WDS Preseason and Upcoming Changes

In Waterson, VS dont usually win since TR is overpopulated 90% of the time. (and the 10% is when NC is overpopulated)

... the last 3 minutes of the hockey finals RUSSIA: United States. 3-0 ... But hey, information was received from the staff IIHF: the new, newly approved rules, the losing team gets 5 points if scored the puck! Here is a twist, we now find an honest winner!

I want to share why we did the scoring update mid-season.

When we set out to do this we knew scoring changes mid-season would be catastrophic, and we would never do it in a real season. However, the purpose of the preseason is to work out the kinks in the system. The starting scoring mechanism was clearly not working and there was tons of player feedback indicating displeasure with it. If we didn't make any changes the only thing we would learn is that the scoring mechanism didn't work, which we already knew. Our options were do nothing and waste an opportunity, or put in the new scoring and see if it helps address the problems and get your feedback. We chose to make the most of our preseason and do the scoring change.

There was a second decision not to wipe the scores because the new scoring would dwarf them and that it would be unfair to erase the work the empires had done.

Then why are you giving the Season winning award to only 1 faction? If by this you can see that its hard to claim a dominating win due to the changes, then I would think it better to give the season award to all players, not just those (myself) who benefited by the changes happening when they did.

The main issue is that your sending mixed signals with the rewards, Although it's just a test your giving a prize saying Woo Season 1 winner! plus the NC got absolutely nothing for participating in the whole thing.

Your not really giving any real incentive to play the underdogs while your giving loads of incentive to switch factions.

It may have been a better idea to end te preseason early and start again fresh. But I'm not the guy with the psych degree. Although I can't image the nerd rage of the TR. And I have a great imagination. Especially when rage is involved.

And the Ultimate Squad Showdown was just for fun. Oh. And ten thousand dollars. With home court advantage.

I will agree a little here seeing as this is the pre-season and a way of testing out a neat system to score the factions I wouldn't take this season serious yet.

You might want to edit the vanu decal.. currently it says 'Season I', not 'Pre-season'.

If I were asked why I would never do scoring changes mid-real-season, I would say it's because "real seasons" have exclusive rewards.
Emphasis on 'exclusive' - a participation reward is fine as it is for everyone, a token for helping the devs work out the kinks in the system, something quite a lot of people are willing to do without a reward I should add.

I invite you to think of why you find scoring changes mid-season to be catastrophic, and why you would never do it in a "real season".

Quite right, you should indeed have changed as much as you wanted to - this was purported to be a test case after all, and there would have been no issue whatever as long as you did not dish out exclusive rewards for interrupted weeks or seasons.

Two concerns;
1. How is a "dwarfed" score different from an erased one if it does not affect the outcome?
And if the effect does not differ, how can one be unfair, and the other not?

2. It seems fair to assume that you made the scoring changes because you thought the old one to be flawed, or that they could be improved depending on your point of view - should exclusive rewards be given for a flawed scoring system?

While I applaud the forum users for really breaking down Malorn's post for clarifying what happened, I can't help but feel that you guys are seriously reading too much of his post.

He said, they came up with a scoring system and want to monitor it. Mid way the pre-season, they decided to change it. So results became skewed and some people got double XP boost or doesn't at all. But next real season we promise it'll be better! Thanks for participating in beta event in live servers!

That's it. It does say PRE-SEASON right in the title.

Let's move on.

Next WDS is around the corner (real Season 1) and it'll have a better scoring system and everyone now aware of how it works in general. Call the pre-season, the practice season.

It's just a freakin boost or two, man.

What a farce.

Week 1's winner is the Terran Republic!
Week 2's winner is the Terran Republic!
Week 3's winner is the Terran Republic!
Week 4's winner is the Terran Republic!
Week 5's winner is the Terran Republic!
...Congratulations to the Vanu Sovereignty! Have a cookie- you are Pre-Season Season 1 Champions!

"There was a second decision not to wipe the scores because the new scoring would dwarf them and that it would be unfair to erase the work the empires had done."

...but...but...that's what you did.

Regardless of this the scoring system rewards holding large pop continents therefore Indar is the only continent that matters therefore the winner will always be the faction with the north warpgate. Plus, encouraging even more fights on Indar shouldn't really be the outcome of WDS. Like many increasingly bittervets I'm sick of Indarside.

And a exclusive title and decal that says WORLD DOMINATION SERIES SEASON 1 winner decal.

If it was just a test and of wasn't supposed to mean anything then why is only one faction rewarded for helping?

The scoring change wasn't the problem, that's what the pre-season was for, to work out the kinks. But drastic changes like that invalidate the whole competition, and instead of acknowledging this you guys declared a winner as if nothing happened. In a competitive environment that kind of thing makes people upset regardless of what sport (or game) is being played.

The real problem in all this is the north warpgate on Indar, it's obvious whoever holds that holds a huge advantage over the other factions. Rotations aren't going to cut it, that half of the map needs to be made a little less valuable to compensate.

Pretty much this.

Grow up kids. The rewards weren't that big. It's not like they handed out cash rewards. And a freakin decal. Big woop.....

It's amazing how some people are raging over something that is clearly meant to be modified.

I just want them to balance the NC so they have half a chance.

Right now, we have the worst of everything.

Time for a buff.

Why has this thread not been stickied by now?

TL;DR at the bottom.

it's not stickied because it's an embarrassment to the client communications/marketing/communication department. (who are to busy going to Brazil instead of doing their damn job!!!!)

now comes the rant:

Problems IMO
1) Programmers make poor marketing execs
2) Client care do not know marketing (or marketing communication, if anyone cares about the distinction)... it's a REAL PROFESSION! (yes, code monkeys amongst you- marketing and/or communication is a REAL skill-set like C++ or Quality Assurance)
3) and yes, we've noticed you've partly relegated QA to the unwashed masses... (AKA test server) same problem.

Solutions (again IMO, as 7 year veteran of S/W business development/marketing management):
1) The people who host the weekly shows are NOT "talent", nobody comes play the game because of them... it's ok to replace them with people who know a thing or two marketing and/or communication. Let the shows/podcasts and shows grow organically.
The people who DO fashion the game-play for the majority of the player base are the "outfit stars" (i.e osterkake on miller. may he return to full health soon).
2) reduce the number of "creative directors". make a MARKETING DIRECTOR position for someone who is responsible for directing, executing and doing follow-ups on communication events (i.e. WDS) and marketing projects (i.e. recruitment drive). Clear goals, Means and Results. (do not take someone who hasn't done this before- unlike the game itself, which is groundbreaking, this is 99% the same things WoW or UO would do)
3) if you MUST create a focused "launch team" from CS reps. Put under an experienced marketing exec they can execute assignments- end of story, none of this willy-nilly do what they want, don't do what they don't want. (and no more "i'm off to vacation so there is no one to publish patch notes" -it's pathetic)
4) Think hard about your target market. Teen or Mature? it's getting tough to hold on both. (keep in mind WoW went the teen way... with Pandora... *shiver*)


conclusion:
I love this game.I love the way you try to communicate with the playerbase, but (at least to me) you guys are screwing the pooch with a weak management structure.


TL;DR- SOE is in a piss-poor HR management situation. too many "creative" people and to little good marketing communication and/or managers who can take responsibility over projects they ACTUALLY understand. IMO Shift focus from numerous low cost-low effect communication channels to the outfits and their "Star" (BR 70-100 players who are outfit officers/founders and play an average of 4 nights per week). Keep up the good work

Why on earth did you decide it was a good idea to pick a winner of the event then? Why not handle it as the beta test it was? If the goal was to make a fair system, you managed to fail twice. What will be changed for the next season? What will you do to restore faith in the WDS name? Right now is generally regarded as a complete and highly unfair mess.

I still propose that you, SOE admit that you screwed up the scores and then explain what you will change for the next season. Then you give all factions some boosts, 5 for NC and 4 to VS (that includes the last one that was stolen by TR infiltrators) and lastly give all factions the title and decal. Giving out the decal and title was a bad idea from the start seeing how much resentment it has created. Events like this should bring gamers together. Now you only managed to create more toxicity in the community which is one thing it really does not need.

I have tried the forums and reddit but no dev will comment on this. Do I have to resort to Twitter?

it's just a couple of boosts and an ugly decal.

let it go, man.

yes, you... WE have spent hours participating in it to get some kind of rewards... but come on. It's a free game. It's a boost (or two). It's a decal. And an ugly one at that.

Let it go. Let it die.