Open letter to Forum Friends (including devs)

I think the most disappointing thing for me is some of you haven't even been willing to actually listen to what anyone else says if u disagree with it. Probably NOBODY has true issues with the drop rate. But some have had the misfortune of getting hit with the unlikely possibility of getting nothing past green for hours. Intead of attacking and calling the players names, maybe people could realize that not everyone saw the same drop rate in the game.

I've a bad taste in my mouth from all this picking at each other.

AO2 is a great game. I think the devs have done a truly amazing job. To me, feedback isn't ever just saying what devs like. Or what the most hardcore gamers like. It's my feedback. I don't see how I'm being helpful if I ONLY say what I love. To me, if I truly care about the game, I'll be honest about the good AND the bad as I believe them to be...

If my friends ask my opinion, I'm honest because that is what friends do. I try to bring that to the forum- the spirit of friendship. Friends don't don't have to agree... BUT friends do have to be considerate and respectful of each other's feelings... Friends also listen and try to understand the real issue instead of drawing a line in the sand of ME and YOU or US and THEM.

Forget the drop rate. It isn't even the issue. The problem is the consistency of the drops. But, NONE of it should have resulted in all this name-calling- whether you like the loot drops or not. I've considered this forum to be a place of friendship... But that's not what I saw yesterday in some posts.

Meanwhile, I LOVE AO2 and have gotten sucked into a fight about my value as a player because I was stupid enough to consider the devs friends and thus I wrote an AO2 review full of joy & then commented on the one thing I didn't like. But, it was as if all I said was the one DISLIKE. Perhaps all that the devs will remember is all the stupid under-the-belt fighting over drops instead of a celebration of how joyful & exciting it is to be a part of this great game as it develops.

All this hatefulness just makes me not want to play. Besides, if I'm such a casual gamer, based on some comments, my opinion and presence are not valuable in game or in forum.

So should I just quit? Is that all that the forum & devs value- the four-five hours a day players? Because some of you are VERY clear that your hardcore opinions ARE the ONLY ones that matter.

All to be elite. I'd think the elite would shun pinks. After all, the best players should want the thrill of playing a truly hard game, right? Go don your whites, then.

NOBODY wanted a free ride or handout. Skeller is fun to play but I'd never use the pinks gotten there because they were too easy to get. The comments about AO2 were NEVER espousing a return to easy drops. But the drops are inconsistent and that can be a problem. It's not in the best interest of the game that people only play level six because it's where the pinks are or that a run of bad luck can result in not a single pink for hours. I think that's all any of us were trying to say... But it degenerated into a ridiculous fight.

We should treat each other better. Listen. If we disagree, then by all means, definitely disagree. But, disagree with respect and consideration - like a friend would...

I haven't read any of the debates about the topic you are on. However, I can unbiasedly say that I support your sentiments.

-proud wielder of a white weap. Just because it looks cool.

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Originally Posted by Avadonna

I haven't read any of the debates about the topic you are on. However, I can unbiasedly say that I support your sentiments.

-proud wielder of a white weap. Just because it looks cool.

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Thanks, Ava:)
I appreciate your post words more than I can say...
I think I'm just going to leave the forum for awhile- I think that the fact that only you responded to this and you weren't involved in fighting yesterday, probably means I'm not looked on too favorably at the moment. I still prefer to say what I believe is true so no regrets:). Thanks again for your post:)

I always try to voice my opinion fairly, looking at things from both sides of the fence. I would never want the game to be exclusive to either casual or hardcore players, both are needed for a community to be the best it can be. I find that I hover somewhere in-between the two, going through phases of barely playing to massive binges up to 10 hours sometimes.

A lot of people argue their corner in these forums dismissing other opinion as selfish, yet basically offloading their own selfish views. While the iPhone is an inherently casual platform due to it's nature, you cannot deny that this game still has a hardcore following. In all other MMOs I've played I've never been one of the more hardcore players, and as a result never had most of the top gear, but I could still play to a level where I was happy with my gear even though it wasn't the best. In PL, despite not really being a hardcore player I know I'll still end up getting the best gear in the game, the pick up and play mechanics ensure that it will never be that difficult provided the drop rates aren't as bad as the early campaigns (or AO1 currently).

I'm happy with AO2 in it's current state, it's easy enough to find pinks, but not so easily farmable that it just becomes a chore, and getting a pink is all the more satisfying for it.

EDIT: This is only my personal opinion, but with arguments on both sides of the fence, I think it's at a happy medium.

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Originally Posted by bmc85uk

I always try to voice my opinion fairly, looking at things from both sides of the fence. I would never want the game to be exclusive to either casual or hardcore players, both are needed for a community to be the best it can be. I find that I hover somewhere in-between the two, going through phases of barely playing to massive binges up to 10 hours sometimes.

A lot of people argue their corner in these forums dismissing other opinion as selfish, yet basically offloading their own selfish views. While the iPhone is an inherently casual platform due to it's nature, you cannot deny that this game still has a hardcore following. In all other MMOs I've played I've never been one of the more hardcore players, and as a result never had most of the top gear, but I could still play to a level where I was happy with my gear even though it wasn't the best. In PL, despite not really being a hardcore player I know I'll still end up getting the best gear in the game, the pick up and play mechanics ensure that it will never be that difficult provided the drop rates aren't as bad as the early campaigns (or AO1 currently).

I'm happy with AO2 in it's current state, it's easy enough to find pinks, but not so easily farmable that it just becomes a chore, and getting a pink is all the more satisfying for it.

EDIT: This is only my personal opinion, but with arguments on both sides of the fence, I think it's at a happy medium.

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I totally agree. I do think a happy medium is best.

Also, as I said, I don't think anything actually is wrong with the drop rate. I think it's at the right rate (I didn't figure out it was the randomness of the drop rate until last night) so I was wrong in targeting that as the problem. I think it's that drops are random and a small percentage of players can randomly have bad drops and thus play for 8+ hours and not get a single pink.

I don't define myself as a casual player. It offends me to be stored into some suffocating box that pre-determines my willingness to devote time, energy, and thought to the game. I think that you can have players who play 2 hrs daily who have the same dedication as the 4-5 hrs daily "hardcore" players. It infuriates me that people assume so many wrong things because I don't typically play more than two hours a day. I was in the first group to hit 40 the day Alien Oasis part one came out.

I guess I balk at all the stereotypes. When I mentioned the drop rate being too low, instead of people trying to understand what my experience was & WHY I thought the drop rate was too low, I got hit in the head by all these posts saying all this stuff about hardcore gamers and how casual players shouldn't expect casual gear. I guarantee you that EVERY single person saying that had gotten at least one pink in all their playing of AO2.

So instead of helping to pinpoint that it's not the drop rate, it's the inconsistency of the drop rate, it became a huge nasty hardcore players vs peons war.

I think that saying hardcore is only the "PL is my life" group and all everyone is a peon who just wants an easy game is a load of horsepucky. It's unfair to A lot of players who fall in the middle. I don't think even the devs read my posts with any belief that what I say matters.... Because I'm black-listed as a "casual" gamer.

The fact that "casual" with all its nasty conciliatory demeaning adages is applied to EVERYONE who doesn't put in 4-5 hours a day is ridiculously unfair & wrong. No way can people agree on the forum. To assume that everyone, not in the tiny percentage of hardcore, exemplifies the lackadaisical characteristics of the MOST casual players is wrong. A lot of us are closer to hardcore in our mindset and expectations- despite the fact that we don't play 5 hrs a day.

I'm not Azrael, but I actually agree with him on a lot of things. But I never get the chance to agree because I'm too busy defending myself. The instant I say something not positive, it's not perceived as feedback because I'm just lumped into the casual players group. Even the devs never respond to my posts that are related to actual game playing.

It's sad. It's a unfair caste system.

In my opinion:) lol

Took me awhile to get through 41 and was very disappointed with the drops but c'est la vie. There's a random element that can't be controlled, I'm sure, and you can get lucky or unlucky. I remember going through 35 and 36, getting NOTHING and wondering where are all these wonderful pinks everyone was referring to. They eventually came when it was my turn to get lucky.

I've tried different tactics to see if I could determine what might tirgger great drops but so far they seem as random as can be.

As for any unfriendliness you might encounter on the forums from time to time, this is the way it has always been and always will be. Not everyone will be your friend and you can bet there is always someone in the crowd who will object to your point of view. It's really no big deal.

I took some licks on another thread for my own point-of-view and just moved on. I love the game and will continue to play until it becomes boring. I'll continue to comment on the forums because I enjoy it. I hope to see you online again. The couple of times we played together were fun.

Long posts are looooooooooong.

But seriously, I agree. :) *sings* "Why can't WEEEEE be FREEEENDS, oh why can't WEEEEE be FREEEEENDS"

I will be your friends if you stop singing lol.

I know the drops are not very consistent BUT AO2 is awesome.... IMO I'd rather it be hard to get a very good wep which is what AO 2 did... I love the fact that not EVERYONE has the best weps at this point... Some people are lucky some aren't... It's all about the percentage of the drop rate and I dint mind it at all..

The problem is that your looking to these people to behave like true friends, it ain't going to happen, people that you meet on the internet are acquaintances at best at worst vile trolls, same thinking the devs are your friends they are not, they have a client relationship with you. Get the right perspective in these "relationships" you have with these "friends" and you won't ever be disappointed again. :)

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Originally Posted by jonboy

The problem is that your looking to these people to behave like true friends, it ain't going to happen, people that you meet on the internet are acquaintances at best at worst vile trolls, same thinking the devs are your friends they are not, they have a client relationship with you. Get the right perspective in these "relationships" you have with these "friends" and you won't ever be disappointed again. :)

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Umm. Lol. I don't mean friends as in friends you call at 3 a.m. if something disastrous has happened.
As a southerner, ANY group of people that are conversed with on a daily basis deserve the moniker of "friend" (there are many levels & kinds of friendship) and behavior is governed by more consideration due to the familiarity. I'm well-known in the real world for having terrific people skills. I don't suffer from any illusions that the devs are friends though I do believe they are friends with some forum folks... I'd say that there are most certainly forum members who consider themselves friends... Like everything else, it's all a matter of opinion... But, believe me, I have the right perspective- I'm just an idealist, optimist, & Southerner- which are all reflected in my worldview and thus in my posts:)

Thanks for the advice though:)

Flaim-
You are adorable sometimes, did you know that?
Thks for making me smile:)

I think if you had spent more time farming with a good group that skips the first 80 mobs or so, rather than filling the forum with an excessive number of threads on this issue, with what seems like multiple pages of combined posts, you may just have yourself the Pink items you want. I've stated why i disagree with you and esus already on multiple threads, but you are entitled to experess your opinion. You and Esus have been heard.

However others had many opportunities on multiple threads to respond to your thoughts. Stop making new posts about this issue.

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Originally Posted by Azrael

I think if you had spent more time farming with a good group that skips the first 80 mobs or so, rather than filling the forum with an excessive number of threads on this issue, with what seems like multiple pages of combined posts, you may just have yourself the Pink items you want. I've stated why i disagree with you and esus already on multiple threads, but you are entitled to experess your opinion. You and Esus have been heard.

However others had many opportunities on multiple threads to respond to your thoughts. Stop making new posts about this issue.

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Firstly, I made ONE thread about AO2.... And it was this one and it was not really about the drop rates which you would know if you'd read it. The posts in this thread are about attitudes. Are attitudes just not in your arsenal of knowledge? The only thread I made about drop rates was the old AO1 thread. If it still shows up, that's not my doing.

Secondly, I was responding to Jonboy's post.
Who are you to tell me not to respond to someone's post? This thread isn't new. Look at the date!!! I made the thread the AO2 release night because I felt badly about all the fighting. There are other things I'd like to say in response to ur post Azrael, but I'll just take a breath and count to ten.

No. On second thought, I do have more to say. You have NO right to tell me to stop posting about anything. Period. That's up to devs.

I would quit the forum, but you're not worth it. I need to remember that you are the minority and most forum folks aren't like you.

Or maybe Gwen was right and the few girls on the forum don't get respect from people like you.

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Originally Posted by Azrael

Stop making new posts about this issue.

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Are you serious?! You're telling someone (or anyone for that matter) to stop making posts about this (or any issue)??? It's a p-u-b-l-i-c forum. If you don't like the posts or the thread, you do not have to read them.

Yours is the most despicable post I have seen to date on the spacetime site.

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Originally Posted by Furrawn

Or maybe Gwen was right and the few girls on the forum don't get respect from people like you.

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I had no idea if you were male or female, and I don't care what gender a community member is. Apparently you are a girl.

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Originally Posted by amn624

Yours is the most despicable post I have seen to date on the spacetime site.

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Really? Ces't la vie.

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Originally Posted by Furrawn

Umm. Lol. I don't mean friends as in friends you call at 3 a.m. if something disastrous has happened.
As a southerner, ANY group of people that are conversed with on a daily basis deserve the moniker of "friend" (there are many levels & kinds of friendship) and behavior is governed by more consideration due to the familiarity. I'm well-known in the real world for having terrific people skills. I don't suffer from any illusions that the devs are friends though I do believe they are friends with some forum folks... I'd say that there are most certainly forum members who consider themselves friends... Like everything else, it's all a matter of opinion... But, believe me, I have the right perspective- I'm just an idealist, optimist, & Southerner- which are all reflected in my worldview and thus in my posts:)

Thanks for the advice though:)

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I was having one of those days were critical realism was the play of the day, sorry that it bleed from RL into the forums, I guess "friend" to a southerner is like "mate" to an Australian, can be anyone from your "best mate" to your "g'day mate" said as you pass a stranger walking down the street.

p.s. make as many posts as you want on any issue. :)

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Originally Posted by Azrael

Really? Ces't la vie.

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Yes, pretty much. It's bad form to tell someone to shut up, whether literally, rhetorically or what. And someone who's made 562 posts should already realize this. You have your forum, so does everyone else, including Furrawn.

*reading from first post* ......1 hour later

ok done haha. i disagree with your view of a hardcore player, many people view me as a 'hardcore player' because of my paladin builds (3000 views) and up until recently ive only had one character, so im pretty well known in the community, but do i play like 5 hours a day? no... i have a life, i have friends, i have an apprenticeship, im a busy guy, i work 5-6 days a week and im only 19. at best i play 2 hours a day, maybe three, and obviously i play more when new content is out. but who doesnt?

alot of people on the forums know me because i have alot of posts, all of them are thought out, with my honest opinion on the matter. and i never spam a thread (unless its the ocassional LOL if somthing is hilarious)

and also dont think that your being discriminated against because your female, i didnt have a clue until you said flaimdude was adorable, then it was kinda obvious XD

its good to see female gamers in the community, and dont think that the devs are ignoring you, they accualy read alot of posts, they just dont comment on them.

and @ the drop rate.. im loving it in A02, i mean... how is a legendary weapon legendary if everyone has it like a week after the release? im accualy glad i have only got half the gear i need so far. it atleast gives me a reason to farm, instead of having full pink gearset and just farming for no real reason.

hit me up with a friend request Furrawn, id love to play with you sometime :)