Bah, humbug!

gozmaster

Ok... What I heard was...

"Hey, we can't tell you yet what we have planned, but WE ARE aware of the discourse.

Just sit tight, and Don't torch the castle yet." - lol

I hope we are PLEASANtLY surprised and overly thrilled with the "big stuff" coming...

Soon...

GM

Sarah

Oh wow. Things must be more dire than we thought @Magic:PQ Support Team if you can’t even afford to post the sneak peek for next week.

khurram

@gozmaster said:
Ok... What I heard was...

"Hey, we can't tell you yet what we have planned, but WE ARE aware of the discourse.

Just sit tight, and Don't torch the castle yet." - lol

I hope we are PLEASANtLY surprised and overly thrilled with the "big stuff" coming...

Soon...

GM

I don't think we need to put words in their mouth. Or keep doing any sort of damage control for them.

This has more of a constructed-customer-service-response vibe than anything else.

If they wanted us to feel excited about any "big stuff" that may or may not be in the works, they could've just said so in the reply to this thread, or would've used different words to evoke excitement.

The second to last para of their reply is what all of the players have heard numerous times over the number of years. Its nothing new. In fact all of it is nothing new. It seems like a bare-minimum reply, for the sake of a reply, giving away nothing and assuring... not me, at least.

gozmaster

@khurram Not trying to put words in their mouth and CERTAINLY not damage control, they're business owners, and big kids.. Despite the lack of communication in THIS message, they have shown they ARE capable of writing their own PR pieces.... that aint my job. lol

I'm just holding true to what I said I'd do prior to their response... Patience.

Now honestly, I WAS hoping for something more here, (anything really), I would have LOVED to see more... i don't know... personal touch, or a little more empathy in regards to the current pulse of the player base's frustrations,

And even if the horizon is bright, but this rep is sworn to secrecy about any of the details and NOT allowed to share anything on the matter... fine, but say even just that. But they didn't and that's a miss to me.

But here's the bottom line... I frankly DON'T care what is said here.

Even if they gave out packs as rewards, or gave a CLEAR outline of the next year of new changes.

Hell... even if they GAVE back the daily rewards... That isn't the right answer to me...

At this stage in the development of the game, the holes have been fixed, and the hemorrhaging of players seems to have been MOSTLY patched... (prior to this kerfuffle at least).

NOW... is the time for change of direction, tweaks to the engine that drives new player downloads and experiences. that make the game more enjoyable and sustainable for years to come.

This year, we need to see the devs DRIVE the changes they want in the game and make it their own.

Till now, they have just been fixing and managing the chaos they inherited.

But this is their second year as quarterback. NOW, they need to start winning games. (Hey, i got football on the brain, playoffs are starting)

Sure first year... you're just learning the system. I'm not expecting perfection. But second year? You better show some MAJOR steps in progress, and start making this offense your own.

Next year... I expect the playoffs, and eventually (3 to 5 years) a super bowl. (IE an ad in the superbowl , that is )

As we progress, my standards and expectations will get MUCH steeper, but to say BURN THE CASTLE at this stage? Nah man...

Listen, I get we're all frustrated with YEARS Of other broken promises by the previous teams.

But I REFUSE to treat WC's "promises" (at the end of their 1st year) the same as Okty in it's 5th (or whatever it was)... But i DO Need to see the effort on the field.

Frankly, it Doesn't matter what they say in the press conference above, that's all ****. What they DO on the field, that's what matters. I personally will be judging that over the next 3 to 6 months.

However....

The clock is definitely ticking, and as I've said countless times before...

The game today (outside of these last couple of snafus) is in a MUCH better state than it was this time last year .

So Again... I say patience. But I am noting the hour.

And Again, as much of a "hopeless optimist" some are calling me, (And I am) This is definitely a bad play.

So, let's just keep watching and see what they do the rest of the game.

How YOU decide to wait and watch, that's you and your attention/money to decide with...

And for some this is too much to bear... I get it, but for me... this hasn't lost the game, and it certainly hasn't blown the season.

...but my optimism... IS finite.

Trust me. I'm a AZ Cardinals Fan.

Alright... Back to my family, have a great event this weekend my friends.

GM

Janosik

I'm skeptical that changing the ad model will generate significant extra revenue, but dyou know what I'd spend cash money on, at the right price? Permanent extra deck slots for Planeswalkers.

I know, I know, I can rent them instead with VIP. I've had that option for years, and never taken it.

camo

I don't think we need to put words in their mouth. Or keep doing any sort of damage control for them.

This has more of a constructed-customer-service-response vibe than anything else.

If they wanted us to feel excited about any "big stuff" that may or may not be in the works, they could've just said so in the reply to this thread, or would've used different words to evoke excitement.

The second to last para of their reply is what all of the players have heard numerous times over the number of years. Its nothing new. In fact all of it is nothing new. It seems like a bare-minimum reply, for the sack of a reply, giving away nothing and assuring... not me, at least.

Totally agree with this. No need to coach them lines. Let them speak for themselves.

For me, with such answer from them, I remain skeptical. With the way they handle bugged RotGP to only compensate selected few, decreasing Daily Rewards over illogical reason, reduced discount, and many more, their 'planning' and execution certainly doesnt inspired confidence for players.

And no worry, Webcore, we won't torch the castle.
We would leave them.
Since u made it clear so far, it's your castle, not ours.

Machine

@Magic:PQ Support Team said:
Hello everyone,

I must say this is a very disappointing response. It took a lot of organization to get people from multiple large alliances (which each consist out of a big number of individual teams) to a joint post, which was carefully formulated and edited. All of these teams together represent a very big percentage of your player base and yet you chose to react like you always do. We are offering reasonable proposals here and yet we receive another slap in the face. From a personal point of view - not speaking for others here - the last inch of credit you had is gone.

Vorazg

Effective management response (or lack thereof) aside, I am very curious to hear exactly what the logic was that determined the daily rewards were too high and why a reduction was necessary. I've been thinking on this and I just can't fathom what else was that dramatically affected by these rewards.

Would love some explanation or context.
Cheers,
V

Scydrex7

@Magic:PQ Support Team, I agree with @Machine's comments here. I am not certain you have grasped the relevance of alliance leaders' joint effort to establish a more productive means of communication with you.

We could understand if you are unable to provide us more concrete information regarding your plans to improve the game experience for the players as well as keeping the same (or improving its) profitability.

However, is it too much to ask to at the very least provide us a more specific timeline of when to expect an announcement of forthcoming changes? Will you give us a preview or full reveal in March? June? October? Or is this something you are planning to introduce in 2026 or beyond? We have absolutely no clue here of when and if these promised improvements will be announced.

We would more than welcome a more candid explanation of what challenges the team has faced that may be delaying the introduction of the planned changes. Are you working to ensure that the game's code isn't plagued by a myriad bugs? Are you testing the game's balance so that some cards or walkers aren't over or under powered? Are you revising the pricing structure and the game offers so that players are presented fairly priced deals that are enticing and thus improve the game's bottom line?

Last, but not least, you have failed to address perhaps the most important topic presented in our joint letter, which was already mentioned in the first line of this post. Creating a better, more responsive communication avenue between developers and player representatives where feedback from players and updates from developers are exchanged regularly.

THIS last request specifically does not require any intense coding or complex arrangement or technical expertise. It doesn't take months or even weeks to set up. It doesn't require a huge investment in infrastucture or specialized equipment. All it needs, from your side, is to designate a team of persons (they can rotate weekly or monthly or however often you decide) that would be available to have a sustained conversation with your direct clients.

Can you let us know if this request sounds reasonable and whether you would be willing to explore it with us? (Or provide us a definitive answer regarding why it is not feasible for you right now).

While its understandable that you seek to keep this game well-balanced and profitable, NONCOMMITTAL answers to what we perceive was a reasonable, respectful and carefully constructed post feel like a slap in the face. And while monetary income is an important resource, you are risking a very crucial one here: your client's trust. Once you lose that, you can be certain the damage to the game and its community will be irreversible, and any changes introduced after the fact will have little effect in saving them.

Blighted

@Magic:PQ Support Team
Many of us are disheartened by your general lack of open conversation and willingness to positively engage your player base in a meaningful way to drive positive change.

One of the many purposes of this letter is to display just how far reaching this effort is to make meaningful, positive communication with you to help direct this game that we all love. The players who collectively authored this represent a significant portion of the player base. The response and near unanimous tone of all replies after the initial posting further reinforces this idea.

We ask for a seat at the table, being critical stakeholders in this relationship. Instead, we receive boilerplate responses. “Thank you for your time”, “Your input is valued”, “We are having internal discussions”, “We don’t have any specific updates”. These are phrases that we have heard all too often and have have proven to be hollow in nature.

We are not asking for anything confidential that would have shareholder impacts. The current player base feels betrayed by the recent changes and hurt by these austerity measures that are taken as an attempt to shift the perceived in-game economy.

We want to be confident that we can continue to invest in this game. We see the player base slowly and steadily shrinking. We want you to give us a reason to help promote this to our friends and family. We want to help grow this game.

Let us help you.

Blighted

Sarah

I think my main takeaway from this is that, despite what people like to think, tone doesn’t really matter. I have been complaining about this lack of communication since April of last year and people have critiqued not my message, but rather the way it was delivered.

The authors of this are aware of the complaints about me so they worked very hard to make sure that they were taking a different tack. Here is a totally respectful and polite message that’s been completely ignored.

Does one really catch more flies with honey? No, we do not. One tactic that’s proven effective in the past is to simply stop giving them money. Something to consider.

Machine

@Sarah said:
I think my main takeaway from this is that, despite what people like to think, tone doesn’t really matter. I have been complaining about this lack of communication since April of last year and people have critiqued not my message, but rather the way it was delivered.

The authors of this are aware of the complaints about me so they worked very hard to make sure that they were taking a different tack. Here is a totally respectful and polite message that’s been completely ignored.

Does one really catch more flies with honey? No, we do not. One tactic that’s proven effective in the past is to simply stop giving them money. Something to consider.

I'm feeling the "Not Another Dime" vibes slowly reigniting...

Tremayne

@everyone - it is one week since the thread was posted - one week!

What did you expect to happen in that time period? A well considered response with a 7 point plan that addressed every single point of critique. I agree with the OP and I agree the response from WebCore is weak and awfully similar with responses from previous developers over the years.

I understand the disappointment and frustration.
I also want to see genuine improvements to MTGPQ.
I want changes now rather than tomorrow,
I expect the implemented solution(s) will disappoint me in several ways.

Do you really think that shouting at WebCore, put words into their mouth and generally be rude to them, will make them inclined to listen to you?

I think that the OP was exceptionally well written and I would not be surprised if WebCore got caught on the wrong foot. At least that is one interpretation of the weak response, stall for time and hopefully do some back-channel communication. In my experience this is not something that is done in public. I don’t expect to hear anything on this, before a solution have been found.

wraszowixuXuxi

Could the two weeks (so far) of the 15 gold reward at the end of the weekly awards be a small - albeit not a loudly communicated - olive branch to us? At least those of us who do still play daily? If achievable, that is 30 extra gold each week. Though depending on if the current January Daily Rewards is just 21 days and then it goes to the next one (January-February Daily Rewards? Mid/Late Winter Rewards?), or if it is 21 days is all that we get until the end of January IRL... is it 50 and 60 gold passive-login-claim that we are missing out on if that is the change? Hard to tell without a timer on it, nor the communicated heads-up like we get to know what week's events are prior at the end of the previous one.

Something at least?

Janosik

@wraszowixuXuxi said:
Could the two weeks (so far) of the 15 gold reward at the end of the weekly awards be a small - albeit not a loudly communicated - olive branch to us? At least those of us who do still play daily? If achievable, that is 30 extra gold each week. Though depending on if the current January Daily Rewards is just 21 days and then it goes to the next one (January-February Daily Rewards? Mid/Late Winter Rewards?), or if it is 21 days is all that we get until the end of January IRL... is it 50 and 60 gold passive-login-claim that we are missing out on if that is the change? Hard to tell without a timer on it, nor the communicated heads-up like we get to know what week's events are prior at the end of the previous one.

Something at least?

Maximum Crystal rewards from the quest journal over the last X weeks: 30, 30, 0, 15, 30, 15, 20, 10, 30, 30, 0, 15, 30, 10, 15, 20, 10, 30, 30, 0, 15, 30...

2x30 is nothing out of the ordinary and falls neatly within the normal randomness of these rewards. You're reaching here.

naabaldan

Thank you @Tremayne
I wonder why some of us think we are part of a ranting race.

Sarah

@Tremayne and @naabaldan do you actually have any constructive advice or are you satisfied with clutching your pearls and sneering “no, not like that?” Because that’s not actually helpful at all.

I see you both complaining a lot about the tone other people take (whether it is real or imagined) but not actually suggesting a course of action. You think that I am too mean and angry. You think that people are unreasonable for expecting an actual response to this specific polite and respectful entreaty.

I’m not sure what else you think people should try other than “don’t complain at all and maybe they’ll use their nonexistent psychic abilities to guess what we want?”

Tremayne

@Sarah - you should definitely complain, when you feel like you have something to complain about.

You are who you are and you choose your own way to communicate your complaints. I just wonder if you have considered how you complaint will be handled be the recipient. That is why I’m so impressed by the wording of the OP. That message shows so much restraint, when feelings are obviously very high.

My point was (and still is): WebCore will most likely not launder their dirty clothes in public. Why, do I think that? because in my experience private companies never do that. So if WebCore chooses to listen to the OP, I don’t expect them to do their negotiations on these forums.

As I wrote in my message, I’m also impatient about WebCore’s slow progress and I’m not happy with their piecemeal implementation - at least when they haven’t explained the overall vision for the coming changes.

naabaldan

@Sarah
First of all i didn't say anything about you

My opinion is made clear in the "we are wrong" post. WC does a lot prior to adjusting the daily rewards to earn lots of resouces additionally by just playing events.
I also made clear that I want the full reward schedule back.

What i absolutely not understand is why only a very few post a "thank you".
We now have several events giving fdn booster as a reward.
The rat event had a Premium Pack as a final reward. Bfa and other event are now scheduled on a regular basis.

Lots of good stuff we all benefit from.

I also stated that the new player experience is gone worse because it was fully neglected.

Conclusion:
I have points that should be improved and some that are way better now than before.

I also agree about bad communication.

But what we do in this forum by attacking wc is not ok, the thread was intended to be respectful. Just give them time to bring things up.

As a wise man said:
Before you criticize someone one time praise him ten times.