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The Daily Diviner - Issue 39

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The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#1
’Castle Village’: An Exclusive!
Feature
Written by joyellen
Edited by kvmw

Welcome back, magical readers, to this issue of the Daily Diviner! In this article we will be exploring the upcoming ‘Castle Village’ build which has been in the works for a while. I’m excited to finally uncover some of the mystery surrounding this mystical build! To do so, we’ll be interviewing Zis, who helped build ‘Castle Village’, and Mckenzie, who was involved in creating the lore surrounding the build. Without further ado, let’s get into the interview questions!

From an architect’s perspective, what is the ‘Castle Village’ build?

Zis: ‘Castle Village’ is, obviously, a new village that we want to add to Potterworld. This village will be located on the east side of the map on a hill. It’s a village with just a castle overlooking. The castle is mainly Tudor inspired yet you can clearly see that it is way older than that. The interiors are entirely made. There’s something special about this home but that will be up to the players to find out. The same applies to the village. Some elements inside and outside of it show that it may have been founded during the Middle Ages whether it’s a ruined wall or a ruined tower. The village itself looks normal for a muggle village, it has electric poles, a bus stop, phone boxes and pretty much usual shops and places such as a pub, a post office and many more. Yet, I’m sure that if you look around and pay attention to details you may find special places.

From a lore perspective, what is the ‘Castle Village’?

Mckenzie: From what I know, the Castle Ruins build is a concept for a new town that I’m sure the player base will love. No spoilers, but it’s going to be awesome!

How long has this project been in the works?

Zis: We’ve been working on this project since January of this year. It all started when members of the build team began to share ideas of villages we could add to the map. Of course, this project is still in progress.

Mckenzie: I’m not sure how long Build has been working on it, but lore has very recently gotten involved in planning out what the background of the build will look like. Build has been giving us some interesting input that we may use in the final product!

Did you draw inspiration from anywhere for this build?

Zis: We indeed got some inspiration from real places in England. For instance, we used Corfe Castle, which is a village from the Dorset county in Southern England, to design the village itself and get our main idea which is a village with a ruined castle on the top of a hill. However, we used Arundel castle to design the castle itself. We wanted to have a castle that looked as if it went through centuries. Of course, the castle would have been modified by its different owners. When you look at it you need to tell yourself ‘this is not only the home of a wealthy family but this also the home of a very old family’.

What is the process like for creating lore surrounding a build? Do you have a set process specifically for builds?

Mckenzie: When we create lore for a build, Jackie, me, or a lore master will lead a group of other team members. Usually, the groups will visit the town they’re creating lore for and then come up with unique ideas for both using the environment that the build team has created. We try to craft lore that can be used in a variety of ways by a multitude of teams.

What is the most challenging aspect of this project?

Zis: The most challenging aspect of this project would be starting from nothing. We not only had to think of a location, but also think of a main idea that would make the village unique compared to the others we already have on the map. The build team also had to think of details that would help create a story for the village and help the unspeakable team to make unique quests. I personally love to see how the village has changed and keeps changing. This is quite new for us to work in this way, usually the Game Design team would contact us with a village that already has its own lore, character and stories. This time, the build team is the one setting the base and doing its best to help the different Game Design departments to work on it.

Mckenzie: The most challenging aspect of this project is most likely how much wiggle room we have. There are essentially no boundaries to what we can make of the town’s history (minus the build itself). It’s sometimes hard to be concise! We have so many talented writers and world crafters.

Any additional comments?

Zis: I can’t wait for the players to visit the village, walk around its streets, meet its people and discover its history. I know that out of all the villages I’ve been working on, this project is the one I’m having the most fun working on and might be my favorite village so far.

Mckenzie: I’m anticipating the release of this just as much as the rest of the team, I think! Can’t wait for all of Potterworld to see what we’ve all been working on.

I would love to give a big thanks to Zis and Mckenzie for their interviews! It’s exciting to see the development of this build come along and it has been such a pleasure unravelling some of the mysteries surrounding ‘Castle Village’. Please keep an eye out for any extra information and for the release date of this build. This concludes the article; thank you to our lovely readers for tuning into this issue! This has been Joy, reporting for the Daily Diviner, and have a magical day!
Castle Village.png
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#2
The Star Racing Tournament
Editorial
Written by MakkChi
Edited by kvmw

Greetings, readers, and welcome back to the Editorial column of the Daily Diviner! We all know that Potterworld is a server that celebrates the wonders of the Harry Potter universe shown through the books and films; however, that doesn’t mean other franchises aren’t welcome! Star Wars, another instantly recognizable film series, is celebrated every year on Potterworld with exciting May the 4th events.

This year, just like the past five years, the Events team presented a fantastic May the 4th event. Along with this event came the introduction of the exhilarating Star Racing tournament! This tournament is essentially the same operating style as other tournaments, just with the new Star Racing technology infused. Upon the initial launch, the Arena team quickly saw that Star Racing competitions might just be a new Potterworld favorite. This new tournament style allowed some members of the community to show not only their love for a new challenge but also for Star Wars! Players who had not been seen flying or dueling competitively as frequently as others came out to participate as well, which is always lovely to see. For those of you who were too busy playing the event, I’ve interviewed ISpitLikeALlama to get his thoughts and opinions on the Star Racing tournament!

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How did the Star Racing tournament differ from other tournaments? Did it have a different feel?

ISpitLikeALlama: Firstly, Star Racing was released this year, with different mechanics than flying and duelling and new maps. The people who had mastered flying and duelling had no leverage in Star Racing, meaning the tournaments were anyone’s game. That definitely motivated me to practice for the tournament.

What were you looking forward to the most regarding the tournament?

ISpitLikeALlama: I really like to compete, and going into the tournament I was excited to face off against some of the best teams in Star Racing and see who would come out on top. I was looking forward to have fun and enjoy the tournament, but also having that competitive spirit drove me to place high.

How did you prepare for the tournament, if you prepared at all?

ISpitLikeALlama: During the month of May, the Arena team hosted 1-2 Star Racing challenges a week, giving my teammates and I the chance to practice and learn the new mechanics and learn the maps. The whole experience was amazing and Star Racing is a great game, and even though my team barely came in 2nd in 4 incredibly close races, I’m still happy with our results.

I also interviewed Salmandingo to get an Arena member’s perspective.

How did you feel about the Star Racing tournament from the perspective of someone on the Arena Team?

Salmandingo: The Star Racing tournament was very exciting! Firstly, we saw several new faces in the competitive scene. Vanya (egg_AV) and Kailen managed to secure 2nd place with Llama (iSpitLikeALlama), winning 2 out of the 4 races! Additionally, the final scores were extremely close for a seasonal tournament, where the 2nd place team was only 4 points behind the first! (50-54)! It was very exciting to spectate and the results were really close. Finally, it was funny seeing everyone dress up in matching skins for the occasion, and the Arena Team was thrilled to both host and watch an extremely close seasonal tournament!

---​

I’d like to extend thanks to ISpitLikeALlama and Salmandingo for taking time out of their days to answer these questions!

I am incredibly excited to see the continuous innovation that stems from the Arena team. The tournaments just keep getting better and better! Make sure to keep an eye out on the main Discord for more announcements regarding new features in terms of competitions and the Arena team.

Thank you for reading, have a great rest of your day, and see you next time!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#3
A Firsthand Look at the Pride Event
Editorial
Written by Silquer
Edited by kvmw

Hello to all my lovely readers, and welcome to the second Editorial of this issue! The Pride Event has been out for around a week now, and with all of its bright colors, great rewards, and exciting quests, it’s the perfect way to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and have fun while doing so! To get a closer look into what everyone thinks, I had the pleasure of interviewing three players about the event.

Even though the event has only been out for a few days, what are your first impressions? These can be things you’ve noticed, easter eggs from the previous year, or just anything you’ve enjoyed so far.

Mekala_: The first thing I immediately noticed when first going into the event was the whole redesign of Diagonal Lane! I loved how vibrant the entire place looked and each aspect of the map was designed to fit the theme!

grqcqlyn: My first impressions have been very good. I love the little things from the colorful banners, to the different stands, and the floats!

Xan_dG: The Pride event was a really nice addition to Potterworld. I started playing this year and I really like how Potterworld is put together. The Pride event is a colorful and beautiful place and theme to the Diagonal Lane. My first impression was: "Wow, this is awesome!" This was when I didn't even know about the quests. When I saw the quests I was really glad they were not too hard to do (Except for the Elytra parkour which was a bit tricky, but still fun).

In what ways have you celebrated the Pride Event in-game? Do you have any yearly traditions, or do you do something different every year?

Mekala_: I've celebrated Pride in game by really going through the quests and learning about the LGBTQ+ community! As an ally I think the best thing we can do is really educate ourselves about the community and listen to their voices.

grqcqlyn: In game, I’ve celebrated the event by doing the 3 main quests (which I loved), and the 1 side quest with Sam. I also got my pride staff which I’m in LOVE with!

Xan_dG: Well I celebrated the event in-game by just doing the quests and having fun helping people with theirs if they were stuck with for example finding a color. I do not have any yearly tradition because I have never seen the previous events, but it was fun nonetheless.

In your opinion, what’s the best part of the event, and why do you think that?

Mekala_: I think the best part of the event was the quest where you got to learn about what each color of the flag meant. Before doing this quest I honestly didn't know what each color signified and I think it's great that each player will now be able to really learn and appreciate the pride flag.

grqcqlyn: The best part of the event has to be the quests. At first, I didn’t like the quest with Alex & the elytra course, but it got easier as I went on. The other 2 quests were super fun & enjoyable!

Xan_dG: I thought the Flower quest was the most fun and the best part! I loved that there were multiple things you had to do like parkour, mob killing, elytra course and answering questions about pride and what it means. I personally loved the parkour in the Joke shop at the entrance of Diagonal Lane, it was fun to use spells in parkour and search for flowers on the way to the top.

What is your favorite collectible/reward of the event? Why?

Mekala_: My favorite collectible from the event would have to be the Pride Flag that players can hold! I love seeing everyone celebrating by holding the flag in their second hand and just roaming around doing normal things. I think it's a really great way to show your support!

grqcqlyn: My favorite collectable from this event has to be the Pride Staff because it was a bit of a challenge getting it, but once I got it I can’t stop loving it! It is super pretty and well made.

Xan_dG: I did not really buy much collectibles from the reward shop except for the banners and the scarf. But I did do the quest for the wand appearance and I love it! I regularly use it and I love the way it looks. The maze was fun, even though most of the people didn't like it that much. I love to do something for a quest instead of just talking to a npc and getting the items. The maze was a fun addition to the quest. I also loved the way you had to do all the quests before you could unlock the Pride-Wand appearance quest.

Thank you to all the players who kindly volunteered and for their thoughtful responses. It is very much appreciated, and you guys are my heroes! If you haven’t already played the Pride Event, I hope these interviews encourage you to do so. Good luck to everyone taking part, and I hope to see you all participating in the event!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#4
Luckiestblock’s Scarf Collection
Student Spotlight
Written by Serpentella
Edited by MakkChi

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! Today, our Student Spotlight article will feature a special player with a unique collection. Despite the weather being warm, our focus today will be on scarves! You may have seen scarves being adorned on Potterworld before, usually paired with a set of student robes. However, luckiestblock, a scarf collector, boasts more than 100 scarves in his museum! Today, I spoke to him about his impressive collection and the hardships one may encounter when collecting scarves on Potterworld.

To start, let’s take a look at his definition of Potterworld’s scarves:

For those who are unaware, what are scarves, and why are they important/special?
luckiestblock: “Scarves serve as a wearable collectible on Potterworld, usually in a cool color with a description detailing where it is from. What's special about them is the sheer volume that exist; almost every big event over the past seven years has one and is represented in an item you can wear.”

Next, I asked about his personal endeavors in scarf collecting and his current accumulation.

What made you start collecting scarves? How many do you have now?
luckiestblock: “I started collecting scarves in October of 2015 with the primary objective to have them as memories of events in the past. Today I have 106 unique items in my museum with more being added regularly.”

Which scarf in your collection are you most proud of?
luckiestblock: “I am really proud of all of my scarves but the one I am most proud of is the 2015 ButterbeerFest Scarf, it's not the most valuable or rare one I have but it is the first I ever personally bought from an event.”

Luckiestblock also told me about his appreciation for the history of scarves and collectors before himself:

What is your favorite part about collecting scarves?
luckiestblock: “My favorite part about collecting scarves is the history that they embody. These items did not just come out of nowhere, someone either previously owned them or I bought them and being able to bring a piece of that past event into the present is interesting to me.”

However, as many can agree, collecting items can be difficult at times! Luckiestblock discusses the trials and tribulations of being a curator:

What are some challenges you faced during your task of collecting the scarves?
luckiestblock: “A big challenge in scarf collecting, and collecting rare items in general, is the limitedness of the item. Because Potterworld was much smaller than it used to be a few years ago, only a few people were able to obtain the original very very early scarves, making finding someone with one impossible without a lot of work.”

To wrap up our interview, I asked him about some advice he’d give to those looking to start collecting items on Potterworld. Let’s see what he has to say!

What advice would you give to someone looking to start collecting scarves-- or any other special items-- on Potterworld?
luckiestblock: “My advice to collectors of any kind on Potterworld is that if someone is selling an item that is hard to find that you want, you should jump on it. The early bird does indeed catch the worm and you never know when you will next get that same opportunity!”

With that, our interview has come to a close! I’d like to thank luckiestblock for participating in this interview today and sharing his valuable knowledge. If you’re interested, I highly recommend you check out his museum and browse the assortment of scarves he has accumulated over the years. Thank you all for reading this Student Spotlight article and this issue of the Daily Diviner! Have a fantastic day.

Do you know anyone on the server that stands out (cool housing, a museum, active in RP, do something cool outside of PW, etc.)? Nominate them here for a chance to be our next Student Spotlight!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#5
Celebrating Father's Day
Lifestyle
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by kvmw

Hello, readers! Welcome back to the Lifestyle column of the Daily Diviner! This year, we celebrate Father's Day on Sunday, June 20th, a holiday dedicated to recognizing and honoring the impact of important father-figures in our lives. In anticipation of this day, some of you may be wondering how you too can celebrate Father’s Day. We at the Daily Diviner would love to share with you different activities and gift ideas to help you enjoy this holiday!

For those of you still looking for that perfect gift, we have some ideas for you! If your father-figure loves sports, the Quality Quabbleball Supplies shop (located to the right of the Cauldron Inn in Diagonal Lane) sells Quabbles and Quabbleball-related gear. Each gear piece costs between 7 and 10 gold, and the Quabble costs 10 gold. Also, the Wacky Wizarding Wonders Joke shop next door carries paper airplanes that only cost 10 gold! You can use the Quabble or the paper airplane to spend quality time with your father-figure and play catch!

Playing catch can work up quite an appetite, so stop by the Pixie Inn in Vertick Alley to grab a bite to eat! Their dinner options include apple platters, cooked steak, fried salmon, and cooked chicken; for dessert, they have some delicious pumpkin pie. Currently, Pixie Inn has a special deal going on where you can get 5 entrees for only 20 gold! What a steal! It's the perfect place to take your father-figure for a scrumptious meal.

If you like taking pictures and capturing memories, buy a camera (50 gold each) from Casio Kodak in the shop behind the Wacky Wizarding Wonders Joke shop in Carket Market. Use it to take pictures of you and your father-figure making goofy faces, or capture some of your favorite moments together as you travel about the server. Stay in London and explore the sprawling metropolis, or venture beyond the city. If your father-figure loves Quabbleball, try going to Ireland to watch a professional game! You can even see some of the players, like Byrne, practicing his flying from the stands. You can also bring your father-figure to the Quabbleball pitch in Hogsworth to cheer you on as you compete against other houses!

There are so many ways to celebrate Father's Day, and we've only named a few. I hope that these ideas have sparked some of your own as well. Enjoy this upcoming Father's Day and remember to thank the father-figures in your life! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner, and I hope you had fun reading. See you next time!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#6
A Guide to Quabbleball’s Equipment
Lifestyle
Written by Silquer
Edited by MakkChi

Hello dear readers, and welcome to yet another Lifestyle article of the Daily Diviner! School is winding down for many players, and for some, it’s already over. As we all start flocking back to Potterworld with our regained free time, what better way to spend the first of our summer months than playing minigames? Specifically, Quabbleball! This beloved game has been around for a while now, but perhaps some of you haven’t played it. To get a better understanding of the game before you play it this summer, let’s take a deeper dive into the different equipment used by Quabbleball players.

First, there’s the Swippet. The Searcher must capture this elusive golden ball to earn points for their team. It isn’t easy, though! The Swippet is fast and moves around the arena randomly, and it can spawn anywhere in the Quabbleball Pitch. It takes plenty of skill and incredible reflexes to catch this ball and carry your team to victory. The Swippet itself is smaller than the other balls used in Quabbleball, making it incredibly hard to spot. Thankfully, it can be easily identified by its shiny fluttering wings that help it move. Get one good look at that shimmering silver, and you’ve certainly found the Swippet.

The next ball used in Quabbleball is the Bludgeon Ball. This ball is used exclusively by the Bruisers. There are two Bruisers on each team, and they wield hefty bats to direct the Bludgeon Balls to knock other players off their brooms. Try not to get hit by one! This particular ball is round, brown, and similar in size to the Quabble, although not as large. However, it moves very fast, so, as you play, make sure you keep an eye out for any stray Bludgeons that may come your way.

The third and final ball found in the game is the Quabble. This ball is, besides the Swippet, the most essential item in the game. Chasers must fight for control of this ball, so they can expertly hurl it through the goalposts. If the Chaser throws it past the Keeper, points are awarded to that Chaser’s team! After every scored point, the Quabble is dropped from the middle of the court. It constantly changes hands, so the Chasers have to be acutely aware of where the ball is at all times. In terms of looks, the ball itself is bigger than the others, bright red, and has large dents in the sides for gripping. Try not to lose sight of it!

Besides balls, there are also other pieces of equipment that are equally important to the game. Gloves, while not immediately thought of, are essential in helping players win the game. There are several types of gloves, and all players use them. For example, Keepers have special gloves to help them guard the goalposts, and Chasers have specific abilities that allow them to grab a soaring Quabble. Never underestimate the power of gloves!

The last and perhaps most known items in the game are, of course, brooms! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to fly. However, it isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. There are many different types of brooms used in a game of Quabbleball. Each position has a different type of broom; the Searcher brooms are specialized in maneuvering, while Chaser brooms focus on speed. I suggest playing all of these positions to get hands-on experience with the different types of handling. As for appearances, they mostly look the same. Looks can be deceiving, though! Each broom is unique. Good luck finding which type is right for you!

That concludes the different types of equipment used in Quabbleball. Did you learn anything? I hope so! If you haven’t played already or haven’t played in a while, I encourage you to give it a go! Quabbleball is fun, fast-paced, and extremely rewarding to master. Join a lobby, gather some friends, and go have some fun! See you on the Pitch.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#7
Secrets by the Sea
Original Works
Written by Beca_Crystalbone
Edited by MakkChi

“C’mon, Spencer! We’re losing precious time!” Khalia whispered as she ushered her best friend out of his window.

“I know, I know. I’m coming, calm down.” He responded as he stumbled his way out.

Since the first grade, the pair had been best friends and were about to spend their last night before high school graduation together. They'd snuck out countless times before to meet up at the secluded beach. I mean, with the vast ocean practically in their backyard, who wouldn’t? The two got on their usual path, and Khalia struck up a conversation to break the silence.

“Sooo… When are you going to tell me which school you decided on?”

“You know, I just want to stay home for a year and figure out what it is I want to do before I commit. There are so many options, and I’m not ready to leave home yet.”

“Hey! That’s nothing to worry about. Plenty of people still don’t know what they want to do. I barely even know what I want to do.”

“Yeah, but you’ve had your whole life already planned out for you since we watched that nature documentary in sixth grade, and you decided you wanted to be a marine biologist. And you’re good at it, too! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy for the rest of us.”

“You’ll figure something out, Spencer, I promise. You could always come work for me! You always find the coolest things on the shore; maybe you can spot something that’ll win us awards and stuff.”

Just as Khalia was finishing up her attempt to cheer up Spencer, she looked over her shoulder and saw him a couple of feet behind her, digging in the sand.

“Did you find something?”

“Yeah, come look at this rock. It’s like… glowing? Do your books say anything about stuff like this?”

“Instead of trying to figure out what it is, I say we take it as a keepsake of tonight.”

Spencer dug the glowing rock out of the sand, and they continued on their stroll along the shore. Finally, bored with what to do, Khalia insisted on making a sandcastle like the ones they used to make when they were younger.

“We don’t even have buckets or anything, Khalia. So it’s gonna look dumb.”

“Who cares, Spence? This could be one of our last little nights together for a long time. Just let me relive my childhood!”

“Fine, I guess it could be fun.”

Even though it probably wouldn’t even place in a competition, the two were proud of their blob of sand that vaguely resembled that of a sandcastle.

“And as a finishing touch, the rock!”

Khalia slowly placed the rock on the top of the castle. Not even a second passed before their castle started to glow and appear as if it was coming alive. Then, the ground began to shake, and the two look at each other just as they get shrunken and sucked into the castle.

“What is happening?! Khalia?! What’s happening?!” Spencer frantically yelled.
“I don’t know! Calm down, okay? Deep breaths.”

“Calm down? We just got sucked into a tiny glowing sandcastle, and you want me to calm down?!”

“Yes, okay, I don’t know what’s going on either, but we’re not gonna figure anything out by freaking out. We can start by trying to find an exit or a way to the top where the rock is. Do you think you will be able to do that with me? Or do I need to leave you here and do it myself?”

Spencer gulped, nodded, and followed close behind Khalia. Finally, the two made it to a cross-section, and Khalia quickly realised what part of the castle they were in.

“Okay, you built this part of the castle. Which way would lead us to the top?”

“Umm… That way. No, this way- no, yeah that way, hundred-percent.”

Khalia grabbed his arm, sighed, and pulled him the way he pointed to last in a hurry to escape before the sun rose and their parents noticed they’d left.

“There! Do you see that? I think it’s the sky. We’re getting closer.”

“Yes! Let’s keep going; we're running out of time!”

They quickly ran up the sandy steps and made it to where the glowing rock sat.

“Okay, genius, what do we do now?”

“I don’t really know; maybe we cou-” Before Khalia could finish her sentence, Spencer ran to the rock, attempting to push it off the top of the castle.

“A little help would be nice.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Khalia ran over to give the strange rock the extra push it needed, and as the rock hit the sand on the ground, the two were sucked right back out. They looked at each other, laughed, and quickly hugged in celebration of making it back to the real world. Spencer picked up the rock and threw it as far as possible into the ocean, hoping it would stay lost forever.

“Wow, with that arm, you could make it as a professional baseball player!”

“Shut up!” Spencer laughed as he went in to hug Khalia one more time.

As their final adventure together came to an end, the rock’s glow arose from behind them. As they sensed the force, the two turned around, and just as quickly, the light disappeared under a wave. The two ran back to their homes just in time for the sunrise and promised never to tell another soul of the events that took place that night.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#8
Meet the Technology & Development Team
Miscellaneous
Written by Serpentella
Edited by MakkChi

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! This series explores the many teams on Potterworld. Our last issue highlighted some exceptional members of the Build department. In this installment of the Meet the Staff mini-series, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Technology & Development department!

This department shapes the magical world we know and love. From the magic of wands and brooms to the technology behind quests, the Technology & Development department’s work is incredibly important to Potterworld’s gameplay and in-game experience. I spoke to Zmiya, representing the Systems team; Frost, representing the Grounds Keepers; and Kieran, representing the Developer team. Let’s see their responses!

What do you do in this position?
Zmiya: “Curse Breakers in the Tech & Dev Department specialise in designing, creating, fixing and implementing anything associated with the Magic and Mobs plugins we use. Any spells, wands, magical items, animations, particle effects or mobs and their individual skills you see come from us!”

Frost: “As a Sr Grounds Keeper, I assist in setting up testing requests that we receive from all the departments and also work on testing and looking for bugs within unreleased and released gameplay.”

Kieran: “So my focus within the development team is largely web based, so I manage the web map and also the website/forums. I also work alongside other developers on in-game content, such as setting up minigames and implementing new tools.”

This team works with a multitude of details that create the classic Potterworld charm! However, they also do multiple behind-the-scenes tasks and jobs.

What is your favorite thing about this department/position?
Zmiya: “My favourite part of being a part of this department and team is how much I'm able to learn. I've become very proficient in creating Magic specifically because I've been given the opportunity to learn and work with others, including the creator of the plugin, NathanWolf, to help further my knowledge.”

Frost: “I think my favorite aspect of this position is the amount of fun you have testing the content. We often have group sessions where we work on testing different things together which are very exciting. I also enjoy having an opportunity to give feedback on content that will eventually make its way to the players.”

Kieran: “I enjoy having the freedom to work mainly on what I enjoy doing, and also the fact that my work ties in closely with what I am studying. Having that ability to choose what you want to work on and it being something I enjoy is what helps push me to get tasks done.”

As you may have seen by now, the Development team’s work is unique, but what you may not know is that the team itself is equally as unique! Our interviewees elaborate on this idea:

What do you find to be the most unique thing about this team?
Zmiya: “The most unique thing about this team is the creativity of the members within. What we specialise in requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and I can say with certainty that each member in this team fulfils that. Some spells or mobs you see are very complex behind the scenes and it's all because of our creativity.”

Frost: “I think one of the most unique things about the team is the way in which it lets you experience a bit of everything that the other departments have to offer. As a Grounds Keeper, you get to see and test content such as events, minigames, classes, etc. All of which come from different departments.”

Kieran: “While we all act as one "title", developers, everyone's role and responsibilities vary. I focus on website stuff, whereas you'll find Deniz focuses on the Discord bot and some backend programming.”

What kinds of projects are you currently working on?
Zmiya: “I pick up and complete requests from other departments as they come, so there's never anything specific thing I am working on unless it's a major event that requires the attention of a Curse Breaker, such as the May 4th event. If I'm not completing requests, I'm actively fixing bugs, working on balancing our dueling system with the Systems GD team or just having fun with the plugins on my own and creating whatever I feel like creating.”

Frost: “We work on all sorts of different things like testing out quests, interactive classes, events and much more! I can’t spoil more than that but there’s always exciting things in the works.”

Kieran: “If I told you, I'd have to use the killing curse on you…”

What is the hardest part of being in this position?
Zmiya: “This type of work isn't extremely hard, but it also isn't exactly easy. As said before, it requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and sometimes it takes a while to think of a solution that will actually work. Despite this, the work is still always fun and seeing your hard work being enjoyed by players is the best part of it.”

Frost: “Well, I wouldn’t classify this as hard but the most challenging aspect would be in trying out different sequences of actions to look for bugs or imagining myself as different types of players and viewing how they would interact with different aspects of the gameplay.”

Kieran: “Finding time to sync up with everyone. Because of timezones and IRL, it can sometimes be difficult to find the right time to catch up with people and plan things out. We make it work, because luckily a large portion of our team is EU based, but it can be tricky sometimes.”

As with any team, the environment of the group is vital to the work of the department! Zmiya, Frost, and Kieran tell us about this:

What is the team environment like in this position?
Zmiya: “The team environment isn't really a 'team' environment at all. We all typically work independently from one another as you can't really create a spell or a mob together. We're always discussing things like bug fixes and updating the version of Magic to the latest, but other than that we never really work as a team because we don't really need to.”

Frost: “The team environment in this position is amazing. When I first joined, the whole department was very welcoming and helped me get into the flow of the job. The department overall is smaller than the other departments so the team members get an opportunity to work closely with other members of the department and get to know them better. The environment also encourages growth because I think being around the people within this team has helped me grow not just as a Grounds Keeper but also a person.”

Kieran: “We're a close knit team and everyone gets on really well, it's like a family really (as cheesy as that might sound).”

Grounds Keeper applications recently opened! This position is the perfect way to join the Technology & Development department if you are interested in the team. The interviewees discuss their application process:

What did you expect when applying for this position? Was it anything like you thought it would be?
Zmiya: “I actually didn't apply for this position. I expressed interest in learning to create Magic and Mobs to Droobledore and I'm very grateful that he accepted me and helped me learn so that I could help the server. However, for someone else applying for this position, the experience would be very relaxed. We're a very small team of people and so the process is more simple compared to other teams which have a much more structured approach to hiring new members.”

Frost: “When I joined the team this time, I joined using a reinstatement application as I had been on the team before and the process was fairly standard. However, when I first joined the team back when it was a position only existing staff members could apply for, the process was very exciting. I had been a bit nervous before I applied but the process went smoothly and the team was amazing in how they helped me out with any questions I had regarding my application and in my role as a Grounds Keeper.”

Kieran: “Honestly, I didn't have a clue of what to expect. I applied when we first opened applications for a "Non-coder" developer position, which was essentially creating tools for staff and players using existing tech, but I moved on from that and took a larger focus on website stuff when we shifted away from using Enjin.”

Any additional comments?
Kieran: Shameless application plug, but; I'd 100% recommend applying for Grounds Keeper, if you haven't already considered it! The GK team are responsible for bug testing new features & content, and it's super fun.”

With that, our interview draws to a close. I’d like to thank Zmiya, Frost, and Kieran for their participation and input! They’ve given us some firsthand experiences, thoughts, and insight into their respective roles. The Technology & Development team is extremely hardworking, and their work for the server is quite remarkable! From magic to plugins, the talented team of developers, Grounds Keepers, and Systems members do fantastic work on Potterworld. Finally, I'd like to thank you all for reading this issue of the Daily Diviner! Have a spectacular day.
 
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