How about available GM's

[karr 9]

Please tell me why in the few months I've been playing, I have not received dev answers back to my requests in game.  Out of the 5 requests only 1 was answer by Eir.   This! is just ridiculous!  All requests were for legitimate help and not willy nilly ones.  One was for getting a confirmation E-mail for new char, never answered.   This game is going down the toilet, folks!  Oh ya I'm totally not happy with the present situation especially paying for it on wild server.   Can you not find volunteers or are all the GM's too busy building their own game play?  P.S Egal that rain is still overloading the graphics for many peeps whats up with that, dont know how to refix that and stuff rain under pretty weather.  The fog is great tho, nice job!  

edit*    Thanks to Oracle for the appearance for my last request, although my rant still remains

[ZaZ213 21]

Sometimes no gms are on at the time, you need to learn their play schedules and pose your dev questions accordingly. Or pm a dev on the forum.

[HeartTheEternal 2]

  I'd still have to agree though, even if gms are volunteers, It does not mean Rolf doesn't have to worry about customer service.

  A GMs time playing at like idk 5pm can be some one else 5 am. Or a GMs vacation time can be someone else vacation playing time lol...

  Either way it needs looking into.

[ZaZ213 21]

Really the dev system needs to be changed to include a ticket based system, every time someone /devs it creates a support ticket so that all the gms can see it and offer support if other gms normally patrolling those servers are offline and they're not busy they can resolve the issue. More gms and more cms would help as well but this is a first step to create a fundamental change.

[pacer 151]

http://wurmonline.com/forum/index.php?topic=16154.0

part of the reason

we try to answer calls as fast as they come in, but alot of times the conflict of my timezone vs yours happen.

a CM is usually there to answer most calls, then forward to a GM as needed.

yes, i find this approach silly as all get out,

and yes, i'm all for a ticket system

[karr 9]

Thanks for the response as always.  I do appreciate the ton of work that has been done for this game- IMO this is still the ultimate gaming experience still online, but it truly saddens me when the customer support system fails, it takes away from the successes.  I was off for 2 years and came back to see, nothing has changed in this regard.  The lag spikes are still here, lack of support thru ingame has worsen.  I have to ask myself why this is, are you trying to lose more customers?  My friends still won't play due to these persistent problems, yet I see implementations ongoing but the core probs still remain.  I also know it costs a lot  money to do these changes, STOP, chasing customers away and you would get more money!  Yes, I still believe this game successes far outweigh these problems, so lets get busy and get organized, upgrade some more CM's to Gm's find timezone overlaps etc.

[davidbritsky 0]

Thanks for the response as always.   I do appreciate the ton of work that has been done for this game- IMO this is still the ultimate gaming experience still online, but it truly saddens me when the customer support system fails, it takes away from the successes.  I was off for 2 years and came back to see, nothing has changed in this regard.   The lag spikes are still here, lack of support thru ingame has worsen.  I have to ask myself why this is, are you trying to lose more customers?  My friends still won't play due to these persistent problems, yet I see implementations ongoing but the core probs still remain.  I also know it costs a lot  money to do these changes, STOP, chasing customers away and you would get more money!  Yes, I still believe this game successes far outweigh these problems, so lets get busy and get organized, upgrade some more CM's to Gm's find timezone overlaps etc.

I would recommend instead of listing your unhappiness to just list what you feel would improve it, the topic already states that you are upset so please include your views as to what you feel would be a positive change.

[Blacklotus 276]

I know it would likely cost a fair amount of money but perhaps hiring a GM or two to cover the servers who are not players. that would resolve any accusations of misuse of GM power and would make for less time gaps of ofttimes.

[karr 9]

I think I just all that with referencing as to why the positive changes are needed  DB,  did you not really read my post!  Stop flaming!  I clearly stated increase GM's- that is positive - yeah!   

[davidbritsky 0]

I think I just all that with referencing as to why the positive changes are needed  DB,  did you not really read my post!   Stop flaming!   I clearly stated increase GM's- that is positive - yeah!   

I know you did Karr, I am just trying to get some more information out of you. Don't doubt the power of a player point of view. all suggestions are better than no suggestions.

So far I see suggestions for increased GM's which isn't exactly a bad idea. More coverage is more coverage but that does also hold difficulties of its own, it may balance out.

There was also a comment of a ticket system, Which would be a decent idea for non immediate issues (account or non game breaking bug wise.)

Communication is key, If suggestions aren't filled with actual suggestions then not much can be done about a situation.

[Alyeska 2,624]

A ticket system doesnt sound like a bad idea. Even on the prem servers my /devs are often plain ignored so I go spam a GM by pming them myself.

[Zaramoth 66]

how do people even go about become gms....

[Othob Rithol 699]

it's like rushing a fraternity but with more alcohol and goats.

[Zaramoth 66]

it's like rushing a fraternity but with more alcohol and goats.

sounds like German Christmas

[Brigander 22]

it's like rushing a fraternity but with more alcohol and goats.

Dunno my fraternity had lots of booze and the occasional goat.

[karr 9]

  Thanks for the response DB!  I wish I had more info to pass but I don't, as I have never been a GM/CM here.  I'm sure getting volunteers is a process thats involves huge amounts of dedication and trust, and probably is a thankless job at that.  Perhaps complacency is an issue, as the years go by real life issue evolve and the time needed to maintain support is offset by time off game. 

  It would help therefore to initiate a tier-type structure from  new character helpers to CM to GM.  I am assuming that is what is in place now, but I haven't seen to many promotions to impress me that this system is validated.    As in previous posts I mentioned this game is heading into a downward trend just by the peeps online that is indicated by server counts.  I ask myself why is that, the game has undergone huge improvements in most aspects throughout the years and should have had progressive numbers of players to show this, and increase the game income with a snowballing effect, has it?  I myself from what I've experience see a few obstacles remain, some are solvable, some are not.  This game really isn't appealing  for the casual player, so be it.  ( could always have a 10X speed server with daily caps on skills for those players), but that becomes an added cost to game revenue.

  Support issues, availability of GM's, even limited Gm's would be nice to have especially on the Wild server that overlap all timezones.  Have inducted CM/GM upgrade from other servers to Wild- as Wild server does pay monthly, treat them as priority, as with the GM's.  Bring in new volunteers into other servers for service.  I am always surprised to see a Head GM answering my request,  I would have thought he was needed more for organizational purposes. 

  Lags and spikes--hmmm, the rain is a truly bad one, what more can I say!  Overloads, my experience as a prog. tech is nil, as with graphics.

  I'll leave it at that, since my main topic was support anyway.   

P.S.  Not trying to be the devil's advocate, just sadden that this game hasn't  ROARED!  Luvs my GM's and Thanks!

  There's

 

[Murazama 1]

Currently, iirc, the layout is: Player -> Player Applies to be a Player Assistant, Player Assistant Applies to be a Chat Master, Chat Master Applies to be a Game Master. I could be wrong.

But, Currently, I know personally of two GMs, and that is Pacer and Qualia, whom I have both talked to from time to time, Q, more than anything, Not Sure if FT is still around, thought he was taking a break or something along those lines. But Point withstanding. There are only a Few GMs who are on, whom can be trusted, and I can't name any CMs who aren't GMs, and I know there are quite a few PAs, which is all fine and dandy.

The Ticket System would work wonders here. /dev is fine, if there is a GM on to help with the issue, but, most times, there isn't a Dev on who will handle the Issue depending on timezones. I know Q is on most of the day on her alt working away, until a dev comes in that she can reply to. But there is also, sometimes anways, issues with say a WL Gm helping out a BL Player, or vice versa on wild, things get a bit touchy there. So I think nonbiased, non playing, GMs would be a bit better for some cases, but, those cost money, and this is purely voluntary.

So, in short, I say give us the Ticket System, this will allow GMs to respond to Tickets depending on the need vs type of problem, etc.

[davidbritsky 0]

The largest issue regarding Non player GMs is not the fact that it costs money, It is more the fact that no one would enjoy asking for support from a GM that doesn't know the game.

Training a CSR/GM the entire game and how to deal with situations is far more tasking than it is worth for the staff and players alike in general let alone for a game as demanding as Wurm. Since this game takes years to master it really is left down to experienced people who are promoted to GMs in my opinion.

[Evilmist 80]

A ticket system doesnt sound like a bad idea. Even on the prem servers my /devs are often plain ignored so I go spam a GM by pming them myself.

[karr 9]

My thanks for the input guys, in response to DB post about be handled by non-player Gm, I believe most requests are for stuck items, and lost pets in cave entrances, etc.  I myself couldn't care who helps me in these instances and surely they don't need ubered experience for that.

A prioritized ticket system could handle that, I'm sure

[Hordern 2,178]

But, Currently, I know personally of two GMs, and that is Pacer and Qualia, whom I have both talked to from time to time, Q, more than anything, Not Sure if FT is still around, thought he was taking a break or something along those lines. But Point withstanding. There are only a Few GMs who are on, whom can be trusted, and I can't name any CMs who aren't GMs, and I know there are quite a few PAs, which is all fine and dandy.

Time to have a quick read of this thread then