test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Chat Box Improvement Suggestions
sidenti
Banned Users Posts: 48
Hi! I've got a few suggestions for improving the chat feature of Neverwinter.
* IF NOTHING ELSE, A REDUNDANCY FEATURE FOR THE AUTOBLOCKER In my view, it's a bit extreme to cut off ALL communication right off the bat, largely because of the system's current limitations. Having a total lockdown autotriggered effectively makes a multiplayer game a single-player game, and no one buys into a multiplayer game for a single-player experience - especially one that can be triggered quite readily.
So, maybe soften that stance a little - lock down, perhaps, global chat for the first round, THEN lock down all chat for the second round. I imagine the current system generates a notice that it's blocked someone; might also want to adjust that so that it alerts on the second round instead of both times. Mostly because...
* RESPONSE TIME COULD USE IMPROVEMENT The system probably generates a lot of work, if reports of response times taking longer than the ban time itself are accurate (and I have no reason to believe they're not as this information was relayed publicly by a community representative). That's fine. It's not an indictment against anyone. But since adding more eyes to the pile probably isn't economically feasible, perhaps the ban time should be extended to 48 hours.
If nothing, it would give the people who are plainly overworked on the queue time to catch up. Alternatively, adding volunteers might not be a bad idea. Have 'em work a queue a few days a week, maybe pay 'em in Diamonds? It could work. We're already doing a lot of the end-game and bonus content with the Foundry. Why not help sort out the squelch orders?
* SUBSCRIPTION TIME? I'm not above paying for a subscription, and if properly implemented, it could help with a few chat-related issues.
Some games use the paywall as an impromptu spam wall, and generally to measurable effect. Some sub games with microstores do this in three tiers - severe limitations for F2P, some limitations for people who have bought stuff but don't sub (or have subbed in the past but lapsed), and no limitations other than the ToS for paying customers.
Set the limits right and block gold spammer templates, and you may very well make a dent in that spam problem too. I mean, I'm getting tells in-zone with advertisements. This is the first game I've played where that's happened. That didn't even happen on Star Wars. If a subscription's what it takes to make advertising in-game unprofitable for the gold farmers, take my money.
But not before we address some of these chatbox issues. I think this can be done relatively painlessly and welcome all suggestions.
Or flames. I'm married, so I'm used to it.
-bp
* IF NOTHING ELSE, A REDUNDANCY FEATURE FOR THE AUTOBLOCKER In my view, it's a bit extreme to cut off ALL communication right off the bat, largely because of the system's current limitations. Having a total lockdown autotriggered effectively makes a multiplayer game a single-player game, and no one buys into a multiplayer game for a single-player experience - especially one that can be triggered quite readily.
So, maybe soften that stance a little - lock down, perhaps, global chat for the first round, THEN lock down all chat for the second round. I imagine the current system generates a notice that it's blocked someone; might also want to adjust that so that it alerts on the second round instead of both times. Mostly because...
* RESPONSE TIME COULD USE IMPROVEMENT The system probably generates a lot of work, if reports of response times taking longer than the ban time itself are accurate (and I have no reason to believe they're not as this information was relayed publicly by a community representative). That's fine. It's not an indictment against anyone. But since adding more eyes to the pile probably isn't economically feasible, perhaps the ban time should be extended to 48 hours.
If nothing, it would give the people who are plainly overworked on the queue time to catch up. Alternatively, adding volunteers might not be a bad idea. Have 'em work a queue a few days a week, maybe pay 'em in Diamonds? It could work. We're already doing a lot of the end-game and bonus content with the Foundry. Why not help sort out the squelch orders?
* SUBSCRIPTION TIME? I'm not above paying for a subscription, and if properly implemented, it could help with a few chat-related issues.
Some games use the paywall as an impromptu spam wall, and generally to measurable effect. Some sub games with microstores do this in three tiers - severe limitations for F2P, some limitations for people who have bought stuff but don't sub (or have subbed in the past but lapsed), and no limitations other than the ToS for paying customers.
Set the limits right and block gold spammer templates, and you may very well make a dent in that spam problem too. I mean, I'm getting tells in-zone with advertisements. This is the first game I've played where that's happened. That didn't even happen on Star Wars. If a subscription's what it takes to make advertising in-game unprofitable for the gold farmers, take my money.
But not before we address some of these chatbox issues. I think this can be done relatively painlessly and welcome all suggestions.
Or flames. I'm married, so I'm used to it.
-bp Post edited by sidenti on
0
Comments
The real way to solve the spam issues, particularly in PE, is to park a real, live GM there 24/7 - give them the power to issue warning, (a 1 hr ban from zone chat), followed by a full 24 hr ban to all chat, and finally a 72-hr ban, after which the account holder will be sent an email, which they must read and agree to the ToS, otherwise face a permanent ban, should they fail to change their ways.
The gold sellers have already taken to spelling out their messages with all sorts of characters and symbols in them, so a general template to block their messages wouldn't really work.
Truth be told, what is also needed is some sort of penalty for abusing the report spam feature to try and silence someone - if you are found to be using the feature very often AND its use it not for people who were gold sellers, then YOU should receive a warnign about using the feature incorrectly...
"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
Besides, the bug that the first message being posted into Party channel not showing up needs to be fixed. (thread)
A chat ban lasts 24 hours. It takes anywhere from 1-3 business days (on average, response times may be longer depending on ticket load) for CS to respond to a ticket.
Therefore, the chat ban would be shorter than the response time in most, if not all, cases. Furthermore, I'm just a mod. As stated in my signature, my opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions or stand of PWE, its affiliates, or its subsidiaries on any given issue.
The system issues automatic bans for people who mention certain sites in their messages. All it results in is players having to read incomprehensible gibberish from spammers attempting to circumvent the filters in place.
Regarding the subscription question: Honestly, it's a non-starter here. PWE/Cryptic has stated many times that NW is, and will always be, a free to play game with no subscriptions. The sole reason the option even exists in STO and CO is to fulfill standing legal obligations to players who had already purchased lifetime subs to those games.
Great Weapon Fighter: Because when is today not a good day to die?
PC and PS4 player. Proud Guildmaster for PS4 Team Fencebane. Rank 5 Officer for PC Team Fencebane. Visit us at http://fencebane.shivtr.com
1-3 business days is an awfully long time to review something like that. Especially considering how quickly it can be triggered. Extending an autosquelch to 72 hours is also out of the question, obviously.
What can be done to reduce response time, then? Ideally it should be 12 hours for something like this unless a LOT of people are getting blocked or only a person or two is assigned to review challenges (likely on top of other stuff).
The community team here went out and recruited some volunteers to help moderate things here. Perhaps the approach would work just as well in this regard?
Except that the complaints about chat bans are handled through the same channels as regular CS tickets (to the extent of what knowledge I have). AFAIK, there isn't a separate queue to handle this--and also from all the research I've been able to do before the purchase of Cryptic by PWE, it's always been right about that window of response time.
Unfortunately, it's a problem that's plagued Cryptic as a tradeoff for such a means to handle spammers. It winds up being my chief argument when people bring up such a method for other games -.- Yet a better way has not been formulated.
Volunteer mods have ALWAYS been utilized by PWE. It wasn't done specifically to help matters out here. To address your point of why they're not used for chat monitoring: Probably for much the same reason that PWE does not utilize volunteer personnel as GMs--it creates a potential liability to PWE.
Great Weapon Fighter: Because when is today not a good day to die?
PC and PS4 player. Proud Guildmaster for PS4 Team Fencebane. Rank 5 Officer for PC Team Fencebane. Visit us at http://fencebane.shivtr.com
Perhaps it isn't to you, and I can understand that. I've found myself not caring if it happened to someone else too. And you're more than welcome to take the time out of your life to tell me something that I do, in fact, already know (and actually addressed, but you probably missed that part in the rush to inform me - it's okay; stuff happens). But it rarely accomplishes anything.
The person or people in charge of handling this stuff really do seem overworked. How can that workload be reduced, you think?
It's not a very good tradeoff if there's... let's say, operational problems that exist within the system that can't rightfully be discussed here that can cause innocent folks to suffer if, say, those problems occur. (Man, it's hard talking like this. But when in Rome...) Just because a better way hasn't been thought of YET doesn't mean it's NEVER going to happen.
Besides, the system seems rather Maginot when it comes to two certain websites. They seem to get through regularly. Is the system really working that well?
If it is, how can we get review and resolution times down to 12 hours?
If it isn't, what will? -bp
suggesting changes in a respectful and constructive way is one thing and the company is open to you presenting them in that manner. however there is only so much this forum discussion can provide.
Great! If a mod sees this, they're more than welcome to talk to me about it. Until then, I do recall Cryptic stressing that they enjoy hearing consumer feedback, and I feel this is an appropriate way of discussing possible improvements people other than myself may want to see (I think a wizard named Ian also had some suggestions of his own for general chatbox improves).
I assure you, I didn't post this to anger anyone. If it offends anyone that I posted about it, I am sincerely sorry and stress that was not the intent at all. Rather, it was and still is an attempt to foster open dialog on an issue central to social gaming - the ability to communicate with one another. -bp