Manage your expectations. Write to GameTap. ADDRESS ADDED

Marten · **Posted:** Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:19 pm

On August 22, Greydragon wrote here:

greydragon wrote:

Cyan and GameTap would love to have a second season. Like I said before the content schedule for 2008 has yet to be finalized. Both companies are working on the details of the 2008 plan at this time.

Over the past few months, and particularly since the "season finale" announcement, I've seen a lot of negative commentary about Uru as it exists today. A lot of people have observed that the game is not standing up to their expectations.

Back in March 2007, RAWA wrote a post over at DRCsite about setting expectations. Some of us saw that post and tried to adjust what we thought we'd be getting. Others ignored it or griped about it. Still a larger portion of the audience, I believe, simply didn't read that discussion at all.

So, I'd like to propose this as a time to recalibrate our expectations. And the most important thing we can do, to ensure that MOUL is more in line with what we want... is to let GameTap know what we want. Now is the time to do it. If "Season 1" has disappointed you, then now, while GameTap and Cyan are "working on the details" of another season, it is a critical time for us to express our voices.

By "write a letter" I mean on paper, in a real envelope, with a real postage stamp. Anyone can write an e-mail. But letters by post get attention. Getting a large number of people to do this is important. If GameTap receives a tiny number of letters, it won't do much good. Many of us need to commit to this task.

Here in the US, it's Labor Day weekend. It's a great time to take a moment to sit down for a little while, perhaps Sunday afternoon... and pen a short letter. Be succinct and polite. Please do not threaten "I'm going to leave if I don't get my way." Just express what you want MOUL to be. That's all.

If you're going to write a letter, please add your name to this discussion and state clearly "I'm going to write a letter"; doubtless someone who has no desire to write a letter will want to comment here, so I don't want to preclude that by insisting that everything after this post be a signup sheet.

I'm going to write a letter. - Marten

UPDATE - Trent has provided me with the address and letters should be addressed to his attention. Thanks Trent!

GameTap
Attn: Trent Hershenson
384 Northyards Blvd.
Bldg 500 Room NYDS 506F
Atlanta, GA 30313

The following persons have committed to write a letter:

1. Marten - Myst Online
2. Sophia & Murray - Myst Online
3. Romer Openfield - Myst Online
4. ireenquench - Myst Online
5. dratha - Myst Online
6. BladeLakem - Myst Online
7. kat05 - Myst Online
8. Neereus - Uru Obsession
9. L'lee - Guild of Greeters
10. jarelav - Guild of Greeters
11. Afra - Guild of Greeters
12. Deius - Uru Obsession
13. TheTraveler - Myst Online
14. Amun Aten - Myst Online
15. Tehanu - Guild of Greeters
16. shimmerillion - Myst Online
17. Lial - Guild of Greeters
18. Montgomery - Myst Online
19. Krepta - CyanChat
20. ces - Myst Online
21. janaba1 - Myst Online
22. raider7 - Myst Online
23. Esuna - Myst Online
24. Tai'lahr - Myst Online

Round Two
25. Floydman - Myst Online
26. Whilyam - Myst Online
27. CrisGer - Myst Online
28. Christian Walther - Myst Online
29. Kerryth - Myst Online
30. BobC - Myst Online
31. Ri'ana - Guild of Greeters
32. Mererid - Myst Online
33. Dudemom_2000 - Myst Online
34. Erik - The Great Tree
35. Julia Sinclair - Myst Online
36. Kaym - Guild of Greeters
37. Kon'Dor - Myst Online
38. VixBlu - Myst Online
39. DeAn - Myst Online
40. LIRA - Myst Online [In Cavern]
41. Al'Kaera - Myst Online [In Cavern]
42. Pryn - Myst Online [In Cavern]
43. Mara Jade - Myst Online [In Cavern]
44. Mari' - Myst Online [In Cavern]
45. Butch - CyanChat
46. Moiety Jean - The Great Tree
47. Annacat - The Great Tree
48. Shonda - Myst Online [In Cavern]

Sophia · **Joined:** Wed May 17, 2006 11:30 pm **Posts:** 1115

That is a very sensible suggestion, Marten. As staunch supporters of Uru we are going to write a letter too. We look forward to the address. Needless to say we will send positive statements to them.

Murray & Sophia

Romer Openfield · **Posted:** Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:49 pm

I would think, in the spirit of improvement and market research, that Gametap would reach out and offer us a survey. It is their basic job to discover what their customers want, how to improve, then provide it.

Still, whether that happens or not, writing a sensible, succinct (short or bulleted) letter is an excellent idea. But as Marten implied, do wait for the appropriate address, for that is everything...otherwise, you might as well write to Santa Claus.

I'm wondering whether it would be more productive to post here, then someone could aggregate the posts to hardcopy and send them all in at once, to one receptive person at Gametap. In this way, we control our message. Perhaps Gametap could speak up as to how they'd like fan mail to arrive.

I'm writing my letter in the morning.

RO

dotty · **Posted:** Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:15 pm

Romer Openfield wrote:

I would think, in the spirit of improvement and market research, that Gametap would reach out and offer us a survey.

GameTap did offer a survey, and about 1/3 to 1/2 was devoted to questions about URU. I filled it out around a month ago and put up a post about it here in the forum. From responses to that post, I gathered that GT was fairly selective about who they sent it to. (I'm guessing a representative sample of GT subscribers). From the sorts of questions that were asked, I would judge that they are seriously trying to figure out how to improve the game.

We're a diverse bunch, though. What pleases some is bound to displease others. What they will want will be a (hopefully) happy compromise. Marten's suggestion is certainly a good one. I would suggest, in general, that people let GT know what they like about URU along with what they hope will be helpful suggestions.

Romer Openfield · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:29 am

I wasn't around for the survey, so I have no idea how focused it was. I doubt it did much good.

It seems to me that we are not that diverse at all. I would say that the major thing anyone here might ask for is regular and compelling content and story. I don't think the specifics of what that comprises matters too much. Wrong?

My advice: please don't send your letters until we have a name and address.

Whilyam · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 1:04 am **Posts:** 4134

I would say that's wrong, yes. I want different levels of story and content than you. I have a different level of what "regular" and "compelling" is (we might even be able to debate what we think "content" is).

Having taken the quiz, it was very focused. It gauged interest in storyline, interactivity, the "3d chat room" part, even down to whether having actors walk in was satisfying. As well as when we would prefer content come out (monthly, weekly, etc.)

dotty · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:24 am

Romer Openfield wrote:

I wasn't around for the survey, so I have no idea how focused it was. I doubt it did much good.

That's a little harsh. First you say a survey would be a good idea and then you say it probably didn't do any good? The survey was sent via email. You either got it or you didn't. It was recent enough that the results are probablly still being evaluated.

BladeLakem · **Joined:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:58 am **Posts:** 582

Still, writing a letter is a good thing. If nothing else, that indicates more interest, which means they may be willing to pay Cyan more. More funds means more possibilities.

CAGrayWolf · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:10 am

An address would be helpful along with possibly an "Attention To" would be extremely helpful. I seriously doubt that letters to a general box are going to get noticed any faster. Better yet, wouldn't it be nice to have GameTap set up a special email account for MOUL suggestions ... suggesting that they would in all actuality like to here from us and I don't mean a general suggestion box either. We already have several places for suggestions that sometimes get read and sometimes don't. Though we really don't know what is or is not being read unless GD happens to comment. I see staff from GameTap on the forums from time to time, but I haven't seen them post at all in quite sometime.

Marten, I respect you quite highly and I think you know this ... but if I'm sounding sarcastic, perhaps in a way I am ... I just don't see how emailed or written letters ... under the way it is currently presented ... would make any difference what so ever. All we have here is a proposal with no facts to back it up.

If you want to community to follow through, then give us the facts to follow through with.

Marten · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:51 am

I'm working on getting an address. The earliest I expect to have that in hand is Tuesday. But, I won't back down on this - I'll get an address. You can quote me on that.

I sent an e-mail to Trent today asking for an appropriate destination for the letters. Curiously, I received an autoreply saying "Out of the office until Tuesday, September 7th"... which, last I checked, isn't a valid date for the year 2007.

The e-mail included an alternative person to contact, so if I don't hear from Trent by midday Tuesday, I'll assume he's back on Friday... and I will send an e-mail to the alternate contact.

frankenscarf · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 3:35 am **Posts:** 164

Marten wrote:

Back in March 2007, RAWA wrote a post over at DRCsite about setting expectations. Some of us saw that post and tried to adjust what we thought we'd be getting. Others ignored it or griped about it. Still a larger portion of the audience, I believe, simply didn't read that discussion at all.

Whoa...
There's a DRC Site?

Sophia · **Joined:** Wed May 17, 2006 11:30 pm **Posts:** 1115

CAGrayWolf wrote:

I just don't see how emailed or written letters ... under the way it is currently presented ... would make any difference what so ever. All we have here is a proposal with no facts to back it up.

I partly agree CAGrayWolf, it is true this is a fairly open request from Marten. However the main point is that "we" (the Uru community) get heard by GameTap.

An e-mail vs a letter definitely makes all the difference in the world. When a company representative gets a neatly presented printed (or handwritten, if there still is such a thing) letter on top of his desk makes much (and I mean MUCH!) more impression than a quick note via e-mail that you have to fish out of all of your spam during the morning coffee. It might not even register as important, a quick standard reply and be done with it. Or worse still, it might disappear in cyberspace before it did any good at all.

Tesseract · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:17 pm

frankenscarf wrote:

Whoa...
There's a DRC Site?

Yes, and I wish more people knew about it. The forums are even harder to find, since there is no link to them from the home page.

Romer Openfield · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:46 pm

Whilyam, that quiz, as you call it, sounds great. I wonder how many explorers received it? Gaptap should reissue it, because obviously the crucial decision time is upon us. Do you see any results in the game based on the responses you or others gave?

As far as a brand-new debate over what content is vs story, it would be nice not to have to choose. It's all the game. Play as you will, request what you believe would sustain the game for you.

Hardcopy letters certainly get more personal respect than email, if they arrive on the desk of the right person. If not, it's junk mail. That's why I said that ideally Gametap/Cyan should be reaching out to us. My guess is that they are well-aware that we have lots to say.

Certainly, however, this isn't a controversial topic. If our requests to them or theirs to us is not structured or organized, the next best thing is to write the letters. Even the sheer volume of letters will make the point that we have something to say.

This certainly was a good thought Marten.

Tai'lahr · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:55 pm

Tesseract wrote:

frankenscarf wrote:

Whoa...
There's a DRC Site?

Yes, and I wish more people knew about it. The forums are even harder to find, since there is no link to them from the home page.

http://forums.drcsite.org/index.php

Manage your expectations. Write to GameTap. ADDRESS ADDED

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