Disgusted...Population count...

*sigh.

Vector = 4

Rec      = 0    Freaking ZERO!

Syn      = 24ish

Mon, March 2, 2009 around 930 am.

(and dont go on about 'time zone' blah blah yackety blah..ZERO on rec.../sigh)

Now, I could go on a long  /rant about SOE and there heartlessness about the game but that would just be:

and we just dont want to do that now do we?   Why?  Well its all been said....

Been here since beta/prelaunch..seen it all...done most and upto about 6 months ago was touting this game all i could since day -whatever!!!   But since the changes......ack....dang....*glances at picture......

Meh, maybe SOE's treatment of us has turned me into Hle....er..a bitter old man!! O.o

But for some odd reason i'll keep on shelling out $15.00 to them....why?...I dont have a clue really anymore.

/EndRantThatWasn'tSupposedToHappen

anywho..to the Discussion (gotta have a point don't I?): Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general?  Movies, all teh games and such?

I'm just down about MxO.  I still watch the movies whenever there on and am a huge fan of the story and oh hell I luv the Matrix!!!!   I luv my box set with the animatrix, which i luv to watch again and again always picking up on things i missed.  PoN and the others i have but havnet played in yrs (as MMO's took over meh LIFE!!)

(Gawd!  For an old man i'm am sooo lazy on punctuation.  /shrug)

Doc

Question.

How do you take a population count?

Because if it's just jacking into Mara Central and typing /who, that's not accurate.  /who has a pretty limited range, not to mention that there's 3 other districts and several other constructs that people could be in.

I'm not saying you're wrong about the population being slim to nill (even though it's 9am on a Monday morning, my time), just wondering what you're basing your numbers off of.

I'm with you. I was just telling Manatik last night that I didn't know what kept me from hitting the cancel button. I guess it's just the fact that I don't mind shelling out the $15 since it's less than a soda a day.

But I certainly don't think we're getting our money's worth.

In all my life, I've never seen a consumer product treated thus by the producing company. I mean, I can't recall a single interview from an SOE bigwig that did more than acknowledge MxO's existance. I absolutely am flabbergasted at this point about the lack of. . .well, everything.

Would another letter writing campaign to John Smedley even be worth it? Has it ever worked?

ShiXinFeng wrote:

But I certainly don't think we're getting our money's worth.

In all my life, I've never seen a consumer product treated thus by the producing company. I mean, I can't recall a single interview from an SOE bigwig that did more than acknowledge MxO's existance. I absolutely am flabbergasted at this point about the lack of. . .well, everything.

This.

And to answer the question: Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general? No, but it isn't doing anything to change my attitude about SOE, or WB for that matter.

Phrack wrote:

Question.

How do you take a population count?

Because if it's just jacking into Mara Central and typing /who, that's not accurate.  /who has a pretty limited range, not to mention that there's 3 other districts and several other constructs that people could be in.

I'm not saying you're wrong about the population being slim to nill (even though it's 9am on a Monday morning, my time), just wondering what you're basing your numbers off of.

ah...sry didnt know with my 4.5 yrs here one would think i wouldnt know how to do a proper /who.   

I got all the districts and zones except the contructs my 50 cant get to...

Dr5mith wrote:

Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general?  Movies, all teh games and such?

No.  The movies and games were made either before or indepentantly of MxO, thus no mention of the Assassin or Anome in any of them.  I enjoy them a little more now actually, due to the extended story past the sunrise at the end of Revoltuions.  I know what happened next.

What it does do, though, is changed my attitude towards SOE in general.  When/if MxO tanks I doubt I'll look at The Agency or DC Online more than just a trial period.  It's like being in a bad relationship and having one good thing left.  Once that one thing is gone, why stay in an abusive relationship where they stomp on your dreams?

ShiXinFeng wrote:

Would another letter writing campaign to John Smedley even be worth it? Has it ever worked?

Maybe?  But doubt anything would help us at the moment.   We are on life-support.

Merge carebear lands, transfer for pvprs or anyone else willing...

Dr5mith wrote:

...Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general?

It hasn't changed my enjoyment and intrigue for the Matrix at all.  It has merely changed my enjoyment of the game.  As a result of the "New Epic Fail Approach", Rarebit's resignation and the lack of anything going on, it's no surprise that population is low.

We used to have something every day to make us want to jack in.  Then it became something every 6 weeks.  Now the only reason to jack in is to hang out with friends. :\

I'm waiting to see how the anniversary goes.  Frankly, if its as much to do about nothing as many anticipate, then you best believe it's time to find something else.

Dr5mith wrote:

Phrack wrote:

Question.

How do you take a population count?

Because if it's just jacking into Mara Central and typing /who, that's not accurate.  /who has a pretty limited range, not to mention that there's 3 other districts and several other constructs that people could be in.

I'm not saying you're wrong about the population being slim to nill (even though it's 9am on a Monday morning, my time), just wondering what you're basing your numbers off of.

ah...sry didnt know with my 4.5 yrs here one would think i wouldnt know how to do a proper /who.   

I got all the districts and zones except the contructs my 50 cant get to...

I had no idea whether you knew how or not.  I know people that have been here since Beta that barely know how to scratch their own ***, and I've learned not to assume.  Hence, me asking.

Gosh... No way, I still love these films, I still love the whole Matrix concept. I think it ranks among the best Sci-fi visions ever.

One thing that I maybe see differently now is my sense of how this story has been told. I remember seeing some interview where the Bro's claimed that they WANTED to tell this story through many different mediums, artists, etc. I think when I started this game, I felt like MxO was THE Matrix story, whereas now I feel like its A Matrix story. Clearly one of many, and I think its supposed to be that way. Everyone gets something different out of it, and has different ideas about it. I used to think some ideas were just "wrong". But I don't think i can legitimately do that anymore.

but yeah, feeling yer pain, think everyone here is. I WANT to stay, because I still have a lot of story ideas, and only so much time to type them up. But I also want to leave, if for no other reason than to silently object how SOE has handled this game.

ShiXinFeng wrote:

I'm with you. I was just telling Manatik last night that I didn't know what kept me from hitting the cancel button. I guess it's just the fact that I don't mind shelling out the $15 since it's less than a soda a day.

But I certainly don't think we're getting our money's worth.

In all my life, I've never seen a consumer product treated thus by the producing company. I mean, I can't recall a single interview from an SOE bigwig that did more than acknowledge MxO's existance. I absolutely am flabbergasted at this point about the lack of. . .well, everything.

Would another letter writing campaign to John Smedley even be worth it? Has it ever worked?

That better be a **** good soda.

Archangel wrote:

ShiXinFeng wrote:

I'm with you. I was just telling Manatik last night that I didn't know what kept me from hitting the cancel button. I guess it's just the fact that I don't mind shelling out the $15 since it's less than a soda a day.

But I certainly don't think we're getting our money's worth.

In all my life, I've never seen a consumer product treated thus by the producing company. I mean, I can't recall a single interview from an SOE bigwig that did more than acknowledge MxO's existance. I absolutely am flabbergasted at this point about the lack of. . .well, everything.

Would another letter writing campaign to John Smedley even be worth it? Has it ever worked?

That better be a **** good soda.

He was meaning that $15/month = $0.50/day (given a 30-day month).  It's at least 0.75 for a canned drink these days, at least around here.

Archangel wrote:

ShiXinFeng wrote:

I'm with you. I was just telling Manatik last night that I didn't know what kept me from hitting the cancel button. I guess it's just the fact that I don't mind shelling out the $15 since it's less than a soda a day.

But I certainly don't think we're getting our money's worth.

In all my life, I've never seen a consumer product treated thus by the producing company. I mean, I can't recall a single interview from an SOE bigwig that did more than acknowledge MxO's existance. I absolutely am flabbergasted at this point about the lack of. . .well, everything.

Would another letter writing campaign to John Smedley even be worth it? Has it ever worked?

That better be a **** good soda.

Heh, I guess I should've fleshed that sentence out a little more.

I meant $15 a month is less on average per day than the cost of a soda.

Dr5mith wrote:

Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general?

For the most part no, but I do get this sour feeling in my gut at times thinking of what could have been whenever a Matrix flick is on.  I hate that it happens, but I guess it's the chance we take investing the emotions of what could have been.

My guess is Joel Silver will be sitting at a cafe on Sunset discussing a future Matrix project with "fill in blank" and when someone states, "what about the online game stuff", it'll be discarded like the desert tray.

9 AM on a Monday morning? Most people are at work or class then, plus Monday has typically been the slow day in MxO.

ArchDuke wrote:

Dr5mith wrote:

Has SOE's treatment of the MxO game as a whole changed your attitude about the Matrix in general? Movies, all teh games and such?

No. The movies and games were made either before or indepentantly of MxO, thus no mention of the Assassin or Anome in any of them. I enjoy them a little more now actually, due to the extended story past the sunrise at the end of Revoltuions. I know what happened next.

What it does do, though, is changed my attitude towards SOE in general. When/if MxO tanks I doubt I'll look at The Agency or DC Online more than just a trial period. It's like being in a bad relationship and having one good thing left. Once that one thing is gone, why stay in an abusive relationship where they stomp on your dreams?

Sadly, all that we are left with is one big action-based chatroom. After I have my last few kicks, here and there, within the simulation, I'm going. How has SOE's treatment of MxO changed my attitude towards the Matrix in general? In no way whatsoever, it's still one of the most extraordinary works of fiction I know, and the films along with the writers and directors still compel me strongly to get into film. The only thing that SOE has done is left me extremly embittered. I pray no promosing MMOs go to SOE because SOE and I - never again.

No, it hasn't changed my love of the franchise at all. I still love the Matrix and the story this game has told over the years. But as an MMO/product being "maintained" by a company, it's definately, as you so adequetly put it, "disgusting".

Dr5mith wrote:

Phrack wrote:

Question.

How do you take a population count?

Because if it's just jacking into Mara Central and typing /who, that's not accurate.  /who has a pretty limited range, not to mention that there's 3 other districts and several other constructs that people could be in.

I'm not saying you're wrong about the population being slim to nill (even though it's 9am on a Monday morning, my time), just wondering what you're basing your numbers off of.

ah...sry didnt know with my 4.5 yrs here one would think i wouldnt know how to do a proper /who.   

I got all the districts and zones except the contructs my 50 cant get to...

I agree that the population in the game is very very small, but Monday is a slow day. Also...I understand that you hit all the districts and constructs you could...but it's entirely possible that people move around. So a /who in mara may read 0, the second you go to a new HL, 30 people could come flying over to Mara. It's not likely, but it's possible.

On that note...

MatrixRefugee wrote:

9 AM on a Monday morning? Most people are at work or class then, plus Monday has typically been the slow day in MxO.

Things on Recursion don't pickup till about lunch time US when UK players show up, and better at night.  Until night, I'm at work.

The only thing this whole experience has done is to cause me to not play any other MMO or game SoE is in charge of.  I still love the Matrix Franchise, I still love the RP in this game, etc.  I just now distrust anything that SoE has their hands in.

As for WB, honestly I think the only part they have in this, is the licensing issuse, they hold all the rights to images, to names, etc.  I think that's the extent of their involvement.

LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:

MatrixRefugee wrote:

9 AM on a Monday morning? Most people are at work or class then, plus Monday has typically been the slow day in MxO.

Things on Recursion don't pickup till about lunch time US when UK players show up, and better at night.  Until night, I'm at work.

Yeah, due to RL stuff (work, writing, household stuff, errands) I don't tend to jack in till late in the evening, so I rarely jack in before then. I happen to have today off due to snow, but I have a bunch of stories I'm typing up.

I have absolutely no idea why I keep a subscription.  I guess like Shi, it's mostly because $15 a month really isn't that much for me.

What's happened with MxO has honestly left a bad taste in my mouth concerning the whole Matrix franchise.  I enjoy the movies, but when I watch them...  I can't help but think of the bastardization that has been done with the story in MxO.  But, keeping the movies seperate of the game, I still enjoy them.

For SOE, I will never buy another SOE game again.  If I could, I would honestly spit on the Agency, since that is the game that has siphoned our money and developers more than any other.

Sad thing is, I once was a very positive person concerning SOE and MxO.  I remember when we were handed over to SOE, and everyone was complaining about it, I was telling people to give them the chance.  I had never dealt with SOE before, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I've always looked at the Matrix trilogy as "my Star Wars".  I guess what I'm trying to say is...  Eff you, SOE.  For ruining my trilogy.

As Sam Jackson said...  link

Fen wrote:

I have absolutely no idea why I keep a subscription...

Don't lie.  You and I both know why. 

Garu wrote:

Fen wrote:

I have absolutely no idea why I keep a subscription...

Don't lie.  You and I both know why. 

Well that was disappointing. I thought it was a link to a picture of Mave and Ventio doing, you know, the usual >_>

I would suggest a Mega Server, but the problem with that is if it isn't PvP, people from Vector will be complaining, and if it is PvP, then people from Recursion and Syntax will be complaining. 

The incessant whining of this thread makes my eyes hurt.  Like others have said before me.  Love it or leave it. 

CODEMAN wrote:

The incessant whining of this thread makes my eyes hurt.  Like others have said before me.  Love it or leave it. 

Masochist: one who derives pleasure in being abused or dominated; has a taste for suffering. 

ShiXinFeng wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

The incessant whining of this thread makes my eyes hurt.  Like others have said before me.  Love it or leave it. 

Machinist: one who derives pleasure in being abused or dominated; has a taste for suffering. 

EDIT: Fixed.  

Dr5mith wrote:

Phrack wrote:

Question.

How do you take a population count?

Because if it's just jacking into Mara Central and typing /who, that's not accurate.  /who has a pretty limited range, not to mention that there's 3 other districts and several other constructs that people could be in.

I'm not saying you're wrong about the population being slim to nill (even though it's 9am on a Monday morning, my time), just wondering what you're basing your numbers off of.

ah...sry didnt know with my 4.5 yrs here one would think i wouldnt know how to do a proper /who.   

I got all the districts and zones except the contructs my 50 cant get to...

In that case, even though it's early morning on a work day for most of the US at that time, it's still epic fail.

Also, this taintstain of an MMO has no influence on my love of The Matrix. If anything it makes me appreciate more how well done of a product all of the movies, anime, and comics are.

Dr5mith wrote:

May I quote this image and relate it to this entire thread in general.

Ra2za wrote:

Dr5mith wrote:

May I quote this image and relate it to this entire thread in general.

...No.

ShiXinFeng wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

The incessant whining of this thread makes my eyes hurt.  Like others have said before me.  Love it or leave it. 

Masochist: one who derives pleasure in being abused or dominated; has a taste for suffering. 

Insatiate: Always wanting more. Always needing more and impossible to satisfy.

CODEMAN wrote:

ShiXinFeng wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

The incessant whining of this thread makes my eyes hurt.  Like others have said before me.  Love it or leave it. 

Masochist: one who derives pleasure in being abused or dominated; has a taste for suffering. 

Insatiate: Always wanting more. Always needing more and impossible to satisfy.

Nope, like everyone else here (besides you), I just want my money's worth.   Kay, Thanx, Bai. 

What exactly do you think your $15/mo. entitles you to, other than playing a game that works and is maintained by SOE?

CODEMAN wrote:

What exactly do you think your $15/mo. entitles you to, other than playing a game that works and is maintained by SOE?

Here we go again:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

Economics 101:

Money is exchanged for goods and services.

In a marketplace, if Vendor A is selling poor services for too high a price; where Vendors B though Z are selling appropriare services for a reasonable and fair price; it is fair to ask Vendor A how he justifies his fee when the services are far substandard to all the other vendors in the marketplace.  If he doesn't give a good justification, then it should not be unexpected if Vendor A goes out of business.

We are asking Vendor A to justify his fee.   Nothing wrong with that.  If he can't justify it, he should lower it, at the very least.

Villemar_MxO wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

What exactly do you think your $15/mo. entitles you to, other than playing a game that works and is maintained by SOE?

Here we go again:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

Economics 101:

Money is exchanged for goods and services.

In a marketplace, if Vendor A is selling poor services for too high a price; where Vendors B though Z are selling appropriare services for a reasonable and fair price; it is fair to ask Vendor A how he justifies his fee when the services are far substandard to all the other vendors in the marketplace.  If he doesn't give a good justification, then it should not be unexpected if Vendor A goes out of business.

We are asking Vendor A to justify his fee.   Nothing wrong with that.  If he can't justify it, he should lower it, at the very least.

So, what specific promises, did SoE (not Monolith) make to us the consumers?

MetaLogic wrote:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

What exactly do you think your $15/mo. entitles you to, other than playing a game that works and is maintained by SOE?

Here we go again:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

Economics 101:

Money is exchanged for goods and services.

In a marketplace, if Vendor A is selling poor services for too high a price; where Vendors B though Z are selling appropriare services for a reasonable and fair price; it is fair to ask Vendor A how he justifies his fee when the services are far substandard to all the other vendors in the marketplace.  If he doesn't give a good justification, then it should not be unexpected if Vendor A goes out of business.

We are asking Vendor A to justify his fee.   Nothing wrong with that.  If he can't justify it, he should lower it, at the very least.

So, what specific promises, did SoE (not Monolith) make to us the consumers?

Just because SOE can, legally speaking, charge whatever they want for a game with no content, doesn't mean they should.  Thats all I'm saying.

Dr5mith wrote:

We can't beat dead horses, there are none in the Matrix. We all know we beat dead cows in here.

Villemar_MxO wrote:

MetaLogic wrote:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

CODEMAN wrote:

What exactly do you think your $15/mo. entitles you to, other than playing a game that works and is maintained by SOE?

Here we go again:

Villemar_MxO wrote:

Economics 101:

Money is exchanged for goods and services.

In a marketplace, if Vendor A is selling poor services for too high a price; where Vendors B though Z are selling appropriare services for a reasonable and fair price; it is fair to ask Vendor A how he justifies his fee when the services are far substandard to all the other vendors in the marketplace.  If he doesn't give a good justification, then it should not be unexpected if Vendor A goes out of business.

We are asking Vendor A to justify his fee.   Nothing wrong with that.  If he can't justify it, he should lower it, at the very least.

So, what specific promises, did SoE (not Monolith) make to us the consumers?

Just because SOE can, legally speaking, charge whatever they want for a game with no content, doesn't mean they should.  Thats all I'm saying.

Consumer Economics 101:

If you do not like the service, do not pay for it.  You're not convincing Vendor A that you are unsatisfied if you continue paying for the unsatisfactory product.  They never hear your voice.  They only see your dollars continue to come in.

If I go to a restaraunt and order a meal and do not like it, I do not return.  I do not continue contributing to their business.  I do not return, pay for another lousy meal and complain the whole time I'm eating it.  It doesn't help me communicate to them that their business sucks if I keep coming back to give them my money so I can gripe.

A business can charge whatever they want for whatever they want and they can do as long as there are people foolish enough to pay for it.

Stop the madness.  Start the boycott.

EDIT:  I am speaking generally and not to anyone directly.

So, the people who are content and tired of everyone complaining...  your solution is for us to cancel all our subscriptions?  And yet you claim to care about this game?  What, exactly, do you all think is going to happen if everyone cancels their subscriptions?  You think SOE will say "Oh no!  We're losing customers!  We better get a dev in here now!"?

No, the game will shut down, the MMO developer community will chalk it up as a failure, and then we'll likely never see a Matrix MMO again.

Cancelling our subscriptions might stick it to the man, but it does nothing for our IP.

Fen wrote:

Cancelling our subscriptions might stick it to the man, but it does nothing for our IP.

Neither does mindlessly spamming and complaining.

Fen wrote:

So, the people who are content and tired of everyone complaining... 

Being realistic doesn't = being content.

Personally i'm not calling for a boycott (don't think garu was being particularly serious) and I'll join in the call on SoE to give us something, but continually using the lines of 'we pay for this and that' when the reality of it shows that we don't, just won't cut it.

Losing subs will send a message but will probably not give us the response we want, spamming these boards with complaints, as cloudwolf stated above, almost certainly won't get a response. So a letter campaign prehaps? I recall someone mentioning something like that. E-mails to the head person? Fine, let's give 'em all a crack, but at least lets not give them something they can disregard purely because we have the facts wrong.

THIS........ is why I started playing the game and why I aimlessly pay $15.98/month.

Maybe someday I'll get that spark in my heart again when it was all new.

Then again....maybe not.

Can we merge all these threads?

Croesis wrote:

Fen wrote:

So, the people who are content and tired of everyone complaining... 

Being realistic doesn't = being content.

Personally i'm not calling for a boycott (don't think garu was being particularly serious) and I'll join in the call on SoE to give us something, but continually using the lines of 'we pay for this and that' when the reality of it shows that we don't, just won't cut it.

Personally, I have no problem with complaints.  In fact, I support people giving honest feedback.  People should voice their dislikes for things.  When a company cares about its customers then their complaint's give the company something to focus on.

I'm only really tired of the complaints DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

We might as well all wear goggles on our faces and spin dead cats over our heads by the tail.  Hell, it may get us noticed moar. O_O

/activategoggles

/invoke deadcatspin