We Shut Down the Black Market

Tiger64_, on 31 May 2019 - 08:39 AM, said: This event reminded how WG was in the old days.Hats off to WG for this event and I truly hope this wont be the last time we see it.As a suggestion:If WG could sell the tank for gold could they offer us an alternative tank for credits or even the equivalent of credits to the amount of gold.If WG could implement this once or twice a year itl give players time to grind for credits and make it easier for those who cant afford gold.Im sorry I missed out on the Black Dog but hopefully with the next event i'l be able to get it.


Darth_Clicker, on 31 May 2019 - 09:04 AM, said:   Maybe WG figured that due to Brexit the UK wouldn't want to participate in EU server activities....


Sir_Armand, on 31 May 2019 - 04:57 PM, said:   Thanks for the event WG!

I LIKED that WG went outside the box on this one, and offered Prem/reward tanks for silver. And an opportunity for those so inclined to pick up some of the rarer vehicles. 
WG, PLEASE continue to try to find similar events/projects to hold in the future.

Some feedback about the BM event:

Timing:
While I understand the reason for wanting to release items in EU and Russia at the same time, and while I realise that Russia spans11 timezones, shifting the time back one hour would get the UK in at 06/18, and still keep Moscow at 10/22, which is preferable to UK at 05/17, and Moscow at 09/21 IMO. I'm Swedish, so I'm not complaining on my own behalf, since we got the offers at 06/18 .

Information:
Again, while I get why you wanted to keep both items and prices secret, I believe that you would have gotten happier customers if you gave us a heads up,like: "Rumor has it that the black market will only trade in gold next time", or, "Only the richest, with well over 15M silver will be able to buy the next rarity, it may well sell for almost twice that.", it would allow players to prepre their wallets beforehand, causing less strain on the servers.    The Type 59G should have had a HUGE sign next to it: "REGULAR PREMIUM, NOT DOUBLED PREMIUM INCOME".
Actually, ALL the vehicles should have their stats displayed next to the offer, including hidden information like Preferential MM, bonus% to credits/xp, so people can make informed decisions.

It may be obvious to a WG staff event planner that a 150.000 gold tank on the chinese server will not be sold for 25.000 gold on the EU server.
BUT if you have a 59G in the game, and it makes double income, and you sell a 59G, people will believe that they have bought a 59G, and that it therefore has a doubled income bonus! 

It is not strange that they feel cheated, you must realise that people had less than 60 seconds to make an informed decision. I didn't know what the 59G costs on the chinese server(or any of the prices there actually), but I did know that it makes double income.
Now, I really dislike the way it looks, so I was never interested, but you really dropped the ball on that one, and the WG feedback:

" well, you should have realised that of COURSE it doesn't make duble income at that price", implicating that the buyers are stupid, and dismissing the complaint with a "well, if you haven't played it, send a ticket, and you get refunded, no need to complain", is very, very badly handled customer service and communication.

Item selection:
Premium tanks are a good choice, selling them for silver were an even better one. Some of them I just don't understand. Like the pz2J for example. Why would we want to see more of them?
I would like to encourage you to consider what vehicles you consider well balanced, but that does not see enough play, and offer those.
Or, plainly underpowered ones, like the IS6, and offer those at a bargain. Which in the case of the IS6, You DID! and well done to you for that.
Maybe the IS should have been offered for silver?

 Perhaps there are opportunities for other things? Garage and barracks slots for silver for example (IMO they should be free or for silver in the standard game, discouragiung players from getting mnore tanks and crew cannot be a sound business model).
Camouflages, girl crew, Anti-artillery sale of spall liners etc.

But not skins or cosmetic stuff for silver, let tgat always be gold. Having people pay you real money for cosmetics are a great thing, and gives you revenue that does not affect gameplay,  keeping you from going down that dangerous pay-to-win path.   Method of payment:
If you really want to give out a few of very rare items, consider an auction. Put out 100 T59, to the highest bidders. Be entirely transparent with the bids. Let the ones that really, really want to buy them pay market value for them. Players get an opportunity, and WG makes money.

Other:
I'd like to be able to disable max vehicles sold in some way at events like this. I realise that it's there for my own protection, but perhaps I could request an affirmation code to my mail, phone, or mobile Id? say one that in 24 hrs waives the restriction for 24 hrs? Or just make it optional?

Event Idea:
How about once a year have a "garage sale", where players can offer vehicles for sale, for silver or gold, to other players. WG could take a cut of 5% or so. I realise that it may require programming that just isn'tfeasible, but it would be a fun event.

Also: perhaps some event where you encourage players to socialise/get to know each other. There isn't much of a community right now, so platooning with people you haven't met before, or trying to find likeminded players to platoon with, really isn't a thing in WoT outside of ones own personal friendsector and/or clan.

Communication and feedback:
I believe that WG would benefit from shifting a lot of the communication from mere frontpage announcements to the forum. 
The current links to discussion threads on announcement topics (like this one) are a great example of this done right. Well done WG!   But, I believe that even more communication and feedback topics, where WG staff responds and asks questions would benefit WG even more.
WG considering an event in the future, ask players to vote on the tanks they want to get most (not telling the players why) , bam! WG has  wishlist. 
Ask players which  tanks they don't play becayse they are too weak: bam! WG has a list of vehicls that might need a buff.
Ask players what vehicles that don't play, not because they're necessarily bad, but because they are boring(no real role), obsolete(other vehicles does what they do, just better) too OP (no fun to play) etc, etc.

Anyways, you have recieved a lot of critique for this event, but I would like to commend you!

I see what you tried to do, and I think that you will get better at it in the future.


Bordhaw, on 31 May 2019 - 06:25 PM, said: Thanks for the event WG!

I LIKED that WG went outside the box on this one, and offered Prem/reward tanks for silver. And an opportunity for those so inclined to pick up some of the rarer vehicles. 
WG, PLEASE continue to try to find similar events/projects to hold in the future.

Some feedback about the BM event:

Timing:
While I understand the reason for wanting to release items in EU and Russia at the same time, and while I realise that Russia spans11 timezones, shifting the time back one hour would get the UK in at 06/18, and still keep Moscow at 10/22, which is preferable to UK at 05/17, and Moscow at 09/21 IMO. I'm Swedish, so I'm not complaining on my own behalf, since we got the offers at 06/18 .

Information:
Again, while I get why you wanted to keep both items and prices secret, I believe that you would have gotten happier customers if you gave us a heads up,like: "Rumor has it that the black market will only trade in gold next time", or, "Only the richest, with well over 15M silver will be able to buy the next rarity, it may well sell for almost twice that.", it would allow players to prepre their wallets beforehand, causing less strain on the servers.    The Type 59G should have had a HUGE sign next to it: "REGULAR PREMIUM, NOT DOUBLED PREMIUM INCOME".
Actually, ALL the vehicles should have their stats displayed next to the offer, including hidden information like Preferential MM, bonus% to credits/xp, so people can make informed decisions.

It may be obvious to a WG staff event planner that a 150.000 gold tank on the chinese server will not be sold for 25.000 gold on the EU server.
BUT if you have a 59G in the game, and it makes double income, and you sell a 59G, people will believe that they have bought a 59G, and that it therefore has a doubled income bonus! 

It is not strange that they feel cheated, you must realise that people had less than 60 seconds to make an informed decision. I didn't know what the 59G costs on the chinese server(or any of the prices there actually), but I did know that it makes double income.
Now, I really dislike the way it looks, so I was never interested, but you really dropped the ball on that one, and the WG feedback:

" well, you should have realised that of COURSE it doesn't make duble income at that price", implicating that the buyers are stupid, and dismissing the complaint with a "well, if you haven't played it, send a ticket, and you get refunded, no need to complain", is very, very badly handled customer service and communication.

Item selection:
Premium tanks are a good choice, selling them for silver were an even better one. Some of them I just don't understand. Like the pz2J for example. Why would we want to see more of them?
I would like to encourage you to consider what vehicles you consider well balanced, but that does not see enough play, and offer those.
Or, plainly underpowered ones, like the IS6, and offer those at a bargain. Which in the case of the IS6, You DID! and well done to you for that.
Maybe the IS should have been offered for silver?

 Perhaps there are opportunities for other things? Garage and barracks slots for silver for example (IMO they should be free or for silver in the standard game, discouragiung players from getting mnore tanks and crew cannot be a sound business model).
Camouflages, girl crew, Anti-artillery sale of spall liners etc.

But not skins or cosmetic stuff for silver, let tgat always be gold. Having people pay you real money for cosmetics are a great thing, and gives you revenue that does not affect gameplay,  keeping you from going down that dangerous pay-to-win path.   Method of payment:
If you really want to give out a few of very rare items, consider an auction. Put out 100 T59, to the highest bidders. Be entirely transparent with the bids. Let the ones that really, really want to buy them pay market value for them. Players get an opportunity, and WG makes money.

Other:
I'd like to be able to disable max vehicles sold in some way at events like this. I realise that it's there for my own protection, but perhaps I could request an affirmation code to my mail, phone, or mobile Id? say one that in 24 hrs waives the restriction for 24 hrs? Or just make it optional?

Event Idea:
How about once a year have a "garage sale", where players can offer vehicles for sale, for silver or gold, to other players. WG could take a cut of 5% or so. I realise that it may require programming that just isn'tfeasible, but it would be a fun event.

Also: perhaps some event where you encourage players to socialise/get to know each other. There isn't much of a community right now, so platooning with people you haven't met before, or trying to find likeminded players to platoon with, really isn't a thing in WoT outside of ones own personal friendsector and/or clan.

Communication and feedback:
I believe that WG would benefit from shifting a lot of the communication from mere frontpage announcements to the forum. 
The current links to discussion threads on announcement topics (like this one) are a great example of this done right. Well done WG!   But, I believe that even more communication and feedback topics, where WG staff responds and asks questions would benefit WG even more.
WG considering an event in the future, ask players to vote on the tanks they want to get most (not telling the players why) , bam! WG has  wishlist. 
Ask players which  tanks they don't play becayse they are too weak: bam! WG has a list of vehicls that might need a buff.
Ask players what vehicles that don't play, not because they're necessarily bad, but because they are boring(no real role), obsolete(other vehicles does what they do, just better) too OP (no fun to play) etc, etc.

Anyways, you have recieved a lot of critique for this event, but I would like to commend you!

I see what you tried to do, and I think that you will get better at it in the future.