09/18/11
Direct question(and the followup is what sparked it)
Will the communication from Malevay and it's staff get better?
This was sparked by the stones and I think I owe it to the community to explain exactly what sparked it, for better clarification.
Puzzle was cute, and fun, in a way. I had more fun trying to help others(mostly folks who don't speak english and were having a hard time) without directly giving them any answers.
But I have to say I am thoroughly disappointed with the staff tonight. Now mind you I've sat on these thoughts for hours, so there's no "emotion" tied to them, and I'm not going off half cocked here. I am certainly not angry, or enraged or anything like that. I AM disappointed though, and here's why.
Your blog posts made it clear that dryads were needed. They never specified which ones, or how many. Now you had the opportunity before to squelch this thought, plenty of opportunity. In fact people have not STOPPED asking about this particular matter since the day the very first blog was posted. This was my first indication that we were headed back towards the "poor communication" road and I don't really like the idea of that. It starts many a war in the breedable community, lol.
Ok, so now we get past the fact that you've been openly asked, repeatedly, about that specific matter and COULD have answered it without "giving anything away"(for lack of better term).
Tonight(well I suppose it's actually yesterday now, since it's 5am, lol) I logged in and I went to notices, and I got my stones and I rezzed them. Took a look at them, clicked them once or so. Then I went into group chat, I *specifically* asked if I need to have a dryad nearby. There were staff in chat at the time, talking, so I knew not only would other members answer, but staff would too. I was *specifically* told to rez my dryad nearby. Not just by members, but by STAFF! (if you really want the log, I'll find it, though I doubt it's necessary). Ok, so this confirmed something that I was already a little bit miffed about-that I'd need to coax one of my dryads(mine are still in nests-where I want them). Bummed, I didn't want to coax any. But, I guess, if I wanted to play, I'd have to.
Thankfully, I stuck around chat for a little bit more, because I got distracted. Because a kind person came in and confirmed that you do NOT, I repeat, do NOT, need to even own a dryad much less have them nearby, to get it to work.
So uhh, yeah.. this is the "wth" moment of the night. It wasn't that long before that a STAFF member confirmed this for me, and anyone else in the chat at that time.
I tried it anyway, without a dryad, and got it, quite easily. Others, who don't even own dryads also tried, so we could confirm definitely. Cute lil prize, for those who collect or want them. Cute lil game to get it. I get that, just something fun, a clue of what's to come.
But that doesn't mean I can easily forget this one tidbit of info that could have been EASILY solved, well over a week ago, and then again tonight when directly asked(and answered-though completely wrong). The very first time you were asked, you could have confirmed, or denied it. But you chose not to answer any questions that were asked about them. I don't know why. At first I thought perhaps you originally intended that we would need one, and then changed your mind. Ok, fair enough. But what's so difficult about communicating this? I mean you HAVE been on here, and HAVE been communicating with us. What's so hard about keeping your own staff up to date?(if that indeed was the case for tonight's incorrect information passed on,I'm trying to give benefit of the doubt here)
This is a problem many keep seeing, keep bringing up and as an effect, keep getting yelled at for doing so. This poor communication has GOT to go. It just has. I'm not asking you to reveal everything, be online 24/7, answer every question, respond to everything, etc.. I am NOT asking anything unreasonable, or anything I wouldn't give my own customers. I am asking you to please take the fact that so many have mentioned the poor communication seriously. You did, and did a fantastic job, for a little bit there. What the heck happened?(please don't tell me griefers, attacks, hacks, etc.. because a lot of your better communication has occurred AFTER those events, so we know you CAN do it, despite the crap getting thrown at you).
This little incident, is minor, all by itself. But add it in with everything else not being communicated as well as it should, and you will end up with a big problem. Communication's pretty darn important when you have a product, and a community, like this one. Vital even.
Please don't take what I've had to say as whining, bitching, moaning, me not being appreciative of what I have, me saying I "hate" roos/the company/the community etc.. It's an honest complaint, given via the methods you've asked me to use. If anything, it's me wanting the community, the product, and the company to do BETTER.
How are people to trust that all info they get is in fact accurate when it either A)changes, or B)is never given in the first place? Gotta give people something to work with or you're only shooting yourself in the foot.