Banned from AC forums, anyone have experienced this?

[Rui Santos]

< Mod Edit: Please be advised that it is in breach of RD ToS to use insulting or derogatory terms. Post cleaned.>

Hello all, i'm banned from AC forum for more than one month now. As an active member since the beggining and with more than 1000 messages i feel shocked with that kind of attitude from them. <snip>

Has this happened to anyone? I agree maybe that they should permanently ban you if you were kind of disrespectful or insult anyone, which was not the case. I got banned until now just because people were asking on forum for MP improvements (more than acceptable) and all i've done was quote a message <snip> and used a funny ironic image related to what he was saying THAT WAS CLEARLY A LIE!! From that moment on, as it was admitted by Lord Kunos himself, he went on a ban strike and several people were banned... until now.

Well, maybe i would accept a week suspension because now i know AC forums staff can't accept critics anymore (they're rich now) and became a dictatorial regime that can only be populated by fanboys or "yes" sheeps...

The image was this...

 

[Cote Dazur]

I have deleted AC from the XBox, pCars II is out soon I'll wait for that.

Good for you, waiting on PCars seems like the sensible thing to do in your case, I have heard that their saving the championship function is really good, since it seems that for you a game cannot be played without it, it should be all good for you on release date.
Note of advice, if I was you I would be very careful on expressing any frustration on the SMS forum, they have been known for banning a few people on rare occasion.

 

[MarkR]

After the usual fuss to get any sort of response it seems Kunos are finally willing to look into the championship save issues. Why it takes forum bans and a whole load of internet words to get a sensible response is something I'll never really understand but that is the way it seems to be.

Anyway, for the avoidance of doubt, I found a way to capture the whole game startup, championship creation, a shortened 1 lap race for the sake of the video size (3gb as it is), the game close down procedure by backing out to the splash screen and the game restart showing the custom championships revert to the default every time. I've already shared this with 505 games support - the official way for console users - but I decided to share it here too to demonstrate that people are reporting real issues, being ignored and eventually getting banned for asking the question 'too many times' (I assume none of the Kunos devs has children because then they'd know the true pain of the repeated question!).

For clarity, the same thing happens when realistic practice/quali/race lengths etc are set, this video is just to demonstrate the issue.

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

That's so cute that you think they are just now looking into it.

 

[MarkR]

That's so cute that you think they are just now looking into it.

From the direct developer reply I've seen today you are either wrong or more likely just here to stir up trouble.

Until today there was outright refusal to acknowledge the problem existed and earlier this week an insistence that they could not replicate the issue. They can now recreate an issue we've been reporting since the patch went live.

We all know you like to mock console users but please move along unless you've got something constructive to add AC tester, superfan or whatever you are.

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

I'm going to get to work on becoming banned so that Kunos will finally implement night/rain. (since that is how things work, according to you)

You are correct about me being a bit salty when it comes to the console version of AC. I can only imagine how much the PC version has suffered because of the wasted resources spent on the seemingly failed console experiment. But that really isn't the discussion for this thread.

 

[ppbucko]

Credit where credit is due, kunos Dev staff got in touch with me about the save issues on championships, and I can say they were first class, exceptionaly polite and have followed up with what they have found. Even though I was banned from forum for having a pop at them. I also seem to be able to log back into forum. So thank you.

 

[MarkR]

I'm going to get to work on becoming banned so that Kunos will finally implement night/rain. (since that is how things work, according to you)

You are correct about me being a bit salty when it comes to the console version of AC. I can only imagine how much the PC version has suffered because of the wasted resources spent on the seemingly failed console experiment. But that really isn't the discussion for this thread.

Well as we've seen this week they actively banned 2 players (update and now unbanned one) for correctly reporting bugs they refuse to acknowledge in the retail version of the game on a consumer console - you know consoles actual consumers can buy and play the game on. They were banned for asking the question too many times in the wrong threads apparently- if that technique helps you get banned all the better. One I know has even (shock horror/hell freezing over) has had an apology. Maybe they are finally realising their silent communication style is as much part of the problem as the customers they ban? Anyway, they can't ban you, who would make their thinly disguised advertorials on YouTube?

The console version may well have flawed gameplay but wasted resources I think not. Take a look at Kunos's publicly available accounts or better still the Digital Bros financial reports and you'll see that financially the success lies with the doubled console sales over the PC version. This is on topic because with that being true the contempt they show toward console players, especially those who offer feedback, is unbelievable.

 

[garyjpaterson]

Well as we've seen this week they actively banned 2 players for correctly reporting bugs

lol

So you keep saying, but we all know that's not why they were banned.

Correctly reporting a bug is opening a thread in the relevant sub-forum, clearly providing all information on how to replicate it and follow any instructions given by staff that may solve/help understand the issue.

If it doesn't get fixed, spamming it in other threads is not the answer, nor is it still considered "correctly reporting bugs".

Correctly reporting a bug whilst also being a dick towards devs elsewhere does not give you the right to choose which of the two were the reason for being banned...

 

[ppbucko]

To be fair I think we was banned for having a go at the staff, not for reporting the bugs. There again it was probably due to reporting such a major bug in all the correct and incorrect places and getting no feedback on it for over 2 weeks that caused the later have a go attitude. That's the last I'm going to say on it.

 

[MarkR]

lol

So you keep saying, but we all know that's not why they were banned.

Correctly reporting a bug is opening a thread in the relevant sub-forum, clearly providing all information on how to replicate it and follow any instructions given by staff that may solve/help understand the issue.

Which the devs then completely ignore? Then. customers get frustrated and up the ante, do I have to repeat myself again. The forum user behaviour isn't right but nor is the silent contempt shown by the developers, both are to blame in poor communication, not just the powerless consumer as you like to make out. If Kunos have time to read and be upset by the insulting posts it suggests they have read and the ignored bug reports too. 505 games who also have the same reports are not guilt free in this either, they claimed to have tested the issues on consumer consoles, "sitting next to the QA team right now" but then it turns out they did no such thing.

Defend them all you like, they can ban whoever they want it's Kunos's playground he has made that clear. They can't stop the issues popping up all over the internet though, his ban hammer as it's name implies has a limited range and is a blunt instrument. Kunos were overly sensitive, arrogant and got it wrong this time. It is their reputation and I know I wouldn't treat my customers this way.

At the same time good on them for finally acknowledging and changing their fixed attitude, at last, shame it took a lot of fuss to get here though isn't it.

 

[garyjpaterson]

Just because a bug is not fixed, it does not mean the report was ignored.

 

[ppbucko]

Trouble is with AC forum is, if you look at pc side and the bug section it's the best I've seen, players report things and the devs investigate then update the thread with colour coded response. Issue not a issue etc etc. Then on the console side it's the same system that hardly gets updated or gets feedback. Like all console games. But when you have the 2 on the same page there lies most of the problems. If you look at custom championships in bug section it hasn't been updated since i posted it there on day 1 of update.

 

[StefanoCasillo]

Well as we've seen this week they actively banned 2 players (update and now unbanned one) for correctly reporting bugs they refuse to acknowledge in the retail version of the game on a consumer console

you are one very special guy really

 

[MarkR]

Just because a bug is not fixed, it does not mean the report was ignored.

In this case it did, the bug was ignored, denied and despite multiple reports we were told it could not be replicated on consumer consoles (it's your router was the funniest support advice). In actual fact the only people who could not replicate the issue were the development team.

Anway, at last, there is progress which is really all that matters. Good to see the loyal superfans in with the usual responses though - we get it for you Kunos can do no wrong.

 

[MarkR]

you are one very special guy really

Thanks, I'll assume that is a compliment, it must be like looking into a mirror. Legendary customer relationship skills on display once more.

We are glad us console users could help you fix your game and find the bugs you couldn't. Shame it took a sledgehammer to crack a nut though.

I hope you are good to your word and will now improve customer support and particularly the way bugs are acknowledged and responded to in future.

 

[MarcG]

Pure GOLD this thread!

 

[Amplified]

Gold coins for everyone getting banned. Come get the credits

 

[ShredatorFIN]

Giving warnings and temp bans gets pretty tiresome. I've been server admin on a FPS gaming server, usually I listen to BS for a while, then permban and be done with it. New idiot comes in 10 minutes, as (mainstream) FPS players are generally very toxic crowd. And usually these kind of problems are incurable anyway, because the problem is in the brain...

All bans I've seen Kunos do were justified, I've been critical of AC in several posts, but never got even 1 warning. Because I do it in constructive manner, and keep a respectful tone to the sim I love.

Sometimes I feel they do take things a bit too personally (like some idiots complaining about free cars), I mean they are successful geniuses, who created critically acclaimed simulator out of nothing, industry leading even. Why would they care about some random fools of Internet who don't own a gaming company. Why even react.

But I guess they are humans too. Why listen to a guest talking BS in your own house. Purchasing AC entitles you to support, doesn't entitle you to act like a monkey on their support forums

 

[MarkR]

Why even react.

I'd ask that question to both Stefano and Ian Bell, from a pure business perspective the way they sometimes react makes little sense. Bottom line, sell great driving games that gamers enjoy and tell their friends about = sell more games. I don't agree that all AC forum bans are always fair or rational (the ban hammer?), there is often a lot of emotion involved but that is an aside here. It is their pram they can throw the toys out as they wish, which ironically seems to escape their grasp as the exact same behaviour they dislike in others.

The AC Forum may act as a support forum for PC users but it does not for console users. In reality, anyone reading the AC forum objectively can see it is a fansite for the invested few.

Bans on hate-filled ranting and threats I get but bans for pointing out the genuine flaws in a product I do not. Incisive criticism can be painful but both Kunos and SMS must in more reflective moments see that many times the critics had a valid point.

My advice to both Kunos and SMS would be to employ some real PR and engagement people, go on the charm offensive, acknowledge real issues (Kunos is shameful at the strong silent approach), apologise quickly without feeling that means they lose face (failing to apologise is just the ego talking in business) and then make good on fixes and deservedly shout about the progress.

It is a simple choice, be offended, obstinate and alienate customers or look at the reality, learn and grow from criticism and win over the critics. It is true you'll never win them all over but the majority, especially with a good or great product you certainly will.