I found this rather interesting snippet from an interview on ao-basher. Some of the points raised by Tor confused me, as I've yet to find a number of the things highlighted...
http://www.ao-basher.com/mem_show_lo...?memlongid=112
"Sion: How will Funcom handle contact with the community, from now on?
Tor Andre: A lot of things will be handled differently from now on, some of them are described in the last two daily updates. The daily updates from this past Saturday and Sunday are the result of a thread I started last week. The goal of the thread was to get feedback on what the community felt was lacking. Hopefully, clearer communication like this should make the game become more predictable for the players. The daily updates should be relevant to what is currently going on in the Anarchy Online world. I would also like to be more active on the message board, getting feedback from actual players. What I am trying to do now is build up procedures that make it possible for us to have this kind of communication on a regular basis."
19TH AUGUST 2001
So, over a year later, how's Funcom coming along with the communications strategy?
Daily updates?
Did anyone really see Tor on the boards?
Regular communication?
And since this is a suggestions forum, here's some suggestions...
Make the nano and medic centres stackable already
Sort out the syncing problem with burst/AS and gawdknows what else.
Maintain camera aspect when zoning
Cluster bullets still giving silly reports - 'can't pvp in this zone', for example
Ghost damage/death increased since 14.5 in my experience - anyone else confirm this?
(Yeah, just silly little niggles, but been around for awhile.)
Oh yeah, and try adding a server status button to the AO website.
Include an NPC barfly in clubs or similar. Update the dialogue to NPCs to include the phrase 'Do you know any rumours?' so that even if we can't find a useful NPC in the immediate area the barfly can have a hunch to at least point us in the right direction. The phrase also gets round the tedium involved trying to get some NPCs to respond to *specific* set phrases is irritating and lazy on the coders part. For instance, need I mention the fun and games trying to talk to the Brat?
I'd also like to suggest Funcom restart consistent dialogue and feedback with the customers. This would include cutting out any evasive replies, dropping any corporate type speak, being honest and having a little respect for customers when, or if, dialogue and feedback ever becomes an important issue to Funcom.
For example...
When will community questions resume, and for how long and what commitment is being made to make it a continuous, persistent feature to the forums? I also appear to have missed why it stopped - could someone be as good enough to put me straight on what happened?
Similarly, what has happened to the Professionals?
What commitment does Funcom have to maintaining dialogue and feedback with customers? Ideally, specific answers would be the ideal outcome here.
When will we see a development diary, or a regular update on what is happening on AO from the developers. If we won't see one, why not?
Consistently period newsletters
Polls which ask for what are percieved by customers to be problem areas for Funcom and AO.
Why have ARK's and GM's been briefed to inform players Funcom never refunds lost money or items, and failed to make this information public? Why also, have ARK's and GM's been evasive on this issue and not given straight answers? Was it Funcom policy to avoid the issue?
Will the director of communications ever communicate with us?* If there are plans, let's have a specific answer on date. What is Funcom's policy on communication with customers? Here' we're not dealing with either technical or general support, but answers to burning topics, regular questions and recurring issues. *Assuming there is such a person within Funcom?
Inform customers as to the decisions and content of patches, booster packs or expansion ideas. Why are additions made which sometimes appear to totally contradict sensible requests and observations on improvements for AO.
What is the breakdown of a patch? What percentage includes bug fixes, updates and improvements?
Will Funcom tell us, honestly, if they are firefighting or progressing in a continuous set of aims when it comes to AO and patching/booster pack-ing or expansion pack-ing.
Who else besides the forum moderators are involved *directly*, hands on, in feedback and communications with customers?
And, if The Rocket Scientist™ believes in Funcom so much as to take the position, is he going to take a salary cut, along with the directors, to help the alleged financial problems rumoured to be dogging Funcom? To meet them halfway, poll the customers to see if they'd approve a price increase - if it helps the game and gets more staff back into development and communications, not to line the pockets of management.
And if these kind of suggestions aren't deemed worthy, then I have only one thing to say
May you live in interesting times...
