1.
Quite some time ago, I wrote to the site Admins to suggest a verrrry useful feature:
Give the option to hid the scores on screen. It adds to end game tension on many games where
up to the minute score keeping isn't a mechanic of the design.
They actually took the time to respond to tell me: "We don't take suggestions here, go post in the forum." (?!)
So I did.
I mentioned this in passing but the first response had a fanboy spring to the defence of the company giving paying customers bad service.(!)
A couple people totally agreed and a couple of sarky, 'Brand Loyal Warriors', of course shot down the
idea of change-for-the-better and suggested 'same and inferior' is better than 'change and improvement'.
Because: Of Course.
2.
In that post, I also mentioned the horrendously clunky and counter intuitive voice chat system. Every time I and any friends I know
try to use it: Farcical and frustratingly bad.
None of us can think of another site or app that is this broken.
If this was 2002 and I wasn't paying for the service, as I am, I wouldn't say boo about it.
But still, not only is it a pain to initiate, if you start a chat in a lobby? You LOSE the chat when a game starts.
Ummmm. Why?
Basically, our work around is to text chat to decide the game and options, ( N-o-t convenient), and then wait to start voice after the game has started. Because attention to the interface and correcting the issues by the BGA team that takes our subscription $$$ isn't worth the effort, I guess?
3. A new bug presented itself the other night: Both games I started had my 2 mates enter the game and I was shunted off to an empty room and, in the second game, a room with 2 randos in it. I had to quit out of both those to join the game I started and that my friends were waiting for me to re-join. But running into glitches every time I come to a site I pay to use is acceptable considering the site had only been up for 12 months...... Oh....wait....
That's not true at all, is it?
4. The 1st game we played froze up almost immediately on the first player's first turn. I cancelled the game and was docked 10 points to my rep.
I logged into today and was met by a warning page (ooohh!) telling me why I got nailed:
Because of a site/game issue.
I indicated it was due to a bug.
Were the points reinstated?
Nope.
Of course not because: Common sense is verboten, I guess?
Is the site scripted in such way to make sure players aren't penalized when they HAVE to quit a game?
Nope.
If I was using this site as a free user, I'd might raise these issues to help improve things but I'm a little P.O.'d since I've paid 2 years to date and, as someone who ran his own business for 24 years, I can't imagine that providing this level of service and low level of engagement would have allowed me to operate that long.
It is at this point that rabid fanboys, instead of considering the suggestions to improve their experience as well, will go on the offensive making excuses, taking shots to defend the honour of a business or brand that doesn't give off a sense of being too arsed about providing value and service for money. This phenomenon seems to have become more and more prevalent over the last 20 years. I see it time and time again online.
I for one don't understand it but whatever poutrage might be engendered in any reader who feels the need to 'take up arms' in defence, against valid criticisms, to whinge or get condescending:
Have at it I say. Whatever makes your day.
Just leave time to find a replacement for the nose you are hacking off to spite your own face.
Quite some time ago, I wrote to the site Admins to suggest a verrrry useful feature:
Give the option to hid the scores on screen. It adds to end game tension on many games where
up to the minute score keeping isn't a mechanic of the design.
They actually took the time to respond to tell me: "We don't take suggestions here, go post in the forum." (?!)
So I did.
I mentioned this in passing but the first response had a fanboy spring to the defence of the company giving paying customers bad service.(!)
A couple people totally agreed and a couple of sarky, 'Brand Loyal Warriors', of course shot down the
idea of change-for-the-better and suggested 'same and inferior' is better than 'change and improvement'.
Because: Of Course.
2.
In that post, I also mentioned the horrendously clunky and counter intuitive voice chat system. Every time I and any friends I know
try to use it: Farcical and frustratingly bad.
None of us can think of another site or app that is this broken.
If this was 2002 and I wasn't paying for the service, as I am, I wouldn't say boo about it.
But still, not only is it a pain to initiate, if you start a chat in a lobby? You LOSE the chat when a game starts.
Ummmm. Why?
Basically, our work around is to text chat to decide the game and options, ( N-o-t convenient), and then wait to start voice after the game has started. Because attention to the interface and correcting the issues by the BGA team that takes our subscription $$$ isn't worth the effort, I guess?
3. A new bug presented itself the other night: Both games I started had my 2 mates enter the game and I was shunted off to an empty room and, in the second game, a room with 2 randos in it. I had to quit out of both those to join the game I started and that my friends were waiting for me to re-join. But running into glitches every time I come to a site I pay to use is acceptable considering the site had only been up for 12 months...... Oh....wait....
That's not true at all, is it?
4. The 1st game we played froze up almost immediately on the first player's first turn. I cancelled the game and was docked 10 points to my rep.
I logged into today and was met by a warning page (ooohh!) telling me why I got nailed:
Because of a site/game issue.
I indicated it was due to a bug.
Were the points reinstated?
Nope.
Of course not because: Common sense is verboten, I guess?
Is the site scripted in such way to make sure players aren't penalized when they HAVE to quit a game?
Nope.
If I was using this site as a free user, I'd might raise these issues to help improve things but I'm a little P.O.'d since I've paid 2 years to date and, as someone who ran his own business for 24 years, I can't imagine that providing this level of service and low level of engagement would have allowed me to operate that long.
It is at this point that rabid fanboys, instead of considering the suggestions to improve their experience as well, will go on the offensive making excuses, taking shots to defend the honour of a business or brand that doesn't give off a sense of being too arsed about providing value and service for money. This phenomenon seems to have become more and more prevalent over the last 20 years. I see it time and time again online.
I for one don't understand it but whatever poutrage might be engendered in any reader who feels the need to 'take up arms' in defence, against valid criticisms, to whinge or get condescending:
Have at it I say. Whatever makes your day.
Just leave time to find a replacement for the nose you are hacking off to spite your own face.
