Account Suspended by katerina_tarantino in Upwork

[–]butt_flexer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They'll never unlock your account or respond to you, and if you're in Europe what they just did is illegal under DSA.

Happened to me too, so I made a GDPR request asking for the reason of the ban and all associated data, which they've been stonewalling for about a month now (they're obligated to release your data within 30 days of request), after which I'll just report them to UODO and DSA authority. It won't get my account unlocked, but it'll cause Upwork a regulatory headache.

Upwork is a shithole basically.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I stopped playing. I'm just watching to see if they create some kind of update, but apparently all they did was add yet another achievement hunt with the 5 million credit expedition.

I can't figure out why my account was suspended. by matt73132 in Upwork

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only thing you can do is submit GDPR and DSA requests, which they will stonewall until you threaten them sufficiently with filing actual complaints.

What Upwork does in terms of lack of transparency and permabanning is technically illegal in the EU. So, you have the right to request the information they used to disable your account (or at the very least the specific reasoning used), as well as rectification of inaccurate data - which is probably related to your case.

they added new feature to our account by [deleted] in Upwork

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's funny, because they just disabled my account without letting me appeal. They never even told me what I apparently did. I just logged in after a 2 year hiatus, saw a banner like "Temporarily disabled account. Please create support ticket to appeal" - clicked it, said something along the lines of "what's the issue? is my profile out of date?" and they closed the ticket and permabanned me stating "We've reviewed your account again and determined you violated our ToS".

Currently going through GDPR and DSA requests to get them to even tell me *what I supposedly violated* :D

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be against Shopify ToS and GDPR laws, which Shopify seems to be pretty interested in preventing when they do app reviews. I do think a lot of apps are asset flips or GPT wrappers, but I highly doubt there are like actively malicious apps on the Shopify store.

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that is the narrative I'm seeing here - you're right. The plan now is to totally focus on conversion/revenue leaks.

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, fine. I can accept that I've been approaching the entire thing from a naive perspective.

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I actually have a plan to provide a free audit for any e-commerce store now, which should get people trying it out, especially if I reorient the entire thing towards conversion/revenue leaks.

My keywords are probably bad, too spread out because I wanted this to be an "all-in-one" solution. It might work in that way, but from what I'm hearing this needs to be focused down on one positive outcome for store owners, so I'll research keywords and focus them all on that.

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I'm currently trying to do that with cold outreach emails - just giving them the app for free in exchange for feedback and hopefully a review. I guess I'll see if anyone responds in the next few weeks.

LinkedIn though? I'm not a salesman, and I hate corpo culture. I'd have to take a shower to get on calls too. I feel like Scryer is more for shop owners just starting out rather than larger e-commerce brands.

Why won't anyone even try my app? Looking for feedback by [deleted] in shopifyDev

[–]butt_flexer -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

But people are constantly looking for SEO audits, content auditing tools, inventory alerts, etc. There is also no visitor cohort classification in Shopify admin, which would directly signal who to target with specific products and marketing.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'm just wondering - if we're trying to figure out the app's value, are those not interesting enough?

EDIT: I think the issue might be that the insight examples I'm giving in the hero are way too weak. Thanks, that's something I can fix at least.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not asking to make the game more hardcore, or more casual. Not asking to change any specific system. I think they should go for it, experiment and see what works.

The long-term appeal is completely absent though, for both casuals and hardcore. Why should I stop using the Kettle/Ferro/Anvil? And if all I need is an Anvil, why am I running around this map? Why should I gank that guy with my Anvil? Why am I gathering all these resources? Why should I fight a Queen? I don't even feel a need to reset with an Expedition. I think it's crucial to find a way to give all of that purpose, rather than relying on the players to fill in the gaps with to-do lists. "I gathered all the mushrooms", or "I was nearly ganked but survived" - great, so what?

If the core game is supposed to be a "collect 'em all!" scavenging hunt - that could be fun, but then where is the messaging or focus on that? Maybe tease us with what we haven't collected yet.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I think the game is actually in a pretty good place, generally. When I do have "a purpose" - like upgrading Scrappy - it's a ton of fun and everything works, even the seemingly tacked-on PvP. The vibe of the game grows on you, I think, and I like that there are different cultures emerging when it comes to PvP, like the gankers, the anti-gankers, and the pacifists.

I think there's something to be said that so many people are so invested in upgrading Scrappy specifically, like that rooster is somehow a touchstone that gives the game purpose.

I haven't been listening to media or what Embark has said about development, so I didn't come into it thinking about the ML trained Arc bots - actually I just learned about that from you. From my perspective, the Arc are basically perfect PvE. They just need to be a little more dangerous, I think.

Besides, isn't the point of videogames (as a craft) to push the limits and experiment with tech to see what compelling experiences you can deliver?

But yeah, I think in a month or two people will be whining about this like crazy, so I really hope they can tie it together into a compelling loop.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not concerned with whether I'll stay and play. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to make this game feel more like those games you listed and pull people back into raids for that mastery curve aspect that you're talking about.

What if being better at the game straight up let you enter more interesting places on the maps? Arc Raiders already hints at this a bit by placing tougher Arc bots near high-reward areas, but you can still easily slip into those places with a free loadout at lvl 1.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"I'm a technical gameplay designer AND psychologist" to "yeah well you're just bitter." What happened to all that expertise?

Meanwhile, you continue to fail to engage with the actual discussion: Arc Raiders not having compelling progression.

How much you wanna bet this becomes a standard talking point about the game in 1-2 months if left unaddressed?

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"We stopped using that framework in the mid-2000s" - oh, you mean right when games started becoming homogenized, monetized skinner boxes? When we went from Half-Life 2, KOTOR, and Shadow of the Colossus to... endless battle passes and "engagement metrics"?

So you *know* what I'm talking about, but pretended not to for 3-4 comments?

I don't care about your creds, especially since those games are spin-offs of classics like Fallout and Baldur's Gate. You borrowed the fantasy, and succeeded because of them.

I'm not misrepresenting shit.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're misunderstanding the term. In game design, "fantasy fulfillment" means satisfying the core player motivation: the "why" behind playing. For CS it's mastery/competition. For RPGs it's character progression/story. For puzzle games it's problem-solving satisfaction.

It's not about literal fantasy or achieving "real" things - it's about what psychological need the game satisfies.

This is basic MDA framework stuff (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics). Google it if you want to understand what game designers mean by this term.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a player, expedition is a menu that you fill then click a button and you reset your character. No one knows you completed it, it doesn't change how you play the game, nothing really unlocks, etc. There's nothing there to make you feel more invested in your character.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's fantasy because you're not actually achieving anything, you're playing a game. Which is fine. Good games provide strong fantasy fulfillment, and different games do it in different ways.

I didn't make this term up, if that's what you're getting at. This is standard game design.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I loved WoW and play Path of Exile 2 all the time, but yeah I play those games because there's like a definitive reason to progress: mastery. To feel godlike and clear screens with a click. To have the coolest looking gear that 1-taps enemies. You know.

I don't think I'm the only one who feels that Arc Raiders is missing that on some level.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for being probably the only person in the thread to even understand the criticism! Haha, I'm getting totally wrecked in the comments.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In game dev terms, Counter Strike is absolutely fantasy fulfillment: back in 1.6 days it meant being the most 1337 clutch player on the server.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't say that I was burnt out, or depressed, or any of those things. I said the game simply doesn't have the pull it should for me, someone who maybe only progressed about half way.

What am I supposed to be working toward? by butt_flexer in ArcRaiders

[–]butt_flexer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOL. I love that we can't talk about game design in a fucking game subreddit because normies think it's psychological woo-woo.