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An Apology
docsc00ter
Member Posts: 291 Arc User
I posted this over on Reddit. And I'm pretty sure nobody from Cryptic will read the thread about the Facebook post over there. (I'm pretty sure nobody from Cryptic will read the reply on Facebook itself, for that matter.) But, for what it's worth:
"You know, I think there's significant information in what is NOT present in Cryptic's communication today: an APOLOGY.
"There's little doubt that a lot of people are unhappy -- with the changes, with the lack of communication in advance about the timing of the release, about leaving content creators in the lurch, about players from the Test Server feeling ignored."It's common business practice to try and satisfy a customer. It's not always possible (and it certainly isn't for Cryptic in this event). But, as much as possible, good customer service would say something like, "I'm sorry you're having a bad experience. I'm here to help correct the situation as much as possible." They are sort of saying the second half here ("we will make corrections") without the VERY significant first half ("we're sorry").
"Oh, sure. They could carefully craft that apology to avoid responsibility. There's a big difference between "I'm sorry we made this choice in this manner" and "I'm sorry you are having a bad experience." But even the latter would be an improvement over "we're monitoring discussions" and referring to customer distress as "concerns" rather than "complaints, outrage, disappointment, frustration, etc."
"This is an opportunity for Cryptic to demonstrate courageous backbone and apologize. Things were not handled correctly; just about everyone can agree on that. Players from the Test Server voiced all of this prior to the release, yet here we are sorting through the mess on the Live Server. What Cryptic may not understand is that most sane, reasonable, mature people will actually ADMIRE them for owning up to the botched choice. Apologies tend to calm down angry voices; avoidance just makes them louder and more angry because they feel like they still aren't being heard."
Personally, an apology would go a long way to reassure me that Cryptic understands its players' experience in times like this. It would communicate that they care. It just might even give me hope going forward. I'm not expecting it, mind you, but it would be a good start...
"You know, I think there's significant information in what is NOT present in Cryptic's communication today: an APOLOGY.
"There's little doubt that a lot of people are unhappy -- with the changes, with the lack of communication in advance about the timing of the release, about leaving content creators in the lurch, about players from the Test Server feeling ignored."It's common business practice to try and satisfy a customer. It's not always possible (and it certainly isn't for Cryptic in this event). But, as much as possible, good customer service would say something like, "I'm sorry you're having a bad experience. I'm here to help correct the situation as much as possible." They are sort of saying the second half here ("we will make corrections") without the VERY significant first half ("we're sorry").
"Oh, sure. They could carefully craft that apology to avoid responsibility. There's a big difference between "I'm sorry we made this choice in this manner" and "I'm sorry you are having a bad experience." But even the latter would be an improvement over "we're monitoring discussions" and referring to customer distress as "concerns" rather than "complaints, outrage, disappointment, frustration, etc."
"This is an opportunity for Cryptic to demonstrate courageous backbone and apologize. Things were not handled correctly; just about everyone can agree on that. Players from the Test Server voiced all of this prior to the release, yet here we are sorting through the mess on the Live Server. What Cryptic may not understand is that most sane, reasonable, mature people will actually ADMIRE them for owning up to the botched choice. Apologies tend to calm down angry voices; avoidance just makes them louder and more angry because they feel like they still aren't being heard."
Personally, an apology would go a long way to reassure me that Cryptic understands its players' experience in times like this. It would communicate that they care. It just might even give me hope going forward. I'm not expecting it, mind you, but it would be a good start...
15
Comments
Only inkling I had was a few lines about how this was going to suck they were breaking everything combat-related in chat. In a guild I had JUST joined. I don't read the forums, subscribe to the news feeds or bother with the test server.
Know why? Because Star Trek Online ignored our feedback for years. We were told by the producer in charge that we were playing the game wrong and it was throwing off his metrics. End result? STO is an endless series of grind maps free of actual story content.
Did they listen to us? No they told us how we were going to play the game.
And now we're getting the same thing here. They are telling us this is how we want you the players to "enjoy" the game.
Makes no sense. Time to pack up and move on because Cryptic-run games are no longer fun. They are dollar-driven pay-to-win lockbox centered cash grabs. The stuff for sale in the STO cash store aren't micro-transactions -- I ain't paying $30-300 for ships! Especially when they have some niche-use gimmic that gets nerf'd two days after release.
Anyway back to Neverwinter -- this is how Cryptic rolls -- we need to learn to play the game the way they specify. Been here since beta... And I remember my Cleric used to shoot a damage beam. Now I have some sort of prayer mechanic that I never asked for. And my control wizard has changed so much I'm very confused as to how I'm supposed to build for casual play.
This is the last major "change" I am going through with a Cryptic product. I expect a complete rollback to what we had previously or I'm no longer playing.
End of story.
Apologize all you want, Cryptic. Or don't. Just roll back the changes and move on with life. So speaks the player-base.
I am not happy with the changes and the only things to do rn is suck it and keep playing or leave for a month or two.
The changes won't revert, the only that will happen will be small adjustments in the new system and magnitudes.
And maaaaybe some reworks on some powers to make them more "viable" for the changes.
Soulweaver: The Lovely Red
Minstrel: The Rose Troubadour
One example here is the vote for potential pvp change which I sometimes conduct in pvp discord (see picture for some examples in the past). I am sure some devs have seen these vote before but not sure how much they want to listen to majority.
It's nice to be able to use non-augment companions without gimping yourself. It's also nice that building your char is now more than mindlessly stacking power.
Sure, it needs some balancing but fundamentally it seems solid so far.
Changes happen in life, in ALL things in life. Work, relationships, and... believe it or not... online...
Learn to be flexible and be able to adapt to the changes, or you'll end up being left behind.
Co-Guild Leader
Ghost Templars L20
Alliance: Tyrs Paladium
Main: Cleric (Heals|DPS)
Alt: Warlock
Bugs and issues that had been brought up on preview where not addressed and allowed to go live. Some of these bugs gamebreaking even. These bugs should have been placed in the "known issues" section of the patch notes at the bear minimum.
Some balancing of early content should also have been done.
▂▃▄▅▆▇█▓▒░ Drac ░▒▓█▇▆▅▄▃▂
There is supposed to be an image here, but the hamsters took it.
<div align="center">AKA Draconis of Luskan</div>
Take a backseat boy. Cause now I'm driving. ~ Give it up - Elizabeth Gilies ft. Ariana Grande
RIP Foundry: On that day, when the sky fell away, our world came to an end. ~Lifelight
Here is Real Feedback and I am not ranting or saying do this or that
All I am doing is just stating facts that actually happened today
we have had members that are crying and cannot adjust and other people literally gave their items to Guild Mates and announced their Retirement from the Game
This system was not in state that allows it to be pushed to live, simple as that and it need more fine tuning before publishing it
All of preview bugs were carried to PC
The fact Cryptic made PC's Server as Preview server is just unprofessional
we should have had twitch streams and streams show casing this system to players who don't go to preview
Have Videos on Neverwinter/Cryptic 's official youtube channel show casing that system
For me personally I am good but I am just literally just telling you what I have been seeing which is really sad
Today in game, in my alliance these same things were happening.
And then people started asking questions instead of being angry.
I believe every player has right to feel how they want to feel about anything. However, what is true for some is not true for others.
We were able to do everything that people have been complaining about, in a group of non-endgamers, with a couple exceptions that have been sent in.
To demand that they do streams on Twitch or YouTube videos to placate a certain group of players when it was already stated there are people who don't go to preview is counter intuitive to the point that was trying to be made. There are large groups of people who also do not go to Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook... etc.
Perspective matters. What you say happened is true, however it isn't indicative of the entire player base.
Just a counter point to your point.
People who left in mod 16 were looking for a reason to move on. The same is happening here.
Just because something is suggested and not implemented does not mean that they haven't seen or read it.
The unbelievable sense of entitlement that players have, in all games, is beyond me.
And to the creators who keep saying that they were blindsided by this... shame on you. It has been everywhere for months.
If you think it is not entire player base well go look at their official video on youtube what players are saying right now in comments
If you want perspective look at what people saying in zone chat in protector enclave
Lots of new players who became level 80 cannot queue for redq because they need 10 epic companions , rank 9 enchants , lowest weapon and armor enchant and artifacts at epic and 1 epic mount, this is just the minimum to get new player to 30k you dont think that is a problem for new player to play content.
Trying to get that 30k item level is extremely hard for new player
the system does not put into consideration new players
For veterans it is fun and I myself love it
There are people crunching numbers and veterans got over it but for new players trying to get their 100k AD they can't and that is big problem for them to upgrade their items
So my perspective is not just the casual or veteran but also the new player
And I said this on preview like maniac this is elemental evil all over again
Note: other gaming studio always show case upcoming systems to players so I am not asking for something that is out of the wheel
I remember taking my first levelling characters (DC & CW) into IWD for the 1st time. My toons barely qualified for the zone and every fight was a hard one. It taught me better mechanics, appropriate use of skills and a real appreciation for stats, boons and builds.
I'm all for challenging content but it seems like (from comments) enemy npc strength and survivability is scaled somewhat too high for players levelling toons in level-appropriate zones - I'm on xbox so can't really say, I don't know if there's a degree of 'players could face-tank groups before, so why can't they now' regardless of class or playstyle (implying that they haven't learned the old lessons of pulling/positioning/targeting the right enemies in a group 1st) or if it really is just too hard.
I think one issue that hasn't been mentioned yet is the change in the effectiveness of Defence. It has been dropped from a max of 90% effectiveness to a max of 50%. That's huge and quite possibly the source of the survivability issues.
Xael De Armadeon: DC
Xane De Armadeon: CW
Zen De Armadeon: OP
Zohar De Armadeon: TR
Chrion De Armadeon: SW
Gosti Big Belly: GWF
Barney McRustbucket: GF
Lt. Thackeray: HR
Lucius De Armadeon: BD
Member of Casual Dailies - XBox
And all I was stating was another set of facts.
New players in my guild/alliance were struggling and we helped them get through it. We help them earn their stripes, and get that AD grind. All day long. I guess we are the anomaly?
I watch all of the mediums that you spoke of. And it doesn't prove your point, at all. What it does is show me that, imo, people overreact to an over-correction.
How many people do you think are in the game and don't speak up because of the ridicule they'll receive if they disagree with a person on whether or not it's ok for them to like a portion of the game.
Don't think it happens? Well, I have another set of "facts" it does happen. All the time.
I empathize with the players who are unhappy, and angry, and avidly decry all that Cryptic has done to them over the years.
I, as I am sure you, have been an avid gamer for a seriously long time. These threats of leaving, and "I hate the game" are no different then in any other forum I have ever been apart of.
You presented facts that are not representative of the entire player base.
You speak in terms that are absolute, and they are not absolute.
They ARE representative of a section of the player base.
They ARE NOT the entirety of the player base.
A majority of my alliance does not participate on any of the mediums that have been stated, but they are all members of our Discord. We take it upon ourselves to help those who "don't know any better."
Overall I think that the loudest portion of the player base, the ones who cry that the sky is falling every single time there is a change, veils their want for inclusion of new player friendly content behind selfish means. It is farcical at best.
Years of complaints from the player base, and non-action from the old team, have built the foundation that a large majority of the game have witnessed for years.
Has it ever occurred that the reason they don't listen, or have the appearance of not listening, is due to the insane amounts of vitriol that their "community" has spewed at them day in and day out for years on end?
To the angry players:
Be angry, it's your right to enjoy/not enjoy the game. Leave or don't. It's your choice.
But just remember that your are not ENTITLED to anything from them at all. Your enjoyment is in your hands, not theirs.
> I think it's fair to say that (probably) most people would be cool with the changes if they could get through the lower level content with some challenge but not get wiped all the time - that's on all classes.
>
> I remember taking my first levelling characters (DC & CW) into IWD for the 1st time. My toons barely qualified for the zone and every fight was a hard one. It taught me better mechanics, appropriate use of skills and a real appreciation for stats, boons and builds.
>
> I'm all for challenging content but it seems like (from comments) enemy npc strength and survivability is scaled somewhat too high for players levelling toons in level-appropriate zones - I'm on xbox so can't really say, I don't know if there's a degree of 'players could face-tank groups before, so why can't they now' regardless of class or playstyle (implying that they haven't learned the old lessons of pulling/positioning/targeting the right enemies in a group 1st) or if it really is just too hard.
>
> I think one issue that hasn't been mentioned yet is the change in the effectiveness of Defence. It has been dropped from a max of 90% effectiveness to a max of 50%. That's huge and quite possibly the source of the survivability issues.
I'm a newcomer and I chose the ranger a few days ago which already has low defense, top it off with these scaled tough enemies and now im basically made of paper. So yes defense and survivability is playing a big role in the issues im experiencing.
those of us who read the forums (a tiny percentage of the playerbase) first knew about the changes if you scrolled all the way to the bottom of the main page and looked at preview server sub forum and saw combat rework
and then jumped across to preview and tried it (first itineratiion was a total mess)
then after several months of patch after patch after patch on preview (which probably 5% of the player population go to) they dropped a pretty broken update onto live with what 3 hours notice?
no wonder everyone is mighty piddled off
when this hit live with no warning i had already saved 8 mill ad and 5k tb and just logged onto preview screenshotted all my gear logged onto live and coppied it over
but we are in the minority here
but what is really annoying me is how this broken mess that was preview was ever allowed to go to live
Here's the problem with an apology, it assumes blame and generally requires something in return. The Devs IMO don't want to give away any more free stuff and thus just issue a statement. It has become quite clear as of late the only things the Devs want out of the game is a cash machine, and if you are not a whale you're out of luck. Look no further than the cost of upgrading collars, mounts and companions to mythic to see this fact.
Have you noticed the VERY high level have no problem with the new patch?
Mythics across the board makes a HUGE difference. If the average player is stuck trying to get through an areas they used to breeze though, then maybe they will open their wallet now!
To me this feels more like it is working as intended, so any apology to me would just feel empty anyways.
Any of my comments not posted in orange are based on my own personal opinion and not official.
Any messages written in orange are official moderation messages. Signature images are now fixed!