Mcdoc
05-31-2013, 12:31 AM
I truly love this game. It is my love for this game, love for the forumites I have come to know - many in person - and the overall feeling of connection to so many that has kept me in this game for so long.
I appreciate the immense task and time it takes to juggle all of the titles the Gree has for us to enjoy - I really do - I just hope that the customer support at Gree can step it up and value us as much as we value the game.
3 weeks to answer a ticket about a malfunction in the game with a generic "if you are still experiencing this problem - try your call again" is really more frustrating than the original issue and can sometimes bring out the worst in us as the frustration over a game explodes like a volcano when you look back at $500, $700, or even $100 worth of purchases last month. There really should be a better attempt to make us feel valuable to Gree as customers when we spend so much and really ask for so little in return.
When we get angry and get told we have violated the TOS - remember - we are at that boiling point because in our minds - You have violated OUR Terms of service. We have given you our Hard Earned dollars - many times more than we should in the heat of battle - as you have tapped into the impulse buying part of our ego's that feeds an addiction we didn't even know we had.
WE know gambling is illegal - yet the daily scratchers dance on the line of a lottery - so do the crate 10 events - yet the Terms of Service - or rather borderline illegal aspects of the game seem to fly under the radar of Apple and the Department of Justice - Federal Trade Commission - and a half dozen other agencies that would frown upon the exploits in this game.
So we know - we know that we volunteer ourselves to these exploits every time we buy gold to get ahead - increase the chance to win - we know - but we love the game - the thrill - the excitement - the camaraderie of our factions - the long term connections we have made on the forums - but please don't forget that it is US who put money in your pockets - so before this bitter taste in our mouths turns us completely against the game - remember who YOU are dealing with - a paying customer - ones who have invested time and money for over 16 months - because if the wrecking ball is let loose - no one standing in its way can put their hand up and stop it.
With all that - I apologize to the moderators and my fellow forumites for words written out of anger and frustration earlier today as I felt so violated and manipulated by the information before me. Even though I love the game so much - I still want to hold on to my last thread of dignity that it is MY choice to play and MY choice when I will quit playing this game.
I respect the rules of the TOS and appreciate it when actions are taken to protect the integrity of the forums - I crossed the line and I thank you for letting me cool off and allowing my account to once again be active. I hope to be an asset to this game and this community - but the respect HAS to go both ways.
As a former military man - I believe in a chain of command - and while on this tiny little stage - we have those in authority who we are accountable to - you need to also realize that there is a long chain of command that exceeds this forum and even the poor excuse for customer service. A chain of command that includes Apple itself - who takes threats of cancelling someone's game after a $10,000 plus investment very serious - seemingly more serious than the Customer Service reps at Gree. Then legally, State and Federal Trade agencies are not a light threat - they have shut down other games that meet certain gambling criteria - which a solid argument could really be made about the mechanics of all Gree games - but that is the last thing any of us want - so we keep your little secret and keep paying to play the game.
Leadership isn't easy - leading a faction - leading a discussion - and a few of us old timers leading the charge. It takes more courage to say what isn't popular - but what needs to be said - putting yourself at risk of retaliation whether against your own government, or the moderator of a forum - but a mutual respect and open communication between customers and customer service is the best way to ensure this game that we love is around another 12 months.
We honestly come here to give you insight on what we want - what needs to be fixed - and point out those who cheapen our game experience BECAUSE we want this game to be around for a long time. If we didn't care about the game - we wouldn't spend time here in the forum. Honestly - we try to tell you what it is that would make us spend more money on your game - if you would only listen to and value what we are trying to tell you - and most of us - value us. When there is an issue - error on our side with the unit we didn't get because our game was frozen out yet we bought the cash or gold to do the quest - error on our side when there is an issue and make us feel good about the game by just doing the simple little thing that costs you nothing - yet maintains a loving customer.
My humble request is that we all realize that our concerns have definitely been heard now - and that Gree will work quickly to resolve the issues at hand. It is a shame many of us got to the point of frustration that these issues were not being dealt with properly with "normal" channels of reporting things behind the scenes - so much so that these issues had to be drug out here for everyone to see - but that is the nature of conflict. If you can't resolve it privately with dignity and you feel that there is no accountability for injustices - then you drag those things out into the light for everyone to see and hope that the mass knowledge will somehow help those issues become more of priority - which is what we witnessed today - not new issues - but old issues that seem to be ignored.
Let's all give Gree a chance to do the right thing - give customer service and the developers the benefit of a doubt that they too want this game to live on - and let the tone of the forum get back to helping others and enjoying the game.
Sorry - I didn't mean this to become a manifest - but I am obviously passionate about Modern War and this Forum. We should be so lucky to have more people who felt this strongly about the game - especially a few more in the Customer Service department.
My wife often tells me if I put as much passion into my business and our marriage as I put into this game - things could be SO much better for us - I am embarrassed that I ever heard those words from her mouth - and days like today make me feel even more foolish about it. I am close to making my peace all the way around.
I've said my peace - I am at peace - I am patiently waiting to see how things unfold over the next few weeks - and I am ready to move on and enjoy the game as long as there is a mutual respect between the paying customers and the ones who accept our money - there is an obligation on both sides - and even though our terms of service aren't written out for you to comply with - there are plenty of laws that have laid them out for us and there are expectations on BOTH sides of this transaction.
Oh - one last thing - I appreciate the job the mods have to keep us from boiling over and driving ourselves into a mad frenzy - the hard task to react to the moment and just stop the bleeding - and most of all - appreciate the calm after the storm to move on and enjoy the game.
Peace be with you
I appreciate the immense task and time it takes to juggle all of the titles the Gree has for us to enjoy - I really do - I just hope that the customer support at Gree can step it up and value us as much as we value the game.
3 weeks to answer a ticket about a malfunction in the game with a generic "if you are still experiencing this problem - try your call again" is really more frustrating than the original issue and can sometimes bring out the worst in us as the frustration over a game explodes like a volcano when you look back at $500, $700, or even $100 worth of purchases last month. There really should be a better attempt to make us feel valuable to Gree as customers when we spend so much and really ask for so little in return.
When we get angry and get told we have violated the TOS - remember - we are at that boiling point because in our minds - You have violated OUR Terms of service. We have given you our Hard Earned dollars - many times more than we should in the heat of battle - as you have tapped into the impulse buying part of our ego's that feeds an addiction we didn't even know we had.
WE know gambling is illegal - yet the daily scratchers dance on the line of a lottery - so do the crate 10 events - yet the Terms of Service - or rather borderline illegal aspects of the game seem to fly under the radar of Apple and the Department of Justice - Federal Trade Commission - and a half dozen other agencies that would frown upon the exploits in this game.
So we know - we know that we volunteer ourselves to these exploits every time we buy gold to get ahead - increase the chance to win - we know - but we love the game - the thrill - the excitement - the camaraderie of our factions - the long term connections we have made on the forums - but please don't forget that it is US who put money in your pockets - so before this bitter taste in our mouths turns us completely against the game - remember who YOU are dealing with - a paying customer - ones who have invested time and money for over 16 months - because if the wrecking ball is let loose - no one standing in its way can put their hand up and stop it.
With all that - I apologize to the moderators and my fellow forumites for words written out of anger and frustration earlier today as I felt so violated and manipulated by the information before me. Even though I love the game so much - I still want to hold on to my last thread of dignity that it is MY choice to play and MY choice when I will quit playing this game.
I respect the rules of the TOS and appreciate it when actions are taken to protect the integrity of the forums - I crossed the line and I thank you for letting me cool off and allowing my account to once again be active. I hope to be an asset to this game and this community - but the respect HAS to go both ways.
As a former military man - I believe in a chain of command - and while on this tiny little stage - we have those in authority who we are accountable to - you need to also realize that there is a long chain of command that exceeds this forum and even the poor excuse for customer service. A chain of command that includes Apple itself - who takes threats of cancelling someone's game after a $10,000 plus investment very serious - seemingly more serious than the Customer Service reps at Gree. Then legally, State and Federal Trade agencies are not a light threat - they have shut down other games that meet certain gambling criteria - which a solid argument could really be made about the mechanics of all Gree games - but that is the last thing any of us want - so we keep your little secret and keep paying to play the game.
Leadership isn't easy - leading a faction - leading a discussion - and a few of us old timers leading the charge. It takes more courage to say what isn't popular - but what needs to be said - putting yourself at risk of retaliation whether against your own government, or the moderator of a forum - but a mutual respect and open communication between customers and customer service is the best way to ensure this game that we love is around another 12 months.
We honestly come here to give you insight on what we want - what needs to be fixed - and point out those who cheapen our game experience BECAUSE we want this game to be around for a long time. If we didn't care about the game - we wouldn't spend time here in the forum. Honestly - we try to tell you what it is that would make us spend more money on your game - if you would only listen to and value what we are trying to tell you - and most of us - value us. When there is an issue - error on our side with the unit we didn't get because our game was frozen out yet we bought the cash or gold to do the quest - error on our side when there is an issue and make us feel good about the game by just doing the simple little thing that costs you nothing - yet maintains a loving customer.
My humble request is that we all realize that our concerns have definitely been heard now - and that Gree will work quickly to resolve the issues at hand. It is a shame many of us got to the point of frustration that these issues were not being dealt with properly with "normal" channels of reporting things behind the scenes - so much so that these issues had to be drug out here for everyone to see - but that is the nature of conflict. If you can't resolve it privately with dignity and you feel that there is no accountability for injustices - then you drag those things out into the light for everyone to see and hope that the mass knowledge will somehow help those issues become more of priority - which is what we witnessed today - not new issues - but old issues that seem to be ignored.
Let's all give Gree a chance to do the right thing - give customer service and the developers the benefit of a doubt that they too want this game to live on - and let the tone of the forum get back to helping others and enjoying the game.
Sorry - I didn't mean this to become a manifest - but I am obviously passionate about Modern War and this Forum. We should be so lucky to have more people who felt this strongly about the game - especially a few more in the Customer Service department.
My wife often tells me if I put as much passion into my business and our marriage as I put into this game - things could be SO much better for us - I am embarrassed that I ever heard those words from her mouth - and days like today make me feel even more foolish about it. I am close to making my peace all the way around.
I've said my peace - I am at peace - I am patiently waiting to see how things unfold over the next few weeks - and I am ready to move on and enjoy the game as long as there is a mutual respect between the paying customers and the ones who accept our money - there is an obligation on both sides - and even though our terms of service aren't written out for you to comply with - there are plenty of laws that have laid them out for us and there are expectations on BOTH sides of this transaction.
Oh - one last thing - I appreciate the job the mods have to keep us from boiling over and driving ourselves into a mad frenzy - the hard task to react to the moment and just stop the bleeding - and most of all - appreciate the calm after the storm to move on and enjoy the game.
Peace be with you