[UO Herald] Eleventh Year Collection

[Lord Gareth]

No no no, don't tell them to do that right now then it will be another 6 months before the rest of us can get them, IF, by that time we are still interested.

I'm not one to cry gimme this for free, but I do kinda feel that since it has been 4 months since the Japanese got them, 3 months since we were told we could get them (but weren't offered them) and 3 weeks since a very few were able to get them, it would sure be a sign of goodwill if everyone were given one free master token to tide us over.

Agreed

EAs Own Greed got them by trying to sell us an anniversary item. Now suck it up EA and do how its been done FOR YEARS.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

If it wasn't for this thread popping over and over again, I'd have already forgotten about those 11th Year Collection items. There's much more interesting stuff coming up in UO, like the balancing changes, monster loot revamp, events, Stygian Abyss, etc. Maybe forgetting about the 11th Year Collection would be not too bad an idea...

 

[Viquire]

lol, its all about those damnable filled bookshelves!

 

[o2bavr6]

Golfers spend more than that on balls.

True, but when I buy a box of golf balls and I open the box, they are all the same balls.

As opposed to opening the box that said Titleist ProV1 and getting Nike balls instead.

 

[o2bavr6]

There's much more interesting stuff coming up in UO, like the balancing changes, monster loot revamp, events, Stygian Abyss, etc.

Not sure what shard you play but I would be willing to bet you 10 Mill gold that they dont do any of what you are saying until Stygian Abyss comes out.

The problem then will be that there will be a host of new bugs that will end up delaying the game imbalance issues specifically to pvp.

How do I know? you ask!!

I've been playing UO since 1997 and it's been that way since day 1!!

And to those of you who are still not understanding how things work, let me explain again:

EA is all about making money as cheaply as possible... nothing more.

I'm sure the Devs care but its the suits who don't. Also it's the suits who are usually opinionated and think they know more than anyone else, when in fact they are usually the least informed. Yet they still make the decisions.

I've been in the Tech field since 1995 and its just crazy how many ignorant, opinionated morons there are in charge.

The reason our economy is in the state its in today is because of the rampant corporate greed that stems from the top.

Why would EA give these tokens away for free when the public may make real life money on them. So naturally EA said, "hey, let's join in on making this extra money".

We are all donkeys chasing the carrot tied to the stick, and EA banks on that.

 

[MalagAste]

Thank you Draconi for the update! It's much appreciated........ *starts to wonder if UOGamecodes has a number to call and or a contact info to leave feedback* Thinking I may just go find out..... perhaps start putting the pester on them.... so I can get what I want.....


As for dropping accounts I hear you...... I've held 8 accounts for the last 3 years.... I had 7 before that for another 2 years... and before that I had 3.. or 4..... however of late..... I'm beginning to look at what all I can scrap to get me down to 5 or 6.... as my frustration is at an all time high.....

It's not just the 11th anny items.... It's the champ spawns where the same 3 or 4 people get all the arties and drops and the rest of the people get SQUAT... it's the constant plague of unattendeds who get away with things because there is NO customer service..... It's the scam artists who scam people out of things and get away with it ruining the game play of dozens and dozens of people and the only response is.... "don't trust others?"....

Well where I come from being a Scam artist is no different than being a thief... and it carries REAL jail time... however in UO it's nothing... and no one will do anything about the plague of scumbags who drive away all the decent players .... believe it or not in many games if you are a scammer they ban you.....

If EA/UO took to policing all the jerkoffs in the game maybe the decent players would return...

Another thing that gets me is the hackers... I live in fear someone would hack one of my accounts and steal my things.... that would be the end of UO for me... especially the deletion of my characters.... I can't imagine having something like that happen.... many people say it's just pixels, but when your talking about having spent 2, 3 or even 11 years with that character..... logging in everyday .... We're no longer talking pixels..... we are talking about someones life...... It would be like having someone break into your home and take everything .... Your pictures of your family.... Your children..... all your collectables... everything.... and you'd want that back.... well.. when we are talking about something someone has put hours and hours of their time and soul into... It's no different in my opinion....

So when I say I'm thinking about dropping accounts I'm talking about closing the door on a piece of my life... like burying a part of the family, at least to me.

 

[Uriah Heep]

Another thing that gets me is the hackers... I live in fear someone would hack one of my accounts and steal my things.... that would be the end of UO for me... especially the deletion of my characters.... I can't imagine having something like that happen.... many people say it's just pixels, but when your talking about having spent 2, 3 or even 11 years with that character..... logging in everyday .... We're no longer talking pixels..... we are talking about someones life...... It would be like having someone break into your home and take everything .... Your pictures of your family.... Your children..... all your collectables... everything.... and you'd want that back.... well.. when we are talking about something someone has put hours and hours of their time and soul into... It's no different in my opinion....

So when I say I'm thinking about dropping accounts I'm talking about closing the door on a piece of my life... like burying a part of the family, at least to me.

*nods in agreement*
While we all have lives outside of UO, family, friends, work, after so many years UO and the people and chars we play become a part of us. I understand your sentiment!

 

[Aboo]

. . . Another thing that gets me is the hackers... I live in fear someone would hack one of my accounts and steal my things.... that would be the end of UO for me... especially the deletion of my characters.... I can't imagine having something like that happen.... many people say it's just pixels, but when your talking about having spent 2, 3 or even 11 years with that character..... logging in everyday .... We're no longer talking pixels..... we are talking about someones life...... It would be like having someone break into your home and take everything .... Your pictures of your family.... Your children..... all your collectables... everything.... and you'd want that back.... well.. when we are talking about something someone has put hours and hours of their time and soul into... It's no different in my opinion....

So when I say I'm thinking about dropping accounts I'm talking about closing the door on a piece of my life... like burying a part of the family, at least to me.

I had my accounts hacked on October 5, 2005. Fortunately they didn't delete any of my chars. I lost a lot of stuff and all of my gold. But the community on LS is very hard to beat. Without their support I would not still be here today.

So I completely understand what you are saying!

 

[SwordBlaze]

Another thing that gets me is the hackers... I live in fear someone would hack one of my accounts and steal my things.... that would be the end of UO for me... especially the deletion of my characters.... I can't imagine having something like that happen.... many people say it's just pixels, but when your talking about having spent 2, 3 or even 11 years with that character..... logging in everyday .... We're no longer talking pixels..... we are talking about someones life...... It would be like having someone break into your home and take everything .... Your pictures of your family.... Your children..... all your collectables... everything.... and you'd want that back.... well.. when we are talking about something someone has put hours and hours of their time and soul into... It's no different in my opinion....

I was with you till you said children. LoL I'd delete the existence of UO in general for my kids. Other than that you are pretty spot on.

 

[Aboo]

If it wasn't for this thread popping over and over again, I'd have already forgotten about those 11th Year Collection items. There's much more interesting stuff coming up in UO, like the balancing changes, monster loot revamp, events, Stygian Abyss, etc. Maybe forgetting about the 11th Year Collection would be not too bad an idea...

Maybe my problem is that I am a Libra, I believe in fairness. First giving the 11th Anniversary (offering to anyway) to the Japanese players first and not letting us get them until 30 days later is, in my opinion, unfair. Then when the time comes that we should be able to obtain them comes and goes and not a word about why we haven't been offered them or when we will be is again, in my opinion, unfair.

Four months goes by and only a handful of people, other that the favored Japanese, have been able to obtain these items unless you have been willing to spend MILLIONS on them. Again, in my opinion, that is unfair.

So maybe it's my idea of the lack of fairness here that has me so riled up about these but whatever it is, I won't be forgetting about them.

 

[John of Jhelom]

No worries! Everything will be fine!!!

I now have it on good authority that EA have hired new technicians that have
the necessary skills to resolve this issue in a matter of days.

 

[Ferrut]

 

[Harb]

And the update is...???

 

[Aboo]

Glad you brought this back to the surface.

I, too, am curious. Can we get an update? Do we have weeks or months yet to go before the rest of us can obtain them?

 

[Yalp]

retooling their backend

just cause no one else has done it yet...
* clears throat and in best Beavis & Butthead voice....

hee hee.. retooling their backends hee..

 

[Arrgh]

If EA doesn't want the money there are certain websites that do dabble with the tokens and the dye tokens as well. At least that is what I hear...I wouldn't know for a fact..really I wouldn't...heard it from a a dude that knew a dude who knows a dude that has connections with a dude at the Japanese store...yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[DHMagicMan_1]

The launch went a bit wrong (by bit, I mean, ARGHHH). The latest information I have is that the code store is retooling their backend to support the sales of the 11th items the way we want, and lift certain buying restrictions. The only reason we haven't given out more information is we're waiting for the information as well.

I can at least share *that* though!

This ABORTION of a release was on FEBRUARY 17th... now 5 weeks ago! This is after being TWO MONTHS LATE for the expected release following the 30 days "Special Release" in Japan...

Just how many failures do you think one group of people can achieve before they themselve ARE failures at their jobs rather than just failing to do a particular job well in a given instance?

How long do you think it takes to retool a backend for such a **** poor website as uocodes.com, which sells what, maybe 8 individual items? If a computer company can't get a site like that retooled in under 5 weeks, I'm sorry but you are in the WRONG BUSINESS...

I know I'm sounding harsh and frustrated here... and believe me I am VERY FRUSTRATED. I literally can't believe that a game that used to be so good and loved by so many has deteriorated to the point where the company that "supports" it just DOESN'T. It makes no business sense that I can see, but it tells me a lot about my plans for supporting EA games in the future.

 

[Lord Gareth]

Just give me a free bookcase with my purchase and ill be happy. hehe

 

[Aboo]

This ABORTION of a release was on FEBRUARY 17th... now 5 weeks ago! This is after being TWO MONTHS LATE for the expected release following the 30 days "Special Release" in Japan...
. . .

It's hard to believe it's been 5 weeks since they released them to us step children for a mere few hours. But you are correct it was Feb 17, I only remember because that's one of my grandson's birthdays.

So that makes it 4 ½ months since Japan got them and 3 ½ months since we should have gotten them. I know Draconi told us to not give up hope but that seems to be a ridiculous request now in the face of the time spans we've had to endure usually WITHOUT any updates from anyone at EA.

 

[Kellgory]

It's gotten to the point were I really don't care anymore and most likely won't buy any. If it was released back in mid-December when there was still some buzz and excitement about the items, I probably would have bought one or two, but now its just another example of a botched attempt of them trying to doing something. I guess I'll just add it to the list of things that give me little hope that SA will work without screwing everything else up (pub 58 and the champ spawn fiascos isn't helping either).

 

[DHMagicMan_1]

It's gotten to the point were I really don't care anymore and most likely won't buy any. If it was released back in mid-December when there was still some buzz and excitement about the items, I probably would have bought one or two, but now its just another example of a botched attempt of them trying to doing something. I guess I'll just add it to the list of things that give me little hope that SA will work without screwing everything else up (pub 58 and the champ spawn fiascos isn't helping either).

The release of these ITEMS (which already existed in Japan) should have been SO EASY... I'm not pinning any hopes at all on EA/Mythic building a whole new Client/ new Lands/ new playable Race... ect... There's no way that will come off well if they can't get this released 4 months LATE!

 

[Katlene]

faeces occurs and things dont always go to plan.
We will be getting them at some point, which is better then not at all yes?

 

[SwordBlaze]

EA I want to spend my three hours of hard earned money on your pixels!!! Just put them back in! LOL

 

[DHMagicMan_1]

faeces occurs and things dont always go to plan.
We will be getting them at some point, which is better then not at all yes?

Yes, it does. There is no doubt of that. My frustration is not about the occurrence. It's about the absolute inability of anyone of any authority anywhere within EA/Mythic or anywhere to recognize at some point after the first, second, third (insert number here) catastrophic failure that someone is in WAY OVER their head. These should have been released in DEC and if they were late, then fine but at least where I work and just about anywhere I've ever heard of, if the workers screw the pooch this badly, at some point the Mgmt. steps in, brings in the "big guns" gets the job done "at whatever costs" and then does an internal review to figure out how badly they screwed up... In this case there is no one stepping forward to fix anything. No one stepping forward to even announce anything and every time they try to "make it right" they step in a new pile of it!

For Heaven's sake, just figure their SH#% out! Now we're hearing that it's taking someone FIVE WEEKS to adjust the back-end of the "codes" website to allow them to sell the codes the way they want and remove the 2 items per transaction limit (presumably)... if anyone believes that work should take any reasonably skilled web developer FIVE WEEKS for a website that looks like the "UO Codes" one and supports that number of SKUs, or double that number of SKUs... can I please have a job from you?

OMG!!!

 

[Aboo]

Yes, it does. There is no doubt of that. My frustration is not about the occurrence. It's about the absolute inability of anyone of any authority anywhere within EA/Mythic or anywhere to recognize at some point after the first, second, third (insert number here) catastrophic failure that someone is in WAY OVER their head. These should have been released in DEC and if they were late, then fine but at least where I work and just about anywhere I've ever heard of, if the workers screw the pooch this badly, at some point the Mgmt. steps in, brings in the "big guns" gets the job done "at whatever costs" and then does an internal review to figure out how badly they screwed up... In this case there is no one stepping forward to fix anything. No one stepping forward to even announce anything and every time they try to "make it right" they step in a new pile of it! . . .

For me that is the frustration I feel too.

I don't understand why if they could release them to Japan on November 13, 2008, could they not then release them to the step children when they were supposed to on December 13, 2008?

Now 4 ½ months after the initial release to Japan the majority of the rest of us have NOT had the chance to obtain them. Worse yet the information coming from EA regarding this is almost nonexistant.

I'm so angry about this that I am not sure I will even buy any at this point. But that still doesn't abate my anger and frustration at being treated the way we have been.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

OMFG!!!

From the FAQ: K. Deliberately circumventing the censor filter is prohibited.


just sayin...la

 

[Canucklehead73]

Not sure why nobody is getting gustomer support, I bought the code the day it came out and after reading about the mix up I sent in a EA support question regarding the misleading/mistaken promotion for the code.

3 emails later I was told I would get a full refund of the money and I could keep the token already purchased... This was weeks ago...

 

[Aboo]

Not sure why nobody is getting gustomer support, I bought the code the day it came out and after reading about the mix up I sent in a EA support question regarding the misleading/mistaken promotion for the code.

3 emails later I was told I would get a full refund of the money and I could keep the token already purchased... This was weeks ago...

Not to begrudge that you got a refund AND got to keep the token, but it seems to me that for those of us who missed out on the few hour window to buy them it would go a long way towards soothing ruffled feathers if they gave everyone a token. But then again I don't really think they care about the rest of us.

 

[Canucklehead73]

Well to be honest, I only wanted the hitching post , weapon engraver and bod covers that sort of thing, so I did get stuck with a bunch of tokens I did not really want... Even though it ended up being free, wasnt exactly what I wanted, so dont feel to badly.

 

[Aboo]

Well to be honest, I only wanted the hitching post , weapon engraver and bod covers that sort of thing, so I did get stuck with a bunch of tokens I did not really want... Even though it ended up being free, wasnt exactly what I wanted, so dont feel to badly.

Again this is not directed to you per se but I do feel badly. I would have been happy to have bought the token for 1 of each like you got. But since I was busy having an MRI done that night and it was one of my grandson's birthdays I couldn't get on that night.

So now over 5 weeks after that, 4 ½ months after Japan got then AND 3 ½ months after we should have been able to get them we still haven't been offered them EXCEPT for the small window on February 17.

I appreciate you trying to make us/me feel better about missing out and I don't blame you at all. You were a victim, you just happened to come out on top.

I blame whoever's job it is at EA to have made sure that we were able to get them around December 13, 2008 and all the subsequent time after that.

 

[Black Sun]

RTLFC
You know what would be really swell? If a dev could comment on this and maybe give us an update.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Patience should be made a UO virtue...la

 

[DHMagicMan_1]

Patience should be made a UO virtue...la

By that are you suggesting more than 5 weeks after the failed code launch or more than 3 months after the successfull Japanese delivery... we should still have patience?

Or maybe that simply after seeing almost 30K worthless "la's" at the end of your comments we should still have patience after that?

 

[Aboo]

Patience should be made a UO virtue...la

You think waiting 3 ½ months after we should have been able to obtain them and a little over 5 weeks after they were offered for a mere few hours isn't showing patience?

Sure we have come here to complain. But if anyone at EA cared enough about their step children to voluntarily update us each week as to the status, we wouldn't have to say anything, now would we?

I think we have shown remarkable patience considering the way we have been ignored for the past 3 ½ months.

 

[Aboo]

. . . Or maybe that simply after seeing almost 30K worthless "la's" at the end of your comments we should still have patience after that?

Thanks, you made my afternoon with that sentence!

 

[Flora Green]

RTLFC
You know what would be really swell? If a dev could comment on this and maybe give us an update.

Dev, community rep, doesn't matter. I've been complaining about this for nearly 2 years. Bad, bad communication. Doesn't matter the subject or issue, it's simply bad.

 

[SwordBlaze]

You know I think giving every account over three months one of the items free would be a good "i'm sorry gift" I'd still buy the token for the rest of the items too.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

You think waiting 3 ½ months after we should have been able to obtain them and a little over 5 weeks after they were offered for a mere few hours isn't showing patience?

Yes...la

 

[Aboo]

Yes...la

Since you think that 4 ½ months of waiting is not being patient, what time frame do you consider being patient? 6 months? A year? 2 years?

Not that it really matters because as I posted in a different thread, if you ever had anything intelligent to add to a thread instead of trolling you might actually be taken seriously. But alas . . .

 

[Black Sun]

as I posted in a different thread, if you ever had anything intelligent to add to a thread instead of trolling you might actually be taken seriously. But alas . . .

 

[Lady_Calina]

Hehe, the little faces make that pic even better

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

as I posted in a different thread, if you ever had anything intelligent to add to a thread instead of trolling you might actually be taken seriously. But alas . . .

...la

 

[Black Sun]

Nice try, but that's only a fail in bizarro world.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

A Poem for Rico:

Roses are RED

Violets are BLUE

Rico is SILLY

And full of POOP too!!




*Yes, Rico I KNOW it doesn't rhyme!"

 

[Harb]

...The latest information I have is that the code store is retooling their backend...The only reason we haven't given out more information is we're waiting for the information as well.

Don't you feel a little "irked" also? Could you please get back to them and see how they're doing, with an update as to when we might see a little progress!

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Don't you feel a little "irked" also?

No...la

 

[Aboo]

Don't you feel a little "irked" also? Could you please get back to them and see how they're doing, with an update as to when we might see a little progress!

Irked is not a strong enough word for how I feel.

It has now been 6 weeks since the disaster when a very few were able to obtain the items.

Since my red-headed temper (as my husband refers to it) seems to affect my feelings on this matter I will suffice it to say that in my 11+ years of playing UO I have never felt so negative about EA than I do now, nor more angry.

Thank you Harb for bringing this to the front yet again. Not that I think it will do any good though.

 

[Harb]

Irked is not a strong enough word for how I feel.

Actually I was trying to ask Draconi if he was irked yet I know how you feel!!!! Oh, and you too Rico.

...in my 11+ years of playing UO I have never felt so negative about EA than I do now, nor more angry.

I suspect over the years I've probably been more "angry," more "negative," etc, though it might be a challenge to put a finger on when/ why. In this specific instance, honestly, no one currently on our team had a role in establishing the game codes site, and as its been broken since day 1 - if a little more time is required to get it fixed - sobeit. I could say, in complete fairness, that my "confidence" has never been lower. In life, it seems to me that you have to want to succeed, to your fullest potential in all that you do, and all of the time. I'm not seeing that, uniformly and strongly shared among all the "players behind the curtains." In my assessment, as incomplete as it is, Draconi on one side and Leorcian on the other are as good at what they do as we've ever had. I don't mean to imply that anyone else is a "bad" person, negligent, or specifically apathedic - I don't have enough facts. But I can say, with certainty, is that the confidence I feel in a few does not extend throughout the organization.

Thank you Harb for bringing this to the front yet again. Not that I think it will do any good though.

I try to pace it, don't want to be a pest, but also want to remind the team with reasonable regularity that we're still waiting!

 

[Kayhynn]

I think it's time for someone to put into plan a "product management" and "Project timeline" and then use cow prods to motivate them.

I hear the local Tractor Supply Company has a nice supply of cattle prods. I can ship you some Draconi. When they stop coding to read web comics, just poke em with a cattle prod. Problem solved.

Otherwise, their "retooling" sounds like they are just playing around and not getting anything done.

 

[Extra Value Meal]

What never ceases to amaze me is not the fact the Devs continually miss deadlines or screw something up, as any UO vet will know the Dev team is Legendary at it, but the fact people continually and willingly spend money on this crap.

40 bucks? Money better well spent elsewhere.