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[Column] WildStar: The Empowered Community

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

Community has always been important but has become increasingly important throughout this past year. Carbine Studios and the WildStar team aim to stay on top of the current trend in community management. We take a look at how they plan to do just that in our latest column. Read on and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Individuals making up the WildStar community had a surprising amount of unity in the way they answered the first question. Most indicated that general gaming sites like MMORPG.com aren’t usually their first choices to discuss their favorite titles. Many cited the trolling by other players who are, shall we say, less than enamored of the same game. (For more on this particular subject, it’s well worth the time to read Victor’s “Teardown Mentality” article.) One quote summed it up quite nicely: Too much trolling, QQ-ing, and general, overall nastiness. I daresay that most of us would agree, at least on some level.

Read more of Suzie Ford's WildStar: The Empowered Community.

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Comments

  • DashiDMVDashiDMV Member Posts: 362
    Too bad NCSoft is behind them. They are put on the same personal "Do not play" list as anything backed by Nexon.
  • rochristrochrist Member UncommonPosts: 134
    ^this^
  • kastakasta Member Posts: 512

    I think it's a darn shame that NCSoft is publishing this game.  I'll still play it but grudgingly.

     

  • HeretiqueHeretique Member RarePosts: 1,534
    I'll check it out if it's F2P.
  • Xstatic912Xstatic912 Member Posts: 365
    So there is a hate out on NCsoft, and as such some won't give the game a chance..
    I didn't see that when GW2 hype was building..

    Sad times we live in.
  • DashiDMVDashiDMV Member Posts: 362
    Originally posted by Xstatic912
    So there is a hate out on NCsoft, and as such some won't give the game a chance..
    I didn't see that when GW2 hype was building..

    Sad times we live in.

    Why start a game knowing that it could be killed at any time and for any reason. Not going to invest in any game that has their backing because they have shown again and again that they can and will pull the rug out from under it.

    The fact that Carbine is a NA developer only magnifies this.

     

  • Lowfer69Lowfer69 Member UncommonPosts: 65
    As far as the nastiness of gaming websites goes, it's not just the websites, it's gaming in general. There are so many trolls, qqers and general jerks in every game nowadays. I don't even pay attention to chat unless I'm after an answer or something and I don't usually ask any more because of the negative answers I get. I just look online it's easier and a lot less nasty.
  • AbrexusAbrexus Member UncommonPosts: 39
    Originally posted by Lowfer69
    As far as the nastiness of gaming websites goes, it's not just the websites, it's gaming in general. There are so many trolls, qqers and general jerks in every game nowadays. I don't even pay attention to chat unless I'm after an answer or something and I don't usually ask any more because of the negative answers I get. I just look online it's easier and a lot less nasty.

    I agree, but this problem isn't unique to gaming.  In general society has evolved into a very divisive community.  Rather than listen to someones concerns and possibly learn something in the process, people tend to take sides and attack or defend their position (many times without any logic or reason).

    That said, I hope we are seeing a trend for game companies to look beyond the enthusiastic player base and take notes from those who offer constructive critisism as well.  Lately we have seen far too much hubris from developers which has lead to many sub par releases.  Some have recovered and learned, but many have suffered never to comeback.

    I think a good lesson we can all learn is just because someone doesn't agree with your opinion it doesn't make them wrong.  We should all do a little more listening, we may actually learn something in the process. 

    • Take care, young ladies, and value your wine.
    • Be watchful of young men in their velvet prime.
    • Deeply they'll swallow from your finest kegs,
    • Then swiftly be gone, leaving bitter dregs.
  • WoebringerWoebringer Member UncommonPosts: 9

    Shame.   As others have pointed out -- NC Soft is on the DO NOT BUY list.

     

    Being a North American dev beholden to NCS does not bold well in the context of history for Carbine.  Shame too.  Their  roster is talent-laden and the early info on the game looks great.

     

    Maybe it will get bought, transferred or some such.

  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    Originally posted by Lowfer69
    As far as the nastiness of gaming websites goes, it's not just the websites, it's gaming in general. There are so many trolls, qqers and general jerks in every game nowadays. I don't even pay attention to chat unless I'm after an answer or something and I don't usually ask any more because of the negative answers I get. I just look online it's easier and a lot less nasty.

     

    Or instead you could choose to take control of your community and engage in a positive and good natured way and lead by example?

     

    I have seen at least one trolltastic server culture turned around by just one person doing this.

     

    We get the communities we create and withdrawing just lets others less savoury do the creating.

  • Mariner-80Mariner-80 Member Posts: 347

    Add a troll/ignore button, then offer an optional feature to "invisify" anyone who's been ignored in-game by 50+ (or 25+ or 75+) other players or -- on a forum -- anyone who gets 50+ troll votes. The "invisification" simply would mean a kind of "time-out" enforced upon the problematic player/forum poster, wherein they could not communicate or be seen by other players who have the "invisify" option enabled. These "time-outs" could be permanent (my preference) or temporary (a few days to a couple of weeks).

     

    The reason people behave badly/stupidly/rudely in games and on forums is that there are never any consequences for doing so, imo.

     
  • Segun777Segun777 Jade Dynasty CorrespondentMember Posts: 97
    If this year has shown anything, it's that being loved disappears quickly. I'm all for trying to keep the mob happy, but sooner or later you just have to make your goram game and let the chips fall where they may...
  • Beatnik59Beatnik59 Member UncommonPosts: 2,413
    Originally posted by Segun777
    If this year has shown anything, it's that being loved disappears quickly.

    So true.

    It sure did happen quickly for the CoH fans.  It was such a good community.  The forums were so much better than other forums.  And then, out of nowhere, boom.  It all changes.

    I've never met a more optimistic, helpful, friendly group of people than the ones in CoH.  Even the developers were awesome.  But the awesomeness only made the fall just that much harder.  They were so good that they failed to see how vicious this business is.  I put the MMO culture on the same level as the casino culture: just a tad step above the illegal drug trade in cleanliness.  And in such a dirty business, is it any wonder that we attract dirty types?

    A good man will get steamrolled in this business, shaked down for all he is worth and left to die.  MMORPGs are cruel things.  It's a zero-sum game out there, you only ever pour money in one at a time.  You spend hundreds--if not thousands--of dollars and hours enjoying the good things in them with the hope of playing them for years to come.

    And, all of the sudden, it all gets taken away from you because of some executive decision on a spreadsheet, or an account hack, or a radical post-launch change.

    It's my belief that the genre itself creates the viciousness we see on these and other forums.  At the core of the business is extortion: if your community doesn't deliver the bodies and the dollars, we'll take your ball away and you'll lose everything.  As a result, is it any surprise that we're at each other's throat?

    One game's gain is another game's loss.  Lose too much, and your game--and all the hours and money you threw in there--goes *poof*. And the only consolation is to come back here, where everyone calls you a failed consumer who wasted so much on a failed game.  And how can you really respond to that without sounding like a loser?

    Because of the stakes involved here, and the dark aspects of this hobby of ours, is it any wonder why we are so jaded?

    Frankly, I think it's a good thing.  It might help someone not get screwed.

    __________________________
    "Its sad when people use religion to feel superior, its even worse to see people using a video game to do it."
    --Arcken

    "...when it comes to pimping EVE I have little restraints."
    --Hellmar, CEO of CCP.

    "It's like they took a gun, put it to their nugget sack and pulled the trigger over and over again, each time telling us how great it was that they were shooting themselves in the balls."
    --Exar_Kun on SWG's NGE

  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    Originally posted by tmr819

    Add a troll/ignore button, then offer an optional feature to "invisify" anyone who's been ignored in-game by 50+ (or 25+ or 75+) other players or -- on a forum -- anyone who gets 50+ troll votes. The "invisification" simply would mean a kind of "time-out" enforced upon the problematic player/forum poster, wherein they could not communicate or be seen by other players who have the "invisify" option enabled. These "time-outs" could be permanent (my preference) or temporary (a few days to a couple of weeks)

     

    Silly idea. One single post with slight criticism of *insert new popular game pre launch* would get you 50 downvotes in 2 mins. Too many here think that simply having a slightly different opinion to them makes you a 'troll'... Giving the user base powers like this never works out, mainly because they can be so easily weaponised and gamers in general cannot be trusted to not abuse anything.

    This post alone would have probably got me 20 heh

  • WraithoneWraithone Member RarePosts: 3,806

    Sounds good, but the devil is in the details.  One of those Devils is the fact that NCsoft is their publisher.  NCsoft has made way too much of a habit of axing western games over the last few years. I think the total is five or six at this point. 

    These games tend to be quite time intensive investments, and NCsoft has demonstrated that they have a tin ear for community concerns (look at the uproar over the City of Heros closing...).

    One of the others is that by taking a more hands on approach to foums, that usually means more censorship, and fewer people willing to use the official forums to deal with compliants.  Look at the heavy handed approach that Gpotato takes to their forums, as just one example. 

    Granted these are private forums, so they are welcome to do as they wish. But for every action/inaction there is a consequence.

    Finally, the server by server approach sounds something like the Know Your Customer policy of most US banks. 

    In terms of Carbine, is this to keep track of the status of each community, or to watch the most out spoken, effective members, so that public flash points can be avoided?

    I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt at this point, as they seem to have their hearts in the right place, but only time will tell how these things actually work out.

    "If you can't kill it, don't make it mad."
  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838
    Originally posted by DashiDMV
    Too bad NCSoft is behind them. They are put on the same personal "Do not play" list as anything backed by Nexon.

    NCsoft aswell?? Wendy's of the gaming world.

    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247

    “Our team structure is such that we aim to have a clear understanding of who’s who on every server we run. It takes extra work, but I believe that each server is an ecosystem unto itself, and requires special attention to understand concerns unique to those communities. [E]ach server has its own personality and it is our intention to support those social dynamics on a team level.”

     

    Origin had taken that approach when it came to live events and content teams. There was a main plotline that ran across all servers, and smaller sub-plots run by GMs and volunteers dedicated to each server.

    Good to see another MMO understanding that each server has its own personality and embracing it.

     

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • GrayGhost79GrayGhost79 Member UncommonPosts: 4,775

    For those saying NCSoft is on the "do not buy list" due to game closures... 

     

    SOE - closed down the following major games

    Star Wars Galaxies

    EverQuest Online Adventures

    The Matrix Online

     

    NCSoft -  closed down the following major games

    Tabula Rasa

    City of Heros

     

    EA - I can't be bothered to list games closed by EA. This is something they are simply known for. They've even closed down servers for games shortly after launch. They have yet to do so with an MMO, but SWTOR looks like it will be added to that list shortly. Other than SWTOR, the only MMO's they have are Warhammer, UO and DAoC. UO and DAoC have a healthy following and have since their respective launches. Thats the only reason they are still going. Warhammer has been losing servers on a regular basis and looks like it will receive the axe as well. 

    EA has a history of closing games down. So... 

     

     

     

    Whats that leave us with? 

     

    Funcom and a bunch of f2p publishers? 

     

  • WraithoneWraithone Member RarePosts: 3,806
    Originally posted by GrayGhost79

    For those saying NCSoft is on the "do not buy list" due to game closures... 

     

    SOE - closed down the following major games

    Star Wars Galaxies

    EverQuest Online Adventures

    The Matrix Online

     

    NCSoft -  closed down the following major games

    Tabula Rasa

    City of Heros

     

    EA - I can't be bothered to list games closed by EA. This is something they are simply known for. They've even closed down servers for games shortly after launch. They have yet to do so with an MMO, but SWTOR looks like it will be added to that list shortly. Other than SWTOR, the only MMO's they have are Warhammer, UO and DAoC. UO and DAoC have a healthy following and have since their respective launches. Thats the only reason they are still going. Warhammer has been losing servers on a regular basis and looks like it will receive the axe as well. 

    EA has a history of closing games down. So... 

     

     

     

    Whats that leave us with? 

     

    Funcom and a bunch of f2p publishers? 

     

    I saw your weasel word... ^^ NCsofts total is rather more than just those two.  But I guess the other three or four aren't "major" games?... ^^

    I totally agree that EA is the worst of the lot.  Start with Earth and Beyond and go from there. 

    As for Funcom... You do remember that Anarchy Online had one of THE worst launches of any of the "major" MMO's? Then of course there was Age of Conan...(face palm).

    But NCsoft tends to stand out, because they tend to close western games, at a much earlier time, than eastern games.  I suspect its because of their CEO.

    Only time will tell if Carbine, and their players will regret their choice of NCsoft as their publisher.

    "If you can't kill it, don't make it mad."
  • Methos12Methos12 Member UncommonPosts: 1,244
    Originally posted by Heretique
    I'll check it out if it's F2P.

    I'd settle for B2P.

    Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
  • GrayGhost79GrayGhost79 Member UncommonPosts: 4,775
    Originally posted by Wraithone
    Originally posted by GrayGhost79

    For those saying NCSoft is on the "do not buy list" due to game closures... 

     

    SOE - closed down the following major games

    Star Wars Galaxies

    EverQuest Online Adventures

    The Matrix Online

     

    NCSoft -  closed down the following major games

    Tabula Rasa

    City of Heros

     

    EA - I can't be bothered to list games closed by EA. This is something they are simply known for. They've even closed down servers for games shortly after launch. They have yet to do so with an MMO, but SWTOR looks like it will be added to that list shortly. Other than SWTOR, the only MMO's they have are Warhammer, UO and DAoC. UO and DAoC have a healthy following and have since their respective launches. Thats the only reason they are still going. Warhammer has been losing servers on a regular basis and looks like it will receive the axe as well. 

    EA has a history of closing games down. So... 

     

     

     

    Whats that leave us with? 

     

    Funcom and a bunch of f2p publishers? 

     

    I saw your weasel word... ^^ NCsofts total is rather more than just those two.  But I guess the other three or four aren't "major" games?... ^^

    I totally agree that EA is the worst of the lot.  Start with Earth and Beyond and go from there. 

    As for Funcom... You do remember that Anarchy Online had one of THE worst launches of any of the "major" MMO's? Then of course there was Age of Conan...(face palm).

    But NCsoft tends to stand out, because they tend to close western games, at a much earlier time, than eastern games.  I suspect its because of their CEO.

    Only time will tell if Carbine, and their players will regret their choice of NCsoft as their publisher.

    I actually opted to use "Major" because EA, SOE and NCSoft all had pretty high closing numbers lol. Was simply easier to address the more popular games. 

     

    I wasn't advocating funcom, I was simply saying if we rule out those that have closed down games thats what we are left with lol. 

     

    In the end, I personally feel any developer not self publishing should regret their choice of publisher. In todays age there not as overly needed as they were in days past. With digital distribution being such a big thing now and advertising for gaming being an easy thing to accomplish there isn't a great need for publishers. There is still need, but it isn't as great as it once was. 

     

  • Four0SixFour0Six Member UncommonPosts: 1,175

    I am a capitalist. If you so choose search my post history, you will find this is a common theme.

    Being such, I choose to "vote with my wallet". I was eager to see how Wildstar developed, but after NC shut down CIty with such careless disrespect, I will not.

    Many share my feeling on this.

    Sorry NC.

     

    Edit: Let me jsut add, I have zero issue paying a sub, If the game and company are quality enough.

  • IcewhiteIcewhite Member Posts: 6,403

    Gamer Communities tend to react poorly to corporate control.

    Remember Bobby Kotick and B.net+Facebook+Privacy Issues?  From a public relations standpoint, botched completely from day one.  And easily the longest-running thread in WoW General (historically the home of enormous firestorms) History.

    Resulting in "outing" of several Blizzard employees (including Kotick's family) to personal abuses from angry gamers on the internet.

     

    The forum/internet culture may simply have degenerated beyond any direct control less than a machiavellian police state.

    The typical corporate responses may be exactly what you should be avoiding. An unusual amount of openness and honesty at the corporate level tends to make for a happy forum.

    Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.

  • TuchakaTuchaka Member UncommonPosts: 468
    deffinately wanna check this game out , i really like what the blizzard spin-off companies are doing in general but ya i wish someone other than NCSoft was backing it but ohh well i won't let that stop me from checking it out.
  • GnitepracdloGnitepracdlo Member UncommonPosts: 6

     

    NCSoft -  closed down the following major games

    Tabula Rasa

    City of Heros

     

    you forgot auto assault

     
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