Interview with Marco Behrmann

[Dan59]

Thank you Pinky.
Something is mowing. Maybe to wellcome Frank but i feel better to get another developer instead of just another filter between comunity and those who have decisional power.

[Squee]

Many posts to quote from.. I wont Costs way and way to much time.. I agree on several aspect with several people.

Pinky, Nice interview Questions well formulated, as I know I would of had a negative instead of positive start. The other truth I shall call it for now.. I wish I could make things seem as positive as you can.. No sarcasm ment, I truly do.

As for good or bad questions. That depends on the type of interview you wanna have, and thats up to you. Personally I enjoy the more engaging type, with tough qestions. But if you did the type I would like, and some others already spoken about, I know the replies would only be "no comment" orso like in the Q&A's. So no use in trying either I dunno why people would think an interview or the Q&A would produce different results.

Now for the less positive stuff

The PR- ( or as I call it Management- ) talk is so "thick" ( as someone correctly said it ) that it actually annoys me. But this is something personal as i get such stuff at work to

As for that, remember there is more then 1 truth. You know, half full/half empty. What did you expect in the reaction, what didnt he mention at all, what doesnt he go into detail about etc. All you need to ask yourself is WHY.

I am not implying Marco is hiding something atleast not more then usual. It's his job to be like this. I know and in that aspect, well done

As for something Kaiser said i think. I think people speak up for several reasons. I know several ppl i know don't speak up EF cause of some well reputated assholes on here. To repeat a quote that fits and that I posted in the past "A voiced raised against the community must be silence". There are the people that don't think they are being heard, or understood cause of their english. Then you have some people that just actually don't dare to speak up. I wouldnt be suprised if there were ppl that didnt speak up, cause they thought MA would empty their "personal" lootpool

I agree with sarcasm about saying but not doing things. One reason for disspointments ammong the more experience players as they can remember them. As I have said before, ppl are better in remember negative then positive. people are better in talking about negative then positive. Negativity is like a virus that spreads.

What I am wondering the most is how does MA want to fix the current problems cause with inactive members since the last VU. Are they already considered lost and MA is already looking forward to recruiting more player, or do they actually want to "make things up" with them and get them to play again? I think many are on pauze waiting whats to come.

[Gingko]

Very good interview, thank you so much Pinky (+rep). As with all communication, I hope there will more (and perhaps a bit tougher) in the future!

Marco, I appreciate that MA communication is improving, however, in ripping a snippet from the interview...

Originally Posted by PINKY

[...]
Marco: Yes, that is part of my job. We have recurring weekly updates where everyone gets briefed on the current vibe of the community, based both on the various forums, emails, and also in-world (where I sneak around with my undercover avatar). But I pass along not only the positive but also the negative feedback as well as it is equally important.
[...]

I would like to suggest to have a weekly update on the dev blog or this forum as well, after your meeting in the company is done -- could be short but should touch the most pertinent issues and some light on the future plans. If it's weekly, it becomes routine for you & us and nobody can complain about lack of information anymore (if the content is "hard" enough).

All the rest has been said by many people so I will shut up here.

[Kaiser]

One more suggestion that I can't believe I did not think of earlier.

Marco if you are listening:

Why not have a polling place that is officially from MA asking one simple question:

Are you happy with your EU experience as it exists right now?

A) Yes
B) No


If no please explain briefly what you would like to improve in 150 characters or less:


Text box here:



I know people will say "we have done that on the forums", but as has been stated here many times these forums DO NOT belong to MA. If it was something that was presented by MA it may hold more water.

Also, have you ever thought of "as has been mentioned many times" letting the community choose the direction of EU? Hell, I would even pay a PED to vote (hear that more money for you). Turn the vote terminals back on and give us a choice of what we want implemented. This would at least give the appearance of MA listening to our requests even if only by implication.

I think MA could get even more world wide press by being the first, one of the first, or only RCE universe to be completely customer guided. The votes would not need to be free choice as to direction but give us a finite list of things to choose from. One of those choices being "bug fix ONLY vu. Make a contest out of it. Give small 0 tt items to people who identify a bug that gets fixed etc. You could have Solomate Tasmo BF (BugFixer Edition).

This will allow people to feel they participate and help at the highest and most intimate level.

Just some thoughts. It is the customers (us) that keep MA (you) alive. Why can't we change that to WE can make things better. IMHO there is enough us/them mentality in the world already.

[kira-red]

Originally Posted by Kaiser

Are you happy with your EU experience as it exists right now?

A) Yes
B) No


If no please explain briefly what you would like to improve in 150 characters or less:


Text box here:

while this would be a good idea, I think there would be too many responses that looked like this:

Originally Posted by sample/typical answer

B) No.

u sux and ur game sh1t 2 lol I wana rulz sweets sux needz pedz make money hard nedz ath more hof 4 more fun Iplay 4 lng time & ur mean 2 me

BRNG BAK SKIIONGZ!!!

just think of all the useless support requests they have to read now. this would only be worse.

if you could somehow restrict access to non single celled organisms, it might work.

[Kaiser]

Originally Posted by kira-red

while this would be a good idea, I think there would be too many responses that looked like this:




just think of all the useless support requests they have to read now. this would only be worse.

if you could somehow restrict access to non single celled organisms, it might work.

I do not necessarily think that response is useless though. If it turly exemplifies that player's sentiment MA needs to know that they are doing something wrong. I completely see your point though.

[JohnCapital]

Originally Posted by Kaiser

Why not have a polling place that is officially from MA asking one simple question:

Are you happy with your EU experience as it exists right now?

A) Yes
B) No


If no please explain briefly what you would like to improve in 150 characters or less:

While I appreciate what you're trying to do, why would you only give a text box for those saying they aren't happy? Shouldn't MA know what we do like as well as what we don't like?

At which point the "simple question" concept goes right out the window.

Things aren't as simple as happy/not happy. Certain things we like, certain things we don't.

Mostly, I just assume that if they truly aren't happy in this universe, they just don't play it.

[McCormick]

rofl kira-red

[Kaiser]

Originally Posted by JohnCapital

While I appreciate what you're trying to do, why would you only give a text box for those saying they aren't happy? Shouldn't MA know what we do like as well as what we don't like?

At which point the "simple question" concept goes right out the window.

Things aren't as simple as happy/not happy. Certain things we like, certain things we don't.

Mostly, I just assume that if they truly aren't happy in this universe, they just don't play it.

Don't put the cart before the horse. One thing at a time. I mean come on we can't even get them to make team hunting right. They put a sort of equal option back in and take out the GOD DAMNED MONEY VALUES IN CHAT!!

WTF is up with that?

[Donald]

I have just now read this interview with Marco Behrman. I must say, I not only congratulate Ms. Pinky on the excellent job she did in handling this assignment, but I also appreciate Mr. Behrman's responses. In his own way, he answered most of the questions, those that he could properly answer within his job description, which I had asked him in the interview he agreed to do with me. For my part, I am satisfied that he came through, if not in the manner in which I had anticipated, perhaps in the best manner possible.

I also clearly, more than anyone else, understand why he did not follow through on my request, having accepted before having seen my questions. I have more respect for him, in his answers to Pinky, than previously.

I apologize, Marco sir, for my previous bad manners and lack of judgement in sending you the interview in the form in which it was written. I think it serves to illustrate the fact that Pinky was the better choice for the job of reporter.

So... here's hoping bygones will be bygones... *gulp* At any rate, nice going to the both of you.

Sincerely,
Donald