Calling Skam!

no not scam.. Skam!

why? A bit more transparency or work in progress updates on things MIndark/Fpc has asked us about in the past.
If someone asks you for input about future decisions, wouldn't you want to know what the outcome is/was, how the process is going etc etc?

0n 6-01-2009 Marco asked us for suggestions how to improve landgrab: https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/mindark-news/153107-reflections-landgrab-2009-a.html

Is Fpc still thinking about a solution, will landgrab ever return?

on 10-15-2009 Marco asked us input on how to reimplement the mentoring system : https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/mindark-news/167673-mentors.html

So what's going on? Is the gateway the result of those inquiries? Or is there something else still in the pipeline?

And last but not least the frustrations thread. Marco asked us what our frustrations were so they could improve on them. I categorised the top frustrations and kept track if they still exist today or if they have (partially) been solved. A lot of them have actually been adressed, so this is good news, but there are still a lot of top 10 frustrations that have not been dealt with. Will they ever? I can understand some of the things will never be dealt with, because it is impossible or not in the interest of fpc. Why not be transparent about it? Say that your working on it, or if it can't be done, or too difficult to code...

https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/...t-frustrates-you-today-entropia-universe.html

and

https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/general-discussion/166114-fixed-list.html

Im wondering the same... Its been like what? 1½ since CE2 came and we still are missing LOT of old features that havent been re-implemented

Hello Spawn

Landgrab.. We'll we're thinking of it but it isn't in the planning phase at the moment. I've mentioned this before in a gateway blog. Landgrab is going to have to be reinvented -specially now with the addition of vehicles to PvP. Meaning that Landgrab isn't going to happen in the near future; but that doesn't mean its fallen off the chart.

Regarding the mentoring system. Marco did indeed ask for suggestions, but Marco is still on FPC. Mentoring is still in MindArk's hands. We'll gather good ideas (from you and from us), discuss them, come up with a system we think will function well and send it off to MindArk. FPC doesn't work on the systems directly ourselves though, so I don't have any more information to give on this point unfortunately. So far we haven't received any new ETA on the old systems so the old ETA of before the end of the year still stands.

Of course the Gateway (And our current remake of PA area) is our way of helping out the newcomer situation, but its not a direct result of missing the mentor system or any form of substitute. Good mentors are still a very valueable resource for newcomers, and we're still pushing to get our old systems back asap.

Regarding frustrations, things take time. I can't give you any insight on if things are difficult to code though, FPC doesn't do coding. I do know that some of the things on that list are at least in the planning phase to make better though.

3.5 month left to reimplement the old systems... and you (FPC/MA) still find the time to create new stuff nobody need.

Hanne, I appreciate your fast reaction, but if I were you, I would have waited with it for today, let more people comment in this thread and formulate a well thought through answer by the end of the day or tomorrow morning.

You only give 1 clear answer and that actually is an answer which the community definitely doesn't want to hear: "No LG for a LONG time". Even though Marco's call to the community about LG feedback already is 1,75 years ago...
Another devaluation of pk-gear and a lot of frustration because LG is the one and only event MA/FPC has created themselves that lives for more then 5 years and is always highly waited for.

The rest is a smoke screen, FPC doesn't do this, MA does that. But we don't excatly know what MA does when or if they even will do it. Some things are in the planning stage, others I don't know of.

I must say, no personal offense, but they have trained you very well in your first year to communicate the way they always have done. Pity and a missed chance.

If you are the community manager, then straighten your back towards your bosses and tell them that the biggest frustration between the community and MA/FPC has been, is (and probably always will be) this type of communication.
That this really has to change and that the community WANTS more clarity about it. Exactly how Spawn defines:
"Why not be transparent about it? Say that your working on it, or if it can't be done, or too difficult to code...".

Mentoring - November 2010 (give or take a month)
Taming - December 2010 (give or take a month)
Beacons - Won't return this year beacuse it's very complex to rebuilt them in CEII. But they will come for sure since we understand the participants like them very much.
LandGrab - We are working on it, won't be in 2010, sorry for that, but we aim at Feb/March 2011.
Balance of playcost - Difficult in the current economic situation, but we as FPC indeed see that the cost to play is to high for our customers in general. We are in serious discussion with MA about it and we keep you posted.

Etc...


Or is the problem that this kind of communication just brings to many promisses and thus obligations..?

Hanne|FPC said:

Hello Spawn
Regarding the mentoring system. Marco did indeed ask for suggestions, but Marco is still on FPC. Mentoring is still in MindArk's hands. We'll gather good ideas (from you and from us), discuss them, come up with a system we think will function well and send it off to MindArk. FPC doesn't work on the systems directly ourselves though, so I don't have any more information to give on this point unfortunately. So far we haven't received any new ETA on the old systems so the old ETA of before the end of the year still stands.
.

Click to expand...

So have you gathered the good ideas? discussed them? sent them off to MindArk?

Its been 1 and half years.

Hanne makes a fair point - chiefly that it's not up to FPC to do anything but badger MA.

It's up to MA to care enough to listen to us, and our best hope of being heard is through our planet partners.

If for example, Rocktropia was also giving similar advice to MA that Mentors and Landgrab are really important for the players, then perhaps more MA would pay even more attention and do something about it.

Kemp,

The Landgrab is something Ive mentioned before. I thought you'd like transparency, not hiding it because the community wouldn't like the answer. That is one thing that is in FPC's hands and Ill be honest about it.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Im not MindArk's Community Manager, Im FPCs. Not MA/FPC. FPC.

If you want transparency Im happy to give it, from what FPC works on. What MindArk does I can only give you information on when I'm given information from MindArk.

Well that gives us some idea about how long to wait for Landgrab and Mentoring.

So who is going to ask about piloting, taming, make up and beacons? It sounds like as they are all in Mindarks hands we wont know until it happens (or we get a sneak peek)

Hanne obviously has to clear any answer she gives us, and its probably advisable to be a bit vague rather than a timescale - as for example Kerberos arent back yet but they were "upcoming" in a previous Buzz thread.

ALighten up guys.. at least they found time to resize the icons in inventory again..I really think it was VERY important that my shorts were resized to take up 6 slots and not 2 like before.

Im pretty sure Not getting BP's dropped on RT is planned to help the community out by letting player have to to dump the new ores for any price possible to get the % down to the crap ore MU that is on Calypso to keep the economies equally as shitty. I guess when they lose 90% of the crafters to RT for the initial drops they want it to be as cost efective for them to go as possible.

I also think it is EXTREMELY important that they flood every available inch of the game with useless non looting red dots to ensure that the people that have ZERO interest in hunting get to enjoy the hunting experience anyway. Areas that have radar soild with red dots where NOONE hardly goes let alone hunts is Really productive to attracting and keeping ALL players happy.

I think the addition of the new massive hp no looting mobs getting mixed in with the crappy no looting mobs is the best thing they could have ever done to help new players.

After all this Hanne I want you to ask them at the office these things...
If they want to grow the game why such extreme hate for certain types and levels of players now? There is no reason in the world to have all this crap added other then to frustrate and rob a specific group or groups of players.
Same with the snap in the storage units being so tight and the pages flipping top to bottom. This is simply nothing more then harassment techniques. Oh yeah.. And WTF is the reasoning to putting Massive equues in the middle of every LA even if the owners made them newb friendly or mining only? WHY?

Hanne|FPC said:

Kemp,

The Landgrab is something Ive mentioned before. I thought you'd like transparency, not hiding it because the community wouldn't like the answer. That is one thing that is in FPC's hands and Ill be honest about it.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Im not MindArk's Community Manager, Im FPCs. Not MA/FPC. FPC.

If you want transparency Im happy to give it, from what FPC works on. What MindArk does I can only give you information on when I'm given information from MindArk.

Click to expand...

Is FPC an independant company yet? What was with the news about some investor taking over FPC which I read before I went on holiday? Did I miss something?
Straight from MAs website:
"
First Planet Company AB
First Planet Company is a subsidiary of MindArk that develops, maintains and markets Planet Calypso, the first planet in the Entropia Universe.
"

When a customer in my company asks a question, the last thing we will do is hide behind our mothercompany. It's not that I am saying that your are to be blamed for, I am just saying that "they trained you well". This situation is exactly what I was afraid for when FPC was created.
In the past MA just didn't answer questions on a regular basis, now they have a middle man to tell us that they don't know the answer because they don't get the answer from MA.

No answer.
or
The answer is that there is no answer.
To me that is exactly the same.

Trina,

The Equus can be removed if the owner of the landarea wants it gone -they can contact support and we'll remove it for them.

And there's absolutely no "hate for certain playergroups" -Im sorry you feel that way.

Kemp,

Yes we're still a subsidiary, yet we function as a planet partner. Feel free to ask me about questions relating to what FPC does and Ill give you answers (unless its all a big scary secret!)

Hanne|FPC said:

Trina,

The Equus can be removed if the owner of the landarea wants it gone -they can contact support and we'll remove it for them.

And there's absolutely no "hate for certain playergroups" -Im sorry you feel that way.

Kemp,

Yes we're still a subsidiary, yet we function as a planet partner. Feel free to ask me about questions relating to what FPC does and Ill give you answers (unless its all a big scary secret!)

Click to expand...

Ok, no more questions, they at least succeeded in implementing a decend windscreen.

Hanne|FPC said:

Kemp,

The Landgrab is something Ive mentioned before. I thought you'd like transparency, not hiding it because the community wouldn't like the answer. That is one thing that is in FPC's hands and Ill be honest about it.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Im not MindArk's Community Manager, Im FPCs. Not MA/FPC. FPC.

If you want transparency Im happy to give it, from what FPC works on. What MindArk does I can only give you information on when I'm given information from MindArk.

Click to expand...

This answer is just rude...

@ Hanne

Da mein englisch mehr als ungenügend ist, hier schon mal auf deutsch. Eventuell kann dies dann jemand korrekt übersetzen - meine Uebesetzung wird wohl mehr verwirren als helfen. (Muss es aber tun, da die Forumsregeln es verlangen )


Als Konsument von MA / FPC konnte mir wirklich nichts blöderes passieren, als dass die Firma aufgesplittet wurde. Statt wenigstens ein klares ja, es wird xy gemacht / nein, wir arbeiten an der Leitung aber können noch nicht sagen wann - werden wir nun von A nach B geschoben. Irgendwie ist immer der andere zuständig. (hm, sprechen denn Geschäftspartner nicht miteinander?)

Statt dauernd neues Zeug einzuführen (ja, einiges ist sogar wirklich gut, aber das ist nicht der Punkt) sollten sich MA / FPC endlich mal bewusst werden, was sie wollen, was ihnen mehr bringt.

- wollen sie die heutigen Kunden halten und pflegen ?
Von uns haben sie die Daten, sie wissen wieviel wir bereit waren zu investieren. Die Umsätze waren kalkulierbar. Dass die damaligen Umsätze mit einer strategisch geschickten Lösung massiv erhöht werden könnten, sollte jedem klar sein, der etwas von Geschäften versteht.
Dies bedingt aber, dass man die bestehenden Kunden bei Laune hält und nicht dauernd weiter verärgert.

- Oder wollen sie nur neue gewinnen ?
Tja, da wirds haarig. Von den neuen weiss man nichts. Gefällt ihnen was sie sehen ? Bleiben sie langfristig Kunden ?
Bis auf eine kleine Gruppe Investoren, die bereits jetzt aktiv ingame sind oder an deren Aufschaltung noch gearbeitet wird, kann man die Entwicklung schlicht nicht - oder nur ungenügend abschätzen.

Die beste Werbung, die eine Firma haben kann - ist Kundenwerbung. Nur wer zufrieden ist, empfiehlt etwas weiter. Investoren analysieren sehr genau und es wird immer schwieriger, welche zu finden, wenn diese das Gefühl haben , die Basis springt ab.

Einfach ausgedrückt: Der Bär muss erst getötet werden, bevor man sein Steak auf dem Teller hat.


Ja, ich bin langsam genervt von der Hinhaltetaktik und ja , ich verstehe dass man Neues braucht. Aber: ich bin der Auffassung dass es eine gesunde Mischung von beidem braucht. Und das........ne, das ist wirklich nicht im entferntesten Wunschdenken der Fall.

Auch wenn ich nichts von programmieren verstehe, soviel ist mal klar: SO schwierig kann es doch wirklich nicht sein dass:
- Items wieder die Originalgrösse haben (Möbel)
- nicht im Boden / Regalen versinken
- Wohnungen / Shops so verbuggt sind, dass man auch mit gutem PC 3 Min
wartet
bis ein Bildaufbau da ist
- taming / mentoring / beacon`s / hangars
- und
- und
- und

NEIN, ich will keine neue Graphic / Futures, ich will das zurück was uns schon lange zugesichert wurde und in das wir alle investiert haben ! Wenn wir das dann mal haben, könnt ihr euch verstärkt mit neuen Sachen befassen. Primär Kunden halten / sekundär neue Kunden gewinnen. Denn ohne "alte" gibts mittelfristig keine neuen.


English - only for the Forumrules: I hope a other Person can translate my Post. My english are to bad and with a translate prog.......i dont think u understand then what i mean :/
Look that translation as a test *g*
Sry Hanne , i know its not ur fault - but you have this ....job, i hope u dont pick it personaly

For us customers are the badest thing: we have now 2 and not 1 concern. We dont becomes answer`s in a "normal" time. Firm one say, call the other - Firm two say......maby its a problem from firm one.
I think u are Planet Partner`s ? Speak Partner one not with Partner two ?

What will MA / FPC ? Hold the "old" Playerbase or only new Investors ?
With us "old" u can calculate - not with the new. The best way for all - search the middle. Hold us all and bring new`s. Without a stabile Group of Playerbase u cant find longtherm Investors.
I dont think its so horrible complicatet reimplement the old Stuff.

- bring back the original size of furnitures
- look that he dont sink in the floor
- many Appartments / Shops are massiv bugged. When u will go in , u wait with a good PC 3 Min before u see the first Item of 200
- taming / mentoring /beacons / hangar
- and
- and
- and

No , i dont want new Graphicfutures , yes - much of the new Stuff are really good, but thats not the point. MA / FPC must hold the old, stabile Playerbase in first - as second point then u can look for new. Without the Base u cant find medium term new Investors.

Unfortunately Hanne you've been left in the middle of the situation.

We really need to have someone from MA talking to the community instead of hiding behind you and FPC all the time.

We know that FPC aren't in control of the reintroduction of the missing content but when the people who are in control won't talk it gets extremely frustrating and I can only see the situation getting worse if this continues.

New Quest

Hmm it seems this isnt the most efficient way to run a game or a company

For every problem you have to contact both, and then maybe actualy one of them

and then for something something you have to contact something something.

It has become a bureaucratic nightmare lol

At the other side it is very effective to deal with customers,
If you ask , you get answeres like -> no it isnt me, you need to go downstair, turn left and take the elevator , go to 10th floor and then follow the route sign number 174 and then turn left at the coffee machine, and then ask for Mr L.

oh wait... hmm it must be a new quest for every player !!!1

wow !


Too bad at the end we wont get any anweres, just like those beers stuffs lol

Galadea said:

This answer is just rude...

Click to expand...

Its not rude, its just the truth...

JingyiDai said:

At the other side it is very effective to deal with customers,
If you ask , you get answeres like -> no it isnt me, you need to go downstair, turn left and take the elevator , go to 10th floor and then follow the route sign number 174 and then turn left at the coffee machine, and then ask for Mr L.

Click to expand...

its a very good way to get a militant band of players to get organised as well

Hanne|FPC said:

Yes we're still a subsidiary, yet we function as a planet partner. Feel free to ask me about questions relating to what FPC does and Ill give you answers (unless its all a big scary secret!)

Click to expand...

Ah like your secret operations in which you pick up people in black vans and helicopters!

p.s. hope you had a good vacation, hope to see you in world soon!

Hangar owner = Compensation

But where are MAKE UP and my compensation about no incomimg of making make up mask?

WHEN we get it back?????

EU is just a gambling mashine, without get back all old systems !!!
What can SKAM doing about... plz kick MA in the A.. so we get all back soon!

Hanne|FPC said:

Regarding the mentoring system. Marco did indeed ask for suggestions, but Marco is still on FPC. Mentoring is still in MindArk's hands. We'll gather good ideas (from you and from us), discuss them, come up with a system we think will function well and send it off to MindArk.

Click to expand...

And here is the biggest challenge moving forward.

FPC is no longer MA's only customer. Rocktropia is a customer and supposedly other planets are coming online soon.

FPC can design a mentor system and present it to MA - but will Rocktropia like it?

Looking forward, imagine 5 planets in the Entropia Universe. You play primarily on one planet. Another planet presents some change to MA, MA likes it and institutes the change. It affects your gameplay on your planet.

Because MA is now forced to balance between several planets (how good of a job did they do balancing one?) you may see the slow integration of old systems and development of new systems.

Mr-Joey said:

3.5 month left to reimplement the old systems... and you (FPC/MA) still find the time to create new stuff nobody need.

Click to expand...

In english you can call yourself "I". Who the heck are you to say what I or everyone else wants / dosen't want? Since when are you my representative?
People were SCREAMING for vehicles...they got them.
People were SCREAMING for "quests"....they got missions.
I have yet to see one new introduction that I dont want. Offcourse some old systems are missed but that doesn't mean that I dont want new content.

Kemp said:

Hanne, I appreciate your fast reaction, but if I were you, I would have waited with it for today, let more people comment in this thread and formulate a well thought through answer by the end of the day or tomorrow morning.

You only give 1 clear answer and that actually is an answer which the community definitely doesn't want to hear: "No LG for a LONG time". Even though Marco's call to the community about LG feedback already is 1,75 years ago...
Another devaluation of pk-gear and a lot of frustration because LG is the one and only event MA/FPC has created themselves that lives for more then 5 years and is always highly waited for.

The rest is a smoke screen, FPC doesn't do this, MA does that. But we don't excatly know what MA does when or if they even will do it. Some things are in the planning stage, others I don't know of.

I must say, no personal offense, but they have trained you very well in your first year to communicate the way they always have done. Pity and a missed chance.

If you are the community manager, then straighten your back towards your bosses and tell them that the biggest frustration between the community and MA/FPC has been, is (and probably always will be) this type of communication.
That this really has to change and that the community WANTS more clarity about it. Exactly how Spawn defines:
"Why not be transparent about it? Say that your working on it, or if it can't be done, or too difficult to code...".

Mentoring - November 2010 (give or take a month)
Taming - December 2010 (give or take a month)
Beacons - Won't return this year beacuse it's very complex to rebuilt them in CEII. But they will come for sure since we understand the participants like them very much.
LandGrab - We are working on it, won't be in 2010, sorry for that, but we aim at Feb/March 2011.
Balance of playcost - Difficult in the current economic situation, but we as FPC indeed see that the cost to play is to high for our customers in general. We are in serious discussion with MA about it and we keep you posted.

Etc...


Or is the problem that this kind of communication just brings to many promisses and thus obligations..?

Click to expand...

This whole post is disgusting. Do you see Hanne as some tame dog that does tricks for FPC since you say that they have trained her so well?
I work for a large company and I dont get answers to all my questions regarding things that I want answered.
Stopp putting all your bile on Hanne. Send support tickets instead of attacking people who cant answer your questions because THEY DONT HAVE THE DAMN ANSWER...

But where are MAKE UP and my compensation about no incomimg of making make up mask?

Click to expand...

Masks just make you pretty. What about no income of tamers (folks with taming skills or UL whips)

Hanne|FPC said:

Kemp,

The Landgrab is something Ive mentioned before. I thought you'd like transparency, not hiding it because the community wouldn't like the answer. That is one thing that is in FPC's hands and Ill be honest about it.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Im not MindArk's Community Manager, Im FPCs. Not MA/FPC. FPC.

If you want transparency Im happy to give it, from what FPC works on. What MindArk does I can only give you information on when I'm given information from MindArk.

Click to expand...

Hanne,

Who can the players contact directly at Mindark to air our grievances?

If you want transparency Im happy to give it, from what FPC works on. What MindArk does I can only give you information on when I'm given information from MindArk.

Click to expand...

Suggestion: Lets get MA itself to get a Community Manager too!

Hanne|FPC said:

Hello Spawn

Landgrab.. We'll we're thinking of it but it isn't in the planning phase at the moment. I've mentioned this before in a gateway blog. Landgrab is going to have to be reinvented -specially now with the addition of vehicles to PvP. Meaning that Landgrab isn't going to happen in the near future; but that doesn't mean its fallen off the chart.

Regarding the mentoring system. Marco did indeed ask for suggestions, but Marco is still on FPC. Mentoring is still in MindArk's hands. We'll gather good ideas (from you and from us), discuss them, come up with a system we think will function well and send it off to MindArk. FPC doesn't work on the systems directly ourselves though, so I don't have any more information to give on this point unfortunately. So far we haven't received any new ETA on the old systems so the old ETA of before the end of the year still stands.

Of course the Gateway (And our current remake of PA area) is our way of helping out the newcomer situation, but its not a direct result of missing the mentor system or any form of substitute. Good mentors are still a very valueable resource for newcomers, and we're still pushing to get our old systems back asap.

Regarding frustrations, things take time. I can't give you any insight on if things are difficult to code though, FPC doesn't do coding. I do know that some of the things on that list are at least in the planning phase to make better though.

Click to expand...

Regarding Land Grab..... The honesty is appreciated! Maybe until then FPC can throw some RX units in the mix so we can "practice" our tactics with our new vehicles.

Regarding all the garbage about FPC not doing any coding and MA being the ones who have to implement crap.... it's B.S. FPC was created by MA and is owned/operated by MA. This creation of FPC was done PURELY for financial purposes. The two are still one in a physical aspect.... the financial books are the only thing that separates the two companies.

By the way..... have you received your "lay off" papers yet? I mean.... no need for FPC if Calypso has been sold right? Or will your position be transferred over to "Molson Breweries"? I heard they were the ones that bought Calypso after realizing there were alot of dry mouths here, and the market for Beer would be HUGE!

Menace

No I haven't recieved any "lay off" papers or anything suggesting such. Sorry to disappoint you.

mastermesh said:

Suggestion: Lets get MA itself to get a Community Manager too!

Click to expand...

I'd be happy to join on a chant for that

roughrider said:

Stopp putting all your bile on Hanne. Send support tickets instead of attacking people who cant answer your questions because THEY DONT HAVE THE DAMN ANSWER...

Click to expand...

I agree with you about asking the people that dont have the answers, but he open himself to that line of questioning by being one of the first poster to this thread and just vaguely trying to answer them.

By the way, more people has been asking for the game to be back to what the game used to offer, that people asked for vehicles and quests, if they implemented them was just a marketing ploy to attract new players, no to please the ones already in the game.

OK, i will try to give a short translation of SuNi’S post:

As a customer of Mindark/ FPC a split of the company is one of the worst things that could have happened. Since this point no one was responsible to give clear and exact answers, as if those two companies didn’t work with each other.
Instead of introducing new stuff during (though there is really nice stuff in it) all the time MA/FPC should get the feeling for the stuff they want AND the stuff they get more advantages of:
• Do they want to keep today’s customers?
Our playerbase already provided data and invested money at a regular base; business rules indicate that using this knowledge should improve the sales / business volume. But this would be limited by keeping the actual customers in the game instead of losing them.
• Do they only want to get new players?
This point is difficult, as new players didn’t provide data or the will to deposit before an account to be created. And will they be longtime customers?
ATM only a small group of investors, active ingame nowadays, an estimation of future development is impossible or very difficult.

Best promotion a company can have is the one dealt from satisfied customer to another, potential customer. New investors analyze that exactly before doing bigger investments, and won’t do that, if there exists a feeling of a collapsing system.
My personal point: I am just feeling nerved by these delaying- tactics, and yes: I understand, we need progress in game and its developments. But imo it should be a healthy mixture of both.

Next point: although I have no clue of programming : it cannot be that difficult to
• put furniture back to its original size
• not letting sink it into the floor
• remove the bugs of eg apartements, that take several minutes to appear on the screen, though you have a good computer

In the end: I want the things that were promised for a long time now, instead of all this new stuff and new graphics. When re- implementation is done, you can get to the improvements of the game. Keeping your old player is viral for the game, getting new players is a secondary goal. Without us “olds” there won’t be “New ones”

Nyb