Deconstruct a JMod

by Fargy

It's critically important to understand how to talk to customers. Sometimes it doesn't quite work.

The internet provides an ocean of opportunity to talk. It makes customer interaction supremely easy. Thousands to one interactions, instantly.

How come it isn't easy then?

Here we look at one minor, insignificant series of communications in one irrelevant thread; a small flapping butterfly that creates cyclones in cyberspace.

How it started.

I got the idea to examine how things go wrong in customer support when the following series of events occurred...

I was asked to be more positive about Runescape.

For the last eighteen month or so I've talked mostly about Runescape to people who have no idea what it is.  It's part of an ongoing campaign to kill Squeal of Fortune, which I see as gambling for kids and the roadblock to any future success of Runescape.

While Squeal lives, Runescape dies.

As a result of being asked to be more positive, I wrote this...

http://wizzley.com/a-runescape-suggestion/

Which includes a discussion with Mod Ash at the end.  Mod Ash leads the group of four who run 2007scape.  The alternative five year old Runescape which was hurriedly formed when the contemporary Runescape became contentious. 

As a result Mod Ash also asked me if I would like to post the article on the Runescape forums.

*awkward pause*

At this point I had to tell Mod Ash that Jagex had banned Fargrist and Vivathia because of our opposition to Squeal of Fortune.  Banned people can't post on forums.

That awkward pause hasn't stopped.  Mod Ash never replied.

It did get me thinking though.  Could I write an article about how little things get big bad things happening?

Here is that attempt.  It is again, a positive thing.  Something to help Runescape.

A plucked sample.

So I went to the forums and plucked a pair of butterfly wings.

They tell the story of a Jmod interacting with players on the forums about an issue which is unimportant in the scheme of things, what is important is what happens...

I copied and pasted four posts from the Jmod here.  Names are unimportant.

These four posts occurred over 14 minutes.

Sequence of events...

First Jmod post...

Nine player posts...

Second Jmod post...

Five player posts...

Third Jmod post...

Three player posts...

Fourth and final Jmod post.

~~~

Have a read and see what you think, I'll pop up at the end and definitely say what I think.

First Post

Momentum will not be getting buffed as a result of this update.

The reason we buffed the Ultimates, was due to it being more efficient in most cases to juggle threshold abilities.

Things should be worth using again now :p

Second Post

Guys, ultimates were rarely used compared to thresholds, and rightfully so (I was one of these players). 

By making the ultimates useful again, we've not nerfed momentum (your tasks will still take the same time as before).

Edit: @ Legion: The most recent update including the 20% cost on dying, should include the "true" degrading rates.?.

Third Post

Hopefully you guys find some quality reasons and effects you can now gain with the ultimates in conjunction with your next thresholds ;)

I've tried a few and I enjoyed, though the QA guys found even more nice rotations, so looking forward to what you guys do <3

Sorry SAM AX, when I refer to threshold juggling, I mean mainly at bosses. This being said, we know the use of ultimates was much less than thresholds, although berzerk was still used a fair bit ;o)

Personally when I slay, I use basic and the odd threshold. 

Richochet to tag multiple NPC's

Bombardment to do AOE on both

if still standing a basic or two each, rinse and repeat.

Fourth Post

I'm not here to argue.

I've earned my quest cape

99 summoning 

99 range (you should get that soon as your account is awesome)

few more 99's 

I post here to help that's all <3

Dean signing out :*(

Notice anything?

Over the course of 14 minutes the JMod seems to engage emotionally.

With the final post indicating some frustration and the Jmod justifies his status as a player by describing in-game accomplishments.

But even before that, right at the very beginning, we see an emote, :P

A cheeky little grin if you will.

So how in 14 minutes, and with only 17 player posts in that time, did the Jmod get frustrated?

I don't intend to answer the questions I raise, they are merely talking points.

Now imagine if this JMod continues.

What will be the likely pattern of behaviour?

Will exuberant helpfulness be the order of the day?  Or is it more likely the JMod will become ever-more reluctant to communicate on forums, and less happy when doing so.

What does that indicate for Runescape's future?

The last thing I'd recommend is customer relations training.  It's mostly bullshit.  And customers will rip apart people bearing gifts of bullshit.

But having some awareness, deconstructing what happens, will let JMods become aware of what goes on inside them, and they can come up with their own fixes then.

Serenity, NOW!

I find the internet a peaceful place.

My past was unpredictable.

Work involved a lot of heavy engagement with people.

Death threats and violence were not uncommon.

The internet, to me, is watching a sunset over the ocean, hearing the waves.  A serene place.

That difference in experience influences how we react to the internet.  We will all come from different places.  Others will find the internet a place of safety, some will find it a place of danger.

The easiest answer might be detachment.

To not care about emotional things.

To look for ideas mainly, those emotionless things, and focus on them, rather than on being right or wrong.

It can be tremendously exciting to have many people talking to you at once, like being pursued by paparazzi.  But in this example it seems to have overwhelmed one fine young Jmod.  

And that's not a good thing for Runescape, and Jagex should be thinking on it.

As a final reminder, there is no fault nor blame here.  We are looking for a better place for Runescape to be in.

 

Same guy, different articles.

Jo Harrington asked me to be more positive on matters Runescapian. So I'm going to give it a shot and send this off to Mod Ash by Twitter.
A quick look at Massively Multiplayer Online games; their commonalities, their future.
Runecraft and Warscape, woops, Runescape and Warcraft share a past and a present, but what of their future?
Anything is possible in virtual worlds. With a click of the keyboard we can summon dragons, ride whirlwinds, swing swords and hit the Quit button.
Updated: 10/30/2013, Fargy
 
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