I've had the amazing opportunity to meet players from all over the country via the Community Summit in February. Through the forums and emails I've been able to take part in game related discussions, listen to ideas while sharing some of my own, and build quite a few friendships. I had the pleasure of informing gamers about the importance of account security. I've delved into the mysteries of the naming policy, and walked everyone through how to petition. (I'm sure you all have them book marked and memorized!)
Sony Online has high standards when it comes to community, and being an intern here has certainly shown me that the people in the Community Relations department work very hard to uphold them. Community is the brighter side of SOE. Sure, there are rough times, naysayers and people who obviously make it their goal to give us wrinkles before we are due, but for the most part, it seems to be a rewarding job for those who truly are passionate about the games and their players. Keeping that in mind, I didn't want to end my days at SOE without the full experience; the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I signed myself up for some Customer Service experience!
Amy, better known as Senior GM 'Kimbial' and Julie, the Community Relations Intern.
Before I headed over to building number three where the Game Masters run the show, my friends and I took bets on how many petitions I could go through before I began to cry. Lucky for me, I was paired up with Amy, better known in game as, Senior GM "Kimbial." She was referred to me as the best they had up there, and she greeted me with a smile. Not a snarl. No disgruntled stare; a genuine smile.
When I sat down to intently peer over her shoulder, she was already in the midst of answering petitions. The first that came in was regarding botters. For those that don't know, botters are people who use a third-party program to control characters within games. I let out a sigh of relief when I was assured that two boxing was completely accepted, and Kimbial even raised an eyebrow in challenge while suggesting three-boxing!
As she entered game, Amy explained the priority of petitions. Part of the job of being a Customer Service Representative is ensuring that players have the most enjoyable game play experience possible. Naturally, issues directly affecting game play, such as stuck characters, are mostly addressed as soon as they come in.
Kimbial popped in the Ruins of Varsoon. Ah, one of my favorite places to mentor my alts and go on a named killing spree, collecting loot! Apparently, it's a hot spot for botters too! While investigating the initial petition, Kimbial actually found another group of botters. Her eye is trained to spot them. She is quick with her hands as she tabs through windows, and enters super-secret game commands that cause each of the characters to experience their final link death, never again to return to the land of Norrath . Within minutes she had eradicated the original problem causers and was on to her next petition.
Customer Service Represntatives, busy at work in the San Diego offices!
This one dealt with a report of someone gaining experience while away from keyboard. Immediately I thought, 'Oh, another third party program?' Kimbial shook her head with a slight grin as she magically teleported herself to the server and zone the player in question was in.
There he was, a mighty Conjuror with an even mightier pet, attacking surrounding mobs. It looked normal at first glance, but then I noticed the Conjuror was just standing there, unresponsive. Kimbial made a few quick strokes on her keyboard and instantly, the pet vanished! Poor, poor mighty Conjuror, he just stood there, taking hit after hit, until his untimely death. Determined to give him another chance, Kimbial resurrected him and again, we watched (me, giggling a bit) as he succumbed to the will of the surrounding mobs. No banning for this bad behavior, she explained. An apparent first time offender, she gave him a light suspension with a warning, and even summoned his character to a safe spot. Had that been me, I would have parked him right underneath Woushi!
The next petition Amy answered was regarding an issue that plagues any online game. Plat spammers. You know the annoying tells and/or mails you receive advertising the out of game selling of platinum 4u!1!11! All it took to investigate this one was a quick check of his mail logs. And there the evidence was, page after page of it. Names from Aeope to Zendara; mail sent. He must have sent hundreds of mails, the list just kept scrolling. Within the minute Kimbial zapped him permanently from the world, as he was still standing at the mailbox. A job well done, I'd say, but the thing is, many may not realize it since they'll still receive his spam mail.
Another shot of where the Game Masters diligently investigate petitions, answer player questions, and run special events.
As Amy replied to the original petition, I noticed something; she wasn't announcing in emails that she had just banned a player. Instead, she typed something along the lines of, "Your petition has been read and while we can't always divulge information regarding the issue, please be assured that we are investigating." What?! How ludicrous! I'd be shouting from the rooftops of Qeynos, "Ispamyou was just BANNED!" I'd ensure through a bright yellow broadcast that everyone knew Norrath was now populated with one less spamming idiot, but alas, that cannot be done. Kimbial explained, while she'd love to have a feature similar to that, it wouldn't be long before the GMs were getting petitions for spamming! The truth of the matter is, within the hour I was over in CS, Amy alone had banned at least a dozen accounts for botting or email spamming.
The bottom line doesn't even come to mind when deciding whether or not to ban botters and spammers. Amy said if she could, she'd position herself at the known hotspots and just ban whatever botters she encountered. Although a lot of her time is spent doing the dirty work of CS, she keeps her spirits high by being involved in the gaming community as much as possible. "I get more love than hate," she says with an honest smile, explaining that she loves to spend time answering questions ranging from quest concerns, to "where should I place that expensive rug in my estate?" Being in game, questing and interacting, is what Amy is most passionate about. It is this approach that makes me believe the GM's of SOE are here to perform a great service for players, though a lot of their work may go unnoticed. There are real people sitting behind those avatars, people who know and love games.
Amy assures me that it's not a thankless job. She's helped countless players with a variety of issues, and many of them have shown gratitude for a job well done. Knowing that at the end of the day, the game is better than how she found it is a reward in itself. Who knows, maybe I can weasel my way into a Customer Service internship and continue on, learning, writing, gaming (and eating brownies!)