Five on Friday

May 26, 2006

1. I have noticed some lag lately while I've been playing. Is anything being done to address this?
Ando: Yes, the Dev team is working to find a resolution to this issue as soon as possible. Currently we know that this issue only appears to be affecting certain parts of the world and is more noticeable on some shards than it is on others.

2. Hey, have you guys noticed the crazy old lady at the bank? She's really got a crowd worked up! What's going on?
City Guard: We are aware of her presence, yes. She is called Inu the Crone, a visiting national from the Tokuno Isles. Thou art not the first to inquire, and we shall be posting an informative bulletin for the citizenry in the near future. Good day.

3. Sometimes I feel like nobody actually looks at my question when I page a GM. Are you guys robots?
Lead GM Hugo: Are we robots? That�s an age old question for us in In-Game Support. The short answer is no, but what a great idea!

You see, each UO petition is reviewed (in real time) by a live person and addressed on an individual basis. Our GM's responses are actively reviewed and measured as to ensure the highest accuracy and quality possible. Wow, just think about it! If we employed robots who didn't care about properly identifying your issue, nor what information they gave you in return; we could save a ton of money!

Unfortunately, accuracy and quality are two determining factors we're just not willing to sacrifice. We understand that when you have exhausted all your efforts and reach out to us for help, you need it as soon as possible. So, that's our mission. We aim to get the most accurate information in your hands as quickly as "humanly" possible. Believe it or not, we often come across the same question multiple times. We'll typically take the necessary time to write about it in detail at http://www.support.ea.com. If that's the case, we're more than happy to assist your retrieval of that information. Don't forget, we're here to help you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days a year.

4. Are you going to be doing town hall events again soon? If so, what cities?
Darkscribe: Yes, we are hoping to get on the road again in late summer or fall. We'll have plenty to talk about right around then. As for what cities, those are TBD. I'd love to get back to Austin for a visit (I miss the barbecue quite a bit), and going back to DC might be fun. That was perhaps the most memorable town hall meeting from last year, where we met the infamous Drunk Guy. We are very open to suggestions.

5. When are we going to hear more about the anti-scripting initiative you've been hinting at?
MrTact: Soon. Very soon.

"Except when you (yes YOU, the one reading this) page us. When you page us, we're on a potty break, that's why it takes so long for a response. The "canned" response is our generic reply we send when we sit back down and realize we forgot to wash our hands." - GM UnReliable

lol

I understand they must get a lot of pages. I also understand that a lot of those pages probably are similar. That, however, I do not agree with. Usually I get some canned response that has absolutely NOTHING to do with my original page to being with. I mean, so far off the mark that I doubt that anyone read my page at all. Accruacy and quality are two factors I have yet to see on a consistant basis in GM responses.

What about on leap-years?

That's their "vacation."

Adri - Could be just about any reason you can think of as to why responses don't come close to the original page, I'll stick with my theory on that and assume they needed to wash their hands.

There's nothing funny about this response - but still, I've never had bad service from the GM team. Sure they can't always solve my problem but they at least explain to me what the situation is and whether or not they can do something.

I still believe most of the complaints come from folks who ask the GMs stupid questions that they could find out about themselves or ask them to do things that aren't in their power in the first place.

Not all my experiences with pages has been bad. A couple of them were great, pleasant, and helpful. The majority of them have been indifferent. A few have made me wonder if I had suddenly started speaking Swahili, because the GM and I were certainly not talking about the same thing.

It is just like anywhere else. Sometimes you get the guy who is having a great day, and is helpful and polite. Sometimes you get stuck with the guy who is having a rotten day, hates his job, and hates you for making him actually work.