Topic

An Unofficial Plea from a Live Help guide

One this day of great change, I understand there will be tons of questions. PILES AND PILES OF QUESTIONS. That's understandable and great.

But all it would be so much awesomesauce if, before you turn to LIve Help, you take a moment to see if you can find answers in other places.

• If you think you have found a bug, take a gander at the Bug Forum. Do a quick scan to see if any of the recent topic might address your problem.  Also, take a look at the Known Issues post.

• Read the FAQ. Here's a link to the housing stuff.

* Before asking HOW to do something, try it! Experiment! Poke around at things. It is really really hard to do wrong.

• If you think you may have lost stuff in the move, really really check before you come to Live Help. Saying "I think I may be missing stuff" is not a problem easily addressed. Once you really believe you are missing something, the best action is probably filing a Help/Bug case. The Guides really can't do much besides telling you possible places to look. And Staff will have their hands full. File a report and Staff will get to it as quickly as they can. If you have ever filed one, you know they are damn quick about responding.

• Global may have the answer... and it may very well be quicker.

• If there are changes that you dislike... things that work in ways you think should work differently... are upset over the cost of things... Live Help really can't help. We don't have that power, in any shape or form. But Tiny Speck DOES want to hear it! So post constructive criticism and ideas how to make it different in the ol' Idea Forum. They read it. All of it. Really. You might not get a response but they do read it.

• We love having Live Help be a friendly, casual light hearted place... but don't go off on tangents for too long. Especially on days like today (I expect). ESPECIALLY drop any causal, bantering once another question is asked.

• Along those lines, asking subjective questions ("What's the best blah blah?" and the like) are best suited for Global. As are any strategy questions.

• And please come with patience. Tons and tons of patience.

Thanks,
LBO

P.S. - I'm so excited!

Posted 7 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • I think what Aviatrix is asking for is a channel that is open (ie, not a group with an admin who can remove people from the channel).

    She also wants this channel not to have any staff or guides who can exercise that control either, unless someone specifically contacts them via Live Help asking for them to come in and manage the particular griefer.  

    Personally, I think an official channel that is known not to be monitored by staff or devs is far to risky for a company like TS to implement.  
    Posted 7 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't think anyone is hurt or angry! 

    Perhaps the time for a PhP channel (heh) will come. I'm seeing a lot of questions prefaced with "For staff/devs/an actual guide please" and I suppose that will become more and more of an issue over time as the game grows. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What about an open channel designated for discussion of Glitch strategy? Like Global Chat, this would not be an official channel. However, those who come to Live Help with questions that go beyond what Live Help is intended for could be directed to this channel rather than to Global Chat. This channel also could be used by players who are not specifically seeking help, but are interested in chatting about how to play Glitch.
    Posted 7 months ago by Splendora Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have mixed feelings about this post.

    I remember making frequent use of Live Help and asking a ton of "dumb" or "basic" questions when I was a wee baby glitch. I also lurked Live Help to see the other "dumb" questions people asked so I could be helped by their answers. Some of the questions were things I never even thought to ask but really helped me out in the game.

    Honestly, the kind and helpful people in Live Help were a huge part of what made me love the game. Live Help set the tone of Glitch for me. I came to understand the game as one where helping others was top priority. And as soon as I could, I chimed in so I could pass on helpful information to other new glitches. I never got a Guide badge next to my name but by the time I felt confidant enough to chime in I had an embarrassing amount of hours logged on the game.

    I can see how answering the same question over and over would be frustrating and of course there are some times when people need to discover things on their own. I just would hope that someone who reads this wouldn't be afraid to ask a question because they read this post. I would also hope that someone wouldn't be afraid to offer help because they don't have a Guide badge next to their name.
    Posted 7 months ago by SkyWaitress Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good lord, Wind Born, I said nothing of the sort! 

    ALL channels are subject to Glitch TOS, including Global, Live Help, and any other open channel! Staff can boot anyone from any channel, including Global, and the same would most certainly be true of a PhP channel, thankfully. Otherwise the world would be overrun by trolls. 

    *mutters about reading comprehension*
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +11111 Aviatrix:  " The problem with asking Global is that it's just very high traffic and is usually preoccupied with shenanigans and hijinks. It's a little bit like walking into a rowdy disco bar where bikers, caffeinated teenage girls, and meth addicts are all very busy doing shots and dancing on the tables - and asking them for help putting together a bookshelf. This might be a good time to consider making a channel which is player-helping-player (informal, game-related questions, not global) and leave Live Help for those questions which *really* require dev/guide support.  "

    This needs to be in the Ideas Forum - it's an excellent suggestion!

    Global has become unsuitable for the newbie seeking help/advice with the game and quests.  It's great to see the fun and friendship and 'tabledancing' in Global and we need that type of atmosphere for those that just want to have fun, but we need a less intimidating place for the genuine newbies that really do want to talk/ask questions about the game.  I remember being a newbie... Global would have scared the hell out of me and sent me running instead of enjoying the game!
    Posted 7 months ago by Nikki Z Subscriber! | Permalink
  • In that case, as Fnibbet says, it would add another chat that guides would have to keep open.

    You can't have an open channel with no guides in it, and also have it monitored by guides.
    Posted 7 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Possibly keeping that chat open and monitoring it would be less work than things as-is.
    Posted 7 months ago by diaveborn ♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • TS already segregates the Live Help channels.  They just do it laterally, not hierarchically.

    If LH gets too busy, they simply open another.
    Posted 7 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WindBorn, it would be no different from the way Global is handled when there are trolls; someone will see it, report it, a guide or staffer will see it, whichever. Just like any other open channel. 

    Plus I think you're really, really missing the point of having an unofficial player-helping-player channel. Plus plus, I'm totally not arguing about this with you. Thanks for weighing in, though. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • why does it always come down to trolls?  If somebody is truly trolling simply report abuse.   Or just ignore them.   I find that bullying from self appointed monitors/troll busters  is a form of trolling in itself.   It forces me to explain everything over and over.  Its frustrating.  
    Posted 7 months ago by Treesa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Treesa, I couldn't agree more. The self-appointed monitors are way, way more annoying than trolling itself, mostly because that is itself a form of deliberate annoyance. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As Fribbnet said earlier,

    I think it's not so much that I'm resistant to this idea as that it's *already in place*, but LH isn't the tier you think it is.

    -------------------------------------------------

    LH is already the player helping player channel. 

    There are a number of unofficial player-helping-player channels in existence.  Glitch Strategy is one example, where players can discuss how to play Glitch, away from the inane chatter of Global. 

    If you want an unofficial channel, not monitored by TS, there are some in place. If you think they need improving, you can work within that group or open another group.

    If you want a open channel, monitored by TS, then Live Help is the place they expect you to go. 
    Posted 7 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Still missing the point, but that's OK. Please continue to perseverate on the status quo as if it is some sort of reason not to introduce something new.
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I do believe that the self appointed monitors mean well, and its just a sort of urge to help the guides and keep control.   It just gets frustrating to feel like my question is being screened before a guide can answer.  Also gets frustrating to have to repeat the problem to too many people.

    Maybe we can all just agree to keep global open for the next few days and offer any answers to people who are asking there?   Global isn't usually a good place to get answers but it can be if we want it to be.
    Posted 7 months ago by Treesa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If you're trying to demonstrate that Live Help isn't functioning well, then you'll need to be a bit clearer in your description of the problem.  

    The point is that Live Help was designed to function the way you are describing.  It seems to be working as designed.  TS intended all along that non-guides would be an active part of the Live Help channel.  

    If what you're asking for is a separate help channel in which only guides and staff are allowed to answer questions, then that's something for the Ideas forum. 
    Posted 7 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm a little confused by people wanting help only from someone with a Guide badge. It was my impression that Guides were just players like everyone else who agreed to commit some of their playing time to helping other glitches. Is that incorrect?
    Posted 7 months ago by SkyWaitress Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Not incorrect, we are only players like everyone else :) But guides can also ask staff directly about bugs/problems/etc. So I guess people may be looking for "more official" answers. 

    We encourage fellow players to help each other, though. If incorrect information is given, a guide or staff member will step in and say so (if they catch it), but Live Help works best when glitches share their knowledge with each other. I am very grateful to all those who help in Live Help, Global, and elsewhere - whether they have a Guide badge or not!
    Posted 7 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *bump*
    Posted 7 months ago by natsumi Subscriber! | Permalink
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