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Disappointing GM conversation.
Lichthammer
Member Posts: 51
This might be very uninteresting to the vast crowd of non-RPers, but I'm still baffled at how unhelpful this GM managed to be (note that my character's actual name is absolutely not Lichthammer 
). So I'm going to vent my frustration by posting it here. I removed some names from the transcript.
There's a local folktale about how a deaf man spied a strnager on the horizon as he was sat outside his cabin, hewing an axe shaft - and the deaf man invented an elaborate scenario in which he predicted what the stranger would say to him when he arrived, and then planned his responses accordingly. Of course the stranger said something entirely other than what he had planned, making the deaf man's premade replies completely nonsensical. I felt a bit like the stranger here:
[Zerstorus(GM)]: Greetings! This is GM Zerstorus. Do you have a moment to speak about your petition? You may reply by using /tell Zerstorus or by clicking my name in the chat window. Before replying, please move to a safe location away from MOBs or other players (if you are in a PvP enabled area) as GMs cannot guarantee your safety.
To [Zerstorus]: Hi.
To [Zerstorus]: I wonder how you actually enforce the naming policy on RP servers. So far it seems completely arbitrary.
[Zerstorus(GM)]: Yes, there is a policy. If you encounter players with non RP names, please inform us and we will change them immediately.
To [Zerstorus]: That wasn't what I asked. I asked -how- you enforce this policy, and -why- you enforce it so arbitrarily? GMs don't act consistently amongst each other, and you let obvious policy-breaching names live while you go out of your way to change names that are perfectly fine but were reported by someone with a personal OOC grudge. Why is that?
[Zerstorus(GM)]: We take care of name violations as we are made aware of them.
[Zerstorus(GM)]: Please direct your comments and suggestions to feedback@ageofconan.com.
To [Zerstorus]: Can't you answer a simple question instead of responding with a nonsensical macroed reply?
To [Zerstorus]: Why are names such as <removed>, Galadriel, Pegasus and <removed> and so on allowed to persist while you change names like <removed>? (And then change it back because you realize you messed up badly).
[Zerstorus(GM)]: I cannot account for the actions of other GMs. I can tell you that we deal with name violations as we are made aware. I do not keep track of what all the other GMs do or do not do.
[Zerstorus(GM)]: If you would like to comment on how this procedure is carried out, please send an email to feedback@ageofconan.com.
To [Zerstorus]: If you can't account for the actions of other GMs, maybe you can account for which considerations are made when a name is reported, or if you just randomly change all names that are reported regardless of whether they constitute a breach of policy or not?
[Zerstorus(GM)]: We cange names that violate the policy.
To [Zerstorus]: Obviously that is untrue, since you also change names that -do not- violate the policy.
[Zerstorus(GM)]: A name that is in your opinion a violation, may not necesarily violate our policy
To [Zerstorus]: Are you suggesting that for instance Galadriel (Elven Queen in the LoTRO universe) is not actually a naming policy violation, but that it is merely an opinion of mine that it -should- be? What about a name that in your opinion is a violation, but is not one according to the policy?
[Zerstorus(GM)]: You may visit community.ageofconan.com for further information on our policy. Thank you and have a nice day.
[Zerstorus(GM)]: Your current petition is now closed. If you wish to speak with a GM you will need to submit a new petition. Take care today Namira! We wish you only the best and safest travels in Hyboria, and we thank you for your continued support.
To [Zerstorus]: I don't fucking believe you people. You're the epitome of useless.
You have no active petition with the GM or Follower you are trying to contact.
To request assistance from the online support team, please submit a petition using the "/petition" command.
However, before you petition, please check our Knowledge Base (http://support.ageofconan.com) for common questions, issues, and fixes.
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
Comments
This is ridiculous. Just like every other game out, the player petition the GM's and they make a judgment call.
They do not owe you any other explanation as to their moderation and naming policies. You are basically trolling that GM, and made he wont answer your very bated question, that you would intentionally turn around and use against them anyway.
If you see a name that breaks the rules, report it, and go on with your life. They make the call, not you.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Just wanted to point out that you were answered correctly. They said they change them immediately.
You didn't ask why they enforce it arbitrarily at all originally.
I suggest you cancel your account.
You can't really expect someone who deals with retards all day to be all nice and helpful when you start out with attitude
Oh, and if you actually read their policy, you'd see that roleplaying names are allowed whereas names like 'Crudthrower' or 'Technoninja' aren't.
Either you didn't ready the policy or you don't understand it.
So you think that GM having a debate about the actions of other GM's is time best spent? Honestly, I dont blame this guy for cutting the conversation short, hes just trying to do his job. You shouldnt petition this shit, it clogs up the petition queue and makes people with genuine problems wait longer.
Dont agree with the name policy? Make a thread on the official forums, maybe enough people will reply to garner interest from Funcom supervisors.
Which is besides the point really, if you give your name a unique and completely unoffensive name, you dont have to worry about this shit.
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I ask "how do you enforce your policy?" - he responds "yes, there is a policy. We do enforce it".
When they operate with a separate petition category for "Naming Violations", I expect petitions that revolve around their naming policy to be treated like any other petition.
Also, please point out where I was showing any kind of "attitude". As far as I can see I remained perfectly civil, even when faced with random macro replies only remotely related to what I actually asked him.
No one's contested that. However, when one GM reverts a change done by another as described in the OP, then either one out of two things apply: a. One GM doesn't know his job, and someone else corrects his mistake.
b. The GMs apply (too much of) their personal judgement in addition to the guidelines set by the policy, possibly because the policy is too vague - and their personal judgement across the GM staff is marred by inconsistancy to the point where one GM will revert another GMs decision.
If it's a, let's hope it doesn't happen too often. If it's b, I can understand why he's being so vague.
The above very much warrants an explanation.
Your suggestion is noted and duly ignored.
(Look, I can be a GM too).
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
dude, for the love of god, stop typing in MS Word first and pasting it here! You're screwing up the pages!
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
GM's are not there to duscuss policy. Actually they are probably not allowed to discuss policy. You didn't need help you just wanted to bitch, so he left to help people who need it. Job well done.
I've never had a nice thing to say about Failcom but I think you are wrong venting this here he answered all the questions I saw you ask as best he could or atleast should, I work for gov't and am aware of lot's of policy concerning the work that we as an organization do but I can tell you from the top down discussing it with the customer is never something they want you to do unless it is in fact your job to do so.
He told you that he didn't make policy and couldn't account for the actions of someone else whom he may not have even known and let you know he is aware of what the policy is your issue was really with his boss.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
Hey,
This is a ridiculous thread. You contacted a GM in game just to be rude and argumentative? I agree with the previous poster that all you accomplished is wasting this GM's time when he/she actually could have been helping somebody. I also agree with another previous poster that you should cancel your account as it sounds that you are not happy with the game and it is causing you to look for trouble. Find something you enjoy instead of trying to make something you are unhappy with miserable for everybody else.
Cen
Yeah, as little respect as I have for FC this GM did do their job correctly. OP, you were just itching for a fight. The GM was very professional and should be commended.
No, I contacted a GM in the hopes that he would answer a question.
Unlike half the posters in this thread, I still play the game, and I enjoy it very much - I even did Kylikki today, shock/horror. Their seemingly random handling of RP server enforcement is not very impressive, however. This is the second time I've contacted a GM, the first time I've actually got my petition through, and probably not the last time they'll be completely useless.
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
Not going to get into the fodder but this is when the GM started ignoring you... just as many people who don't care about issues that concern you would normally (yes customer service people don't care...)
"That wasn't what I asked. I asked -how- you enforce this policy, and -why- you enforce it so arbitrarily? GMs don't act consistently amongst each other, and you let obvious policy-breaching names live while you go out of your way to change names that are perfectly fine but were reported by someone with a personal OOC grudge. Why is that?"
When emphasizing "how" and "why" it sounds like you are talking down to another person. Like neither of you are concerned about what the other has to say, with the exceptions of blatant answers that you want to hear. You further go on to say how inconsistent the GMs are and how they go on to change others names (as the GM would add to him/herself [without care]) because of a grudge. (Grudge isn't specific enough to state whom has the grudge when reading quickly as GMs must do).
Later on you just repeat yourself constantly which makes you sound like you don't care what the GM says, but are trying to get a point across.
Put this all together when you're working 8-12 hour days (not sure the GMs for Funcom), with the blatant whining of player after player... and you got yourself the answer you recived. The "I don't care about you anymore".
I'm not saying what you said was wrong, but you're not going to EVER get a full response from someone that's in customer service and puts up with person after person acting poorly. Have to speak very carefully to GMs... a lesson I learned in VG. Since I learned how to speak GM'anize I haven't had a single issue and have even been able to contact GMs from several games without a petition. Just make sure to talk very nicely with no emphasis on any words, and don't repeat yourself unless asked. (Try to find some BS way to state the same thing in a diff way)
http://spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
I suppose if GMs regard all the petitions they answer as "blatant whining", they might have picked the wrong line of work to start with?
Why do you think I'm trying to prove Funcom's failure? Oh, right, because this forum has recently become dedicated solely to threads advocating their rampant failure. As I said above, I still play the game, and I hope to god they get around to improving it instead of the entire company crashing and burning like everyone else seems to be hoping for.
As I also stated on the last page, when it's a question of how a GM's personal view - a view that is obviously not shared by all of the GMs, but rather differs widely between them - of a matter affects the handling of that matter. Ie. changing a name and then changing it back; doesn't it make sense to just -ask- a GM before you start mailing customer support?
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
It may amaze you, but some people work just to have money. I personally don't work because I enjoy busting my balls all day, I work so I can buy food and play vide'r games.
http://spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
I've had names changed on characters as well. And I've never been one to pick a name like 'pwnjoo' or 'tapdat' or anything stupid like that either, nor have I ever played on a RP server.
What is the naming policy?
If I were the GM, I would've responded with something like this:
http://www.wow-europe.com/en/policy/namingp1.html (for AoC, of course)
And for AoC, read this thread:
http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?p=1932692
OR the AoC Rules of Conduct:
Naming Policy
The goal of the naming policy is to promote the feeling of being immersed into the world of Age of Conan. These policies apply to all player names, regardless how long it has been since they were created. Use of the following will be restricted:
1. Names that are profane, racist, drug references, trademarks or obscene are not allowed; this also applies to any homonym, phonetic misspelling, obvious spoonerism, combination, or reverse spelling.
2. Names that are created to defame or impersonate another character are not allowed. This includes names of GMs/FoAs/Funcom employees.
3. Names that are created using terms and/or items that do not exist in the world of Conan. Such as “robot” or “ninja”, or “Robotninja.”
4. Names of NPCs already existing in the game or any of the related works associated with Robert Howard and the Age of Conan game world. This includes any of the deities associated with the Conan pantheon.
If you wish to appeal a name change please send a mail to nameappeals@ageofconan.com. Include your previous name, new name, server name, and account name.
Oh, sure, but if you were a forklift truck operator and spent your time ramming the forks of the truck into people's faces because you didn't like your job, you'd be out of money for both food and video games pretty fast, I think.
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
So OP...to get this right... you petitioned a GM for a game you support, just so you could argue about a policy with him? That is one hell of a way to support a game by wasting the time of the few support staff they do have who are trying to address actual problems that customers have in game, not problems that customers have with the enforcement of a policy. He was in the right you were in the wrong. Get over it. You wasted his time when you should have properly filed your concern with the suggestion system as he pointed out, instead of badgering him to answer your questions about how they do their job.
Cheers!
MMO Vet since AOL Neverwinter Nights circa 1992. My MMO beat up your MMO. =S
The thing was the GM didn't treat you badly. Nothing like driving a forklift into a truck on purpose. The GM if he was a forklift driver just ignored you and got his job done, because you were yelling at him about how slow he was going. The GM did nothing wrong, I don't know how you'd expect something that's easily readable in the ToS to be explaigned in several indepth essays over a small chat window, when others needed some real help.
You're reaching so far and can't even figure out that everyone on this thread disagrees with you, so you just try to feel right by dissecting and manipulating their posts.
http://spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
The point of my thread is to illuminate the fact that GMs are wildly inconsistent when it comes to their naming policy on RP servers. Someone on my server had her name changed (without having a say in what the new name was to be), and then 30 minutes later had it changed back when someone else (not me or the person in question) petitioned them and asked what they were doing. So I petitioned them and asked them to clarify how they actually enforce their policy, and if it is indeed as arbitrary as it seems. The GM of course did nothing to clarify it, instead doing his best to obscure it.
For the record, none of my characters have ever had their names changed. If I had named my character Omgsuperjedi, Robinsonhood or any word in a foreign language meaning male genitalia (actual names taken from my server) or similar, I doubt I would have dared to even file a petition regarding the naming policy.
Terribly sorry if anyone feels, uh, "manipulated", by the way. It's not like you have to agree with me.
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
The only thing disappointing thing about that conversation was that the GM didn't close the petition sooner.
What'd you expect? What was even the issue? Was your name changed and you expected a sweeping standards change right that instance?
For all the gestapo flak Funcom's support staff receives, name reporting is one of the things you wouldn't call arbitrarily dictated on their part since as you yourself are aware, it's the players who report names. If you know who it was that had that "OOC grudge" as you seem to expect, exert some of that effort and time into mending things with them and explaining the position on your name, or whatever.
I really have to clarify this again?
Yes, it's players who report names. That is not an arbitrary process. The arbitrary element is that each individual GM apparently has his own idea entirely of how to enforce the policy, seemingly often conflicting with that of other GMs, leading to situations like the one described above.
Tusende kroppar alla döda och svala! | I blog.
The problem you're running into and always will is that GMs are people. There is not a list they go by as to which name is good or bad. There is no list of right or wrong. They don't even have meetings about it, unless it's a substantial change. Therefore one day you might meet a GM who thinks copying off LotR names is bad for Funcom (because he/she was told that publicizing other games in the same genre of AoC was considered bad), but you'll find another GM who was told it wasn't a big deal. Having worked in the industry myself, it is VERY scatterbrained. Some people know this or that, others know other things. (Graphic Artists know next to nothing... losers ;p)
No matter how many rulesets or policies the publisher/developer makes there will always be *subcatagories* that the GMs need to filter through their own consciousness. That is the reason things aren't 90% automated when it comes to relations.
From what I've seen with AoC they have a very limited knowledge of teamwork or this game would have been much better. The PR person didn't even know the content in the game and began publishing ideas (may have just lied, but I like to take people for more than liars), because he/she had no idea what was actually going to surface. You can't expect much from them until they get a decent project manager, and have some people that step up saying "Hey guys, this is wrong!".
http://spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page