Some community members in another thread suggested we could take some additional steps to make community members feel that their feedback and suggestions are being heard and understood, even if we aren't necessarily able to make changes.
I've started this thread so people can let us know what method of communication they prefer best. I cannot promise that we'll be able to implement all of the suggestions, but I will definitely sit down with the team and review them all to see what we can do.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and feedback. We appreciate your input tremendously.
-Mike
I sent WotC_ScottR a 2 part PM on 04-29-08 about a few methods to help with communications.
Best feedback I can give, is to participate more in the forums. Even if you can't say much, talk to the users as equals rather than talking down to them from some corporate pillar.
...and don't disappear for long times no matter how much work there is. Stop by the forums at least to say:
"Major bug found in something so had to deal with it and couldn't visit the forums today."
or
"New feature got working nicely so was playing with it and forgot to visit the forums today."
2. Acknowledge that 1 year of Alpha Gleemax is a bit rediculous and address where this is going and what can be expected. When is Alpha ending and is the world Alpha being abused here just because nobody is doing anything to correct the bugs?
3. Have the big dogs spend ten minutes of their day posting in the most frequented forums. Give them a rotation cycle so that it at least appears that someone is here EVERY day.
4. Collect EVERY complaint and make an agreement with your community to respond to complaints within five business days.
5. Give us a Dev log of the D&Di components and where they stand on coming out - FREQUENTLY. I don't need a hard date, I just need an update. NWN devs used to post their bug fixes. WoW posts bug fixes. Show us ver # and bug lists to let us know something is actually happening.
I think a lot of peoples frustrations is people saying they would do something and not delivering and then not even giving the information saying that they aren't delivering. If Ken is too busy trying to get everything squared away, have someone else hop on and take over answering some questions.
Basically we just want something. If nothing else as some info will at least calm down the rumor mill.
EDIT: And it's fun to see a video of a screen, but I'm talking about actual video output of the screen, please.
When (will this thing be available)
How Much (will it cost/month/year)
Weekly updates on these things would be great (blog format, newsletter, etc.). I understand that there are greater forces at work when it comes to pricing (package vs. ala carte) than can be summed up in a single statement but if you want to take the pulse of the community, set up a poll (granted it's informal and not scientific but it's quicker than asking for opinions). The longer this process drags out, the more it appears to be vapor ware. While I am sure that we (users of the site) are happy to receive the maerial for free, someone has to make sure that the writers are getting paid.
I will assume that you already have a directive passed down from the Hasbro BOD as far as target income amounts for this project, the question is, how will you get there if you can't get everyone in the room to agree on what it is you're selling? So far the ROI is $0.00, how long can it stay that way (before there are consequences) since we're already into Q3?
All I'm really interested in, ultimately, is when I'm going to get my hands on these cool programs you guys are pushing. I know I'm not going to get exact dates because things change. I'm looking for general updates along the lines of: "Well we made some big strides in the character builder this week and we're optimistic that we'll be able to get it out next month. We're having some significant issues with the game table, so that might take a bit longer than we hoped."
That's all. Simple, honest, general appraisals of the status of the programs.
My suggestion would be to actually schedual some time to respond, be it 10 minutes a day, or an hour once a week. Keep to your schedules, even if it's to throw up a quick note that things have been hectic and you haven't had time to post. If you spend as much time reading the forums as you claim, that shouldn't be to hard. (Ken Troop, I'm looking at you.)
That being said, I do want to say thank you to everyone on the DDi team. The fact that Gamer_Zer0 created this thread shows that you do care about how your customers feel and are looking to do something to improve relations.
5. Give us a Dev log of the D&Di components and where they stand on coming out - FREQUENTLY. I don't need a hard date, I just need an update. NWN devs used to post their bug fixes. WoW posts bug fixes. Show us ver # and bug lists to let us know something is actually happening.
This is sorely needed, I agree. Top on my list.
EK
We were told, when DDI was announced, that "The Internet is where people go for information".
If WotC is truly going to embrace that as a philosophy, if you REALLY want to build a strong community, if you REALLY want to "partner" with us, the customer, then you need to embrace that philosophy holistically. On the other hand, moving to an online selection of services, telling us this is where information is going to be housed, and then having little or nothing you're willing to share breeds frustration for those of us that are ready, willing, and eager to use your software.
In talking about DDi (and really, any D&D product) you're talking about building a community. As the custodians of that community, we're looking to you to set the tone for that community.
Right now the tone of that community is leaning toward "We're happy to answer your questions," followed by long stretches of silence. The phones are ringing, but nobody is answering.
I think a peek behind the "Iron Curtain" would be beneficial to us in the community, as well as to you at WotC. Others are calling for a weekly status update, or a developer blog. I think this idea should be considered VERY heavily. We're on the Internet - give us more information, not less.
Consider as well that those of us that are here in the DDI forums, despite our differences of opinion, our quabbles, and even our occasional snarkiness, are also likely to be your biggest DDI fans.
Giving us more information, more glimmers of hope, and more signs of good faith, will only serve to turn us into some of your best feedback givers. More importantly, if we're kept happy, excited, and well-fed, we'll also become your best source of positive word-of-mouth advertising (the kind everyone wishes they could "buy").
In short, the more you talk with us, instead of at us, the more you'll find we're part of the project. The more we feel connected, the more positive things we'll have to say - to you, and to the community at large.
With GenCon looming, even if no new parts of the software become available (though, with the RPGA launching LFR at GenCon, I really REALLY hope the character creator is ready by GenCon. . . ), it wouldn't hurt you guys at all to have a few of us really excited about DDI and spreading the word that its going to be something people are interested in.
Sure, you'll likely have Rouse, Collins, and perhaps Mr Troop at the show saying all this, but again, word of mouth carries a long way.
1. Do NOT Rely on the Boards: Recent issues have proven that you cannot rely upon the stability of the forums to get out important information. While it is a good place to provide more in-depth info and allow for feedback, I truly believe the WotC staff needs to look into a dashboard, which can show almost constant updates, particularly when the boards are down.
2. Don't ignore the questions you don't want to or cannot answer. There have been several questions and concerns raised here that go unanswered. If you can't answer, say so. If you don't want to answer, there's probably more of a reason you *should* provide more information rather than lead your customers astray.
3. Put in an Answers Thread. This would be one that only KT, DM, GZ, or such can post in. Have a separate thread for questions, and right off the bat, delete anything from the post that isn't a question or comment specifically directed at those responding.
4. Aside from these proactive activities, get with the people in charge of your already designed systems, such as customer service, and have them start a fire on somebody's desk to get their answers and the support pages up to date and accurate.
Many of us on the D&Di team are posting fairly regularly in these forums, including myself, Ken Troop, WotC_DM, Scott Rouse and others. We are not able to provide answers to all the questions and I understand how frustrating that can be, and I apologize for that.
Some community members in another thread suggested we could take some additional steps to make community members feel that their feedback and suggestions are being heard and understood, even if we aren't necessarily able to make changes.
I've started this thread so people can let us know what method of communication they prefer best. I cannot promise that we'll be able to implement all of the suggestions, but I will definitely sit down with the team and review them all to see what we can do.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and feedback. We appreciate your input tremendously.
-Mike
Communication-Top 3 methods I prefer.
1)Often
2)Open
3)Honest
So far not such a good job on 1 and 2 which makes me and I think some others doubt your doing number 3
Many of us on the D&Di team are posting fairly regularly in these forums, including myself, Ken Troop, WotC_DM, Scott Rouse and others. We are not able to provide answers to all the questions and I understand how frustrating that can be, and I apologize for that.
Some community members in another thread suggested we could take some additional steps to make community members feel that their feedback and suggestions are being heard and understood, even if we aren't necessarily able to make changes.
I've started this thread so people can let us know what method of communication they prefer best. I cannot promise that we'll be able to implement all of the suggestions, but I will definitely sit down with the team and review them all to see what we can do.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and feedback. We appreciate your input tremendously.
-Mike
Ok I have a important quastion...lets see what you think...I have asked it 3 times so far...
I am running 2 4e games at gencon. I was hopeing to use DDI to make the sheets (I have VERY bad hand writeing), and since the WotC polocy appears to be that no one else should make sheet generators (like heroforge did for 3e), I am now hopeing to atleast have a beta up before Gen Con.
Is there a chance it will be ready, and if so how good of a chance is it?
-Have one person responsible for keeping people on this board informed. When you have 2-3 people jumping in and out, it is really easy for there to be miscommunication and a lack of consistency.
-If DDI isn't going to happen or is going to be delayed more than a year, now is the time to tell us.
-Explain why DDI was not released on time and why the compendium wasn't what you guys promised it would be.
-Tell us more about the V Miniatures. Am I going to have to pay 99 Cents any time I want to use a standard monster on the table top? Frankly I don't see the value of paying for a virtual avatar.
Start a new thread?
1. Pick one obvious spot to make all announcements, preferably some place obvious when you go to www.wizards.com/dnd
2. Make announcements there often, even if the information seems unimportant to you. Heck, if you haven't said anything for a few days on account on being busy, go ahead and say that. At least we don't have to wonder if you're still around.
3. Stop spreading information over many news tickers (why one for dragon, one for dungeon, one "feature" (whatever that is) etc...? Let's face it, it's not like we'd be overloaded with information if the feeds were consolidated).
Oh, and stop making forum threads in which you ask for feedback which you then seem to abandon. :/
Respond at least once within a day of asking these questions? That might help... respond to the thread!!!
Frustrating.
*sigh*
Respond at least once within a day of asking these questions? That might help... respond to the thread!!!
Frustrating.
I think we should open a new thread to gauge community frustration regarding community ideas to improve communication by figuring out where Ken Troop is.
It is not so much the quality or quantity of communication that people are looking for. They simply want regular communication. People want to be kept informed on what is going on. They want to feel that they are important.
That being said, here are my suggestions. Take them together or individually:
- Every week, have someone from the dev team post a short post explaining what they are working on. Provide a bug that they have recently fixed (and explain it in English, not techese) and a bug that they are working on. If there are no bugs that the person is working on, talk about a project/module.
- If you make a commitment to post, and for whatever reason cannot, take a minute to post that you don't have the time. Either a post in here, or a PM to myself or one of the News Guides (WolfStar76, Cart Sprinter or Aberzanzorax) and we will post it for you.
- Every week, have someone senior on the dev team post about a milestone they are aiming for or have just achieved.
- Start a thread called "Staff answers to questions" and answer questions in there. (See the Forgotten Realms "Ask a dev" thread for an example.) Set rules for what type of questions can be asked, and the NGs and I will make sure that questions that fall outside those rules are removed.[1]
- Pick one of the Directed Discussion topics and answer or post your thoughts.
- Suggest a topic that you would like to see a Directed Discussion on.
- If you can't answer a question, either due to lack of information, lack of time, or simply not being allowed to answer due to NDA stuff, just say so. We will understand.
[1] For example - Questions that are of the form "Why are you trying to put all other VTTs out of business" or "Why hasn't WotC fired your asses and hired someone who has a clue" would be removed from the thread. Questions would be required to be as neutral as possible and be oriented towards DDi.
For example, Ken popped his head in, answered some questions and then made a statement thathe would do so once a week. Since then, neither hide nor hair has been seen. What little goodwill he had built up with his massive first round of answers is rapidly being spent.
Keep promises to post if you say you are going to post within self imposed deadline. Posting deadline is not a release dead line, just saying I am indeed posting as much as I can because I promised I would post by now.
I think we should open a new thread to gauge community frustration regarding community ideas to improve communication by figuring out where Ken Troop is.
And then never post in it again?
Here is my impression:
It is not so much the quality or quantity of communication that people are looking for. They simply want regular communication. People want to be kept informed on what is going on. They want to feel that they are important.
I have to disagree with you there, MB. The quality is important to a number of people. I am not alone in saying what little information we have been provided as of yet is lacking. Have the strength behind it and be forward. The communication that does come forth will be judged; and, based on the crowd, it will most likely be a mixture of harsh and easy.
The rest of your suggestions are pretty good. I do feel however one big Q&A Post will quickly get out of hand. There will be a LOT of questions and a LOT of feedback. Anything of this magnitude that is going to provide worthwhile information needs to be relatively locked down or at least the OP regularly edited.
Jump in some of the Directed Discussion topics, even if you don't start one. Post your thoughts, or give some reasons why something could or won't work.
And, I reiterate, the communication needs to include more than just these boards.
And then never post in it again?
Of course not! The thread itself solves the problem, exactly as this one has done...
Ok, I couldn't type that with a straight face, just couldn't do it.
How about answering the questions and concerns we already expressed to you? Do you really need to fish for more info on how to do a better job communicating? I think people have already made it clear what they want.
Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading all the comments and suggestions and will be working with the team to see what we can do to make some or all of them happen.
When do you think we'll hear back on this stuff?
1. Actual Communication and Dates set.
2. Promised 'More News' Actually released an example of this from your OWN website:
D&D Insider Applications Update 06/10/2008 <-- 6th.. mind over a month ago!
The D&D Insider applications are currently in development. However, content for Dragon Magazine and Dungeon Magazine is now available to our 4th Edition players, free of charge. We’re hard at work on all the applications, and the D&D Online Compendium will be the first online tool available for free preview while we finish work on D&D Insider. We hope to have the rest of the D&D Insider applications (Character Visualizer, Character Builder, and the D&D Game Table) available throughout the coming year. A FAQ will be posted later this week with more details.
Ken Troop
Executive Producer
D&D Insider
Yet there is no post to the FAQ in the news and even if you go to the help under the FAQ information:
Current FAQs for 4th Edition
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep on the Shadowfell - An introductory 4th Edition D&D adventure for characters of levels 1-3
Player's Handbook - The first of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.
Dungeon Master's Guide - The second of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.
Monster Manual - The third of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.
Thunderspire Labyrinth - A 4th Edition D&D adventure for characters of levels 4–6
Nothing for D&D Insider at all.. over a month later.
It's like you guys say one thing........ then forget you've even said it. I mean how hard is it for you to keep your commitments? Apparently hard, because you've broken a bunch of them, first not releasing D&DI when 4th Edition released. Then with your own news posts in the dates after.
I think you will find that beyond anything else.. just the sheer lack of commitment on YOUR part to keep YOUR user base updated with information on the state of things is what is peeving more and more people off.
Just look at the complaints? You guys are meant to be a Subsidery of one of the LARGEST corporate organisations in the world. HASBRO! I mean your going to sit here and tell us that you have no clue on how to run public relations? If anything my third point would be:
3. Hire a Public Relations Officer who knows what he is doing, rather then people who seem to do a half botched job of it. (Sorry if that stings but it's the truth).
Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading all the comments and suggestions and will be working with the team to see what we can do to make some or all of them happen.
How about fewer of these kinds of statements? Actually answering our questions in a direct manner?
You must realize that so far the replies we have been getting have been less than satisfactory. I suggest you wizos look back at how these threads evolved, and if you can't understand why your posts only fan the anger, I suggest taking a few comminucation courses or putting some real PR people on this board.
They are not the same people. WizOs are solely responsible for enforcing the CoC on the forums (and in chat and MtGO.) Gamer_Zer0, Ken Troop, GmrGirl and others who work for WotC are *not* WizOs.
I have to disagree with you there, MB. The quality is important to a number of people. I am not alone in saying what little information we have been provided as of yet is lacking. Have the strength behind it and be forward. The communication that does come forth will be judged; and, based on the crowd, it will most likely be a mixture of harsh and easy.
I should perhaps qualify my statement a bit. I forget sometimes that you guys don't know what is in my brain...
By not looking for quality, I mean that most people here aren't looking for extremely detailed technical briefings and data. Rather, they would be looking for information on what is going on. Milestones, major bugs overcome, progress reports, that sort of thing. Sorry for the confusion. (hey, it made sense in my head when I wrote it)
The rest of your suggestions are pretty good. I do feel however one big Q&A Post will quickly get out of hand. There will be a LOT of questions and a LOT of feedback. Anything of this magnitude that is going to provide worthwhile information needs to be relatively locked down or at least the OP regularly edited.
That is why I suggested (or I thought I suggested) having one thread for answers, with another thread for questions. The answer thread could be regularly cleaned up by the NGs and VCL at the time.
Jump in some of the Directed Discussion topics, even if you don't start one. Post your thoughts, or give some reasons why something could or won't work.
Yup. Your (WotC staff) thoughts on the DD topics could provide a very interesting jumping off-point for further discussion.
Don't say we will discuss things without at least saying which things you're going to discuss. If you say you're going to do something, please do it.
Telling us you can't tell us is fine. It may not be what we want to hear, but at least now we know you heard the question and that it is important to us.
Regular updates, status reports, letting us know where they are with the problem, solid communication and professional behavior toward people who are annoyed (unlike the Wizards folks who ACTUALLY work for CM, who tend to shut down when faced with negativity), setting deadlines and giving specifics, and then holding to them.
It's weird that the biggest breaths of fresh air in Community Management on these boards come from the people who have nothing to do with CM. It's a really bad sign.
EDIT: I oughta give credit where due, though: Mudbunny is a hell of a VCL
EDIT: Fixed the link, thanks to WolfStar76.
A case study in how you guys ought to act in all situations is in this thread: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1059577
Regular updates, status reports, letting us know where they are with the problem, solid communication and professional behavior toward people who are annoyed (unlike the Wizards folks who ACTUALLY work for CM, who tend to shut down when faced with negativity), setting deadlines and giving specifics, and then holding to them.
It's weird that the biggest breaths of fresh air in Community Management on these boards come from the people who have nothing to do with CM. It's a really bad sign.
EDIT: I oughta give credit where due, though: Mudbunny is a hell of a VCL
I think the link you were looking for is this one: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1058010
Specifically, Gmrgirl's post, here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=16312412&postcount=18
I oughta give credit where due, though: Mudbunny is a hell of a VCL
You guys make it very easy to be a VCL.
I think the link you were looking for is this one: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1058010
Specifically, Gmrgirl's post, here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=16312412&postcount=18
Er, yeah. How'd I screw that up?
The best suggestion on this thread so far has been to use the main D&Di page to post updates and information about the progress being made. While not as interactive as forum posts, it provides a central location folks can go to for information. The key, however, is to keep it updated on a regular basis (once a week would be ideal).
Something else to consider is having a structured plan of attack for how you handle forum posting. Take a look at the amount of time you have during the week and see if you can squeeze in an hour somewhere to read and reply to the forums. At your next staff meeting, designate someone to be the face of the department on the forums and make sure that person has time in their schedule to be on the forums. Then have that person coordinate with Community Management and the VCL to maximize that time.
Say, for example, that GmrGrl (spelling ?) is your designated forum person. She can talk to Gamer_Zer0 to set up a strategy for communication and then Mudbunny can compile a list of threads that could use a post from a staffer and send them to her via PM.
Just some thoughts. Have fun and good luck.
The DDi page, while central, might increase a bit of delay due to the need to get the info in .html format and get someone to post it and alter other pages that link to it. Unless you could get someone to create a DDi blog page that is part of the DDi part of the WotC website.
Perhaps get Mike/Solice/Michelle to set up a Staff blog in the Staff Blogs forum.
Has the DDi team considered a Gleemax blog or two? There still appear to be some problems, however the Gleemax blogs now have RSS feeds available to them.
For those who wonder why I asked C-Monk to poke his simian snout in, he and I have had conversations via IM several times and I have always found him to have intelligent and insightful ideas and advice.
The "news" in DDI is very sparse and generally pointless. If people don't want to brave this message board, there's still no indication anything is going on at all.
He said he'll read the posts and take them to the team. He promised us nothing about starting a discussion (which is a shame since that's what we're really looking for).
I personally don't need a firm release date or anything. I mean, that was part of the problem in the beginning, the fact that people thought we were getting it on release and we weren't. I don't want to force them to spit out a date that they won't make.
However, it would be nice to get a little "inside scoop". Maybe a weekly "this is what we're working on" blog for us to mull over and maybe even offer suggestions on.
I'm not trying to say WotC isn't doing a good job or something, I'm just curious about how it's going. And I think it'd be a good way to maintain excitement in this product.
An excellent example of a tiny piece of information which would have mattered a lot to me: The Penny Arcade podcast was delayed by a numer of days, due to people being sick (I seemed to recall). This should have been posted somewhere in plain sight on the 11th (the intended release day of the podcast), not somewhere deep down in a forum thread on the general forums several days after.
Is that what happened to it? I've been looking around but didn't find any information on it. >.>
#1. Air your dirty laundry. Explain why the delay happened, why the project management failed, and what steps are being taken to put the project back on track. The higher-ups will protest, saying it will be bad PR. I have news for you guys: Your reputation as far as software projects goes could not possibly be any worse, and if the situation became public you might actually get some sympathy and buy yourselves some time.
#2. Tell us where you're at with regards to the project and what still needs to be done. No need to give us a timeframe that you're not going to make, just tell us how much more functionality needs to be added. I'm guessing the reason this hasn't been done already is to avoid embarrassment but if you follow #1 above, you get it out in the open and move on. Make regular updates so that we can get a sense of progress.
#3. Can the generic CM-speech. You guys have screwed the pooch. We know you've screwed the pooch, and the pooch knows that it has been screwed. Use plain talk, don't sugar-coat things, quit telling us that you can't tell us things, and browbeat your superiors into giving you more latitude with information. If you need an example of how this community needs to be treated, see how Mark Jacobs (the CEO of Mythic) handled the announcement that Warhammer Online was cutting a major amount of content from their soon-to-be released game. He came out and flat out told the community the truth, told them why he did it, says he's sorry it had to be like that, but the milk's on the corn flakes and that's how its gonna be. No sugar coating, no CM-speak bullpuckey.
Do the above 3 things, then after everyone digests what's going on you can purge the negativity by focusing on getting us excited for when DDI does come out.
#2: Don't give us "updates", give us actual updates like you said you would.
After you've done those things...
#3: Explain to us why simple stuff takes FOREVER at WotC.
#4: Explain to us where there are several (albeit illegal) character builders and online compendiums for 4e out there on the net that are looking really nice right about now and why yours (which saw the material long before ANY of theirs did) hasn't seen the light of day at all and is still in ALPHA.
1. Post news every week on the DDI news section. That is what is for, isn't it? Every week.
2. Don't try to answer every question that come here. You'll never answer them all, and you'll only anger people when you miss some, or information changes over time, or whatever.
3. Instead, pick a handful of FAQ type questions that come up a lot (redundant, eh), and have a thread or DDI news story where you answer those.
4. I liked the idea of a "I fixed this bug today" or "I worked on this part" today suggestion.
5. New screen shots every week. Give us something to look forward to.
Basically, what I've said over and over. Manage your customers' expectations better. Your marketing people know that the best way to keep customers happy is to ensure that their expectations match your upcoming work. Don't over promise, but don't always under promise. Feed your customers crumbs. Keep them coming back.
For example, have any of the dragon magazine materials been added to the compendium? If so, that is news! Put it out there. If not, explain why we have a full month, and no new stuff is added. That is news, and it manages our expectations. This is marketing / communications 101 stuff.
Is that what happened to it? I've been looking around but didn't find any information on it. >.>
Someone was sick at WotC and "Gabe" was on vacation (which is why they were doing the Paint the Line story arc).
Don't let the naysayers cloud your vision. 4E rocks! D&DI will soon Rock! Gleemax Rocks! Anyone who disagrees should just be banned and stop ruining peoples' fun.
wow just wow, Sir I'm going to have to ask you to put the pompom's on the ground and back away slowly.
wow just wow, Sir I'm going to have to ask you to put the pompom's on the ground and back away slowly.
4E does rock but the rest of that guy's post.... he needs to get back on his meds. :D
EK
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1064397
Great way to communicate. You ignore everything we're saying in that thread and then redirect us here for some reason. That thread wasn't entirely about communication GZ. You know that.
You took the time to post a pretty ticked off looking message, so why not answer some things? I know you had meetings last week about DDi over there because with your 1-2 posts last week you told us there were meetings over there.
How about addressing some of those concerns? Your DC's are increasing when it comes to your community communications. Your lack of response in this thread doesn't help.
Here is one more piece of advice: listen
Don't close our threads unless there is cause to...
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1064397
Great way to communicate. You ignore everything we're saying in that thread and then redirect us here for some reason. That thread wasn't entirely about communication GZ. You know that.
You took the time to post a pretty ticked off looking message, so why not answer some things? I know you had meetings last week about DDi over there because with your 1-2 posts last week you told us there were meetings over there.
How about addressing some of those concerns? Your DC's are increasing when it comes to your community communications. Your lack of response in this thread doesn't help.
Here is one more piece of advice: listen
Eh.
Your thread was essentially "WotC sux!"
While we have seen very little headway in the suggestions presented in this thread, I might make another suggestion. Take a look at what GZ just did and do NOT do that--it is the opposite of improving communication. Closing and merging threads is one thing, directing to people to a thread that doesn't encompass the purpose of their thread is like trying to lump all discussions on rules or new classes into one thread....common idea, completely different direction.
Please try to keep it as contructive as possible. I am trying very hard to make sure the right people are reading the forums and seeing all the feedback and concerns from the community and I've been having some great success.
Startng off a thread with a mocking or other non-constructive post is going to guarentee that people on the team stop reading at that point. This means that what's said after that will go unread and good points may be missed.
I realize that some people might be frustrated enough that they don't care if people on the development team read their thread, but there are others that definitely want to have their feedback read. Let's try to be fair to everyone and keep the threads constructive enough to maintain the good momentum we're building up in getting community concerns in front of the right people.
Getting back on topic of this thread, are we any closer to seeing any of the suggestions from the community come into action, or are there plans to better the communication that you can let us in on? I mean, Ken said in his post that communication was an issue and that WotC needed to get better, and I believe he even said there were some plans to do so. I know you're there, with a big corporation and approval can take awhile, but it's reaching the two month mark, and we haven't seen much other than some posts here or there.
If there's changes that I'm overlooking, what/where are they? If there's a hangup, can you maybe let us know what it is? Technical aspects, managerial approval, marketing's sign off? Are things still that much on fire over there? The new edition has been released as has the GSL. The team is/should be used to putting books out as they're continuing to do now. Not everyone is working on DDi, but it almost seems as if the community pretty much hinges on that and we're not hearing much else over the squeaky wheel.
For example, Ken popped his head in, answered some questions and then made a statement thathe(sic) would do so once a week. Since then, neither hide nor hair has been seen. What little goodwill he had built up with his massive first round of answers is rapidly being spent.
This! This is a major beef. Promised updates and then none. Promised news updates on the DDI website, nothing new since June 23rd. Promised rollouts of DDI components and then nothing. Promised edits of the Compendium, and then nothing.
If you can't do it, then don't say it.
Scott and Linae have been very honest and helpful in the GSL side of the house. When they don't know about a question that has been asked in regards to a date, they are honest about it. They set an expectation to find an answer. Sometimes that answer is not what people want, being not in the foreseeable future, or 'we don't know,' but they keep poking their heads in and being active on the forum.
Many (all?) of the questions regarding DDi are met with awful silence. If they don't have any updates, than tell us. At least that way we know that Ken and the development folks haven't been eaten by MudBunny. This seems an awful lot like sweeping the problem under the rug and ignoring it. He hasn't even popped his head by. We don't need a play by play of 'Ken added 251 lines of code today,' just a 'hey, we are working on problems as they become known, and will let you know again next week.'
I moved to Kentucky a year ago from Illinois. With the announcement of 4E and DDi, I called up some old pals in Illinois and all agreed to get the gametable application and the 4E books. The books were not disappointing (very pleased- reminds me of the olden days), but the idea of not being able to play is. In regards to gaming again with my old friends its alot like buying an MMORPG but not being able to log into the servers.
Really, just basic expectations are we what we want. 'No news' doesn't equate to 'good news.' In this situation...
Maybe its all our fault in the community for not communicating in 1s and 0s, or lines of code.
Sub DDi
Query.Dungeons and Dragons Insider Update = True;"We are currently working on it, and have a revised
date_of";; False;"We don't have an update at this time, but will let you know each week."
End Sub DDi
Hope that helps.
Eh.
Your thread was essentially "WotC sux!"
Fodigg, I like what you have to say on these forum 99.9% of the time. I'm going to ask that you re-read the post. I'm going to save my encounter power breath weapon.
I'm doing my best to work with the community and get issues and concerns addressed. I encourage everyone to post their feedback and comments however critical they may be.
We're doing that... I'll be the first to admit, we're getting critical and getting there really fast.
Please try to keep it as contructive as possible. I am trying very hard to make sure the right people are reading the forums and seeing all the feedback and concerns from the community and I've been having some great success.
Well the success certainly isn't manifesting itself in anything your consumer base can see GZ. It appears to be as real as the vaporware WotC is providing.
Startng off a thread with a mocking or other non-constructive post is going to guarentee that people on the team stop reading at that point. This means that what's said after that will go unread and good points may be missed.
I don't really think that is true. If you have people whose job it is to read the posts and they aren't doing it because they don't like the names of the thread... someone needs to go over their responsibilities one last time with them. Perhaps you should make it a point to read those posts, especially since this is a big issue.
I realize that some people might be frustrated enough that they don't care if people on the development team read their thread, but there are others that definitely want to have their feedback read. Let's try to be fair to everyone and keep the threads constructive enough to maintain the good momentum we're building up in getting community concerns in front of the right people.
We wanted them to see it. The thread wasn't that condesceding. TheNinjaD even said "I totally agree with this. It was presented in a good way, not too threatening or angry. We just want to know what is going on." This was all he said. We aren't posting like Comac who rips everything in sight after the failure of launch for DDi. I could go pull some of his old threads out if you'd like and show you what negativity really is. (No offense to Comac is intended)
Honestly, I think we got to you. I think that because the look of your report was used for it and you got angry then trashed the thread. I HOPE that isn't true because I would HOPE you're not petty enough to do that, but that is what it looks like to me (and I'm sure, several others).
Here is the link to the thread. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1064397
Breath weapon expended for this encounter. With that said... heres some quotes from EpochGames, lets give him a round of applause!
It was a complaint post, which is all well and good, but GZ was in the wrong here. Unless, of course, this is just an area he wants to lump all complaints regarding WotC's failures....If that is his goal, the spirit of this thread has been lost.
I think it already has been.
While we have seen very little headway in the suggestions presented in this thread, I might make another suggestion. Take a look at what GZ just did and do NOT do that--it is the opposite of improving communication. Closing and merging threads is one thing, directing to people to a thread that doesn't encompass the purpose of their thread is like trying to lump all discussions on rules or new classes into one thread....common idea, completely different direction.
Agreed. 100% agreed. Thats all I'm going to say there.
If there's changes that I'm overlooking, what/where are they? If there's a hangup, can you maybe let us know what it is? Technical aspects, managerial approval, marketing's sign off? Are things still that much on fire over there? The new edition has been released as has the GSL. The team is/should be used to putting books out as they're continuing to do now. Not everyone is working on DDi, but it almost seems as if the community pretty much hinges on that and we're not hearing much else over the squeaky wheel.
Second that for me too.
For example, to take from one of your other posts G0:
Major Items:
Unable to view DDi: The issue is XXX and we are working on solution YYY. ETA: M/D/YY
Forum Stability: The problem is XXX and we are working on solution YYY. ETA: M/D/YY
Note: While the effective downtime of our forums remains much higher than we’d like, our numbers seem to show a much higher level of traffic when the forums are actually up and available.
Minor Items:
GSL Answers: There is no ETA for answers. They will be answered in the order received. Note that you can find many answers located here. Please check there first to lighten the load for our GSLs. We will work on consistent answers. Note that this may delay your answer.
Relevant Links:
D&Di News: http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=875
Why was DDI sign in not working tonight?
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1058010
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1058112
CM Comment: There is a problem where some users are unable to access the D&Di pages using their login information. This information works everyplace else, just not on D&Di for some reason. Previously, we had the D&Di page set that anyone could view the contents without entering valid log in information, but this has changed recently. We have our folks working on a solution and hope to either have a work around or some other solution by the end of the day. However, incremental problems like this continue to erode community confidence in our digital initiatives and give us a little more of an uphill battle than we might have already had.
Directed Discussion - Beta now or Beta Later??
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1058412
Developer Blogs that may have more information:
[List the Blogs]
This would allow you to add to and adjust the post as necessary, once a week or sooner if something is resolved. The reason I suggest having a link on the DDi page is because many people looking at that page may not realize there is a forum, may not feel comfortable using forums, or may not want to search through tons of threads to find their answer(s).
Fodigg, I like what you have to say on these forum 99.9% of the time. I'm going to ask that you re-read the post. I'm going to save my encounter power breath weapon.
My previous post wasn't very clear.
I feel that, from the context of the conversation, GZ was attempting to redirect your efforts, not silence you.
1. Weekly progress reports on how far along each part of it is being done. You don't need to give a date on when you think it will be ready, just how far along you are with each part.
2. a link on the DnD main page to this info that is easy to find.
I can't understand why the people at WOTC have not done this for the public. People are VERY frustrated at the lack of info from WOTC. This is the NUMBER ONE info people have been asking for. And they wonder why people make bad comments about them in posts.
First of all:
#1. Air your dirty laundry. Explain why the delay happened, why the project management failed, and what steps are being taken to put the project back on track. The higher-ups will protest, saying it will be bad PR. I have news for you guys: Your reputation as far as software projects goes could not possibly be any worse, and if the situation became public you might actually get some sympathy and buy yourselves some time.
Seconded.
WotC could actually, you know, TELL US SOMETHING!!!
I'll be honest. I have not purchsed ANYTHING for 4E, and I won't, either. There is onlyone set of conditions under which I will purchase 4E products and that is when there is a fully functional DDI product. DDI is the only reason I am even remotely interested in 4E.
For my tabletop at home, 2E is more than adequate. For internet play, which is very attractive to me, the DDI as advertised is the only thing that could even come close to the tabletop environment I utilize. I am heavily into the modeling aspect of the hobby and provide a tabletop that reflects my fully fleshed out wargamer/modeler hobbyist attitude of more than three decades (and with all due humility, my terrain, hand painted miniatures, and modular dungeons and buildings will still outshine anything you can do with a virtual tabletop). For that reason, no other online virtual tabletop environment comes close to being attractive for my needs.
From the outside, looking in, WotC gives me the impression that it has battened down the hatches and is trying the best it can to ride out the storm in the hopes that things will get better. This is not a good impression to give. Is my impression the truth? Only WotC knows, only they can correct my impression.
Only WotC knows, only they can correct my impression.
...don't hold your breath
Epic fail, Wizards. Epic frickin fail.