This Forum

ZW2007-

What's with the sudden influx of account bannings, topic lockings/deletions, and post edits/deletions? Why is it that the forum is heavily moderated yet none of the concerns that those topics raise are ever addressed by actual D3/Hibernum/etc. employees? These are legitimate questions and I am not insulting, flaming or trolling. This is a civil post. I just want answers and I'm sure plenty other forum users feel the same. Those of us that are active on the forum already feel as though our opinions are meaningless and when we vent our frustrations through sarcasm and thinly veiled insults, we get moderated. What is the point of even having a forum anymore? There are so many suggestions posted in the feedback and suggestions forum yet 99.9% never receive any reply from anyone that works on the game. The same could be said about the bugs forum which is an even sadder state than the suggestions forum. If those are ignored and we aren't allowed to have any sort of real conversations in "General Discussion" threads, honestly, what's the point of having the forum?

jimilinho_

I was going to post about this topic yesterday, it's so quiet round here now.

Won't be long before this topic gets locked and deleted now...

IamTheDanger

I will try to answer some of the concerns on here.

Topics are locked and warnings/bans are ONLY given when someone breaks the forum rules. Insulting others, circumventing the language filter, trolling, etc.. is not allowed. You are allowed, and even encouraged, to voice your complaints and concerns. We just ask that you do so in a polite, civil and constructive way. There's no need for name calling or threats or inappropriate postings.

We, the forum mods, are volunteers that help manage the forum. ALL forums. The MPQ, MtG and Adventure Time are all part of the same forum so we moderate all 3 games regardless of our level of play in any of them. Me personally, I only play MtG casually, one or two times a week, but YES, i do play MtG. However, being a life long Marvel fan, I play MPQ daily. We are NOT employees of Demiurge, Hibernum or D3. We have nothing to do with any game design decisions.

When someone gets a warning/ban, or a topic is locked/removed, it is because it was in violation of forum rules. Or it was not constructive or helpful in anyway, or was considered offensive or vulgar. If someone has an issue, then please feel free to P.M. a mod at anytime instead of making a thread about it.

We are not trying to censor the players. It's just that sometimes, people forget that this is PG rated forum.

Thank you. Danger.

Tilikum

TLDR

ZW2007-

Isn't it obvious that there's a reason posts like that are popping up more frequently and that forums users no longer care if they get warnings or banned? I honestly can't recall the last time ANY employee posted on a user created thread other than to lock it, move it, or to comment that they do in fact read the forums. The fact that they post to say that they read the forums and then still not comment on the actual issues that forum users post makes it all the more insulting. At least they could have the courtesy to say why there is almost no engagement from them. Maybe they are horribly underfunded and the entire staff for MtGPQ consists of three people so they have no time to post on the forums? I know that I'm currently at work and wasting time posting this because I don't feel like working... I've read that their absence is in part due to the extremely negative attitude of the overall forum population but couldn't it be argued that the overall negative attitude is a direct result of their absence? I can almost guarantee that the vibe of these forums would change drastically if we were to get any kind of consistent feedback from those in charge of the game.

jackvett

ZW2007- wrote:

Those of us that are active on the forum already feel as though our opinions are meaningless and when we vent our frustrations through sarcasm and thinly veiled insults, we get moderated.

2meirl4meirl

IamTheDanger wrote:

Topics are locked and warnings/bans are ONLY given when someone breaks the forum rules. Insulting others, circumventing the language filter, trolling, etc.. is not allowed. You are allowed, and even encouraged, to voice your complaints and concerns. We just ask that you do so in a polite and civil way. There's no no need for name calling or threats or inappropriate postings.

I think y'all need to realize that this isn't the same game or community as MPQ. So while your methods work great their with a fanbase that is (i assume) totally enthralled in their own navels, here we are pretty freaking dissatisfied.
If you see us butting heads inappropriately, sure, tell us to calm down and act like adults. But when one user comes into a thread telling everyone to shut up and sit on their hands? Yeah, you can bet that folks aren't gonna take it quietly. Why you mods feel that this forum needs to be pristine, I don't know. It reminds me so much of children throwing away broken glass/porcelain and hoping nobody heard it break.

If the moderators of this forum can't publicly guarantee that posters are allowed to express their dissatisfaction, and can't lay out for us/me exactly how we "get" to do that, then you must acknowledge that there is no free speech here, only approved opinions.

XxDarklit3xX

My opinion does echo that of the posts prior to this but I do have to say thank you for posting Danger. At least you're trying to address a part that's pertinent to what you do as part of this forum. Let the conversation continue.

IamTheDanger

jackvett wrote:

ZW2007- wrote:

Those of us that are active on the forum already feel as though our opinions are meaningless and when we vent our frustrations through sarcasm and thinly veiled insults, we get moderated.

2meirl4meirl

IamTheDanger wrote:

Topics are locked and warnings/bans are ONLY given when someone breaks the forum rules. Insulting others, circumventing the language filter, trolling, etc.. is not allowed. You are allowed, and even encouraged, to voice your complaints and concerns. We just ask that you do so in a polite and civil way. There's no no need for name calling or threats or inappropriate postings.

I think y'all need to realize that this isn't the same game or community as MPQ. So while your methods work great their with a fanbase that is (i assume) totally enthralled in their own navels, here we are pretty freaking dissatisfied.
If you see us butting heads inappropriately, sure, tell us to calm down and act like adults. But when one user comes into a thread telling everyone to shut up and sit on their hands? Yeah, you can bet that folks aren't gonna take it quietly. Why you mods feel that this forum needs to be pristine, I don't know. It reminds me so much of children throwing away broken glass/porcelain and hoping nobody heard it break.

If the moderators of this forum can't publicly guarantee that posters are allowed to express their dissatisfaction, and can't lay out for us/me exactly how we "get" to do that, then you must acknowledge that there is no free speech here, only approved opinions.

Bolded emphasis mine*

The first part bolded, that is what I was talking about. Was that necessary? No. It was inappropriate and uncalled for.

Second part bolded, link below is exactly how you get to do it.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4#p4

As long as these rules are followed, you can post whatever.

Tilikum

I think everybody here just has an issue with some neck beard dressed like Spiderman telling us how to use our forums.

IamTheDanger

Tilikum wrote:

I think everybody here just has an issue with some neck beard dressed like Spiderman telling us how to use our forums.

If this, or something similar happens, then please report that post. It will be dealt with in the appropriate manner. Engaging in trolling with posts like that will definitely result in locked topics, warnings, bans, etc... Just remeber, please don't feed the trolls.
You only find yourself being the one getting warned.

jackvett

IamTheDanger wrote:

The first part bolded, that is what I was talking about. Was that necessary? No. It was inappropriate and uncalled for.

I'll admit that was me testing the waters. So, now I know where your level of sensitivity lies. I also know I pretty much can't use my actual tone when writing here any more, I've gotta write like a robot. Cool.

forum commandments wrote:

7. We reserve the right to delete any material that we deem inappropriate for our forums (offensive topics, advocating cheating, hack links, insulting others, spoilers, misleading information, etc.)

So this and #8 are the two that are getting flexed every day in our little corner of the forums. I say our, but as your rules have pointed out I don't pay to keep the lights on so I'm not allowed to say things like that.

I personally believe that the flexing has become too liberal, and the coincidence a little too great that complaint threads/unhappy users get removed/banned with no communication beyond "you were mean. stop being mean"

You still haven't told me how to post my dissatisfaction, anyway. How can I be absolutely, positively sure given the large grey space in those rules that lets you remove my posts with great impunity?

e: i get you can't read my tone or know who i am in real life. i'm not trying to get a rise out of you and i'm not trying to pick your argument to shreds. i am increasingly annoyed by this game and its staff and want to tell them why so they can FIX IT instead of QUITTING THE GAME.

Tilikum

I think your use of actual logic scared them away, Jackvett.

Edit: Also, the one time I try to get a warning by blatantly calling the guy a neck beard, nothing happens... I'll take it.

IamTheDanger

If there's something that you are dissatisfied with, my advice is to post what it is that you are upset about. Include as much detail as you can. Then post why you are upset. Then post any suggestions you have as to how it could be addressed. One other thing, is keep it polite, civil and constructive. Try not to let it get emotional so that it doesn't get out of hand.

Remember, that's just my advice. I get that a big problem is the lack of communication between the players and the devs. I'll ask about this, but I will go ahead and tell you, Demiurge, Hibernum and D3 are small companies, so their time is limited.

IamTheDanger

Tilikum wrote:

I think your use of actual logic scared them away, Jackvett.

Edit: Also, the one time I try to get a warning by blatantly calling the guy a neck beard, nothing happens... I'll take it.

Well, if you want....
Seriously though, I figured that this conversation was about the level of moderation and communication. Giving warnings for this thread instead of trying to address legitimate concerns would only make it worse. So I let that one slide.

But just the one.

Tilikum

I'm gonna try and keep this polite. Go to the bug forums, number all the threads there, write those numbers on ping-pong balls, mix them all up and pick one out, and then fix that bug. Any bug would be fine.

Stop pumping out new cards for sale when there are countless glitches and bugs that are progressively getting worse.

You have to understand that people are getting bad attitudes around here because none of that stuff ever gets adressed. You're telling us to do the same thing we've done for months...

IamTheDanger

That I can understand. As a mod, I have nothing to do with the actual game design. But, I can send a message to them devs and ask for an update or something. It's a holiday in the U.S.A. then the weekend, so it may be a while, and again, small company.

jackvett

IamTheDanger wrote:

That I can understand. As a mod, I have nothing to do with the actual game. But, I can send a message to them devs and ask for an update or something. It's a holiday in the U.S.A. then the weekend, so it may be a while, and again, small company.

can you explain [why we should be okay with that arrangement]?

what's the point of the forums if the companies these forums are centered around are too small to warrant monitoring them, so they have to get volunteers?

i appreciate your efforts and please go ahead and do it, but it doesn't make me feel good at all that this is how our words are getting sent out. we all know you guys don't even play our game, you just said it. and now you're the link to the developers????

edited in brackets

Yvette

Do you have to deal with this kind of bu..siness with Marvel Puzzle Quest as well?

I saw this thread and it tickled me

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=54126

IamTheDanger

jackvett wrote:

IamTheDanger wrote:

That I can understand. As a mod, I have nothing to do with the actual game. But, I can send a message to them devs and ask for an update or something. It's a holiday in the U.S.A. then the weekend, so it may be a while, and again, small company.

can you explain why you need to do that for us?

what's the point of the forums if the companies these forums are centered around are too small to warrant monitoring them, so they have to get volunteers?

i appreciate your efforts and please go ahead and do it, but it doesn't make me feel good at all that this is how our words are getting sent out. we all know you guys don't even play our game, you just said it. and now you're the link to the developers????

I actually do play MtG, just very casually. I started playing the actual card game in highschool 20 years ago. So, for some reason, I can't really get into the PQ version that much. I still like the PQ game, just that I prefer the actual cards. By saying "nothing to do with actual game" I meant no design input or decisions.

For the record, the devs do read these forums. They just don't have time to respond that much. I can send a P.M. and let them know what the situation is. Other than that, I can't promise anything.

I'm trying not to say something like "the devs read the forums and are aware of problems. they are looking into it" because that, to me, seems like a cookie cutter response. But, weelllll....

One big thing is that they really can't post a lot of the time for legal reasons. If a new card or feature is coming out, the devs are not allowed to talk about it beforehand. Like with MPQ, when a new character is about to be released, they have to keep quiet. It's part of the deal with Marvel. Same thing here. Demiurge/Hibernum has to follow certain rules about what they can say and when they can say it. So, rather than posting something like "We hear you, and we have some ideas but we can't talk about them", it's better to just not post.

*keep in mind, I'm not trying to speak for anyone at Demiurge/Hibernum/D3. These are just observations of my own and things I've been told about the legal aspect of things

IamTheDanger

Yvette wrote:

Do you have to deal with this kind of bu..siness with Marvel Puzzle Quest as well?

I saw this thread and it tickled me

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=54126

yeah, same situation over there. Same complaints/concerns.

Tilikum

I honostly don't mind if I see them post or not. Their actions speak louder than words. (talk about cookie-cutter)

Fixing the Flameblade Angel bug was a good move. I just want to see some patch notes that say "fixed that one bug that everyone's been complaining about for months and has spanned all the expansions."