Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Interview

Stratics has conducted an interview with Sigil Games' Cindy "Abigale" Bowens, asking the community manager several questions about Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, among other things. An excerpt, as usual:
VGS: Do you consider yourself part of the Sigil development team? Have the designers tapped into your experience as MMO game player?

Cindy Bowens: Hmmm. an interesting question. Is the Community Manager part of the development team?

In a typical game company, you have designers, artists, programmers and management. Those are your major departments or teams. Obviously, the CM does not really belong specifically on any of those teams.

I tend to look at my job as one of being a liaison. As often as I am giving out information to the players, I am reporting back to different people or departments about what I hear from the players. I point out interesting threads to the team, pass along emails with ideas and suggestions and make a lot of introductions between the team and people who have become leaders in the community.

It's an interesting position. I am not a game designer or an artist or a programmer. But I do think I make an important contribution, nonetheless. I represent the MMOG player to our team and our team to the MMOG players. So. I am not sure I would say they have tapped into my experience as an MMOG player as much as they hear a lot from me about what I learn from all of the people I talk with in the Community.