Be seriously serious about server status!

[Illyria]

* Illyria sighs "I really don't see the problem here, if the server is down it's down, when it's up it's up. and when an new update is ready you'll be able to download it when the team thinks it's time"

* Illyria smiles "See, you don't need any support for this matter then just wait and think of what's to come"

[oningo]

Hmm not with standing certain comments on temper tantrums... this tester has tested and found the lack of server/client/game status in the website as a hinderence to attracting new players(testers or potential devs and contributors) and also gives a bad impression of the game to the people who download and cant login. Existing players/testers can wait or not i suppose. But some courtesy should be shown to new players. y not make the download page temporarily say "New Client coming soon. Please check in a few Days. Thank you for your intrest. Please visit the forums _______________ to know more about game play and make new friends to later meet in the game! Hope to see you in game soon!"  

Err ..ok that was a bit too friendly lol...but somoething like that...or in the download page removal of all links to 0.18 client and a msg saying "Game is currently being updated. please check back in 3 days" and maybe a bar that shows the server status... -,- not that mysterious failed , wait or number either. Some thing that newbies can understand like "down,testing,up" .

On the matter of information to current testers....hmmm whatever may be the discussion..the testers are part of the game..so may need a bit more info ..also testers may need to wait. My thoughts on this as a tester varies. But new players need a bit more courtesy. It doesnot potray the game in good light to those that download and try to connect and then delete the game for they think its dead or otherwise. Again for certain people who think this is a 'temper tantrum' ...hmm you are indeed lucky to have met chlidren who talk like the way i have in this post. They must be diplomatic for their age i should say. Congragulations . I wish i had met such children who throw such tantrums.

PS: I am saying post info on download section for newbies. in case the msg was lost in my long post

[Sardoan]

Than delete the news side. I can see, when the new client is online, dont need to check the news. And for news i can ask in the game, dont need to look in this forum.... So you can remove news from tv, i can see how my country develops...
The team has to use the news, for what they are meant for. The server is down =  write it in the news. Or am I worng???

[allad]

* Illyria sighs "I really don't see the problem here, if the server is down it's down, when it's up it's up. and when an new update is ready you'll be able to download it when the team thinks it's time"

* Illyria smiles "See, you don't need any support for this matter then just wait and think of what's to come"

I agree with this..

So you can remove news from tv, i can see how my country develops...

I got no problem with this.. I could care less most of the time what they say.

[Sardoan]

Not Off Topic. Thats the topic, whats going on with the server. And the team tells us nothing.

Tell me why we need a news side? To write something down when everybody knows it allready?

[Raleigh]

I've seen this "testers first..." blablabla used too many times as a pretext to justify the lack of a better polished information delivery to the community(and strangely this is usually by some community members instead of devs)

You may ask why this is... because they are busy.
If you don't like how the information gets delivered, join the team and help them out.. sitting here complaining about it will do no good.

       So, now we'll have mechanic shops where you get the tools to fix your car instead of other fixing it for you, if a product you buy is defective "help them out". I know PlaneShift isn't commercial, but this is the kind of mentality that makes a project stagnate and blind a few people to some important facts that should be fixed. And is it so hard to add a simple note to a webpage? It requires a fifteen minutes at most.
       By pointing something that needs to be fixed, someone is already helping. This "fix it yourself and help!" attitude implies lack of maturity to face the flaws, in my opinion.

P.S.: I found a very interesting article regarding to that, but unfortunately it isn't in English. I'll translate some of the main points of it(original in Portuguese). It's about Wikipedia PT version mostly, but some points apply to all...

Original: http://www.contraditorium.com/2006/09/14/a-stalinizacao-da-internet-ou-cardoso-deu-na-wikipedia/

Title: The "Stalinization" of Internet

The communitive projects, like Wikipedia and Open-Source ones are slowly drifting from excellent socializing tools to become exclusive clubs, not only closed to criticisms but actively attempting to "destroy" everything and everyone who describes their works in less than ufanist ways.

It's not allowed anymore to say you dislike something, as they  created an strategy of rejecting criticisms that would be comic, if not tragic...

From all who took the work of replying against me, most used the typical pretexts used to justify the bad quality of many projects:

If you think the content is faulty, don't complain, go there and fix
Perfect, now in all FIAT service shops instead of mechanics I'll find clerks with toolboxe and when the user complains, he will be silenced and receive the toolbox. It is not this way things work, to improve something I need knowledge, experience and time. Some people want only information, and not to belong to a big project as well

Didn't like it? Do something better then or stay quiet!
It's a common attitude as well, but not accompanied by the other side, which would be: “Liked it? So stay quiet too”. Thus it basically means “we want to hear only praises”.

This attitude impedes the activity of a critic, judge and anybody who have to give a negative opinion about something.
As the Geek #1, Wil Wheathon said, when the wisdom of the crowd becomes the tyranny of the mob, this reflects badly in everybody.

Sorry for all the off-topicness, but I am getting full of this overprotective behavior.

[Duraza]

Not Off Topic. Thats the topic, whats going on with the server. And the team tells us nothing.

I'd like to just say one thing. The fact is when the team can they will tell us whats going on with the server. They have to work with the fourms, the game, and the website. Plus they have real lives they have to deal with as well. Its not like the devs are slaves who spend their time 24/7 working on this game. Think of it this way. The fact that the server is down means that they are working to make the game better. Your complaining about why they can't inform you when you can and cannot play when they are trying to make play more intresting.

I admit it can be annoying that you don't know when the server is and isn't working however remember the devs are humans too and when they get the chance to tell us whats going on I'm sure they will.  

[Sardoan]

Aaahhh, i just want to know whats goining on and how long it will take. This is really no problem to tell it the comunity. One minute work, not more. Is this to much for the developers? One minute work? And why you defend this? Its only one minute....

[Xordan]

Aaahhh, i just want to know whats goining on and how long it will take. This is really no problem to tell it the comunity. One minute work, not more. Is this to much for the developers? One minute work? And why you defend this? Its only one minute....

Yeah, and when the only person with access to update the website is sitting on a plane somewhere it's a little difficult for us to spend that one minute

[allad]

Aaahhh, i just want to know whats goining on and how long it will take. This is really no problem to tell it the comunity. One minute work, not more. Is this to much for the developers? One minute work? And why you defend this? Its only one minute....

Did you ever once think that perhaps the people who have access to editing the website are at their jobs right now or busy IRL?
What is going on: the update to .19
How long? However long it takes to get all the major bugs out of it.  Talad usually won't allow any more details than the infamous "soon (tm)" that you have probably already seen.

Are you happy now?

[Akana]

Aaahhh, i just want to know whats goining on and how long it will take. This is really no problem to tell it the comunity. One minute work, not more. Is this to much for the developers? One minute work? And why you defend this? Its only one minute....

Yeah, and when the only person with access to update the website is sitting on a plane somewhere it's a little difficult for us to spend that one minute

Does this mean when you have finished the 0.19, You wont be able to upload it and give us a link to download it untill the only person with access to the website returns?

[Sardoan]

But now 4 people are working on the game, one of this persons could write a statement.
" We are working on the update, will take mayby 12 hours, more information when we know more"   this were 30 seconds...

[Raleigh]

Aaahhh, i just want to know whats goining on and how long it will take. This is really no problem to tell it the comunity. One minute work, not more. Is this to much for the developers? One minute work? And why you defend this? Its only one minute....

Yeah, and when the only person with access to update the website is sitting on a plane somewhere it's a little difficult for us to spend that one minute

Then perhaps you or another dev should attempt to convince this person to entrust somebody else with access with the site then or there will always be a large bottleneck. 

[Duraza]

The fact is not all the time will they know when they are going to be finished. For example they were going to release the 0.19 before but then canceled the release to fix bug problems. Maybe they can make an assumption of when they will be finished but then if they are wrong you will be very disappointed won't you   If they have a date on when they will be finished I'm sure they'll tell us.

[Sardoan]

But al little information would be kind