I am thinking of giving all of it away.....

[VinnyBarb]

For the foreseeable time and possibly for good I have stopped ALL my content creating for TRS/TS as I seem to have issues with Support, especial re acknowledgment of a particular support ticket I submitted some considerable time ago. As this ticket/issue is still not even answered, it did lead to frustrations, anger, resentment (whatever else) on my part and consequently this led to some other events which should not have happened IF this particular ticket submitted and marked IMPORTANT or URGENT had been read and at the very least given me an answer of this getting or having being read.

As there is NO other way other than through Support to contact you people and as you people choose NOT to answer what has been submitted by me to Support, you leave me no other way than to post this here and hopefully Zec or Aaron will read this here and at least will give me an answer one way or another.

I feel so strong about this particular issue that I am thinking of getting ALL my 480 or so created items pulled OFF the DLS and give all content creating for TRS/TS away. I am 71 years old and I can surely do WITHOUT all this cr@p presently happening and I rather spend my time doing something better in happier circumstances than this is presently spend. There is NO OTHER WAY to contact AURAN/N3V of the issues I am having presently and which I had in the past 4 years other than through Support, hence my posting here as you people seem to ignore what I submitted as this particular ticket I submitted in early March is STILL sitting there unanswered. So much so for the CoC and the rules there saying if needing to contact AURAN/N3V, only to do this through Support, when Support is not even reading and answering these.

I am sorry for those who are waiting for me to finish some of the content I announced (or promised) I would create but I guess this issue would/could leave me no other choice.

Guess who will be the loser then? Over to you Zec or Aaron.

VinnyBarb

 

[johnwhelan]

I do get the impression that supporting content creators may not be the number one priority for N3V at the moment.

Hopefully things will get resolved. I think my ticket with helpdesk has been outstanding for a much shorter period of time but longer than I had hoped.

Cheerio John

 

[Tanvaras]

Sad to see this happening to you Vinnybarb, your contribution to Trainz is second to none. Support for any product should always be a priority. I personally can not believe a company like Auran/N3V would have such lackluster support. I as well have had a ticket in for what seems an eternity.

I own (and work in besides my main job) an IT business (which caters for massive amounts of technical support emails/phone calls etc on top of day to day sales which is handled by 2 people) and if I had the slow support issues that I read about day in day out, I would be out of business over night.

I do hope someone at Auran/N3V reads this and looks at improving the support ticket system, cause currently "lights are on, but no one seems at home in support" which I feel is eventually going to turn more and more people like Vinnybarb away from content creation for Trainz and really that's how Trainz sells, due to the major amount of amazing content creators that support it.

Best of luck Vinnybarb, it would be a great loss to see you take your talent away from the Trainz community.

Cheers

Trent

 

[WindWalkr]

Hi guys,

We have recently expanded our support staff, however it is still going to take quite a while to get all the tickets under control as they are coming in thick and fast with the recent release of TS12. All I can ask is that you please be patient while our support staff work their way through the queue.

I have specifically asked our support crew to avoid any lengthy discussions of content creation techniques. The helpdesk is appropriate for problems that you're encountering with installing and playing the game, and for day-to-day usage questions. It's not a resource that will be sufficient for educating content creators and we have no plans to turn it into such. If your ticket falls into that category, then you'll have a lot better luck asking here on the forums where there are a number of experienced creators who are often willing to share their insights.

kind regards,

chris

 

[bl4882]

"The helpdesk is appropriate for problems that you're encountering with installing and playing the game, and for day-to-day usage questions. It's not a resource that will be sufficient for educating content creators and we have no plans to turn it into such. If your ticket falls into that category, then you'll have a lot better luck asking here on the forums where there are a number of experienced creators who are often willing to share their insights." [Emphasis added.]

That might just be the most purely knee-buckling condescending response from a purportedly profit-making entity that I have ever heard. Especially as it is applied to a content maker who has done so much to make it's product a success.

Vinnybarb: WindWalkr is right. You will get no help from that quarter. But please don't let that affect you. They now say they are irrelevant, so repair to those who are relevant, your fellow content creators.

Bernie

 

[b9k9kiwi]

...
That might just be the most purely knee-buckling condescending response from a purportedly profit-making entity that I have ever heard
...

The response in question is far from condescending. It is a robust, forthright and unequivocal explanation of the current situation vis-a-vis N3V and its support desk operations and priorities.

True, somebody is tellng you something you do not want to hear, but that is entirely another matter.

 

[bl4882]

There must have been a hundred other ways to phrase the response without belittling Vinnybarb by denying him your power to "educate." But if you really think the response was merely "robust," "forthright," and "unequivocal," let's all go in peace.

Bernie

 

[gremlin1812]

The response in question is far from condescending. It is a robust, forthright and unequivocal explanation of the current situation vis-a-vis N3V and its support desk operations and priorities.

True, somebody is tellng you something you do not want to hear, but that is entirely another matter.

Basically it is pulling the rug out from under content creators who supply the life blood of the game, without these wonderful people there would be no Trainz.
In only the last few days I ordered 2012 but if I had seen this thread sooner I would not have bothered, from what I see it is an up hill battle for creators to get information from N3V as the wiki seems to be next to useless where before there was the CCG which could be downloaded and printed giving a reference guide at hand.
I had an issue with multiplayer routes and sessions being marked as 3.3 and also some 3.4 routes/sessions obsolescing the non multiplayer ones, in reply to my support ticket they basically laid the blame on the "third party creators".
I am very disillusioned by all this as this simulator could be much better if there was more support and information available.
Regards
Barrie

 

[Pencil42]

Well, I don't think Chris was saying N3V wasn't going to support content creators; he was just saying it's not done through helpdesk. He and others from the development team post regularly here in the forums; often to give technical content creation advice or feedback.
No matter what they do, there will always be these that want more, but they give much more support than developers of other games I've worked with....

Back to the original post, I do hope your issue gets resolved, VinnyBarb - I've enjoyed seeing all your content; and would truly miss your continued contributions. If you did have a content creation question or issue, is it something you can post here?

Curtis

 

[VinnyBarb]

Hi guys,

We have recently expanded our support staff, however it is still going to take quite a while to get all the tickets under control as they are coming in thick and fast with the recent release of TS12. All I can ask is that you please be patient while our support staff work their way through the queue.

I have specifically asked our support crew to avoid any lengthy discussions of content creation techniques. The helpdesk is appropriate for problems that you're encountering with installing and playing the game, and for day-to-day usage questions. It's not a resource that will be sufficient for educating content creators and we have no plans to turn it into such. If your ticket falls into that category, then you'll have a lot better luck asking here on the forums where there are a number of experienced creators who are often willing to share their insights.

kind regards,

chris

@Chris and others too, my support ticket to Helpdesk has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with content creating. It is rather about the core of forum etc. use here of which I can not specify exactly about what it is but it involves the "magic M" word and saying more about the specific issue WILL get me banned again as has happened already 5 times in the past including the latest ban that apparently is STILL in force until the 25th of June this year. As my User CP information clearly states this so.

I would have thought the issues which I had (which btw. go back some 3-4 years ago) when this all started for me would at least be looked at but sadly and apparently they are still not looked at. In the CoC it says clearly, I say again, it says clearly IF there is a very specific reasaon about a specific issue, to contact Support (meaning the Helpdesk) and which is the ONLY place to notify and report to and which I did some time ago as stated. All that is and was needed from someone from AURAN/N3V just to aknowledge that it had been read, nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, as said, I am to old to play silly kiddies games and to take part in grandiose ego trumpeting by certain people, I rather have my sanity back and most likely I might move on to something with more joy as I am getting now. I would have thought I am probably a valuable member here in this English forum by often giving advice freely if needed and also by giving a little back to the community with my creations but apparently that counts for NOTHING if certain standards here are interpreted differently by different people in different forums here.

This is what it is all about.

I probably get banned again for posting this. I also regret having so far spend some more than $800.00 with AURAN/N3V, always buying from their store to support them but in hind sight I could have used ALL that money to at least buy something else (from somewhere else) I would get some lasting joy from.

VinnyBarb

 

[WindWalkr]

In the CoC it says clearly, I say again, it says clearly IF there is a very specific reasaon about a specific issue, to contact Support (meaning the Helpdesk) and which is the ONLY place to notify and report to and which I did some time ago as stated.

Yup, that sounds like the right kind of thing to be using Helpdesk for. In which case, as above, I can only apologise for any delays and ask that you have patience while our staff make their way through the queue of tickets.

kind regards,

chris

 

[Lots_Trains]

There is something I would like to say here.

As I am no longer a part of the beta program with no access to that information there, there is a huge difference in in amount of information given there and the complete lack of information out here, I'm not talking bugs here but minor features, so many incredible tid bits of information I have pick up over time for content creation just dosn't exist out here and I would never have known about if it hadn't been mentioned there.

Please Chris some things don't get mentioned in the hype and advertising of a new product, a lot of the cool stuff for content creators is in the minor detail and is not on the wiki or is so obscure. Perhaps a list in the content creation section for each new version detailing all the minor features so if someone is interested in a particular item they can query it further.

Cheers

Lots

 

[WindWalkr]

As I am no longer a part of the beta program with no access to that information there, there is a huge difference in in amount of information given there and the complete lack of information out here

As a former member of the beta program, you should also know that it's a bannable offence to talk about what goes on under NDA, so I wouldn't recommend dwelling on that too much here.

It's worth noting for those listening in at home that we actively encourage testers to avoid discussing content creation issues behind those closed doors. We do provide information that testers need to do their job, but where a question is not related to testing we frequently ask for it to be referred to the public forum.

Please Chris some things don't get mentioned in the hype and advertising of a new product, a lot of the cool stuff for content creators is in the minor detail and is not on the wiki or is so obscure. Perhaps a list in the content creation section for each new version detailing all the minor features so if someone is interested in a particular item they can query it further.

You mean like this for example? We do try to make this information public but things like this often get overlooked because they're time consuming and just not that important to us. I'll remind our build engineer that the list isn't up-to-date.

chris

 

[Lots_Trains]

I just mentioned a information gap I consider is hurting the content creation commnity, in the most basic of terms.

No problem I'll consider myself banned.

Cheers

Lots

 

[paulhobbs]

You mean like this for example? We do try to make this information public but things like this often get overlooked because they're time consuming and just not that important to us. I'll remind our build engineer that the list isn't up-to-date.

Ah, you mean stuff like this?

Added additional support for Steam usage.
Added additional support for the Blue Comet pack.

I'll set to work straight away incorporating these new features in my locos.

Paul

 

[johnwhelan]

Yup, that sounds like the right kind of thing to be using Helpdesk for. In which case, as above, I can only apologise for any delays and ask that you have patience while our staff make their way through the queue of tickets.

kind regards,

chris

This sounds like a management problem. The people on helpdesk should be able to produce a list of the ten? most common concerns.

You have a wiki, put the ten most common concerns as stubs in the wiki and ask the community to fill in the answers. As the stubs fill up throw in a few more, call them "how to"s. These can include things such as how can I download TS12.

The New members FAQ thread still contains a wealth of information but its buried in the TRS2004 forum.

Cheerio John

 

[dh2k3]

This sounds like a management problem. The people on helpdesk should be able to produce a list of the ten? most common concerns.

You have a wiki, put the ten most common concerns as stubs in the wiki and ask the community to fill in the answers. As the stubs fill up throw in a few more, call them "how to"s. These can include things such as how can I download TS12.

The New members FAQ thread still contains a wealth of information but its buried in the TRS2004 forum.

Cheerio John

Still buried and stickied and I do need to do some updating like I've done with the other thread in regards to verifying if the links still work. I also have a ticket that is still open from a 2 months ago (JKC-317482) about no available download for TRS2004's PaintShed or the latest download helper as both of the links turn up as 404's.

I do agree we do need an updated FAQ for any version of TRS.

 

[aardvark1]

~~~~snip~~~~

I also have a ticket that is still open from a 2 months ago (JKC-317482) about no available download for TRS2004's PaintShed or the latest download helper as both of the links turn up as 404's.

Ummm.... would that be do to the fact that TRS2004 is not supported? I think it was clearly stated that HelpDesk would not do any support for that version.

Regards,

 

[dh2k3]

Ummm.... would that be do to the fact that TRS2004 is not supported? I think it was clearly stated that HelpDesk would not do any support for that version.

Regards,

Ron,

That doesn't explain why you can't download PaintShed or the latest download helper for that version when there are links on Auran's website that lists to get it from them.

Dave

 

[Retro00064]

<snip> As this ticket/issue is still not even answered, it did lead to frustrations, anger, resentment (whatever else) on my part and consequently this led to some other events which should not have happened IF this particular ticket submitted and marked IMPORTANT or URGENT had been read and at the very least given me an answer of this getting or having being read.

<snip>

Hmmm, this gives me an idea. N3V, unless it has already been implemented (it has been a while since I used the Helpdesk), is it possible that the Helpdesk software could be modified to allow the user submitting a ticket/message to request a "read" receipt, like you can with private messages here on the forums and even possibly with e-mail?

Regards.