Shogun's response to patch campaign

[HarunTaiwan]

Kraxis,

Many companies now specifically have websites and forums for people to complain about their products so they can catch problems and fix them.

If you have any kind of campaign against your company aside from a lone crazy, you've alienated customers somehow and should review your policies.

I would welcome anyone interested in this topic to check out last week's Economist's - about how the internet makes consumer the King.

[Catiline]

so long as it's a reasoned discussion on what CA have stated this is fine for discussion. as has been pointed out stay clear of discussing .com.

[Divinus Arma]

as has been pointed out stay clear of discussing .com.

Really... hmm. Is this a forum rule or something? I must have missed something here. Not being sarcastic.

[ToranagaSama]

IMUHO, the proble with CA and its 'Community' could be solved, if CA were to adopt a policy of greater communication and interaction. MORE than exists presently.

THE major problem with RTW is that CA failed to communicate and advise the Community regarding the direction they were taking RTW; and that "direction" was taken WITHOUT sufficient Community involvement!!!

*I* and, quite apparently, MANY others, particularly veterans, were SHOCKED, at what RTW turned out to be. I don't mean this in either a negative or postive, simply the fact of.... NOBODY KNEW!

Nobody knew how dramatically *different* an experience RTW would be in comparision to previous TW versions. Yeah, we saw screenshots of the Campaign Map, but, generally, that was about it! as far as we knew that was the major dramatic difference.

This, imuho, is where the animosity toward CA lies.

Lack of communication and involvement.

In the last decade or two there has been a whole business theory developed upon *Empowering Customers*.

I can't think of another industry, Computer Software, where listening and empowering your customers is more vital toward CONTINUING success.

It wasn't always this way. Gosh, I can remember when Shogn first came out. I had a problem getting the game to run properly (I don't remember the specifics) or something. I believe it had something to do with one of my firewalls or something.

I spoke DIRECTLY with Richie in the Strategy Newsgroup. We went back a forth a few times. He used the same firewall, problem found, problem solved, feedback absorbed. He was a great guy! This was before he worked directly for CA. In the early days, there were lots of such coversations between Org members and CA members.

To my eye, this sort of interaction and involvement has been on a declining course, to the point of who knew about RTW. Offhand, I'd say the devolvement began with the issue of Campaign Multiplay. When CA had problems delivering on that, they went quiet; and, IMO, if we hadn't badgered them they might never have talked to us about the issues.

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The .com site was created to PROMOTE the game. No other reason. If the site no longer serves that purpose, time to end it; not indulde in censorship.

Additionally, the .com issue, again is one of their own making. From the outset, *they* let that site run wild!!! The manner and style of posting at the .com s/h been reigned in a LONG time ago.

So now they are reaping what they sowed. I would have suggested rather than resort to belated censorship, that they should have shut the site down and created a new one with new policies.

What's that saying, "Sorta like shutting the barn door after the animals have been let out (??)".

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After having exchanged a couple emails with one of the staff at CA I think the problem is one of lack of communications from CA and the fact that CA can't fix the problem because of Activision. Even if they wanted to distribute another patch I don't think they can. Rome belongs to Activision and I don't think anything will be different until the first game or expansion is released under Sega. If after that happens and CA fails to deliver a decent game or reasonable patches I will abandon CA all together. Till then I will maintain hope that they do GET it but can't do anything other than what they are doing.

Sounds fine, but you know what the problem is?

We, that is we *Veterans*, have heard it allllllll BEFORE!

Before there was Activision, there was (if I recall the company correctly) Sierra, and the same Patch mantra was spoken by CA: "It's not up to us!".

Personally, I'm tired of the same ole song...

Other Developers take a different approach, why can't CA?

Is EVERY developer limited to a single patch?
Have other developers released *unofficial* patches?