Defense Council
Definition
The Defense Council is a select group of people who play a key role in the development of Dungeon Defenders 2 prior to Steam Early Access. Seats were opened for two short periods of time, which were filled on a first-come-first-served basis to those who donated to Child's Play, a charity dedicated to bringing toys and games to hospitalized children. On 11 November 2013, five hundred Defense Council seats were opened to those who donated $30 USD to Child's Play<ref>[1], IGN article on the Nov 2013 Defense Council</ref>. All seats sold out within a matter of hours. In October 2014, several hundred more seats were opened, with two donation options of either $30 USD or $70 USD<ref>[2],Blog post announcing the second round of Council seats. Since Early Access on Steam, the title has become more honorary as all players' feedback is valuable.
Role
While Dungeon Defenders 2 was in its earliest stages of development, specific features were developed and feedback was requested on the direction of these features. Councillors could only play the game during specific days or weekends before access was again restricted. Between open play windows, councillors discussed their experience in the community while developers listened to their feedback.
On 7 February 2014, the window of time to play became standardized to every weekend. Developers would leave the servers running after leaving the office on Friday and turn them off upon arriving to the office Monday morning for maintenance and improvement. On 28 August 2014, servers were enabled to operate 24/7, allowing councillors to play any time.
Defense Councillors meet weekly via chat to discuss current events and trending topics in the community.
Compensation
In addition to the opportunity of having a large influence on the direction of the game, Defense Councillors receive additional rewards depending on when they donated to Child's Play:
- Those who donated $30 USD in October 2014 receive $30 equivalent of in-game currency, as well as a Defense Council-exclusive hero embellishment set.
- Those who donated $70 USD in October 2014 or donated $30 in November 2013 receive an additional $100 equivalent in-game currency, the embellishment set, four hero skins, four tower skins, and an exclusive title.
Joining the Council
Access to the Defense Council is closed. However, players who participate during Steam's Early Access receive their own form of recognition.
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