Theryon Wars: Another Planet Partner bites the dust ?

Discussion in 'Entropia News' started by EntropiaPlanets, Jul 24, 2013.


  1. I get newsletter now and then, but can't remeber how often, not many, a few each year i think.
     
  2. Tass

    Tass Administrator

    Regarding communication there is only one single option for MindArk: using EntropiaUniverse.com incl. a RSS feed and for urgent issues the client loader in addition.

    Communicating on all community websites is simply impossible due to the amount of them and communicating only on some of them is blatant favoritism. And suggesting to visit one single community website with a banner ad on the mainpage of EntropiaUniverse.com is blatant favoritism too.

    I've once send a very formal inquiry to MA asking for the requirements to be listed on eu.com but I got no reply. I've send another very informal inquiry and got no reply. I've send a message to a MA representative on a forum and got no reply. Looks like you are either in MA's buddy network and get the candy shoven up your behind or you are not in and get ignored (at best).

    This kind of favoritism is really blowing my mind. It must be done consciously which is in fact evil. I can understand that MA can't reduce the cost of play by 50%, but I can't understand that they insist to do things wrong (favoritism) when doing it right would be even cheaper (for example not adding a custom banner to their website).

    I also think social media should solely be used to share content released on EntropiaUniverse.com before. Just checked the official EU Facebook page and guess what, it's a fest of favoritism too... (EDIT: http://www.entropiaplanets.com/wiki...Concept#Planet_Partner_inequality_controversy bottom of the long list)
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2013

  3. Oh yeah, contacting MA other then via support case...beyond impossible... ;O
     

  4. But is not www.entropiaforum.com more or less their official forum? So in that way I can understand that they are only linking to that forum. I mean, if they link to one forum only and the MA staff mostly only writes in that forum it pretty much makes it a official forum......

    On the other hand,

    Planet Calypso links to this forum, and not to www.entropiaforum.com :wink:

    http://www.planetcalypso.com/planet-calypso/community-sites/forums/
     
  5. NotAdmin

    NotAdmin Administrator

    No. MindArk has no official forum. EF is owned by an individual.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. Tass

    Tass Administrator

    Not at all. Wrongdoing doesn't become right if done continuously and stubbornly enough.

    EF is one of many community sites and prefering one of them is blatant favoritism. Favoritism is unprofessional and in the case of community sites pisses people like me off, ultimately causes less motivation to work on community sites, consequently a less optimal service for a share of MA's customers.

    And it's not only unprofessional but totally dumb since doing it the other way round would not need any additional effort and in the end cause a better service for a share of the customers. For example, you would sure prefer to read an review of Cyclops Depth instead of rants like this caused by the bullshit we feel MA is imposing on us.

    More professional game developers at least try to stay neutral or even actively support a broad variety of community sites by listing them on their website, offering affliliate programs, providing "fansite kits", ...

    Just one example: http://community.eveonline.com/community/fansites/

    And to end this post with something constructive: if MA doesn't offer neutral listing of community sites I'll try to do it myself
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  7. To own the forum is not requirement to make it at least nearly an official forum, or at least the forum they recommend.

    Companies usually have business partners they prefer and are their "favorites" is just the normal thing. It's also normal that the ones not "favored" don't like it.

    It would be so much easier if MA just could say that "yes EF is our official forum" or create their own forum, so would the problem be solved.
     
  8. Wistrel

    Wistrel Kick Ass Elf


    ultimately MA will go where the community are. Yes there is a certain "pull" to having staff post on one forum and only one forum but yeh I think for example if we continue to see the number of new users on EP we've had lately then we may one day see MA and other PP's posting here.

    Wist
     
  9. Tass

    Tass Administrator

    Correct. Companies prefer certain business partners over others because they assume it is better for their business, certain business partners might be faster, cheaper, provide better quality, better support, etc etc etc. If future business success in not the driving factor to work with certain partners but companies deliberately work with partners probably leading to less business success then you can safely assume the driving factors are nepotism, corruption, etc.

    And then, in the special case of game developers and community sites, the relationship cannot really be considered a business partnership. For game developers community sites work like multiplicators, spreading content, increasing awareness of the game, providing additional services to the companies' customers and thus increasing the overall gaming experience. Applying favoritism to community sites is ultimately a marketing fail, PR fail and business ethics fail.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  10. Wistrel

    Wistrel Kick Ass Elf

    I'm starting to think the only way to change MA is to join MA... and even that is probably a false hope. Look at Skam... she just became almost as bad as the rest of them.
     
  11. NotAdmin

    NotAdmin Administrator

    [​IMG]
     
    • Hussked Hussked x 1
  12. Wistrel

    Wistrel Kick Ass Elf

    Well of course, "technically" she didn't actually join "MA" as such... I mean if you SEE what I mean ;)
     
  13. Tass

    Tass Administrator

    Imo Skam/Hanne was actually quite responsive and helpful.

    And then, evaluating the performance of individual employees is always prone to misconceptions because we don't know what they are assigned/allowed to do. Of course that doesn't apply to the couple of people in top management who are ultimately responsible for the overall performance. An employee might be considered a total dick by outsiders because he can just do what his boss dick is demanding.

    Imo Calypso took the best direction during the time with Marco as CEO, Andreas Roman as Creative Director, Krister as Lead Writer and Hanne as Community Manager. More communication, more innovation and less bullshit.

    Is there any direction nowadays?
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
  14. Only on paper, I guess...haha...oh, and maybe mutant towns with lootable boxes...just like a beacon...but without robots...and without umbranoids...

    But then again, thats no direction.

    Why not start recreating all towns 1st. Most just consist of a teleporter and a service center. Why not work on taming / fishing...ah, I forgot, no Kim is really reading here...and we have the Feffox... xD

    So, who is in for a :

    Ahhhhhh the papers
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. I'm a bit split on this issue. I like some of the old towns with buildings, but at the same time I did not like them because it was many buildings with no meaning, and some of them you could not enter. If they build towns I would prefer more building that had a function, not just being visual effect. A good mix of both is the best.
     
    • Like Like x 1

  16. Ya, I also disliked that no building ever had any meaning. Hospitals anyone ? -_-

    Thats why they removed Hadesheim.

    Which other buildings have no use or went oblivion ?

    The Genesis Star HQ in Twin peaks...
    Xfire Building in Port Atlantis...
    The ship in Oxford...
    Zychion...

    Where is that thing called "good mix" ?

    They even took out the best stuff / decorations from Billy Spaceship Afterworld.
    Jason Center was an awesome town...

    Just have a look. This was full of adventures, really worth exploring :

    [​IMG]
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
  17. MindStar9

    MindStar9 Floating in Space

    It makes me really sad to look at that map McC because it brings back a flood of memories of times that I wish still existed. It was real pioneering, and now everything seems so stripped, clean and clinical - no character.

    There's no rhyme or reason to what they're doing, and now Kim says they're working (experimenting) on nomadic creature camps. That should keep people busy while so many other things continue to be neglected.
     
  18. How big was Eudoria?

    15 x 15?
    20 x 20?

    Still funny to see how small a virtual universe can be but still gives the feeling of a massive place.
     
  19. I think that is a price we and MA must pay because of the separation of the software done by MA and the creation of content and story that the planet partners are responsible for. It will always be a struggle for the planet partners when they don't have any control of the software development. And for MA it will always be hard to know what to prioritize, even if you get input from the planet partners.
     
  20. Wistrel

    Wistrel Kick Ass Elf

    I knitted quite a good sweater at the time sourced entirely from her woolly public addresses ;)

    Nah joking aside I don't blame Skam I'm sure she did her best and I think she had some health issues around that time too. I expect her hands were tied re what she could and couldn't say. I remember some really really long Q/A with her that were worse than anything MA had ever produced before in terms of not actually saying anything all.

    Let's not forget: http://www.entropiaplanets.com/thre...g-flaw-in-march-issue-of-entropia-times.4710/

    ,-)
     
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