I found this article on MMORPG this morning while reading through the various sites I go to. It's a great read and I hope you enjoy it also. It's by Sanyo Weathers and she makes some great points.
I have said vocally many times us posters are the vocal minority. I just use to view forums and sites and not actively participate in discussions because I was looking for updates or information on something in the game. I was one of those "guests" a member could see on a site just browsing away. I look back at those days while typing this and how simple those days were just pop in find my answer and go back to playing the game.
One day that all changed for me. I wanted to be part of the group with my guild mates and allies that were posting. They bragged about posts, screen shots, and topics that were up. It was in all good fun at first when I started posting and being the 'newb' on the boards.
Like all others I eventually got sucked into the game hardcore and watched the developers posts more and more. Reading patch notes was not my thing before I became a poster. I would read the highlights saying "you get this reward for doing this quest, or killing 20 of these." I would hurry back into the game with all my new found information and play the game.
Now all of a sudden I am reading every nook and cranny of the patch notes. Dissecting each word like I was back in high school biology. Making sure nothing was there to nerf my character or to see what was hidden that I may get that little extra advantage on in PvP or PvE. I became the patch note monster and if the developers didn’t get it right to satisfy me then *bam* I'm posting how they screwed up this or that.
Sometimes the sites and forums became the game to me then the actual game because I was spending so much time on the boards. The game was to catch which developer was listening to the guy that knew nothing that was ruining 'my game.' How could this guy that I thought knew nothing about the game could be listened to and the developer wouldn't give my post the time of day? Did I feel betrayal? Why are they cheating with "Mr. Post Count" number 4 and doing his idea and I been here with 500 posts?
Those questions swirled in my mind until one day it hit me. I realized that majority of my guild mates would only ask the tiny few of us that actually participated with such discussions what was going on with this quest and that. They didn’t care if the spell was changed by .0008% they just wanted to know how to do that quest. These same majority didn't care if that spell was nerfed because they didn't use it and had no use for it.
In the end I realized the monster I had become. What game was I truly playing? The game I bought to play or was I waiting for the developers to screw it up so I could pounce for the 'ultimate phat lewt of awesomeness' of being right. When the answer came to me which was the latter, I realized I wasted my time playing a game I wont ever win.
Developers come and go, games change, new games come along, but arguing against a multi-billion dollar company is never a win win situation. It actually disrupts the community, developers don’t want to discuss, and makes mods goes crazy every day.
So at one time I was the silent majority that played the game. Then I joined the vocal minority to play a game that was not the game I bought.
Now, I'm just one of those posters that want to post the best possible information out there. Will I always be happy what a developer does to my game I play? Probably not but I learned to discuss and move along than just argue and bash and never let it go. Gaming has been so much better ever since.
Guild wars 2 Stratics Staff want's to thank MMORPG and columnist Sanya Weathers for putting up this great article.
Please enjoy and the link is below.
Dominus (DO) Column: Developer Perspectives - A Note to the Vocal Minority at MMORPG.com
For the click link impaired:
Dominus Column: A Note to the Vocal Minority
We all know who they are...heck, some of us might -be- these guys. You know the ones we mean: The passionate followers of any game. In today's Developer Perspectives, we take a look at the 'vocal minority'. See what you think and then weigh in with your ideas in the comments.
By Sanya Weathers on February 17, 2012
I have said vocally many times us posters are the vocal minority. I just use to view forums and sites and not actively participate in discussions because I was looking for updates or information on something in the game. I was one of those "guests" a member could see on a site just browsing away. I look back at those days while typing this and how simple those days were just pop in find my answer and go back to playing the game.
One day that all changed for me. I wanted to be part of the group with my guild mates and allies that were posting. They bragged about posts, screen shots, and topics that were up. It was in all good fun at first when I started posting and being the 'newb' on the boards.
Like all others I eventually got sucked into the game hardcore and watched the developers posts more and more. Reading patch notes was not my thing before I became a poster. I would read the highlights saying "you get this reward for doing this quest, or killing 20 of these." I would hurry back into the game with all my new found information and play the game.
Now all of a sudden I am reading every nook and cranny of the patch notes. Dissecting each word like I was back in high school biology. Making sure nothing was there to nerf my character or to see what was hidden that I may get that little extra advantage on in PvP or PvE. I became the patch note monster and if the developers didn’t get it right to satisfy me then *bam* I'm posting how they screwed up this or that.
Sometimes the sites and forums became the game to me then the actual game because I was spending so much time on the boards. The game was to catch which developer was listening to the guy that knew nothing that was ruining 'my game.' How could this guy that I thought knew nothing about the game could be listened to and the developer wouldn't give my post the time of day? Did I feel betrayal? Why are they cheating with "Mr. Post Count" number 4 and doing his idea and I been here with 500 posts?
Those questions swirled in my mind until one day it hit me. I realized that majority of my guild mates would only ask the tiny few of us that actually participated with such discussions what was going on with this quest and that. They didn’t care if the spell was changed by .0008% they just wanted to know how to do that quest. These same majority didn't care if that spell was nerfed because they didn't use it and had no use for it.
In the end I realized the monster I had become. What game was I truly playing? The game I bought to play or was I waiting for the developers to screw it up so I could pounce for the 'ultimate phat lewt of awesomeness' of being right. When the answer came to me which was the latter, I realized I wasted my time playing a game I wont ever win.
Developers come and go, games change, new games come along, but arguing against a multi-billion dollar company is never a win win situation. It actually disrupts the community, developers don’t want to discuss, and makes mods goes crazy every day.
So at one time I was the silent majority that played the game. Then I joined the vocal minority to play a game that was not the game I bought.
Now, I'm just one of those posters that want to post the best possible information out there. Will I always be happy what a developer does to my game I play? Probably not but I learned to discuss and move along than just argue and bash and never let it go. Gaming has been so much better ever since.
Guild wars 2 Stratics Staff want's to thank MMORPG and columnist Sanya Weathers for putting up this great article.
Please enjoy and the link is below.
Dominus (DO) Column: Developer Perspectives - A Note to the Vocal Minority at MMORPG.com
For the click link impaired:
Dominus Column: A Note to the Vocal Minority
We all know who they are...heck, some of us might -be- these guys. You know the ones we mean: The passionate followers of any game. In today's Developer Perspectives, we take a look at the 'vocal minority'. See what you think and then weigh in with your ideas in the comments.
By Sanya Weathers on February 17, 2012
All community weenies are aware of the vocal minority. If you do anything in a public space, you will attract one. This is both good and bad.
Good because the vocal minority cares. They know their stuff. They evangelize, and link, and talk, and share. You cannot stop them from sharing. They come to the cons, they test, they wear the t-shirts, they are more fun at bars than any other population ever.
Bad, because by definition they are not the majority. If you do something that pleases the vocal minority (VM), the majority of your customers may never notice or care. If you do something that enrages the VM, the majority of your customers will be attracted by all the noise and come over to see what the deal is. (Sometimes they'll snicker and wander away. Sometimes they'll decide they should be equally pissed off.) If you do something to punish the VM, you will almost certainly end up punishing your majority as well.
For example, right now, somewhere in an MMO, there is a combination of abilities that normally are not used together. That's because it requires split second timing, the reflexes of a 22 year old ninja, and a very specific set of circumstances. The VM is screaming about this, because one of them can pull off this combo and insta-kill a giant or whatever, and he posts screenshots every day with "Fix This Now, Game Company." The "You Suck" is implied. Usually.
Are you a game company? Stop. Do not act. Go to your metrics and find out how often this is happening.
Is it happening once a month? Leave it alone and leave it to your community weenie. (Do not go out and jinx it by saying "this is happening once a month." Your community weenie knows to phrase it as "our data shows this is a rare occurrence. Can you define the frequency with which you see the problem?" If you say anything but that, it'll turn out your metric gathering tool was broken.)
Is it happening a couple times a week? Fine. Fix it before it gets worse... as long as you don't touch the actual abilities. Don't punish the thousands of players without the agility of a caffeinated ferret who use the abilities to just play the freaking game.
But I digress. If you think you may be part of a vocal minority, please refer to this list of motivations.
"I know the game better than anyone else, therefore I must speak up." Well, let's face it; you do know it really, really well. The thing you occasionally lose sight of, though? With a virtual world, there are multiple definitions of/routes to "really well." Yours is not the one true way. I want and need to hear from you as an expert in your way. Be respectful of the other ways, please.
"This thing is very important and no one else seems to realize how important it is, therefore I must ring the alarm." As someone who spends a really inordinate amount of time trying to avert problems, I sympathize with you. I really do. You and I have a lot in common. I'm also not going to stop you, necessarily, because the one time I blow you off is going to be the time you were totally right.
Just allow me to share one thing. I once went to a producer and said, look, this thing is like a broken elbow, it's painful and awkward and the more we wait to fix it the more likely the damage is going to be permanent. He gave me a bleary look and said, "That's great. Could you hold on to your broken elbow while I finish dealing with this sucking chest wound?"
You and I may not have the perspective to set priorities. Don't stop mentioning the problem, but please stop assuming that no one realizes its importance.
"This game that is about small groups of people solving riddles would be perfect if you just put in massive PVP battles. Don't forget the catapults. Fetapults, even." I could just have easily said "This nekojin game would be perfect without all the cat people." It doesn't matter. This is one of those things that just happens on the internet. People see a new thing, they want to make it into the thing that is perfect for them, and sometimes they go a little insane.
New developers, and even some experienced ones, react with, well, "what is this I don't even."
Community and CS people pat them reassuringly on the shoulder and exchange meaningful looks. The thought of "newb" may be silently exchanged.
But if you're doing the posting in this way, please stop. It doesn't make any sense. (And if you're a developer, man UP already. Just say no when this happens! Really, people don't explode when you say no, and if they do, CS was going to have to ban 'em eventually, so save everyone the trouble and say no.)
"This game that is about apples is about apples! I am the biggest fan of this apple game! Go away, people with pears! We hate you and you are dirty pear perverts! *snarl* *tears head off squirrel*" So, those of you that do this... you know you're not helping, right?
On one hand, I was just talking about people coming in and trying to change the fundamental game. On the other hand, you're talking it waaaaay too far. Total purity does not allow for the game to grow and evolve. If I am a purveyor of apples, I reserve the right to expand into other fruit flavors. Also, you might find that friendly and mature discussion will convert pear people to the cause of apples.
Okay, okay, it's the internet; I know that probably won't happen. But here's the thing community people know, and it's germane to the whole point of this column. We're not just talking for the benefit of the people who are talking back. We're talking to the whole lurking silent majority. When you go full metal squirrel on the pear people, the lurkers are watching, and deciding if they want to be part of a virtual society with you in it.
That's why I shut you down when you go over the edge, even if it hurts me to do it because I know from your perspective you're our biggest fan and you think you're defending the game. Don't stop feeling passion. Do make sure you've had all your shots.
"I do not do/like/approve of this thing, therefore no one else should." Uh... go away.
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