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Damn!, there was a banquet at Omega Sektor? ...bother!, missed that one!.
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Damn! We had to travel multiple states and pay flight costs? ...bother! Missed that one!
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Heheh, Internal flights are an awful lot cheaper in the U.S in comparison to EU.flights.
I would hope if NCwest put on a massive annual EU.based-event for the EU.community, that a lot of people would take time out to attend.
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Heheh, Internal flights are an awful lot cheaper in the U.S in comparison to EU.flights.
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Pizza's a lot cheaper and a lot more fulfilling to a lot of people, compared to some overblown banquet. What's your point? The US got access to some food, ohmigod, but they also paid considerably more than most people here did.
OS had a lot more stuff going on than what the Hero Con seems to be.
More a social event than a CoH press release event.
Other than a direct comparison of what U.S players got at an expo and we didn't, My point is - when it comes NCwest serving their western audience in equal proportions...(like a lot of American companies)... there is considerable room for improvement, thats about as diplomatic as I can put it.
The US players are so widespread they need incentive to go to these events. A simple, "Hey guys come have a gaming weekend with us" isn't going to encourage a NYer to travel across the entire country. So, they've got to promise them something.
The EU players are, to a fault, mostly in the same area. There are lots of players from mainland Europe of course, but I would estimate the majority of us are in the UK - much cheaper, and easier to travel around than the giant which is the US. So simple gaming meets here are going to attract a fair few people.
Our meets are much more about meeting up with friends, than pestering devs for information we'll get eventually anyway.
I wouldn't trade our informal meets for their official meets anyday.
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Other than a direct comparison of what U.S players got at an expo and we didn't,
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Do a direct comparison of how much they had to pay and the kind of travel arrangements they had to make then, so it's a balanced argument.
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My point is - when it comes NCwest serving their western audience in equal proportions...(like a lot of American companies)... there is considerable room for improvement, thats about as diplomatic as I can put it.
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Of course. There's always room for improvement - calling them out over a banquet, tacked onto an already expensive and awkward convention, however just reeks of sour grapes.
No, the banquet idea just really appealed to me, I don't know whether its because of my love for food, the idea of everyone sitting down for a nice meal together or that after a few days without proper food (medical reasons) I am absolutely starving!, either which way the banquet idea really appealed to me!. 
As far as 'Sour Grapes' go, not in the slightest, I'd gauge my feelings at 'mildly annoyed at their presumption.'
I do find the automatic prioritizing and spoiling of a U.S community over its other western MMO audiences particulary selfish though, but thats just typical of U.S companies in my opinion.
I also agree with the sentiments of Stasiseque about our more community centered get-togethers being better and Extremus' of ours being less of a press-release event. I just wish the EU.team had the support of the parent company both in organisation and funding something for us.
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You give U.S players Hero-Con
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"Hang out with developers, friends and fans of the best Hero/Villain Super MMO Game!"
Is that the first offical recognition of the 2 wannabes on the horizon? 
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
*sigh*
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My question to NCsoft is that now that you have canned a fair chunk of our EU.community team, and players are rallying round to provide for each other....
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From a community team of 11, the only redundancy is Kerensky. We're all very sad to see him leaving us.
Rockjaw, Aero and the other member of their team are all leaving and yes, that's a significant loss of talent and resources, but it's not going to stop us doing cool things in the future.
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Where are NCsoft?, what are they going to do for the EU.community? You give U.S players Hero-Con!, will we be seeing Hero-Con over here at any stage?, ...in fact are you going to do anything for us your supporting EU.subscribers?
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*scratches head* I seem to remember there was something that happened at Easter...? I think a member of our community made badges for attendees? Sorry for the sarcasm here, but it pains me to see a complaint like this when we do *so much* over here - that you've been a part of in small ways! US players were jealous of our Omega Sektor event. And it's not just OS earlier this year, but all the other shows we've attended, events we've hosted in previous years, special things we've put together (eg the Draw the World Together artists and more besides).
Will there be changes as a result of the changes that have occurred? Certainly. That doesn't mean we're dead and going to do absolutely nothing. Just to get us started, we've got members of the French community team heading to a show in Paris in the coming weeks.
*Note to GhostRaptor: [u]The address was to NCsoft[u] not NCsoft Europe, so don't feel it was a critique of whats left of the EU.team... because it wasn't.
You seem to be missing the keypoint of what the posts were emphasising GhostRaptor.
I'm not in any way saying the EU.team or community is not active and trying to do all it can for the EU.community - what I am saying is time and again I have had answers from Moderators saying "we can't do this because of funding", and "we would love to do this for you but we have a limited budget".
What I am saying is If NCwest are so keen to centralise, make staff cutbacks and reorganise as an entity concentrating on their western audience then why don't we as a part of that western audience get the same funding for marketing and advertising the game?, why are the EU.forums so devoid of any Dev.interaction (apart from WW), why have (again apart from WW) no Devs attended EU.events?.
These are not recent accusations GhostRaptor.
The EU.market has not been treated the same (by NCsoft) as the U.S market and subscribers cannot but help feel taken for granted in my opinion. That does not mean you don't do well with what you have and do organise.
[EDIT]: With RockJaw and Aero gone (whether or not there is anything left of the Creative Concepts Team) NCwest obviously considered them expendable. I find myself wondering who is going to take on that work? and are NCwest going to help the EU.market in any way as part of their new strategy.
To be honest, considering the impact this has had I find it somewhat distasteful that we haven't had some kind of address from anyone at NCwest HQ explaining why this reorganisation was necessary and reassuring us thus about the future.
I am now sorry I started this question. Having read through these posts I have come to the following FACTS.
1. The loss of friends hurts
2. The game is just a game
3. The Omega Sector is bussiness and will run if it stays good bussiness
4. The team that we think was all is only part
Recommendations:
To Players. Say oach and put a bandaid on it. I am as sorry as you are, but many good people have survived the cut. And we have to embrace them to keep the game in EU alive. It is not up to any company to keep us a community. That is our responsibility. Please don't confuse the two.
To Ghost Rapter and team, I believe that everyone is afraid because of the most vocal people of your team 3 of the 4 red names are leaving. We hope that there will be more folks in your team that will talk with us as you do Ghost Rapter. We DO appressiate you and hope more RED NAMES on the team will communicate more often with the boards.
I hope this finds the common ground for peace between everyone.
Be well.
edited : sorry
Chief Villains:Candles Flame 50 Sonic/Therm Cor ,Candles Wick 50 Fire/Fire Dom , Candles Furnace 50 Fire/Storm Cor, Power Inc 31 Power/Kin Cor, Dimes 36 Thug/Dark MM
Chief Heros:Laser Ranger 50 Ele/Elc/Ele Bla,Agent Excalibur 32 Sword/reg scr/, Laser Arrow 21 def TA/Arch, Proton Ranger 26 PB
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To Ghost Rider and team,
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I keep reminding people that GhostRaptor has more hair than Ghost Rider. 
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We DO appressiate you
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Yes, really we do!
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and hope more RED NAMES on the team will communicate more often with the boards.
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Yes we hope for more communication, but I for one doubt it'll be more. I wonder if it'll stay on the same level.
(I think I've seen about 50% of the announcements made by players, then backed by official statement - though realise this is probably due to the Americans, time diference and translation time)
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
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*sigh*
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My question to NCsoft is that now that you have canned a fair chunk of our EU.community team, and players are rallying round to provide for each other....
[/ QUOTE ]
From a community team of 11, the only redundancy is Kerensky. We're all very sad to see him leaving us.
Rockjaw, Aero and the other member of their team are all leaving and yes, that's a significant loss of talent and resources, but it's not going to stop us doing cool things in the future.
<snip>
Will there be changes as a result of the changes that have occurred? Certainly. That doesn't mean we're dead and going to do absolutely nothing. Just to get us started, we've got members of the French community team heading to a show in Paris in the coming weeks.
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Things are changing and uncertain, with a restructuring you don't know how far things change.
I would imagine that it is quite likely that funding for events will go to cons and such where there's at least some clear commercial promotion value.
If that were the case, that puts Omega Sector as a "for the fans" event at risk, as it draws excisting players, not new ones.
Now, Omega Sector was uber cool. It was said near the end to (quoting from memory) "keep next Easter open" and that "Omega Sector has already agreed to be available".
Given the costs invovled with travel and lodging, I thought I'd book well in advance to have the best pick and the highest 'early booking' discount.
On top of that, I know someone who will have to decide whether to ask for those days off in a month to still have a decent chance to get the days off.
I'm rather glad that I postponed that enough to read this:
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It's really too early to say one way or the other right now, however if there's a way for it to happen I'll be doing my darnedest to find it!
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Which reads to me like "we'd like to, but there's no way of saying if there'll be room in the policies we'll have to work with: don't hold your breath"
Sorry if this is an overly pessimistic point of view, but I've seen too many great people with great and logical plans be shot down by the company that employs them.
Long story short:
I have every convidence in the EU team.
I have little convidence in NCWest.
Oh, to make it clear, this is about community events, not the game, as I have every convidence in that staying very healthy.
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
Rockjaw brought a -lot- of pizza for everyone on Saturday evening, out of his own back pocket IIRC. I'd call that a feast.
SUPPORT - IT'S NOT JUST A GROUPING OF ATs
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More Than a Game
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