This is a pretty interesting reading! I recommend you read it! https://www.dimensionalink.com/blogs/dimensionalink-jacks-corner-1-july-2020 The first one gives you the main idea of starting a studio and how it should be etc. It was really fun to read, haven't seen many Gaming companies do that -I saw it cause DI's official twitter tweeted about it lol-
There are a couple of issues relating to this game, which I won’t rake up here, which I am sincerely pretty angry about. I have made contact with DI about them through the appropriate channels and been completely ignored. That’s not empathy. Companies position themselves as virtuous and customer focused, but it’s PR. I do think the developers are good and kind people for the most part, but I also think that actions speak louder than words.
Relatable. I had a similar experience a few years back when the game was still run by SOE. If it's any consolation, the universe tends to self correct -- In my case the Exec I escalated to, who was totally uninterested in resolving the concerns I brought to her, had been released/left the company and a few weeks later was trying to connect with me on Linked In because she was then looking for work. That was a fast no-brainer ignore. The company seems to be better run these days. If you have a chance, let them prove it to you (or not) and go from there.
I apologize I wasn't trying to rehash old wounds or anything and I don't want to be accused of "baiting" either (suddenly I feel like I have forum related PTSD) hehe. I just wanted Nawanda to not feel alone after their experience. Being a few years removed now, I can't remember all the details as clearly as I would like, but I'm happy to share what I remember about the incident. I doubt the forum moderators would approve of my dishing the tea on the open forum though. Should I PM you or would you prefer email or?
Btw. Coming back to the OP (apologies), I also enjoyed Jack's letter. It's nice to see leadership focusing on empathy in general. The absence of it in the work environment is noticeable bc it spills over onto how the company interacts with its community. And the opposite is true too. This shift is noticeable.
My only bad experience with DCUO was many years ago now (2003?). I mention it now only in case it might be relevant to anyone's recent or future experience. In short, I had several account bannings in my first year for alleged "hacking" when I was absolutely doing no such thing; hell, I wouldn't even have known how to try. After losing a couple of accounts to permabans, and an endless amount of back-and-forth with support pleading to not ban my latest account because in no way was I ever hacking, I realized that my CAT-5 connector was frayed and wobbling back and forth. Once I replaced the cable, I never ever again was accused of "hacking." So it was clear to me that somehow the intermittent connection had been interpreted as "hacking." The aspect of this that was SO INFURIATING is that support would never ever give up their claim that it was indisputable that I had been hacking, that their methodology was literally infallible and there was zero possibility of a false positive, so I must be lying. I was told this over and over and over. And I knew that that could not be true, because what they had done to me is indeed find a false positive. But Support never, ever, acknowledged to me that this was even possible. To the last, I was told that it was completely impossible for their software to find a false positive for hacking. Period. Impossible. The saga only ended after I replaced that CAT-5 cable and never again was I accused of hacking. I mention all this only in case anyone else ever has a frayed CAT-5 cable and gets a ban for "hacking" because of an entirely innocent technical issue: support should be told that IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO DETECT A FALSE POSITIVE. And accusing your customers of lying is not a great approach to customer service. It's a sign of how much I've loved this game that I pushed through that experience that stretched through at least four accounts and eight or so months. A sane person would have long ago walked away when repeatedly told they are lying and that what happened to them was "not possible." It took me literally months of correspondence and dozens and dozens of messages that were futile in ever regaining my first three accounts. But that was long ago, in a far past time. I've had no other issues or problems with DCUO. (And I currently have a Lifetime membership, not to mention that if I'd left after the bannings, DCUO would have missed out on literally thousands of dollars that I've since spent on the game. Thousands and thousands; it's crazy, man. )
I think maybe you meant 2013? DCUO didn't launch until 2011 (I was still playing EQ in 2003, that seems like forever ago).
NO ONE SAID THERE WOULD BE MATH INVOLVED! Yeah, 2013. I'm old enough to easily lose a decade under my sofa cushions.
My two issues: + Mistakingly deleted my League. Within five minutes got a reply saying I couldn't get it back nor would they give me the 100,000 prestige to start it up again. (I'm the only member and just wanted the hall and to hell with the base items. How could this happen you may ask? I was in an instance where people were being jerks and I just wanted to leave. But instead of doing this: On Duty - Hit Triangle several times in frustration to Exit Instance - Confirmed - You're removed. I did this: League Management - Hit Triangle several times - Confirmed - League deleted. Unlike deleting a character, you do NOT have to type in the name of the League for it to be deleted. ---- + Made a comment in the forums about what I felt was going on with a certain exploit. It was a generalized comment on why it occurred, why it hadn't been dealt with sooner, and that it would happen again. (I never mentioned what it was and it was part of an ongoing discussion someone else started.) + Fast forward a year or so. It did happen again. I posted "Called It" and linked to my original post. + This second post garnered a Dev Warning. Even though my first posting never received one and was never removed. + So in a nutshell, I got a TOS complaint for posting a valid link to a discussion which acceptable enough to still be made available.
I mean - he didn’t start SOE. The game was far more competitive, populated, had a higher quality of DC content (Origin Crisis/Sons of Trigon/WotL pt 1). Sure, it had its own issues like developers insulting, attacking and abusing the player base but the game itself was amazing. It’s why we played the minute our free time began until the minute it ended or until a developer would lose in pvp and kick us from the server for it. It’s great to write blog posts and I know the intention was a good one but empathy for the players? I haven’t seen that since 2014. That’s (almost) 7 years ago. My suggestions/observations: The game desperately needs better writing or a leadership who focuses on quality and is willing to say no. Art team is on point. They are doing an amazing job. Monetization. Feats from loot boxes was a bad idea. You know it. I know it. Combat. Revisit how combat was in 2013 and previous. Look at WHY it was changed and the personality that decided that change was good. There was motivation behind it. It was not a good motivation either. A quick YouTube search about hard light clipping will lead you in the right path. Rekindle the storytelling from the leveling experience. It was SO good. The vo, art, level design. Grade A. Get players out of the watchtower and HOD. There was a time where players would convene in open world pvp zones. We’re talking 25-50 regularly. This was ruined by AM and weapon mastery. No one wanted to get one shot by an emp so they stopped going out to pvp zones.
Guys I didn't post this thread for this kind of discussion. If you have a problem with a Dev don't take it here please, I feel the frustration I really do but it doesn't help this thread as it wasn't the topic at hand anyway. I'm sure if you DM Jack he will be kind enough to review your concerns as he stated here. I have my fair frustration too, trust me. Just wanted to discuss the article, not how some Devs behave or not behave. If it makes sense.
