Q:
In another thread of mine a poster made a comment that Anet will never openly give an honest answer to a question
Anet will most likely never say “We will never have mounts”. It’s much easier to say something may happen as to saying it will never happen. What if 90% of the population wants mounts in a year, then that 10% that doesn’t will be kitten because they out right said they wouldn’t have mounts. If they don’t bring in mounts than that 90% will be upset that they aren’t bringing in mounts.
Now… this got me thinking. Is this the way the majority of players feel?
Personally I was brought up to always be honest, no matter what. People will always know where you stand and it shows character and integrity.
BUT.. does(should) this also apply to a company? Would you even want it to?
So here’s my question to you guys…
Would you prefer Anet to give a simply definitive answer to a question, end of?
YES – You would prefer them to do that. You may not agree with the answer, but you will know what is happening / not going to happen?
NO – You would rather be kept in suspense, always hoping that your desire will be added to the game at some point?
Before you jump in and say yes/no.. think about it ! (its not just about mounts, can be anything you ever dreamed of having in a game.)
(edited by Phantax.1369)
A:
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(edited by Moderator.6837)
My own answer…
YES
Even if it means I may be disapointed. I think Id rather know for definate
It’s not a matter of being honest.
In GW1, players did the same thing, asked for some things in game and demanded answers. The devs said absolutly not, it will never happen, no way, no how, stop asking, end of story.
A few years later, they added some of the features that they had said would never happen. You cannot predict the future, so saying something will never happen, would not be a smart thing to do.
It isn’t dishonest to refuse to give a definitive reply to a question with a possibly mutable answer.
I think this has not so much to do with honesty as with transparency. I can fully understand that they want to have options for the future like to add mounts if they see it fit or leave them out if they don’t.
However in many cases I would really appriciate to get a bit of a warning or a hint in advance like with this acsended gear or with the limited guesting options. In both cases I doubt this were decisions which were made from one day to another and many people had several expectations on how this game would be and how guesting would work. So it would have been better to lower the expectations on those things if they are not willing/not able to fullfill them. But that’s just my opinion.
It’s not a matter of being honest.
In GW1, players did the same thing, asked for some things in game and demanded answers. The devs said absolutly not, it will never happen, no way, no how, stop asking, end of story.
A few years later, they added some of the features that they had said would never happen. You cannot predict the future, so saying something will never happen, would not be a smart thing to do.
I bet you get splinters on your bum from sitting on the fence so often…lol
Seriously tho, that sounds like a cop out excuse. Game ideas, designs may change in years to come. But if a company has no intention now of adding something then say so. If for whatever reason in a few years time they change their mind, then all they have to do is simply announce that ther are going to do it.
It doesnt mean they were lying before, just that things have changed.
Henry Ford said he would only ever make cars in black.
(To be precise he said "you can have a ford in any color you like… as long as its black)
And for many years it was black or nothing. Now we can get a Ford in almost any color. Doesnt mean he was lying when he said it. He was being dead honest and Ford are still around today despite the change in ideals !
If Arenanet said yes, we will consider, people would go crazy and create unnecessary threads about it. “You promised us mounts this month, where is it?”
If Arenanet said no, and then later on changed their mind, people would go crazy again and say ,“You lied to us”
So it’s better to just keep the response open.
It has nothing to do with honesty. In a few years’ time, the game will be very different, and may be more suitable for features they currently do not want.
Giving too many definitive answers can trap them.
Even Arenanet can’t predict exactly what the game will be like after a few years.
It’s not a matter of being honest.
In GW1, players did the same thing, asked for some things in game and demanded answers. The devs said absolutly not, it will never happen, no way, no how, stop asking, end of story.
A few years later, they added some of the features that they had said would never happen. You cannot predict the future, so saying something will never happen, would not be a smart thing to do.I bet you get splinters on your bum from sitting on the fence so often…lol
Seriously tho, that sounds like a cop out excuse. Game ideas, designs may change in years to come. But if a company has no intention now of adding something then say so. If for whatever reason in a few years time they change their mind, then all they have to do is simply announce that ther are going to do it.
It doesnt mean they were lying before, just that things have changed.
MMO players are fickle and unreasonable. If they said flat out no now, and then changed it later, can you imagine how incensed people would be?
Look at these forums. Just imagine if there was another tier of gear released above legendaries, or if there were raids, or if lvl cap was raised?
What has that to do with being honest or not? They are just keeping the option to implement mounts. Right now they aren’t fitting in the games design, but in a few years, some designer might have a brilliant idea about how to include them without causing issues.
It has nothing to do with honesty. In a few years’ time, the game will be very different, and may be more suitable for features they currently do not want.
Giving too many definitive answers can trap them.
Even Arenanet can’t predict exactly what the game will be like after a few years.
Now I disagree here. Ive played Eve Online for many years. CCP (Eve design company) have a masively loyal fanbase. They are very often quoted as saying this will happen this wont. Especially at their yearly fanfest. They have also changed their minds about things but they have been open about that too and said they have changed them.
At their last fanfest the head designer even said (think it was about player housing design) that “We got it wrong”
How often have you heard a big game company say that. Guess what, they didnt lose any players over it!
(edited by Phantax.1369)
You’re confusing honesty with transparancy.
Some poster in some thread saying ANet isn’t honest doesn’t make it so – I’ve found them to be honest. And they’re a business- transparancy and business don’t always mix.
What has that to do with being honest or not? They are just keeping the option to implement mounts. Right now they aren’t fitting in the games design, but in a few years, some designer might have a brilliant idea about how to include them without causing issues.
Its not just about mounts, could be anything.
The question is about transparency, honesty, call it what you like. A few of you have said Anet wont give definitive answers! they already have…
“There will be NO new tier of gear during 2013” thats an official quote and I bet not every player was happy about it. But hey.. we all know where we stand now!
Being honest about being vague is the best thing one can do. In that vein, the flickr interview was brilliant.
“We’d love to comment on this but we can’t. Only when we know anything 100% sure we can make promises. We’re sorry but rest assured it’s on the to do list.”
That passed several times. They even explained why they can’t say anything and how they felt about it. To me that was brilliant AND honest.
Of course, definitive answers would be better than wishy-washy ones — right up until they are proven incorrect. Sure I think ANet has been deceptive on some issues, but I also think that most of the time, they are hedging their bets because they really can’t give a guaranteed ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They just don’t know themselves if something is going to make it into the game. They might hope it does, but if that’s all they have when the give the community and affirmative answer, then have to reverse themselves, the kittenfest would be epic.
I only wish they’d simply acknowledge some of the issues I think are important, let alone give me a definitive answer. Right now, all I hear from them regarding my questions is the sound of crickets chirping.
I prefer straight answers; sales and marketing lingo with its evasive phrasing annoys me and makes me believe that the person using said language does not respect me.
This type of language has been predominant from ArenaNet recently, with all answers sufficiently ambiguous so as to constantly allow themselves “Get out of jail free” cards.
Answers such as “We will not be adding another tier of gear in 2013” when asked if they will be adding more tiers above ascended to the game. The subtext here is that they may very well add extra tiers in any year after 2013.
It’s cowardly.
This has nothing to do with honesty. They answer the questions that they actually have an answer to.
How is it usefull to anyone to try and force Arenanet to make speculations about what they may or may not do in the future? That’s just more fodder for speculation among the fans and eventually leads to bitter remarks and dissapointment when whatever they dreamed up in their minds doesn’t come true.
Then give an honest answer instead of one that has been obviously crafted by marketing scum.
If asked “Do you have any plans to add further tiers to the game?”, a better response is something more friendly and honest such as “At the moment, no. But we can’t predict whether we will need to in the future or not”. It doesn’t have to be a blatant “Yes” or “No”. Just something a little less reptilian and a little more human.
Of course, definitive answers would be better than wishy-washy ones — right up until they are proven incorrect. Sure I think ANet has been deceptive on some issues, but I also think that most of the time, they are hedging their bets because they really can’t give a guaranteed ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They just don’t know themselves if something is going to make it into the game. They might hope it does, but if that’s all they have when the give the community and affirmative answer, then have to reverse themselves, the kittenfest would be epic.
The worst approach is the rule-lawyering and word-wringing – the “no, we haven’t actually said so” (even if it was strongly implied). Well, still better than outright lies, of course, but not much better. Unfortunately, lately i have strong suspicion that their answers, even when they seem definite, always contain just enough vagueness to give them escape option later on. And i can never be sure if that is placed just in case, or if they already plan on using this eventually.
I’d rather have plain talk, with clear informations about things they haven’t decided yet, decided but might change, etc.
Then give an honest answer instead of one that has been obviously crafted by marketing scum.
If asked “Do you have any plans to add further tiers to the game?”, a better response is something more friendly and honest such as “At the moment, no. But we can’t predict whether we will need to in the future or not”. It doesn’t have to be a blatant “Yes” or “No”. Just something a little less reptilian and a little more human.
This.
I’d also add that players get frustrated as the developers rarely if ever expand on why they have made the decisions they have made. Not once have I seen a developer expand on why they felt the need to add extra tiers of gear. I’ve seen them say that they always intended to (something simply playing the game disputes), but they’ve never said why.
An insight into the decision making process can help players understand why things are the way they are. Left to their own devices, it’s only natural that people will start to conjure up wild conspiracy theories linking every decision made by the developers to heartless capitalisation and the gem store.
I prefer straight answers; sales and marketing lingo with its evasive phrasing annoys me and makes me believe that the person using said language does not respect me.
This type of language has been predominant from ArenaNet recently, with all answers sufficiently ambiguous so as to constantly allow themselves “Get out of jail free” cards.
Answers such as “We will not be adding another tier of gear in 2013” when asked if they will be adding more tiers above ascended to the game. The subtext here is that they may very well add extra tiers in any year after 2013.
It’s cowardly.
I do kinda agree. They gained a whole load of respect from me when they said sorry about how the Ascended items was handled a(we needed to to fit a gap between Exotic and legendary. what gap?) and that they are working on sorting the issues out.
The thing is, it should’nt have taken a 20,000 reply thread to do it.
It’s the same with guesting. We were given a reason, which logically does’nt stack up with no sense of disapointment they could’nt make it work. Instead we get a “We knew players would’nt like it but we’re doing it anyway” answer.
You know what would have been better about the guesting thing. It would have been something like
“We’re really sorry we could’nt get cross region guesting to work. We spent months trying to but in the end it was just too risky and unreliable to put it in.
We’ve not forgotten about it though so we may come back to it if we get another brain wave. For now though improving the core game and getting as solid experience as we can for you is our main focus"
It’s nearly what they wrote. But in the Anet version there was not a hint of regret or sadness. So it just comes across as arrogance and ya boo sucks to you
If you know something is going to be controversial or bad news tell us up front. The worst that will happen is that you’ll get the same flak for it but an appreciation for being open about it. The best you’ll manage to find a way to fix it and be seen as amazing
Basically, treat us as intelligent adults. Own up to screw ups, admit your limitations and please don’t try to hide behind spin, mis-direction or silence.
Be proactive, don’t wait for brown stuff to hit the fan. Everyone here is a fan and a customer we’re not your enemies out to get you.
Engage us more, step away from the twitters and facebooks and PR AMA’s. Get into the game world more, chat to players, attend community events. Sure it’ll be wild for a while but at least people will feel listened to , treated as equals and part of it.
Basically, makes us feel we are part of things WITH you, not a bunch of people who feel like things are being DONE to us.
(edited by Shanaeri Rynale.6897)
In another thread of mine a poster made a comment that Anet will never openly give an honest answer to a question
Anet will most likely never say “We will never have mounts”. It’s much easier to say something may happen as to saying it will never happen. What if 90% of the population wants mounts in a year, then that 10% that doesn’t will be kitten because they out right said they wouldn’t have mounts. If they don’t bring in mounts than that 90% will be upset that they aren’t bringing in mounts.
Now… this got me thinking. Is this the way the majority of players feel?
Personally I was brought up to always be honest, no matter what. People will always know where you stand and it shows character and integrity.
BUT.. does(should) this also apply to a company? Would you even want it to?So here’s my question to you guys…
Would you prefer Anet to give a simply definitive answer to a question, end of?
YES – You would prefer them to do that. You may not agree with the answer, but you will know what is happening / not going to happen?
NO – You would rather be kept in suspense, always hoping that your desire will be added to the game at some point?
Before you jump in and say yes/no.. think about it ! (its not just about mounts, can be anything you ever dreamed of having in a game.)
Wow, can’t believe you quoted me and started a new thread about it lol. I’m honored but disgusted at the same time. Remember when I said stop reading into things so much, well…. STOP READING INTO THINGS SO MUCH.
As everybody as already pointed out, this has nothing to do with honesty. Anet likely DOESN’T KNOW if they will implement mounts in the future or not. They could not like the idea right now, but it doesn’t mean they are opposed to ever implementing them.
What if somebody asked you “Will you ever have kids?”. Some people will say yes, some people will say no, and some people will say maybe. Just because you don’t see something happening now doesn’t mean it won’t in the future.
Want another example? What are you going to eat for breakfast August 21st, 2013?
(edited by Ethics.4519)
Its not just about mounts, could be anything.
The question is about transparency, honesty, call it what you like. A few of you have said Anet wont give definitive answers! they already have…“There will be NO new tier of gear during 2013” thats an official quote and I bet not every player was happy about it. But hey.. we all know where we stand now!
Well okay then, I just think the example doesn’t have much to do with the topic. Overall, yes I prefer them to be honest, but at the same time I can completely understand them being vague about things they just don’t know yet. So they rather say nothing, than disappoint the players. I would not call this dishonest, it’s just keeping things secret until they are in a state when they actually can be implemented and only need a finishing touch.
Another thing is, if they come up with a really great idea and they announce it before they even started working on it, a competitor in the genre could copy it and rush it out first, maybe because they have a better basis in their engine to work it in, in time.
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