Paying someone to code my server, feasible?

Started by kanemi, Jun 09, 2017, 09:59 PM

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Bue

Quote from: Kris on Jun 19, 2017, 04:10 AM
After reading this post I've come to the conclusion that it's not you who is missing anything. It's me who's missing something. So whatever it is that you're smoking, pass that s*** here.

You are thinking Yuzo.  /heh

MetallicMonkey

#31
QuoteI'm basically paying this guy to do everything related to coding.

Cool. You're the CEO :D!

QuoteI know I will have to understand a tiny bit of the stuff he does already, just wondering to what extent I should go learning this stuff.

I mean, if he's your slave, you don't need to understand what your slave is doing as long as he gets the work done and is loyal. /heh

QuoteI'm not too keen on learning to code, though.

Of course not, don't do your own slaves work. /heh

QuoteI want to be able to take control of all aspects of the server without going into learning any syntax at all, if that's possible.

Make sure you trust him. The only thing that may not be ideal is that bugs and changes will have to be made by him. Another layer of communication means it'll take a little longer depending on the task.

QuoteAlso, if it is possible, what should I learn, and how?

Ask him. Generally speaking, if you want to want to control all the aspects of the server, maybe it'll be good to at least know how to script. That way, you can control story lines in quests, shop prices, etc. Leave all the coding to him. Disclaimer: I haven't released any servers myself (yet), but I have done some scripting in RO and I'm a developer.

Edit: When I say "Ask him", I mean you should realize which parts of the project you are most likely to change and ask him where it is in the code. For example, if there's a skill that you'd like to change, certain things like damage multipliers are easy to change because they're just one parameter. If you pick out these parameters, you may feel more comfortable with the server and probably save some money.

QuoteThe guy tried explaining it to me, but really superficially.

Good! Try to understand it superficially. That's what some project managers do anyway.

NOTE: I am kidding about your developer being your slave. He's more like your queen in a chess match. /heh

Yuzo

Quote from: Bue on Jun 19, 2017, 06:19 PM
You are thinking Yuzo.  /heh
well it is a past time of mine to light up then come read RMS forums

Terpsichore

Even if you have plenty of cash to toss around, things won't go smoothly if you don't have a basic understanding of how everything works.

Let's say you get this wild idea and rush to hire somebody to implement it. Can you communicate it properly? Is it plausible? Do you know the technical limitations? How long will it take and is it worth the money and time? Can you test it all by yourself once it's done, find flaws and forward them back to the developer? Can you merge the changes and additions or will you trust this developer with your source code and other files? Can you do small cosmetical changes and corrections yourself, so you don't have to spend even more time and money on something you could do alone in a couple of minutes if you had some very basic knowledge?

Even if you get past this phase, there's more to consider. Are you actually involved with the server's life yourself, do you observe how things progress, how mechanics work, what's broken, what players complain about, etc? Assuming you do, the developer for hire most likely won't know much about your server so it's up to you to figure out the necessary balancing for all the changes and additions. If you aren't closely involved with such things, then you need someone who is.

If you want to have full control over everything, those are some of the things you need to understand, because if you don't, you'll only end up stressing your staff plus developer, wasting money and everything will be all over the place, without much getting done.

Unless you decide to commit enough of your time and dedication to this ordeal, you're better off hiring somebody capable to work as the "real admin", while you do community management and other stuff at the back.

Zinnia

Basically you need to know what you're doing as a project manager. That requires a wide area of skills, from:

- knowing who to recruit and know how to empower them
- understand part of the job of everyone and know how to allocate resources
- listen to your customers (players) and your dev(s) to find the best way to implement what your customers are asking for
- take decisions
- take responsibility for all the mistakes your team might do
- be passionate and dedicated yourself

Your dev team/person might still challenge you every now and then but that's fine.

A good way to earn the respect from your coworker(s) is to do everything they are not capable of doing or they don't like to do. Adapt your management system to your challenges.