Those of you who read TDQ often will know that we are on a never-ending mission to provide you with interviews from all aspects of the MMO world; from development teams to guilds and clans.
In our last interview, we spoke to the guys at Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment about the upcoming MMORPG Stargate Worlds and they shared some interesting information into the workings of CME as well as what we can expect from the new MMO. Along with that, we got our hands on some really nice screenshots!
This time around, we decided to get in touch with one of the most popular World of Warcraft fan sites, World of Raids.
We spoke with the man behind the site, Teza, who’s been reporting World of Warcraft news on WoR as well as being at the forefront of raid content with the world famous raiding guild Meet Your Makers (formerly Curse). He kindly told us about the past and present along with what the future holds for World of Raids!
TDQ: Firstly, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Teza: Well, I am a 28-year-old WoW player living in France. I have been playing MMOs since 1998 (Everquest was my first MMO). I am currently playing a level 70 Rogue on EU-Vek'nilash server in the guild Curse/MyM (Meet your Makers).
TDQ: When did you decide to start World of Raids (WoR) and what made you want to do it?
Teza: It was decided around May 2006, when Naxxramas was available on the PTR. I have always been an active raider and I felt like there was a lack of information on high end PvE stuff (such as first kills, PvE progress, guilds and general news). I started writing/reporting about these subjects at least once per day (every evening when coming back from work). That’s how World of Raids was born; as a simple HTML page relating various things about Naxxramas (Sapphiron kill on PTR, loot tables, how the instance was designed etc..).
TDQ: How hard was the initial development of the site? How long did it take you to get it live?
Teza: As said in my previous answer, it started as a very simple and basic HTML page (without forums/sections), so the very first page of WoR took 3-4 days to get it live. Immediately people were interested in what I was reporting, so I looked for help to develop a real site focused on guilds, news and instances.
TDQ: Is it just you at WoR or do you have help to manage the site?
Teza: Since the beginning it always been me (news & moderation & content), another mate from my WoW server and some long time users/followers who contributed on several occasions . With the next version of WoR, the actual WoR team will increase from 2 to 10 members.
TDQ: Is the site easy to manage?
Teza: It was pretty easy at the beginning but the more visitors you get the more time it takes. Having that many visitors puts pressure on you each time you publish something (everything needs to be double checked). The information quickly spread and WoR is often being used as a source. I can't allow myself to make a mistake (although it happens but very rarely). Hopefully by adding new members to the team and splitting tasks we will able to provide more frequent & quality news/info/content/interviews/articles, it will give us more time to improve WoR.
TDQ: How easy was it to expand the site? Where did you get your content ideas?
Teza: The site grew naturally without publicity, a bit like a virus. Players began talking/posting about it on various places. It became a nest for players like me looking for accurate news/info on specific subjects. I am getting my content ideas from various sources (WoR users, my experience, mails, irc, sites) and I have also set up a program tracking 150 sites (from Reuters to blogs) and each time it detect certain keywords (such as World of Warcraft, Blizzard, Jeff Kaplan, Vivendi, etc...) I get a notice with a link, which I quickly read and decide if it’s newsworthy for our users.
TDQ: When you started the site, did you expect it to be as much of a success as it has become?
Teza: Not at all. It started as a hobby I had every evening when coming back from work, once I was done raiding with my guild.
TDQ: What's your most fond memory of your time with WoR? Is there anything that you look back at and laugh about?
Teza: My most fond memory was during TBC beta. WoR was a safe haven for US/EU beta testers (and those who didn’t have a key) where we were able to freely share all the beta info (pictures, description, tips, etc) on forums. It was considered as the best place to ask whatever you wanted about TBC beta without risking a ban. That’s until we received our first Blizzard DMCA (targeted at pictures being posted on WoR homepage/forums).
TDQ: How does it feel to know that thousands of WoW players look to WoR for up-to-date information, community and other content rather than other sites?
Teza: Good? Yes of course. I am delighted to see that WoR is the first stop for many wow players to stay updated on the hot info for WoW. It also became a hub for US/EU players to debate and share info/tips/advices. We plan to make several improvements to ease the process of accessing/sharing the info (i.e. news page for Iphone/Mobile users, improved news system and much more).
TDQ: What can we expect for the future of WoR? Is the site going to stay the same or will there be new features coming in the future?
Teza: We will improve our current features (i.e. mobile page for news, tag system, image tracking, improved archiving system) and add several new services (surprise !). We want to focus anew on what made WoR known to the community: Guilds & Raids.
TDQ: Lastly, if you could give one piece of advice to someone setting up a fan site, what would it be?
Teza: Pick a subject you are fond of, focus on it and it will turn out good. It’s better to be good at one thing than being average at several things.
I’d like to thank Teza on behalf of everyone at Curse.com for sharing his time with us to answer these questions!
Thank you Teza!
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LazareI just miss her real picture being there instead of the current artwork.
Nice looking and smart woman she is.