Open letter to ZOS

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Enskumsnubbe
Enskumsnubbe
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I would like to start off by saying, i love(d) this game, i really do! It has so much potential, the storyline is amazing and the graphics are awesome on a whole lot of places. I’ve spent insane amount of hours on this game since it has brought a lot of joy and excitement, so I do hope you’ll hear me out!

I do feel ignored as a player, as a paying customer. As many other games there are bugs, exploits and hacks people do use, and it’s sad. However that’s not my point, point being there are so much things you could focus on repairing BEFORE you drop copious amount of DLC content on us.
I do understand you are a company, a company that needs profit, therefore all the DLC’s and crown store items to increase the sales. However this has created a source of irritation among us players, because I do know I’m not alone by saying that many major and minor bugs keeps getting the cold hand from you. Most of the times not even a response.
There are major bugs that are destroying this games experience, making it sometimes unplayable.

• Loading screens never left. They are just a bit more random BUT longer. Today I waited 6 minutes to enter March of sacrifices? I was not alone; the whole group had the same loading screen.

• Same thing goes for Cyro, the loading screens are destroying the gameplay there. I rarely enter because of that. But when I do, I rage quit because loading screens.

• All the dungeon bugs, CoH2 fear bug just to bring one up. It’s been like that since I started playing 2 years ago, COME ON DO SOMETHING.

• Random crashes. This is something that varies from time to time. Sometimes I don’t get one for 2 months, then there they are, 5 in a day.

• Continuous server restarts, shutdowns and crashes. Last year has been insane with these at prime time.

• Dungeon, cyro and battleground queues. This is just ridiculous. Happened almost every night now the past week, the queue crashes and keeps saying “someone declined” upon entering. Making content inaccessible.

• Battlegrounds.. Oh where to start… Chaosball invisible bug, Ball follows you up on respawn point. Dominion games, flags sometimes inaccessible, you simply can’t capture them.

• Lightning staff heavy attacks. also something thats been on/off since summerset.

• VMA crashes

• “failed to load character” when logging in.

PLEASE get your priorities straight. Rom wasn't built on one day either, i fully understand that.

Above all else i wish you a awsome day!

/edited spelling mistake
Edited by Enskumsnubbe on August 24, 2018 4:06PM
  • Saturn
    Saturn
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    This has been the MO since day one, except now they have more players. To be honest, ESO would have had a much better launch if they hadn't released it completely broken. And it's truly sad to see that despite their more recent success in the last few years, they haven't really changed. It's still $ > Content. It doesn't matter that major parts of the game are broken as long as the game remains profitable, which is disappointing.

    Also, a lot of the time I wonder if their release schedule of a content drop ever 3-4 months isn't crippling their own ability to keep up with these growing amount of bugs.

    Another thing I'd like to add, which from my point of view is a really negative thing, is the lack of optimisation. Even if the game was laggy and buggy in the past, it still ran well on average builds, but now ESO really only runs acceptable framerates on high-end computers. That to me is a really important issue to solve, as a big part of MMOs is accessibility.

    I too am a big fan of this game, but the practices that ZOS have for this game, as well as their obvious lack of understanding of how to balance and create content suited for their players, are just [snip] mindblowing.

    [edited to remove Profanity]
    Edited by ZOS_Ragnar on August 24, 2018 1:23PM
    "Madness is a bitter mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nonetheless."

    Fire and Ice
  • Path
    Path
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    I would like to start off by saying, i love(d) this game, i really do! It has so much potential, the storyline is amazing and the graphics are awesome on a whole lot of places. I’ve spent insane amount of hours on this game since it has brought a lot of joy and excitement, so I do hope you’ll hear me out!

    I do feel ignored as a player, as a paying costumer. As many other games there are bugs, exploits and hacks people do use, and it’s sad. However that’s not my point, point being there are so much things you could focus on repairing BEFORE you drop copious amount of DLC content on us.
    I do understand you are a company, a company that needs profit, therefore all the DLC’s and crown store items to increase the sales. However this has created a source of irritation among us players, because I do know I’m not alone by saying that many major and minor bugs keeps getting the cold hand from you. Most of the times not even a response.
    There are major bugs that are destroying this games experience, making it sometimes unplayable.

    • Loading screens never left. They are just a bit more random BUT longer. Today I waited 6 minutes to enter March of sacrifices? I was not alone; the whole group had the same loading screen.

    • Same thing goes for Cyro, the loading screens are destroying the gameplay there. I rarely enter because of that. But when I do, I rage quit because loading screens.

    • All the dungeon bugs, CoH2 fear bug just to bring one up. It’s been like that since I started playing 2 years ago, COME ON DO SOMETHING.

    • Random crashes. This is something that varies from time to time. Sometimes I don’t get one for 2 months, then there they are, 5 in a day.

    • Continuous server restarts, shutdowns and crashes. Last year has been insane with these at prime time.

    • Dungeon, cyro and battleground queues. This is just ridiculous. Happened almost every night now the past week, the queue crashes and keeps saying “someone declined” upon entering. Making content inaccessible.

    • Battlegrounds.. Oh where to start… Chaosball invisible bug, Ball follows you up on respawn point. Dominion games, flags sometimes inaccessible, you simply can’t capture them.

    • Lightning staff heavy attacks. also something thats been on/off since summerset.

    • VMA crashes

    • “failed to load character” when logging in.

    PLEASE get your priorities straight. Rom wasn't built on one day either, i fully understand that.

    Above all else i wish you a awsome day!

    Are you a "Paying customer?" As in ESO Member?
    Fairy Tales Really Do Come True...Kinda.
  • Valabrog
    Valabrog
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    Loading screens, Cyrodiil lag and endless queue are the main 3 issues of this great game - I have never encountered such terrible things in any other mmorpg, doesnt matter big or small..
  • Narvuntien
    Narvuntien
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    The DLCs pay the bills.... simple as that.

    I am certainly confused about some of their decisions particularly around balance it really feels like the players understand the game better than the designers. This current game is just a long way away from what the original vision for the game was which results in the classes honestly not properly fitting this current game and the sets oh boy the sets are even worse, particularly healer and tanks sets and almost every proc set.
  • Saturn
    Saturn
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    Path wrote: »

    Are you a "Paying customer?" As in ESO Member?

    I'd argue that buying the game makes you a paying customer.
    "Madness is a bitter mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nonetheless."

    Fire and Ice
  • logarifmik
    logarifmik
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    Saturn wrote: »

    I'd argue that buying the game makes you a paying customer.
    This. Also, I'm amazed by almost zero feedback from the devs. Here on the forum they very rarely give any comments regarding the issues, even when the discussion is hot, "constructive and civil". Any attempt to actually adress the team looks like stonewalling to me.
    EU PC: @logarifmik | Languages: Русский, English
    Dimitri Frernis | Breton Sorcerer | Damage Dealer | Daggerfall Covenant
    Scales-of-Ice | Argonian Warden | Tank / Healer | Daggerfall Covenant
  • Reverb
    Reverb
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    Path wrote: »

    Are you a "Paying customer?" As in ESO Member?

    Re-read the OP. He's a paying costumer not a customer. One who makes costumes.
    Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Xajic
    Xajic
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    -
    Edited by Xajic on May 24, 2023 7:46PM
  • valeriiya
    valeriiya
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    logarifmik wrote: »
    This. Also, I'm amazed by almost zero feedback from the devs. Here on the forum they very rarely give any comments regarding the issues, even when the discussion is hot, "constructive and civil". Any attempt to actually adress the team looks like stonewalling to me.

    There's feedback, "We're looking into it" or "We're aware and working on it".
    It's a joke and they only care about the Crown Store because that's where they make money. It doesn't matter how loud people scream on the forums, they're not going to put resources into something that doesn't generate revenue.
  • logarifmik
    logarifmik
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    valeriiya wrote: »

    There's feedback, "We're looking into it" or "We're aware and working on it".
    It's a joke and they only care about the Crown Store because that's where they make money. It doesn't matter how loud people scream on the forums, they're not going to put resources into something that doesn't generate revenue.
    You know, what you saying here can be recongnized as conspirancy theory, and it's forbidden by the forum rules to discuss such things. :D I'm agree with you, such explanation looks only logical, but be vigilant, comrade.
    EU PC: @logarifmik | Languages: Русский, English
    Dimitri Frernis | Breton Sorcerer | Damage Dealer | Daggerfall Covenant
    Scales-of-Ice | Argonian Warden | Tank / Healer | Daggerfall Covenant
  • Dymence
    Dymence
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    What is the "CoH 2 fear bug" and why have I never encountered it since release?
  • logarifmik
    logarifmik
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    Dymence wrote: »
    What is the "CoH 2 fear bug" and why have I never encountered it since release?
    I suppose, OP means a bug, when you are able to run through the dungeon wall under the fear for your own life, and after you calm down, it turns out, that the wall is hard stone solid. It occured to me once.
    EU PC: @logarifmik | Languages: Русский, English
    Dimitri Frernis | Breton Sorcerer | Damage Dealer | Daggerfall Covenant
    Scales-of-Ice | Argonian Warden | Tank / Healer | Daggerfall Covenant
  • Reverb
    Reverb
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    Fakyy wrote: »

    I’m done.

    /bow
    Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Enskumsnubbe
    Enskumsnubbe
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    Reverb wrote: »

    Re-read the OP. He's a paying costumer not a customer. One who makes costumes.

    Haha i wish! but im just a ordinary customer ;)
    Edited by Enskumsnubbe on August 24, 2018 4:03PM
  • shaielzafine
    shaielzafine
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    Yeap, all of these bugs and more. Agree with you OP 100%. Some of these issues you raised like loadscreens they've been aware of and they said they were "working on a fix" since 8 months ago. I wonder how many people have already unsubscribed or even quit the game entirely because of exploits & bugs in both PvP & pve. The other week someone in my guild was complaining that 4/9 end game trials (9 if including vdsa & vma) were buggy or broken. This was the week when vAS was the weekly and you couldn't play because it was borked and they just locked it out. PvP has always been laggy and loadscreeny, but porting into a trial or even to just Vvardenfell or my home instance takes so long. Sometimes it ends up into a crash and I'm booted from server or I have to 'end task' because that's faster than their infinite loading screen
  • Tandor
    Tandor
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    valeriiya wrote: »

    There's feedback, "We're looking into it" or "We're aware and working on it".
    It's a joke and they only care about the Crown Store because that's where they make money. It doesn't matter how loud people scream on the forums, they're not going to put resources into something that doesn't generate revenue.

    That argument is just feeble. The game generates revenue, not one particular aspect at the expense of another. It doesn't matter if you don't use the Crown Store or buy Crown crates, you're still able to contribute to the game by subscribing and have in any event already done so by buying the game - therefore it matters to ZOS whether you're happy with the game or not, and whether or not you're going to continue playing it. Besides, what makes anyone think that if a Crown Store customer can't play properly because of the login, loading screen, lag, balancing, or any other issues they will continue to use the Crown Store? Everything matters to the customers, and everything matters to the developer.

    I can only assume that people who say ZOS don't care are either school kids with no experience of business life or else are public sector employees who have never had to justify their pay cheques by satisfying customers and making a profit. Everyone else knows that any commercial company including game developers needs to earn revenue in order to stay afloat, and can't afford to pick and choose which parts of their business will earn that revenue. Just because they haven't yet been able to come up with a fix to a particular problem (which many other players may not have, and which may not even be at the developer's end) doesn't mean that they don't care and aren't working on it.

    Yes there are significant issues that affect some players, perhaps most but certainly not all, and I happily acknowledge both that and the fact that those problems haven't been fixed, but I do reject the notion that this is because ZOS either don't care or don't consider it important enough to address as it doesn't involve the Crown Store.
  • Enskumsnubbe
    Enskumsnubbe
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    Tandor wrote: »

    That argument is just feeble. The game generates revenue, not one particular aspect at the expense of another. It doesn't matter if you don't use the Crown Store or buy Crown crates, you're still able to contribute to the game by subscribing and have in any event already done so by buying the game - therefore it matters to ZOS whether you're happy with the game or not, and whether or not you're going to continue playing it. Besides, what makes anyone think that if a Crown Store customer can't play properly because of the login, loading screen, lag, balancing, or any other issues they will continue to use the Crown Store? Everything matters to the customers, and everything matters to the developer.

    I can only assume that people who say ZOS don't care are either school kids with no experience of business life or else are public sector employees who have never had to justify their pay cheques by satisfying customers and making a profit. Everyone else knows that any commercial company including game developers needs to earn revenue in order to stay afloat, and can't afford to pick and choose which parts of their business will earn that revenue. Just because they haven't yet been able to come up with a fix to a particular problem (which many other players may not have, and which may not even be at the developer's end) doesn't mean that they don't care and aren't working on it.

    Yes there are significant issues that affect some players, perhaps most but certainly not all, and I happily acknowledge both that and the fact that those problems haven't been fixed, but I do reject the notion that this is because ZOS either don't care or don't consider it important enough to address as it doesn't involve the Crown Store.

    They do need satisfied customers to bring a good profit in order to stay afloat. And I can only imagine that they do bring a good profit atm since they do speak greatly about future plans for this game, so the funds shouldn’t be the problem.

    They do keep a group of people happy by releasing new content and new items. There are soo many playing this game for its storyline alone for an example, im sure they’re thrilled to have DLCs every 6 months. However keeping a group of customer happy over longer periods demands an open ear to bugs, errors and feedback, also ability to prioritize of what’s important.

    Crown store & bugs and errors are probably two different sections of the company so I’m not even going to compare those two. I’m not saying they are wasting everything on crown store, but I’m sure it’s a goldmine for them.

    Their customer response is however terrible on these cases (bugs). Sometimes it does feel like talking to a wall, no response.
    I do understand major bugs do take time to fix, sometimes the difficult thing is to recreate what’s causing the problem. I fully understand that. But there are so many minor things that shouldn’t be that hard to fix, but they just don’t fix it. Take the COH2 bug for instance, simple fix; Remove the skill from the boss (if you want to skip rewriting the code for the walls).
  • kargen27
    kargen27
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    logarifmik wrote: »
    This. Also, I'm amazed by almost zero feedback from the devs. Here on the forum they very rarely give any comments regarding the issues, even when the discussion is hot, "constructive and civil". Any attempt to actually adress the team looks like stonewalling to me.

    The developers are exactly that...developers. Customer support is handled by a different team of people. There should be communications between support and developers but with few exceptions having developers personally answering our concerns isn't the best use of their time.
    and then the parrot said, "must be the water mines green too."
  • qbit
    qbit
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    kargen27 wrote: »

    The developers are exactly that...developers. Customer support is handled by a different team of people. There should be communications between support and developers but with few exceptions having developers personally answering our concerns isn't the best use of their time.

    Programmers in general, across all industries, over the years, have manged to completely fool everyone into thinking their jobs are really hard and magical. One of the perks of being a programmer is that you never ever have to face the customers. You can just make up any nonsense you want and tell the customer support staff to tell the customers that.

    Take for example, the people that work at the software company that make Tabs and PracticeMaster. Their development team has convinced their customer support team that client-server-based line of business apps (that cost A LOT of money) need not gracefully handle a client dropping connection due to, say, a laptop being shut and walked out of the building. Such an event will bring the entire application down. And they've convinced everyone and some of their customers that this is normal.

    Many a RDS infrastructure has been sold to many law firms due to this. But if you want a real fix, you'll get their "Premium" version of their garbage software that actually uses a SQL database and can handle a dropped client connection without throwing file lock errors at the other 20 users that are connected.

    This is prominent among, it appears in my industry experience, all development teams in every discipline that deals with programming.
  • Elsonso
    Elsonso
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    qbit wrote: »

    Programmers in general, across all industries, over the years, have manged to completely fool everyone into thinking their jobs are really hard and magical. One of the perks of being a programmer is that you never ever have to face the customers. You can just make up any nonsense you want and tell the customer support staff to tell the customers that.

    I am not personally aware of any programmers that hold your view of the world.

    We know that ZOS developers spend a lot of time playing with us, and among us, despite what stories get told in here about how they "never play their own game". :neutral: I think they spend a lot of time facing the customers.

    But, it is as has been said... sitting in the forum chatting up the players is not always the best use of a developer's time. It is nice that Rob Garrett has time to do that, and I appreciate the gesture. It is the right thing to do, but I expect he has a job to do and that job is a lot bigger than the forums. Same with Rich, Brian, Finn, Alex, Bill, and the others who stop in here from time to time to make comments, answer questions, and tell us what is happening.

    The only people who I expect to do this regularly are Jessica, Gina, and the Three Minions. :smile:
    ESO Plus: No
    PC NA/EU: @Elsonso
    XBox EU/NA: @ElsonsoJannus
    X/Twitter: ElsonsoJannus
  • logarifmik
    logarifmik
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    kargen27 wrote: »

    The developers are exactly that...developers. Customer support is handled by a different team of people. There should be communications between support and developers but with few exceptions having developers personally answering our concerns isn't the best use of their time.
    Alright, add "customer support" to the chain, and what it changes? As a common customer I really don't care how the company work organized, or why they are uneffective in communication with the customers. I don't blame anyone, I just don't like the company approach towards feedbacks. Recently, I tried to get any kind of official answer regarding the issue with the Cyrillic font and problems close to it, and my experience can be described as "Don Quixote fighting windmills".
    EU PC: @logarifmik | Languages: Русский, English
    Dimitri Frernis | Breton Sorcerer | Damage Dealer | Daggerfall Covenant
    Scales-of-Ice | Argonian Warden | Tank / Healer | Daggerfall Covenant
  • qbit
    qbit
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    I am not personally aware of any programmers that hold your view of the world.

    I guess I'm very cynical then. I have experience as a developer and IT vendor. I find it ridiculous when a client spends $10000 on some software and $5000 a year for support only for their "developers" and support staff to tell me to replace the patch cable when client and server are running on same box. There is no patch cable. I get looked at like I'm insane. Talking one user having the client software lockup on an RDS server where it runs fine for everyone else. On the same VM host the server runs on. I get told to replace patch cable over and over so as to shut me up and move on to next call. Got to get that call per hour number up... I've never experienced anything else from any software vendor in any industry. No matter how much money my client throws at them. So I'm not surprised when ZOS customer support team tells people to do useless things to fix bugs that everyone knows can't be fixed by reinstalling the game...

    Edit: Because the third reinstall should fix the long loading screens... But all the people saying that can't explain how the game gets broke to a point that downloading all the files again will fix something. The frustration is the level of extraordinary confidence the customer support has when telling you this stuff, and then the earth shattering sound of crickets when you ask them to explain the logic behind the assertion.
    Edited by qbit on August 24, 2018 9:29PM
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