Discussion: Introducing Tweet Code Thursdays!
By
Absolut_,
Posted on: 2012-07-11 13:32 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
It's disappointing that things didn't work out as well as it could have, but hopefully you guys will be able to come up with a good solution in the future.
I'll be trying my luck this Thursday!
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That's the problem. They don't have an IT department member for that. They have a, technically, 3rd party web development group that's tough to get work out of.|
Originally Posted by VVolf
I'm sad to hear this. I honestly don't think it would be too hard to ask your IT department to whip up something with the Twitter API that Posts a tweet, gets the first 100 users to retweet that tweet, then send a DM to each of those user with a line from a text file of codes with just a push of a button for each command, but I haven't have had much experience with APIs myself (or else I'd try to write it for you).
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As for your assertion of simplicity while admitting to dearth of experience with the API. Standard code rant applies.
If they DO bring it back, hopefully they'll do it with non-costume-piece items, as locking up costume pieces this way raises all sorts of ugly problems (myself being one of them).
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
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Yay! clap clap clap!
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Originally Posted by Hit Streak
This Thursday will be our final Tweet Code Thursday. - Hit Streak
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Yeh I never thought I'd be happy to see a promotion/event come to an end... But I am |
Originally Posted by GPBunny
Yay! clap clap clap!
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1) They don't have a web development department. They out-source.|
Originally Posted by VVolf
I'm sad to hear this. I honestly don't think it would be too hard to ask your IT department to whip up something with the Twitter API that Posts a tweet, gets the first 100 users to retweet that tweet, then send a DM to each of those user with a line from a text file of codes with just a push of a button for each command, but I haven't have had much experience with APIs myself (or else I'd try to write it for you).
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2) If they made a Twitter program like you describe, that app would be instantly banned from Twitter given Twitter's usage policies (I checked two weeks ago).
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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
As for your assertion of simplicity while admitting to dearth of experience with the API. Standard code rant applies.
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The community team would post a code/website combo on Twitter, players log into the named website and they'd get an unique code from a code pool to use.
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
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Here's looking forward to a solution that benefits both the company and the players!
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Originally Posted by Hit Streak
Thanks to this feedback, we now know what tools we need in order to run community promotions like this going forward.
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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
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Originally Posted by Snow Globe
Yeah, that is why the web-app I am making doesn't involve anyone else.
The community team would post a code/website combo on Twitter, players log into the named website and they'd get an unique code from a code pool to use. |
If you can get it to work and you can get them to accept it, more power to you boss.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
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I'm going to be camping out Twitter during work this Thursday, then! Worth it. |
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
We'll be giving out the Dark Matter Aura again.
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The Paladin
Steel Canyon, Virtue
Exalted
@Paladin
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As long as it remains on FB and/or Twitter, the tech required for such an outcome is not possible. Because Twitter is stupid, and by using it as your medium of distribution, you automatically exclude people who despise/can't use such sites. Many, like myself, hate those sites, and others are not allowed to use it. |
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
Our original plan was to run this for months instead of weeks, but we simply don't have the bandwidth or the tools necessary to run it in a way that gets everyone involved.
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It is one thing to give things away on these sites, but to make them exclusive items is wrong in every sense of the word. It is wrong no matter how it is done. It is wrong no matter who does it. It's not enough to get the prize for free? It was the first twitter give-away for, what was it, the mutant pack?... that got me to sign up for twitter, a fail, of course, not that I cared too much, because it was not exclusive, but it was the most annoying place I had ever been on the net (not counting the old days before popup blockers, and better search engines kept the worst pron sites from showing up in the most innocent of searches), so I deleted the account and never went back, and never will. And no shiny, no matter how shiny, will ever make me jump through that hoop again. Hoop jumping is not fun, and that one is on fire, a mile high and I have 2 bad knees. And so far, everyone I have talked to in game has had the same reaction.
Me: You hear about that twitter giveaway thing?
Them: What Twitter giveaway thing?
Me: You have to follow them on twitter and have a chance to win free dots aura code exclusive.
Them: Ugh! =( Yuck! Icky! Etc. etc. etc...
So while most people it seems have no idea this even happened, those that have were not thrilled. So if 5% of the populace is here in the forums, then you get a fraction of them that know about this and then do it. And the rest who don't follow you on twitter anyway, are just completely left out of the loop, and never even had a chance even if they wanted to try to jump the hoop. You should at the very least announce these things In The Game! where most people who play the game get their information about the game. Not in the launcher (the only time you have time to see what is on there is when there is a patch, because it shows other game info before you pick one, and I know many ignore it completely), not on your forums, nor the social media pages, but in the game where most players are. Then you only miss the people who have accounts but never log in. At least that way the whole player base is informed, and can make informed choices. I would be willing to bet if more people knew about this giveaway you would have gotten even stronger feedback, and upset even more people.
True Alt-o-holic, so... way too many to even think about listing =p
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http://www.rafflecopter.com/|
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
...Thanks to this feedback, we now know what tools we need in order to run community promotions like this going forward.
- Hit Streak |
You guys pointed to the GW2 CE giveaway thing and mentioned:
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
Those are custom apps developed for that specific campaign.
Such apps cost money. Not saying how much, but it's not insignificant. |
Just thought I'd be of some help. Thanks for listening to our feedback.
you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you <3
I just want to once again express appreciation for the way Zwill and Hit Streak really tried to make this work for us.
When people first started expressing unhappiness with the code grab, they switched the way it would work. When that turned out to be an unworkable solution, they altered things again to try to make everyone happy.
Even though, in the end, it didn't work out... I really appreciate that you guys tried.
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I'll be doing the same I think...lol
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Originally Posted by Paladin
I'm going to be camping out Twitter during work this Thursday, then! Worth it.
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@Absolut. and @Absolut-
Liberty Server's own Liquor Store Owner.
Way to many 50's to list here...and adding....
And.... apparently Twitter is down! A conspiracy to rob us of our last day! >Insert Misc flaming,whining, complaining, tin foil hat, etc, etc<
Twitter Site Issue 27 minutes ago
Users may be experiencing issues accessing Twitter. Our engineers are currently working to resolve the issue.
I want my code! Do not make me post a Verucca salt meme!
Agreed, I missed last weeks code and I'd sure hate to miss this weeks.
And I made a twitter just for the reason of getting these special items..
If twitter is down when the time comes around will we still get our codes today?
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one would hope that they would just do it once twitter was back up or just postpone till tomorrow
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Originally Posted by Nerol Depheris
Agreed, I missed last weeks code and I'd sure hate to miss this weeks.
And I made a twitter just for the reason of getting these special items.. If twitter is down when the time comes around will we still get our codes today? |
Twitter appears to be good to go, and we're prepared to send out codes promptly at 10:30AM PDT.
Jessie Lawrence
Assistant Community Manager
Paragon Studios
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There's too many pages to try and find the answer to this, so I am sorry if it's already been asked:|
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
Twitter appears to be good to go, and we're prepared to send out codes promptly at 10:30AM PDT.
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I currently have my tweets protected, will this stop me from getting a code if I try and play?
You don't hit smiling monsters - Sister Flame
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No.|
Originally Posted by Chuckers
There's too many pages to try and find the answer to this, so I am sorry if it's already been asked:
I currently have my tweets protected, will this stop me from getting a code if I try and play? |
They post a picture with codes on it.
Then you have to rush and type a code into the "Use a Serial Code" section of your PlayNC account.
@Alpha XBS ~ Victory
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Madame Distress - Ill/Rad Controller * Madame Infernus - Fire/Thermal Corruptor
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Originally Posted by Alpha_XBS
No.
They post a picture with codes on it. Then you have to rush and type a code into the "Use a Serial Code" section of your PlayNC account. |
Thanks.. I thought it was as originally stated that it needed to be re-tweeted. I am not going to bother with this as the codes go way too fast and I am busy at work. This contest isn't worth my time.
You don't hit smiling monsters - Sister Flame
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The first week you had to re-tweet. That system didn't work since they then DMed you a code. They quickly reached the max DM limit of Twitter.|
Originally Posted by Chuckers
Thanks.. I thought it was as originally stated that it needed to be re-tweeted. I am not going to bother with this as the codes go way too fast and I am busy at work. This contest isn't worth my time.
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So last week they tried this method... and they are doing it again this week, for the last time.
This is the last Tweet Code Thursday as it is not living up to what they expected.
So... back to the drawing board.
They said lots of codes will be given away today, even more than last week.
@Alpha XBS ~ Victory
Thunder Light - Peacebringer * Displaced Calibre - Dual Pistols/Time Corruptor * Defendatron WS - Warshade
Madame Distress - Ill/Rad Controller * Madame Infernus - Fire/Thermal Corruptor
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Or they could just put it on the Paragon store for those of us who don't have spazmatic type-rate twitchy fingers...|
Originally Posted by Alpha_XBS
The first week you had to re-tweet. That system didn't work since they then DMed you a code. They quickly reached the max DM limit of Twitter.
So last week they tried this method... and they are doing it again this week, for the last time. This is the last Tweet Code Thursday as it is not living up to what they expected. So... back to the drawing board. They said lots of codes will be given away today, even more than last week. |
Especially with the lag-rate between tweeter and people's mobile devices,
their own wi-fi connection lag,
opening yfrog,
rezooming that image to view the image at a readable level,
then trying to get a code that hasn't been taken...
Try doing that on a mobile device with no second browser tab with the Account serial code entry page open...
@SCyberTaz / Champion & Exalted: Home of my anthology characters.
Virtue: Where my anthology characters get all freakynaughty...
http://www.facebook.com/SCyberTaz (I'd kiss your rear, butt I don't have time to cover the acreage!)
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I agree with you, I do not like this method at all.|
Originally Posted by CyberTaz
Or they could just put it on the Paragon store for those of us who don't have spazmatic type-rate twitchy fingers...
Especially with the lag-rate between tweeter and people's mobile devices, their own wi-fi connection lag, opening yfrog, rezooming that image to view the image at a readable level, then trying to get a code that hasn't been taken... Try doing that on a mobile device with no second browser tab with the Account serial code entry page open... |
I was just explaining to Chuckers what was going on with the whole process.
@Alpha XBS ~ Victory
Thunder Light - Peacebringer * Displaced Calibre - Dual Pistols/Time Corruptor * Defendatron WS - Warshade
Madame Distress - Ill/Rad Controller * Madame Infernus - Fire/Thermal Corruptor
Looks like the account's working again. Good luck to everyone here, and a big thanks to the development team for extending the giveaway hours to a crazy 14 hour time period. As hard as we're working to get a code, they're going to be working even harder to give those codes out.
The Paladin
Steel Canyon, Virtue
Exalted
@Paladin
They've also seemed to have forgotten the line between Customer Satisfaction and Consumer satisfaction.
Customers are those of us who are VIP's who still pay to play the game, therfore pay their salaries, server-farm maintainance, bandwidth, ect.
Consumers are those who also play the game but don't pay for it.
Many players have noticed a longer and longer lapse between sending in a stuck petition on a mission / TF and getting a GM assistance Tell. The VIP's were supposed to get faster service, but this has seemed to go to the way-side.
They could have given the Dark Matter (Kirby Dots) Aura to the paying customers who register their Twitter @name & subscribed. They also could have given a code to anyone making a Paragon Points purchase in the Paragon Store. I seem to recall that their Facebook /e facepalm required you to click on a link on thei Facebook page which launched an app that gave you a code. Instead of posting pictures with codes, they could have posted a link to a similar app and then put a usage counter on it or required entry of your twitter account name to get a code.
Since they're being cryptic on when the Dots aura will be re-offered I'm droping from Customer to Consumer until then. Less Twinkies for them!
@SCyberTaz / Champion & Exalted: Home of my anthology characters.
Virtue: Where my anthology characters get all freakynaughty...
http://www.facebook.com/SCyberTaz (I'd kiss your rear, butt I don't have time to cover the acreage!)
This Thursday will be our final Tweet Code Thursday. Our original plan was to run this for months instead of weeks, but we simply don't have the bandwidth or the tools necessary to run it in a way that gets everyone involved.
With that level of automation it just becomes a bandwidth issue, which most have said they're willing to wait for a code. It's not a perfect solution as we would still have to race to be in the first 100 (providing twitter doesn't have means of getting more than 100 through the API, seems odd that they wouldn't but I'm not honestly not digging through their documentation too much).
Anyway I hope you can eventually get the tools you would need to bring this promotion back in a manner that everyone can enjoy.
/.-, VVolf
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