TW looking to hire Java coders to staff positions

[qan]

Trench Wars is in need of a few good coders.

Here's the deal: recently PL agreed to consider some coders for TW staff. We need more people who are interested in maintaining the ever-important behind the scenes side of Trench Wars, keeping it fresh and new for years to come. We also need more warm bodies to help contribute to the upcoming new public release of TWCore, TW's bot core.

Anyone is welcomed to "apply" for this position. Here are the requirements:

- Competent with the Java language (1 year minimum recommended)
- Understanding of good OOP programming practices
- Polite and courteous to other players and staff
- Very good knowledge of SubSpace in general
- Commitment to SS for years to come

The following are not necessary, but strongly desired:

- TWCore experience (at the very least you MUST be able to get a core compiled up and running)
- MySQL DB experience
- Understanding of SS packets
- Year or two playing experience

You should also have a humble assessment of your own skills, work well in a team, and be able refrain from calling people "ez". You don't need to be leet or have recommendations.

If hired, you will join TW Staff as a Zone Helper, with all of the duties that position entails. You'll be expected to conform to the exact same standards as all other members of staff. However, in addition to this you will also be required to participate in the documentation and final development of the next public version of TWCore, and afterward will be expected to continue on various coding projects in addition to any regular staff responsibilities. Failure to complete normal staff duties or the additional duties imposed by this special position will result in a Bad Time. So, to be absolutely clear -- this is only for those who have a lot of time on their hands! Don't bother unless you're absolutely certain you want to do this.

Some training will be provided. You won't be expected to know everything.

Ok! Still interested? First, if you haven't already, grab the most current public release of TWCore at http://twcore.twzone.net. Please try to get it running. Then send an email off to qan AT twdev DOT org with something on the subject line relating to this whole business. In the email, discuss how you meet the requirements, and why you'd be a good addition to the staff coding team. Emails that don't include this information will be ignored. Those who seem to meet the requirements will be invited to an interview. I'll then pass the information on to the Deans, who will decide which people, if any, they wish to hire on.

Thank you for your interest! Feel free to message me in game with various haphazard questions if you wish. I like to hold the pretense of being a very busy man, so I may not respond immediately.

Good luck.

[Jerome Scuggs]

Talked to Script/Purpose/Archie? Well, tonight he took two fine young ladies home (I saw him on the way to the rental store), but he knows his shiz and I think worked on TWCore, and definitely helped on MessageBot.

[Evul Fly]

...

[Arikel]

oh i have some experience in java but i dont think i have the time... and i still dont know how busy ill be after ny vacations... so i guess i wont apply. Maybe if i manage to get some time

[Jason]

anyone who accepts this position is a fool

talk about unrewarding

and yes, i have every right to say this because i've been there and done that

[RoDNeY]

script is on twdev and made our website, hes probably already been asked considering qan i belive it still on dev no?

[schope]

i would join, but i have no time. no1 on tw likes me, more likely 80% of staff and besides i know this shit is probably very easy to be done i dont know much of java.


gl.

and about unrewarding. well dude, its due to bots you nerds got your stupid leagues, and go base/elim/twd/duel/tourny arenas. Its provided for free, so why not help if you can ?

gl in finding someone.

[Kolar]

Jason has done that already schope, it is unrewarding.

We don't need more coders in lower staff, we need more outsiders who are willing to do some work, get trusted then take over/help run the zone. TW Dev has people doing this so what we will need are people to coordinate them in staff. Being on lower staff will only burn them out faster, make them focus on filling their quota then actually work on the core or new bots.

We should be looking for people who would eventually take over higher positions in the zone but it shouldn't be mainly coders. Make a recruiting process and put an emphasis on getting coders to do some work If you want but 99.9% of lower staff will never become Smods or Sysops, it's foolish to believe any coders would get the access and trust by this method.

[Jason]

couldn't have said it better myself :]

[Richard Creager]

I love it when programmers disappear

[qan]

Jason has done that already schope, it is unrewarding.

Such a conclusion is completely illogical; here is a refutation: I find it rewarding.

We don't need more coders in lower staff, we need more outsiders who are willing to do some work, get trusted then take over/help run the zone. TW Dev has people doing this so what we will need are people to coordinate them in staff. Being on lower staff will only burn them out faster, make them focus on filling their quota then actually work on the core or new bots.

There's not a terrible lot of recognition for coders to begin with. Those who work behind the scenes, for example Sika (who no longer can be hired because of ridiculous cheating accusations that hold little ground in reality) are essentially ignored. TWDev coding is also for the most part ignored. Without recognition, what is left of the worth of coding for TW is the fervor of a good hack, and seeing work in action. Outside coders certainly aren't able to use their work. The point of all this being that staff coders are able to feel more reward for their work, which I can attest to from being on both sides of that fence.

We have ways of "coordinating" non-staff (TWDev) coders in staff, but then often they are hardly motivated to write an event bot, much less help on the actual coding side of things. Worse yet, this trust you talk about is extremely difficult to gain as an outsider. With almost no exposure to staff (and very few ways to get it, as this coordination bit simply is not working), they are rarely seen or known. You seem to suggest that they can have all the access to information that they need outside of staff, and can build a strong reputation enough to "take over/help run the zone." I absolutely do not see this happening with our current configuration. One can always say that we simply need 'better communication,' but that's been said for years and still very little's ever been done about it. It's become a golden idol one can point a finger at any time there is a problem and you don't know the exact solution, yet are also unwilling to provide one.

We should be looking for people who would eventually take over higher positions in the zone but it shouldn't be mainly coders. Make a recruiting process and put an emphasis on getting coders to do some work If you want but 99.9% of lower staff will never become Smods or Sysops, it's foolish to believe any coders would get the access and trust by this method.

People don't need to become upper staff in order to contribute. It simply makes life easier.

Access and trust are much more easily acquired through staff, in my experience. If you wish to insinuate I am a fool for believing that, I would in turn ask you to keep your opinions to yourself.

[Morroco]

I'm going to guess C is out of the question? If I am correct it won't synch with the twcore?

[Kuukunen]

Well if someone ported TWcore to C++ it would be cool. :P

[D1st0rt]

There already is a bot core written in c++, and java is actually better for the zone because there is less to worry about when accepting contributions. Plus, the bots are less likely to crash and can be developed faster.

[RoDNeY]

yea i really know nothing about bots just like merv or something ez pz like that i just stick to lvz kthx