Welcome New ESO Community Team Member: ZOS_Kevin – Forum Manager

Serenez

Welcome @ZOS_Kevin ! I wish you well in your new position

A suggestion I have:

1. Bug Forum - Have an official Bug Compilation list with status beside each report bug that is collected on the forum. This would entail gathering information of posts on bugs and creating one official master list (read-only) Indicate a status on whether it is needing more information, cannot duplicate error or bug, bug forwarded to Dev team, Dev working on bug fix, fix is awaiting patch deployment etc.

One big complaint I hear from others is that players have no idea what status a bug is in. Do the Devs know about the bug? Are they working on it? The silence and not knowing is almost as harsh as the actual bug itself for many. So just having one master official copy (read-only) that is a quick reference people can view, see their bug and status it is in. If it needs more information then at least people know and maybe can help the process by submitting screenshots, more detailed feedback etc. If it has reached the Devs and they are actively working on a fix, then it is reassuring and people can retain hope that their issue will be resolved. People want communication even if something is not fixed yet, they want to know it hasn't fallen into a black hole. So just updating statuses will go a long way in my opinion.

As it stands the process of submitting bugs from a customer's perspective via in-game or on the forum, is literally submitting it into the abyss. We have no idea if it reached a final destination as there is typically no confirmation of receipt for bugs/feedback. In my opinion these two should be separated into two categories. This process can cause a customer to feel a bit anxious about their issue and it really starts the customer off in a negative communication pathway to nowhere. It may work well on the receiving end, but it can aggravate an already aggravated customer on the submission side. Very similar to a customer calling for customer service to a particular company and having to navigate through the automated system - by the time they get to a customer service representative they are at their boiling point. By making the process easier for the customer with some sort of 2 way communication status system, it will start the process off on a more positive note rather than a negative one.

Is it possible when something is submitted in game/forum can they be merged into this master list? It would make things streamlined, enable more information to be gathered, put many at ease that the problem has been acknowledged and confirmed. When ready hand the Devs a list of bugs that have gone through a compilation check beforehand and triaged as to what is urgent and what is not. This way the Devs are not getting bits and pieces of bug submissions, but rather a detailed list of which users are having similar issues etc. If there was some sort of 'form' submission on the forums rather then direct post, it could be micromanaged prior to posting in the master list to isolate possible exploitation and to ensure it isn't published.

Coming from a Customer Service/De-escalating complaints/Sales - background people just want to know they have been heard. Even if you cannot directly solve their problem, knowing that the problem was acknowledged tends to immediately de-escalate many concerns. It doesn't solve the primary issue however it solves the first issue and that is "The company is listening to me and heard me"". Then re-assuring the issue is passed on and is getting to the proper place if it cannot be immediately resolved.

Bl4ckR3alm93

LoneStar2911 wrote: »

Hey @ZOS_Kevin !
Not sure what a forum manager does exactly... but maybe put in a word that the mobile web version of the forums doesn’t let us use the report option. It’s been broken for as long as I can remember.
And, welcome!

Whats the mobile version called in the app store?

VaranisArano

Bl4ckR3alm93 wrote: »

LoneStar2911 wrote: »

Hey ZOS_Kevin !
Not sure what a forum manager does exactly... but maybe put in a word that the mobile web version of the forums doesn’t let us use the report option. It’s been broken for as long as I can remember.
And, welcome!

Whats the mobile version called in the app store?

I don't think there's a app, I just use Chrome.

ZOS_Kevin

Hey @LoneStar2911 . Personally I checking the forums throughout the day, everyday Monday- Friday. I check periodically during the weekend as well. You know excluding times I'm travelling or sick.

ZOS_Kevin

Thanks for the warm welcome @Minyassa ! I will get some pictures of Ellie and share them in this thread later in the week!

Inaya

Welcome @ZOS_Kevin

Hope you like to communicate with everyone, more than just a scolding in a thread. I think it would be great if you actually participated in the fun conversations. Also, just a "I'm listening" in the negative ones would go a long way with folks.

I've got 7 rescue cats and my first video game was FFXI! Pokemon Blue from 1996? Wow

GenjiraX

It’d be great if the Forum Manager could get the web wizards to actually, you know, fix the forum instead of giving half of us an empty background image. There’s no need to be all “we’re looking into this,” either. If the Chrome Styles extension can be used as a workaround then any amateur web dev could fix the actual forum in five minutes.

silver1surfer69

Welcome!^^

theyancey

Welcome to the asylum!

TwinLamps

Stamina main?
Well, I guess at least on forums we have one zos member that plays stamina...

nightstrike

Serenez wrote: »

Welcome @ZOS_Kevin ! I wish you well in your new position

A suggestion I have:

1. Bug Forum - Have an official Bug Compilation list with status beside each report bug that is collected on the forum. This would entail gathering information of posts on bugs and creating one official master list (read-only) Indicate a status on whether it is needing more information, cannot duplicate error or bug, bug forwarded to Dev team, Dev working on bug fix, fix is awaiting patch deployment etc.

One big complaint I hear from others is that players have no idea what status a bug is in. Do the Devs know about the bug? Are they working on it? The silence and not knowing is almost as harsh as the actual bug itself for many. So just having one master official copy (read-only) that is a quick reference people can view, see their bug and status it is in. If it needs more information then at least people know and maybe can help the process by submitting screenshots, more detailed feedback etc. If it has reached the Devs and they are actively working on a fix, then it is reassuring and people can retain hope that their issue will be resolved. People want communication even if something is not fixed yet, they want to know it hasn't fallen into a black hole. So just updating statuses will go a long way in my opinion.

As it stands the process of submitting bugs from a customer's perspective via in-game or on the forum, is literally submitting it into the abyss. We have no idea if it reached a final destination as there is typically no confirmation of receipt for bugs/feedback. In my opinion these two should be separated into two categories. This process can cause a customer to feel a bit anxious about their issue and it really starts the customer off in a negative communication pathway to nowhere. It may work well on the receiving end, but it can aggravate an already aggravated customer on the submission side. Very similar to a customer calling for customer service to a particular company and having to navigate through the automated system - by the time they get to a customer service representative they are at their boiling point. By making the process easier for the customer with some sort of 2 way communication status system, it will start the process off on a more positive note rather than a negative one.

Is it possible when something is submitted in game/forum can they be merged into this master list? It would make things streamlined, enable more information to be gathered, put many at ease that the problem has been acknowledged and confirmed. When ready hand the Devs a list of bugs that have gone through a compilation check beforehand and triaged as to what is urgent and what is not. This way the Devs are not getting bits and pieces of bug submissions, but rather a detailed list of which users are having similar issues etc. If there was some sort of 'form' submission on the forums rather then direct post, it could be micromanaged prior to posting in the master list to isolate possible exploitation and to ensure it isn't published.

Coming from a Customer Service/De-escalating complaints/Sales - background people just want to know they have been heard. Even if you cannot directly solve their problem, knowing that the problem was acknowledged tends to immediately de-escalate many concerns. It doesn't solve the primary issue however it solves the first issue and that is "The company is listening to me and heard me"". Then re-assuring the issue is passed on and is getting to the proper place if it cannot be immediately resolved.

The bulk of this could be solved with a public bug tracker. Just install bugzilla and be done with it.

cheeseaddict

welcome aboard, hope you have a thick skin, it can get rough in here.

VoidBiscuit

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

• “My first video game I ever played was Pokémon Blue in my Kiwi Green Gameboy Color. But a good portion of my teens were spent playing The Elder Scrolls III and IV, Fallout, Mass Effect, and Halo.”
• “I have a pet cat named Ellie. I was playing The Last of Us at the time, thus the name. She's just as feisty as Ellie from the game.
• “I play a Stamina DPS Templar in ESO. I based my ESO character on a character in a TTRPG game I played a while ago. The TTRPG character could also use light magic, so it seemed like a perfect fit.”
• “The last time I traveled was to Japan for my honeymoon. We went to a monkey conservation reserve in Kyoto and a baby monkey tried to climb on me. So that was fun.”

Thanks for telling us a little bit about yourself, Kevin! Welcome to the team!

Kevin sounds extremely precious and must be protected at all costs.

Welcome!

SimonThesis

Hiring Kevin is the best decision this company has ever made. He is even beloved by the forum trolls and thats no small feat.

Eldartar

Destai wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @Aliyavana ! Appreciate the welcome! Criticism is perfectly fine as long as it's constructive. And we certainly appreciate the passion. Looking forward to interacting more and seeing everyone in-game. And very glad you're enjoying the game!

Hi Kevin, welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll have your hands full here, but I hope that you can appreciate the detailed feedback and engage with us in actual conversation.

As the incoming forum manager, here's some ways I think you could engender warm feelings to yourself and ZOS at large:
1. Respond to QoL threads. I myself have put together very well reasoned and detailed responses on improving QoL in this game's system. Many others have as well. These threads often have the same complaints, some years old. My hope is you can jump on those threads, and let us know what's possible and if you can leverage internal processes to champion our suggestions. Recent example is here, but feel free to check my comment history. One of my favorite CMs was from Guild Wars 2, and they always organized and engaged QoL threads.
2. Engage hot button issues. ZOS makes changes that aren't always well received. It's part of game development, but when there's 15+ pages of people asking for developer or CM input only to be met with either silence or moderation, ZOS looks really bad and it creates toxicity and ill will. Look at this thread from a consumer's perspective.
3. Let us know what's being heard on PTS. There are countless examples where players call out bugs or features that don't land well. The game then gets released and those problems are present at launch. People are then wondering why, we ask and we again get met with crickets.
4. Have difficult conversations. It's easy to pick low hanging fruit and answer easy questions. Too many times, I've seen legitimate frustration go unanswered or silenced. Perfect example, this poor chap. Imagine you're that guy right now. Fundamentally, show some empathy towards us and you'll get a lot of respect. We all get you guys have a job, with metrics and management, and department initiatives. But please, please appreciate we are your customers first. I promise if you and the rest of the CMs and moderators show empathy - beyond "thanks for understanding", that's worthless - you'll have to deal with so much less toxicity. As a gamer yourself, I'm sure you know the passion that goes into building our characters and communities. Carry that with you when dealing with us and we will respect you a lot.
5. Be engaged in threads you start. The other CMs will post things like feedback threads, event announcements, and patch notes. Very rarely is there detailed conversations from the CMs on these threads. Just from personal experience, this thread.
6. Let us know what your role actually is. I think one of the pain points many of us have is we believe that it's Gina's and Jessica's job to respond to us here. We don't know their constraints or priorities, we just know they're not responding to us. So let us know what your responsibilities actually are and how we can best use your time to improve the game with us.
7. Understand that we notice. Players notice a lot and intuit a lot from your actions. Many of us have jobs in technology and consulting and hold you guys to a professional standard. I myself am a consultant and solution architect. We understand the corporate initiatives, community management, and damage control that's sometimes necessary. All that we ask is you don't treat us like we're children and try to pull one over on us. We hope you'd be the more human face of ZOS that these forums need and deserve. Reference here, here.
8. Help us distinguish between ZOS input and moderation. I know this is a tall order, but it's incredibly frustrating to go to a hot thread with the Z next to it, click on that Z and bam, it's just moderation. Maybe make it a different color or something, but it's just not important to the customer experience when we're coming here for actual CM or Dev engagement. In my opinion, these forums are too focused on moderation and not focused enough on acknowledging player feedback that we often go well out of our way to provide. Again, understand we notice.
9. Start fun discussions. Patch notes are cool, but how about delving into what we love about the game. Ask us what are favorite expansions are, what NPCs we like, stuff like that. And of course, tell us what you like about the game. You could even organize public events if you're so inclined. People would eat that up!

For fun, I started my TES journey with Morrowind and have been hooked on the IP ever since. Oblivion is still my favorite single player TES game. I started ESO back in beta and have played across PC, Xbox, and PS. Right now, I main a High Elf Bow Warden, but I also like my Dark Elf Nightblade and Dragonknight I have 9 max levels toon, I'm not addicted I swear! I've got a stamplar too, they're a lot of fun!

Wow Destai, give the man a chance to grap a coffee ...................................

Elsonso

.

Eldartar wrote: »

Destai wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hey @Aliyavana ! Appreciate the welcome! Criticism is perfectly fine as long as it's constructive. And we certainly appreciate the passion. Looking forward to interacting more and seeing everyone in-game. And very glad you're enjoying the game!

Hi Kevin, welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll have your hands full here, but I hope that you can appreciate the detailed feedback and engage with us in actual conversation.
[...]

Wow Destai, give the man a chance to grap a coffee ...................................

You realize that was written in June? @ZOS_Kevin has had enough coffee. Now, he is probably in the bathroom...

chaz

I know I'm a little late however, Welcome @ZOS_Kevin . I don't always pay attention to whom is working here, and I'm not angel either, I had my few moments of having a talking to for posting sketchy *stuff* "in quotes" if ya know what I mean. In anycase, there it is. Welcome.

edward_frigidhands

Welcome Kevin!