Is there a community management team?

[Avoidy]

It's weird because community management team members will occasionally, rarely, post an introduction thread and imply that they've always lurked but never posted for some reason (probably job agreements). They'll say "nice to meet you" and then ... never post again! It's bizarre. I don't understand why this pattern occurs so often. If I had to bet, I'd say there IS a team of some kind, but they don't check the forums often, aren't allowed to post freely, and barely have a way to relay our concerns or probably don't want to given how fractured we are on *literally every issue*.

[Atelier-Bagur]

It's weird because community management team members will occasionally, rarely, post an introduction thread and imply that they've always lurked but never posted for some reason (probably job agreements). They'll say "nice to meet you" and then ... never post again! It's bizarre. I don't understand why this pattern occurs so often. If I had to bet, I'd say there IS a team of some kind, but they don't check the forums often, aren't allowed to post freely, and barely have a way to relay our concerns or probably don't want to given how fractured we are on *literally every issue*.

I think its just simply they're just not allowed to freely speak to the public unless they get permission from PR team to do so

[Aravell]

I think the history of online games and company communications is, at this point, a bit too long and has a few too many case examples to call it an 'off chance' and an 'excuse' as though it's trying to chart an uncertain future. It's not a guess at what will happen. It is what people will do on any forum for any large game that isn't very tightly moderated. It is especially certainly something that will happen here, because the game is quite large, and the moderation is quite loose, and you only need to take a few minutes reading just about any random thread around here to figure that out.

You don't have to like it. But it is absolutely the state of things. There's nothing to be gained by talking about it.

So you're saying that just because some parts of the community prefer to behave like petulant children, that it's fine for the community managers to not engage with the community? Still sounds very much like an excuse to me. Let's keep in mind that this is a platform owned by Square Enix, and as such, if people choose to rage irrationally and refuse to stop, they can be banned, that is a thing that can happen, they can moderate their platform. So what's a good reason that they don't engage with the community?

[Sindele]

That would be the 'very tight moderation' I mentioned, which does not exist here. We can speculate on why that is, but it doesn't change the reality of the situation.

You do the job you can with the tools you're given, within the parameters of the forums as they exist and the community as it exists. It would be nice if all of those things were better. They're just not.

[MAJRIS]

We can speculate on why that is, but it doesn't change the reality of the situation.

get hired to new job
its some sort of community moderation at some mmo
have an idea
what better to learn about people and community than watching them
go incognito / stealth mode into some of the venues
sneak into someone's fc room
shortly after <someone> and <someone> enter the room
they can't see you because you're gm
start reading what they talk about
uuhhhh...
......
well...
...


maybe they have seen enough to think the playerbase is not worth the interaction at all.

[DrWho2010]

just because the possibility exists that a GM/community team member *could* post/respond on these forums, doesn't mean they should. I wouldn't if I were one. ewwwwwwww

[CidHeiral]

Them not responding at all makes it look like they're not listening at all

They regularly talk about feedback in live letters and interviews as well as implement changes based on that feedback so they're quite obviously listening. Giving people here a written pat on the head for every thread wouldn't change anything other than opening the messenger up to being flamed constantly.

[DPZ2]

So you're saying that just because some parts of the community prefer to behave like petulant children, that it's fine for the community managers to not engage with the community? Still sounds very much like an excuse to me. Let's keep in mind that this is a platform owned by Square Enix, and as such, if people choose to rage irrationally and refuse to stop, they can be banned, that is a thing that can happen, they can moderate their platform. So what's a good reason that they don't engage with the community?

Perhaps it's because the job is advertised as a job mostly involving Fan Fests and Twitch Streams, with some "check the Forums" on the side? Perhaps because they are neither moderators of the forums nor paid to respond in the forums? Perhaps because Square Enix considers other social media just as important, if not more so, than the forums?

I can think of any number of reasons they don't engage specifically in the forums.

That this doesn't sit well with you is evident. If you base your like or dislike of a game based on the interactivity of some PR management team in the forums for that game, you are going to be disappointed. Frequently.

It's "damned if you do", and "damned if you don't". Since blowback is never more than "I'm angry nobody appears to be listening to me" if you don't, which would you choose?

[Aravell]

Perhaps it's because the job is advertised as a job mostly involving Fan Fests and Twitch Streams, with some "check the Forums" on the side? Perhaps because they are neither moderators of the forums nor paid to respond in the forums? Perhaps because Square Enix considers other social media just as important, if not more so, than the forums?

Did I say they had to respond? I said I want them to acknowledge. Something as simple as a tick next to the thread showing that it has been seen by a community manager would do wonders.

[DPZ2]

Did I say they had to respond? I said I want them to acknowledge. Something as simple as a tick next to the thread showing that it has been seen by a community manager would do wonders.

I'm sorry. I usually use the word "engage" to imply a two-way communication, rather than a simple acknowledgement. If you meant the word "acknowledge", use that word.

So, what happens when your post gets a tick mark and nothing happens after that? Are you still going to complain they don't listen to anyone on the forums if they don't act on your complaint/suggestion? Or will that little bit of effort appease you?