A final plea to you, Tulga Games

[Snowdonia Honeythorn]

Today I read in the Chaos boards forum that an almost entire guild has gone and cancelled their accounts on the Unity server to remake and start anew on Chaos due to GNs horrid ability to run Unity. To be completely honest, this almost brought tears to my eyes. The fact that GN is single handedly KILLING the EU sector of our community is shameful, saddening, and disheartening.

The fact these people were WILLING to give up all that they had on Unity, probably a year or more of game time, to STAY with Horizons instead of leaving full stop and move to Chaos and start over should speak VOLUMES to you Tulga.

I realize new subscription retention is important to you as well as long time customer satisfaction. I also realize that you have very little say as to how GN runs Unity and therefore have little to no control over the satisfaction of the customers therein. But I humbly ask you today, PLEASE put aside any projects that would hamper renegotiations with GN and try to obtain control over Unity. If this feat cannot be accomplished, then at the least make negotiations to allow for a ONE TIME character relocation so that those who are willing and wish to come to a NA shard can do so without having to begin again completely from scratch.

Yes, people will lose their plots, but it is quite obvious that there are some people on Unity who are willing to make that sacrifice and more to get away from GN and its mishandling of your game on Unity. At least give those players a chance to be able to retain their hard work WITHIN their characters so that they won't have to lose it all to play the game they enjoy properly supported.

*signed*
Snowdonia Honeythorn aka Merriweather Honeythorn of Chaos

[Vlisson]

its a great step to leave unity and a wish all who have done it good luck at their new home.

If i wouldn´t have played on Earth/Unity since the first days i would change too.

But i wouldnt be in the constitution to start new and loose all accomplishments i earned in my 2 years :(

good luck all

[Seranthor]

I agree Merri, the plight of Unity is distressing.

[Cobal]

I wonder if GN will pull the plug after this contract runs it course.
I wonder if I can then somehow transfer my dragon.

[Sigi1985]

I also realize that you have very little say as to how GN runs Unity and therefore have little to no control over the satisfaction of the customers therein.


*signed*
Snowdonia Honeythorn aka Merriweather Honeythorn of Chaos

You know that's something I've been wondering about. That can't be true can it. There has to be some paragraph in the agreement which states something about good conduct and taking care in apredescribed way of the game. Not something like, uh, ok, here you go, do whatever you want if only you give us our percentage. If that's true Tulga is allmost as much to blame as GN, like a mother who abbandoned her child not giving a &^%$& about what happens.

About the people that left. I can understand a bit why you did that. On the other hand it feels a bit like betrayal and I hope it won't be followed by a lot of players.Nevertheless Good luck to you Unitarians in Excile :)

[Kerik]

Although it may not be for the same reasons, this happens in many games.

I can appreciate your frustration and anger toward this 'GN', but youmust realize that depending on the contract that was signed in this deal that Tugla might not be able to help at all.

This 'GN' may've been given full rights to distribute and run the game as they see fit in Europe. If that is the case and based upon their track record as I understand it, I wouldn't expect any cooperation on their behalf.


I know it sucks, but sometimes you have to take it on the chin and realize what you are gaining rather than what you are losing.

[Tzael]

Hi, it's that grumpy sslik who speaks out about GN from time to time here...

Thankyou for posting this Snowdonia, I have refrained from posting on the matter because imo people are probably tired of hearing the same squeaky wheel speaking out on the matter. It is reassuring that lately I have not been alone in my concerns, with a number of people from Unity and Tulga's shards speaking up.

I look forward to the day that a press release is posted that outlines the future of Unity. Whether this press release covers the agreement of a contract between Game Network and Tulga that offers reassurances of improved support and a penalty clause in Tulga's favour or it provides a means for Tulga to take up some elements of Unity's support, I don't really care. As long as there is a definite future put forward for Unity's continued existence that is better than what we currently have, I will be a happier person.

I hereby put my signature down in favour of the proposal that Tulga pursue a better future for Unity players.

Tzael the grumpy sslik, Unity shard.

[Tzael]

I can appreciate your frustration and anger toward this 'GN', but youmust realize that depending on the contract that was signed in this deal that Tugla might not be able to help at all.

A quick note on this, it is the understanding of many players that there is no contract between Tulga Games and Game Network. Any contract that existed was between Game Network and Artifact Entertainment, no news or press release has been posted that states the existence of a new contract between Game Network and Tulga Games.

If this information is incorrect, I would very much appreciate being corrected by someone from Tulga so that I do not continue to base my opinions on such an assumption. It is my opinion that if a new agreement had been reached between the two companies that we would have seen a press release because news is news and it gets company names noticed.

[Kerik]

A quick note on this, it is the understanding of many players that there is no contract between Tulga Games and Game Network. Any contract that existed was between Game Network and Artifact Entertainment, no news or press release has been posted that states the existence of a new contract between Game Network and Tulga Games.

The contract would not have been invalidated just because the game changed hands.

While this may be true in some cases, it is not always. And, considering you would also be dealing with US & EU-based laws... even more so.

Another thing to consider would be that perhaps GN is getting the short-end of the stick in this relationship. They very well might be trying to kill Horizons off as one of their services if say they are required to pay a fixed royalty amount or some such. They may have their hands tied with breaking the arrangement as much as Tugla does.

I know nothing, but it is something to consider at least.

I hope you all get some sort of resolution to this problem.

[Narkano]

It currently is a very bad situation for all Unitarians. I for myself really like Horizons and don't want to leave at all. Nonetheless I feel very uneasy seeing more and more players and friends leave due to GN's attitude towards customer support,game support andinformation policy - A support that can simply be described as non-existent. Some leave due tosevere problems that they do not get solved others simply because they are no longerwilling to pay GN anymore money for doing nothing.And I cannot blame them. And I ask myself if any further time I spend with the european shard of Horizons may be for naught and if it has a future at all.

I would immediately leave for Order or Chaos if I had the chance to do sowith my characters intact. I would even be willing to sacrifice my plot. But I cannot simply leave my beloved characters behind, that I played and carefully developed for more than 2 years now.

I really hope somethingcan be doneabout that misery.

- Narkano

[Kulamata]

The experiences with other companies have been fairly disastrous across the board.

Atari, Tazoon.com, IGN, the original bandwidth provider, and GN. Also, if you remember, the original investors suddenly pulled out, precipitating the financial crisis. There were indications of good management (and game direction) during Chris T's tenure, but he has now departed.

Since none outside know of the contractual obligations on either side with GN, it would be nice to at least indicate what is or is not possible. This problem has been festering for a long time; and it's true that with studied inattention it will go away, but in doing so will leave a very bad taste in many mouths.

If characters are allowed to transfer to Order or Chaos, it would be helpful if they were allowed to bring their Novian materials with them.

[Sigi1985]

That said and kept in mind... A contract has two sides, can we get an explanation about it from the highly praised - on the support side - Tulga? What's the deal with GN? Are you allowing them to drive players away from HZ? And if so Why?

Waiting with anticipation for an answer.

[imported_Frith-Rae]

/signed with Snowdonia

If characters are allowed to transfer to Order or Chaos, it would be helpful if they were allowed to bring their Novian materials with them.

It would seem that this, basically what Snow I think was getting at, would be the best solution. Giving Unity players the option, kinda like we had at server merges. With plot tokens and novian materials with what they had formerly built, they could chose the server and engage in the plot auction that would follow. Sure they may not get their exact plot again (much like the Merge rules), and it would have to be an auction that only included current plots sitting empty (assuming more plots weren't added for such an event - lair and otherwise) - however, with at least the current population on Order there are tons of different types of plots all over that are totally open and up for sale. Including lair plots (heck there are some even great lair locations around dralk and chiconis that are still available).

The population of Unity doesn't sound "that big" as of right now, and allowing them to be split at their discretion across the two NA servers - I doubt there'd be much of an overpopulation of plots issue (i.e. more players htan plots left available).

And even then some may be willing to take that trade fora more playable, event ridden, supported game than what they have now.

It seems like this would be workable, barring whatever is the contrat with GN Or whatever - I have no idea.

But I hope sooner rather than later, the problem is solved.

It does say alot - that an entire guild is willing to quit, leave their guild plot and work behind, just to come over ot the NA shards and start over - for this game. I know many players who have left over a LOT less than that, and if other players had shown such a love an dedication for this game and their compansions here we wouldn't be in the state we are now (growing as it is, but still not fantastic) :).

We're pulling for ya Uninites - for whatever its worth [:$]

[Deth]

That said and kept in mind... A contract has two sides, can we get an explanation about it from the highly praised - on the support side - Tulga? What's the deal with GN? Are you allowing them to drive players away from HZ? And if so Why?

Waiting with anticipation for an answer.

I am not a lawyer or anything but my thought on this are this. It is a contract between 2 componies and as a third party we have no right to know what that contract is. It does not matter that those asking have a contract with Compony B. Compony A has no right to tell anything about it's dealings with compony B to Customer C.

That would be like Compony A sales Compony B a product for $50 the Compny B sales that product for $75. If Customer C comes along and ask Compony A how much they sale it for and find out it is cheaper and then chnages from Compony A Compny B can then go back to Compony A and say "Hey your stealing my customers." It does not matter how baddly service is from Compony B. Now it the customer chooses to make his own deal with Compony A with out being told the price first Then that is diffrent Compony A has not given any contract info away about Compony B and Compony B can not come back and do something to Compony A.

I know that is not a answer that any want to see. Or even if that is true but I can never really see a compony releaseing any kind of info about contract to any one but officers of a court that have the right to see that and then that is only if a case is invaolved and even then we the consumers would not see that info unless we were part of the case. I mean look how little info was really release about the past Case.

[Snowdonia Honeythorn]

For anyone questioning GNs actual intent or contractual obligations in this let me give a couple facts as witnessed by me and others.

1) GN was chosen, I believe, as the EU shard(s) hosting company by Atari, not Artifact Entertainment. I also believe this was a part of the contract/agreement that AE had with Atari.

2) GN has a history of abandoning their games for whatever new game they were able to pick up. This was evidenced by the tazoon.com posters either shortly before or shortly after release of HZ when an angry few from the Legend of Mir game signed onto those boards and began to spam vitriol and hate at the, then, HZ community in hopes of getting GNs attention and let us know how much they disliked us for GN abandoning them for HZ.


These are facts as I know them to be and witnessed. #2 in especially shows me that Unity's problem is not HZ specific and is NOT dependent solely on whatever contract/agreement is between GN and TG. It is quite obvious to me this is a habit. Whether this habit is supported contractually or not I haven't a clue but it's a habit they have undertaken nonetheless. A habit TG should be trying their bloody damnedest to break or relieve their EU patrons of suffering.

[Dravatar]

I, too, am saddened by people having to leave their "homes" and wish them the best of fortune at their new ones.

[Kerik]

Generally speaking, no - companies are not obligated to make contractual terms public and in some cases they may be strictly forbidden to do so. However, in this case it would be in Tugla's best interest to make those known... if they were allowed, just for the sake of appeasing the disgruntled players. If this was an agreement directly from Atari to GN, then there is a chance that Tugla or AE never even knew of the terms from the get-go.

This information is released in some shape or form eventually due to impending contract expiration or if one side isn't living up to the agreement.

Anyways, I posted what I did just to be devil's advocate.. it's hardly ever as simple as it seems.


Not to aggrivate a wound, but this is alot like going to a Lexus Dealer and wanting to return your Toyota. Might be the same parts off the assembly line but someone else handles the showroom floor.

[Growl]

It was a hard decision to make, a very hard desicion. All our characters where at least a year old, some 2 years. We owned most of Parsinia -including a complete suite of JM shops we had built for the communit(visiting Pars on Chaos this evening almost bought a tear to my eye), we owned Apia, we had banker characters stuffed full of techs, forms, WD crystals, boons, bounties and blessing, tech ingredients and that is not even mentioning the friends we left behind.

Luckily a few brave souls have stayed behind to keep the DR name alive.

But it simply came down to the fact that we refuse to pay GN for the atrocious level of service.

I don't know what the contractual aragnements GN are working under and I expect TG are also tied by contracts, but should another provider take over and offer decent levels of support then I would be back like a shot.



The welcome we have recieved on Chaos has been fantastic, it is all and more that we could have wished for.

What is even more pleasant is that I raised a support case on Sunday to have my characters name changed to from Ellspeth to Elspeth_Unity (you can't use _ in the character creation screen and Elspeth was already taken) and when I logged in on Monday evening it had been done!

Regards

Els

www.divine-retribution.co.uk

[Pariah]

Glad to have the new player on our shard, if they need help with gear they can give my toons a tell Parah an Pariah are on often an can craft anything they need to help them get settled

[Guaran]

Anything we can do just let us know.



I think the bring novians along thing, and a character transfer, would be perfect.