All Day Maintenance and Compensation: My Thoughts

[GunksFoy]

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They do indeed, but it doesn't mean that is a just or fair term, as Vhailor said.

The purpose of making your consumer feel like you care about them and their time, which is how you secure lifelong customers. If you assume $3 a person, which is high considering the numbers everyone keeps spitting out (.$50 a day for 3-4 days, $2 max), but we'll use your numbers. That's $1.5m out of $78m for the year. That's hardly breaking any bank for SE. But that does assume each person is active. I'm not even saying they should, I was basically just defending the OP from the rather rude naysayers, and pointing out that it really isn't that asinine.

[NephthysVasudan]

I was basically just defending the OP from the rather rude naysayers, and pointing out that it really isn't that asinine.

Actually...it is asinine. We where warned many days in advance. Told why and there is historical proof that this is SOP for SE's handling patches for this game. What's next? Major expansion launch (5.x) and we go down for 2 to 3 days and people are going to demand a month of subscription time? Yeah - Right. (Consider how rare it is in the first place)

I would rather they take the time they need to make sure the damn thing doesn't break as opposed to abruptly launching content and then having the servers go down again..and again..and again to get something right. Bad enough there's no "beta test" site to play with to test new content out like EVE Online does....so everything depends on them getting it right the first time. Even they have trouble with that (IE Emergency patch deployments)

Something that has been a recent thing with EVE Online (many false starts/issues lately)

Maybe you should take the time to consider SE's perspective in terms of deployment before you defend someone's utterly foolish request of compensation.

As I said before - it would be different if the game broke down after the maintenance and kept causing problems. Then you have grounds for it.

But without that....you got zero,nadda,zip.

And as its been said before, with plenty of warning, it comes down to the player to organize their time in their lives to do things. Asking to get paid for ignorance is not going to work here.

[GunksFoy]

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This is exactly the kind of rude retorts I was referencing. This holier than thou attitude. Just because you've learned "things don't always go your way" doesn't mean you can't endeavor to change them. No one is throwing a "temper tantrum, just suggesting that SE could compensate us, and perhaps should. But I'm sure you're right Mr. Adult, efforts be damned, we should just accept our lot and never utter suggestions to improve it.

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No.... I'm quite certain they would ask for 3 days... But nice strawman anyhow. A full expansion is also somewhat different in that it's as much content as all 5 patches between and then some typically, so more understandable.

As for the rest, if they aren't testing their content on an in-house test server, they're doing it wrong. And no one is asking to be "paid" for ignorance. Again, you can't say anything without being rude. These forums truly are cancerous. Ignorance plays no factor, busy lives do. If the only day in a given week that you can play is taken up by a 24 hours maintenance, you're going to feel pretty bad about that. Many companies do things to support their customers in times of inconvenience. Mazda for example, if you don't live close to a dealer for a test-drive, they will ship one out to you in an effort to convince you to buy. Is this exceptionally profitable for them? No, but it shows they care about their customers. It is SE's decision in the end, but it's not wrong or outrageous to ask for something.

[NephthysVasudan]

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You're comparing a bloody car manufacturer/dealer to a video game.

One is a piece of equipment that is regulated by the government to meet safety standards and requires a license to drive. Not to mention far more likely to get people killed.
The other is a virtual game with virtual goods. If it goes down - oh... no game to play. Far likely not to put yourself in the hospital (ignoring the obvious)
I think we are done here if your going to make wholly ridiculous comparisons.

Let me know when you've arrived a rational part of reality and not your "straw-man" argumentation.

[GunksFoy]

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I'm pretty much done with this conversation as I've made my point, however, I'm going to address this last post.

You're response is, in short, disingenuous and dishonest. I compared the CUSTOMER CARE QUALITY of the car company to a POTENTIAL CUSTOMER CARE IMPROVEMENT for a gaming company. How in the actual hell does them shipping you a car to test drive have anything at all to do with getting you killed? Your response doesn't even make sense. I'm questioning your reading comprehension at this point, and I don't find this to be a worthy debate if you're going to straw man everything I say. (mine wasn't a straw man btw as I compared customer service to customer service, but you do you). Believe what you will, but it is never a bad idea to attempt to improve something in your life, even if the idea is not probable or feasible at the end of the day.

[NephthysVasudan]

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Again....how the hell is a car even remotely close to a video game?

Until you can resolve this....you're just ignorance incarnate.

You can compare an orange to an house...but I'd advise not eating the house.
And that is what your doing here. Customer Care for either one is entirely different and worlds apart.
SE doesn't have to worry about their product KILLING PEOPLE.

Your ignorance is astounding.

Also...learn to read the ToS.... you have zero say or choice in the matter.

[GunksFoy]

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Once again, you straw manned the argument. Customer Care has fuck-all to do with the car killing people. Explain to me how delivering a car to someone's doorstep so they can test drive it because they don't live close to a dealer is preventing anyone from being killed. You just don't understand the basics of business and quality care.

Also, I read the ToS, and I learned something miraculous!!! THEY CAN BE CHANGED IF SE WISHES! OMG! Seriously though, if SE thought it would help retain customers, etc. They would gladly change any point in the ToS.