Doctor Archive

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My process right now, while we work on improving the processes in general, is to a) check in on threads that I posted to previously, and answer any dangling questions, b) post to threads that were forwarded to me as deserving of comment.

We're working on relaunching the correspondent program shortly, and also on a series of other fixes and changes to process. But one of the things that is coming thru loud and clear is that I'm not involved enough to provide detailed answers to something like a specific list of bugs. I also don't have the time to check thru every forum. So I asked that the threads forwarded be constructive, substantive threads where I could provide solid info or could offer hopes of a clear, quick change.

It seems clear that the things we really need to do aren't about me posting--they are about improving the correspondent channel, getting lists of known issues, of things in concept, and in dev, and so on... so I am trying to reduce the scattershot posting...

-Raph Koster,


Creative Director

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http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=552501#M552501

So...they're going to relaunch the Correspondent program? Does that mean we lose Zarlor? If so, then damnit, I'll have to go do more ranting on the Discussion board!

Z, any word from them at all about this?

Umm, when he says "Relaunching the Correspondent Program" I don't think that necesarrily means they are looking to replace the correspondents. I think it is an admission by Raph that SOE has dropped the ball and hasn't been, on *their* end, reading and responding to the correspondents messages in a timely fashion. At least that's how I take it. . . the correspondents have been doing *their* jobs - it's the SOE people who haven't been doing theirs.

I'm pretty sure they just meant "relaunching" as in

"This time we REALLY gonna listen to our correspondents! No really! Honest!"

And not

"we are gonna scrap the previous ones and do over" since they admit that all the correspondents did a fabulous job, it was they (Dev) who dropped the ball.

If they do something as stupid as replace Zarlor, then I will know they are simply playing "blame game" and there reall isno hope for this game at all.

Although, I was thinking more about this. . . while Zarlor *has* done a fantastic job as correspondent, I think the correspondent program was originally setup such that correspondents were only supposed to be on the job for a month, then another correspondent was to be rotated in. So, they may plan to do a rotation as part of relaunching the program. I dunno. I think they'd be smart to leave the current correspondents for at least one more month before doing a rotation though. . .

Lucreel, that's the way I took it. They were supposed to have rotated the correspondents by now, was thinking that maybe they were going to do that when the do the whole 'relaunch' thing...

Z deserves to remain in the position until such a time as the devs actually respond to something he's sent... he's worked hard enough to earn that right.

Assuming Zarlor wants to stay on as correspondent that is. I have no idea how he does it, personally.

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Gallion wrote:
Assuming Zarlor wants to stay on as correspondent that is. I have no idea how he does it, personally.

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Nor do I

/tiphat to Zarlor

Me either. He does a great job here AND on the CM forums. If he wants to stay as correspondent for the next round then they had better let him.

Well my understanding is that they probably mean it in the way several folks here have already mentioned. That they dropped the ball on us (as Holo has admitted) and they should get back into the groove of being responsive to us. It may also mean that they have some intentions of revamping the program in some way, hopefully to improve communication between us, the players, and them.

As for the correspondent switchout issue it sounds like there are a couple of misconceptions there.

First off the program was supposed to originally address a Top 5 list every week. Obviously that does not appear to have been feasible for the Dev team so none of us have even sent in the 4 lists that a monthly changeover would have covered. (Although 3 or4 of us have already quit.)

Second the original statments was that correspondents might be changed out monthly. Big emphasis on might. The idea being that if for some reason SOE felt a correspondent wasn't doing the kind of job they were looking for, or if they just wanted to make sure to get a fresh or different point of view from a correspondent then they were, in effect, reserving the right to do a monthly swap out.

So as it stands I don't see any turnovers as being too likely (Then again, they may be getting sick of me and my big mouth on a few of the forums already, so who knows.) As it stands SOE can't even get a correspondent position that has been vacated for several weeks filled (the CM correspondent). Heck, they can't even seem toput up an announcement to get more folks to even apply for it!

So that's where that stands.

As for anything from the Devs, not a word to us. The last post I put up here about my request for confirmation of receipt was not responded to. I sent one to Xahn's personal email address ('cause he sent us something direct from his address once, the poor man. hehe) last week as well, but still nothing. I thihk I will try one last time through PM and see if I can get any kind of response at all, but so far all avenues of communication appear to be a one way black hole of information getting sucked into SOE and dissapearing, from what I can tell. Certainly nothing seems to be escaping back out to us. I'll update that other thread with the additional requests I've snt, but so far the last I ever heard anything from a dev was on 8/26 about the XP stations on Test Center for us (that still haven't gotten put in yet).

Silversurfer our Polearm correspondant gave notice a month ago he was stepping down, and they havent even responded to him yet.. hahahahaha

I don't think i have ever seen a Dev response to a correspondent stepping down at all. The only response seems to be puttig up a notice on the relavent forum asking for a new correspondent.

Yeah, i know... but honesly if you all think doctors have some problems.. imagine if you had the issues that pikeman have.. in comparison.. they have problems that would equal our whole crafting tree not working..

I just want to say....

ZARLOR YOU BETTER NOT GO ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!

You do a **edit** good job and I know I REALLY appreciate the time you spend.