Petition for a better POTCO

Which is the more appropriate tittle for the Petition?

  • Revive

    Votes: 24 63.2%

  • Revitalize

    Votes: 14 36.8%
  • Total voters
    38
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LEO

LEO

Site Founder
This is the official thread for the future to come PETITION for a 'revived' POTCO.

This thread is for suggestions, opinions and corrections that will lead to the actual Petition.

Ok... So back to the Petition idea. Let me be honest that this is the first time I have had to do something like this.

My friend whom I had asked to write the text has more knowledge on this so she explained to me how it is better if there are two parts in this. One that appeals to the players and than a second appeal which finishes the players concerns(issues), importance of POTCO and solutions along with some beneficary outcomes for Disney if Pirates is indeed 'revived'. They are both send in along with the signatures to wherever this will be sent.

Here is the first draft for the first part of the petition which is the appeal to players to sign it.
Pirates of the Caribbean Online is almost 5!

The unique environment that the life of a pirate in the Caribbean offers players is unrivalled by any other game. Centred on the hugely popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies we can enact parts of the film or create our own gaming experience in a pirately setting. Once the quests and levels are complete the game is self-perpetuating via PvP and SvS. In essence, as a gaming experience it is ideal.

Over the past 5 years, it has given players untold hours of enjoyment. Many thousands of players have invested their time and money in the game; friendships have been forged, fierce battles have been fought and memories made.

A social community has developed within the game, and, outside of the game -- in support and appreciation -- via fan sites and social networks.

Importantly, the social history of characters and guilds that has developed is one which the dedicated players of Pirates of the Caribbean Online will fight passionately to maintain.

A key part of maintaining that history is maintaining the environment in which we play.

To this end, amidst frustrations with technical issues arising from Pirates of the Caribbean Online, and the increasing draw of other games and experiences, a dedicated collection of players has come together to raise a single and co-ordinated voice for those concerns.

Please put your name to this petition if you too are affected, and would like to see action on the following:
  • Server Lag and Delay
Whilst we are aware that each player plays on computers of differing technical specification and accesses the game via varying network speeds, server lag the game itself is a huge concern. Regular maintenance downtime may solve this, it’s a method that’s been used in POTCO in the past, but for some reason this is no longer the case. Dedicated servers for certain activities may also help.​
  • Bugs and Glitches
Every game has bugs and glitches, but we feel that certain things can be done to rectify problems with bugs and glitches and avoid the inevitable exploitation of them. These include better and longer testing on the test servers, a better report system and –importantly -- acknowledgement that the reports have been received and are being dealt with. This does not have to be a personal response but an updated ‘Known Issues’ section on the website would suffice. ​
  • Hacking (game files or using third party programs)
For some it’s all too tempting to pull a thing apart to see how it works, this is no less the case with POTCO, and as people become more aware of how to manipulate software, and more third-party programmes are made with gaming in mind, our game is increasingly at risk. That said, this is tricky to monitor and we appreciate that, but some acknowledgement from Disney by way of blocking the popular programmes and more effective consequences for those who use hacks is desirable.​
  • Customer Service
We all have to get in touch with POTCO at some time or another, but lately there is nobody there to take the enquiry. A three day week for Live Chat is not acceptable; we still pay the same subscription as we did when Live Chat was full-time. When we do get through for technical concerns the answers are often generic, pointing to things we have done wrong ourselves, or to some shortfall in our technical specifications. This advice often conflicts with the Pirates Online website advice regarding technical requirements for the game, and can conflict with our computer manufacturer’s advice. Updated technical advice is essential to avoid unnecessary damage to the equipment on which we play and ensure smooth gameplay. ​
  • Content
Once we have quested, levelled and reached the endgames of PvP and SvS we really do depend on our own ability to entertain ourselves within the POTCO environment, but this doesn’t need to be the case. Even though writing new content should be high on the list of priority for Disney to maintain subscriptions, we appreciate that game development takes time – we would all love a higher level cap, new islands and new skills.​

That said, more can be done with what’s already in the game: looting could be made more fun by making more rare loot available to higher level pirates giving them the hope that they may get more than Rusty Sabres and Dingy Tops. Ship repair could be something that can be levelled, offering rewards in certain skills. Dedicated servers for player organised events, with Disney support, and a mention in the news section of the website gives a little something back to players for their dedication, while they wait for new content.​

These are just some of the concerns and suggestions for possible fixes set out by players, there will undoubtedly be many more suggestions but the issues can only be addressed with the help of Disney.

Remember, all that’s required to support this petition is your pirate name and guild if you have one.
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So that is the idea as of now.

The one posted above is open for suggestions and corrections.

The plan is to have two parts to be send. This which appeals to the public to get players to sign it. A second part which is not written yet will be added on separately than with the signatures, all together will be sent in to Disney. The second part will include the positives of POTCO for Disney, the importance of POTCO to us players, the need to 'revive' POTCO by fixing the issues, the player concerns and some solutions as well which would be almost like a request for Disney from everyone who signs up.

Now this is open for suggestions. Please share your opinions/suggestions on the writing above and the idea of presenting it to the places it will be presented.
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There will need to be some rules on who and how someone can sign up.

My suggestions are:
  • Each player signs up only ONE pirate signature to represent him/herself unless they have more than one unlimited account where in that case you sign up ONE per unlimited account. So if you pay for multiple accounts, you can post one pirate per paying account.
  • Basics and Unlimited accounts can sign up. If you have multiple basic accounts, ONLY chose your main pirate from all those accounts. If you are unlimited, look at the above statement.
  • If you are a parent, and have family accounts where your children, partner or other relatives play, you may sign up only the main pirate of each person that plays or in other words, only ONE pirate per each of those different accounts of different people.
For example:
If I have One unlimited account, I will post Only my main pirate which would look like:
--Leo - level 50 - Team SvS
If I have one unlimited and one or more basic accounts I can post only my main accounts pirate which would be the same as the one above.
===========================================
If I only have a basic account and lets say I was Eric in some guild it would
look something like this.
--Eric - level 14 - Guild name
If I have multiple basic accounts, I would chose only ONE main pirate from all those basic accounts and post the information like the one above
===========================================
If My family plays the game as well than each family member represents themselves by posting one main pirate per person.
===========================================

This is so it stays fair to Disney so they don't get a list of pirates but rather one per player to represent the actual player or represent a paying account which would be financially better for the game and DIsney.

As far as where to sign up, I still need more suggestions. What I was thinking of was having 'ambassadors' in different places where they are responsible of watching over that area and collect the list of those who sign up. That includes different forums, wiki, Facebook and other fan sites. After collecting the signatures they than gather together to make the full list.

This would then be send directly to DIMG, POTCO development CREW, and to ALL the places POTCO would rise attention.

Please share your opinions. This is an open discussion and everyone should share because this plan is for everyone to enjoy a better game.
 
- I think that if the completed petition should be posted on those different social networking sites and and forums. Perhaps, in the thread or something where people can read it and leave a comment with their signature, which can then be collected from said ambassador and binded together with the lists of signatures from the ambassadors on other sites. (Speaking of which, is Twitter a good place too? I don't have one so I don't know how it works but I know a lot of people(understatement) use it)

-I love how the petition is written so far. I think it is very well worded. The only suggestion I have for that part is that there may need to be some sort of 'call to action' statement (besides the request of signature[etc.] directed towards the members in asking them to join in. That statement should appeal to emotion and make someone want to do something! ;)
 
Zia Badncool said:
-I love how the petition is written so far. I think it is very well worded. The only suggestion I have for that part is that there may need to be some sort of 'call to action' statement (besides the request of signature[etc.] directed towards the members in asking them to join in. That statement should appeal to emotion and make someone want to do something! ;)
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I like that however I think that would be going beyond the petition idea. This is asking for players to sign the petition which supports a better game therefore the players support a better game. A call to action statement wouldn't be part of the petition because in that case it would ask for individuals to do something.

I may be wrong in what you are trying to say but you should expand what you mean. Do you mean a call to action asking players to act by sending in bug reports or doing some other activity?
 
My apologies. I didn't word that very well. In 'call to action', I mean signing, supporting, and spreading the word about the petition as the 'action'. What I'm talking about it some sort of final phrase that completes everything by somewhat appealing to the emotions of the readers. For example," So sign the petition and make a difference!"(not that exact phrase)- just something to get the readers "pumped up" for trying to cause a change and save the game.
 
On the potco players wiki, they have a petition about the old body types where people who wish to sign can simply edit it to add their name (kind of like a page full of names) If I'm correct, if someone vandalizes, it can easily be undone with the click of a button.

Also, if this is to succeed I think as many of the users as possible should send emails to disney about this... kind of like we did a year or two ago for the leaderboards. Maybe someone should make a few 'templates' of notes to send to Disney that signers can use.

Finally, if we do launch this petition, I'm gonna sign! :D

EDIT: One more thing... I'm not sure how official we want to make this, but I believe if you want it as official as possible you should write out numbers such as five instead of 5.

Errr... maybe two more things XD... I also think if it's supposed to be formal the opening sentence should say something like:
Pirates Of The Caribbean Online is almost five years old!
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Captain Redhorn said:
...

Also, if this is to succeed I think as many of the users as possible should send emails to disney about this... kind of like we did a year or two ago for the leaderboards. Maybe someone should make a few 'templates' of notes to send to Disney that signers can use.

Finally, if we do launch this petition, I'm gonna sign! :D
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It should be emailed to Disney after the petition is fully signed and fully ready. Than it will be like a surprise. Makes the reaction of the receiver a lot better.:)

So that being said, spread the word around but do not send it to Disney just yet.
 
Zia Badncool said:
What I'm talking about it some sort of final phrase that completes everything by somewhat appealing to the emotions of the readers. For example," So sign the petition and make a difference!"(not that exact phrase)- just something to get the readers "pumped up" for trying to cause a change and save the game.
Click to expand...
"Emotion?" I know how to appeal to a pirate's :eek: emotion. Perhaps something said along the lines of, "sign the petition ye wobbly-legged scallywag or walk the plank, arrrgh," lol.

*In fact, am very much in agreement with you - Zia. For one thing, people need to understand (somehow) on an emotional level that if there ever was a time to act & make a difference as a pirate, this could very well be that time!
 
Leo, we forgot to make the "poll" for the title of the Petition as well ...

The reason we do this now, is because we want to be multitasking, and as we go, we will accomplish everything on here, instead of having to open another thread just to brainstorm about the title. Some members do not come to the Forums often enough to be able to go back and forth following threads, so it might be better to add the poll now. Idk if a Moderator/Admin could help us with editing (adding) this poll?

We might have seen the strong contenders: "revive" and "revitalize". But it might not hurt to add the other words as well, even though on the flip side, we would not be so focused anymore. Or leave it open again, as if putting "Other word - please specify", so that members could still add more words, if they could find one (I personally think that those two words are so strong in meaning that it's going to be hard to beat/find other words that could mean the best for our mission).

Btw, I haven't responded to the Petition draft yet ... need time to assess it thoroughly first ...
 
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Shamus The Brute said:
"Emotion?" I know how to appeal to a pirate's :eek: emotion. Perhaps something said along the lines of, "sign the petition ye wobbly-legged scallywag or walk the plank, arrrgh," lol.
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Although I think you're joking here (at least partially ;)), I think that some sort of phrase could be added of that sort to add a sort of "lightheartedness" about it- although serious about the subject. It would both capture of the attention of the readers while relating to them as fellow pirates. :) When I mentioned adding something above, I was thinking more seriously; but honestly, I like the phrase you used because everyone's attention is still grasped.
Wether we end up going for a more serious phrase or more funny, I quite like that statement. lol
 
When correcting or making suggestions, keep in mind that this is written by a pro writer with a degree in writing. Also think RHETORIC and is it something that can fit in the writing.

This is a first draft so stuff will change to make it better and at this stage is only meant for our critiques.
 
Waiting for the petition to be done formally, basically its all that Potco needs to work with to improve game performance. Also add the info from your video "Pirates Online - Need for Reform".
Thank you.
Good Luck.
 
JadeOHayes said:
Leo, we forgot to make the "poll" for the title of the Petition as well ...

We might have seen the strong contenders: "revive" and "revitalize". But it might not hurt to add the other words as well, even though on the flip side, we would not be so focused anymore. Or leave it open again, as if putting "Other word - please specify", so that members could still add more words...
Click to expand...

Aye, the poll:iagree: . I encourage a forums "administrator" as well to add a poll into the thread. Thanks Jade for reminding us of this importance.

*Concerning the TITLE of this petition...

While we need more pirates to help suggest an opinion for the title, would it be beneficial or overkill - ye think - if those words suggested for the title (but 'rejected') were to be interjected within the content of the 2nd half of the petition? As I am sure many of you have already noticed, many of these words are similar within meaning & could still reinforce the title throughout the document but stated differently each time. In so doing, Disney would possibly hint a certain manner of consistency within the petition no matter what is actually stated.

LEO said:
This is so it stays fair to Disney so they don't get a list of pirates but rather one per player to represent the actual player or represent a paying account which would be financially better for the game and DIsney.

As far as where to sign up, I still need more suggestions. What I was thinking of was having 'ambassadors' in different places where they are responsible of watching over that area and collect the list of those who sign up. That includes different forums, wiki, Facebook and other fan sites. After collecting the signatures they than gather together to make the full list.

This would then be send directly to DIMG, POTCO development CREW, and to ALL the places POTCO would rise attention.
Click to expand...

  1. Signatures - I support your suggestion of how each of us should sign our pirate name to the actual petition. Like you said, it promotes a certain level of "fairness" :D within the overall scheme of things.
  2. Ambassadors - Once people volunteer as ambassadors, there should probably be someone designated to organize/combine the different lists together for final distribution. IF too many ppl become involved with the final layout, some confusion (i.e., 'duplication' or 'loss' of names) may result.
  3. Petition Recipients - At least 2 people in my opinion need to be responsible for obtaining the important (Disney) representative names, email, & location addresses (if petition is mailed).
 
Under the Customer Service part of the draft of the petition it notes that Live Chat is only open 3 times a week. Should it be noted that, that stopped and Disney no longer has Live Chat for Pirates Online. I did like how it said we get answers that don't help us form Live Chat. (that was spot on). Should the Pirates Online YouTube be mentioned as well for "previewing new content" to players and giving a "reasonable time frame" from when the content is made to when it goes to the test servers aka we're in the testing phases of "so and so" but it should be on test within the next month or two, if not we will let you know? sort of thing? :fight:
 
Not to keep picking on the mouse but, I sincerely wish that "someone" technical savvy on their side of the fence would finally address the issue as to why they insist on relying upon out-dated software (i.e., Panda).

*While a lack of funds seems to be the typical excuse, for them to "communicate" openly on such an issue would at least provide some understanding to me (as a player) as to why they do...what they do.

lol...Sorry. I feel a need to vent, rofl.
 
As per the beginning of the draft petition, I think that it is a little foggy. If I was to read this without knowing what it was about, I would not understand- I would think it was a POTCO anniversary thread of some sort [Pirates of the Caribbean Online is almost 5! ]. :) I think that the rest of the draft where it goes into describing certain issues is great! It summarizes everything very well. Back to the beginning, a lot of petitions start by saying "we the undersigned.." [Ex. We the undersigned petition Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) to revive the Pirates of the Caribbean Online.] Not those exact words but something that better introduces the petition if I'm making sense here. :) Also, tell your friend thank you on behalf of all of us for taking the time to help with this, Leo. It's much appreciated. ;)
 
Zia Badncool
This is the appeal to players to sign the petition. Dont forget that hopefully by tomorrow the author will have the second part.

This part is to explain the players the issues and inform them so that they may agree. In simple words this is coming from the petitioners to the players. The second part would represent the petitioners and the players together and ask disney to make potco better.
 
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