If there was some "gift" for voting I sure missed it. Hard to believe that some folks are still bringing that up. There are few better examples of the interaction of the KI community and their players than that vote. Exactly like the prompt that brought me to this thread, as I logged in that day there was an announcement that there was a vote for game of the year, click here! There was no promise of rewards, real or virtual. We ventured over here, registered, voted and paid no more mind to it. Little did any of us know that other games would not do the same. I would have supposed that it would be in their interest to do so. The accusation that bribery was involved is baseless. There is no evidence whatsoever to support it.
Like another poster up thread I was a parent that wanted to check out the game to make sure it was a safe playground. It's kinda part of the job description. Ok, Wizard101? Who is this Ambrose dude anyhow? Needless to say I got hooked. After fumbling around Wizard City and learning the basics I found I liked the concept of strategy and planning over reaction time and manual dexterity. I perused the forums on KI's home site and while they are ok and they do respond to questions, it really didn't add a whole heckuva lot to my gaming. That all changed when I got stuck in Dragonspyre and on my Zeke quests. I was frustrated and lost in the game. Zeke didn't respond and I didn't know why. The very first hit on Google concerning W101 was Central. I immediately joined and after posting a frustrated rant I wandered around their site. Lo and behold, the locations of all things Zeke! And over here a list of quests and over there all the gear the bosses drop! Data! Awesome! My first interaction with the community outside the game was to get unstuck. I constantly use the resources provided by other players. Whether it is a guide to a particularly difficult boss or the location of loot or what particular items Deadly Ninja Figs like, my fellow gamers are more than happy to share the knowledge they have gathered.
In the spiral itself the same sort of helpful people are available. It is considered rude to jump in a fight unless you ask first. Even those with chat limited features are aware of this. There is no faster way to get deleted from my list than to port to me in a world in the middle of a fiight and then flee after dragging in another mob. I am not alone in this attitude. KI has stressed the idea of teamwork as well as being respectful of each other. That does not mean that the spiral does not have its share of misbehavior, but it is minimal compared to other darker realms I have visited.
I think what KI does is (or should be) normal behavior for what is really a service related industry. Treat your customers decently, be responsive to their problems and give a good value for the money they spend. It really isn't a hard equation. That other games do not see fit to engage their communtiy (ie, actually give good service) is unfathomable. If I am sitting at a restaurant waiting and waiting at my table to be noticed it is not long before I find another place to spend my dollars. In every instance when I have faced a bug or glitch that affected gameplay they fixed it. The 30k in crowns was completely unexpected but very appreciated. That is typical of how they do things. That other games do not do so or even attempt some sort of interaction with their fan base is hard for me to wrap my brain around. It just makes good business sense to do so.
hello... I don't follow the fansites too closely, however, it it very nice to know they are out there when i need them. w101 central is just awesome for any and all info wizard related. I did only create an account here to vote for W101, but i do come here everytime w101 says that there is an article about us. I did NOT have to log in here to read this article, i only logged in to post this comment. So, i'm wondering how people can monitor how many wizards visit this site versus the ones that voted. Yes there was a boom to register to vote, how else would we get our voices heard? I did enjoy Susie's article and i just wanna give a big shout out to all my friends round the spiral, y'all are greatness! o and I liked the one guys comment how he's not made to feel like a wallet. It is sad that too many gamers are treated that way. I love the fact that just about all the items in the crown shop can be won simply by playing the game. you only spend money if you want them faster. In other words, we pay because we want to, not because we feel we have to. Thanks again for your time and support.
Over two years ago, my son told me about this new gaming site online. I was very suspicious, since I know chat-based games attract predators of all kinds. I told him I'd check it out and let him know what I decided. I was hooked!! KingsIsle has made a great place for people of all ages to have fun. It may have originally been geared towards the young crowd, and, as a result, many protective rules and programs were put into place for these young children. It is also a nice, non-vulgar place for adults like me to enjoy a relaxing time on a fun game online. Whenever I've had a question about something happening, all I'd have to do is send them an e-mail with my question. They would respond. I was surprised to see all of the posts on their forums regarding the different quests and other aspects of the game. They have definitely made it possible for people to work together and grow in the game. I applaud and thank them very much for what they have created. It's given my son and me a place to enjoy an online MMORPG together without any fears or worries. THANK YOU, KINGSISLE! :-D
When my son turned 8, I decided to look into an online game for him to play. Choices were limited. I wanted chat controls, language filters, no blood, easy to learn and understand, and American based. Wizard101 fit the bill on all counts. 4+ years have gone by, and my son has moved on, but I am still a happily addicted adult player. As far as the fan site run contests, my daughter still keeps her prudent hound equipped that she won in a fan site contest. I think I was as excited to tell her she won as she was to get the pet.
No, you can't get far in the game without spending, but the variety of payment options, the ability to buy areas -vs- subscribe, and being able to do so in purchase amounts as little as $5 has made advancing about as easy on the wallet as any game I have played. Also, top gear does not require cash. Crafting does not require cash. Pets do not require cash. Mounts do not require cash. So you can have the full functionality of the game without spending a lot of extra.
There is a difference between "advertising" and "putting the word out" and offering in game items to those who vote for them which is what KI did. The first 2 are politicking for votes which is fine, the 3ed is bribery which is not!
KI cheated to win their awards, it's as simple as that, and they did it the year before as well.
KingsIsle did not offer any rewards. Is absolutely absurd to make such claim, I'm also part of the Wizard101 community and I enjoy playing Wizard101.
No they did not, not a thing. They did advise the vote was on, so what?
Please investigate before casting alegations sunshine.
This is a game like any other and the one thing all gammers have in common, is a hate of cheating and I am offended by your comments, there was no offering other than to express a love of this game & that is what we did.
Originally posted by Sundnixe I am with Wizard101 for two years now. After a short time there, I made friends I am still playing with. Some switched to Pirate101 and it seems like that game is as time consuming as Wizard101. Which is not a bad thing at all. I have gotten my 6. wizard to level 80 now and I hope, there is more to come. I am staying with this game for sure and with my friends. Thanks to all of the fan sites that help me navigate the new things and the pet training. Thank you so much.
There is a difference between "advertising" and "putting the word out" and offering in game items to those who vote for them which is what KI did. The first 2 are politicking for votes which is fine, the 3ed is bribery which is not!
KI cheated to win their awards, it's as simple as that, and they did it the year before as well.
Wow, still hurting about GW2 getting beat to Players GotY, that is truly sad.
Edit: nice to see some of you voters returning to post your enthusiasm about your chosen game, welcome .
What i do to keep the spinning from getting to my head in a duel is watch other things going on around the character. My highest is 45 and i think i've influenced TONS of people to get on the game. What can I say? I'm a trendsetter!
As for the subject of this article, KI's tendancy to inform the community (i.e., tending the flock), they get a one thumb down from this long time user. While I do not run a fansite, and may not be privy to some of the changes, I do keep up with KI's update notes and test realm releases. There have been many occasions when the fansites were unable to keep up with some of the unadvertised changes that occured within the game (e.g. discontinued drop spots, new pets and its abilities often show up without test realms to inform users or the fansites, housing counts included soil plots, exterior housing counts on gold houses decreased by 100 items, etc.).
With the influx of hoard packs and boss boxes (another unadvertised change in the game), one must also wonder if this is still a children's game due to the gambling aspects of these items. At least the unadvertised wishing well did not make it past test. The unadvertised revamping of the filtered chat system which inadequately addressed the primary issue of child safety (a child can still give out a telephone number or home address with little effort), but instead has alienated this group of users (children) because of KI's standard policy of punishishing all for the sins of a few with quick ineffective fixes. Most of these changes represent decreases in original virtual assets and gaming experience to the user within this game, and hence, a fleecing of the flock.
Some commented on 'freebies' offered by KI to influence users to vote for W101. Contrary to some users comments, KI has offered freebies (typically some really lousy in game pet), and sorry you missed these freebies (trust me you did not miss a thing). The criteria for the friebies was that you voted. In all fairness to KI and the subject of the original poster, users got the freebie even if they did not vote for W101. Also, one year the pet was still awarded to users that voted, eventhough KI did not win the award.
Upon a cursory inspection of the game, one might almost say that KI is puritanical in thier standards until you look closer at their long standing policy that scamming other users by another user is OK and an unreportable offense, but cussing is unforgivable. Even in Vegas (considered to be sin city by many), the scamming of potential losers to the casinos is not only frowned upon, it is a prosecutable offense and often not executed in the court system (pun intended)! As for cussing, even in Vegas they will ask you to control yourself or leave the casino for gratuitous cussing (unless it is part of a show).
I so much enjoyed playing this game, and the high level of feed back that we players used to have in the game.
Sadly, puppeting in Wizard101 PvP has gone unfixed for a long time now, and KI has been turning a blind eye to all of it. Most of my original friends have permanently left the game because there's nothing left to do once you finish the game except PvP, and the PvP system has been broken for so long that we have no hope of KI fixing it.
An above posts states, "one of the biggest (and most important) things KI does is listen to the community". Sorry, but I, and am sure many others, will disagree - 8 months ago, the PvP community was told KI is aware of PvP issues, including puppeting and severe downranking and that changes would be coming to PvP. A number of recent posts on a well known Wizard101 fan site, document the increase of these in game exploits - and the PvP community received the same response from KI on one of these threads. 3/4 of a year has passed, the PvP community is listening KI, when are these changes coming to PvP?
As well as Ted and Alka stated before me pvp is what keeps us the long term players in game and i have to agree with them, love the game but this issue seem not to get heard or fixed and i had long time friends move to other games cause of it, now i do enjoy the game or else would not keep playing since 2008. Now all that we do in game is sit around and wait for a new world or hoard packs!? Most of us all done with crafting all gears house items and have pets to fill houses, so really pvp is the thing to be FIXED and heard, as a paying customer i don't like to be kept in the dark towards what fixes there will be, if there is any on the way.
There is a difference between "advertising" and "putting the word out" and offering in game items to those who vote for them which is what KI did. The first 2 are politicking for votes which is fine, the 3ed is bribery which is not!
KI cheated to win their awards, it's as simple as that, and they did it the year before as well.
KingsIsle did not offer any rewards. Is absolutely absurd to make such claim, I'm also part of the Wizard101 community and I enjoy playing Wizard101.
No they did not, not a thing. They did advise the vote was on, so what?
Please investigate before casting alegations sunshine.
This is a game like any other and the one thing all gammers have in common, is a hate of cheating and I am offended by your comments, there was no offering other than to express a love of this game & that is what we did.
Actually, guys, KI did offer in game items IF they won the awards. They did this the first 2 years I played the game. I have played this game since early Jan. 2009.
I won't deny that KI has done some great things past and present, but there's also a lot more work to be done. It's my personal opinion that the PvP community isn't getting the attention it needs even though KI says they're working on improving things. During my PvP days I've seen quite a lot of language and I hear more and more reports of bullying going on in the arena-especially where puppet teams are concerned. No, I'm not exaggerating to make a point when I say BULLYING. Those people are quite vicious when it comes to beating down others more than half their level and it seems they're getting emboldened by the lack of PvP updates, thinking that KI allows this kind of behavior to go on because they're not doing anything about it. If you haven't already, check out the thread on Wizard101 Central called "PvP update long overdue" and read it thoroughly. I know people are tired of hearing complaints regarding PvP, but those complaints are legit because nothing has happened except a half-hearted fix overshadowed by a major pet update. Meanwhile, what has been going on with PvE related things? Bug riddled worlds, packs with gear that unbalances PvP even more, and a new level cap that makes the puppet situation even worse than it is now.
I know KI has said they're working on things, but my faith in their ability to fix this enormous and ongoing problem is dwindling fast, no matter how much I want puppet teams to be gone. For 8 months or so, what have they said about the matter? Nothing but a copied and pasted response that's the same Something I'd love to see besides a more detailed, heartfelt, and well thoughtout response to this major problem is updates on how things are going. Videos on youtube of teams trying to work out the problem, articles with interviews on their stance against puppets, more PvP updates in Test Realm that are just Pvp updates regarding the system, anything that shows KI is serious about getting rid of this puppet pandemic.
Before anyone says anything rude or whatever in response to this, I'm not trying to be mean, or rude, or flammatory towards anyone. But I'm done sugercoating the problems that are ongoing on this game that's still full of potential. Do you know how many players have left because of PvP? Do you know how many would come back if the matchup system was overhauled? Think about it.
I love your post but.....yikes O_o You know something is wrong when casino's do a better job of getting rid of scammers than a "family friendly game" does...
Comments
If there was some "gift" for voting I sure missed it. Hard to believe that some folks are still bringing that up. There are few better examples of the interaction of the KI community and their players than that vote. Exactly like the prompt that brought me to this thread, as I logged in that day there was an announcement that there was a vote for game of the year, click here! There was no promise of rewards, real or virtual. We ventured over here, registered, voted and paid no more mind to it. Little did any of us know that other games would not do the same. I would have supposed that it would be in their interest to do so. The accusation that bribery was involved is baseless. There is no evidence whatsoever to support it.
Like another poster up thread I was a parent that wanted to check out the game to make sure it was a safe playground. It's kinda part of the job description. Ok, Wizard101? Who is this Ambrose dude anyhow? Needless to say I got hooked. After fumbling around Wizard City and learning the basics I found I liked the concept of strategy and planning over reaction time and manual dexterity. I perused the forums on KI's home site and while they are ok and they do respond to questions, it really didn't add a whole heckuva lot to my gaming. That all changed when I got stuck in Dragonspyre and on my Zeke quests. I was frustrated and lost in the game. Zeke didn't respond and I didn't know why. The very first hit on Google concerning W101 was Central. I immediately joined and after posting a frustrated rant I wandered around their site. Lo and behold, the locations of all things Zeke! And over here a list of quests and over there all the gear the bosses drop! Data! Awesome! My first interaction with the community outside the game was to get unstuck. I constantly use the resources provided by other players. Whether it is a guide to a particularly difficult boss or the location of loot or what particular items Deadly Ninja Figs like, my fellow gamers are more than happy to share the knowledge they have gathered.
In the spiral itself the same sort of helpful people are available. It is considered rude to jump in a fight unless you ask first. Even those with chat limited features are aware of this. There is no faster way to get deleted from my list than to port to me in a world in the middle of a fiight and then flee after dragging in another mob. I am not alone in this attitude. KI has stressed the idea of teamwork as well as being respectful of each other. That does not mean that the spiral does not have its share of misbehavior, but it is minimal compared to other darker realms I have visited.
I think what KI does is (or should be) normal behavior for what is really a service related industry. Treat your customers decently, be responsive to their problems and give a good value for the money they spend. It really isn't a hard equation. That other games do not see fit to engage their communtiy (ie, actually give good service) is unfathomable. If I am sitting at a restaurant waiting and waiting at my table to be noticed it is not long before I find another place to spend my dollars. In every instance when I have faced a bug or glitch that affected gameplay they fixed it. The 30k in crowns was completely unexpected but very appreciated. That is typical of how they do things. That other games do not do so or even attempt some sort of interaction with their fan base is hard for me to wrap my brain around. It just makes good business sense to do so.
When my son turned 8, I decided to look into an online game for him to play. Choices were limited. I wanted chat controls, language filters, no blood, easy to learn and understand, and American based. Wizard101 fit the bill on all counts. 4+ years have gone by, and my son has moved on, but I am still a happily addicted adult player. As far as the fan site run contests, my daughter still keeps her prudent hound equipped that she won in a fan site contest. I think I was as excited to tell her she won as she was to get the pet.
No, you can't get far in the game without spending, but the variety of payment options, the ability to buy areas -vs- subscribe, and being able to do so in purchase amounts as little as $5 has made advancing about as easy on the wallet as any game I have played. Also, top gear does not require cash. Crafting does not require cash. Pets do not require cash. Mounts do not require cash. So you can have the full functionality of the game without spending a lot of extra.
No they did not, not a thing. They did advise the vote was on, so what?
Please investigate before casting alegations sunshine.
This is a game like any other and the one thing all gammers have in common, is a hate of cheating and I am offended by your comments, there was no offering other than to express a love of this game & that is what we did.
mmhmm
Wow, still hurting about GW2 getting beat to Players GotY, that is truly sad.
Edit: nice to see some of you voters returning to post your enthusiasm about your chosen game, welcome .
FLEECING THE FLOCK RATHER THAN TENDING THE FLOCK
As for the subject of this article, KI's tendancy to inform the community (i.e., tending the flock), they get a one thumb down from this long time user. While I do not run a fansite, and may not be privy to some of the changes, I do keep up with KI's update notes and test realm releases. There have been many occasions when the fansites were unable to keep up with some of the unadvertised changes that occured within the game (e.g. discontinued drop spots, new pets and its abilities often show up without test realms to inform users or the fansites, housing counts included soil plots, exterior housing counts on gold houses decreased by 100 items, etc.).
With the influx of hoard packs and boss boxes (another unadvertised change in the game), one must also wonder if this is still a children's game due to the gambling aspects of these items. At least the unadvertised wishing well did not make it past test. The unadvertised revamping of the filtered chat system which inadequately addressed the primary issue of child safety (a child can still give out a telephone number or home address with little effort), but instead has alienated this group of users (children) because of KI's standard policy of punishishing all for the sins of a few with quick ineffective fixes. Most of these changes represent decreases in original virtual assets and gaming experience to the user within this game, and hence, a fleecing of the flock.
Some commented on 'freebies' offered by KI to influence users to vote for W101. Contrary to some users comments, KI has offered freebies (typically some really lousy in game pet), and sorry you missed these freebies (trust me you did not miss a thing). The criteria for the friebies was that you voted. In all fairness to KI and the subject of the original poster, users got the freebie even if they did not vote for W101. Also, one year the pet was still awarded to users that voted, eventhough KI did not win the award.
Upon a cursory inspection of the game, one might almost say that KI is puritanical in thier standards until you look closer at their long standing policy that scamming other users by another user is OK and an unreportable offense, but cussing is unforgivable. Even in Vegas (considered to be sin city by many), the scamming of potential losers to the casinos is not only frowned upon, it is a prosecutable offense and often not executed in the court system (pun intended)! As for cussing, even in Vegas they will ask you to control yourself or leave the casino for gratuitous cussing (unless it is part of a show).
I so much enjoyed playing this game, and the high level of feed back that we players used to have in the game.
Sadly, puppeting in Wizard101 PvP has gone unfixed for a long time now, and KI has been turning a blind eye to all of it. Most of my original friends have permanently left the game because there's nothing left to do once you finish the game except PvP, and the PvP system has been broken for so long that we have no hope of KI fixing it.
Actually, guys, KI did offer in game items IF they won the awards. They did this the first 2 years I played the game. I have played this game since early Jan. 2009.
I won't deny that KI has done some great things past and present, but there's also a lot more work to be done. It's my personal opinion that the PvP community isn't getting the attention it needs even though KI says they're working on improving things. During my PvP days I've seen quite a lot of language and I hear more and more reports of bullying going on in the arena-especially where puppet teams are concerned. No, I'm not exaggerating to make a point when I say BULLYING. Those people are quite vicious when it comes to beating down others more than half their level and it seems they're getting emboldened by the lack of PvP updates, thinking that KI allows this kind of behavior to go on because they're not doing anything about it. If you haven't already, check out the thread on Wizard101 Central called "PvP update long overdue" and read it thoroughly. I know people are tired of hearing complaints regarding PvP, but those complaints are legit because nothing has happened except a half-hearted fix overshadowed by a major pet update. Meanwhile, what has been going on with PvE related things? Bug riddled worlds, packs with gear that unbalances PvP even more, and a new level cap that makes the puppet situation even worse than it is now.
I know KI has said they're working on things, but my faith in their ability to fix this enormous and ongoing problem is dwindling fast, no matter how much I want puppet teams to be gone. For 8 months or so, what have they said about the matter? Nothing but a copied and pasted response that's the same
Something I'd love to see besides a more detailed, heartfelt, and well thoughtout response to this major problem is updates on how things are going. Videos on youtube of teams trying to work out the problem, articles with interviews on their stance against puppets, more PvP updates in Test Realm that are just Pvp updates regarding the system, anything that shows KI is serious about getting rid of this puppet pandemic.
Before anyone says anything rude or whatever in response to this, I'm not trying to be mean, or rude, or flammatory towards anyone. But I'm done sugercoating the problems that are ongoing on this game that's still full of potential. Do you know how many players have left because of PvP? Do you know how many would come back if the matchup system was overhauled? Think about it.
>ultra57
I love your post but.....yikes O_o You know something is wrong when casino's do a better job of getting rid of scammers than a "family friendly game" does...