Discussion: Introducing Tweet Code Thursdays!
Speaking of resources: would it be possible to publish a code that works for any number of people and then say manually enable it and disable it?
Then you could say "Everyone who grabs a code in the next hour gets a goodie." And your whole staff isn't monopolized, just one person twice in a one hour period. Add on whatever preconditions you can reasonably service. Retweet us, fill out a questionnaire, link us, like us, wash Zwill's car, etc. Just kinda guessing here but that sounds like something that might be available without having to ask engineering (or a third party). |
Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios
We've modified the way Tweet Code Thursdays are going to work.
For item codes, we'll announce when the codes will be going out, and we'll give people a specific amount of time to re-tweet our post. If you re-tweet our post, we'll respond directly to you with a code to use. No scramble. No luck involved. No twitchy fingers required. Simply re-tweet our post in the timeframe given and we'll direct message you with a code. In short, if you want an item code, do the following:
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Characters:
- Dawnshift (50 Peacebringer/Virtue)
We've modified the way Tweet Code Thursdays are going to work.
For item codes, we'll announce when the codes will be going out, and we'll give people a specific amount of time to re-tweet our post. If you re-tweet our post, we'll respond directly to you with a code to use. No scramble. No luck involved. No twitchy fingers required. Simply re-tweet our post in the timeframe given and we'll direct message you with a code. In short, if you want an item code, do the following:
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Everything I said goes a lot further than just this one item, so I need to continue to look at what I've been thinking and figure out what's right for me... But...
Regardless, this is a great move, as far as exclusive item code giveaways go.
My beef is with the fact that you guys are choosing to use costume and customization options as exclusive giveaways. I have a problem with that. However, for this particular case... you guys have, once again, done good.
None of my negativity extends to you guys as a company or people... Just differences in taste, as far as I am concerned.
Until Super Pack options are made available elsewhere, I will know that our opinions differ greatly on that aspect... but I still love Paragon Studios, regardless.
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
If I recall correctly, the facepalm codes were not single-use affairs, but were region associated. If you lived in the same State you would get the same code, and it would work on more than one account. Definitely an unusual bit of code in that.
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The "code generator" wasn't generating anything at all. It was pulling from a static database of codes. It was also programmed by a third party and was a standalone tab on our Facebook page. Something we don't have the option to do on Twitter.
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FWIW, we're discussing different ways we can promote it that don't involve a mad dash. That *will not* be the case for this week though as it basically requires me scheduling someone's entire day dedicated to this project as opposed to a few minutes each hour.
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Actually I'd modify that slightly so that it would be almost fully automated in the following manner:
Post a message on twitter to go to X site on the NCsoft/City hosting servers, give a time-limited password in the tweet. The contest site asks for that password, and if successful (ie. during the timeframe), gives a code for whatever you are giving out. This can be easily automated. |
What am I asking for this? Nothing beyond actually putting it into place. Besides you'll need to get some web staff to personalize it for the company.
What it requires:
MySQL Database:
-- phpMyAdmin SQL Dump -- version 3.1.1 -- http://www.phpmyadmin.net -- -- Host: localhost -- Generation Time: Jul 12, 2012 at 05:36 PM -- Server version: 5.1.30 -- PHP Version: 5.2.8 SET SQL_MODE="NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO"; -- -- Database: `contest` -- -- -------------------------------------------------------- -- -- Table structure for table `admin` -- CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `admin` ( `id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `username` varchar(50) NOT NULL, `password` varchar(50) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`id`) ) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ; -- -------------------------------------------------------- -- -- Table structure for table `items` -- CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `items` ( `id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `contestcode` int(20) NOT NULL, `used` char(1) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`id`) ) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ; -- -------------------------------------------------------- -- -- Table structure for table `passcodes` -- CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `passcodes` ( `id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `passcode` varchar(20) NOT NULL, `timestart` datetime NOT NULL, `timeend` datetime NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`id`) ) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=5 ;
Login page. If the web staff can't make the html for this, they need to be replaced.
checklogin.php:
<?php $host="localhost"; // Host name $username=""; // Mysql username $password=""; // Mysql password $db_name="contest"; // Database name $table1_name="admin"; // Table name $table2_name="admin"; // Table name // Connect to server and select databse. mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB"); // username and password sent from form $myusername=$_POST['myusername']; $mypassword=$_POST['mypassword']; // To protect MySQL injection $myusername = stripslashes($myusername); $mypassword = stripslashes($mypassword); $myusername = mysql_real_escape_string($myusername); $mypassword = mysql_real_escape_string($mypassword); $sql="SELECT * FROM $table1_name WHERE username='$myusername' and password='$mypassword'"; $result=mysql_query($sql); // Mysql_num_row is counting table row $count=mysql_num_rows($result); // If result matched $myusername and $mypassword, table row must be 1 row if($count==1){ // Register $myusername, $mypassword and redirect to file "login_success.php" session_register("myusername"); session_register("mypassword"); header("location:login_success.php"); } else { // Failed the admin check, so checks the passcodes table to see if it was a valid promo code // and if the time qualified. $sql="SELECT * FROM $table2_name WHERE passcode='$mypassword' AND NOW() BETWEEN timestart AND timeend"; $result=mysql_query($sql); // Mysql_num_row is counting table row $count=mysql_num_rows($result); // If result matched passcode to $mypassword, table row must be 1 row if($count==1){ session_register("mypassword"); header("location:code_success.php"); } } else { echo "Invalid code."; } ?>
code_success.php: This page grabs a code from the items database, displays it, and then either blanks the code or marks it as used, then ends the session followed by returning to the login page.
That's it.
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
There's other things you're not accounting for such as development time, time from PlayNC, time to put it in the Market...
Please never assume that something can *just be done*. And the resources in question is the Community Team. We do A LOT of things manually, because we don't want to cut into development time for our requests. Time that could be spent working on new content like powersets or new missions or spent coding QOL improvements. This time has to come from somewhere, and I would rather they do something like coding a UI upgrade than building a Facebook or Twitter interface. |
Second - I don't think anyone is saying "we want the aura in the paragon store today and we want it now!" My suggestion called for addition on September 1, and if it takes longer, so be it.
The thing that has many unhappy is the statement (implied at least) that it will never been in the store. An announcement of "it'll be in the store at some time in the future, we don't know when" would calm pretty much all the frazzled nerves.
My arcs are constantly shifting, just search for GadgetDon for the latest.
The world beware! I've started a blog
GadgetMania Under Attack: The Digg Lockout
No, see, you're doing it again. I didn't say anything about not liking "social media in general." In fact, I said just the opposite.
In fact, I'm looking at my Twitter feed right now, and a local concert venue just tweeted about how the first person to tweet them back with the answer to a trivia question wins FREE TICKETS to tonight's show! Know why I'm not upset with them over that? Because if I want to go to that show, but I don't win those tickets, I'll have had the opportunity to get them in a way that didn't involve blind luck in direct competition with hundreds or thousands of other people. I could just, you know, buy them. "Hey, follow us on Twitter and you could win this cool thing for free! Or you could just go to the Paragon Market and buy it." There's your solution. Twitter account legitimized, man-hours allocated, player base not alienated. |
This EXACTLY.
Telling people the ONLY way they'll EVER get something like this is through the Twitter contest is just guaranteed to piss people off.
Mission accomplished!
This EXACTLY.
Telling people the ONLY way they'll EVER get something like this is through the Twitter contest is just guaranteed to piss people off. Mission accomplished! |
Q: Will this be the only way to receive these items? A: In short - no. We are constantly looking for ways to reward our community memebers. This includes in-game, Community Forums, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. |
Jessie Lawrence
Assistant Community Manager
Paragon Studios
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We've modified the way Tweet Code Thursdays are going to work.
For item codes, we'll announce when the codes will be going out, and we'll give people a specific amount of time to re-tweet our post. If you re-tweet our post, we'll respond directly to you with a code to use. No scramble. No luck involved. No twitchy fingers required. Simply re-tweet our post in the timeframe given and we'll direct message you with a code. In short, if you want an item code, do the following:
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There's other things you're not accounting for such as development time, time from PlayNC, time to put it in the Market...
Please never assume that something can *just be done*. |
And the resources in question is the Community Team. We do A LOT of things manually, because we don't want to cut into development time for our requests. Time that could be spent working on new content like powersets or new missions or spent coding QOL improvements. This time has to come from somewhere, and I would rather they do something like coding a UI upgrade than building a Facebook or Twitter interface.
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Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
We don't.
Trust me when I tell you that most of the proposed solutions you are all pitching is something that we've either thought of or considered. We WANT generic coupon codes. We WANT to be able to generate a Social Media app at the drop of a hat. Sometimes these things just take time to accomplish.
Thanks to everyone for your feedback on this matter.
Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios
We've modified the way Tweet Code Thursdays are going to work.
For item codes, we'll announce when the codes will be going out, and we'll give people a specific amount of time to re-tweet our post. If you re-tweet our post, we'll respond directly to you with a code to use. No scramble. No luck involved. No twitchy fingers required. Simply re-tweet our post in the timeframe given and we'll direct message you with a code. In short, if you want an item code, do the following:
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Either way, thanks for listening and at least trying to "make this right," guys. The effort doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated.
FUN FACT: That burst of light when you level up is actually the effectiveness escaping from your enhancements all at once.
To say it a little more succinctly than I did before...
What I don't get (nor like) is the insistence of using costume and customization options as exclusive grabs and carrots.
In-game? Okay, I still prefer a front-loaded character creators, but simply not making options readily available (a straight-up purchase) just seems to create more negativity than it does good.
You'd rather lock something away as an exclusive giveaway than get money for them directly. I just don't get why you're willing to do that to this game. The character creator should continue to be celebrated, not turned into the source of elitism, exclusivity and the negative atmosphere these things will create.
I think the lauded great community around this game partly comes from the friendly nature of this game. The more things become haves and have nots... the worse I'd imagine things will become.
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
Snow, I do appreciate what you're trying to do here, really I do, but the reality is that would probably take months to get pushed through the Web team. Ideally, we would have a web developer here, at Paragon, that could just fire things like this out the door.
We don't. |
Trust me when I tell you that most of the proposed solutions you are all pitching is something that we've either thought of or considered. We WANT generic coupon codes. We WANT to be able to generate a Social Media app at the drop of a hat. Sometimes these things just take time to accomplish.
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Collectively, players have been told multiple times "it will be available later" only to have that "later" never appear. After too many times instead of reading as "it will be available later", it reads as "if you don't get it now, you're out of luck".
You know as well as I do how many of these exclusives that have not been made available at a later date or have been only available for a few days of the year.
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
I appreciate the changes to how this is being done, since this way (pretty much) everyone who wants one can get one. So well done on that.
I'm also looking forward to seeing the screenshots and other stuff too.
Always remember, we were Heroes.
EK,
We've been giving these codes away in game, we're planning on giving them away over Twitter and we're going to be giving some away at the upcoming CapeCon. While it's not super easy to get this particular item, we're doing what we currently are able to do to share it more broadly.
I grok what you're saying. I really understand it and I can empathize with what you're saying. You feel as though because we utilize costume-type stuff as promotional material that your playstyle is being singled out. I get that.
I can't promise you that you'll be able to buy it in the Paragon Market in a few months because that decision hasn't been made yet. I can say I'll suggest it in one of our weekly product management meetings.
Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios
Please, read the original post again. I updated it with FAQ's. Including:
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I have no problem with you giving free stuff away. But you're still effectively gating these items behind your social media push.
THAT is what I have a problem with. Telling people they have the "option" to dink with Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc is still telling them they have three options:
- Submit to the social media push
- Game the social media push
- Do without
Some people would rather just give you money.
In short:
No, see, you're doing it again. I didn't say anything about not liking "social media in general." In fact, I said just the opposite.
In fact, I'm looking at my Twitter feed right now, and a local concert venue just tweeted about how the first person to tweet them back with the answer to a trivia question wins FREE TICKETS to tonight's show! Know why I'm not upset with them over that? Because if I want to go to that show, but I don't win those tickets, I'll have had the opportunity to get them in a way that didn't involve blind luck in direct competition with hundreds or thousands of other people. I could just, you know, buy them. "Hey, follow us on Twitter and you could win this cool thing for free! Or you could just go to the Paragon Market and buy it." There's your solution. Twitter account legitimized, man-hours allocated, player base not alienated. |
We want to be able to do something like this. The *current* solution we have is what isn't ideal, but it's what we have to work with.
Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios
I can't promise you that you'll be able to buy it in the Paragon Market in a few months because that decision hasn't been made yet. I can say I'll suggest it in one of our weekly product management meetings.
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If you want to say 3, 6, or even 12 months of "exclusivity" to a contest, cool (though 12 might be pushing it a bit). Just so long as people have the option to get things like this without being leg-shackled to the vagaries of Paragon's marketing pushes.
Sorry just to clarify, at the moment: Something is either available via a code OR available in the market, you physically can't give away free copies of stuff in the market?
Always remember, we were Heroes.
We WANT generic coupon codes. We WANT to be able to generate a Social Media app at the drop of a hat. Sometimes these things just take time to accomplish.
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To say it a little more succinctly than I did before...
What I don't get (nor like) is the insistence of using costume and customization options as exclusive grabs and carrots. In-game? Okay, I still prefer a front-loaded character creators, but simply not making options readily available (a straight-up purchase) just seems to create more negativity than it does good. You'd rather lock something away as an exclusive giveaway than get money for them directly. I just don't get why you're willing to do that to this game. The character creator should continue to be celebrated, not turned into the source of elitism, exclusivity and the negative atmosphere these things will create. I think the lauded great community around this game partly comes from the friendly nature of this game. The more things become haves and have nots... the worse I'd imagine things will become. |
(And I'll take this opportunity to clumsily segue into another plea, as someone who owns all of these "exclusive" items already, to open up access to the Cape of the Four Winds, Prestige Power Slide, Arachnos cape, and that "other" Arachnos chest detail to everyone. If someone wants it, and is willing to pay, there's no reason not to let them have it. And in the other direction, seriously, I'll pay money for any loyalty program costume items not already on the market: Seven Stars emblem, Zeus/Tartarus helmets, that cool aura from the Statesman pack, all of it. If anything, being willing to pay extra makes me more loyal, not less.)
I'm still waiting for the fabled "upcoming patch" that will finally get me back the pancaking Wisps aura that I legitimately had, but that somehow disappeared. I've been reassured that it's coming, and that it will be fixed eventually, but to be completely honest, I gave up hope a long time ago. And I don't believe anyone at Paragon has put even a single minute of work into fixing that problem in at least the last eight months. Despite the promises. After enough of that stuff, you start to adopt an "I'll believe it when I see it, and I don't ever expect to see it" attitude. Put up or shut up, and all that.
FUN FACT: That burst of light when you level up is actually the effectiveness escaping from your enhancements all at once.
People here ARE cognizant of the difference between "want to" and "can do".
What's got people up in arms is this relapse into lack of foresight that we had thought Paragon had freed itself of months ago.
Did you HONESTLY think that people were NOT going to be getting out pitchforks and torches when you announced something like this? Especially when they'd made it QUITE clear on MULTIPLE occasions that this kind of thing is patently NOT okay?
The way the NCsoft backend works, it's not possible to create a "one thousand use" serial key? I mean a code that is just one set of characters that has a re-use amount of 1,000?
Even a 50 use key would solve the problem of people not being around to claim an item.
The problem with social network contests/giveaways is that you're not telling people "Hey, casually come to our Twitter or Facebook page. While you're here, pick up a code."
You're telling people, "OMG!OMG!OMG! GET TO OUR PAGE NOW OR ELSE YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OUT OF LUCK!!!!!!!!!"
pohsyb: so of all people you must be most excited about the veats
Arachnos Commander: actually, I am
pohsyb: I mean you kinda were one already anyways ^_^
Arachnos Commander:
pohsyb: so of all people you must be most excited about the veats
Arachnos Commander: actually, I am
pohsyb: I mean you kinda were one already anyways ^_^
Arachnos Commander:
Hes my new Hero!!!
Prometheus: ... so what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.
Me: From a certain point of view?
Prometheus: You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on your point of view.
Me: You're right about that. Power Blast is very pretty from a certain point of view. But that point of view is not head-on. <Kaboom> - Arcanaville.