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Favoritism at SoE - a new PR Nightmare?
Liljna
Member UncommonPosts: 274
Just letting you all know there is a huge drama going on in EQ2 at the moment.
1 guild was transferred from the Test server (Test center) to a live server for free by an unknown dev.
According to SoE rules, it has been said earlier that there will not be any transfer off the Test server. But 1 guild has been moved now. It is not possible for other players to move to Test server or off the Test server, these people got a special treatment. Besides that, transfer normally cost money, but they got it for free.
More information can be gotten here:
These 2 threads are huge, but there is a lot of interesting information in them.
Like:
The guild leader had at one point a character with GM powers, he could one-shot raid monsters and solo raid encounters for loot.
The Test server does not have a 'clean' economy. Duping of plat and items have been seen there before and it is know off, but since it is a test server it is seen as part of testing. A bit like 'what goes on on Test, stays on Test'. I am not saying players on Test are dupers or are doing bad things.
This 'spoiled' coin and items are now brought into the live server the guild has moved to, because of the move.
The guild is lvl 60, but the xp it has accumulated should only bring it to approx lvl 30. It is guessed the guild was given xp by the unknown GM.
I find this story to be interesting and I wanted to share it. If I am posting in the wrong forum, could someone please let me know, thanks 
Comments
Hmmm when they wiped the test servers for SWG (after 3 years) they caused an uproar, didn't allow anyone to move off, people lost 3 years worth of work items that they can never get back because (thanks to the NGE and CU) because they chose to make TC their home, never expecting a wipe. At least they allowed people to move in EQ2. Sounds like peole over there cry about nothing, they don't know how good they got it.
LOL its test center... If you choose to live there then your already an idiot... It's like those idiots that buy a house near the airport and then complain about the noise...
Not to mention the fact my GF plays on that server and not only did those people get the transfer but they also got incredible gear from raiding over and over again on easy mode... all that gear was also transfered... as well as several hundred master spell books that were put up on the broker the day they arrived for tons of cash.. There are several Super items that Most of them have that are extremly rare because test center has different rules.. not to mention they grind to 80 easier because there is a 50% xp bonus on test server
Obviously with the uproar caused by the SWG wipe, the EQ2 devs decided to take a different approach. I can’t really see how this affects the rest of the players though. If I was still playing my reply would be, who cares?
Besides, allowed duped items and coins into the economy is not a smart move, imo.
Besides, allowed duped items and coins into the economy is not a smart move, imo.
Maybe it's a guild that belongs to a dev, in that case it seems they can do whatever they want, regardless of what we as players think.
Besides, allowed duped items and coins into the economy is not a smart move, imo.
Maybe it's a guild that belongs to a dev, in that case it seems they can do whatever they want, regardless of what we as players think.
Maybe they had some dirt on SOE executives and held them to ransom till their guild was transferred. Maybe they had a nuclear device and were holding the world hostage.Maybe, just maybe, it doesn't even matter.
Notice: The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the reviews of MMORPG.com or its management.
Neil Thompson
Staff Writer
MMORPG.com
Its wrong to let people playing on test transfer anywhere. End of story. You want a character on a live server, you level one up the hard way, like everyone else.
On the plus side, SOE is once again making CCP/EVE look good. Even they don't allow people to transfer off the test server
Who the hell are you, and why should I care?
Congrats! You are a victim of Trollstar!
This really doesnt surprise me.
It is right on par with SOE, however, if it causes such an uproar I'm pretty sure someone in SOE could log into some report somewhere and see just who was logged in and did those character xfers. I'm guessing all dev's, CSR's, etc have their own specific log in.
Thalos Vipav
Star Wars Galaxies: R.I.P.
Besides, allowed duped items and coins into the economy is not a smart move, imo.
Maybe it's a guild that belongs to a dev, in that case it seems they can do whatever they want, regardless of what we as players think.
Maybe they had some dirt on SOE executives and held them to ransom till their guild was transferred. Maybe they had a nuclear device and were holding the world hostage.Maybe, just maybe, it doesn't even matter.
Pretty much what I said.
Why should people care if SOE moved them? SOE is SOE, nothing can really be explained when it comes to them. Besides, they have done much worse.
The New EQ2 Producers response.. .. We should be ashamed for getting upset for there attempted "act of kindness"
Froech wrote:
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Lao-Tze
At the same time I really don’t see what the big deal was, I must say it’s like a Bizzaro version of SOE when it comes to their flagship MMO. I’ve been waiting for a real apology and fix for the NGE for 2 years now, yet nothing. Maybe I should complain on the EQ2 forums.
Just seems like typical SOE crap that they've been doing for years. Nothing new here, whats more amazing is how SOE is continually able to get away with stuff like this and people still pay them subscriber fees.
You can create a huge list of SOE blunders that they have done and continue to do and yet people don't get it.
Sure wish I could have the "status" to screw everyone over in one way or another and still have them love me.
I'm sure the SOE fanboys will come on here to rail against what I've said but for those of you interested all you need to do is research the release and support of the following games
SWG
Vanguard
EQ II
martrix online
and the soon to be Pirates of the Burning Sea.
You'll see the same mistakes made consistently from game to game and SOE for whatever reason doesn't seem to learn from its past mistakes. It's sad really as they have some of the greatest IP's in the industry but continually mismanage them. Your example is just another in a long string of public relation blunders towards their community.
Here's to hoping that any KOTOR or Bioware MMO does NOT have anything to do with SOE.
It just seems that if you set a rule saying there will be no transfers off of the test server than there shouldnt be any transfers for anyone. Seems pretty cut and dry to me.
Devs,GM's whatever you want to call them really need to stop acting like these games are their own personal playground. People pay money to play these games every month. There needs to be fair and equal treatment for everyone as long as everyone is paying the same amount of money.
I have earlier supported SoE (only played EQ1 and EQ2 and not felt the whole NGE story), because I really liked EQ and EQ2. In the start I didn't experience all the bad things other people kept talking about. But in the last 4 years I have seen more and more that begin to open my eyes.
I still think some people are once inawhile unfair to SoE, they didn't cause cancer and they didn't invent the A-bomb and they have not spawned a child wih the devil.
But with that said, I do begin to see why so many people are angry with them and I understand these people more and more.
I don't have problems with the two games I have played, I still like EQ2. But the company itself and it's policies..ugh.
So in the end, my guess is SoE will turn me away from their games, not the games themselves. This latest story is just another nail in the coffin
For those who don't see what the big deal was, read a bit deeper into the posted threads. Despite SOE's protests to the contrary, these transferred characters brought with them lots of valuable items which were quickly put up for auction as soon as they arrived.
I have no idea what a lot of money is in EQ 2, but some characters retained around 100 plat after rebuying their gear. The transferred players seemed to think that was a small amount of money.
There were other issues with dupped gold, bonus items, and the experience bonus.
In the end it comes down to the simple fact that SOE had a published rule, and then failed to enforce it uniformly across the player base, and that is never considered acceptable.
Who the hell are you, and why should I care?
Congrats! You are a victim of Trollstar!
I remember some big stink about SOE giving special treatment to Curt Schilling because he failed some quest.
But, whatever, I don't really care. MMO companies are always giving special treatment to certain people but when SOE does it it's always some big deal.
Ive been playing SOE games for the last 8 years (since 1999)
Ive had my share of disappointments with them - and other companies (like Mythic, Blizzard)
but I've seen no reason to quit games over the disappointments
- when I no longer have fun or get bored, then I move on...
EQ2 fan sites
its not just SOE that is the problem. I agree with you 100% when you say that other MMO companies are giving special treatment to people. It is just a wrong thing to do. Devs/GM's seem to over look players that they dont interact with. Those people should be just as valued as the players that they do know. The sad truth is it just doesnt work that way.
No one ever said life is fair but shouldnt the rules of a game that is played for enjoyment be? If we all pay the same amount of money shouldnt we all be treated the same way? Shouldnt a rule be enforced by the company that made that rule?
No I dont just point my finger at SOE for this one. A lot of Devs / GM's need to be able to differentiate between friendship and their jobs. Stop treating these games as their own personal playground and start treating their entire communities fairly. It is kind of sad when people leave a game they like not due to any fault of the game but because of problems with the company in charge of enforcing its policies.
See how easy that can be turned against you?
Want to have your ass kissed, put out more... or go someplace else.
It was said earlier:
All MMO Companies show favoritism.
Want to know why? Because people work there... who form bonds with people who don't work there... and then share a little knowledge/power with those people.
WELCOME TO REAL LIFE!!! MMO style.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
The only real reason this whole thing bothered me was... They let them move all of their characters for free. While gleefully accepting $50 PER character from everyone else.
This test guilds members whined that test had a lack of population (moving people off does not solve this). There were plenty of dead server before RoK.. nobody got a free xfer.
In fact the last free transfer I believe took place after the server mergers and that was why it happened.
I don't really get the "we were here from the start and the server is dead" arguement.
I played test in EQ1.. if lucky we had 300 players. There was ONE ever transfer off test to live.
It happened after a loot table issue where they deleted all of our characters. Then gave them back naked.. because no one would test. They offered a one time transfer to a live server...
So I really don't see any arguement as to a reason to be able to transfer off.
They were also quoted as saying they "went through the proper channels".
There are no "proper" channels.. as there are NO transfers allowed off test PERIOD.
SOE imho should fire any employee involved and permanantly ban the accounts of every player involved.
This was an obvious abuse of the system and it is clearly stated transfer are not allowed.. period.
Or..
They should refund every $50 transfer fee they have charged since the transfer service started.. to be fair.
One or the other tho..
If we all made the same amount, and knew the same people, we wouldn't have "Tax Brackets" and you would owe the same amount as Bill Gates to the Government yearly.See how easy that can be turned against you?
Want to have your ass kissed, put out more... or go someplace else.
It was said earlier:
All MMO Companies show favoritism.
Want to know why? Because people work there... who form bonds with people who don't work there... and then share a little knowledge/power with those people.
WELCOME TO REAL LIFE!!! MMO style.
This makes no sense in reference to the topic. Tax brackets are just that ..brackets. It is fair in the way that my taxes are based on my income. How does this relate to a game where everyone is paying the same amount of money to play?
Rules are put in place so the game can be enjoyed fairly by everyone that pays to play it. The fact that some GM's / Devs can not handle that aspect of their job is very problematic as we have seen in various games.
Your line about wanting to have your ass kissed also makes very little sense in reference to this subject. What exactly did these players do that would be considered "putting out more" They signed on to the test center knowing it was the test center. It wasnt a trick. Their live server didnt just one day become a test server. The fact that they did play there does not entitle them to be above the rules that every one else has to follow.
Your reasons to why the Devs / Gm's do what they do is pretty much dead on. The problem once again stems from these people not being able to separate their personal lives from the job they were hired to perform. This is what happens when you give the wrong people any kind of authority or power. They over step the line between work and friendship. Maybe some of these companies should do a better job of watching their employees since obviously the temptation to tip the scales in the favor of their friends is to much for a lot of them to resist.
I agree Greenhell. It amazes me that people use such excuses and even more so that the 'public' seems to accept those excuses. They are only excuses. Yes, abuse will happen. That doesn't mean abuse shouldn't be punished. That doesn't mean you don't install safeguards to prevent abuse. That doesn't mean the 'public' has to or even should accept those excuses.
It effects other players, because MMOGs are competitive. The guilds and other players who had to earn those same items and same experience the regular way don't appreciate it when another guild is handed those things. It cheapens the experience and accomplishment for others who are not given handouts.
This is a big deal and if SOE does not remove those players and items from the server, then that server is ruined forever and every other player is entitled to a free transfer.
I have read through the 54 pages on the official forum, and have ignored the flames/fan site. It seems to me, point blank for flame, that SOE made a mistake here but with good intentions, and even stripped the guild of it's "epic" wares. Transferring them was a bad idea for sure, but it seems to me they did so out of loyalty, which is what so many of you (and I) claimed they lacked in the past. To say the guild duped, exploited, litteraly ravaged themselves into existence is a misnomer. I read the thread, it seems most of the community is supportive since it wasn't to a pvp server. All in all, it was a mistake, and one I wish SOE made more often (sans SWG test server wipe). They should have never made distinctions between games. EQ2 guilds should have been equally as screwed as SWG TC. They wanted to keep a group together, naive? Yes. Stupid decision? Yes. Equivalent to EvE employees screwing other players? On a pve server, eh. no.
Played (more than a month): SWG, Second Life, Tabula Rasa, Lineage 2, Everquest 2, EvE, MxO, Ryzom.
Tried: WoW, Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Everquest, WWII Online, Planetside
Beta: Lotro, Tabula Rasa, WAR.
If it really mattered EQ2 subs will drop. You may complain about how unfair it is but at the end of the day, if you are a current subscriber I doubt you will stop playing. Therefore this really doesnt matter.