Three months ago, Ken "xanderK" Smith took over as the new Community Manger of Heroes of Newerth.
Long-time writer and caster for Honcast.com, he is now the link between S2 Games and the community. Today, we finally talked with him at length on a number of topics.
Hey, Ken! Since taking up the position as HoN Community Manager, you introduced yourself on the official forums and fulfilled a comprehensive AMA on Reddit. For those who missed them, what does your job as Community Manager entail?
Well, if I were to spell it all out, it'd be a pretty long description so here's the summary: to be the liason between the community and S2 Games and to improve and grow the community in any way I can.
What's it like working at S2 Games' offices in Michigan?
Oh it's great. Couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Everyone is truly passionate about their job and about making the best game possible. It's so nice to feel so welcomed and most of us even hang out outside the office as well.
Really, the highest praise that I can give is that I'm actually excited every Monday to start another week at S2 Games.
What do you feel are the biggest changes that need to happen in the HoN community and in the game itself?
That's kind of a complicated question, as I'm sure you're aware.
When I came to S2, I felt like the main thing that the community needed was a push in the right direction. I still think that's the case but I'm figuring out new ways every day to do that.
Right now, my focus is on our forums. The main thing there is being more specific and consistent with our rules and the enforcement of them. We've gotten a pretty positive response to that thought process so far and there is a lot of work being done in that area. At the end, we hope to create a positive place for people to go and talk about Heroes of Newerth.
As far as in-game goes, there's improvements of all kinds going into the game every week and putting out a quality product certainly affects the community in a positive way. We've gotten some pretty positive comments on our recent heroes and there's other stuff on the way that is going to make people even more happy!
Internally, we're changing too. There's been a lot of big initiatives inside the company with the goal of simply bettering ourselves. It's really encouraging to see how much the higher ups care about the company and the product that we're putting out.
XanderK with Era and SUNSfan at the NASL Season 2 Grand Finals.
That's great to hear. It seems to me like there's a void in the community for a single place where players can have constructive conversation about the game; is that what you're hoping to achieve with the forums?
Exactly. We want to encourage that type of discussion as much as possible. In it's current state, there's too many distractions and inconsistencies that get in the way of that. We're trying to remove those to create a better atmosphere.
In addition, I personally feel that by having a better forum atmosphere, we'll have a better game too! Our community has a lot of great ideas and some awesome feedback but sometimes all that good stuff can get drowned out.
HoN and other games in the same genre have had somewhat of a reputation for their harsh or bad-mannered communities. What are your thoughts on the HoN community's reputation? Is it up to professional players to set a good example?
Pretty much every game in this genre has that reputation and it's directly tied to the nature of the game. It's competitive and people simply want to win. This isn't a bad thing but it's the way that people react in many cases that causes a problem. Which leads me to possibly the most important thing I'll say in this interview:
Everyone should set a good example.
Even doing simple things like offering to help someone can go a long way. Instead of flaming someone who doesn't know what to do, explain it to them in a nice way. You'll usually get a huge thank you and the person will then play better and have a better attitude. Say GG after games, compliment people when they make a big play, listen to another player's advice or suggestions, etc. I could go on forever in that regard. As silly as it sounds, one good deed can go a long way.
Great advice! One last question: Honcast has always been an independant leader in broadcasting for the competitive HoN scene. With Breaky, Phil, and yourself now a part of S2 Games, has your involvement with Honcast changed, and should fans expect anything different from Honcast?
I am not involved in Honcast in an official capacity anymore and neither is Phil. We have our own responsibilities.
However, I try to help out in any way I can. I do the Honcast Podcast every week, which is something I love to do plus it gives me another way to interact with the community. In addition, I've done a cast or two when I'm needed and it's nice to go back and do that every so often.
As far as upcoming stuff goes, Breaky and crew are constantly looking to improve. People have seen an increase in production quality recently and that will continue to get better. Other stuff is in the works too but that's a secret!
Alright, thanks very much for your time, Ken. Last words/shoutouts?
As always, to my lovely fiancee Carolann, to everyone at S2 Games, my family back home in New Jersey, and to the whole community for being generally awesome!
And to you and GosuGamers for doing this interview and doing a great job covering HoN!
Thanks again to Ken; it was great to get answers from the Community Manager himself! If you have questions of your own, check out the "Ask S2 Games" section of the forums, where he responds to your questions and concerns.
Long-time writer and caster for Honcast.com, he is now the link between S2 Games and the community. Today, we finally talked with him at length on a number of topics.
Hey, Ken! Since taking up the position as HoN Community Manager, you introduced yourself on the official forums and fulfilled a comprehensive AMA on Reddit. For those who missed them, what does your job as Community Manager entail?
Well, if I were to spell it all out, it'd be a pretty long description so here's the summary: to be the liason between the community and S2 Games and to improve and grow the community in any way I can.
What's it like working at S2 Games' offices in Michigan?
Oh it's great. Couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Everyone is truly passionate about their job and about making the best game possible. It's so nice to feel so welcomed and most of us even hang out outside the office as well.
Really, the highest praise that I can give is that I'm actually excited every Monday to start another week at S2 Games.
What do you feel are the biggest changes that need to happen in the HoN community and in the game itself?
That's kind of a complicated question, as I'm sure you're aware.
When I came to S2, I felt like the main thing that the community needed was a push in the right direction. I still think that's the case but I'm figuring out new ways every day to do that.
Right now, my focus is on our forums. The main thing there is being more specific and consistent with our rules and the enforcement of them. We've gotten a pretty positive response to that thought process so far and there is a lot of work being done in that area. At the end, we hope to create a positive place for people to go and talk about Heroes of Newerth.
As far as in-game goes, there's improvements of all kinds going into the game every week and putting out a quality product certainly affects the community in a positive way. We've gotten some pretty positive comments on our recent heroes and there's other stuff on the way that is going to make people even more happy!
Internally, we're changing too. There's been a lot of big initiatives inside the company with the goal of simply bettering ourselves. It's really encouraging to see how much the higher ups care about the company and the product that we're putting out.
XanderK with Era and SUNSfan at the NASL Season 2 Grand Finals.That's great to hear. It seems to me like there's a void in the community for a single place where players can have constructive conversation about the game; is that what you're hoping to achieve with the forums?
Exactly. We want to encourage that type of discussion as much as possible. In it's current state, there's too many distractions and inconsistencies that get in the way of that. We're trying to remove those to create a better atmosphere.
In addition, I personally feel that by having a better forum atmosphere, we'll have a better game too! Our community has a lot of great ideas and some awesome feedback but sometimes all that good stuff can get drowned out.
HoN and other games in the same genre have had somewhat of a reputation for their harsh or bad-mannered communities. What are your thoughts on the HoN community's reputation? Is it up to professional players to set a good example?
Pretty much every game in this genre has that reputation and it's directly tied to the nature of the game. It's competitive and people simply want to win. This isn't a bad thing but it's the way that people react in many cases that causes a problem. Which leads me to possibly the most important thing I'll say in this interview:
Everyone should set a good example.
Even doing simple things like offering to help someone can go a long way. Instead of flaming someone who doesn't know what to do, explain it to them in a nice way. You'll usually get a huge thank you and the person will then play better and have a better attitude. Say GG after games, compliment people when they make a big play, listen to another player's advice or suggestions, etc. I could go on forever in that regard. As silly as it sounds, one good deed can go a long way.
Great advice! One last question: Honcast has always been an independant leader in broadcasting for the competitive HoN scene. With Breaky, Phil, and yourself now a part of S2 Games, has your involvement with Honcast changed, and should fans expect anything different from Honcast?
I am not involved in Honcast in an official capacity anymore and neither is Phil. We have our own responsibilities.
However, I try to help out in any way I can. I do the Honcast Podcast every week, which is something I love to do plus it gives me another way to interact with the community. In addition, I've done a cast or two when I'm needed and it's nice to go back and do that every so often.
As far as upcoming stuff goes, Breaky and crew are constantly looking to improve. People have seen an increase in production quality recently and that will continue to get better. Other stuff is in the works too but that's a secret!
Alright, thanks very much for your time, Ken. Last words/shoutouts?
As always, to my lovely fiancee Carolann, to everyone at S2 Games, my family back home in New Jersey, and to the whole community for being generally awesome!
And to you and GosuGamers for doing this interview and doing a great job covering HoN!
Thanks again to Ken; it was great to get answers from the Community Manager himself! If you have questions of your own, check out the "Ask S2 Games" section of the forums, where he responds to your questions and concerns.
Links
facebook.com/heroesofnewerth - Photo
