Global Alpha Test Start Date

[SkyeWindbinder]

Quite the contrary. Having been in basically every major MMORPG beta since Ultima Online (and many minor ones), I understand people's motives very well. They're hardly as easy to identify and as black and white as you believe.

Some people are just butthurt. Some people are disappointed because they genuinely want to contribute to the development of the game, some people simply air their frustration not because they have some kind of grudge or because they feel entitled, but because as part of a community, they think in a rather naive way that other people will express their support instead of shooting them down. There are a lot of different motives and a lot of shades of grey.

I've been there in nearly every major release of mmos as well. I'm not exactly a spring chicken myself, lol. And I'm very good at understanding people's motives myself. Many are not black and white, in fact it's rare to find some that are. But I'm good with people, and can read between the lines. I've always been good at picking apart people's motives and reasons. It's a gift of mine. Some are disappointed because they wanted to participate in testing the game, many are also disappointed because they don't get an early peek at the game. And I can tell with some observation which is which.

Nope. That isn't stating a motive. That's stating a belief. And that belief has been created by Square Enix themselves, as the fact that active subscribers were the only ones eligible to the alpha was clearly stated in the application form. When a developer tells paying customers A and then does B, it's not unjustified for the paying customer to be disappointed and voice that disappointment.

Beliefs create motives. People who believe that they are entitles to alpha simply because they have been there playing FF14 long before a lot of others have that belief. It motivates them to whine and cry like babies when they're not selected. And again, people disappointed that they didn't get in for the right reasons, I have no problem with. People who think their time playing the game before ARR should get them early access to alpha before those who haven't played as long, that's annoying. And stupid. And it's repeated so very many times.

See what I mean, you're doing it again. You're second guessing my motives without knowing anything about me.

Not at all. I merelt stated that you jumped the gun in your reply, not knowing which kind of people I was referring to. Which you did. OR, you are one of the people I was referring to. n which case, your anger would be predictable.

I got ticked off because I know that a certain amount of disappointment is quite justified in this situation, given the communication blunder, and I find people so ready to jump to the throat of people that are already (rightfully) disappointed rather distasteful.

First of all, getting ticked off was actually quite unnecessary. Predictable, if you're one of the people whining for the wrong reasons, but unnecessary. And proof you took things a bit too seriously. Secondly, I didn't jump down anyone's throat. I merely stated that people whining that they should get into alpha for reasons they themselves worked out in their heads and opinions are just annoying. You took it the wrong way by thinking I stated that anyone who had any kind of concerns whatsoever over how alpha was handled were whiners. You jumped the gun. You jumped waaaaay over the gun, lol. And the conclusions you came up with spurred you to make an angry response. If anyone jumped down anyone's throat, it's you.

It happens with every testing. People are always very ready to attack those that are already disappointed, making everyone's disappointment worse. It's bad and it really paints the community in a sad light.

What ALSO happens with every testing is that some people of said community will whine like entitles brats that they didn't get into testing. And some will make thread after thread crying over why they felt they should have been let in, regardless of how testing was handled. That, too, makes a community look pathetic.

I'm sure there are people that are just "butthurt", but I don't know their percentage, nor you do. So I don't necessarily assume that everyone that complains belongs to that group like many here are doing, nor I go ahead and second guess their motives.

Nor do I. However, those who complain, whine, and grumble over and over in multiple new threads that they created that their status as veterans in the game should net them automatic access no matter what are practically transparent in their motives... er, sorry, "beliefs"... and those are the people I was referring to. No "second guessing" is even needed in such cases.

Nope. It's serious to anyone that knows that a company giving their customers wrong information often can lead to serious issues.

And I still don't think this is one of those cases, lol. Just mho.

When you have a loaded rifle pointed at your face, encouraging the killer to shoot isn't exactly a sensible course of action.

Interesting metaphor, but not really all that accurate, since I highly doubt that some misinformation about alpha is gonna be the death of the game. Again, just my humble $0.02.

[Abriael]

Snip

I'll refrain from going on and on about people's motives, as we obviously have different standpoints here. I'll just tell that when you call people "whiners" and "crybabies" and "butthurt" (what a bad word... using it really makes a post irritating), you're being confrontational and insulting, and I doubt you think that your alleged "judgement of people's motives" skill is infallible. If you do... well. That's more your problem than mine.

Choice of words is always important, and walking around with a can of gasoline in a foundry isn't exactly what I'd consider sensible, but to each his own.

And I still don't think this is one of those cases, lol. Just mho.

-Only active accounts are eligible.
-A bunch of people with inactive accounts get into the alpha.

I'm sure it's not hard to notice the contradiction between the two elements above.

Interesting metaphor, but not really all that accurate, since I highly doubt that some misinformation about alpha is gonna be the death of the game. Again, just my humble $0.02.

Strawman argument warning: No one argued that it's gonna be the "death of the game". That kind of negative press is damaging, whether it's a little or a lot depends on how widespread and on the issue at hand. But a developer has to try and avoid it when it can. And in this case it definitely was avoidable.

Just look at how some of the press just tried to raise a stink about the same gender marriage issue. Luckily it kind of fizzled because the spotlight on the game ain't intense enough, but they sure did try (the funnies thing is that they ALL noticed it eight days later than Yoshida mentioned it, way to be on top of the news lol).

[Warlock]

I'll refrain from going on and on about people's motives, as we obviously have different standpoints here. I'll just tell that when you call people "whiners" and "crybabies" and "butthurt" (what a bad word... using it really makes a post irritating), you're being confrontational and insulting, and I doubt you think that your alleged "judgement of people's motives" skill is infallible. If you do... well. That's more your problem than mine.

Choice of words is always important, and walking around with a can of gasoline in a foundry isn't exactly what I'd consider sensible, but to each his own.



-Only active accounts are eligible.
-A bunch of people with inactive accounts get into the alpha.

I'm sure it's not hard to notice the contradiction between the two elements above.



Strawman argument warning: No one argued that it's gonna be the "death of the game". That kind of negative press is damaging, whether it's a little or a lot depends on how widespread and on the issue at hand. But a developer has to try and avoid it when it can. And in this case it definitely was avoidable.

Just look at how some of the press just tried to raise a stink about the same gender marriage issue. Luckily it kind of fizzled because the spotlight on the game ain't intense enough, but they sure did try (the funnies thing is that they ALL noticed it eight days later than Yoshida mentioned it, way to be on top of the news lol).

LOL Dude what part of "You do NOT deserve to be in the alpha more than the next guy" you fail to understand? Chillax man no wall of text is getting you in ...

[Abriael]

LOL Dude what part of "You do NOT deserve to be in the alpha more than the next guy" you fail to understand? Chillax man no wall of text is getting you in ...

From the official application form.

- Must currently have an active FINAL FANTASY XIV account

I'm not sure what part of it you don't understand, 'cause it sounds quite clear to me. I didn't make the rules. I just point out when they're broken.

[whoopeeragon]

From the official application form.

I'm not sure what part of it you don't understand, 'cause it sounds quite clear to me. I didn't make the rules. I just point out when they're broken.

Maybe you understand already what I'm gonna write, but that line was merely for the application. It has NO HOLD whatsoever on who gets accepted save for filtering those into who can access the application.

I do agree that it may be a bug/glitch, because I have a friend who attempted to access the application on an inactive account, but he got denied. That may be it working correctly, but then you have reports from others...it's not honestly that big of a deal because the applicant had to have a shred of interest to even get through the application. SE doesn't up and choose everyone from the huge masses - they review the application and, based on the criteria they laid out for themselves (WHICH THE RULE FOR THE APPLICATION DOES NOT APPLY), they choose the person.

The application rules and process is independent from the alpha testing criteria and selection. The application merely filters through people who want to test from everyone else as well as provide their own personal information. The selection doesn't look for any other information aside from what was provided and based on that criteria, chosen. So the two processes aren't linked.

If anything, the selection of alpha testers went smoothly. It was the APPLICATION which seems to be weirded out. But as I said, it may be a bug/glitch, as it has worked for others, and not so much for some.

EDIT: Not targetting anyone in particular, but it seems as if there are huge misunderstandings about the application, selection, and the NDA. Maybe I should type up a topic related to those three instances just to clear things up.

[Abriael]

Maybe you understand already what I'm gonna write, but that line was merely for the application. It has NO HOLD whatsoever on who gets accepted save for filtering those into who can access the application.

Eh not really. If you state something as an application "requirement", it's rather obvious that selection will be made between those that match those requirement, because those that don't can't even apply.

I do think it's an non intentional problem, probably caused by the partial reactivation of all the accounts for the final event (thing that was really a bad idea in its own right, mind you, as it caused many paying customers to miss the event completely due to the insanely high traffic, but they already apologized about that, and I normally accept apologies), but in that case the correct course of action is to admit the issue and make amends.

And I do think Yoshi's post at the very least tries to amend the problem, so that helps.

I dont think it really matters anymore whats done is done wat till the 3rd an if you dont get picked oh well no point in debating it anymore man :P

It doesn't matter to the past, but I sure hope that Square Enix won't do the same mistake for the future. Count it as a friendly reminder.

[lolodin]

From the official application form.

- Must currently have an active FINAL FANTASY XIV account

I'm not sure what part of it you don't understand, 'cause it sounds quite clear to me. I didn't make the rules. I just point out when they're broken.

I dont think it really matters anymore whats done is done wat till the 3rd an if you dont get picked oh well no point in debating it anymore man :P

[SkyeWindbinder]

I dont think it really matters anymore whats done is done wat till the 3rd an if you dont get picked oh well no point in debating it anymore man :P

Well said! I couldn't have said that better myself!

[SkyeWindbinder]

I'll refrain from going on and on about people's motives, as we obviously have different standpoints here. I'll just tell that when you call people "whiners" and "crybabies" and "butthurt" (what a bad word... using it really makes a post irritating), you're being confrontational and insulting, and I doubt you think that your alleged "judgement of people's motives" skill is infallible. If you do... well. That's more your problem than mine.

lol If it was more my problem than yours, I would have been the one to get angry, instead of you. I may have been strong in my wording, but I stand by what I said. There were people simply "whining" like "butthurt crybabies" that they didn't get in because of some false sense of entitlement. Perhaps confrontational, but no more so than the posts I was talking about were annoying for being posted over and over and over and over and over. And really, if you're going to whine like that because of some sense of entitlement, you are actually setting yourself up for words such as like the ones I used, and with good reason.

Choice of words is always important, and walking around with a can of gasoline in a foundry isn't exactly what I'd consider sensible, but to each his own.

Neither would I consider such actions sensible. Then again, that's a terrible metaphor to use to describe this situation, as calling people out for starting numerous threads to whine about the same thing over and over because of what they feel they are entitled to is likely anywhere near a parallel situation. More like "If you're going to walk around naked and yell over and over how you have the best fashion sense around, be prepared for someone to eventually call you an idiot over it."

-Only active accounts are eligible.
-A bunch of people with inactive accounts get into the alpha.

I'm sure it's not hard to notice the contradiction between the two elements above.

-People post that they have concerns over how alpha was handled because of misinformation

-People are angry becaue they feel their status as veterans in the game should net them early access, and are ticked off because it didn't, and post numerously how unfair that is

Not hard to notice the contradictions there, either.

Strawman argument warning: No one argued that it's gonna be the "death of the game". That kind of negative press is damaging, whether it's a little or a lot depends on how widespread and on the issue at hand. But a developer has to try and avoid it when it can. And in this case it definitely was avoidable.

Just look at how some of the press just tried to raise a stink about the same gender marriage issue. Luckily it kind of fizzled because the spotlight on the game ain't intense enough, but they sure did try (the funnies thing is that they ALL noticed it eight days later than Yoshida mentioned it, way to be on top of the news lol).

Well, perhaps it's just me, but I have yet to see a game being brought down or even slightly damaged due to how a closed alpha was slightly mishandled, especially when a beta has yet to really happen. As for SSM, that's a slightly bigger and more contraversial issue than some mis-info on closed alpha. I mean, I was there for Star Wars: The Old Republic after all. I kind of undersand how that's a MUCHO GRANDE bigger deal. But a closed alpha session, an almost private testing of a game that will likely get at least one or maybe two more testing sessions before the game is released? Hmm.... nah, I just don't see it as a critical blow. But then, just my humble $0.02.

[Abriael]

lol If it was more my problem than yours, I would have been the one to get angry, instead of you.

You're assuming that I'm angry. Finding something rather distasteful and writing about it isn't an equivalent to being angry.

Neither would I consider such actions sensible. Then again, that's a terrible metaphor to use to describe this situation

Is it? They're not called "flames" for nothing. And again, you're continuing to interpret people's motives rather arbitrarily.

-People post that they have concerns over how alpha was handled because of misinformation

There's no misinformation, or better, that "misinformation" was created by SE itself. They're the ones that officially stated that only people with an active account were eligible. It hasn't been invented by some other misinformative source.

Which is exactly the problem. Misinforming paying customers is a bad, bad idea. On a case by case base it's possible to get away with it, but it's always a risk not worth taking.

Well, perhaps it's just me, but I have yet to see a game being brought down or even slightly damaged due to how a closed alpha was slightly mishandles, especially when a beta has yet to really happen. As for SSM, that's a slightly bigger and more contraversial issue than some mis-info on closed alpha. I mean, I was there for Star Wars: The Old Republic after all. I kind of undersand how that's a MUCHO GRANDE bigger deal. But a closed alpha session, an almost private testing of a game that will likely get at least one or maybe two more testing sessions before the game is realed? Hmm.... nah, I just don't see it as a critical blow. But then, just my humble $0.02.

Customers are sensitive, any kind of situations in which they're fed wrong information is a potential can of worms. It may not be a "critical blow", but a good boxer avoids all the blows he can, no matter if they're critical or not, they add up.