Questions for Severlin on Friday 19th Feb Cord of Rings

[Elmagor]

Since DDO have their own anniversary in late Feb and last update in Feb 2021, it's pretty easy to understand why developers don't have much time for Lotro right now

[Stormtower]

>No. Just... no.<

Yes. Just ....yes.

Whose fault it is doesn't matter. Over decades in the business world I have seen far too many occasions when my company screwed up badly but the people affected were reasonably content because we responded promptly and politely. I have seen even more occasions when we did nothing at all wrong and faced lengthy and sometimes expensive hostility because we responded slowly or impolitely.

Almost always a more forthcoming and honest answer can be gotten by "Is there any chance you can improve XYZ even more by doing ABC?" than from "When will you idiots pull your heads out of your anuses and do ABC?" The deeper the head is up the #### the truer this is.

You are also ignoring the change of management. Isn't it better to have top management told "these people are impatient but we can work with them" than "look at all the hostility we might as well just ignore whatever is said on the forums and do what we think is best on our own".

By the way I don't think the 10 questions are exceptionally negative though I think they could have been more positively written. Someone tried to rewrite them, above, and made them far too general. I do agree that we need more specifics. I do agree that saying "the community is unhappy" is NOT a negative approach when it merely states a fact accurately. What IS negative is outright attacks on the developers such as:

"With each update we see stats repeatedly being bloated by an absurd amount, this mostly serves to further trivialise the previous patches content and make said content redundant in terms of rewards. Why do our stats keep getting inflated like this?" While the author is entirely correct in what is said I don't see how this can be described as anything but highly negative toward the people who did the work that was described as "bloating" and trivializing and redundant. Notwithstanding that, again, the question was quite accurate.

Nice Stockholm Syndrome, bro. How's that working out for you?

Cord & Sev ignored a huge swath of polite and kindly worded legitimate questions on Cord's stream, and cherry picked a bunch of nonsense to talk about vaguely.

Sometimes being polite and professional works when addressing authority. LotRO is not one of those cases.

Feel free to lecture me again, though.

[Erionor]

Bravo! Well done and on point.

Here's a question: why don't the new owners spare the gaming world and Tolkien fans from any further pain and close LoTRO?

Obvious troll is obvious ... if you feel this way, go and play something else and don’t post stuff like this that is incredibly unhelpful.

[LabadalofDorlomin]

Again the Devs and Sev have won... they have us bickering with each other and not united in any way against the highwaymen who are holding the players up by virtual but very real monetary gunpoint.

[mithelenthor]

Since DDO have their own anniversary in late Feb and last update in Feb 2021, it's pretty easy to understand why developers don't have much time for Lotro right now

Interesting.... So I'm guessing that we won't get much interaction then in the coming weeks...

probably Friday Cord of the Rings will go missing in action and Severlin will conveniently forget his promise to answer more questions....

[TearMaker]

Didn't Severlin state in the last "questions with Sev" that they would set up a date for doing this monthly or something along those lines...

Has this date been set so that we can form a question thread again?

[Cordovan]

Didn't Severlin state in the last "questions with Sev" that they would set up a date for doing this monthly or something along those lines...

Has this date been set so that we can form a question thread again?

The timeline isn't planned to be quite so strict, but something in the range of every 4-8 weeks is the intention. Current thinking is probably late March/early April as we get ready to ramp up our Anniversary stuff.

[TearMaker]

The timeline isn't planned to be quite so strict, but something in the range of every 4-8 weeks is the intention. Current thinking is probably late March/early April as we get ready to ramp up our Anniversary stuff.

I know in all probability that you won't reply again but it is important to know whether you will take structured questions from your forum readers?

Last time it was made plainly obvious that you, after acknowledging the questions from the forum, went ahead and then completely ignored asking and answering them.

The issue with taking questions from facebook and twitch etc is that it is highly selective in the questions you take and shows to the majority that cannot make the live stream due to real life commitments or the fact that we are from hugely different time zones a complete lack of respect and that only those who attend live can have the possibility of having their question asked. (and then it is questionable what gets read out)
Example: on the last questions with Sev I saw one player asking in a very well thought out and polite manner, a question... and they had to ask it like 3-4 times and then it would seem they were muted and you didn't ask the question !!

Now I know actually getting our camera shy Prod to sign on for "regular" streams is a huge improvement but it has to be open and honest and free from the obvious shielding that the mods and yourself were clearly showing in the last round...

I know this is a learning curve and as long as we do better next time is all that matters...

May I suggest that you (Cordovan) open a questions thread in the couple of weeks prior to the stream and from that thread you can this time devote a real portion of the stream to answering them.
Yes, live questioning can be exciting but not if as most often seen you only select questions that are easy and or for which you think you have the answers people want to hear...

We all would like some truth and if part of that is sour then so be it... we are often a fickle bunch and as long as we don't waste our time and money because we have been misled we can forgive a lot and quickly.

[Cordovan]

I know in all probability that you won't reply again but it is important to know whether you will take structured questions from your forum readers?

Last time it was made plainly obvious that you, after acknowledging the questions from the forum, went ahead and then completely ignored asking and answering them.

The issue with taking questions from facebook and twitch etc is that it is highly selective in the questions you take and shows to the majority that cannot make the live stream due to real life commitments or the fact that we are from hugely different time zones a complete lack of respect and that only those who attend live can have the possibility of having their question asked. (and then it is questionable what gets read out)
Example: on the last questions with Sev I saw one player asking in a very well thought out and polite manner, a question... and they had to ask it like 3-4 times and then it would seem they were muted and you didn't ask the question !!

Now I know actually getting our camera shy Prod to sign on for "regular" streams is a huge improvement but it has to be open and honest and free from the obvious shielding that the mods and yourself were clearly showing in the last round...

I know this is a learning curve and as long as we do better next time is all that matters...

May I suggest that you (Cordovan) open a questions thread in the couple of weeks prior to the stream and from that thread you can this time devote a real portion of the stream to answering them.
Yes, live questioning can be exciting but not if as most often seen you only select questions that are easy and or for which you think you have the answers people want to hear...

We all would like some truth and if part of that is sour then so be it... we are often a fickle bunch and as long as we don't waste our time and money because we have been misled we can forgive a lot and quickly.

The last time around I didn't read the questions verbatim from the forums but a majority of the questions asked were addressed. I'd expect that to be fairly standard that we'll focus on the topics and less the specific wording used by the question-asker. It all comes from your questions.

[SingularityNow]

The last time around I didn't read the questions verbatim from the forums but a majority of the questions asked were addressed. I'd expect that to be fairly standard that we'll focus on the topics and less the specific wording used by the question-asker. It all comes from your questions.

Perhaps if you agreed to pre selected questions and allowed follow-ups in stream, then we'd get better than off the cuff answers like "we're getting to that eventually" or "that's something really important to us, sure but.."

Maybe you could do 10 preselected questions on important topics that everyone could at least identify with one or two, and come prepared to talk about them like:

1) LI Grind
2) Brawler Class
3) River Hobbits
4) PVP Fix for what's currently out there.
5) Guardians
6) Graphical updates/UI enhancements
7) Special Rules servers
8) Itemization issues
9) Landscape additions
10) Patch previews

And do it quarterly, try being professional about it in terms of being prepared, presentation (your living room or Sev's bathroom? C'mon enough), and actually take it seriously. We do.

[Daeshok]

Perhaps if you agreed to pre selected questions and allowed follow-ups in stream, then we'd get better than off the cuff answers like "we're getting to that eventually" or "that's something really important to us, sure but.."

Maybe you could do 10 preselected questions on important topics that everyone could at least identify with one or two, and come prepared to talk about them like:

1) LI Grind
2) Brawler Class
3) River Hobbits
4) PVP Fix for what's currently out there.
5) Guardians
6) Graphical updates/UI enhancements
7) Special Rules servers
8) Itemization issues
9) Landscape additions
10) Patch previews

And do it quarterly, try being professional about it in terms of being prepared, presentation (your living room or Sev's bathroom? C'mon enough), and actually take it seriously. We do.

C'mon, you can't seriously be calling out the SSG team for working from home right now? I for one appreciate the recent effort and emphasis on community interaction, it's a welcome change from past years. And while I agree they leave a lot of questions unanswered, I at least appreciate the effort to answer many questions they can answer.

[SingularityNow]

C'mon, you can't seriously be calling out the SSG team for working from home right now? I for one appreciate the recent effort and emphasis on community interaction, it's a welcome change from past years. And while I agree they leave a lot of questions unanswered, I at least appreciate the effort to answer many questions they can answer.

Use technology to your benefit, especially if you're a professional.

[SavinDwarf]

...... And do it quarterly, try being professional about it in terms of being prepared, presentation (your living room or Sev's bathroom? C'mon enough), and actually take it seriously. We do.

Perhaps Cordovan should dress more appropriately ---

[Cordovan]

Perhaps Cordovan should dress more appropriately ---

I totally have a nice hat. I've actually worn a casual suit style jacket a few times, and am not opposed to doing it now and then. I usually wear the mandatory standard-issue games industry work outfit of jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie.

[SingularityNow]

Perhaps Cordovan should dress more appropriately ---

I think it's perfectly legit that a multi million dollar a year technology company can only come up with a stream that looks like a public access meeting of local church group.

[Amberjack]

1. What are the criteria for being a moderator on the official streams?

You have to be willing to put up with angry, entitled, misguided questionrants from angry, entitled, misguided people, without losing your cool, and without ever getting paid a penny for the abuse you take, and knowing that the only 'reward' you will ever get is to be badmouthed by angry, entitled, misguided players on the forums.

Such a pleasant job. Can't for the life of me understand why everyone doesn't want to do it. /s

[SingularityNow]

You have to be willing to put up with angry, entitled, misguided questionrants from angry, entitled, misguided people, without losing your cool, and without ever getting paid a penny for the abuse you take, and knowing that the only 'reward' you will ever get is to be badmouthed by angry, entitled, misguided players on the forums.

Such a pleasant job. Can't for the life of me understand why everyone doesn't want to do it. /s

You sure are calling a lot of people a lot of names there. Maybe a quick brush up on the Community Guidelines would be in order?

[SavinDwarf]

I totally have a nice hat. I've actually worn a casual suit style jacket a few times, and am not opposed to doing it now and then. I usually wear the mandatory standard-issue games industry work outfit of jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie.

My post was a lead in for the next new CLASS LOL - The Steed ... quickly followed by EMMA Peel. No LOTRO game can be really complete without Emma Peel -- everyone in Britain knows this LOL!!

[Amberjack]

You sure are calling a lot of people a lot of names there. Maybe a quick brush up on the Community Guidelines would be in order?

For the people who do things that cause them to be moderated, and then whine and complain about it? Yes, ABSOLUTELY.

[Starliteyes]

My post was a lead in for the next new CLASS LOL - The Steed ... quickly followed by EMMA Peel. No LOTRO game can be really complete without Emma Peel -- everyone in Britain knows this LOL!!

Not just Britain!

[Wargoat]

If you have pants equipped when streaming LOTRO, you're doing it wrong.

[Seregthol]

You have to be willing to put up with angry, entitled, misguided questionrants from angry, entitled, misguided people, without losing your cool, and without ever getting paid a penny for the abuse you take...

Hmmmmmm, kind of sounds like a description of SSG Customers having to deal with the Devs' decisions over the last few years.

[maartena]

I totally have a nice hat.

I will throw you a challenge. You shall wear a nice hat on the next +Cord Of The Rings!


Please choose:

A) CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
B) I am chicken McFly, and will not accept your challenge.

[TearMaker]

You have to be willing to put up with angry, entitled, misguided questionrants from angry, entitled, misguided people, without losing your cool, and without ever getting paid a penny for the abuse you take, and knowing that the only 'reward' you will ever get is to be badmouthed by angry, entitled, misguided players on the forums.

Such a pleasant job. Can't for the life of me understand why everyone doesn't want to do it. /s

@Cordovan

Well if this really is someone who moderates for you on the livestream, then I rest my case from earlier.

I have a feeling it could just be someone grandstanding though because surely you wouldn't allow someone with obvious and clear prejudice and someone silly enough to allow themselves to publish it in a public forum be someone who moderates others would you?

Maybe as suggested, ALL the questions should come through the forum with follow up from the live stream... Nobody would miss out because you could advertise the thread on facebook and twitter and through weekly cord of the rings.... and that way everyone gets a say in advance and as long as you don't get folks like the above to moderate the forum then it should all be above board and visible instead of this underhand nonsense where you fool yourself into thinking you answered any of the questions raised on the forum previously.

And also, if these moderators are peers and not employees then I think they should be advertised their forum/game names in some way because again, not doing so makes it look shady and underhand is going on.