WQ 10th Anniversity: Call for Video Memories

[loboLoco]

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of WolfQuest, we've been working on a video documentary about the history and development of the game. It will feature video reminiscences by Grant, Steve, Michelle, Cana, Tim Buzza, and myself, but we'd love to also include some short videos from players -- especially those who were around during the original period (2007 - 2010).

Possible topics:
* Did you read and comment on the Developer's Blog back in 2007?
* What was it like waiting for WolfQuest to be released initially?
* What was multiplayer like in those early days? How did it change?
* Remember the anticipation for Slough Creek?
* How did the game affect you back then?
* What was it like when the project seemed to be completely over in 2012?
* What was your reaction to the 2.7 revival and plans for WQ 3 and Tower Fall?

Anything along those lines, good or bad -- we'd love to see it. You definitely don't have to address all those topics, just on those that you've got something to say.

We would like reasonably high quality videos at 1920x1080 resolution. It's fine to use your computer's built-in webcam, but we would appreciate decent lighting if possible (though we don't expect you do to a professional 3-point lighting setup). If you want to set up your phone on a tripod with a pleasant background, that's fine too! Please do keep the videos short and succinct, so we can include a bunch of them.

Once you have recorded your video, you could upload it to YouTube or Vimeo (public or private) so we can pull it down from there. If you'd rather not do that, contact me (use the Contact Us page here on the WQ website) and we'll figure out an alternative method.

We'd like to get these in the next 10 days or so (by Dec 12th) -- I'm aiming to release it on the actual anniversary of the initial release (December 21), but as with all things WolfQuest, we may not make that date. I suppose that's kind of appropriate, actually!

Thanks, and we're looking forward to seeing your videos!

ADDED: if you're not able to make a video, or not comfortable with the idea of being on video, we would also love to get your written reminiscences for a web page about the game's history.

[Kipcha28]

Oh, that's so exciting! I'll be looking forward to seeing what you guys have to say on it. And I'll try and put together a video myself in the next couple days if my cold goes away and I get my voice fully back!

About how long should our videos be?

[loboLoco]

Oh, that's so exciting! I'll be looking forward to seeing what you guys have to say on it. And I'll try and put together a video myself in the next couple days if my cold goes away and I get my voice fully back!

About how long should our videos be?

Great! Length really just depends on what you want to say. Twenty seconds would be just fine if that's all you need for a memory; longer is fine too if you've got more to share. I will be editing things down and integrating into the larger video, so don't worry about length.

[Koa]

Oh awesome, I'd love to do this soon while I have the time now. I'll try to make the lighting in my room work but that might be a challenge since we have no overheard lighting.

[SolitaryHowl]

I don't have a video camera at my new place, I don't suppose a cell phone video would be acceptable?

[Neamara]

For those of us too shy or perhaps with other reasons not to opt into making or participating in a video interview, is there any chance we could instead post our answers to the questions presented? If not in this thread, then perhaps something could be set up in General WolfQuest Discussion here on the community forum with a dedicated thread to run alongside it on the Steam Discussions hub? Not sure what you could do with posted answers video-wise, but it's an idea to let as many people express their memories of the game during those years.

Was just wondering is all - I'd understand if you would prefer to focus on getting the video interview done first, so perhaps this is something we could consider afterwards? ^^

• 6-Dec-2017 Edit

Just noticed the first post's added information.
Editing this post in response to questions I can answer, if that's alright.

Spoiler

Show

What was multiplayer like in those early days? How did it change?
One of the things I remember from when I used to actively play multiplayer was the freedom the players had - and, of course, the choice to be responsible for the right to speak freely. A lot of the sessions I found and joined back in the day were actually pretty chill; nobody said or did anything offensive in the games I managed to join. Everyone focused on hunting or roleplaying or just socializing. I will say the good experiences as a player outweighed the bad.

I'd say that changed with the introduction of lexicon, though I completely understand the reasons for it being implemented. There were a few things that contributed to my loss of interest in multiplayer; friends moving on and disappearing was one... the biggest reason was how infuriating it had become to communicate when players hadn't been so restricted.


Remember the anticipation for Slough Creek?
Hard not to! Those days were so very exciting - I daresay I've never seen WolfQuest so active! At least, on the forums - being a time where I played multiplayer more actively and few players checked the website and/or forums, spreading the news had varied reactions. "You're lying" "No way?!" "OMG I can't wait!!"

I want to say that one of the highlights leading up to the then-new episode has to have been the live Q&A run by Cana during its development. I remember being disappointed yet still optimistic whenever a delay was announced - seeing the mix of users who would shrug it off with nothing but understanding and positivity, or the equally disappointed, some times impatient and sometimes optimistic mix of users.

When Survival of the Pack launched, at first I thought it was a joke. Upon realizing it was legit, I rushed straight over to the download page ... only to find that the incoming traffic was too much for the website, because many people (including myself) were trying to download the game, which resulted in downtime for a couple of hours. :')



How did the game affect you back then?
I have always been an animal lover with dogs at the top of that list. When I first found WolfQuest, naturally I was interested in a game that portrayed their distant wild relative. The original trailer, though very cheesy today, looked very promising. When I got my laptop in 2009 that was capable of running the game, unlike the family computer we had in 2007, it was an unexpected learning experience; my initial expectations had been that it would be a simplistic multiplayer simulation to be played with friends and nothing more, lacking any gain. We may not have any wild wolves roaming free here in the United Kingdom, but even so, I will fully acknowledge WolfQuest as the source for my admiration of and respect for wolves to this very day. I've learned plenty about wolves through the game and even more through the wolf sections of the website and forums that I doubt I would have known at all without either.



What was it like when the project seemed to be completely over in 2012?
Nothing lasts forever... and looking back, perhaps I was a little too pessimistic once the discontinuation announcement had really set in - it truly felt like the end of an era. In a way it was; the forums had always been fairly active up until shortly after Cana's position had been terminated. The worst part of this "dark age" was not knowing when the project would finally be put to rest; I doubt that I'm alone in thinking this, but deep down I didn't want the forums to go away, nor did I want the project to be over.

Frankly those years spent in limbo were hell; nobody was communicating with us; all everyone knew was that the end was coming and that was that. I recall Kouga's petition in an attempt to keep the project going unofficially, and NightlyH's attempt to keep WolfQuest alive built (from what I understand) from the ground up as another game entirely... truth is, I doubt anyone could make something that could stay true to or be any better than the original. Speaking as a moderator, I hated having to relay the news whenever we saw topics making suggestions relating to the project's future, or for bug fixes, or for anything like that. The moderation team was simply following the instructions that they had been left with.



What was your reaction to the 2.7 revival and plans for WQ 3 and Tower Fall?
I was immensely overjoyed and relieved to see that the project was no longer in a state of limbo. WolfQuest might not have been a childhood game, but it is still something I will always cherish no matter what. I confess that I was surprised to see plans for WolfQuest to become portable in the form of a mobile game - yet it was such a great feeling to see such an old game given a new lease of life. Even better to have been able to play WolfQuest with much-needed fixes put in place in addition to new changes and features! Booting up 2.7 for the first time... I couldn't suppress a big grin, because it felt like that first time I played back in 2009... I find myself in my teenage self's shoes once again: anticipating the third episode after all these years, looking forward to the anniversary edition, and of course, hoping above all that WolfQuest has a long, prosperous future ahead of it.

- ⋆ -

I wish to conclude with (and I speak for the past, for the present, and for every day thereafter in the future) the sincerest of thank yous to Eduweb for going above and beyond with their efforts for this wonderful project, and to Minnesota Zoo for their support.

[paperpaws]

For those of us too shy or perhaps with other reasons not to opt into making or participating in a video interview, is there any chance we could instead post our answers to the questions presented? If not in this thread, then perhaps something could be set up in General WolfQuest Discussion here on the community forum with a dedicated thread to run alongside it on the Steam Discussions hub? Not sure what you could do with posted answers video-wise, but it's an idea to let as many people express their memories of the game during those years. :raven:

Was just wondering is all - I'd understand if you would prefer to focus on getting the video interview done first, so perhaps this is something we could consider afterwards? ^^

Seconded. I'd be happy to share some of my answers and experiences, but am not interested in doing it in video form. I don't exactly sound or look my most comfortable on camera. Perhaps there'd be room for written answers after the video has been published?

[loboLoco]

I don't have a video camera at my new place, I don't suppose a cell phone video would be acceptable?

Mobile phones nowadays can shoot high-quality video, so that's certainly an option. Just try to arrange it to have decent lighting.

[loboLoco]

For those of us too shy or perhaps with other reasons not to opt into making or participating in a video interview, is there any chance we could instead post our answers to the questions presented?

I definitely understand. (Pepper is horrified at the thought of appearing in the video.) Would you be comfortable doing an audio recording?

I think we should set up a page with written memories -- that's a great idea -- so we'd love to get those too!

[Windstrider]

Written stuff sounds nice (I wouldn't be in a video or audio either; my voice is awk lmao)! I wasn't around during the original period but during the 2.5 time, I remember posting something about 'would wq work on a kindle tablet' or something like that (I need to dig a bit and find that post) and now there's wq mobile lol. It could be pretty fun for people to go through their old posts and find ideas or things they posted that are ironic now or that came true.

[Koa]

I'm interested to see how you will incorporate written memories into the documentary. Have you thought about doing a combination of word art and short quotes?

[Phasoli]

Wow, this sounds so exciting!

I wasn't around all the way back to 2007. I believe that my old account shows that I had joined in 2012-2013. I would love to submit my thoughts via written quote, however, if I am still eligible to do so. I would be so excited to see this documentary!

[DaniBeez]

If I had the guts to walk around in the woods talking aloud to no one in particular, I would totally do a Rick Mercer-style recording of my thoughts ! I might settle for an audio recording from the comfort of my home with some accompanying images instead.

If written entries are being accepted, then this sounds like a fun exercise also. What is an appropriate word length?

[Keat]

oh man, I definitely want to do this! is there somewhere we should be linking to our uploads so they're noticed?
(maybe that's obvious haha, but I haven't been on the forums in a while oop.)

[loboLoco]

oh man, I definitely want to do this! is there somewhere we should be linking to our uploads so they're noticed?
(maybe that's obvious haha, but I haven't been on the forums in a while oop.)

You can upload it to YouTube, either as a public or private -- and if you want it to be public, feel free to link to it here. If private, email me the link via the Contact Us page.

And I should note that we really want to include a clip from all submitted videos, but we can't guarantee that -- it depends on how well it fits into the larger video.