happy to help some folks and speak to the game I was proud of, I also mostly just burned myself out and robbed myself of emotional energy.

2) Keep it focused

Only dive in for topics you have a direct interest and impact on. This is especially true for people who have a more specialized role or function.

If there's a big issue that is being spammed (queue "WHERE RANKED" or "INDIAN SERVERS" - don't discuss anything.

Companies and orgs need to help. If spamming every thread with the issue of the week gets a response, it'll continue.

Closing up comms shop will help the community do more of this work upfront - and with people like mods in bigger discussion areas make this possible.

3) Only engage when you want to

Unless part of your job is community-facing comms, don't do it unless you have the energy and desire. You do not "owe" anyone anything here - you're being paid to do the job you're doing, not run damage control on Reddit.

It's someone's job! But probably not yours. Even if you're a designer, leader, or involved in the feature - talking about how to deal with the issue with the right folks internally might be the extent of your responsibility.

This leads me to...

4) Hold your ORG accountable

Abuse can be permitted or even enabled by your org! If you engage make sure they have your back, and if you choose not to, make sure they have your back.

A lot of our desire to communicate comes from "well someone needs to!" Maybe it's just not you.

Do inform the teams that do with your expertise as needed. Do help your company work through the issues. You just might not have to run into the mortar fire personally when you didn't sign up to.

I have some thoughts - good and bad - about Riot's role in this.

They do a lot of things well, and then a lot of things get internalized and warped in a weird ass way that then sort of makes the players expectations around access *more toxic*.

They let people speak pretty freely, use "normal" language, and are transparent about things - I love this and it's what drew me there in the first place.

But they also turn a blind eye to players being abusive and expect you to be thankful for it. Or at least willing to take it

Combined with sort of an all-or-nothing view of "you have to either take it all or none of it, and we're not the kind of company that doesn't listen to player feedback" and you get an insidious multiplier on the expectation set.

I think that silliness matches the player argument

That there are two things you can be:

* Closed off corporate people like a traditional publisher (bad)

* We're grateful for players and will take any abuse because they love the game (also bad)

This part has turned into a sort of evaluation of that, but I think the right approach is balance; you speak clearly, honestly, and treat people like adults.

You get to be a person with boundaries and not tolerate abuse.

"They're the same picture"

This was a bit of a rant overall, but something that's been on my mind a lot - working for a unique org like Riot and now scoping being with a traditional publisher is like again, so I wanted to share what I have.

*Much less communication* gdi Twitter :D