Biglebowski
1 decade ago
Blizzard pays no attention to MVP feedback.
I've sent a few emails to that address they provide for feedback, and not only have they not answered me (I didn't really expect them to), but I see no actions have been taken on the forum since then (months ago). I would be shocked if others did not have the same reservations I do (in fact, I know many do)...and with enough complaints and emails you would think something would be done. I respect a lot of the MVPs on here but it seems like, in part, it is a flawed system. Blizzard please address this issue as you would another more pressing issue. You enforce bullying and harassment on here quite strictly...perhaps you should do that whether you are posting in white or green.

EDIT: No, I didn't make this thread because an MVP disagreed with me in my post about common sense in BGs. I was going to make this thread anyway because it has been a long standing problem.
Edited by Biglebowski 08/07/2013 09:35 PM
Zarhym
Blizzard Employee
1 decade ago
Blizzard pays no attention to MVP feedback.
I'm primarily responsible for reviewing feedback about the MVP program. And though I don't get as much time as I would like to respond to the emails I receive, I still take the feedback into account.

The reality is we're working on some initiatives that involve new and enhanced communication channels. We're taking a look at how the MVP program can be better aligned with our goals to help foster a stronger community, and enrich the dialog between players and the World of Warcraft teams here at Blizzard. Some of these Community initiatives have already been rolled out in some capacity, while others are still in the brainstorming or development stages.

So, your feedback about the MVP program does matter (send to mvps@blizzard.com). If you're concerned about the behavior of specific individuals in the program, I'll hear you out on that as well. I just can't guarantee a response, or that I'll agree with your interpretation of our policies and procedures for the forums.
Zarhym
Blizzard Employee
1 decade ago
Blizzard pays no attention to MVP feedback.
I've reopened this thread as sort of an experiment. It's not a gameplay topic, but it's relevant to how we interact with, and get information from, our playerbase.

I wouldn't mind seeing more of a broad discussion on the MVP program and how it hinders/helps the community.

I don't want to see reports on the behavior of specific individuals in the program. If you don't feel the things I said in my previous post warrant interesting discussion, we can let it drift away or I can lock it again. :)
Zarhym
Blizzard Employee
1 decade ago
Blizzard pays no attention to MVP feedback.
Alright. I made it back to this thread. Better late than never? :)

08/07/2013 01:58 PMPosted by Nakhara
I like the idea of MVPs, but the MVP role in other communities tends to come with some forum moderation privileges like being able to lock or hide threads that are in clear violation of the posting rules.

This idea has been raised since the MVP program for WoW first began, and as it still stands today we're against having volunteer moderators. There would absolutely be benefits to having members of the community volunteer as moderators; but with all things considered we feel there are too many drawbacks and too much potential for creating even bigger problems.

Kind of think you guys are going about it wrong. More often than not i see posts from MVP's in general. This part of the forum is akin to Mos Eisley.

Think you would be better serverd to find specific people from each class that are active in their class forums. I know the discussions there are sometimes a little whinny and that Blues have specifically stated that they don't post there, or maybe it was GC i don't know.

Just my opinion and all. Kudos for trying things out though.

We've avoided designating individual MVPs as representatives for specific classes or gameplay types. Ultimately we're looking for knowledgeable players who are adept at communicating in text format. We tell MVPs that they should feel pretty free to post in whatever capacity they're comfortable, which is why some gravitate to Class or Class Role forums.

But I think it's worth clarifying that we don't assign MVPs in such ways. It's important to have an MVP program with participants that reflect as much of the diversity in our community as possible. We're just not sure that making those representations more official and defined is a good thing. For example, we should avoid the type of situation where an MVP could be held accountable for the perceived balance of a particular class, or how that MVP relays information between the community and the designers.

I know we are the vocal minority, and half the time, we have no idea what we want. But, I think we can ALL agree that seeing Blue font in a thread in response to a topic lends more credibility to the stance on the issue than just another random recommendation from green text.

That's intentional. If you're reading green text, you're reading the post of a player that Blizzard has determined sets a generally positive example for the community. If you're reading blue text, you're reading the post of a Blizzard employee offering official comments on community topics. In this context, blue text should carry with it more weight and "credibility."

To inject a little more of my opinion into this, I feel that the MVP system is good, in theory. It's a great way recognize people who are regular to these forums, and more often than not helpful and fun to discuss things with. The biggest issue I see is the misinformation as to what exactly an MVP is, as more people tend to think they do this stuff "on behalf of Blizzard." If there were a way to make it more apparent what the actual point of the system is, I think we'd have less MVP hate and perhaps a bit more cohesive environment... Because very clearly, people who dislike MVP's draw a line between themselves and the MVP's
(and those that get along with the MVP's) in terms of the community... Which I don't think is right or intended.

I agree. Under the current setup, I think far too many threads are derailed simply because a player's text is in green, and many of the posters in that thread don't know why, or if it's even just a regular player.

And messaging only goes so far. We have a sticky on this forum that clearly defines what the MVP program is, but we can't expect most people to read it. Perhaps the way an MVP is visually distinguished needs to be altered in some way to try and stave off initial confusion. That said, there are a lot of limitations on what we can currently do with special account flagging on our website. Creating more robust rules and "account types" requires a great deal of web design time, and we also have to consider that the MVP program spans all of our games and regional websites. I'm just the program administrator for the North American WoW MVP program. There are other administrators for WoW MVPs in each region. The same is true for StarCraft II and Diablo III.

(Yep, even CM tasks and initiatives have development pipelines, prioritization requirements, feedback procedures, iterative implementations, and many of the other things you hear us talking about in a game design context!)

Grant MVP status for a month or two then make another selection. I've never understood why, when there are so many interesting/constructive players, this has not already been the case.

To be perfectly honest, we don't have the bandwidth to do this right now. Or, to put it more accurately, it's difficult to justify injecting this much effort into the program. I'm not saying the program isn't working or has little value to us. But we have many programs and initiatives in our department that are directly linked to efforts in building/strengthening the videogame community, improving communications between players and Blizzard, and on and on. Outside of CMs posting directly on the forums, the MVP program is probably the most forward-facing operation we have on the forums. But that doesn't inherently give it priority over many of the other projects we're working on.

In its most simple form, the idea of the MVP program is to identify intelligent, experienced, and constructive posters in a way that makes them recognizable to everyone. I understand there are flaws with this when considering the current implementation, but my point is that our intent isn't to micromanage MVPs once they're selected. It really boils down to, "Hey, your posts on the forums are good. With your consent, we'd like to change your text color so what you say stands out more." That sentiment doesn't expire (provided it's still true of the individual MVP's posting habits).
Edited by Zarhym 08/08/2013 09:04 PM
Zarhym
Blizzard Employee
1 decade ago
Blizzard pays no attention to MVP feedback.
Okay, this became what I requested we keep it from becoming: a discussion of player harassment and a referendum on the behavior of specific MVPs.

I did get some useful feedback about Community Development programs in general though. Cheers for that.
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