It's half way through the week and people are already looking a bit worn. I was still seeing release notes email being sent out from several of the art and design team members as late as 11pm last night, and there are more than a few people looking in need of a holiday. On Wednesdays recently the design team have been trying to go out to lunch together, to have a chance to chat about what we're up to instead of staying holed up in our cubicles. Today's lunch had only 10 people though and was quite a brief one, compared to previous weeks. Jindrack, Vhalen, and Ilucide, who share an office, seem to have a constant stream of the less experienced designers flowing in and out of their door to ask questions about how to do things. All three of them, are real veterans and between them know all the best tips and tricks, which makes their office a very popular place to go for help, but certainly doesn't help them get their own work done. I know I spend my share of time pestering Ilucide for tradeskill advice - he's been a most excellent tradeskill mentor since I started. And I still find it unspeakably cool that Vhalen (the great, the legendary Vhalen) is working only a few yards down the hall from me, and I can go ask him lore questions any time I want. Do I sound like a starstruck fanboi? Oh ok, maybe a little. But I've been enjoying Vhalen's stories and lore since I started playing EQ1, so I reckon I can be excused for thinking it's pretty darn cool now to be working with the guy. :)
Fyreflyte, my officemate, has been creating the guild mounts today and he just got slightly sidetracked into playing with the saddle colors. A bouncy mount with a hot pink saddle is the result! I helpfully suggested he should put on some hot pink clothing and that sparkly erollisi charm that trails pink stars when equipped, so he's been running this vision in pink around his local test server and we've both been laughing our heads off. Such short diversions are good for the sanity ... what's left of it, anyway!
It may not sound like the most enjoyable way to have spent a birthday, but it's actually a happier birthday than I've had for the previous few years. I may have been able to take the day off in previous jobs, but I'd still have known that the next day I'd only be going back to a job I wasn't enjoying and co-workers who would look at me like some kind of alien if I said I killed a dragon last night. Tradeskill design may be a lot of work at the moment, but I know there's an end in sight to the long work days once Kunark releases, and I enjoy the work I'm doing, so I wouldn't trade it for the world. :) However! It's now coming up to 6pm, so it's time to do a bit more work on the tinkering scrolls before heading out for dinner. More tomorrow!
