ArcheAge: Shitstorm Reloaded – Trion Worlds angers whales with a dolphin [Update]

Dark brown clouds are once again gathering over the sand park MMO ArcheAge: A shitstorm is brewing. This time, the reason is a gift for former players, so they log in again.

As reported by the US site massivelyop, there is trouble on the horizon in ArcheAge again. At the moment, with no official statement available, it is still unclear what the extent of the action is. Initially, it was even considered mere “trolling”. However, there are increasing signs that it is indeed true. It is definitely causing quite a stir.

Apparently, English-speaking players have been offered a “come-back package” by Trion Worlds that they can pick up in the Glyph store. This package includes passes for the new dungeon, some EXP boosts, and work-point potions. Players are likely supposed to be motivated by these gifts to start playing ArcheAge again and check out the new update. So far, that wouldn’t be a reason to get upset.

http://youtu.be/1yYthpxBG3M

Do ex-players receive different gifts depending on their status?

However, among some players, this offer apparently also includes extremely valuable items that came from the supply crates. Some offers even include the dolphin “Cyanfin”. Other versions of this invitation show different offers. It seems to depend on how much money a player has spent in ArcheAge.

At the moment, the information is exclusively coming from players – and as has been highlighted to us recently by the Greek finance minister and ZDF shows: Well.

The catch with something like this is that players who have remained loyal to ArcheAge now feel “betrayed” because others are rewarded with such expensive gifts for what they see as “giving up” while their steadfast loyalty is interpreted to their disadvantage.

Some paid 700 euros for the dolphin, while others are said to receive it for free

For the dolphin Cyanfin, a very special mount, there was the first shitstorm in 2015 for ArcheAge. Because it was not, as announced, obtainable via loyalty points, but rather through the unwanted supply crates. It is akin to winning the lottery to obtain it. Many players spend a lot of money on this: Similar to when a schoolboy wants to finally pull the ring from a damn gumball machine to give it to the long-admired Franziska from the 7b class, and then throws all his pocket money in only to get gumballs out.

Players who spend a lot of money in a free-to-play game are also called “whales.” One of them published an angry letter in the Trion Worlds forum, stating he spent over 700 dollars and did not receive the dolphin “Cyanfin” and now others are said to receive it completely for free. Not with him! He will immediately cancel his subscription.

A passing user commented ironically: “Congratulations on the Pegasus.” That will be the next prestige mount of the hour.

Surprise: It all actually happened just like that

Update 0:15: Yes, it is exactly as described in the article. The promotional action played out this way. We can cross out the question marks. There is a statement from the ArcheAge producer, who says it is their job to see how to bring players back to ArcheAge. To do this, they must make attractive offers. However, they overdid it in good faith and were simply too generous, which upset the existing players. They have already ensured that such a situation does not happen again in the future and now plan to give something to all players:

The bottom line is we ran forward at full speed with the best intentions and the packages were just plain too generous. We’ve corrected this process internally and have measures in place now to identify and review appropriate rewards.

We need to ensure our existing loyal patrons and players never feel slighted when we implement programs like this. It’s important for us to treat our community fairly and to do this we are designing a giveaway for all active ArcheAge players. We will have more details tomorrow after internal discussions occur around development of the program.

Mein MMO thinks: The story seemed a bit too outrageous to be true at first. Therefore, we were cautious in our depiction. The first reaction from us as well as many players who heard about it was: This is too extreme; this can’t happen to Trion Worlds – someone must have photoshopped the dolphin into the email to former patrons. But apparently, Trion Worlds is, when it comes to this, as unpredictable as the boxer Mike Tyson: Everything could be possible, even former players getting packages worth 100 euros just like that without considering how the players feel who have actually paid 100 euros for such packages, possibly just yesterday.

Mind you: Nothing against regular “gifts,” but to include that dolphin, of which one must have known how sensitive it is… that shows a complete misjudgment of one’s own player base.

In contrast to earlier, it must be noted that the mistake was quickly acknowledged. This is a welcome change. Tomorrow, they plan to announce how exactly they want to rectify this mistake.