Dev Blog - Community Improvements - 3/29/18 [MEGA]

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TyloRen
381 posts Moderator
edited March 2018
DEV POST
CG_Erik wrote: »
Intro
Although Carrie introduced me and my role at the recent Live Q&A, I’m probably still a newish face to most of you on the forums. It’s been great getting to talk with a number of you over the last few weeks, and I’m encouraged by the response to our latest efforts to be more transparent.
There have been a number of things that we’ve not nailed perfectly over time, however it is my hope that as we focus on improving our execution and communication, and as we engage with transparency, you will get a sense of the great love and passion our developers have for this game and how much heart and soul they pour into the development of SWGOH.
As the Player Lifecycle Producer at Capital Games, a lot of my day-to-day is working with the game studio and a wide-variety of teams at EA to figure out how to understand players at different points in their game experience (what we call “lifecycle”) and ensure we are addressing their needs. This means balancing between things intended for elder players and new players, free-to-play players and whales, and everything in between. I am also picking up some responsibilities that pertain to the community, as leveraging your opinions and feedback is one of the ways in which we prioritize these decisions.
I wear a lot of different hats each day, so, it’s kinda appropriate that today’s blog is a grab-bag of different topics…

On Going Communications, Dev Blogs & Q&As
While these communications are necessary and we’re overindexing on them right now in response to the lack of sufficient communication for awhile, the number of communications we are doing this week is not maintainable longterm (especially as we are looking to hire a Community Manager. If you are interested in or know anyone qualified for this position, check it out here
We learned a tremendous amount from the last Q&A, even though it was on short notice and not at the most convenient time. We want to make sure we grow sustainably and not overcommit, but we’re currently considering doing a monthly Q&A, as long as it continues to be mutually useful.
We are constantly asked to share what game development looks like behind the scenes (beyond a lot of typing and meetings). To that end, we’re exploring ideas such as video developer diaries, interviews, b-roll. We’d love to hear more about what you’re interested in seeing in the thread linked below.

In-game Feedback Surveys
Each month we run a Customer Satisfaction survey which helps us gather feedback about how we’re doing as a game team, identify areas of improvement, get a general pulse on the health of the community sentiment, and whether we’re trending up or down since the last month. These surveys are an incredibly helpful, and statistically significant, tool for the team. They are sent to a random sampling of players who meet different criteria based on the status of their in-game account, how often they play, and other meaningful data. Oftentimes, the feedback from these surveys has a direct impact on what we prioritize for the team to build or improvement next, so if you’re one of the lucky ones to be randomly selected, make sure you take the opportunity to fill these surveys out when you see them.
In addition to the monthly CSATs that go to only a sampling of players, we would like to run a survey for everyone to take. Look for an in-game pop-up starting tomorrow and let us know what you love and what we can do better.

Game Changers
I’m personally really excited to be working more closely with our partners in the EA Game Changers program since a number of them came to Sacramento in February. We’re cooking up a number of different initiatives to bring the Game Changers in earlier to learn about our upcoming content as well as figuring out better ways to highlight the great content they produce. Better informed Game Changers can lead only to more informative and insightful content. Stay tuned for a series of Q&A videos with Carrie and the Game Changers to answer many of the rest of the questions we weren’t able to cover the night of the previous Q&A.

Beta Program
Last November, we ran a Beta program a few weeks prior to our release of Territory Wars that over 14,000 players participated in. The exercise was invaluable to the team and helped us identify a number of potential issues that we were able to address prior to release, as well as ensure our servers were stable, tuning was working as intended and much more.
We’d like to expand the number of participants in the Beta program for future releases. If you’d like to participate in a future Beta, please follow the link below and submit your Forum username. We can’t guarantee that everyone can participate every time. However, if you don’t get to participate in the next Beta, you’ll have a higher likelihood to be selected in the next one.
Click here to request access to the Beta Program

Thank you all for actively participating in this conversation. Let me know what you think about the changes, and I look forward to seeing you in the forums and on the Holotables.

Erik

DEV POST
Post edited by CG_Leviathan on

Replies

  • "While these communications are necessary and we’re overindexing on them right now in response to the lack of sufficient communication for awhile, the number of communications we are doing this week is not maintainable longterm (especially as we are looking to hire a Community Manager. If you are interested in or know anyone qualified for this position, check it out here"


    Your link does not work
  • This is a great example on how to level set expectations. Good work
  • Thank you for the full Mk 3 Carbanti Sensor Array.
  • userrule wrote: »
    "While these communications are necessary and we’re overindexing on them right now in response to the lack of sufficient communication for awhile, the number of communications we are doing this week is not maintainable longterm (especially as we are looking to hire a Community Manager. If you are interested in or know anyone qualified for this position, check it out here"


    Your link does not work

    Thanks! Working on it!
  • I know this gets mentioned all the time but can we please get a practice mod or maybe a head to head match with guild mates pretty please with sugar on top lol. I think most would pay crystals for a few practice plays with r guild mates ty
  • Phantoms_x_Gates
    2 posts Member
    edited March 2018
    The megathread link is missing from the post.

    Edit: Also, why are we submitting forum names for the beta program? Is it to vet participants based on their posts?
  • Thank you for the effort you guys are making this week. As for what I would like to see in terms of behind the scenes stuff, I think people would love to see the kinds of conversations the staff has about changes to game balance, new characters, etc. If the community can see that decisions about these things are discussed with a focus on player experience, I think it would build a lot of goodwill. It’s easy for people to think decisions are only about money. If they know that the players are the central focus, they are less likely to assume the worst when there is a change they might not personally agree with.
  • The megathread link is missing from the post.

    This is the megathread....
    Where is my kitten General Grievous rework at!!??
  • Submitted for future beta testing. Liking how in-depth you're gonna get. Getting better.
  • Here's a bug or a really crap change.

    When I refresh my opponents in arena the lowest ranked opponent remains constant..
    Currently ranked 201 and my only option is to attack 170.
  • I clicked on the pop up, but did not receive the MK3 carbanti!!!
    Great post by the way, but could you just send these rewards to inbox directly? People have repeatedly had problems with the popup rewards, I hate having to do a ticket for this.
  • The megathread link is missing from the post.

    Edit: Also, why are we submitting forum names for the beta program? Is it to vet participants based on their posts?

    I guessit is because they will contact you and give you info about beta on the forums, and not by a mailbox in the game...so that is why they need your forum name...
  • Love the carbanti. Thanks guys!!
  • The survey has never worked as it just sends me to the landing page, it's kinda a joke in our guild. The game changers and the forum crowd is all of the same type of people what about the rest of the 80% of the players and all those that have left? Be careful who you think are the power players and who are your fanboys, always giving you the benefit do the doubt.
    As far as dev diaries, no thanks, I'd rather get release notes for all server changes. I notice a lot. A lot more than most players. I think when people such as myself see and experience the AI cheating that don't have anything good to say about the game or the devs.
    I am the voice of all those that don't have time to complain because it takes so long just to play. Even as I am typing I had run to my ships, yes I get first almost everyday...talk more later...and the link doesn't work for the community manager position
  • The new level or communication and commitment to the community is greatly appreciated. A void creates unrest and negative sentiment. Finding a balance is a must and this is a great step in the right direction.
  • nobodyfromjakku
    240 posts Member
    edited March 2018
    Here's a bug or a really **** change.

    When I refresh my opponents in arena the lowest ranked opponent remains constant..
    Currently ranked 201 and my only option is to attack 170.

    This is addressed in the game updates. They did this so people could easily move up ranks quickly and because it's been asked for by a huge number of players, but acknowledged that to put the fix out fast the right box remains fixed. The left and middle still refresh. If you don't think you can tackle 170, look at the middle box for easier opponents. Refresh enough and you'll see 171, 172, 173... Personally, I love it.
  • So glad after a few years going strong your not letting the game get stale. Thank you all
  • Glad to see you guys getting more involved here. I'd love to take the survey, I'm a guild leader, and have alot of input from what our players say. We're only 74M GP, most ftp, most have spent around 100$ give or take. Empire Trading Co is our guild. Thank you!!
  • Membrane
    87 posts Member
    edited March 2018
    I have to say the major problem of communication , is that the community is not inform in a sensible time period . It takes time to get characters starred up and geared .... just like the time period given when Jedi training rey came out . The community was coming up with theories but nothing concrete .... even the millenium falcon needed ... but once announced the requirements there was no real time to get the veterans to 7*.

    Recently , CLS event came out , basically out of no where . O

    Please give us ample warning and requirements needed ... to give us time , it leads to a lot of frustration on the majority of f2p and maybe even whales .
  • Thank you for the fully crafted Carbanti senory array!

    Could you clarify or expand a bit on what you mean by "as long as it continues to be mutually useful?" And can we get your solemn word that, should the monthly QnA no longer prove useful, that we will be notified before we come across a month where there's suddenly no QnA?
  • Tried to redeem that carbanti sensor array.. and I got nothing... wish there’s a way it would show up in the inbox instead of a pop-up window. Now I’m sol on a piece I needed :/
  • I can be bought by a carbanti. Seriously.
  • I like the game so far overall and would love to see a death star fleet raid - perhaps with a land battle wave and a separatist invasion update with area of assault. I would also like to see more TB - not the same TB but rather new ones

    thank you
  • Knowing which characters are needed or need work on would be a vast improvement! As for the monthly shard rewards it works out even if I have the character ; shard shop points ! But mixing it up would be nice ! Also inform all players to save game play to their respective systems ! I was playing on iPhone -iPad didn’t know my game data wasn’t saved ! Did an iOS update and lost a year of game play and a guild ! My phone and iPad wasn’t synced then . But they are now ! Crazy to think how far or stronger I would be if that event hadn’t happened! Any idea on when droids for ships happen? Or we get levels change again ? May the force be with Us all !
  • Teg
    50 posts Member
    I got the sensor array today woot! I am really glad to see the discussions on how to move game forward!
  • Tried to redeem that carbanti sensor array.. and I got nothing... wish there’s a way it would show up in the inbox instead of a pop-up window. Now I’m sol on a piece I needed :/

    Same issue here.
  • MolIza
    51 posts Member
    edited March 2018
    I’m not sure if this is something already being discussed or that has been answered yet but; as a lvl 85 that is not quite a “Whale” per se but that has sunk more than I probably should into the game, it’s so frustrating to have 10s of thousands of gear that I have no use for at all. Yet, I can never seem to get the gear I need to level up past 9 or 10.

    One really nice feature to have incorporated into the game would be the ability to either trade in old unwanted gears (large quantities of lower gear for small quantities of higher gear), trade instead of just donating gear with guild mates or to sell gear for credits (or maybe even a little purple lol).

    In my mind, it would be much like how we’re able to sell unused/unwanted mods.

    Is this something that you all may implement down the road for veteran players at least?
  • Im interested in being apart of the Beta program... will this affect my current gameplay in anyway? Im currently highly addicted and loving this game! Any such way to enjoy more of it would be great thanks.
  • These discussions are worthless. Where are the commitments to no longer shocking players by releasing game changing legendary character requirements less than 24 hours before they are released? Where is the promise that developers will think about non-whale players for even a second when they consider new content?

    Your promises are a joke, and they only serve to distract us from the issues that really matter.
  • Huatimus
    3669 posts Member
    With regards to the Beta program, how are you going to prevent the abuse of the system I.e. Someone creates multiple accounts to get selected and takes away the opportunities from actual players?
    I’ve already witnessed at least 1 individual creating multiple Forum accounts to circumvent the banning of his original Forum Account.
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