A reality no one has mentioned.

I very rarely post on boards such as this, but I do love to read all the stuff....quite enlightening!

But I post now, not as a gamer, but as a professional judge of human nature.

There are lots of people on these boards wondering why everyone is so negative about the new update. In fact the same thing is always wondered after an update or game change.

Don't worry folks, most people are happy with the update, and happy with the game. I know this for a fact. Now I will tell you how I know.

I am not a genius, far from it actually (just last night I grated some of my knuckle with my cheese!), but I am privy to hard numbers about online polls, political and general surveys and retail customer service/complaints. The fact that you need to know is this:

The ratio of people who will voice a complaint to those that will voice a compliment is approximately 42:1. (This is in North America BTW). Its just human nature.

Ever notice the same names always popping up when something changes???

People who are angry, feel cheated, concerned are 42 times more likely to post than someone who is content or even overjoyed.

And before I get flamed, I AM NOT suggesting that the complaints, posts, worrys are not justified, not at all, just that it will get posted, while someone like myself who just loveds the game, plays merrily along without the urge to talk about it. Maybe thats a flaw, but then again I keep seeing the term "fanboy", so thats another reason not to post.

Bottom line: If there is not about 42 complaints (or more) for every 1 compliment, then things are going along fine. Reviewing these boards I would say we are around 20:1, so keep up the good work ANet.

NOTE: The best companies, while understanding these numbers, still listen to all constructive input and try to reduce that 42:1 number as low as they can.

Thanks for your time!

Great point, i work in the travel business and constantly hear "that hotel got bad reviews on line" my point back to them is "what hotel got good reviews" and 90% have no answer to my question. its human nature to complaine, but not to compliment.

Professional? Last I know there was no paying occupation titled 'judge of human nature'. If you're going to boast prowess into the field of 'human nature' in regards to complaints, how can you possibly omit the well-known phenomenom that for every person complaining, a multitude will simply leave? How can you paint people as 'complainers' and 'not-complainers' as if there is nothing inbetween (such as people complaining about one detail while loving the rest, or people with significant complaints but not bothering to post about them)?

Your numbers are meaningless, your message is bland.

Sociology:

Noun
1. The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.
2. Analysis of a social institution or societal segment as a self-contained entity or in relation to society as a whole.

Analyst. Not judge, which implies some form of authority. Very important difference.

a professional is a Psychologist or sociologist
the descisions that people make and why they make them.
why people do what they do.
that covers why humanity as a whole spends most of its time complaining.
it is an important subject in business. there are numerous people who specialise in this specific area.

it is not that people are either a complainer or not.
it is whether or not they actually show that they have noticed that ANYTHING positive has been done. if they simply say that this particular thing is crap. they are complaining. if they say good job with this but you might be able to do that better by doing this as well. they are not complaining.

edit: i feel that you are deliberately misunderstanding his use of judge.
he is using it in the sense of analysis not right or wrong.

You are correct that there are a multitude of other factors involved. I simply didnt think a 22 page missive was in order.

You are 100% incorrect about there being no paying profession that is a "judge of human nature". I could name 20.

My numbers are fact.

YOU think my message is bland, that does not make it so.

YOU just proved my point....thanks.

I've been taught that a dissatisfied person generally tells 10 people, while a satisfied customser tells only one.

Someone who likes something is not generally going to run off to a forum and expound his views. Most people who post generally have a question, an answer, or want some validation in thier frustrations. Granted this is not everyone, but just in general. Also forums often are made up of a tight nit group of people who post on a regular basis.

Plus you have to realise that not everyone who plays reads and posts on this forum or even knows that it exists. I do think that there are many people who enjoy this game and you never hear a peep from them, but I'm sure there are some that just stop playing and do not complain too.

I sorta with Silmor. A complaint can be alot of things, peoples opinions can be even more.

F.eks. I like most of the things in the new update, and there's certain things I don't like. I've voiced all the things I like and all the things I enjoy. So am I a complainer or a non-complainer?

But I think he was being a bit harsh. Just wanted to say that. It's really nice that you want to actually think about this and find statistics on it all, but I don't really think it's enough to judge weather you're a complainer or not.

But thanks for the extra input. Very nice.

you are a non-complainer, without reading your posts i cant tell if you are a constrcutive criticizer....... but that question wasnt for me anyway.

Well, the question was pretty much for anyone who knows something about this, including the thread-starter and all other posters.

True, I usually say something if I don't like it, but I really like the update, and I haven't said much of anything. I should go around saying how much I am loving this update. I'm so busy playing on the update that I haven't really had time to step away from this game. /happy

Name one: yours. We can skip the entire 'judge of human nature' nonsense then.
Even if you could provide us a link to the basis of your numbers, you would need that 22 page essay to adequately indicate that they similarly apply to Guild Wars. I don't care about a US average, or even just a US business average, the gaming demograph cannot simply be equated to them. Online games take in a special position since feedback through forums is a much easier and more commonplace practice than you'd find in any other place, so I'd like to see some arguments why that magical number still applies.
Yes, what I write is my opinion. Welcome to forums.
Proved? If that's the sort of science you practice, then my point about your numbers being meaningless is similarly 'proven'. Don't thow the word around so lightly, it's not very professional.

What important is learn what is interesting and maybe use it for your own in the future... that is all it matter to me.

The major point here is that a smart company would keep the ratio 42/1, because the company would waste too much money on just fixing small things that doesn't even help that much... You must admit there are just some dumb people out there arguing about dumb stuffs such as suing video game company for their kid's suicide and suing mcdonald for making him/her fat.

Another interesting thing is the 20/80 theory... where 20% of the people gave 80% of the business and 80% of the people give you 20% of the business... that theory work out almost every where and very most likely this forum too. Although I haven't actually bother go counting the accounts of this site and so on... I got a life.

One more thing... you guys really got nothing better to do? arguing over these... I mean... com'on, seriously... this is quite ridiculous... BTW... These are really off-topic.

Ok, my profession: consultant.

Others,

Most professions starting with 'Psy'
Political advisors.
Mediators
Professional Scouts

These people are all considered "professionals" and are all paid to be "judges of human nature."

And we all attend the same conventions......

I gotta side with Silmor there. With all due respect if you are going to state that what you are saying is FACT (and everyone who disagrees is wrong) you should really provide some data that proves it. Forums are mostly about opinions it seems to me.

The ratios you provide might work in some college or high school course but I'd like to hear how you account for the varaibles that people have pointed out.

they are called flamers and trolls...go on any gaming website and its 80% of the community griefers with nothing better to do then whine cause there life sucks. I have been a gamer nearly 20 years and i have pretty much had a problem with everygame i have ever played but it takes a certain person to hang around forums all day crying about it. I believe his 42-1 ratio and i agree it doesnt fit into the gaming community thats more like 80-1 i would say. Anyways there is a huge difference between game fans with gripes who make constructive topics and forum trolls if you been in gaming long enough you can tell whos who by one post....

I work in automotive service and I can agree with the topic starter here that only the unhappy people will usually say something. I have lots of happy customers but they never say anything. I only hear from the unhappy ones which represent lets say 10% of all the customers but are 98% of all the ones we hear back from.

Your original figures really don't take many things into account

Actually, they do. Its just not spelled out. And there is no way I could support all the items in a forum such as this, so I should probably just listed it as an opinion (even though it is not).

42:1 is the number left after a mulitude of factors are included. These would include things like people just walking away, multiple complaints or compliments, partial and even incorrect assumptions about a service.

A lot of really smart people (not me) have spent a ton of money to get such numbers. There are always variations of course, and I am not sure if a game population would actually "fit" into any of the templates, but I am sure it is close.

And remember its not complainers vs complimentors as much as it is vocal displeased vs vocal pleased.