In this message I would like to address @Roxx and ASG.
Context:
I have been a PR specialist and a Community Manager for about 12 years out of which 3 and a half years have been in the gaming industry.
I am also one of those quiet types that rarely comment or post but here I am this one time since I sense huge disturbance in the force. For whatever’s worth here’s my unsolicited advice:
1. Communicate with your community often and clearly. No ambiguity in your language. I know what you deal with every day but you need to ignore that and act fast and with utmost integrity in the name of the absolute diamond of a product you got on your potentially unworthy hands. You get backlash because you don’t understand the principles of communication. When in doubt, return to simplicity. Speak clear, speak often, announce every change you are making and provide clear, concise and human arguments. You don’t need to defend your choices, but offer a clear picture on things that people care about. Big empty words like the Business Model thing is…empty and meaningless. We’ve heard this before. I’ve written this before myself and it amounted to nothing. Just my boss was happy with it. Nobody else found value in it. Do you understand?
If you do not learn to communicate on a regular basis you will never earn the respect of the player-base and you will continue to damage the reputation of your company. You’re already regarded as a means to an end and that makes you tolerable but you haven’t earned anyone’s respect yet. Consistency and honesty is key. I know, utopian ideas right? False! It can be done, it has been done and though it ain’t popular, it works like a God damn charm.
2. Because doing PR and Community Management ended up with me being a defender of the company against the players instead of the mediator I should have been all along I quit that line of work and found something more fulfilling: localisation and testing. Which brings me to my next point.
Localisation is the process in which you should remain true to source while being sensitive to cultural aspects of the region/ regions you are bringing your product/ services. It does not mean changing boss names, miss translating equipment stats, removing character customisation options and renaming class abilities, and who knows how many other things. You’re getting lost in details that are irrelevant to cultural sensitivities. We’re not that damn sensitive, you are. You live in a society that needs to turn an asian queen into a black person because you’re culture hasn’t accepted or learned about its deeply wounded history. I am good with every colour of the rainbow.
3 When you swapped Summoner with Sorceress, the way you did it speaks volumes of your true business model. And this is coming from someone who will main Sorceress. A huge red flag flows above your heads and THIS is the true business model. This is what people remember about you. Say you had to make that change. You don’t just drop it like a toddler drops a piece of poo. And this move right here I think is one of many that you will do in the future and no Community Manager, PR or magic trick will puff away the smell from under such a childish, unprofessional move. Are you learning? Are able and willing to do something much simpler?
Negativity spreads like wild fire. If you ever begin to communicate consistently and in a constructive manner, the wave will take a lot longer to settle but when it does, it’s good, it’s really good.
Bottom line is, you got a diamond mine on your hands. Nurture it, speak clearly about it, speak often about it, be concise and human about it. Or witness more complaints that needn’t be and crumble under their heaviness as you retreat in a cave and never speak with your playerbase ever again.
Which one is it?
As for Rox, best of luck. Truly! And please get the feedback from players, demand a statement for the responsible teams and then communicate it back to the playerbase. People know you are not the one making the changes but TRAIN the teams involved to share their decision making process with you as best they can and translate it to the playerbase in a concise way.
Thank you.
Dang it! I feel strangely elevated. I guess the job got easier since I left it. All I would have to say now is Lol, LFG and/or nothing and/or nothing of substance. “Kekw”
