Sworn_Servant

Frostfire is, indeed, one of my favorite parts of the game and now you've saved me the trouble of being surprised with the parts of his storyline that I have yet to encounter. While you're at it, is there really a Santa Claus? And what was Rosebud?

Thanks, Kit, for the fantastic shots! They have totally gotten me through the day!

I haven't even had a chance to log on, but I love all of it already. Excellent work! Very impressived with the synthetic musculature and overall concept. And so many of the costume pieces are so versatile. The head and shoulder pieces in particular will be appearing on many, many, many of my heroes. Much appreciated!

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They tell me that some people have unimaginably unrealistic expectations.

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Expecting a company to be responsive to their customers is how business works. Expecting a company to treat all their customers equally is as real-world realistic as it gets.

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I believe personally that the vast overwhelming majority of reasonable players do not begrudge NC for making exclusive cool giveaways during promotional events.


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I believe the majority of their customers object to those giveaways being something in-game that are not made available to them. The list of possible real-world giveaways (t-shirts, hats, etc.) is nearly endless. Why make it something in-game that most of your customers would want but could never get because it entails real-world obstacles? Or why not sell it to those customers if they're willing to pay for it? Why would a business not want to make money?

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Someone mentioned "saving face" as if this was some massive blunder they need to correct. But collapsing on this issue wouldn't save face in my own eyes personally: it would cost them greatly. It would imply that the future of the game I play can be held hostage much more trivially than I think is warranted.

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So it's wrong for customers to be expected to be treated equally, but it's "reasonable" to regard a company as an entity that "collapses" when it responds to its customers and fixes a mistake? I assume that means you're still driving a mid-70s Pinto and that your children play with lead toys from China.

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This is not simply a choice between one option that angers some customers, and another option that doesn't.

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Yeah, it really is. I'm guessing you're not completely alone in your opinion, but I'd be surprised (okay, horrified) if it was shared by too many others.

They made a mistake. They can fix it. They should.

The obvious fix would make them more money. More money means a better game for everyone. They should make that fix.

Not fixing it makes lots of people unhappy. Fixing it means everybody wins. I vote for fixing it.

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We're talking about a temp power that transforms you into a clone of an NPC.

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Actually, it's a permanent power that grants you a costume currently unavailable to all paying customers which allows you to play a character who wears the armor of the city's police department -- which is an excellent costume to have in a superhero roleplaying game set in a city. Plus, many think it's more attractive than other costume options currently available to paying customers.

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Okay, so for sake of argument, why not figure out a way to give it to the masses?

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That shouldn't be an argument, that should be the way that a company does business: providing customers with product while keeping them happy and loyal.

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No matter what they do, it's impossible for them to please everyone.

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No company can set pleasing everyone as a goal. Every company must set pleasing most of their customers and potential customers as a goal, otherwise how do they stay in business?

Those who don't care about this issue and/or who don't understand why others do care will not have their lives affected by this costume piece being for sale to those not able to attend the con. Plus, it would be more profit for NCSoft, which means, ultimately, a better game for everyone. This is a better marketing strategy than giving something to only 1% of your customers for free that many of your customers would happily pay for.

My subscription money is just as good as anyone else's and I expect to be treated equally. If that's not an issue for you, that's great. No need to be bothered that it's an issue for others. That's what boggles my mind.

The replies here speak for themselves.

It's great that there are a few generous souls who wish well on those who are lucky/wealthy/have-enough-vacation-time to pick up this gift. I don't begrudge those people, either. If I was at PAX, I'd pick up one, too.

However, yes, every time I see one of those costumes in-game, I will think ill of the company who gave it to some paying customers and kept it from this paying customer -- me. That's just the truth. CoH does a lot of things right, but this is not one of them.

You could make a bigger marketing blunder, I guess, but I sincerely hope you never do. The good news is that it's not to late to fix this one. Offer it for sale for those who can't get it for free. Make money AND good will.

And fire your Marketing department -- immediately.

Name: Golden Age Guild

Currently Recruiting: We are happily accepting new members looking for a fun, inclusive, active, but not demanding sg.

RP Level: RP-friendly.

Theme/Concept: All the members of Golden Age Guild were in Paragon City on a mission in 1943 when they were caught in a a time-warp and transported to the present, where they have decided they can do even more good. They are headquartered in their orginal waterfront warehouse secret base, which is a little worse for wear but was strong enough to survive the ensuing decades. The base is currently being retrofitted with 21st Century tech. The roster of Golden Age Guild is composed of heroes from all eras and genres.

Activity: As a new sg we have -- as of this writing -- about ten members and a little more than twice that number of heroes. Members are very open to impromptu teaming as well as scheduling missions.

Requirements for Membership: Our only membership requirements are that players be friendly, fun and inclusive. We are a good fit for everyone from the casual to the intensive player.

Leadership: Doc Devil, The Haunting Gray Ghost, Mister All-American, Lunar Lady

In-Game Contact(s): Global @Wyrd Wolf

Out-of-Game Contact(s): Sworn_Servant on the Virtue Forums for PMs

URL: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/goldenageguild/

Coalition(s): Golden Age Guild is currently coalitioned with The Temporal Defense as a roleplaying alliance. The Temporal Defense is a time travel- and temporal manipulation-themed roleplaying group.

Other Details: Our base currently features a complete basic set-up (portal, oversight room, med room and workshop) and we are aggressively working to complete it's remodeling. We welcome member feedback and are happy to help schedule and participate in any aspect of game play. We also welcome new coalitions with any interested sgs.