What does a “Community Team Representative” do?

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Just seems weird we’re supposed to be giving feedback to the forums, but we hear nothing in reply.

Ill pretend its partially because some of the "Feedback" these Forums leave, are more just Harsh Criticism and Name Calling.
Can be difficult to find any meaningful Feedback, when you have to sift through a bunch of angry avatars just putting you down. And then watching anybody try to moderately defend you or ask for civility get torn apart and called shills and white knights.

Might be an extreme take, and I dont speak for them, so Im likely wrong.

[StriderShinryu]

I mean, it’s really not.

Is this a paid position? Is there a job description of any kind? Are they more active in other languages?

How, exactly do they represent?

Oh, I understand that your question wasn't intended as being a trick, but it's that the answer in our particular case isn't really clear. Yes, it is a paid position, and there is a job description (though it varies a little from company to company). At it's most basic level, it's usually essentially a liaison between the player base/community and the developers. The thing is, the FF14 community team doesn't really seem to be doing that. So the answer could be to the question "What does a community team in general do" or it could be "What does the FF14 community team do?" And further, it could be broken down to be "What does the FF14 community team say it does?" and "What does the FF14 community team actually do in a way that's visible and tangible to the player base?"

[Jeeqbit]

Well. Duty Commenced sure seems like a start for such events, but something with a bit more flair and engagement wouldn't hurt. I really do think it would boost the game's popularity even further. Again, Opera Omnia's community is known for interacting with its players. Not by the devs, but by the community reps themselves.

Duty Commenced has a lot of players crowd around them and join their party in party finder. Even though it's announced in the game, I remember it only attracting a few thousands viewers on twitch. I just don't think anyone really cares about it like they do live letters and I don't think there is anything they can do to make people care about it that much because they are only interested in Yoshi-P. Whatever they try to do, I think that it will just remain at that level of popularity.

[Ath192]

Sorry but I don't blame them. All they will get in return are insults and negativity because people think paying 12 bucks a month makes it okay to treat others like trash. TBH it doesn't even matter if your points are valid. If its coated in hated and vitriol don't wonder why noone wants to have anything to do with the forums or post in them above the bare minimum to keep their job. And I for one support them. If we can't change ourselves to be nice we shouldn't expect them to change and start communicating more either.

[Raskbuck]

And I for one support them.

It's always weird to me when a paying customer aligns with a company that constantly ignores them in return, but more power to you.

The problem you are pointing out is a product of the lack of involvement. If this message board was moderated like it should, maybe the representatives wouldn't hesitate to engage with the community.

[Fawkes]

They don't actually have the power to do anything. Like, at best they can send a message to the team in Japan saying what we're mad about. But I don't think the Japan team ever replies back outside of the translated posts from Yoshi-P we sometimes get.

It's entirely possible they're even more frustrated than you are about it. Imagine getting a job as a community rep for a game you love and then barely being able to interact with the community at all.

[Ath192]

It's always weird to me when a paying customer aligns with a company that constantly ignores them in return, but more power to you.

The problem you are pointing out is a product of the lack of involvement. If this message board was moderated like it should, maybe the representatives wouldn't hesitate to engage with the community.

They didn't ignore me. My biggest desire ever was a graphics upgrade and its coming. It was a huge ask as well considering they left their previous MMO to whither with PS2 graphics. Pretty unprecedented. Surely I couldn't have been the only one asking but everytime I tried to bring this up in the forums there were a bunch of people saying it was fine lol.

But back to your point about the problem. No. It's not. It's a societal problem NA tends to have where they cant be nice or empathetic to others. Being ignored still doesn't entitle you to call someone else insults. And people will always deflect and find something else to blame just as you have right now, therefore perpetuating the cycle for eternity. Mind you I don't think you and I owning up to it and being nice will amount to much. But the problem is worth recognizing anyways. Even Yoshi P went out and asked players to be nicer.

When the director of the program is telling you directly that it's an issue and people still find a way to shift the blame then you know there's no point in talking to them anymore.