true ingame support?

[Pandagnome]

Firstly will the game have a way to submit bugs or issues in the game?
If not would the forum be the place to do that?


In firefall we had those apple folks with the little green apples above their heads they answered many questions
and helped that was very nice.

Then i was wondering what if we had those but also have a dedicated team ingame perhaps known as the
Reaper support Operative (RSO)

what would they do these (RSO)
Well these folks are for those who do not mind playing with anyone and help out so you could join them but whats the incentive here? Perhaps a shiny badge for helping the community and making the game that much more enjoyable & inviting for all.

Ideally could cover most of the time zone depending on how many played in the given time zone and duration!

It could also be a way to have a purpose in a game something that says you dont care if you die 1 billion times and willing to go that extra mile to help when you can!

Ranks with different marking on the badge/icon earned by playing and helping others that are rewarded by npc's and even the big Em8er cheeses!

* Tier 1 [RSO] Advanced Pilot - The first badge or icon very sleek
* Tier 2 [RSO] Astral Guardian - The second with a little more cool factor effect and symbol
* Tier 3 [RSO] Shadow Reaper - The 3rd this adds a glowing outline to standout and new symbol
* Tier 4 [RSO] Chromaleon - The 4th get a new symbol and colours change depending in your environment like a chameleon!
* Tier 5 [RSO] Vanguard - The 5th gets a super badge for your continued dedication

After Tier 5 you go to a Prestige rank returning to the first Tier but with e.g Tier 6 [RSO] Advanced Pilot **
(stars appear this goes up to 5 stars) The cycle would be needed to be done 5 times to get this, no rush this is long term and stars look nice!!!


That is not all you get a better reputation with npc's and players which can benefit in the long run such as npc's who may offer to help such as offering you some repair kits to some rare items etc etc

 

[Wyntyr]

I'm sure Em.8ER will have in-game bug reporting and a forum section for that as well. i recommend a chat command that will show the player's coordinates, or something similar, so when bugged locations are reported the team will be alerted to that specific spot. Fae and I would run around New Eden or new areas and if we came across walls/rocks/etc that were bugged (could walk thru, or you'd be sticking half way outta the top of the hill, etc.) we would hit the chat with the coordinates, screenshot it, then post on a particular forum thread. R5 fixed a ton of the one's we sent in and I'm sure we will do the same for Crixa.

 

[PartTimeJedi]

I like both ideas! Much better than having to write up a ticket like in FF beta.
Great foresight Pandagnome!

 

[Pandagnome]

Much better than having to write up a ticket

Me too unless its on the forums

I'm sure Em.8ER will have in-game bug reporting and a forum section for that as well. i recommend a chat command that will show the player's coordinates, or something similar, so when bugged locations are reported the team will be alerted to that specific spot. Fae and I would run around New Eden or new areas and if we came across walls/rocks/etc that were bugged (could walk thru, or you'd be sticking half way outta the top of the hill, etc.) we would hit the chat with the coordinates, screenshot it, then post on a particular forum thread. R5 fixed a ton of the one's we sent in and I'm sure we will do the same for Crixa.

This is like super hero stuff a beep would appear on your special bug radar that a bug is slowing the Em8er world :O

SUIT UP EM8ER TEAM!!! we have a pesky bug to deal with, your power gloves start to grow with POWER and type very fast because lots of codes!

 

[Omnires]

The question is that will people still believe me when I tell them things despite it sounding odd? I remember a few times trying to explain things to players while I had that green apple by name only to have trolls tell the person the opposed what I said to spread misinformation and mistrust about people who trying to help. Systems that are designed to help people only work as well as peoples awareness of them and their trust in them. So the only think I would add to this topic that devs have to make it known to players that such systems exist from the start of the game. I mean like almost as part of the game's tutorial kind of easily.

I remember in a few early MMOs the last part of the tutorial was to message people like GMs and helpers. If you didn't need help you just sent a message that was auto ignored by them, but if you needed help message was sent to the person closest to you that can help. There was even a special help chat channel in some games, people didn't have to worry about their questions not being seen in the normal chats.

 

[Pandagnome]

I think your right but also could be a notice that trust the green apple above the head folks/helpers
for legit information & those coming from devs and the rest from others may or may not be correct.

I remember when we had a phone scammer pretending to be our bank so naturally said sure and gave random numbers that we lived in the mountains and asked if he had climbing gear sadly hanged up i hope that person calls again hmm

I remember in a few early MMOs the last part of the tutorial was to message people like GMs and helpers. If you didn't need help you just sent a message that was auto ignored by them, but if you needed help message was sent to the person closest to you that can help. There was even a special help chat channel in some games, people didn't have to worry about their questions not being seen in the normal chats.

That sounds really good back then, good reliable support makes the game experience better and not always lost.

In my experience what put me off a game would be other players not all but some. They would invite you to join their group then kick you just for fun. I dont mind that unless it was a mistake.

I'd like to see a helper/guide who are willing to play with others no matter how turd things get. Some rage quit in the middle of a mission and some even blast out orders do this do that !!!! Anyways good help is hard to find it is usually trolls or bot helpers that just gives a generalized answer at times that doesn't really help much!

Saying that i have experienced some amazing players who take the time but they are rare!

 

[Omnires]

I remember in one early scifi MMO I played some 30+ years ago that the GMs and helper all had the ability to teleport to the people who needed help, even if they was inside an instanted quest or dungeon. And have it so enemies ignored they so as not to mess up the mission or fight. It made it much easier for them to help people if they could see what they was doing. After all, some of those people are new to gaming so don't yet know the different teams we use for things. And than there things like people with a bad sense of direction who don't know how to read a compass, map, or radar. So teleporting next to them and walking with them helps. I can't remember the name of that game. But the GMs and helpers must have left an good impression of me if I can still remember them after all this time. Lol, there was one who alwayed showed up to people they helped as some kind of animal. They would use one of their pets as an avatar so people they helped would be following this odd dog or bird around, lol.

 

[Pandagnome]

I remember in one early scifi MMO I played some 30+ years ago that the GMs and helper all had the ability to teleport to the people who needed help, even if they was inside an instanted quest or dungeon. And have it so enemies ignored they so as not to mess up the mission or fight. It made it much easier for them to help people if they could see what they was doing. After all, some of those people are new to gaming so don't yet know the different teams we use for things. And than there things like people with a bad sense of direction who don't know how to read a compass, map, or radar. So teleporting next to them and walking with them helps. I can't remember the name of that game. But the GMs and helpers must have left an good impression of me if I can still remember them after all this time. Lol, there was one who alwayed showed up to people they helped as some kind of animal. They would use one of their pets as an avatar so people they helped would be following this odd dog or bird around, lol.

That sounds amazing with help like that your bound to have a good memory than a memory of waiting and waiting and the usual issues.

I like the idea of the helpers/gm's coming as something different like a fallen reaper ghost and even the pet avatar sounds great. What if they came as a bar of soap to clear a problem away

Anyways this could be a great way for player retention too actually seeing a gm/helper gives me a sense that they care and are part of the community just as much as we do!!!

 

[Kaedan]

FF14 has a mentor system which I like quite a bit. You don't really get anything special except a little cool icon next to your name, but it just means you're there to answer questions and help people out if they ask for it. Completely opt-in and you need to meet certain content requirements to qualify.

Could be a nifty option to help support actual game GMs .

 

[Pandagnome]

I also like the idea of a big brother thing where you can dedicate your time to a player/players doing so boost your helper lvl.

For example lets say you are listed as a helper with tick box options of what you are willing to do
and the time zone you are in e.g

- Time Zone - e.g. Pacific 2pm -4pm Shows when they are likely to play
- Tour Guide - Show them of relevant spots and places to go.
- Co-op support - Team up and help them with a mission encourage them to lead.
- Explanations (Mechanics) - How things work and synergies with other things
- Explanations (Lore) - The story of the Em8er universe even their own take on it.
- Social (RP) IC / OOC - Gather up in the heart of the city and socialize with others bla bla bla in rp or not.

The person who has been helped gets to select either

Help Support: What would you like to do?

1) Continuing with helper - The helper assigned will continue helping.
2) Thanks i wont need help - Helper is sent a message thanks for support no more help required.

 

[Omnires]

I remember a few years ago I played a scifi game where there was a mentor and student system in the game. To be able to listed as a mentor you had to be high enough level and clear some key quest lines. This would let you sent invites to lower level players, who have not cleared a key mid game mission yet, to be your students. You could only have 6 students max at any given time. Students would get things like exp buffs and higher drop rates if they was in a team with their mentor and within a given range of them (excluding solo missions where the mentor has to wait outside.). This would help new players level up faster and build up their inventory with crafting materials they can use later to make a better mecha. The mentors got a small exp buff too but that was not the draw for most people. You see mentors got rewards based on how much their students leveled to and what missions they cleared. So helping out a level one player and getting them to the point where they can get students too gives you biggest rewards (like end crafting materials and blue paints for upgrading gear.) But you only got those rewards if you was in a team with your students and within range of them. This stopped people from just making someone there student and never helping them by being on a different planet and stuff.

This system was in no way a perfect system. For one the bar to be listed as a mentor was really low. So the people who should know a good bit about the game did always know anything nor was good at explaining things as they just kinda brute forced their way through missions and events, and only at best half paid attention to the story and lore of the game. And two, because the rewards for helping others was linked to getting better exp and gear a lot of people only became mentors as a way to try and farm materials and exp rather than trying to help people understand the game better and teaching them how to be players.

I give that game credit for the idea but the poor execution of the idea ruined what could have been a good system. I do think that people who are willing to help others should be rewarded, but the rewards should not be the main draw of it.

For example, in FireFall all we mentors got from being a mentor was a green apple icon by our name, a mentor only color pattern for our frames that we could use if we wanted to, and the ability summon an omniball at will to play things like catch with people. Sure the omniball was a fun toy to have in the game. But it was not the reason any of us because mentors. After all, some of us was already just hanging out in Copa teaching new players about the game long before that. So any rewards for being a helper should be things that would aid in helping others and/or giving people fun little distractions when they are bored (when waiting for a teammate to show up or the next raid to start).

 

[Pandagnome]

When you encounter Griefers/trolls what are the ways to sort this out

e.g


1) Could remind etiquette of Em8er community gaming?

2) Mute the specific player(s) in question if explaining and being reasonable doesn't work?

3) Specific Chat log section / Screen capture / video capture to send to the right support team members privately in forum to investigate and take action ?

4) When Griefers get intense bring the (Splat) Specialist Platoon light speed Assault Team.
@Torgue_Joey

When you see this somewhere in Em8er you know a griefer has blasted out of orbit with the Griefer floating in endless space with a timer of how long the player cannot enter the game e.g. 24 hours.

The more severe it is the longer the timer unless its so bad it becomes a permanent hopefully not!


I was thinking of this because even in PvE there are some who continue to mess it up for others and even myself. It doesnt happen all the time but when it does happen it doesn't make the game enjoyable and its good for a change that they get something they deserve for their action!