Ein Spiegel
   |
Posted - 2011.06.25 09:40:00 -
[1]
I used to be Catman Dewback of Kettemoor. I played SWG from fairly close to the start. I was, at times, an Entertainer, a Ranger, a Pistoleer, a Rifleman, a Bioengineer, and that's just what I can remember off the top of my head.
You're right. The comparison right this moment to the NGE is not correct. But in some ways, it's worse. I know how bad communication was in SWG (I was a Ranger/Bioengineer/Creature Handler longest - let me tell you how it feels to have all of your professions wiped out of creation in an instant, after being significantly altered a few times before), and I know that despite MOST of SOE not listening to the players, there were devs that actually got involved, and some changes suggested did manage to get into the release cycle. In CCP, I think you would be hard pressed to find another company who's developer to community relationship is as good as it is, and you sure as hell won't find a CSM. Which is why I say it's worse, because it seems like Hilmar and Zulu have been possessed by the spirit of John Smedley from that era.
What I'm seeing in the forum and devblogs is a very strong reminder of the crowd control used at that time - which is why I worry about some of the community relations people. Except it's being especially effective here - the CCP Devs and even the community relations team are in a serious lock down about what is or is not said by them. The devblog, while it had some information, does not apologize (or even sound vaguely conciliatory), does not acknowledge the primary cause of the rage, and in no way gives any direct indication of which way they will go. The amount of forum rage, and the amount of in-game rage, relating to events, whether warranted or not, deserves from a basic common sense PR point of view, a much better, much louder official response from a coordinated team. Not a single voice from on high which comes across by many as disdainful at least, while the lower voices are silent. (SOE had this... after Tiggs couldn't sell the NGE and Smed stepped in directly.)
The in-game effects, the changes in Incarna and possible changes, to me, are not why this is still going on, and why the comparisons are made. It's because a company that most of us love, and for some of us was the saviour when the NGE left us bitter and full of hatred for SOE and MMOs in general, has taken on the appearance of what we saw before. What makes it more chilling, is that we all know CCP has not been this way before - I wasn't here for the T20 thing, so maybe then - and it's frightening to see and feel parallels to what was going on way back when. No, the changes or direction of CCP in the past, have nothing on the SOE low-level evil that existed all the time. But to see such a good company, suddenly start to sound like a bad company, to close ranks completely and shift in tone of message to what we have seen (swearing in an official message in a non-humorous way?) is enough cause the comparisons. I didn't look for comparisons. I just noticed... hey, this is all familiar.
And I stayed into the NGE for awhile, before packing up three or four cities and then dropping myself into a memorial city.
Also... please keep in mind the SWG "emulator" was an entirely independent effort, with no connection to SOE... volunteers and reverse-engineering. Which, based on the AT commentaries, I think Hammer is actually playing right now... (Eerie thought, no?)
|