Treading Dangerous Ground

[Biggs]

Greatings Forum readers and devs! While I am aware that there are more than SEVERAL posts right now that deal with the current World Merger, I would like to start by saying that, while I will site that as an example, the purpose of this post is to discuss the use of these forums as a means to change the game as a whole, and why I believe that to be a mistake.

After posting the direction Yoshi had chosen to do the world merger, the forums lit up with people flaming the way it was to be done. Every individual that plays this game and pays a fee is TOTALLY entitled to their opinion, and no one should be able to say otherwise. That being said, I was very dismayed to see that the very next day, Yoshi made a post that hinted at flip flopping on using option 4 because it "appeared" that most people liked option 2. I am more than willing to acknowledge that a majority really would like option 2, however, using these forums as the SOLE basis to make a decision like that sets a very dangerous precedent. These forums and the people on them represent a VERY small percentage of the actual player base. So essentially, according to the statements made in his post, Yoshi will be using 5% (a fictional number since I actually don't have any numbers to go off of) of the player base to make a decision that effects the OTHER 95% percent of us.

I feel that the fair way to make large decisions that effect the entire community as whole when asking for input is to use the player polls they have used in the past, and only those polls. These polls don't require you to be a member of any particular guild or forum, the only requirement is that you are a paying customer of their product. The polls have you check from a selection of options that COMPLETELY take emotion out of the equation. While I know that the dev team hopes to conduct a merge by march, and that, regardless of anything we say, they may be moving forward with that, I can only hope that in the future, when making decisions that affect the entire community, they use a fair and neutral tool to do so. It was my understanding that the direction the game is heading now is a direct reflection of the polls that have already been taken, and I can only hope that they will continue to shape the game in this method. While I certainly agree that these forums are a great tool to recieve and answer questions and concerns of the community, they should never be used to make large scale decisions that affect a much larger portion of the player base.

I would like to take the time to thank anyone that has read this lengthy post, and once again, I would like to thank the dev team for putting all of their heart and soul into making this the game we all want it to be. (Especially since it seems to be effecting some of their health in a very negative matter. That, more than anything, shows me how hard they must be working to turn this game around.)

Thanks again,
Biggs

Edit- The post I am citing by Yoshi P can be found on page 16 of this thread:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...004#post549004

[SirOleas]

I was under the impression that they were considering doing a mix of both 2 and 4 after seeing all of the forum activity over the merge.

Maybe I read wrong or something....

Edit: nope! In your link it says they plan to do a mix of 2 and 4.
"Currently, we're seeing a lot of feedback that favors plan ②, and we're considering revisions that use plan ② as a base while retaining the merits of plan ④."

While I was fine with the original plan it does help to take the feedback (No matter how enraged it might be) and find middle ground for everyone. He saw people were upset, he also saw people were fine. So he's going to try a devise a plan around 2 and 4 for the entire community.

I think that's ok.

[Biggs]

I was under the impression that they were considering doing a mix of both 2 and 4 after seeing all of the forum activity over the merge.

Maybe I read wrong or something....

I am not so much concerned with what happens with the merger as I am with the way in which they decide to do it. I was actually fairly shocked they never took a poll to determine how the entire community would like to move forward with such a large scale, and far reaching change to the game. I actually could care less what they decide to do on this particular issue, rather, frightened by the manner in which they chose to decide how to do it. I have stated many times that it is their game, and they are free to do with it what they will. But to come out and say that they want feedback, and that said feedback will effect their process, then only using such a small and limited portion of the player base to gather such feedback sets a scary precedent. I just don't ever want a smal portion of the community making decisions that will effect a larger portion of the community.

[Kyra]

Yeah i was also sad to see yoshi be broken like that, he should make a decision and stick to it and not cave in to the forum whiners.

[Deli]

Yeah i was also sad to see yoshi be broken like that, he should make a decision and stick to it and not cave in to the forum whiners.

umm... that sounds dangerous.

I think what Yoshi-P did so far is correct. Saying something like "we respect your opinions for #2 but we'll think more about it. However, the current option is still #4."

why Obama should listen to normal people's whining about economics? To him and rich people, US economics is good. you can get fired while getting 100 mils?
But should government listen to these pop singers whining about their copy rights so the unreasonable-rich singers need to wait a few more weeks longer to get the money to build a golden swimming pool?
sadly, government should listen. that's just how democratic system works. Even if the minority opinion win the policy, there is nothing the majority side can complain about. You didn't step out and voice your opinion, you are the minority option. (Doesn't matter you don't even know Nov 6th, 2012 is presidential election or no one tells you how to vote.) As long as the poll is fair tho...

[the following just theories...] /talk to self.
should think this over again tho... how can random people come to this forum are majority voice of one side? Maybe they are really the majority opinions...
unless minority side full with angry papas that gang up and said let's wash the board with lots lots posts... and you know most people honestly doesn't care (grey voters) until they see angry papas', so they become angry too. [/theory] ^^:

[SirOleas]

I can understand that.
Sometimes the dev. team just has to not budge on certain things.
I think that the amount of activity on this specific subject showed them how important it was to the community though.
However; giving people everything they ask for does not make great games, despite people's best efforts. lol

[Biggs]

I can understand that.
Sometimes the dev. team just has to not budge on certain things.
I think that the amount of activity on this specific subject showed them how important it was to the community though.
However; giving people everything they ask for does not make great games, despite people's best efforts. lol

Could not agree more. Thats why I like the player poll they took in the past. It touched on many key elements of the UI and gameplay, yet still left them to fill in all the other portions of the game that make it a FF title.

With regard to blending the two, he is still making the assumption about what "most" people seemed to like based on a very small percentage of the player base. THATS my concern.

[Hhaven]

Could not agree more. Thats why I like the player poll they took in the past. It touched on many key elements of the UI and gameplay, yet still left them to fill in all the other portions of the game that make it a FF title.

Dear FFXIV Team, more polls please =)

[Jynx]

SE doesn't need a poll to notice that almost all forum groups and players are stiring about the server merges. People who aren't active in the community (Don't check any type of forums or news) are probably fairly rare with our small dedicated player base as it stands.

SE does keep it's eyes peeled on other community groups other than the official forums as well you know.

As for those who play the game and don't check anything at all...I'm sure if they were riled up enough about it they would be here, in the game, or elsewhere complaining about it.

[SirOleas]

Maybe not.
But there is the point that a poll on important things like the merge does remove emotion from the situation.
That can be considered important to some people or not at all I guess.
I would say that a poll would have made this easier, quicker, and less of a strain on the community.
Lots of people, including myself, argued to a point of no return. LOL