I'm just sick of it (sarcasm ahead)

[Garfonso]

GN got a ton of 3rd party independend problems they never cared about.
Everything GN said up to now got proven wrong.

To a certain degree I agree to Luca at this points...

How much money do you want to invest in a game, if you are absolutley unsure about it's future if there is any?

I, for my part, think that this is what Luca bases his statement on and what is happening behind the lines...
I realley could imagine and understand if GN or Digital Brothers completly stopped all investments into HZ when they got to know some certain issues with AE/TG and now are not finished with negotiations with EII...

I don't them doing that (if it was so...) but that's another story.

[Eni]

These were and remain plans that still depend on other plans as well and in all honesty it is not true that they are concern of Game Network only.

I do not ask anyone to get a full picture of any present or past situation without having inner knowledge (this is simply not possible), I don't even ask anyone to avoid speculations because I know it's a natural process considering the conditions of the Horizons project, I quite simply ask you to avoid offensive speculations when based on nothing that could be considered as a fact.

Random Events: as some of you already experienced last week with the attacks on Aughundell and Dalimond, we've started working on some random town raids from Withered Aegis forces. We know that many of you like this kind of events and would like to see them almost daily, but their schedule will remaind just random... so you might have 3 attacks in 2 days and maybe then nothing for a week and at different times during the day. The point of these attacks will remain to be random and mostly unexpected!

1,5 years ago you promised future irregular WM events. But since this date we never ever got a WM again.

[Tzael]

1,5 years ago you promised future irregular WM events. But since this date we never ever got a WM again.

We got those raids back then because we kicked up a fuss. If we suddenly get a few raids over the next week or so it will be because of what you just posted Enisha Only thing is, if they do happen, we'd better make the most of them while they last !

Do us a favour Luca, if WM raids are started up again please keep them going with some degree of consistency. Appeasing the playerbase with a quick hit on the old raid bong and then promptly hiding it for another year and a half probably wouldn't be the best thing to do

As for the rest of what's been posted in this topic, I'll keep my mouth shut because you've all heard it from me many times before. All I will say is that my annual subscription is due for renewal in a little over a week, I'd like to see something that will give me a reason to resubscribe.

[snickel]

To a certain degree I agree to Luca at this points...

How much money do you want to invest in a game, if you are absolutley unsure about it's future if there is any?

I, for my part, think that this is what Luca bases his statement on and what is happening behind the lines...
I realley could imagine and understand if GN or Digital Brothers completly stopped all investments into HZ when they got to know some certain issues with AE/TG and now are not finished with negotiations with EII...

I don't them doing that (if it was so...) but that's another story.

It is, of course, extremely unfair to the customers.

But I think we agree on this point.

As to the question How much money do you want to invest in a game, if you are absolutley unsure about it's future if there is any? This is my answer: A lot, even at the risk of losses.While the following strategy may seem clever from the economical point of view: 'Provide the amount of service that is just about enough to keep the customers from leaving, promise changes in the future and milk them for as long as you can' this is a somewhat shortsighted approach. For it is disastrous in the long run. It damages the reputation of a game and of a company. Not only potential customers, but other companies as well will now think twice before doing any deals with GN.

[Luca Mazzasogni]

It is, of course, extremely unfair to the customers.

But I think we agree on this point.

As to the question How much money do you want to invest in a game, if you are absolutley unsure about it's future if there is any? This is my answer: A lot, even at the risk of losses.While the following strategy may seem clever from the economical point of view: 'Provide the amount of service that is just about enough to keep the customers from leaving, promise changes in the future and milk them for as long as you can' this is a somewhat shortsighted approach. For it is disastrous in the long run. It damages the reputation of a game and of a company. Not only potential customers, but other companies as well will now think twice before doing any deals with GN.

For different (and probably obvious) reasons discussions with new potential partners can be very open so I can guarantee you that Horizons is not affecting any possible discussion we might be having about new games or licenses.

I cannot comment on the rest at the moment, but I can tell you that the investments done over the last 4 years have been in the order of several millions of Euro for the Horizons project.

"Milking" surely has never been part of any plan we might have had for Horizons...

[Ishar Xhaan]

Mr Luca M. , once again i am amazed by your dodging capacity, could you please answer precisely about WM events, and about the fact that no one cares to change a few lines in the HTML login page or is it asking too much ?

[Luca Mazzasogni]

Mr Luca M. , once again i am amazed by your dodging capacity, could you please answer precisely about WM events, and about the fact that no one cares to change a few lines in the HTML login page or is it asking too much ?

Dear Ishar Xhaan,

I'm afraid there is no dodging involved, in the last few months I've stated several times already (and it has been stated in this thread as well) that I cannot comment on certain things (sometimes directly or sometimes indirectly because it would mean talking about other things that cannot be said in public at this moment).

I can understand your hunger for information, but you should also understand that there's also a business side on this project (which unfortunately is predominant) that dictates certain rules and that must be accepted.

As said, you are entitled to your opinion I just kindly ask you to refrain from personal gratuitous insults (unless you can support all your accusations with proofs and facts). There haven't been many WM-run events? That is true, but there have been in Horizons history. In all honesty I cannot see this has enough to support accusations of constant lies or as the key factor of the Horizons or Unity ruin some have mentioned in here.

[snickel]

Okay,

cards on the table.

Several times myself and others have pointed to facts that even very creative minds find hard to see as dependent on decisions that have been outside GN responsibility.

Notably the handling of the support (or lack of it), the low incidents of WM-staged events and unexplained and unacknowledged downtimes.

If there is indeed nothing that GN could have done about these incidences of serious lack of service, than explain how this could be the case. It is too much to ask of anyone to believe this, just on your say-so.

It would indeed be better to just say that you aren't allowed to comment than to stick with a communication style that gives the impresson that its aim is just to cloud the issue.

The result is that you give the impression of very low credibility -- which doesn't say anything about your real honesty, mind you, but of the image you have achieved.

[Luca Mazzasogni]

It would indeed be better to just say that you aren't allowed to comment than to stick with a communication style that gives the impresson that its aim is just to cloud the issue.

The point is that it has been said a few times already in the last months (including this thread), however regardless of that there are players who continue to post speculations and accusations based on something that is not true and that is not supported by the necessary facts (and mostly even though some of them know that there are many things that can't be said right now).

When someone goes too far I'm simply replying with all that can be said at this moment, this might not be enough for you... well, fair enough you can either decide to try and elaborate your own scenario from the few things that you read or just be unsatisfied by what I did say.

You can have your own feeling of low credibility for what I say, just like others can have a different feeling about the same thing.

[DANU]

I thought I might jump in the dialogue on a few points.

First, Luca has been friendly and professional in every communication I have received. I know I am new on the scene, but he has been in the midst of this hot seat and deserves some respect.

Second, E I is committed to Horizons future development on all shards and is working quietly to repair many of the problems within the code/documentation.

Finally, Truth is essential to peaceful relationships, I wish to restate that I truly hope for Unity to thrive. So here is what I know, Luca is right in that GN and Digital Brothers have a complex set of issues to deal with. E I has a simple hope for a new and successful partnership. E I has proposed a simple standard relationship to Digital Brothers as a new partner. Digital Brothers' representative does not yet have a mandate to negotiate with E I.

I hope and expect once Digital Brothers historical issues can be resolved we can move forward quickly. I know they are working hard on this for Unity!

[pevil2000]

Personally I'd be happy even if Unity never got any extra content, but the 0 support is disgraceful. Even if the old servicetrak system isn't very good, is it that difficult to log in and reply? I have a 6 month old query (that i solved on my own) that is unanswered and one of my guildmates has a 1month + query regarding a bug preventing her from completing ARoP.

Everything else, negotiations etc, I'm willing to overlook. Business is complicated, it takes time, but seriously, just put a direct email link or something for support. It's all very well having a much better system in the works, but people want and need support asap.

[snickel]

The point is that it has been said a few times already in the last months (including this thread), however regardless of that there are players who continue to post speculations and accusations based on something that is not true and that is not supported by the necessary facts (and mostly even though some of them know that there are many things that can't be said right now).

When someone goes too far I'm simply replying with all that can be said at this moment, this might not be enough for you... well, fair enough you can either decide to try and elaborate your own scenario from the few things that you read or just be unsatisfied by what I did say.

You can have your own feeling of low credibility for what I say, just like others can have a different feeling about the same thing.

Just do the experiment and think of another company that you are a customer of. Say there was a company that cleaned your office regularly. And you have complaints about their service. Now the spokesman for that company

a) promises that there shall be a positive change in the future but things still have to stay the way they are until then (support)

b) acknowledges that the present state is undesirable, but hey, it was better in the past (WM-driven events)

And the justification he gives is 'he is not allowed to say more than he already said'.

Really! Why would anyone put any trust in a company (or a company spokesman) who treated customers like that?

[Luca Mazzasogni]

Just do the experiment and think of another company that you are a customer of. Say there was a company that cleaned your office regularly. And you have complaints about their service. Now the spokesman for that company

a) promises that there shall be a positive change in the future but things still have to stay the way they are until then (support)

b) acknowledges that the present state is undesirable, but hey, it was better in the past (WM-driven events)

And the justification he gives is 'he is not allowed to say more than he already said'.

Really! Why would anyone put any trust in a company (or a company spokesman) who treated customers like that?

To be a real experiment it should be based on the same conditions and in all honesty I don't see in what you said the same known and behind the scenes conditions of the Horizons case history.

[snickel]

To be a real experiment it should be based on the same conditions and in all honesty I don't see in what you said the same known and behind the scenes conditions of the Horizons case history.

My point is:
The customer expects service and a certain way that lack of service is dealt with. That's what any company has to measure up to, no matter what goes on behind the scenes. If the company does not find a way to satisfy customer needs, no excuse or justification whatsoever can turn a service failing into a satisfying service.

I do not care what goes on behind the scenes. The only thing that information might give me is empathic understanding -- but still no service and still no professional handling of that lack of service. And that's what counts.

[Tzael]

My point is:
The customer expects service and a certain way that lack of service is dealt with. That's what any company has to measure up to, no matter what goes on behind the scenes. If the company does not find a way to satisfy customer needs, no excuse or justification whatsoever can turn a service failing into a satisfying service.

I do not care what goes on behind the scenes. The only thing that information might give me is empathic understanding -- but still no service and still no professional handling of that lack of service. And that's what counts.

I concur.

So does the vast majority of Unity's population.

Edit : I am keeping my eyes and ears open for the reason why I should renew my annual subscription. What Luca has said is that we're not getting support and he can't tell us why. That simply isn't good enough.

[Jayne]

I have no idea why an answer for why there is no support is so difficult. But I don't play on Unity, but if Luca wants to make me a WM I will glady do events and raids, etc.

I am totally dumbfounded that people given that type of ability don't do it more offen........That would be the most enjoyable part of an MMO in my opinion.

Jayne

[pevil2000]

just put a direct email link or something for support.

Since it got overlooked last time #cough#

I've only been here since March, I've tried not to be influenced by peoples 'biased' opinions on here, but its not doing you guys any favours. Even SOE provided better customer relations than you guys are for EQ2, and I was only there 2 months.

I appreciate when a company tries to stay in contact, I can appreciate your position Luca, and realise that you can't do everything, you're just one guy in the company. I even feel sorry for you; you're the public face of GN for us, and as such the one that gets all the flack. Much like me at work when a customer has a complaint; I want to help but I can't always. But GN need to get off their arses and sort things out, or you're just gonna get even more hell from us all in the long run.

[Sunuke]

Just like there was nobody to give any answers when Luca went on holiday or the weekend when the server crashed friday night and it took GN till monday morning to even find out the server was crashed.

I have had alot of fun playing on Unity it's just sad I felt the need to leave due to the lack of service.

Then even to think that an account on the NA servers cost in dollars what we pay on the EU server in euro. So we have to pay more for no service.

[Ishar Xhaan]

Can't say better than Snickel, i think he summarized well with " I dont care whats going on behind the scene". No customer cares, and no customer HAS to care, but for some reason it seems GN works differently, people dont want excuses or windtalkign, they want facts, the cruel reality talks more than babblings on forums.

[Amerelium]

I've only got one comment...

Bite, THEN think...