Going Rogue in Europe


afocks

 

Posted

Some of you will have picked up on the announcement we've just made about the Gamestop/Razer City of Heroes Going Rogue™ Complete Collection Pre-order promotion. This is bound to infuriate some of you and we understand that this will be felt even more strongly after we announced a few months back that Going rogue wasn't going to be available on the shelves in Europe.

As some of you may know, if you've read this post here, we couldn't let this Pre-order opportunity pass us by. Our intention is to market our game and make it known to non-City of Heroes players. While we've had this opportunity in North America, it's unfortunately not been the case in Europe so far.

We have not given up on finding ways to create opportunities for City of Heroes and hope we'll be able to give you an update on the situation in the short term, but bear in mind that we cannot guarantee anything at this point.

This is not the most informative post we've had for you, but we did want to acknowledge your concerns and assure you that we do consider them important. We always appreciate your constructive feedback, regardless of its nature and very much want to improve the experience of our European players.


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Fairest thing to do: If you find no Pre Order alternative for us, just give it to all of us for free. It's a start towards making up for it.


[CENTER]Euro side: [B]@Orion Star[/B] & [B]@Orions Star[/B][/CENTER]

 

Posted

may you just answer us this question then as we get nothing?? why arnt the server lists just merged??? why not just do that and save everyone this side the dissapointment gives us extra toon slots etc and make a bigger player base surely its a no brainer? so in return for not getting ANYTHING i hope this can be answered


 

Posted

Quote:
As some of you may know, if you've read this post here, we couldn't let this Pre-order opportunity pass us by. Our intention is to market our game and make it known to non-City of Heroes players. While we've had this opportunity in North America, it's unfortunately not been the case in Europe so far.
We all understand and know that an opportunity like this should never be passed up. More advertising is more advertising at the end of the day and only good for the game/business.

However with that said, can any member of the dev/community team say there is any incentive to play on the EU side when even on EU prime some NA servers are way more populated. All that this is going to do is bring up another long discussion of NA/EU difference in quality of service in what is supposed to be equal. [not by the dev/community team btw, every single time i've PM'd any of you , you've all been quick on responses]


@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by EU_Damz View Post
We all understand and know that an opportunity like this should never be passed up. More advertising is more advertising at the end of the day and only good for the game/business.]

I do agree however it always seems that we are on the raw end of the deal which sucks! we all pay the same amount of game subs yet we get treated like crap. there are many people that are ready to jump ship NOT over to NA side but to a different MMO altogether. and i think this just minght push a few people to do that there already on edge and i myself am seriously considering doing the same.

its a shame realli, what was once a decently run game has taken such a decline EU side since the closing of the brighton offices, i will give it another month and see how bad the community still is before i decide if things dont change then will invest time and money on a different venture.


p.s damz sucks :P just thought i would sneak that in there


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by EU_Damz View Post
We all understand and know that an opportunity like this should never be passed up. More advertising is more advertising at the end of the day and only good for the game/business.
By the same token this announcement can hardly have taken them by surprise, it's obviously a preplanned marketing and development campaign,

So how come there's nothing in place already to act as compensation / an alternative to EU players?

It's obvious that such an opportunity is great for the game in the US, but why weren't any parallel plans for the EU also formulated and announced at the same time? Even if they were as simple as "These IOs will also be available to any EU player purchasing or pre-purchasing GR directly from our store".

Instead the EU gamers get "jam tomorrow, maybe"


 

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Okay, I was wrong...it was Avatea instead of WW that came with the message that they do really care about us...

Quote:
We have not given up on finding ways to create opportunities for City of Heroes and hope we'll be able to give you an update on the situation in the short term, but bear in mind that we cannot guarantee anything at this point.
In other words,

You won't get it. Live with it or buy a NA account and ship from America.

Or something like that. Like last time right?


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@Lyrik

 

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This will be interesting to track...


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA View Post
Even if they were as simple as "These IOs will also be available to any EU player purchasing or pre-purchasing GR directly from our store".
Well, they've not actually said that won't happen - but when you're marketing something as exclusive, it's probably not a good idea to point out that it'll also be available in a non-exclusive way later

Check out the wording of the "exclusive" offer - there's lots of wiggle room


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

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Click this post here on avetas post to take you to the post from black pebble its just for them its to help new players and wont be available outside of the complete collection plus if it was a booster type pack would u buy it the way things are declining?


 

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Now I've taken more things into consideration, I can see that taking the opportunity while you could was the wisest move. I posted a little rashly in the other thread before I thought about it properly, and it would appear that someone's picked up on it. Ah well, move on and all that.

I doubt I'll ever like exclusivity, but that's just me and I can accept that and move on. The only thing I still have an issue with is the change of situation. I don't mind that Gamestop have this deal, but I don't like how it was posted some time ago that there would not be any bonuses for pre-ordering. I understand that there weren't any plans at the time, but after what we've seen today, I'd recommend avoiding making such a statement unless it was something that the team felt strongly about.

I know I sound like I'm being really nitpicky, but I think we need to keep a tight hold (which you guys are usually very good at) on the fine line between possibility and fact.


 

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I'm all lined up for my digital download (non-Complete Collectors) prepurchase. I can't change that now, and that's okay. I'm at peace with my purchasing decision. It would have been extremely foolhardy for NCSoft / Paragon Studios to overlook this opportunity and I applaud them on getting quite the coup in that regard. There are some extra goodies, as stated, of most benefit for new players. It isn't unheard of for these sort of things to eventually become available via download / booster pack (ie. Prestige Sprints etc). That may happen in time.

I have moved on, now I just await the day my new Rogue or Vigilante can storm the streets of Praetoria!


K5K - The Killbot 5000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatalnova View Post
may you just answer us this question then as we get nothing?? why arnt the server lists just merged??? why not just do that and save everyone this side the dissapointment gives us extra toon slots etc and make a bigger player base surely its a no brainer? so in return for not getting ANYTHING i hope this can be answered
I just know that our server technology doesn't support the merging of any kind of server list. We would have merged Training Rooms for Betas for instance if we were able to. I'm not saying it's never going to happen though.


Support Centre for our English European players
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
Well, they've not actually said that won't happen - but when you're marketing something as exclusive, it's probably not a good idea to point out that it'll also be available in a non-exclusive way later

Check out the wording of the "exclusive" offer - there's lots of wiggle room
That was just an example. There's lots of things they could have announced for purchases of the full EU package and announced it in parallel with the GameStop announcement which wouldn't have affected exclusivity.

Instead nada, and Avatea has to post another "We're looking into things for you" post. Thats poor management and poor PR (not on Avs behalf, but on those formulating and coordinating these campaigns).

I certainly can't see any reason for a potential new EU player to purchase an EU version of the game.


 

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I'm going to agree with Carni on this one.
I'm on hiatus from CityOf at the moment, mostly due to Uni work, etc. I still love the game (I've seen that line too many times, but I mean it. Its the only MMO I own) but, when it comes down to it, I can't really play if the EU servers are, frankly, left to die off.

Theres no incentive to play EU side. At all.
'Server list merger isnt possible' ?
Then make it possible. No, it won't be easy. But, to me, it looks like either that happens or, sometime down the line, the EU servers will die, through dint of no marketing, less players than the US servers, and no incentive to play them. And shutting servers down looks real bad, we all know that. Ergo, don't let it happen...


Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon View Post
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatea View Post
I just know that our server technology doesn't support the merging of any kind of server list. We would have merged Training Rooms for Betas for instance if we were able to. I'm not saying it's never going to happen though.
i know and dont mean to sound rude but am dissapointed and sleepy but there wasnt the technology for power customisation neither but u jumped that hurdle


 

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I assume due to this great tie-in between Gamestop & CoH that when I go to my local http://www.gamestop.ie/ store in town I will be able to pre-order and get these goodies to use on my EU account?


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mortuary View Post
I assume due to this great tie-in between Gamestop & CoH that when I go to my local http://www.gamestop.ie/ store in town I will be able to pre-order and get these goodies to use on my EU account?
No, they'll say "City of what? Going What? Never heard of them. We do have the expansions for WoW and Conan though."


 

Posted

Another day, another disappointment.

Thank you for posting Avatea, I am glad that at least someone is keeping an eye on this board but I think the patience of a lot of us EU players is wearing thin. With no information and no incentive to play in the EU other than our excellent albeit rapidly dwindling community over here, I think EU morale is at an all time low.

Don't take it personally, I know it's likely the domain of someone higher up in NCSoft but we don't want promises, we want answers. Just something to let us know we're not being left to die in the dark out here.


@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA View Post
No, they'll say "City of what? Going What? Never heard of them. We do have the expansions for WoW and Conan though."
You've obviously not been to my local one... they've not heard of WoW either If it was never released on a console it didn't happen!


 

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I call 'not viable'.

We had the US > EU Transfer, why not add four servers to the US side, and EU > US? I mean, the tech was there for the US > EU transfer, but it's not possible to use that to do the opposite?

Look at it this way, we've had our EU offices closed, our EU con presence made nil, no shop presence, no marketing presence, we've had cases in the past of American players getting preferential treatment from GM's (US players having deleted characters restored, EU players being denied that), and now this. And I'm sure I've left some things out too. And what with the forum merger, the mods and so forth are now about mostly out of EU player hours, there's no community mod presence for us like there once was... I'm just glad I'm not a French or German server player. I'd hate to see what it's like there.

5 Damage/Recharge DO's with special minor procs isn't ground breaking, but it's the little things that add up.

I've bought pretty much everything CoH related when it hit the stores. Super Boosters, Wedding Pack, Mac Pack, GVE, character slots. I spent hundreds of pounds going to conventions, at conventions. At Bristol Comic Expo 2008, I asked Stephen 'Rockjaw' Reed for a box of GVE Trial CD's and I walked around that convention, handing them out to people. And I just worry that the time will come to pull the plug on the 'not viable EU servers' and my only recourse will be "here's a free US account, start over, rebuy things, oh, no vet badges, sorry, basic character slot amount. Rebuy those too. And all your old characters? Remake them! Start over!"

Tabula Rasa players got something along those lines when that Triple A title was shut down. After NC Soft said it wouldn't.

So the general EU worries about such things are kind of understandable. One day it could be 'No plans to shut down the EU servers' and then a few weeks later, blam.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatea View Post
I just know that our server technology doesn't support the merging of any kind of server list.
Then let me convert my EU account into a NA account, with all my retail codes and veteran time intact; stick all my characters in limbo and give me a transfer token for each one.

or

Let me transfer characters between my EU & NA accounts under the same Master Account - NA players transferred to the EU servers in the past, so this must be technically possible, surely?

or

Give everyone with a EU account a free NA account on the same NCSoft Master Account and make Vet rewards apply to Master Accounts - heck give everyone with an NA account a free EU one too.

or

Something else, anything. Just please stop ignoring the problem until all the EU players have gone.


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zortel View Post
I call 'not viable'.

We had the US > EU Transfer, why not add four servers to the US side, and EU > US? I mean, the tech was there for the US > EU transfer, but it's not possible to use that to do the opposite?

Look at it this way, we've had our EU offices closed, our EU con presence made nill, no shop presence, no marketing presence, we've had cases in the past of American players getting preferential treatment from GM's (US players having deleted characters restored, EU players being denied that), and now this. And I'm sure I've left some things out too. And what with the forum merger, the mods and so forth are now about mostly out of EU player hours, there's no community mod presence for us like there once was... I'm just glad I'm not a French or German server player. I'd hate to see what it's like there.

5 Damage/Recharge DO's with special minor procs isn't ground breaking, but it's the little things that add up.

I've bought pretty much everything CoH related when it hit the stores. Super Boosters, Wedding Pack, Mac Pack, GVE, character slots. I spent hundreds of pounds going to conventions, at conventions. At Bristol Comic Expo 2008, I asked Stephen 'Rockjaw' Reed for a box of GVE Trial CD's and I walked around that convention, handing them out to people. And I just worry that the time will come to pull the plug on the 'not viable EU servers' and my only recourse will be "here's a free US account, start over, rebuy things, oh, no vet badges, sorry, basic character slot amount. Rebuy those too. And all your old characters? Remake them! Start over!"

Tabula Rasa players got something along those lines when that Triple A title was shut down. After NC Soft said it wouldn't.

So the general EU worries about such things are kind of understandable. One day it could be 'No plans to shut down the EU servers' and then a few weeks later, blam.
...
Open the exact same named four servers on the US serverlist. Make Zukunft and Vigilance German and French as they are now.
Allow EU -> US Transfers for free for...well, ever. Until everyone is transfered/left?

That'd achieve the same net effect. And maybe try a work around to transfer SG/Base data over as well.

Clunky? Hell yes. Acceptable? Better than EU servers being left to rot, thats for sure.
/Jaded


Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon View Post
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

 

Posted

While I can understand not running a marketing campaign like this where it's unlikely to meet the costs involved in setup, I strongly suggest that Zortel's concerns are addressed as swiftly as possible by whoever is responsible.