SoF Feedback Response

You always know it's a controversial topic when Mark Gerhard pushes out a news post.

We recognise that some in the community have mixed feelings about the Squeal of Fortune and, whilst we spend a great deal of time and effort creating game experiences that resonate with the majority of our players, the reality is due to the epic size of our community it simply isn’t possible to please all of our players all of the time despite desperately trying too.

But were people really asking for a MTX (micro transaction) scheme to begin with? It's more about the money and less about the players - spinning it any other way is somewhat insulting. There's also a typo.

Naturally the team and I are saddened that some players are upset about free spins and some also don’t like the ability to also purchase additional spins, however, the reality is 90% of our members are enjoying the Squeal of Fortune on a daily basis and over 70% of our free players utilise the Squeal of Fortune daily too - making it some of the most widely appreciated content release to date.

Notice how the onus is placed upon the players at the beginning. "It's their fault that they're upset, therefore it isn't our problem and I will explain why they're wrong." You'd never see this kind of attitude toward the customer from a CEO like Jeff Bezos for example.

The stats he then uses here are contrived and are only here because it supports his argument that people enjoy the Squeal of Fortune. Why wouldn't someone use a spin given to him for free? Aren't they there to be used? That doesn't necessarily mean that I enjoy the system, but rather am fueled by the potential of winning... hence the gambling argument. It's the same thing you see when the junkie is in line at the liquor store is using his welfare check money to buy 22 lotto tickets.

By his logic, if everyone in my city was given a voucher for a free colonoscopy, and 70% of them were used, then surely it must be the most appreciated medical procedure in the city? No, people are spreading their cheeks because it's free. Not because they love to. If he had said 70% of the players surveyed said that this was the most appreciated content update to date, then there would be no issue. But he chooses to infer motive based on action instead.

The majority of our players also continue to take advantage of the many free ways to earn extra spins, so it’s certainly here to stay.

The argument that "people use it, therefore we're keeping it" is silly. If we always kept things that people used, then there would be no war on drugs and you'd still be able to visit a friendly, neighborhood brothel. You're keeping it because it keeps your pirate ship afloat and gets your beaks a little more wet. Not because you want to keep players happy.

The stated concerns from players regarding RWT'ing, gambling or using the Squeal of Fortune to buy their way to success is simply not true and not possible given the design of the system.

Is it just me, or does it seem like he's alluding to the fact that it's rigged? I have actually purchased many spins (a couple hundred) myself to gauge the system a bit, and boy, does it sure seem rigged! A less than a one percent chance of getting a "rare" item (or in my case, a 0% chance). I understand that it can't be truly "random" because of the different tiers of items, but I dropped a couple of Jackson bills and got nothing but regret in return.

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You have to give him props for "owning it" though. Although in this case, the lash back that led to this news post may have warranted a better response along the lines of "some things are broken and we're re-thinking the system". Can we all just agree that this was just a silly way of getting into the MTX market while trying not to be hypocritical (a la the RWT argument)?

I do not enjoy being insulted as a customer. My business is no longer yours, Mr. Gerhard (will be busy with D3 anyway).

Hopefully they leave the Squeal of Fortune with no XP lamps, no items that can be later sold for cash on websites or gp in GE. With them selling spins for purely cosmetic items like tattoos, horns, and even emotes - it doesn't harm the economy as with "lucky" high-priced and uncommon-drop items. Also all of the prizes for "10m" should be removed. Only then would I say MAYBE it only as bad like when they sell RuneFest Flagstaff of Festivities for $80, Ornate Katana for $22.50, Green Skin for $22.50, Ice Mask for $22.50, Barbed Bow for $22.50... and what ever else they come up with to release in to the game.

There was already mention about "Real-World Trade" back then with those items, which gave no benefit on XP. Was merely borderline offense of their own rule.

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