Letter from the Producer, XXIII

[Shade]

The Producer letters are basically a blog though, aren't they? I thought with blogs you basically get whatever content the owner feels like plopping down that day.

[Jamison]

I'm going to complain when there's something to complain about. This letter certainly does not qualify.

[Raldo]

It's all a matter of opinion. I don't know why anyone's getting their panties in a twist about other peoples' opinions.

My opinion is, if your letter from the producer is official enough to force your paid translators to work on it, then there ought to be some actual game-related information in there. I don't mind reading about his new year, but if you're paying your employees to waste their time translating it, it ought to have some value. I'm sure reading about his new year has value to some people, but it sure doesn't for me. To go along with your food analogies, I would compare it to expecting (not necessarily ordering, but expecting) a salad with pieces of steak on it and just getting a plain salad. I got something, sure, but I didn't get the part that I really expected/wanted.

That said, I'm going have to completely agree with Jamison. I wouldn't be even be posting my opinion if this thread wasn't getting so dedicated to the reasoning that someone's wrong here.

[Patriarch]

fucking stupid

"I WANT MY FUCKING FOOOOOOOOD!"

a fucking asshole.

That is about all I got from your post.

So you are saying, however indirectly, that the consumer base that would like to see this game improve to a level which is at the very least mediocre, should refrain from voicing their complaints? This is a sure-fire way to get their voices heard in the faint hope that the developer might just take heed.

I also love your use of the term "whinier". Your reference to the "insufferable crowd" before subs, is also a good joke. If this game doesn't pick up, and the insufferables aren't drawn back into the game, FFXIV won't last. So despite the fact that you may possibly be enjoying a sub-par MMO, which judging by the personality in your posts is higher than likely, you need for the "insufferables" to be enticed back if this game has any chance at all of survival. I also think that you are fat.

[Lucavi]

In the nature of complaints not really. It's mostly the tone that changes and makes you all seem a hell of a lot whinier than you were before. Most of you people were insufferably before subs, so this justification does nothing but make you even more annoying. In the end, your complaints (while technically acceptable) are pretty fucking stupid considering the situation.

Using your example, basically what has happened is that you've gone to dinner and the manager comes over and asks how you're doing while you're waiting for your food. You turn to look at him and this is your reaction, "I WANT MY FUCKING FOOOOOOOOD!"

Paying customer or not, you just look like a fucking asshole when the guy is only trying to be nice and personable. Sure he didn't mention your food, but your food is coming.

Wait what? Waiting for the food? Nowhere near an accurate comparison. A far more accurate example would be that our first dish (launch) was terrible, so they took it back and offered us a free replacement dish on the house. Now we've come back another time and are paying for a different, and hopefully better dish, but instead of cooking in the back, the chef is out talking about his wife and kids. "Hello? Go back and cook the damned meal!"

At any rate, you make it seem like everyone complaining sent a personal letter of disapproval to his in-box or dropped some hate-mail on his front door. He can't fucking see this, and he sure as hell wouldn't care about a few people getting pissed off on an internet forum that he doesn't even traffic. You're blowing this entirely out of proportion, considering how "insufferable" you've considered us all along.

Its fucking BG. People complain here. Get over it. Its not like the product doesn't deserve complaints.

[Patriarch]

Wait what? Waiting for the food? Nowhere near an accurate comparison. A far more accurate example would be that our first dish (launch) was terrible, so they took it back and offered us a free replacement dish on the house. Now we've come back another time and are paying for a different, and hopefully better dish, but instead of cooking in the back, the chef is out talking about his wife and kids. "Hello? Go back and cook the damned meal!"

At any rate, you make it seem like everyone complaining sent a personal letter of disapproval to his in-box or dropped some hate-mail on his front door. He can't fucking see this, and he sure as hell wouldn't care about a few people getting pissed off on an internet forum that he doesn't even traffic. You're blowing this entirely out of proportion, considering how "insufferable" you've considered us all along.

Its fucking BG. People complain here. Get over it. Its not like the product doesn't deserve complaints.

I honestly think he's trolling, but this is BG. People mask it very well.

[Lucavi]

I'm not going to get into a shit-slinging fest over such a petty "debate". I just think its pretty silly how the anti-complainers can talk about there being some kind of fine-line in regards to complaining. I didn't hear them silent even a month ago, and the game hasn't suddenly become 15 times better than it was in 2011.

[SilverBreeze]

I honestly think he's trolling, but this is BG. People mask it very well.

I hope for his sake he isn't.

Nothing wrong with voicing your opinion and saying what you like and dislike about the game. That's kind of the point.

When you have a product that you are offering free of charge, it's an entirely different situation. Once you have deemed that your game is in a position that you can start charging for it, then expectations are going to rise. People want to feel like they are not wasting their money, that's all.

[Elcura]

That is about all I got from your post.

That doesn't surprise me considering you can't read.

Wait what? Waiting for the food? Nowhere near an accurate comparison. A far more accurate example would be that our first dish (launch) was terrible, so they took it back and offered us a free replacement dish on the house. Now we've come back another time and are paying for a different, and hopefully better dish, but instead of cooking in the back, the chef is out talking about his wife and kids. "Hello? Go back and cook the damned meal!"

At any rate, you make it seem like everyone complaining sent a personal letter of disapproval to his in-box or dropped some hate-mail on his front door. He can't fucking see this, and he sure as hell wouldn't care about a few people getting pissed off on an internet forum that he doesn't even traffic. You're blowing this entirely out of proportion, considering how "insufferable" you've considered us all along.

Its fucking BG. People complain here. Get over it. Its not like the product doesn't deserve complaints.

Except Yoshi isn't the one cooking the food, he's the manager telling his staff what the fuck they should be doing while keeping the customers informed and happy (which is impossible, obviously). You think the chef isn't cooking while the manager is greeting customers? So again, you're just yelling blinding at the manager because he's trying to be nice. His presence and conversation aren't detrimental to the food which is still being prepared.

What, you think the entire FFXIV team just stopped working while Yoshi-P wrote this letter? Or are you actually mad that the XIV took a few days off for new years?

Yeah, I know people complain. And BG bitching is a special kind of bitching, but this topic is looking very official forums right now.

edit: And no, I'm not trolling, but ffffffffffffffffff always like to think the worst of me.

[Patriarch]

I hope for his sake he isn't.

Nothing wrong with voicing your opinion and saying what you like and dislike about the game. That's kind of the point.

When you have a product that you are offering free of charge, it's an entirely different situation. Once you have deemed that your game is in a position that you can start charging for it, then expectations are going to rise. People want to feel like they are not wasting their money, that's all.

Very valid point. Although the way I have looked at it, even last year when the game was free to play, Devs asked for our opinions. The vast majority never took it over-board and went to flamimg, but we offered all of our opinions on what we didn't like, and what we would like to see fixed.

Although it can be written off as "complaining", I try to look at it more as constructive criticism. We all want this game to succeed. I think any opinion, however positive or negative is of the utmost importance and you should let your voice be heard. What's the worst that could happen?

But yes, now that it is p2p, anyone who is paying most certainly has the right to point out the flaws.

Elcura, I do not think the worst of you. I would just simply prefer to have a constructive, level-headed argument rather than resort to juvenile flame attempts. Which I have been guilty of, so you have my apologies. Lets be friends.

[Manako]

My opinion is, if your letter from the producer is official enough to force your paid translators to work on it, then there ought to be some actual game-related information in there. I don't mind reading about his new year, but if you're paying your employees to waste their time translating it, it ought to have some value. I'm sure reading about his new year has value to some people, but it sure doesn't for me. To go along with your food analogies, I would compare it to expecting (not necessarily ordering, but expecting) a salad with pieces of steak on it and just getting a plain salad. I got something, sure, but I didn't get the part that I really expected/wanted.
.

My assumption is that SE organized and paid for the new years event, which is why they want to pay for it to be translated, they must see value in it. While I do want to hear news, I don't think they are ready to dish that out. I think you bring up a good point that the producer doesn't have complete control over his letters, its pretty easy to write a paragraph or two, but there must be some sign-off to get the words translated etc...

[Elcura]

Personally I don't give a fuck if you complain about the game because I know there's a lot to bitch about (and topics to bitch about it in).

But complaining about the content of a letter (which btw doesn't always have pertinent information) to this extent is just stupid.

My assumption is that SE organized and paid for the new years event, which is why they want to pay for it to be translated, they must see value in it. While I do want to hear news, I don't think they are ready to dish that out. I think you bring up a good point that the producer doesn't have complete control over his letters, its pretty easy to write a paragraph or two, but there must be some sign-off to get the words translated etc...

Chances are the Japanese thought we would be interested in New Years. It's not that big of a deal for westerner's but it's a pretty huge thing in Japan. That's probably why it was translated. I wonder if Japan got the memo that we don't care about a) new years or b) their lives, they would stop doing this.

Also, I personally don't give a shit what Yoshi or the XIV team did at New Years, nor am I interested in their personal lives. But I'm not gonna let information like this get me down.

[Lucavi]

That doesn't surprise me considering you can't read.



Except Yoshi isn't the one cooking the food, he's the manager telling his staff what the fuck they should be doing while keeping the customers informed and happy (which is impossible, obviously). You think the chef isn't cooking while the manager is greeting customers? So again, you're just yelling blinding at the manager because he's trying to be nice. His presence and conversation aren't detrimental to the food which is still being prepared.

What, you think the entire FFXIV team just stopped working while Yoshi-P wrote this letter? Or are you actually mad that the XIV took a few days off for new years?

Yeah, I know people complain. And BG bitching is a special kind of bitching, but this topic is looking very official forums right now.

edit: And no, I'm not trolling, but ffffffffffffffffff always like to think the worst of me.

Its painfully obvious that you know as little about marketing and savvy as SE. The fact that you honestly (unless you're trolling, of course) think that people assume that Yoshi is the only one working on the project is foolish. The fact that you fail to understand that Yoshi is the figure-head, and as such, should be the one that looks the busiest of everyone involved in the project, especially when the product is currently terrible, is equally foolish.

Lets get one thing straight: Yoshi-P is no Ono. He is not in a position to sit back and troll the playerbase with hilarious photos and Blanka figurines, because SE is not Capcom, and this is not SF4 or MVC3. Capcom has put out two quality products, and both not only sold well, but continue to attract large player-bases and achieved critical and commercial success. SE has released FFXIV, a critical and commercial flop in every sense of the word, and continues to be lauded as the terrible product that it was. I'm pretty sure I just read yet another article on how spectacularly bad it was on IGN earlier this week.

Yoshi-P does not have the leeway that someone like Ono has. While it makes Ono look funny to make joke posts and silly updates, it makes Yoshi-P look foolish. To be joking and jovial when your game is the laughingstock of modern MMOs is foolish. If you can't see how some people wouldn't want to see that, and instead would like to see content update notes and only content update notes for a bad game, then I can't help you.

Then again, your main prerogative on these forums seems to be lurking on forums, waiting to jump at the chance to belittle someone, so rock on.

[Elcura]

The fact that you fail to understand that Yoshi is the figure-head, and as such, should be the one that looks the busiest of everyone involved in the project, especially when the product is currently terrible, is equally foolish.

That's funny, because project leads tend to lead their teams. That's their job, that's the work they put in. Lol, figure-head, nice technical term there. They tell other people what they should be doing, what their schedule/deadline is, judging the content of the work they do and planning ahead for the other stuff that needs to be put in a game. I can't tell you about Yoshi specifically, but I know my project lead is the busiest fucking person on the project. He doesn't need to look busy, he is busy. But despite a hectic schedule there is always down time. It's unavoidable when making games.

And I'm not even working on an MMO, which requires frequent updates and patches that require new groundwork planning and implementation. Each patch (at least from a design perspective) is like a game in itself and requires new schedules and timetables to follow within the scope of the original schedule (aka 2.0). It's a lot of management and hard work, but that doesn't mean you can't write something trivial as this in your spare time. Or hell, even during a break/national holiday.

The problem is you took this as an insult. It clearly wasn't meant as such, so stop being so sensitive.

[Lucavi]

I didn't take it as an insult at all. Stop assuming things. It simply looks foolish to put out these kinds of "updates" when your game is currently floundering. His visible public time would be better served putting out his thoughts on the current direction of the game than fluff like this. Its not about how much time it takes to do something like this; its about the image you're putting out to the people that are paying for your product. People pay to see results, not fluff, especially with a game with such a current negative stigma.

Your problem, once again, is your assumptions. You do a lot of assuming for someone who has such rancor for others.

[Elcura]

I didn't take it as an insult at all. Stop assuming things. It simply looks foolish to put out these kinds of "updates" when your game is currently floundering. His visible public time would be better served putting out his thoughts on the current direction of the game than fluff like this. Its not about how much time it takes to do something like this; its about the image you're putting out to the people that are paying for your product. People pay to see results, not fluff, especially with a game with such a current negative stigma.

Your problem, once again, is your assumptions. You do a lot of assuming for someone who has such rancor for others.

To be joking and jovial when your game is the laughingstock of modern MMOs is foolish

So this isn't an assumption on Yoshi-P's attitude when he wrote the letter? He could have been very serious, or sad, or angry! Oh how hard tone is to read these days.

EDIT:

Elcura, I do not think the worst of you. I would just simply prefer to have a constructive, level-headed argument rather than resort to juvenile flame attempts. Which I have been guilty of, so you have my apologies. Lets be friends.

I've always liked you. What happens in a topic stays in the topic.

[Lucavi]

Look at the damned letter, Elcura. Read it, look at the pictures, and then get back to me on that one. You're reaching a little too hard at this point.

[Elcura]

Look at the damned letter, Elcura. Read it, look at the pictures, and then get back to me on that one. You're reaching a little too hard at this point.

You missed the point. I'm not disagreeing that the letter was jovial or merry, I'm saying you assume what his attitude is based on what he writes and the tone of the writing. I did the same thing with you, and frankly I'm not seeing anything else in your posts. I might add entitlement, but I'd probably get banned for that.

[Lucavi]

Then I amend my statement: it doesn't matter what he was feeling when he wrote it. Its not a good idea to even give someone the impression that you're taking things lightly, and I keep going back to the fact that its a dangerous situation because the game is doing so poorly, because that's my whole point. If he was Ono or even, say, Harada, this wouldn't be an issue, let alone that MMO communication is usually desired more than with non-paying fighting games.

[Elcura]

If the last 2-3 letters we got before this or the next few letters we get after this are all similar in tone and content then I would agree there is cause for alarm, concern and rage. What's happening in this topic would be 100x easier to understand if that was the case.

People are flying off the handle because of 1 letter out of many that doesn't have pertinent information in it, not matter what the situation is that just seems to unreasonable to me.