So, I’m fighting again to underline one of those small issues that are blatantly ignored by the community in general but that I consider important for the game. Way more than the nerf cries and the whines about the log-in servers. Anyway the problem I’m writing about is the one expressed here. The message:

I really ask the few community managers we have here (Caydiem, Tyren and Ordinn) to ask Blizzard to re-think the use of the /bug command. So that the players are able to report bugs directly. Both relevant bugs and the minor glitches with the mobs, the graphic and all the rest that is always overlooked.

I imagine that you decided to shut down the command because it becomes unmanageable when you have a so large population on the servers. The command can be easily abused and near impossible to have a bearable signal/noise ratio.

Now, it isn’t possible to work toward a compromise? The boards aren’t reliable to report problems, aside for those classes issues that you DO NOT WANT to hear because it’s impossible to have complete and unbiased considerations.

An idea that I don’t completely like but that could be already a step in the right direction could be about nestling the /bug and /suggest reports in a queue that needs to be approved by GMs before reaching the devs. This is still a filter that could go wrong because GMs could censor minor (but still important) stuff, so it could work only if the GMs are taught to let pass everything but spam, without applying a judgment. But it can be an improvement because we can keep sending /bug reports without being stuck with the tickets procedure that should be used only for customers issue.

Something going directly to the devs could be better, but I guess it isn’t doable.

Right now, for example, the patch broke (for the millionth time since beta along with the falling and sitting animations) the sheath/unsheath key. If you spam the command you’ll produce a bunch of graphic glitches, like the weapon blinking “on and off” in your hand. Or blinking between your hand and your back continuously, or blinking between the melee weapon model and the range weapon model.

Now, this is exactly a minor glitch. Noone cares to report these kind of problems. I also wonder why you broke it again, it worked perfectly before this patch and it doesn’t seem tied to something else.

So, please reconsider this aspect. It’s important to mantain a direct contact without too many filters in between. Surely you are purging a lot of spam, but you may loose even some good pearls in there. It’s pointless and ridiculous to report bugs by opening GMs tickets. It’s something you want to incentivate and use as a resource, not to inhibit with an annoying, frustrating procedure.

And also please fix the sheath/unsheath key once for all, without breaking it again with the next patch…

Now I understand those players going like:

Some people are in here are incorrectly telling others that /bug reports don’t go to anyone anymore, Tyren.

But then Tyren really arrives, sleepy and yawning:

Are you saying the bug command was removed from the game?

No, really?
The command is still there. But the point is that it’s a fake.

Get some rest during the holiday, I’ll make sure to bump the message now and then :)