Forums » Suggestions
Well, I disagree Savet. Let google play, or Itunes deal with the "links to mobile" stuff, you have to have an email address to download this game in even the mobile world.
The primary reason to get the user's email address is for password-recovery automation, which was like 90% of our "support" load until we automated it.
The second reason is it gives us a direct channel for communicating with the user, in the event of behaviour or policy problems. Facebook and other "unique registration" means don't necessarily provide this at all. And moreover, what they do permit can change from time to time. I used to be able to contact all of VO's facebook followers (I mean, that's why they follow, right? for updates?), but now I have to spend like $30 per post if I want to reach all of them.
Email we control, no one can take our ability to contact via email away, without wrecking the internet. We are not likely to stop asking for emails.
But, that has nothing to do with the root OP issue here of exchanging keys with newbies. We can do this by:
- Direct in-game connection. You give them the key, it applies the benefits of the key to the remote person, they get an email notification that this happened if they're offline (and/or have email), as well as the next time they login.
The only question to me is whether we might want to allow people to explicitly "Accept" a key or not, or if there's any reason to not auto-apply a friend key to any eligible account? I don't.. think so?
If we can just auto-apply keys, that makes the design/mechanics simpler to implement.
The second reason is it gives us a direct channel for communicating with the user, in the event of behaviour or policy problems. Facebook and other "unique registration" means don't necessarily provide this at all. And moreover, what they do permit can change from time to time. I used to be able to contact all of VO's facebook followers (I mean, that's why they follow, right? for updates?), but now I have to spend like $30 per post if I want to reach all of them.
Email we control, no one can take our ability to contact via email away, without wrecking the internet. We are not likely to stop asking for emails.
But, that has nothing to do with the root OP issue here of exchanging keys with newbies. We can do this by:
- Direct in-game connection. You give them the key, it applies the benefits of the key to the remote person, they get an email notification that this happened if they're offline (and/or have email), as well as the next time they login.
The only question to me is whether we might want to allow people to explicitly "Accept" a key or not, or if there's any reason to not auto-apply a friend key to any eligible account? I don't.. think so?
If we can just auto-apply keys, that makes the design/mechanics simpler to implement.
- Direct in-game connection. You give them the key, it applies the benefits of the key to the remote person, they get an email notification that this happened if they're offline (and/or have email), as well as the next time they login.
Yes.
The only question to me is whether we might want to allow people to explicitly "Accept" a key or not, or if there's any reason to not auto-apply a friend key to any eligible account? I don't.. think so?
No reason to give someone the ability to reject a friend key.
Yes.
The only question to me is whether we might want to allow people to explicitly "Accept" a key or not, or if there's any reason to not auto-apply a friend key to any eligible account? I don't.. think so?
No reason to give someone the ability to reject a friend key.
I can see an edge case where someone might want to save a friend key until a period of time that they can play more, but that is so minor that I agree it should be auto applied.
Another problem with auto-apply is that the recipient might not realize they were given the friend key and it could then expire without ever been used. Especially so if the recipient didn't request the friend key (e.g. some dude flies around distributing friend keys to everyone he sees with no communication at all).
Now that I think about it more, I have to change my mind. In extension of the point Meridian makes, it could also create a negative impression once it expires and the lose access that they previously had just assumed was normal game functionality for a free sub.
Solution: give the player a prompt when they log in with the following message and available actions:
You have received a friend key from $pilotName which will remove lite/free account limitations for 14 days.
[Apply] [Wait]
Solution: give the player a prompt when they log in with the following message and available actions:
You have received a friend key from $pilotName which will remove lite/free account limitations for 14 days.
[Apply] [Wait]
Because we are going for simple, to try make this actually happen, would it not be possible to just send the friend key to the registered account email, and let them apply it as they do now?
If they have not linked an email account yet, an error should be displayed to the sender, informing them that the user has yet to link the account. Then we can get them to link it and stuff?
/friendkey give "blahblahblah"
sends key to blahblahblah's registered email. "You have been sent a friend key, please follow the email instructions to redeem it."
or if email is blank
"This person has yet to link an email account to their Vendetta Online account. Please re-send the key once this is done."
If they have not linked an email account yet, an error should be displayed to the sender, informing them that the user has yet to link the account. Then we can get them to link it and stuff?
/friendkey give "blahblahblah"
sends key to blahblahblah's registered email. "You have been sent a friend key, please follow the email instructions to redeem it."
or if email is blank
"This person has yet to link an email account to their Vendetta Online account. Please re-send the key once this is done."
The problem with that Yoda is that:
1. People may not check their vo email or it may go to spam.
2. It's generally a bad idea to share another person's account status details with someone not on the account.
1. People may not check their vo email or it may go to spam.
2. It's generally a bad idea to share another person's account status details with someone not on the account.
"they may not check their e-mail"
they have to check their email now anyways, so what, the point is that **I** don't have to know their e-mail
but on the other way , the automated way, some form of notification should happen on their next login just to explain that they have the extended full trial
Unless they are some kind of bot they aren't going to stay logged in for 14 days so they'll get the message.
they have to check their email now anyways, so what, the point is that **I** don't have to know their e-mail
but on the other way , the automated way, some form of notification should happen on their next login just to explain that they have the extended full trial
Unless they are some kind of bot they aren't going to stay logged in for 14 days so they'll get the message.
To address your very valid points Savet:
1) I can tell them I am giving them a key, and tell them to check their email for it.
2) Granted, that is a problem. But imho, a lot less of a problem than sharing an email address that may be used for nefarious things.
Automatically applying the key could work, but like others have said, the recipient may not want to apply the key right away (this actually happened with me last week, I gave a key out but advised the guy to hit the level caps before applying it). Rewriting a part of the interface to accommodate this isn't going to happen any time soon.
1) I can tell them I am giving them a key, and tell them to check their email for it.
2) Granted, that is a problem. But imho, a lot less of a problem than sharing an email address that may be used for nefarious things.
Automatically applying the key could work, but like others have said, the recipient may not want to apply the key right away (this actually happened with me last week, I gave a key out but advised the guy to hit the level caps before applying it). Rewriting a part of the interface to accommodate this isn't going to happen any time soon.