OPEN LETTER TO MINDARK

I know, fat chance they will actually read this rave, but it's high time I said something.

When I first started playing entropia about 6 years ago, I could deposit 100 peds, mine unamped without losing it all in one day. I actually played 6 months before I deposited anything past my initial $10. Sure there were ups and downs but I actually got enough loot to keep playing.

Now, without fail, I am lucky to make 100 peds last more than half hour. If I want to make it last a whole hour I have to double my bombing distance... What's sad is, yes, that is funny, but it's not funny because it is so true.

I know someone who lost $300 in 45 minutes recently without a hof, and barely any globals. His highest return was MAYBE 50%.

For me, it doesnt matter what finder I use, where I mine, lately on calypso, I've been hitting maybe one or two level IV through VI claims after about 25 to 40 NRFs. If I wanted to bomb without hitting claims I would go to FOMA for crying outloud! Seriously, after that rock was sold to Foma, every single run I've been on up there since has required 200 bombs of NRF's before I could even get a IX or X and THAT IS WITH AN AMP. Unamped same problem, 200 drops before I might get a claim.

Mindark makes it clear Entropia is not a casino. Heh, I can guarantee that it's not, you have a better return in a casino, at least you actually get wins to go with your losses. See, casinos learned long ago that if you cut the payback too low, people no longer have fun and if they are not having fun, they are not going to stick around and throw their money away. I am not sure what is wrong with Entropia right now, but there is no real breakeven any more. Either you are a crapload ahead which is rare, or you are a crapload below where you need to be to break even.

You cannot stay in business by screwing your customers. Let our pedrolls last long enough for us to get some enjoyment out of the game. If loot were working like it did before VU10 came out, I would not be complaining one bit. There actually was something called loot. But when you have to reduce globals to 10 peds and up on some mobs, that is a sign that the game is messed up. Used to see all kinds of 50 ped globals on argonaut young and even exarasaur youngs really. Not any more.

If Mindark wants to actually make money, they need to increase the lifespan of the average bankroll, then more people will stick around and deposit. If a person loses a lot of money over a long period of time to a slow grind fine, it is at such a rate that it is acceptable, but to be broke minutes after depositing just doesn't work. I've cut way back on deposits myself because $10 an hour is not acceptable price to pay for the entertainment value that Entropia is currently providing.

I am not here to make waves, or stir up any kind of a war. And I know the last thing many of you want is to read my rants and raves, but we need something to change. I don't know what it is, I don't even know if Mindark knows what it is. But I do know that if they don't act fast, and fix whatever is wrong with the system as it is, their bottom line is going to fall right out from under them, and if Mindark crashes and burns, so does any and all value of your items, peds, estates, and skills that are currently on or in your avatar and it's storage.

The reason the typical casino slot machine has 90% and higher paybacks is quite simple. Any less than that the customer gets mad and leaves and doesn't come back. With at best a 50% return (yes even I am lucky to get more than 50% back on anything I do and THAT IS WITH MARKUP), I am looking at putting more of my entertainment budget towards more lucrative endeavors. I love video poker, I've made a lot of money playing video poker. But I love Entropia, and what it COULD become if those running it would ALLOW it to become. As it stands now, Entropia's golden age has long since passed when the old Calypso passed out of existence and was reborn with the launch of CryEngine 2.

Thanks everyone for listening to my soapbox... It's been too long that I've been quiet, and I would rather see Mindark feel the heat and pressure so they actually fix whats wrong before they crash and burn and we are all screwed out of a wonderful game and everything we have into it. I would be more upset losing my progress from 6 years of playing than I would anything my avatar has to be honest with you. I'd feel like the last 6 years of playing were wasted if the game went bankrupt and had to close down for good. I'd imagine a company with better management and business plans would buy out the assets if things got that bad and we would see a huge paradigm shift in how the game was operated, BUT... That is speculation.

Customer service is the number one goal of ANY business, but apparently MA is ignoring it.