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View Full Version : TSO - A Few Numbers and a Few Thoughts



Wotsrong
28.07.13, 20:59
First of all, I must say that I still enjoy playing TSO. The problem is that I get more and more concerned about things as time goes by, which is sad as it could be a fantastic game. I don't think that I'm alone in thinking this way.

Looking back, regarding the popularity of TSO, more or less since it went live, there is a worrying trend regarding the future of the game. Although still popular, that popularity is dropping steadily month on month. While not the best barometer, I will base my numbers on the Alexa figures - these are still good enough to show the trend.

In early 2012, TSO went live on the UK servers and shot to the Alexa rating of around 12,000 and got to around 6,000 in June of that year (the lower the Alexa figure, the better). Hits dropped but improved through December, 2012 and January 2013 to around 8,000. Since then, through this year, it has been steadily dropping in the ratings and stands at around 15,000 at the moment. Still not bad at all by website standards but the trend is worrying.

On the German servers - January 2012 saw the figure as being around 2,000. January 2013 it stood at 8,000 - now it's around 9,300. Same trend although at a higher rating level.

Another aspect that I'll mention on downturns is that it seems the game's Trade Office is not as busy as it was a little while ago - but I could be wrong on that one.

These and other benchmarks are what BB will be watching regarding the corporate viability of the game and being a commercial outfit they will pull the plug if the stats drop to a certain point. What has also got to be borne in mind is that TSO is a niche market and the influx of likely new players is large but not infinite - once the rump of potential players have come and gone - new interest will become a relative trickle.

I get the feeling that with each smiling graphic, BB pitch everything they do with TSO to tempt players into parting with cash. If BB were intent on bringing us something really special, this would be no problem as far as I'm concerned - after all, they are not giving it away and are running the game to make a profit. It's our choice to pay or not to pay. I've nothing against companies making money - even shed loads of money if they provide a product that is up there with the best ... if that were the case, I'd chip in more than I already have.

Having said that, IMHO, it is the corporate mentality which is damaging the long term viability of TSO. More to the point, it is how the people wanting to join in and play the game are treated in BB's efforts to achieve bottom line profits. An online game is not like the old days when we bought a CD or DVD to play in isolation - the net brings interactivity with it and that interactivity should include reasonable dialogue with the game providers. A ticket from support or a post from an ever suffering mod on the forum is not enough. Even the mighty Google - on their help forums - have Google employees who will come in on a thread if it of sufficient importance or interest. Google are baffling enough to deal with but at least someone from Google will chip in and try to help. That makes you feel that they care about their users. BB do not appear to share that degree of caring. So people get frustrated and drop out - or others canny enough to read this forum do not drop in at all. BB might say that they continue to invest in this game, I'll go with that - but they miss the point that to get the community and everything firing on all four, they also have to invest interest and care in the people who play it.

I'm not saying that the players should run the game - no way. But at least let the players know they are being genuinely listened to or concerns are really being addressed. Things like the feedback questionnaire recently (if you could use it) just make a mockery of this - it was not seeking player input about TSO but it was a bit of sneaky (and cynical) piece of market researching - again it's that untempered corporate mentality doing damage. How many times has a BB empoyee come onto the forum to answer genuine concerns about the game? Concerns that need addressing ... or suggestions ... or anything that is constructive? How many??

I've no doubt that the script kiddies who program the game are the top guns of their trade. I've no doubt that many players on here know exactly how to tweak bits of the game to get it up there with the best. So why not bounce ideas directly off each other - the programmers and the players? Does it cost anything or would BB lose out on this - no!! Surely BB should have twigged that they would earn bundles more money if the game WAS second to none. Why not form a players' advisory team who could interact with BB? The mods on here and maybe BB know who, among the gamers, would take this seriously and see what was possible and what was not. (Not me though - I'm too old in the tooth for that.)

This is not a whinge, or a dig at BB - it's genuine concern that something that could be really great could continue to slip away - when just a little bit of working together could make the BB profit margin look good and we, as players, would be happy to keep it that way.

Yvory
29.07.13, 07:28
+1
I agree with everything you said.


Things like the feedback questionnaire recently (if you could use it) just make a mockery of this - it was not seeking player input about TSO but it was a bit of sneaky (and cynical) piece of market researching
True, I was very disappointed with it, especially because they advertised it like a way to give our feedback ...

BB_Alpaca
29.07.13, 08:01
Hi Wotsrong,

Thank you for addressing your concerns! The reason why the programmers don't post on the forums/interact with the community is that they simply do not have the time to engage with players on top of their assigned work. That's why I'm here, to be a liaison between the company and the players.


But at least let the players know they are being genuinely listened to or concerns are really being addressed.

BB do not appear to share that degree of caring.

How many times has a BB empoyee come onto the forum to answer genuine concerns about the game? Concerns that need addressing ... or suggestions ... or anything that is constructive? How many??

I'm here! Talk to me! PM me! I'm your advocate!

Best,
BB_Alpaca

fishslice
29.07.13, 10:55
Alpaca - there's a feedback thread where bb ask us for our feedback. Collectively we have provided feedback there and as part of that asked for feedback ourselves - many times. As of yet I've never seen a decent response from a community manager or others in bb.

Here's a suggestion or two for you - give us a clue as to if this game will die in beta or what needs to happen to remove the beta tag and give us the same goodies that the German servers have?

BB_Alpaca
29.07.13, 11:09
Hi, fishslice!


Alpaca - there's a feedback thread where bb ask us for our feedback. Collectively we have provided feedback there and as part of that asked for feedback ourselves - many times. As of yet I've never seen a decent response from a community manager or others in bb.

I can't speak for the previous CM because I only knew them fleetingly, but I actually read through the feedback/game suggestions subforum and collate the feedback from it even if I don't specifically post in each thread saying so. I also reply to all messages I've been sent, and keep an open door policy in case people want to bring issues to me personally (which is what I was trying to indicate by saying that-- that I'm listening! People should always feel free to talk to me!)


Here's a suggestion or two for you - give us a clue as to if this game will die in beta or what needs to happen to remove the beta tag and give us the same goodies that the German servers have?

Sure! The beta tag is not related to the software/engine that TSO uses, as TSO DE uses the same version as TSO UK and does not have the beta tag. The reason TSO UK still has the beta tag is because of translation/localisation requirements to be completed and is unrelated to the game engine or software.

Best,
BB_Alpaca

Sto_Helit
29.07.13, 11:15
[COLOR="navy"]Sure! The beta tag is not related to the software/engine that TSO uses, as TSO DE uses the same version as TSO UK and does not have the beta tag. The reason TSO UK still has the beta tag is because of translation/localisation requirements to be completed and is unrelated to the game engine or software.

Best,
BB_Alpaca

That sounds reasonable to me regarding the beta tag - I would want translation and localisation issues to be sorted out in beta and then the tag removed, rather than a 'non-beta' game that hasn't had these issues resolved.

fishslice
29.07.13, 11:28
Thanks Alpaca, maybe a future Dev Diary can expand upon timeline for this localizations as I don't believe the US has a beta tag either.
That being said it helps to understand the reason - especially as many thought it was hardware related.
There's a lot of questions people have asked that remain unanswered, maybe you should start an 'ask your questions here thread'

Wotsrong
29.07.13, 12:11
Many thanks for all the replies and to you Alpaca for coming back on this. I think the majority of us do have total faith in what you and the other mods try to do - you certainly have my thanks in that (as well as my sympathies on what you have to go through at times).

I appreciate that the BB staff are busy people and they rely on you to be the channel of communication twixt us and BB. I think the actual problem is that it appears to be a one-way channel ... you put forward our concerns and feedback ... but nothing of any value whatsoever gets fed back from BB. It always feels like we are being ignored (not by you - but by BB themselves) - or it is inferred (not confirmed) that some kind of solution might come sometime in some distant future.

I pitched my post to try to show that this was damaging the reputation of TSO - within the current playing community and perhaps causing others not to join us - so user numbers appear to be falling. So it is not a swipe at BB, it's more a plea for BB to have a re-think about how they interact with players and/or how they reassure us that they are on the case with suggestions or complaints.

You are doing your job in communicating our thoughts etc to them - the question that needs an answer is whether BB are prepared to be more honest and open in replying back - or actually replying back at all. I can't understand how they are missing the trick of seeing that TSO could be exceedingly profitable if only they could get their PR right - seems a no brainer to me.

Icegirl
29.07.13, 14:26
I'm sorry, but if BB are 'too busy' to come on the forums and give us feedback themselves, then when do they find time to listen to the CM's and give feedback to you? Surely that could be time addressing the players directly.

Next time they can fit you into their busy schedules, Alpaca, do tell them that they have the most awful customer service of any game I've ever played. I've all but quit now. I made the mistake of rushing to level 50 and now I find the cupboard is bare and there's absolutely nothing of interest for me to do.

BB_Alpaca
29.07.13, 14:48
Hi, Icegirl!


I'm sorry, but if BB are 'too busy' to come on the forums and give us feedback themselves, then when do they find time to listen to the CM's and give feedback to you? Surely that could be time addressing the players directly.

I am employed by BlueByte, so I am BB. The programmers have a right to be too busy to come on the forums because, well, they're programmers-- it's not in their job description to come in here and post, it's my job and I'm doing my best. I do regularly liaise with them and we always make time to communicate on issues that face the game.


Next time they can fit you into their busy schedules, Alpaca, do tell them that they have the most awful customer service of any game I've ever played. I've all but quit now. I made the mistake of rushing to level 50 and now I find the cupboard is bare and there's absolutely nothing of interest for me to do.

There's level 50 content being released in the next patch to address this very issue, which is explained in our latest Dev Diary (http://forum.thesettlersonline.com/threads/24787-Dev-Diary-Epic-Raids-and-more!).

Best,
BB_Alpaca