Why SD simply must reply to this scandal

Star Dagger

Join Date 05/2006

Why SD simply must reply to this scandal

MV is becoming an anchor

Greetings,

I love this game. I post here regularly and enjoy the community. One thing is bothering me and many others.

There are alot of other games out there for us to play, most of us are very competitive, i know i am. What game we choose is a very subtle set of factors. Most people wont think 'Thats it, im fed up with this game', its something else that just is more appealing that gets their attention.

THE SCORING DEBACLE WITH THE METAVERSE MUST BE ADDRESSED!!!!

I understand, Stardock, if you feel that you have found some God scoring system, please at LEAST defend it, silence is not a respectful way to treat your customers, and you have been so respectful in ALL other areas, it makes it even more bizzare.

I dont like posting complaints, but i think i speak for many, when i say this must be discussed by SD officials, even if you dont change things.

If you posted your reasoning, along with the scoring formula id be ecstatic, transparency is important.

Otherwise people are going to simply forget about GC2 MV and move onto something else.

I hope that doesnt happen.

Yours in MV Plasma,
khre'Riov Star Dagger commanding RIS ch'Rihan

P.S. PLEASE RESPOND!

metaverse

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Don't really understand why they can't just make your metaverse score the sum of the best 5 scores or something. This degredation and sum of square stuff seems ridiculous. It demotivates me to post my scores.

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....Scene. a courtroom in Plymouth Michigan....

Col Frogboy "You want answers"

Lt Star Dagger "I want the TRUTH"

Col Frogboy "You cant handle the Truth"

hehe

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Still no ACKNOWLEDGEMENT from SD

Perhaps they're too busy to bother with forum-fun?

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SD, I have yet to see you go on the IRC. At this moment, there are 4 developers. Normally, there are about 8.

Yes, they acknowledged ages ago that there are problems with the metaverse, which they are doing their best to fix.

Your use of the word scandal is over zealous at best, and downright stupid at worst. Nothing in that definition matches Stardock, I suggest you get a better understanding of the language.

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I think CommanderFutility has gone off on the wrong track here. I don't see anyone here demanding an instant fix. What I think they want is an acknowledgement by Stardock that it is a problem, or an explanation by Stardock of why they do not see it as a problem. Stardock is great on responding and working to solve problems on every other part of the game, I have seen that myself, so it's worth asking: why don't Stardock say anything at all about the Metaverse? And as for the attitude that we should just shut up and wait for them to fix it: Stardock fixes the problems that we point out to them. They do it in every other area, why not this one?

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I have yet to see you go on the IRC.

Hmm...good thing StarDock has a forum for its customers, especially if they hang out on IRC instead. If would be nice if they would just talk to us here. I've started to see questions ranging from metaverse to technical issues go unanswered by StarDock which is beginning to feel like we are dealing with one of the big gaming companies.

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Give us this day our daily BUMP! (not that it needs it, hehe)

SD

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Bah, when you get down to only 2% of your score is your total actual than you can sharpent yer claws.

W/R
Suralle Straykat
Kat Lord @ Large

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Besides, isn't it really all about the bling?

NOT!

W/R
Suralle Straykat
Kat Lord @ Large

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So remind me again why we can't just take a situation for what it is? I mean, the scoring affects everyone equally, so wether or not you understand how it is calculated or not, it is still a level playing field.

If the only reason you are playing a MV game is for competition, then... it's still a competition. It's not like someone else knows a secret and can better the system to your disadvantage.

I admit that it is not easy to understand how the scores are calculated, but maybe we should just get back to playing the game for enjoyment. Playing soley for the benefit of getting your name at the top of some list detracts from the overall experience, and most probably the intent of SD. I would bet that this is why they have not responded.

Why can't we just take things for the way they are and play within the "box" if you will and leave it at that? It is a game afterall.

[prepares for flame]

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

good thing StarDock has a forum for its customers

The forums are for the community . . not Stardock. I would hope that they have better things to do than monitor every post here. Especially the ones with stupid-ass inflamatory titles.

And no reply from Star Dagger about IRC?

irc.stardock.com
/join #galciv

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The forums are for the community . . not Stardock.

Do the devs not use the forums for their Journals? Why don't they just post that stuff in their IRC client? It is the community asking questions after all so even if it is for the community they could at least give us an answer. I'm sure they have better things to do than monitor stupid-ass remarks made on IRC as well, but according to you that is where they hang out. One place is as good as another for users to post stupid remarks but I'm betting they would reach more of their customers here in the forums than in IRC. BTW, where is the link to their IRC from the GC2 website? I looked in the "contacts" link and no mention of it there either. There isn't a stickly saying something like "visit with the devs on IRC". If this is their prefered method of contact they need to put something out official so that we can hope to be online at the time(s) they are.

Not all of us want to download yet another program just to ask a question that they have had all kinds of chances to answer here.

Why can't we just take things for the way they are and play within the "box" if you will and leave it at that? It is a game afterall.

Because it is exploitable to a degree although I see that killzone did finially take the number 1 spot.

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

I imagine that monitoring one IRC channel is easier than all the threads here. But for true support I believe email is the perferred method:

Technical Support - support@stardock.com
Customer Service - info@stardock.com

Stardock Sales and Support are open Monday-Friday (9-5pm EST). Every effort is made to respond to queries as quickly as possible, though mails sent after-hours and on weekends will generally not be seen until the following work day.

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Quote by Marcathonas: Yes, they acknowledged ages ago that there are problems with the metaverse, which they are doing their best to fix.

They could at least explain what the recalc is doing, or what was wrong with it and what their changing it to. Is that really too much to ask?

I also don't understand why scoring isn't a simple addition problem, rather than games to the 3rd multiplyed by pi or something odd.

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I assume email would be the prefered method as I told you I checked out their contact link but I'm sure they would end up being selective in the ones they replied to as they have with the forums. My point was just that IRC is not promoted by StarDock as a place to contact them so don't come in here saying that they have better things to do than monitor the forums. Chat in one form or another is nothing more than chat and it is a waste of time that they could be using for programming but that really isn't the point is it? The point is you are an IRC fan and some of us are not. I consider IRC a waste of time since conversations are real time and tend to interrupt me when I'm trying to do something. For this reason I've taken all messanger type software off my PC. It is fine you come into a thread and make the comment that IRC is an option, but to come in and critize for someone trying to get the attention of SD folks isn't any better than me logging into the chat and start mouthing something about you being a fanboy or the like (unil I get booted anyway). I'm not saying that is the case, just using that as an example of our difference in opinion.

I'm sure it is easier to monitor one channel but the majority of their customers (or potential customers) are not there. They are here and when the negative post start to outweigh the positive it doesn't look good on them as a company when they will not address them. Why support StarDock when we can be ignorned just a well by EA, Atari, etc.?

I do not buy into them not monitoring these forums but I guess it is possible. Maybe their success with CG2 has gotten to them and they are now beyond us peon customers. I know we are talking about the MV in this thread but there is one thread about the game freezing (v1.2) and we got 1 reply from code critter then nothing else. Those of us it is happening to just have to deal with it because it is easier to just ignore us. Doesn't matter that we did not have this problem with 1.11. I cannot send in a smartexception since the game is freezing and not writing to the exception so because there is no proof it is happening it is easier for SD to remain silent.

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On the positive, I like the game and I like the patches to the game. My complaints about the game play are minor at best.

The game scoring needs some tweaking mostly because playing beyond the real end of the game is still rewarded, but even this isn’t too severe.

People have been complaining about the metaverse scoring since before I started playing GalCiv2. The problems have been laid out pretty clearly by multiple people in multiple threads and there is a great deal of consensus on these problems. These problems are severe. Given the lack of response (I haven’t seen any since recalc and I have been looking) , I have come to the conclusion that it is not going to change.

The metaverse appears to be something that is just not important to SD. I hope I am wrong.

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

I monitor the forums and am happy when the devs reply. But if there is a complaint that they are not responding to you and someone brings an alternative that's not attempted . . tough luck. Just because you don't like one of the available channels does not mean that they have to use your perferred method.

If a bug report is posted in the forums and not emailed to tech support . . . I would assume it has a lower chance of getting a dev hit than a case created by emailing support@stardock.com. And that's the way it should be. Unless you wnat the devs to comb through the forums creating cases instead of working cases.

We may differ in opinion here too, but I think post's with titles like this one should be ignored anyway. It displays an attitude that should not be encouraged with a response.

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Well, simply stated because one low scoring game in a recent spot the way they weigh the scores will make your entire ranking plumet. That other person may have a low scoring game too, but not report it, and thus save their rank from dropping to the bottom for one low scoring game. (which could be low scoring for the simple fact that you won it too fast)

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im on the irc chat now with Cari Elf, she has informed me that she has sent an email to the appropriate authorities

Outstanding. Thanks for the irc suggestion.

Yours in Victorious Plasma,
Star Dagger!

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Zubaz I agree, His title was a little harsh, but I also understand his frustration. A lot of us have been posting and replying to posts on this problem since the game was released. Yes they did a recalc. It was not finished though. The 1.1 betas were not recalced. Ever since the unfinished recalc, we have not received any responses from any of the devs as to the current problems. All we are asking for is a response. Anything, to let us Know one way or another if they intend to address the problem. Then we will be able to make an educated decision as to whether it is still in our interests to play the game. You may not be a competitive player, but many of us are. The Metaverse in Galciv1 kept my interest long after I lost interest in the game itself. I posted almost 200 games to the GalCiv1 metaverse. It had a much more fair scoring system. I will second the vote that a simple addition of all scores would be the best way to go. Then maybe people would actually post their losses. Oh I just caught Star Daggers latest post. Good to hear he got an answer. I hope something will now be done. Star Dagger, Did you ask her about the unfinished recalc of the beta 1.1 games? TBAY

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Zubaz,

I would normally agree...However, I have an item posted under the forum "Support & Bugs" and "STICKY: Metaverse Help!" that has not been responded to in ~2 weeks (different topic, but still). I would normally consider that a reasonable place to see a response from a post about what appears to be a metaverse bug.

I used to work for a company that did network games online (about 40 people)...You don't have developers monitor a spot like that (or do support/response at all) unless they want to, but you do have a support person watch it.

Also, historically, they have used the forums as a response mechanism. I guess they no longer use the forums for that and it's all IRC or maybe e-mail.

StarDagger,

Please, pass on whatever is said. We await word!

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I noticed they never respond to these questions. Very unlike them.. Kinda disapointed in that respect, they are usually very candid about talking about the game.

Which tells me that maybe they are a little ashamed of the whole Metaverse Thing and do not want to deal with it right now. Little surprised though if someone complains about its not fair like in Post 1.2 that attacker strikes first, they respond right away. This is the third post Ive seen on Metaverse and not a peep. Odd.

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

m on the irc chat now with Cari Elf, she has informed me that she has sent an email to the appropriate authorities

Glad you got what you needed

Also, historically, they have used the forums as a response mechanism. I guess they no longer use the forums for that and it's all IRC or maybe e-mail.

Historically Stardock folks kept an eye on the community forums and chimed in. I wish they did it more. IRC is also an informal channel for the users taht Stardock employees hang out in. It's nice when you can catch them there and they can respond.

If I think that I HAVE to have a response form Stardock I email support. They issue me a case and either resolve it or explain why they can't.

I'm no fanboy. Stardock has traditionally had issues communicating. It's right in front of documentation when it comes to my complaints about them.

I only have one metaverse game so I'm not feeling the pain you guys are. And I reacted more to the tone of the post than to the problem. I was wrong for that. Apologies all around.

I hope the MV scoring gets resolved and this post gets lost in the posts of forums past.

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The fact-finding mission is in progress. I will report developments as they happen!

Yours in the SD system,
khre'Riov Star Dagger commanding RIS ch'Rihan

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