Giving Staff the Spotlight
Staff Highlights
Written by TheFallenPrince
Edited by Silquer
After many wonderful years working on Potterworld, it’s easy to sometimes forget just how much our incredible staff members do each and every day to keep the magic alive. To celebrate and share their dedication, we thought it would be wonderful to
shine a spotlight on some of Potterworld’s finest. This way, you can get a clearer glimpse of the amazing people who have helped shape Potterworld into the magical place it is today!
How long have you been on the staff team?
Droobledore: Hrmm, probably since ... 2013? maybe 2012?
xMye: I've been on the team for 4 years! Will be 5 years this August.
Shijun: Celebrating my tenth year in the staff team! I originally joined to work on the lore, was a Lore Master for some time, then focused on the web services!
What made you interested in joining the staff team?
xMye: It feels like a lot longer, honestly. I was interested in joining the staff team due to my passion to be creative! The first time it hit me I might be interested in joining was from attending written classes, which allowed me to create my own stories! I remember looking through each position and fell upon the Lore team and thought, "this is exactly what I'd love to do". The creative freedom the team allowed me to have when it came to writing was exactly what I was looking for, and the rest is history from there!
Shijun: I think I had a lot of admiration for the gameplay and universe the staff team crafted over time. My experience as a player was very joyful. I poured a lot of time exploring every corner and discovering secrets, so much that I wanted to play a part in it! Creating more and collaborating with the team was a way to "give back" for the fun I was having.
What are your current staff roles?
Droobledore: Let's see:
1. Game design
2. Builder
3. Artworker
4. I mod if I can help
xMye: My current roles are Lead Arena Master and Class Designer.
Shijun: I'm Head of Web Tech! I help with all the web-facing needs and problems, with our tools, our website, or our store.
What type of work do you do in your positions?
Drooble: 1. I'm more of a systems designer, so currently, I'm redesigning the entire way of playing Potterworld, how to progress, how to do professions, how quests work, everything. Being a systems designer means I'm in charge of making sure everything works well together in the new world.
2. Building the world - currently focused on Potterworld 2.0 builds.
3. I make all the offerings in the store, events, and decor and models in the world.
xMye: For Class Designer: I work on new additions for classes! The work can vary depending on the subject, but I'm currently working on some pretty cool additions for some interactive subjects. For Lead Arena: I mainly manage the ongoing with the team, what we release/work on/host, etc. A lot of my work is behind the scenes, making sure we function as best as we can being a small team currently. A personal aspect I try to ensure is that everyone on the team is welcomed, heard and cared for!
Shijun: Over time, we've developed features to enrich the player experience, with the web side of the minigames, the leaderboards, the player profile... All of it still exists today, alongside the typical collaboration with all the teams. A lot of code writing and problem solving!
How much time do you approximately spend on your staff responsibilities each week?
Drooble: ...You don't want to know, I'm on every day for hours every day - I think I've pushed something like over 400-500 new models since November? Something like that.
xMye: My activity definitely depends on my IRL responsibilities, but on average, I can spend up to 10 hours a week (sometimes more if I can) rotating both in-game and out.
Shijun: It's been wearing this design for a few years now, but I think it ages well! I don't think I can give you an estimate of the time spent each week, my contribution varies depending on the needs, some weeks are busier than others!
What do you enjoy the most about your roles?
Drooble: Currently, I think I enjoy just building the new world, for something I built more than 10 years ago... it's nice to finally update it when all the new things and knowledge that we have gained over the years.
xMye: Hmm, that's a good question! I'd say my favourite part for both is definitely the creative side of things. Being able to come up with new ideas and seeing them come to life is always exciting. Though, another aspect is meeting/getting to know new people and being able to showcase my crazy, chaotic side while also receiving the same energy back.
Shijun: My proficiency is with web technology. I make websites, it's not always fun! The best part of my position is being able to apply this skillset to something magical and help players enjoy the game more. It's a unique project!
What do you find most challenging with your roles?
Drooble: I think because we have had certain systems in place for years now, trying to figure out NEW ways to look at them, and design them in a way that honors the old systems but introduces better ways of doing them. Examples are like potions, herbology, magic, etc.
xMye: Ohh, that's a tricky question, but I'd say the most challenging part is facing new situations. This could be anything that I'm not familiar with, and it can be quite challenging to delegate a fix/solution for the matter.
Shijun: Some solutions are harder to implement than others, so I would say the challenge comes from the scale, or the type of experience or tool we try to put together as a team. We are resourceful, though!
What is a favourite memory you have made during your time as a staff member?
Drooble: I think honestly, still watching new players and other community players, helping other players or watching how good people have gotten with magic, a system that was designed in the beginning, or watching people do quests, just seeing people experiencing what we built as a team.
xMye: There are so many of them. Definitely meeting all the people I have so far, but a big favourite that is still fun to look back on is all the unhinged memes I made, and videos. Shout to the 12 dancing princesses of lore video I made.
Shijun: Probably the Christmas events! It’s nothing particular staff-sided, I genuinely love seeing how festive the server looks and gets around the Christmas holidays. I have fond memories of exploring the different castles and locations introduced in the past. The team always does a wonderful job of creating magical storylines and venues, and I think it shines the brightest around Christmas time!
Is there anything more you would like to say to those reading this interview?
Drooble: I think... if anything - I would say that players should know that I know that I've been gone for a bit in the past, but I'm fully locked in and dedicated to reimagining the server from the ground up. I have ambitious plans that we see a new era for PW, and I hope that people are willing to give it a chance!
xMye: I'd like to say that: No matter what happens, small or big, there is always a light guiding you. Everyone is capable of great things, so never give up on yourself, your dreams and your achievements. You'll eventually get where you want to be, no matter how long it takes.
Shijun: Create and share your creations! Whether you like writing, drawing, designing, coding... Whatever your creative outlet is, keep at it! Your imagination is precious, don't lose it! And share your ideas with us if you have any!
I was truly delighted to have the chance to speak with some of Potterworld’s finest for these interviews. I always find it so inspiring to hear what makes each of us unique, because at the heart of it all, we’re all dedicated to making Potterworld
as magical and wonderful as it can be.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who kindly allowed me to interview them for this article, and to all the magicals reading this, thank you for taking the time to get to know our
lovely team a little better. I hope you enjoyed discovering a bit more about the amazing people who work so hard every day to keep the magic alive in Potterworld!