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Funny...
Renian
Member Posts: 152
That editoral about innovation in the industry makes it sound like the editor is kinda saddened/pissed that the genre isn't changing all that much from the way it started, and that he wants something fresh. Isn't that what HJ is trying to bring? 
Comments
I beilive that HJ will be innovative but I can certainly understand the people that are skeptical. I mean how many MMORPG's are out there? How many of them are pretty much the same? I think the editor that wrote that article is only familiar with the current graphics based games and probably isn't familiar with Simtronics MUDs. So when you're only familar with games that have made promises and haven't followed through with those promises and are just EQ copies then I can understand how people can be skeptical.
What we have to remember is that Simtronics was around long before these other companies and they've had far more experience in the mmorpg field than the other guys. They will use what is working in current MMORPG's and leave out the stuff that isn't and include some stuff that has worked in their MUD's as well as introduce some brand new innovative stuff. If their E3 demo is a sign of things to come then this game will be very good and very innovative.
Ok I squashed this post
Shows ya im not so bad thanks Spard
Just out of interest what other mmorpg's have they done? (excluding MUDs).
Cheers
Squashed
Spard
Fraggle ...
Hero's Journey is our first foray into graphical online roleplaying games, but it is not our first foray into online roleplaying games, nor online graphical games.
Our text-based roleplaying games have been the leaders in text-based games for over ten years -- earning AOL's "Member's Choice" award, among many other awards. In terms of our graphical experience, our online shooter "CyberStrike" was revolutionary in it's time, earning Computer Games Magazines, "Online Game of the Year" award. It's successor, CyberStrike II, is still a game enjoyed by many.
How about future plans for revamping your customer service at simu?
Spard
I want to clarify that we're not using these forums for "hype." We're all here just answering questions about the game, and looking for feedback. While we're certianly not above hype
... we really are using these forums as a development tool.
Spard, I feel that we have excellent customer service, but I'm sensing that you had a negative experience. I would like to invite you to email me about what happened -- if you post it here I can't get into a discussion about it because we have very strong privacy policies. However, I also invite you to share here on the forums what it was that you liked about AO's customer service. I think we could all benefit from a discussion about what works and what does not work in MMO customer service these days.
My email address is melissam@simutronics.com.
First thing AO is great about is promtness. The few times I had IG trouble they were lightning quick.Second thing I noticed was they were always polite.Third thing was that whoever assited me always solved my problem. I was never left to the wolves. Even though im not playin AO that much I still have my 4 accts open and they have been open for 3 years. Why because of a thing called value perception
We will use DAOC as the example in the negative as they were the worst at customer service that I have ever seen. I had a need for assists about 10 times during the year I played it. Response time went anywhere from 4 hours to several days. Second thing was they acted like robots when I interacted with them. Third thing was about 50% of the time they could handle my problem, with the other 50% of the time requiring additional long and painful wait times. Combine this with the screwball approach they had to the design of the game and thus I will never play this again. (Please note I havent played DAOC in a long time So this is in the past tense)
My philosophy on customer service
First thing that has to be realized by me and my employees is that our customers provide us with our incomes and feed our familys. They are human beings just like we are, and are to be treated with the utmost in respect. When we are in their homes we are to think of ourselves as guests and as such we treat their home like it is our own.
Online gaming should be the same way. When the gamehost or gaming company rep is dealing with a customer they are most certainly dealing with someone who is at home and should treat that customer as though they sitting right next to them in their home.
Any company rep that treats my customers badly and does this on a regular basis should be fired as they obviously dont even have their own best interests at heart. This applies to gamehosts or anyone in a gaming company who deals with the public in a rude manner on a consistant basis.
Next thing I do is to train my people in the ways of style flexing and conflict management.These skills are easy to learn and can be applied equally to communicating in text form with a customer
Ok now here is my philosophy on customer service when conflict arises. I learned this from mentoring under some very great men here in my city. I own a pretty decent sized plumbing biz and have done very well at it. The first thing my guys learn is that there is never a reason for conflict with any of my customers.THey are never to respond in anger. The angriest customer can be won over in a very easy manner. The representitive of my company understands through training that most conflict begins as a misunderstanding and sometimes because of poor customer handling skills. The first thing they must do is to determine if the customer is rational enough to communicate with. If not then a verbal attempt to cool off must be given a chance, if that fails then cool off time must be established by some other manner to be determined by the respective plumber in that situation.Once they are able to approach the customer again then communication and conflict resolution begins. This equally apllies to the gaming biz.
When my guys show up to a job they come prepared and they are to finish what they start. My job is to see that my guys have what they need to git-er-done. Same should go with a gamehost or rep.
My customer is tooken care of from the answering of their phone call to the completion of the work.
I always leave my customers with a rock solid guarantee and I will never quibble against that guarantee
Ok heres what simu should focus upon
Simu has several different levels of assist for IG help from a gamehost up to a GM. If a gamehost handles the assist they are the one ones who are usually very polite. If a GM answers an assist or handles a problem the are not usually very polite. Nor do they care to to explain their actions to the player. Those are by gone days that reach back to the time of table played D&D with the GM sitting at the end of the table playing god. Its time to lose that mentality. Train even the all powerful GM in healthy customer service skills .Being polite even when you have to disicipline a player is a must. Anytime you have a representitive deal with a customer in the customers home like a SLEDGEHAMMER smashing a rock then they are guilty of a mortal buisness sin. Ignore any of these things ive shown you and you are guilty of crimes against your own buisness.
Melissam you show a lot of class just by the way you handled me. Thats a big part of what im talking about Kudos to you and thank You. My apologys for being a bit of troll. OK I just ate my harsh words
Hm...well, in defense of Mythic, I gotta say, their customer service has been second to none in my experiences. Have not played any of Simutronics games as I'm more of a visual person (nothing against MUDs...just had bad past experiences).
Qoute: "I neva *ucked anybody over in my life, who didn't have it comin' to 'im, you got that? All I have in this world is my balls, and my word, and I don't break 'em for no one, jou understand?" Tony Montana