Lets talk about Coal, Logic, and Bug Testing.

First, lets talk about Coal Generation. People have been reporting that coal is too sparse in some planets, with a chance to be stuck in a planet without enough coal to actually leave the planet. Other people have been undermining this statement, claiming its not a bug, but a feature, and we only recently finally got confirmation that yes, this is a bug.

So thats what I want to talk about guys. We are in a Beta Phase, and this is the time when developers take the experiences of their consumers, and testers, and decide how they want to build their game. So, if you find the game to be too hard at times, too unforgiving, too easy, or too boring, this is the time that you want to make your voice heard. The developer takes your experiences into consideration, and decide if the game they're trying to make is in line with your wants and needs.

Whats important though, is that every bodies voice is heard, and that a large variety of experiences are taken into consideration. This is especially important because of the random nature of the game, where it is very possible that a player can end up in a situation where they cannot advance, or in a position where they feel they can't, that other players will never experience. Even if these unlucky players are outliers, they will still represent a sizeable part of the consumer base, meaning that a large group of actual players will actually reach a point where they will feel they are unable to advance, like this coal scenario.

Now, lets talk about how we should discuss our experiences. I've seen a number of people who have had an absolutely great time with the game (Me being one of them), and thats great! Talking about what made the game fun is useful and great too. The thing is, somebody talking about their bad experiences is just much more important to address, and gives the developers very specific things that they can change, as opposed to, keep doing awesome things. So, that means that if somebody had a great time with a feature, but an other had a terrible time, its probably better to address the players terrible time than the great time. Its possible that the developers won't change anything because they feel like the change would destroy their vision of their game, but its still something that a developer must address, even if its a "I don't care that you didn't like it".

So, what this is all leading up to is this. Stop undermining peoples negative feedback with "I didn't experience that, so it must not be true!" Its counter-productive, and completely useless to the development process. Don't give a "LRN TO PLAY" response either, because if a consumer had trouble figuring out a feature, or is finding a feature too difficult, its something that other consumers will run into too. The developer needs to hear this, and like I mentioned, will need to address this in some fashion. Don't assume that the person giving the feedback is a liar who is attacking you or the game, and don't assume that the game is perfect the way it is.

If we all keep all of this in mind, we as a Beta Testers will be better off, the game will be better off, and the community will just be a lot less toxic.

 

It's nice to fantasize that people will just learn to accept other people's opinions. Now, of course, you left out a third little portion of the "Like it/Hate it" group. That's the group that "Loves" it. The like it group can easily accept any changes made to the aspect (as long as it doesn't break the game), but the group that loves it will start throwing a fit if the opposite gets what it wants. So basically, it's always an aim to get everyone in that middle group. I agree that this community seems to get pretty snarky at times when it comes to people's opinions, and simple comments turn into flame wars quickly.

The key to this chaos is to remember what we are right now, BETA players. And early beta at that. Remember that things are going to change (and can be drastically, (ie. level system)), and you can choose to continue playing the game in it's new state, or you can wait until a more stable state comes. When you don't like something, you need to be constructive in the criticism. Remember in school, fill in the blanks: "I don't like this part of the game because: "... "I think you can improve it by: "... And don't get upset and attack anyone that doesn't agree with your thoughts on something (good or bad). We are still young as a community, so lets grow more mature now.

 

My last two paragraphs where really addressed to the people who "love" it. I think sometimes people just need a reminder to consider other peoples experiences, and it'll be more than enough.

 

Of course it would be! Being constructive involves everyone working together towards a common goal: shaping a great game. And this is the perfect opportunity to do it.

 

I think Jfoxx hit the nail on the head right there. We're here to make this game, that we all supported, by developers we all appreciate, the best game it can be. And we're not going to do that by getting angry at people for discussing their experiences.