Competition time...yet again..still N/A only! :@
By
Alexander_Drako,
Posted on: 2011-10-07 07:29 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Quote:
Pretty sure server downtimes haven't been consistently scheduled during your peak hours unless you live in the Hawaiian region of Europe. Or unless your definition of "peak play hours" coincides with business hours on weekdays.|
Originally Posted by Gideon
The issue has become that, whether or not (I rather suspect not) Paragon intended it this way, the EU customers have had the resoundly short end of the stick of late. We all know the reasons, some of them even make sense, but between downtimes pretty much consistently being in EU peak hours,
|
During that 12-hour scheduled maintenance a couple of weeks ago, in fact, the complaint thread was still going long after the servers had come back up, and come back up early; AFAICT, the only thing that extended into the evening hours, GMT, was the forum whining.
There are valid complaints to be made, but stuff like this thread and the hysteria over downtimes that are designed to occur during off-peak times for NA and Europe diminish your arguments.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
 |
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Obitus
There are valid complaints to be made, but stuff like this thread and the hysteria over downtimes that are designed to occur during off-peak times for NA and Europe diminish your arguments. |
So downtimes going throughout the entire of the afternoon, ending perhaps 6pm or 7 pm or 8pm or 9pm (or like 3am yay) BST aren't peak times?
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.
I gave up on the EU being treated as equal customers during the global name fiasco.
As a business, Paragon and NCSoft have to make decisions that affect the smallest number of customers. Unfortunately, that means that it's always the EU customers who end up being boned.
Does it make financial sense? Yes. Is it good customer service? No.
I think it's high time they pulled their socks up and did something to show EU players that they are valued customers too. But if I'm not going to hold my breath otherwise I'll likely go a very unattractive shade of purple.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
Quote:
yes, because making it seem like they have it out for you is going to make your case so much stronger...
|
Originally Posted by Scarlet Shocker
I'm assuming nothing. I'm simply saying this is another example where Paragon Studio treats it's EU customers poorly in comparison to its NA customers.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dante
I gave up on the EU being treated as equal customers during the global name fiasco.
As a business, Paragon and NCSoft have to make decisions that affect the smallest number of customers. Unfortunately, that means that it's always the EU customers who end up being boned. Does it make financial sense? Yes. Is it good customer service? No. I think it's high time they pulled their socks up and did something to show EU players that they are valued customers too. But if I'm not going to hold my breath otherwise I'll likely go a very unattractive shade of purple. |
The thing is other free to play games are swarmed by European players, hundreds of thousands of them, why? Because they aren't treated like crap by the companies invovled.
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.
the companies don't treat them like crap because they don't have that much investment when they're completely f2p
I won't care enough about EU being treated badly when it comes to service to complain as long as PS promises not to completely destroy another RP venue for us, severely shaking the RP community that called it home. I'm probably getting the short end of the deal, but I never win contests anyway, and I'm never going to enter into a Facebook contest to get the facepalm emote or costume code out of principle anyway, so bah.
Deal?
Forse: lvl 22 FF/NRG Defender
Tam Krannock: lvl 37 Shield/Mace Tanker
Toppa Grace: lvl 25 Fire/Ice Blaster
----
Red Commissar: I'm in the Queen Mother. Only more awesome. And alive
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
the companies don't treat them like crap because they don't have that much investment when they're completely f2p
|
Very little is completly free to play, the money is to be made in micro-transactions.
But how are you going to get all those delicous Euros into your pocket when you keep **** slapping the entire region?
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.
Quote:
If you read between the lines of one of Z's posts, he basically said that pretty much all third-party gaming sites have restrictions and rules about who is eligible and who isn't for contests. The reason that it seems like every contest excludes someone is because every site that sponsors a contest has those caveats.|
Originally Posted by CactusBrawler
This may come out harsher than intended.
But as Community Manager perhaps you could suggest to whom ever is in charge of arranging these deals with third party sites, that they not arrange them with sites that exclude parts of your community, particularly when said parts are feeling more than a little bit second class at the moment. |
Not having contests at all (at least ones without cool prizes) is a worse hit on PR and advertising than having contests that are restrictive. Paragon and NCSoft want the City Of brand to be seen however it can. Agreeing to be a part of a restrictive contest run by a third party is a necessary evil.
They could skip the third parties entirely, and try to sponsor their own contests, but even NCSoft has their own rules and regs about who is eligible. It wouldn't improve the situation.
Loose --> not tight.
Lose --> Did not win, misplace, cannot find, subtract.
One extra 'o' makes a big difference.
Then if they can't offer exclusive competitions for all major regions they should take a serious and long look at why they can't, what options are available; then talk to us through our community reps to explain and explore other options.
Seriously, this "necessary evil" has other options. There are european gaming sites they could also host contests via, or allow to host contests. There are -options-. NA is just the easiest and least fuss because the managers are most comfortable and aware of them.
Forse: lvl 22 FF/NRG Defender
Tam Krannock: lvl 37 Shield/Mace Tanker
Toppa Grace: lvl 25 Fire/Ice Blaster
----
Red Commissar: I'm in the Queen Mother. Only more awesome. And alive
Quote:
How many scheduled downtimes have actually done that, though? I play (generally) off-peak in the United States, and I can count on one hand the number of times I remember seeing a downtime notice that extended past noon, EST. And no, a downtime that finishes at 6pm isn't peak hours.|
Originally Posted by CactusBrawler
So downtimes going throughout the entire of the afternoon, ending perhaps 6pm or 7 pm or 8pm or 9pm (or like 3am yay) BST aren't peak times?
|
If the servers go offline unexpectedly, that's unfortunate but it's a different subject. By definition, discrimination can't be accidental.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Obitus
How many scheduled downtimes have actually done that, though? I play (generally) off-peak in the United States, and I can count on one hand the number of times I remember seeing a downtime notice that extended past noon, EST. And no, a downtime that finishes at 6pm isn't peak hours.
If the servers go offline unexpectedly, that's unfortunate but it's a different subject. By definition, discrimination can't be accidental. |
Pretty much all of them since I21 launch actually.
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.
Quote:
The available evidence suggests otherwise. They do post announcements about scheduled maintenance, you know. And those announcements are still there.
|
Originally Posted by CactusBrawler
Pretty much all of them since I21 launch actually.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
|
Quote:
Yes, I caught that, but I still hold NCSoft/Paragon responsible for the choice of taking up that opportunity with its restrictions. My argument is aimed at the much wider issue of all competitions held for this game, rather than this one in particular anyways. Most of which are independantly arranged by NCSoft/Paragon for which they would have full control of such things.|
Originally Posted by Goliath Bird Eater
Not sure if you caught Zwillinger's posts on the first page of this thread, but MMORPG.com is responsible for the eligibilty restrictions for this contest, not Paragon Studios.
|
Would it help if we each researched our own countries competition laws and forwarded the information to them? A team effort perhaps.
K5K - The Killbot 5000
A Spanner In The Works Part One, ArcID: 336662, A Spanner In The Works Part Two, ArcID: 336665, Enter Japes, ArcID: 96001
In The Darkness Creeping, ArcID: 347709, When Dimensions Collide, ArcID: 412416.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Obitus
The available evidence suggests otherwise. They do post announcements about scheduled maintenance, you know. And those announcements are still there.
|
They post them at 3am BST on the same day they happen, hidden away on Facebook you mean? They've given proper advanced notification, once since I21 launched.
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.
Quote:
you misunderstood what I said...|
Originally Posted by CactusBrawler
Very little is completly free to play, the money is to be made in micro-transactions.
But how are you going to get all those delicous Euros into your pocket when you keep **** slapping the entire region? |
as a comparison to this competition...Jack in the Box, GameStop and Microsoft are doing a collaborative promotion for the new Assassin's Creed, Battlefield and Gears of War games, giving away free dlc codes and a $5000 shopping spree at GameStop (which I find that amount to be really hard to spend in a game store...) the only catch is that the contest is restricted to maybe 2/5ths of the overall states in the US...sucks for anyone else not within certain states because Jack in the Box isn't a nationwide fast food chain, even though GameStop and Microsoft have enough between them that they could continue the promotion if they chose.
Quote:
BEcause Mexico is also part of North America.
|
Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
Canada is part of North America is it not? Why the rules have to explicitly put "including Canada" is odd to me, might as well just say "This offer is only valid in The United States and Canada." since I highly doubt they're including Mexico in this.
|
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
The solution to the EU problem is an easy one!
Find an EU company, and have them work with Paragon Studios for a contest that allows, and possibly only allows, EU players to get involved in.
Facebook and MMORPG if not mistaken (I very well could be!) are based out of the US.
Sooo...get one of those big EU gaming websites to host a contest.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
Quote:
I'm a long time reader of MMORPG.com who doesn't live in North America and still won a couple of competitions there, one of which was a physical product (a book), and one or two game codes, and so I find it hard to believe that it's the site that's limiting the competition. Some years have passed since I won, but I still see competitions there which aren't region limited, so I don't think there has been a major rules change.|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
You'd be surprised.
When third party sites host contests, they usually have their standard rules and regulations that they use for most, if not all, of their contests. |
Also, MMORPG.com is currently offering a free 30 day jetpack code to both US and EU players, which means that NCsoft can give non-US players something via that site.
It's entirely possible that there are MMORPG.com regulations which indirectly make it impossible for NCsoft to offer the prize internationally, but it would still be something related to NCsoft itself, considering that other companies can and do offer prizes to the entire MMORPG.com readership.
Quote:
Is that what you had to do for the NA competition?|
Originally Posted by BrandX
The solution to the EU problem is an easy one!
Find an EU company, and have them work with Paragon Studios for a contest that allows, and possibly only allows, EU players to get involved in. Facebook and MMORPG if not mistaken (I very well could be!) are based out of the US. Sooo...get one of those big EU gaming websites to host a contest. |
To me the reason is obvious, allow the EU in to the competition and the NA need not enter, thus creating ill-feeling.
Too many 50's to list here's a few you may know.
Slazenger, Area51, Area53, Area54, Erruption, Mind Plague, Thresher, Sheath, Broadside, Debt
Quote:
You understand that the prize in this contest is a FLIGHT, not a book or a gamecode, right? International flights are not cheap.
|
Originally Posted by General_CoH
I'm a long time reader of MMORPG.com who doesn't live in North America and still won a couple of competitions there, one of which was a physical product (a book), and one or two game codes, and so I find it hard to believe that it's the site that's limiting the competition. Some years have passed since I won, but I still see competitions there which aren't region limited, so I don't think there has been a major rules change.
Also, MMORPG.com is currently offering a free 30 day jetpack code to both US and EU players, which means that NCsoft can give non-US players something via that site. It's entirely possible that there are MMORPG.com regulations which indirectly make it impossible for NCsoft to offer the prize internationally, but it would still be something related to NCsoft itself, considering that other companies can and do offer prizes to the entire MMORPG.com readership. |
Quote:
Why the ill feeling?|
Originally Posted by Slazenger
Is that what you had to do for the NA competition?
To me the reason is obvious, allow the EU in to the competition and the NA need not enter, thus creating ill-feeling. |
I can't enter since I don't have an account with them, and hav no desire to get an account with them, hence I am locked out, because I can't just post a pic here.
It's a silly fun contest, nothing to get worked up about.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
Quote:
What Posi ACTUALLY meant to say was:|
For what it's worth, Posi just tweeted. Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Posi via Twitter Since it's a FAQ: I have no control over what countries our contests are eligible in. I am not an international lawyer AND NEITHER ARE YOU. |
Can pretty much guaran-freakin-tee that you're going to feel dumber doing so.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
Quote:
Yes, I understand that one aspect of the grand prize is a flight, but:|
Originally Posted by PowerLeveler
You understand that the prize in this contest is a FLIGHT, not a book or a gamecode, right? International flights are not cheap.
|
1. This is not material to what I posted. It was claimed that MMORPG.com was the source of the restriction, and what I said was that I think it's unlikely. You seem to agree with me on that.
2. The ten runner up prizes are purely VIP time. I'm sure most people would understand the first prize being limited to the US due to cost, if the other prizes were open to everyone to win.
(Note that it's possible that MMORPG.com does prevent giving different prizes to different areas. Still, considering that even non-MMORPG.com CoH competitions are usually limited to the US, I'd say it's more likely that MMORPG.com isn't the reason for the limitation.)
Yeah boned by those damn silly rules, err laws, err whatever
So anyways, which one do you guys think I should submit?
My mercenary type?
or my robot?
??????
------->"Sic Semper Tyrannis"<-------