The 2012 DCSS survey results

[dpeg]

Actually, it's a blog post but while I am here, I can just as well link the full text (pdf, 37 pages).

The report is late by a year. If you're still reading it, we thank you.
The original survey got posted in various online places. We would be grateful if the same could happen to the results: if you mention the report in some other forum, please be sure to post the CDO link (the first one in this post).

[Arrhythmia]

When's the next survey? When .15 comes out?

[dpeg]

Arrhytmia: Hey, it may look as if we plan to turn this into something regular, but the impression is completely wrong It's a lot of work to set up and evaluate such a survey. In both runs we have received lots of interesting information and many fun facts, but I wouldn't expect very much information gain from another run in a year or so.

In other words: no next survey. (At least not from me, and I think I can speak for jpeg as well.)

[WalkerBoh]

Just curious, what were you hoping to get out of the survey? Will the results impact further development of DCSS, or was it just for curiosity?

[Psiweapon]

Arrhytmia: Hey, it may look as if we plan to turn this into something regular, but the impression is completely wrong It's a lot of work to set up and evaluate such a survey. In both runs we have received lots of interesting information and many fun facts, but I wouldn't expect very much information gain from another run in a year or so.

In other words: no next survey. (At least not from me, and I think I can speak for jpeg as well.)

Awwwwww

What the fuck, I was totally excited that the results on the survey finally came out, and I am immensely enjoying reading it. Somehow it brings an unprecedented sense of closure and fulfillment. It also allows me to reflect on how bad I was at playing crawl back in the day, and how bad I am at playing crawl nowadays - I.E., I hadn't ever ascended when I filled the survey, since then I have ascended exactly once, and only recently. Which bears mentioning: The closest I got to winning before actually doing so, was getting killed on D:1 within sight of an exit while carrying the orb, by a hell sentinel (minotaur fighter)

Oh, I also got you to mention Mage Guild in the PDF
That game needs more love, and a new version is in the making, with some new graphics by yours truly.

[XuaXua]

I don't remember what I answered.

[One-Eyed Jack]

76% of players play tiles, and 76% of players haven't won yet.

Mysterious.

[Senban]

I don't remember what I answered.

As long as you put "Yes" for sex that's the main thing they look for on these things.

[mikee]

go team numpad

[dpeg]

Just curious, what were you hoping to get out of the survey? Will the results impact further development of DCSS, or was it just for curiosity?

This was not intended as a scientific study to answer some pressing questions on a particular demographic slice (Also, neither of us is competent enough to carry out such a study, we're both amateurs in the survey-world.)

I think the motivation for the second survey were threefold: 1. Correct the mistakes of the first survey (which was extremely impromptu). 2. Explicitly try to reach more players, so that we just don't get replies from the elite (hence the long running time, and the announcements within the game).

I have actually no clue if the currently active developers really read these pamphlets, but it's always fun to pretend some recent commits would bear any relation with the answers of that survey