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Champions Online Leadership
gamehobo
Posts: 1,970 Arc User
Who is the right person to lead this game? Robobo frankly was better than Stokeman. And I couldn't STAND Robobo.
In both there is a severe lack of:
Vision - Where will you be focusing development? Adventure Packs, Comic Series, Alerts, New Zones, New Powers, New Features, etc..
Communication - How do you relay the vision to potential players, veterans, and the MMO community as a whole.
Execution - I graded the last UNTIL report a "F". I grade Vehicles a "F". I grade Alerts a "D". The rampant existence of bugs throughout the ENTIRE game gets a F MINUS. I can't stand open missions being bugged. Pickup and throw/Telekinesis being bugged.. nm I wont get started.
- -
If we can't get an Executive Director who constantly grades themselves on the above criteria and is dedicated to excellence (A+ across the board) then we (the lifeblood of the game) will continue to trickle away.
In both there is a severe lack of:
Vision - Where will you be focusing development? Adventure Packs, Comic Series, Alerts, New Zones, New Powers, New Features, etc..
Communication - How do you relay the vision to potential players, veterans, and the MMO community as a whole.
Execution - I graded the last UNTIL report a "F". I grade Vehicles a "F". I grade Alerts a "D". The rampant existence of bugs throughout the ENTIRE game gets a F MINUS. I can't stand open missions being bugged. Pickup and throw/Telekinesis being bugged.. nm I wont get started.
- -
If we can't get an Executive Director who constantly grades themselves on the above criteria and is dedicated to excellence (A+ across the board) then we (the lifeblood of the game) will continue to trickle away.
Post edited by gamehobo on
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Comments
Edit: In terms of communication, Robobo was very honest. Even in the Ask Cryptic's, he'd said when something just couldn't be done. Stokeman... has cookie cutter answers (in the ONE Ask Cryptic he did)
I say stuff and I say things, sometimes together but only when I'm feeling adventurous.
I'm @blu8 in game!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ5l5ls0hP4
They need to find ways to make this stuff repeatable without getting in the way of regular play. As an example they could restore the nighthawk mission as regular story content (maybe through socrates), but replace the evidence collection as that interfered with the Zone as a whole.
Brick_McDuggins in game.
Or at least some more Westside adventure like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xiAbDkXDgg
The poster formerly known as LordOfPit, and his blog.
* Dec 2007 (CO)
* Oct 2008 (STO)
Things they need to do now:
1)Communicate, tell us what is going on.
2)Bug Fixes. With as little of a team that tehy have, just focus on this, and tell us what they are working on.
2.5)Listen to the feedback on PTS and the forums about bugs, God know why Cryptic hasnt before.
3)Communication, tell us what is going on.
When/if CO gets more Devs:
1) Try to set up a couple of dedicated groups-Powers, zones/missions, Costumes/fluff.
*people for Bug fixes at this point can be placed in each team. So when they are working on something they can go over it, along with working on past bugs.
2)Get an new full Zone out with a couple of new mission lines.
3)Reopen ALL of the old crafting locations-finish the Hideout additions-this will keep some of the RP community happy.
4) Convert/add on to some of the maps used for Alerts and Adventure packs into PVP zones and overall new zones.
*this can cut down on development time. Use the Q-Realm from Demonflame as a new PVP map and leave in the creatures-it would be like the Heros are actually fighting there. Earn points for defeating bad guys AND each other.
Hi-Pan alert would be great as well. Open it up and have a Floating in the air Zone. It is so beautieful and use can reuse alot of whats there over and over tweeking it as needed.
*Turning such mas into PVE and PVP zones/maps would cater to both PVP and PVE players.
5) Foundry (this should be priority) This will allow user created content and could by the Dev team more time to build up new Zones. Using number 4, several new zones could be built up quicker, allowing more time to make a full completely new Zone.
6) In between these the usual Become devices and Costumes could be thrown out.
7) Communication through out all of this would be needed. Just tell us what is being worked on. Talk to us. Be honest with us. There are so many out here that I am sure would help as much as they could, if we were allowed too.
I am sure there is alot I would do as well, but I am fried and blanking on the rest.
1. We know what is going on with Champions... not much at all.
2. Some old timers like myself are finding it hard to maintain interest in the same old stuff in-game and long for new content... like the zone we were promised by the end of this year.
3. The game is bleeding and if nothing is done about it... if the devs or Perfect World or Cryptic don't care about Champions then the community is without hope and adrift.
I wish I could be positive about Champions but the majority of the people that I have come to know in-game have soured miserably to what is going on currently, which is nothing. I hate that the game has suffered like this... and yet I still love the game and I can't stand to see it mistreated. Of course I do not speak for everyone... I speak for myself, however I am not alone in my feelings.
"Human beings can always be relied upon to assert, with vigor, their God-given right to be stupid"
Dean Koontz Seize The Night
Formerly known as @black_cobra
CO's been bleeding for a while now, and they won't pull the plug until every last drop drips out.
We're all hoping things will turn around... but honestly, that snow leapord tank took my hope and tossed it off a cliff...now it's holding on to a teeny tiny tree poking out of the cliff face.
Champions Online: Be the hero you wish you could be in a better game.
First....jump to the left.
Then...step to the right.
With your hands on your hips,
You bring your knees in tight....
But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane!!!!
Occam's Razor makes the cutting clean.
1. Where is our executive producer?
2. Why has communication ceased?
3. What has become of the plans to implement future zones , powers, what have you?
4. How will we move forward in the absence of any meaningful communication?
5. Engineering (and by extension Until reports) have been discontinued so WHEN might we hear real news?
1. He is in hiding because his player base is pissed and he is probably not allowed to say anything to us or he just doesnt want to.
2.Because Cryptic is too busy elsewhere.
3.They died.
4.We wont.
5.We Wont because there is none.
Just being realistic, hopefully once NW is out these answers will be completely different.
i want to know why our community rep doesnt do his job and tell the devs what we are saying. he is suppose to be our lifeline to the dvs. is he not?
1) who says we even have 1.
2) becuase they are over at neverwinter and our community rep isnt doing his job. by telling the devs and/or upper mangement on whats going on. on the forums.
3) i bet they are no longer deving any plans outside of getting a quick buck.
4) thats a question for our community rep. and seeing as how well hes doing look to answer 2.
5
0 im will to bet well never get another report. and/or any real news.
1: Brad Stokan, COME ON DOWN!
2: Stokan can ignore TrailTurtle just as easily as you accuse TrailTurtle of ignoring us. Given the surrounding evidence, I doubt Trail is the problem.
3: Neverwinter uber alles. We're hostages to their release schedule. I'll give them one month after NWO launches. I'm being generous, perhaps excessively so, because Launches Have Issues.
4: See 2.
5: See 3, because I'm a pessimist like that.
My Alert-addled mind is building up a conspiracy theory, but I'ma sit on it until after the holiday, in the faint hope that "marketing" and "community goodwill" are on Stokan's new year's resolution list.
They're not there in the beginning, but when your story ends / Gonna last with you longer than your friends
Seriously, if they're being quiet, people are going to assume the worst. It's simply human nature. Either communicate or, in your silence, you will be implicitly agreeing with the worst-case scenario.
I think a good solution to the bugs, typos, and so forth would be for them to get a group of player volunteers who don't mind going through the game and looking for the bugs and typos, and then listen to those people and correct said bugs and typos. I used to work as a professional proofreader and editor and I certainly don't mind; I'm sure there are plenty of other players who also wouldn't mind. But they have to listen to the volunteers.
I understand there are many bug reports and so forth, so they can't (or just don't) look at all of them. I don't even know if there are any GMs around anymore, because I never receive help anytime I ask for it.
But I think if we had some members of the community who came together on a volunteer basis, guaranteed a friendly ear from the developers, more things would get done. People want this to be the best game it could be, but if the development team don't listen to the players, it's not going to be. There are things in the game that should have been corrected long before now but still remain wrong, and typos that should've been caught within a couple of days drive me up the wall.
What content aside from vehicles and lockboxes are you talking about ? I can't remember
getting anything else that i would actually call content after On Alert
You had to deal with no communication for months, we've had to deal with it for years now. Its on them to fix things now.
THIS POST ALL MY LOVE !!1
Seriously, I would leap at the chance to do modification work and alpha-tester style bug hunting and fixing.
And yes, I feel I am capable, motivated, and qualified to do a better job fixing things. And you wouldn't even have to pay me as much because I don't live in California where the cost-of-living is high (money goes further here). In today's economy, t's kind of crazy this stuff is still being inefficiently handled with in-person meetings. It's very old fashioned and expensive!
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
They have that. Its called the Play Test Server. The issue there is half of the Bugs people found were ignored and still made it to live. There is even an entier Forum section dedicated tot eh PTS as well.
The Foundry would be great-there have been several threads about that as well, but I doubt we will get it.
If talking about this thread, PTS access is not sufficient. The volonteerism support needs to be taken one step further. Give a limited number of volonteers a formal path where their contributions are linked directly (via bug id#) to the releases. Put a bug testing rewards system in place, however crude, just to show CO cares.
I doubt this will ever happen though, because it 1) would hold more people accountable; 2) I've seen years of suggestion box commentary and nothing really ever come out of it.
@sturmhaven
of course it would never happen, cause they had things setup to be able to have great communication and make sure things came out in the best condition possible and chose to not use it.
If they dont care to take the PTS seriously no way they would put out the effort to make your idea possible. I do like your Idea by the way.
Actually... I had suggested they get rid of the PTS back at the beginning or April of this year (use forum search) when it was clear they weren't using the tool.
Use it or lose it.
They had a whole swarm of volunteers testing stuff and flat out ignored much of it. In fact, it was only due to intense outcry that they delayed the release of On Alert (because it was so unprofessionally unfinished)
My point is that developers who are truly enthusiastic about their work are active and even flaunt it a bit with pride.
Examples of teams I've had the pleasure to work with who continuously exhibit pride & involvement in their work: GGC & PunkBuster, Unknown Worlds Enterainment (aka. the Natural Selection team), OpenStudy.com (Want to see a team of developers who are really active? Jus talk to them, they're on every day), and Sven Co-op (Jeremy & friends, some of the most helpful modders I've ever known). Each of those are open to criticism as well (generally not taking it too personally, and the community takes it easier on the as they show their humanity). The Unknown World Entertainment team is the only one I know of who video blogged their ENTIRE development cycle (which was one hell of a boon to marketing promotion btw, whipped the fans into a frenzy)
At the end of the day games are about fun. Bug hunting & fixing is boring as hell. I would know. I've done my share of closed alpha & beta testing. But knowing your efforts bring happiness to people is arguably heroic in of itself. For you never know, somebody may have had a rough, stressful day at work and being able to connect into their favorite game and have fun with friends... that brings happiness.
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
Death to Alerts
Death to Lockboxes
Death to Neverwinter
Death to Dev Silence
Viva Comic Series
Viva Open-World Zones
Viva Adventure Packs
Viva Telepathy (with hold system overhaul)
Viva Hero Game Lobby
I agree with these.
I hope you're paying attention Stokman, that there is doing it right.
That's just a tiny fraction of what the TSW forums see on a weekly, almost daily basis sometimes, depending on any hot topics or anything special going on with the game at the time (talk about the monthly content releases, concerns about the new B2P model being used for the game, etc.). Sometimes we have the game director addressing concerns all over the place, making dozens of posts a day, for days throughout the week. And the guy demonstrates excellent PR skills, and can seem approachable, almost like a fellow gamer sometimes.
The former game director, Ragnar, was the same before he moved to focus on his creative role, and they also have frequent updates on the news section of the game's website, giving us a clear view of their vision for the game and any changes the future may have for it.
How much do you want to bet there'll be 'power' items and lockboxes on TSW by the end of 2013?
Yay, he can talk the talk. Let's see him walk the walk while EA's stock continues to tank.
And if/when that day comes to pass, we can be sure to have him at the boards addressing concerns personally, rather than the non-communication that we have here, which is the point of the thread.
Things in CO were very different while it was still in its first year of life. Just as we don't know what CO will be like if/when it hits 8 years, (like CoX was at when it shut down), we don't know how things over at TSW will be when it's in its 3rd year...
"Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?" -Tony Stark
Official NW_Legit_Community Forums
... and you're sure of this, how?
Blind, unconditional faith and Joel Bylos/TSW/Funcom fanboism
Plus also the fact that hope runs smother when you see actual, frequent evidence to back it up in the form of frequent communication and content releases and updates for the game.
I also play TSW, and I have to say, with this latest event, he isn't showing all that much good leadership and such.
A number of complaints of the Mayans constantly popping up on everyone. Making new and low level players have a much harder time to even get to know the game, muchless level.
An exploit allowing players to use Runes to instant kill the Mayans to fast farm the bits to turn in.
The incredibly low drop rate of the items you need to buy the event items.
In addition the leaderboard "rewarding" folks in the top 100, when a known exploit is in effect.
His "good communication" response to these things?
"Oppsie! I'm on vacation, so are a lot of the staff. Won't be back in until the 3rd of January."
(paraphrasing here)
But the point is, he set up a disaster of an event, then went on holiday with no one left to fix / handle the problems.
I know a number of new players to TSW that left due to it being not friendly with the annoying event spawns and such.
Don't think I'd use him as an example of "good leadership and communication."
Also, TSW was only open what.. 6 months? Then went Buy to Play. Not a good sign, not at all.
I really don't think that's really relevant anymore. It's becoming clear to many companies that standard buy & subscribe MMOs aren't lasting these days, what with there being a billion free options. I don't think any new startup MMO will last on that model.
I think TSW got new content, and has a content schedule though...
Somethign I am sure Champions will get once Neverwinter is complete.
well according to the UNTIL Report they technically have things sort'a scheduled...that counts right?
Agreed I also play TSW and I find communication is just as bad there as in here. If not worse. And yes the buy to play with TSW is not a good sign Champions managed a year and a half before it went freemium. TSW has been the biggest mmo let down this year.
EDIT
I am going to have to disagree with you when a certain player over the last few months has been constantly comparing TSW and Champions Online.
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
This, this, a thousand times this.
Sure, we have not heard for considerably longer, but putting up yet another thread about communication and then expecting an immediate response during the holidays is laughable.
I been a long time leaving but I'm going to be a long time gone.
Willie Nelson
T.U.F.K.A.S. (the user formerly known as Scarlyng)
Wrong on the CO forums since November, 2008
A single even blowing is not necessarily indicative of the game director's leadership skills. The event wasn't very good, but they provided one and there has been as much communication as can be expected around the holiday season about this and other concerns (such as the changes to the B2P model recently).
Unfortunatelty, TSW's devs seem to focus events on higher "level" characters, given that the game de-emphasises alting and the devs seem to assume that most characters are already maxed or at least have high skill levels already. Hopefully this will be addressed in future events. We'll have to wait and see. But until they consistently fail to address this type of issue (which I agree is a valid concern) it will not be indicative of the game director's lack of leadership skills.
This will be addressed and the players abusing this exploit stripped of their points.
I think that the use of the word "incredibly" to describe the low drop rates might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I agree that it could/should have been higher given the limited/one time nature of the event.
You already brought up the exploit above. This will be addressed.
They are in the middle of the freaking Holidays what did you expect them to do? Cancel everyone's vacations and rush back to the office to fish out bugs and rework every single spawn point of event mobs for a limited time event that could be over by the time they were finished?
Fact: They have devs posting there every single week. Here we have none. That by itself proves that communication there can't possibly be as bad, much less worse, than here. They also have frequent news about the game's current state of development and such, with frequent updates and new content. We have almost no development.
Here's a link to Joel Bylos "Nusquam"'s posting history. Make of that what you will. And that's just one dev.
Just amazing.
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
I'll have to agree with Jon here. That's a pretty disturbing post VS. Read it again. An uninformed person would think you have stock on the company or something.
I was addressing inaccuracies and flaws in two posters' statements from the perspective of someone that actually visits the TSW forums for the benefit of those that don't, while providing a balanced view by validating the accurate points made and admiting that the event blew (or at least, wasn't very good). And the one time I did make fanboish statements a couple of posts back I owned up to it and admited it. I'm not sure how that compares. Perhaps you could address the specific points I made and explain how they make me a fanboi.
EDIT: Also, I originally had a longer and perhaps better written post where more points where made or addressed, but I suffered a browser error and lost it all after I was almost done with it, which may have affected how well I wrote and explained the final post since sort of had to rush it and try to work bits of the stuff I lost from memory, etc.
Fact: I didnt mean LESS than CO I meant WORSE than CO....c'mon "opsee" and sorry we all on holiday.
I'd rather have a bright dev post once or twice a year than an idiot dev post all the time >_>
worse
Adjective
Of poorer quality or lower standard; less good or desirable: "the accommodations were awful, and the food was worse".
Adverb
Less well or skillfully.
Noun
A more serious or unpleasant event or circumstance: "worse was to follow".
Synonyms
inferior
Please point out to me were I said LESS.
EDIT
For those that dont know what The Secret World is ( understandable it didn't sell well) heres some info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_World
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
As opposed to NO communication here when the event wasn't up Chrismas morning. And again, what did you expect them to do about those specific concerns that have been brought up about that event, which could have potentially required DAYS and perhaps weeks to address, which is less time than the event was going to take place?
Which is a subjective statement I disagree with. All I can do is post a link to the dev's posting history and let others make up their mind about whether he's an idiot or not. But I rest easy with the knowledge that I have been more consistently informed by this particular dev/game director about TSW's state of the game, as well as seen concerns addressed on the boards, than I have ever been by this game's current (or even its former) director. And that that by definition, is BETTER (not just "more", but better) communication than we have here.
FACT: The communication isn't better when they praise the skills of players that cheat. Also your link seems broken.
But I do have to add this you called Jon a Champions Fanboi. That he may be but at least he isnt a The Secret World fanboi. I think this forum is the perfect place for CO fanbois being a Champions Online forum and all.
EDIT
I have also played TSW somewhat and the product as a whole is WORSE than CO.
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
FACT: They don't praise the skills of players that cheat and they've addressed cheaters that abused exploits in the past and stripped them of their rewards. And the fact that there were exploits on this one event has nothing to do about communication.
Also, name me one game forum where the devs openly discuss exploits they don't want players to abuse. Last time I checked they banned a couple of posters (both of which used to provide valuable input at the PTS) here for detailing exploits.
Sorry about that. I used the search feature for the name "Nusquam" and copied the address, and link I used was apparently dymanic and got changed since the time I posted it. You also apparently need to be logged to use search and I haven't found a way around that. But if you login and use advanced search and select "Posts" in the "Show Results as" section to search for "Nusquam" you should be able to see everything he's posted on the current boards.
That's besides the point. I am addressing inaccuracies and being called a "fanboi" for it (which I don't necessarily have an issue with but...). If someone explains (not just claim, but actually explains why--using points you can refute if you find them to be inaccurate yourself) that something you say against a product they happen to support is inaccurate and all you can say as a retort is call them a fanboi because you prefer another product but can't explain why they're wrong (just call them a "fanboi"), what does that say about you? Or in other words, who's being the "fanboi" here?
Vision we aint gonna ever agree on this one when I do find the devs of TSW some what smug in my opinion.
Also in my opinion ( and that of many people ) TSW is an awful awful game.
I am sorry but this is fact a lot of people think TSW is ***** the same way a lot of people think CO is a bit crap. Comparing a game with no real customization to a game with no real content and comparing devs that talk ***** to devs that dont talk at all is utterly pointless.
My point is if your going to compare CO and its forums to something better actually compare it to something that is actually better.
Why compare ***** to crap? They both smell and attract flies.
*edit to COfanbois* What you expect from a STOfangirl? XD
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
I'll have to stand by Nepht on this one. TSW sucks insofar as gameplay and character customization is concerned.
They've got a top-notch writer for the arcs and plotline, though. At least, from what I've seen. I haven't been able to finish the main plotline because gameplay is just too hard for me, and teaming there is like teaming here. Nonexistant unless you're doing raid type content.
Occam's Razor makes the cutting clean.
Yeah the games a bit naff but the storys are good I will give TSW that.
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!