Get your shit together TTG!!! - open letter to TTG -

[NoHobo!]

As a paying customer I'm starting to get really pissed at you guys of TTG.

Don't get me wrong, I know that bugs are part of games, but what you are delivering here is just beyond my understanding.

- Corrupt savegames
- even after a full replay and re-Install savegames not as they are suppossed to work
- buggy ingame menu's (resolution goes back to 1024x768 after completion of an episode, ie Ep. 2, sound settings not as I set them before)
- entirely bugged game decision overview (see image below)
http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/g9g1i5si/thumb/wtf.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/g9g1i5si/wtf.jpg)

I mean wtf TTG?! Can't you even handle the simple task of creating proper savegame files?!

Protip: get rid of your "Testers" and hire players to do the job. They seem to do more than your playtesting staff, who probably just klick through the game like zombies and don't bother to deviate from that and thus don't figure out the bugs that most players encounter (probably mostly because real players at some point regret a decision they make, hit Escape on their keyboard and abort to main menu to load from the last checkpoint to do it again - but hey, guess what - that's not even possible because the menu then says ALL EPISODES are "COMING SOON", so they have to shut your #&§%&# game down and restart it to be able to do so..)

In other words: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER TTG!! Or disappear from the gaming industry once and for all. Jeez...

ps: hey, don't get me wrong, I like your game but this sh!tty programming has to go. pardon my french but naturally I'm pissed to have to play though this sh!t over and over again... am I right or what?! [looking at other players]

EDIT: just found another bug. see images below.

http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/evmv51gr/thumb/wtf2.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/evmv51gr/wtf2.jpg)

http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/vlfe2mv5/thumb/wtf3.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/vlfe2mv5/wtf3.jpg)

[8Bit_System]

Your image doesn't load for me. Was that on purpose? *cough*

[Milosuperspesh]

it's a stat screen with the default 50% and bugged choice text with 'decision1 etc'

maybe if the op was tech savvy his computer wouldn't be a p.o.s

i reckon it's all down to fragmentation and old drivers and probably needs replacement parts..

[NoHobo!]

Your image doesn't load for me. Was that on purpose? *cough*

The error must be on your end. Works fine for me, both preview picture and the link.

[Viden]

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing a lot of these problems. There are plenty of potential fixes on the site you can try. I'll admit, none of them worked for me, but you'll never know until you try.

However, your demeanor is a little uncalled for. Yes, it's true these are issues that need to be fixed. Yelling or insulting won't win you any favors. I know your pain. I've ran through the gave two full times only to lose my progress each time. Just take it in stride. I've simply deleted the game in the hopes that the next release will fix some of these issues. When the final episode is out and these issues still remain, then I may not be so understanding. But for now, just sit back and wait. It's all we can do.

[Cyreen]

The self-censoring always amuses me.

[DreadMagus]

Constructive criticism goes a lot further....

[NoHobo!]

The self-censuring always amuses me.

Not to sound like a grammar-nazi but it's "censoring", from censorship.

And I do it because I don't want to give any admin the excuse to delete my post while at the same time I can express my pain with this game...

[Gman5852]

Not to sound like a grammar-nazi but it's "censoring", from censorship.

And I do it because I don't want to give any admin the excuse to delete my post while at the same time I can express my pain with this game...

"Telltale get your act together" didn't sound good then?

[8Bit_System]

Your image doesn't load for me. Was that on purpose? *cough*
The error must be on your end. Works fine for me, both preview picture and the link.
And there we go, don't we?

[Cyreen]

Not to sound like a grammar-nazi but it's "censoring", from censorship.

And I do it because I don't want to give any admin the excuse to delete my post while at the same time I can express my pain with this game...

Actually you're right, that is what I meant. Roll around in it and enjoy it, it doesn't happen very often.

Self-Censuring would have been correct only if you were prepared to admit some of the error was yours, censure meaning judgment or condemnation.

[Icedhope]

Not to sound like a grammar-nazi but it's "censoring", from censorship.

And I do it because I don't want to give any admin the excuse to delete my post while at the same time I can express my pain with this game...

You can swear, just don't direct it towards anybody and use it in a demeaning manor.

Also.

Bugs are a normal part of games. You also have to realize that Telltale doesn't have a huge QA department like Bethesda, TreyArch, Ubisoft and the such so not all the bugs are caught..so a lot of the times some bugs still get through and another thing to factor is they have to try and launch these games quickly and in an episodic format.

[Viden]

And there we go, don't we?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a chuckle out of this. :p

[Motordead]

"I'm angry! you can't reach a reasonable release date! I Hate Telltale!"
or...
"I'm angry! your game has bugs! I'm entitled to no bugs! I Hate Telltale!"

either way Telltale loses.

I for one welcome our new overlords. Telltale has made a great product, and while knowing it takes time to make something good, in the end there may still be a few small bugs under certain circumstances. I think this game is awesome, haters gonna hate.

[Cyreen]

"I'm angry! you can't reach a reasonable release date! I Hate Telltale!"
or...
"I'm angry! your game has bugs! I'm entitled to no bugs! I Hate Telltale!"


Wait, you forgot the "I'm angry! You killed my favorite character! I Hate Telltale!"

[Motordead]

Wait, you forgot the "I'm angry! You killed my favorite character! I Hate Telltale!"

Lol forgot that one :P

[holeydonut]

IMO, the corrupt savegame issue is much more severe than just a QA group that isn't testing thoroughly. The ones who developed the save module have a severe weakness in their code.

Almost every game with a save feature prompts you with a warning message at the start of the game that if you see some icon or symbol, then the game is writing save data. At this point, it instructs you to never turn off or reset your console if you see that icon or you may corrupt save data.

Beyond that time, there should be no action taken by game code to corrupt save game data. In contemporary games, gamers trust that their progress won't be wiped by unexpected bad code. I know some people will say that game developers don't owe gamers anything, but I feel Telltale is violating an implied trust.

And things are made worse by holier than thou forum members who seem to push the idea of "shit happens deal with it and quit whining."

I think this is deplorable for TTG to refuse patches on key game flaws. Any other game developer with these bugs would be hung out to dry. Imagine if your Diablo III data, Borderlands 2 (soon to be released), or Mass Effect save states would be corrupt just because "shit happens."

It is unacceptable for Telltale to use their small studio size to skirt around making a game that can save user data... especially a title that relies so heavily on save states and decisions. If they can't code their save state feature properly, then they shouldn't be in the business of making games since gamers trust that TTG delivered a quality game.

Plain and simple, their game saving module has bad code in it. Their code should create shadow copies in the event a primary save is rendered useless due to whatever bad programming is causing corrupt saves. This has been an issue since Episode 1 - and the success of their game should have afforded them the resources to assign someone the task of fixing this serious issue.

[Cyreen]

And things are made worse by holier than thou forum members who seem to push the idea of "shit happens deal with it and quit whining."

I'm very definitely holier than thou, so I'll take this.

First, your post falls under the category of "constructive criticism", minus the part I quoted. You are very entitled to voice your opinion. The part that's a bit annoying to the forum members you are so quick to criticize is that there is an actual "Open Discussion" thread or an "Episode 3 Review" thread (whichever is more applicable) both stuck to the top of the forum, to which these can be posted, because that's generally where they get moved to anyway.

[Eric Northman]

As a paying customer I'm starting to get really pissed at you guys of TTG.

Don't get me wrong, I know that bugs are part of games, but what you are delivering here is just beyond my understanding.

- Corrupt savegames
- even after a full replay and re-Install savegames not as they are suppossed to work
- buggy ingame menu's (resolution goes back to 1024x768 after completion of an episode, ie Ep. 2, sound settings not as I set them before)
- entirely bugged game decision overview (see image below)
http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/g9g1i5si/thumb/wtf.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/g9g1i5si/wtf.jpg)

I mean wtf TTG?! Can't you even handle the simple task of creating proper savegame files?!

Protip: get rid of your "Testers" and hire players to do the job. They seem to do more than your playtesting staff, who probably just klick through the game like zombies and don't bother to deviate from that and thus don't figure out the bugs that most players encounter (probably mostly because real players at some point regret a decision they make, hit Escape on their keyboard and abort to main menu to load from the last checkpoint to do it again - but hey, guess what - that's not even possible because the menu then says ALL EPISODES are "COMING SOON", so they have to shut your #&§%&# game down and restart it to be able to do so..)

In other words: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER TTG!! Or disappear from the gaming industry once and for all. Jeez...

ps: hey, don't get me wrong, I like your game but this sh!tty programming has to go. pardon my french but naturally I'm pissed to have to play though this sh!t over and over again... am I right or what?! [looking at other players]

EDIT: just found another bug. see images below.

http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/evmv51gr/thumb/wtf2.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/evmv51gr/wtf2.jpg)

http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/vlfe2mv5/thumb/wtf3.jpg (http://www.imagebanana.com/view/vlfe2mv5/wtf3.jpg)

Had a similar problem on Uncharted 3 with my PS vita, this invisible lady had a conversation with me while holding a medallion (she had already exited the building in the back of a truck) I thought it was hilarious, and it didn't bother me in the least. I didn't have any such problem with TWD (I've never had any problem with TWD actually) even if you did, it's not that big of a deal.

[Viner16]

Had the InvisiDuck glitch, fall thru train glitch, and standing Chuck thru guitar glitch XD

[shammack]

I'm very definitely holier than thou

What do you mean by that? (Just curious if you're actually a nun or something.)

[holeydonut]

I'm very definitely holier than thou, so I'll take this.

First, your post falls under the category of "constructive criticism", minus the part I quoted. You are very entitled to voice your opinion. The part that's a bit annoying to the forum members you are to quick to criticize is that there is an actual "Open Discussion" thread or an "Episode 3 Review" thread (whichever is more applicable) both stuck to the top of the forum, to which these can be posted, because that's generally where they get moved to anyway.



There are also several threads in their support forum and the same issue has been discussed in the episode 1 and episode 2 stickies. I don't think there is an absence of opportunity for people to have posted issues with their save states.

As is the case in every one of these threads, the users who have no problems mock the users who do have issues. These smug users imply that problem gamers should stop complaining of this issue because it's only a game.

This is exasperated where the only official feedback from TTG has been a statement where they cannot seem to replicate the problem, and the issue affects too small a grouping to warrant resources for a fix.

Mass Effect 2 did have a significant problem with corrupt save states (on PC and console). But BioWare issued a patch that remedied most of the issues. I won't link to a rival publisher's board, but the thread in the BioWare Social Network reached 16 pages. And luckily for those users, there wasn't a strong message from fellow forum members asserting players with problems should just restart the game and quit complaining.

Recently, the game FEZ had issues with corrupt save states (Xbox Live Arcade title), the developer claimed to have a fix, but blamed Microsoft for charging too much for patches since game developers are only given 1 free update to arcade titles before a pretty hefty fee is levied. Again, on the FEZ board there weren't many users pushing the "stop complaining" message onto players facing issues with their save states.

[Cyreen]

As is the case in every one of these threads, the users who have no problems mock the users who do have issues. These smug users imply that problem gamers should stop complaining of this issue because it's only a game.

This is exasperated where the only official feedback from TTG has been a statement where they cannot seem to replicate the problem, and the issue affects too small a grouping to warrant resources for a fix.

In the majority of instances that I have seen on this board, the original poster is generally inappropriately abusive to both Telltale and the forum members. Further, opening a separate thread to rant about a problem, rather than posting in the appropriate place is pretty much an invitation to be criticized.

Considering the multitude of computer configurations (i.e. security software, drivers, video cards, etc.) that can effect how a game runs, if Telltale is unable to replicate the problem, how can they be expected to patch it? There are a lot users out there without the computer savvy to adequately judge whether their computer is capable of running a game. These same users are often quick to blame the game rather than their own ineptitude.

What do you mean by that? (Just curious if you're actually a nun or something.)

Okay, that gave me the giggles!

No, I was being facetious, meaning that I could be self-righteous with the best of 'em! :D

[Eric Northman]

Had the InvisiDuck glitch, fall thru train glitch, and standing Chuck thru guitar glitch XD

Maybe it's a hardware/ driver issue.

[shammack]

Okay, that gave me the giggles!

No, I was being facetious, meaning that I could be self-righteous with the best of 'em! :D

Ah, I see. I should probably stop taking things so literally.

[Eric Northman]

and there we go, don't we?

lol!

[dubesor]

I had none of these bugs and never had any problems with savegames whatsoever.

[CoiCki]

While I've enjoyed TTG's take on TWD, I've had my share of bugs.
Some of which I'm amazed have slipped through the QA department.

It does seem that the QA team have had more pressing matters than to assure the quality of the game. I must say I agree on getting rid of the current one and hiring gamers to do the testing.
Feels like us gamers already do the testing, only, we paid to do it.

I must also say, I'm extremely glad they changed the monthly release to a "periodic" schedule. I can't imagine the state the game would be in, if they'd stuck with monthly releases. At least now it's somewhat finishable.

[DreadMagus]

And there we go, don't we?

I think you win.

/thread.

:D

[Sentient Orange]

Several more issues that i've noticed:

- The scene where lee is walking back from the place where the blowtorch is in episode 3, he has 2 pistols at one point for a few seconds. In the next scene it's back to normal and he only has 1.

-When you can talk to christa and clementine, their mouths won't stop moving even when they're not speaking.


-The entire "in the next episode" trailer for episode 4 was bugged on the PC, the only thing that successfuly loaded for most of the clips in this trailer was lee's character model, and then after half of the clip was done the rest of the scene loaded even though the scene would be almost over.

-The mouse cursor is still bugged in all of the menus, where the mouse cursor appears on your screen isn't actually where the mouse is being detected, the game thinks your cursor is up to the right quite a bit further away than what it actually is.

-Minor clipping issues with stuff such as a door clipping through lee in one scene

-The game is pretty bugged on the PS3 too, apart from the corrupted save files, a friend of mine had to reload the game 3 times because he would not be able to select anything and the game would freeze.

[Pegglef]

I got the invisible Duck glitch as well, but overall I seem to have avoided all the bugs you encountered. Sorry, dude, but maybe try to be less caustic in your criticism if you want to be taken seriously.

Edit: Actually, no, I had some issues with my controller not being detected properly for the first time in the series. Is a Logitech Rumblepad 2. Nothing a quick game restart didn't fix, however.

[holeydonut]

In the majority of instances that I have seen on this board, the original poster is generally inappropriately abusive to both Telltale and the forum members. Further, opening a separate thread to rant about a problem, rather than posting in the appropriate place is pretty much an invitation to be criticized



These same people are often posting in the "trail of tears" and support forums for weeks trying to get help with no response from TTG? It seems evident TTG's support folks are not replying to the forum posts nor emails sent directly to the support department.


One support guy (username Mike) used to respond - but his comments were usually along the lines of "the issue affects a small portion of our users, sorry." But even Mike has since stopped offering help.

The angry / rude posts that manifest in this regular forum represent TTG's inability to take care of their customers.

How would you feel if you dropped money (I don't care how much) with the sincere understanding that you would receive a good product. When the vendor's product doesn't work. Nobody even bothers to reply to your support inquiry. And then you have people with working product telling you to suck it up and deal with it. Seems rather frustrating eh?

My game works ok - but I still find it alarming how many users are having games not work or save states wiped out. I hope TTG steps up. I've had the little glitches that involve Lee getting stuck, textures/objects not loading, controller issues, etc. I'll attribute these to TTG being "small", but they have no excuse to have a product that is unplayable to many gamers because their save states are getting wiped out. Restarting your game doesn't help those unfortunate players.

By the way, if you want to read some "ruder" (is that a word?) user complaints go hit the EA and Ubisoft support boards. In particular the recent Ghost Recon is a huge debacle on the PC and Ubisoft has basically told users with problems to go eff themselves. Big publishers do the same thing as TTG. I guess deep down I was hoping that TTG cared a bit more.

[joorgen]

http://cdn.randomfunnypicture.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/shit-tyrone-get-it-together.jpg
is it bad that this is all I could think of trough all of this?

[NoHobo!]

YADA YADA YADA... always the same with you folks.

Honestly, I don't mind the invisible Duckie bug or the overview at the end with no data.

but corrupt savegames is where the fun stops. they had months to fix it. there's no excuses like "but they have a small dev team!". that's nonsense.


And to you Margus:
I think you win.

/thread.

:D

lol what? this isn't your thread, so back off.
I wrote this because of issues we're almost all having. if you don't have an issue with the game, good for you sweetie! nobody asked for your opinion. /your face :D

[DreadMagus]

1) I won't back off.

2) I'll give it to you anyway.

3) <3

[Master of Aeons]

...self-righteous with the best of 'em! :D

This line is about me!

Seriously, I leave for a day and you guys have a party without me? God, I hope this thread isn't done. This sounds like a great thread.

[Xarne]

Raaaaaaaage!!!!

[The_Cheshire_Cat]

These same people are often posting in the "trail of tears" and support forums for weeks trying to get help with no response from TTG? It seems evident TTG's support folks are not replying to the forum posts nor emails sent directly to the support department.


One support guy (username Mike) used to respond - but his comments were usually along the lines of "the issue affects a small portion of our users, sorry." But even Mike has since stopped offering help.

The angry / rude posts that manifest in this regular forum represent TTG's inability to take care of their customers.

How would you feel if you dropped money (I don't care how much) with the sincere understanding that you would receive a good product. When the vendor's product doesn't work. Nobody even bothers to reply to your support inquiry. And then you have people with working product telling you to suck it up and deal with it. Seems rather frustrating eh?

My game works ok - but I still find it alarming how many users are having games not work or save states wiped out. I hope TTG steps up. I've had the little glitches that involve Lee getting stuck, textures/objects not loading, controller issues, etc. I'll attribute these to TTG being "small", but they have no excuse to have a product that is unplayable to many gamers because their save states are getting wiped out. Restarting your game doesn't help those unfortunate players.

By the way, if you want to read some "ruder" (is that a word?) user complaints go hit the EA and Ubisoft support boards. In particular the recent Ghost Recon is a huge debacle on the PC and Ubisoft has basically told users with problems to go eff themselves. Big publishers do the same thing as TTG. I guess deep down I was hoping that TTG cared a bit more.

The folks pretty much expect you not to complain or find fault with the game.

That's the vibe I pick up. Some complain a little bit much, but even basic grumblings are met with some pretty outrageous rebuttals.

[NoHobo!]

1) I won't back off.

2) I'll give it to you anyway.

3) <3

*snip*

[Xarne]

As is the case in every one of these threads, the users who have no problems mock the users who do have issues. These smug users imply that problem gamers should stop complaining of this issue because it's only a game.


Well, you have here an issue that some experience and others dont. Valid.
But when someone comes up in here with this crybaby title of a thread and the 1st post is filled with such disgust, like he has never seen a glitch ever in his life or that this glitch is so immensely unacceptable for his $5 what else comes to mind other than:
1- update your goddamn drivers; or is TTG responsible for that as well?
2- check the support forums? Unheard of, I know.
3- unclench; it's $5

But really, its hard to rally support when you come off as some spoiled 14yr old; demanding to be heard over your $5 purchase.
"In other words: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER TTG!! Or disappear from the gaming industry once and for all. Jeez..."
haha, what adult talks like this and expects another adult to take them even remotely seriously
disappear from the gaming industry once and for all? haha go watch some Dragon Ball Z or something to cool you down

[Xarne]

The error must be on your end. Works fine for me, both preview picture and the link.

The irony of this comment is unmeasured.

[holeydonut]

Well, you have here an issue that some experience and others dont. Valid.
But when someone comes up in here with this crybaby title of a thread and the 1st post is filled with such disgust, like he has never seen a glitch ever in his life or that this glitch is so immensely unacceptable for his $5 what else comes to mind other than:
1- update your goddamn drivers; or is TTG responsible for that as well?
2- check the support forums? Unheard of, I know.
3- unclench; it's $5

But really, its hard to rally support when you come off as some spoiled 14yr old; demanding to be heard over your $5 purchase.
"In other words: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER TTG!! Or disappear from the gaming industry once and for all. Jeez..."
haha, what adult talks like this and expects another adult to take them even remotely seriously
disappear from the gaming industry once and for all? haha go watch some Dragon Ball Z or something to cool you down



Let's be real here, the support forum here is terrible. They even call it a "Home of Tears." [Edit: I won't push the analogy of Home of Tears as a reference to the Trail of Tears. Either way, it seems inappropriate.]

As far as I know, there has not been a single organized effort by the TTG support team to request DXDIAG dumps for affected PCs where saves are corrupted. If it is a driver issue (highly unlikely) TTG should be the one isolating this, not some crowd-sourced effort to troubleshoot without guidance or assistance from TTG.

Anyway, $5 to you may mean nothing - but $5 means much more to others. There should be no impetuous to simply disregard someone because you feel the monetary impact is not sufficient to crest your personal threshold. If $5 were "nothing" then TTG should be happy to refund people their $5 since it means nothing to them.

[Xarne]

You are right so I'll break it down to the smallest component: He sounds like a little baby and his sense of entitlement over $5 (as great or as small as that may mean to someone) is both entertaining and an eyesore to read. And anyone who starts their argument with such a childish thread title is not only looking for shock value but is screwing their chance at any dev taking this thread seriously. If I were a dev this thread would go right into my suggestion box. And by suggestion box, I mean garbage can by my desk.

As to the finer points of the post: Every forum has a tech support. Good or bad, there is a system in place.
As for the drivers and the technical aspects- if this guy didnt even have the know-how to post local images onto the internet, I'll bet there are other aspects of his machine that could use some maintenance.
But the meat of my argument is still in the main paragraph: this kid needs to learn how to communicate outside of a junior-high school level if he wants to be taken seriously.

[holeydonut]

I agree the OP's maturity level is somewhat lacking, but TTG is ignoring serious (maturely worded) postings with a huge amount of frequency. Look through their support forums. No one is getting help there from a TTG rep. There are just many users who all share the same issues trying to assist each other.

Sure, TTG can ignore commentary filled with expletives, but they have chosen to ignore very support issue in the process.

[Xarne]

Im jaded I guess; been dealing with this kind of stuff for so long that it's just part of the business for me, or maybe with age I realize that the sun doesnt revolve around me anymore, no matter how much of my allowance I just spent. I'll move on.

[Cyreen]

nobody asked for your opinion. /your face :D

You did, as soon as you got up on your little soapbox and posted this thread. You weren't looking for sympathy, you were looking for a fight. Congratulations.

How would you feel if you dropped money (I don't care how much) with the sincere understanding that you would receive a good product.

I recently pre-ordered a digital game and received it in German. Following the vendor's policies, I immediately requested a refund. Several days after the release I was sent a notification that they had replace the German files with the English version, therefore their obligation was complete. They've lost a customer. However, at no point did I verbally abuse anyone, because that's just pointlessly immature. I have no doubt that every gamer on this site has had their share of problems at some point in time with some game, somewhere.

If $5 means that much, don't buy video games.

Seriously, I leave for a day and you guys have a party without me?

Put on your dance shoes, princess, and get out on floor.

[godzilla999666]

Snip

I recently pre-ordered a digital game and received it in German. Following the vendor's policies, I immediately requested a refund. Several days after the release I was sent a notification that they had replace the German files with the English version, therefore their obligation was complete. They've lost a customer. However, at no point did I verbally abuse anyone, because that's just pointlessly immature. I have no doubt that every gamer on this site has had their share of problems at some point.

Per your own example, you got a RESPONSE. I posted a problem on the support forum. I play the game on xbox so it is not my system. I never got a response, that is a HUGE part of the issue. The lack of response from the ttg team is part of the problem. And i know some on here will defend anything ttg does or should i say doesn't due no matter the situation.

[WowMutt]

I've never expirenced a bug or lost saves.. jus sayn :p

[Cyreen]

On the odd occasion I've had technical problems with a game (usually Steam), I've used vendor forums to search for solutions. Otherwise, I email directly for support and I've always received a response. I suspect tone may be a contributing factor.

[Xarne]

Per your own example, you got a RESPONSE. I posted a problem on the support forum. I play the game on xbox so it is not my system. I never got a response, that is a HUGE part of the issue. The lack of response from the ttg team is part of the problem. And i know some on here will defend anything ttg does or should i say doesn't due no matter the situation.

well lets compare your post to the OP.
Within 7 sentences, you have defined the problem and how it is affecting your gameplay in a short, well defined manner and without berating the testers; the work ethic of the devs or the authenticity of TTG as a company.
This to me, says way more than 12 screenshots and a pagelong rant filled with threats and insults.
I dont defend TTG, I just like dissecting crybabies.

[holeydonut]

How do you guys explain the dozens of other threads in the support forum from users who cite no feedback or response from TTG's support group?

My point still stands - there are people on this forum who quickly judge the maturity level of someone who has a problem and go out of their way to be sarcastic and rude to those users who are experiencing problems.

Did you know that the age of gamers spans many decades? Did it occur to you that those gamers may not have the maturity level to your liking? What is sad is that the alleged mature ones go out of their way to insult and make fun of those they deemed to be immature. Which in itself is immature.

What is evident is that TTG is acting like a big publisher with enough customers that they don't have to care about solving bugs in their game. That's a sad turn of events from a group of developers that I thought were closer to having the interest their customers compared to the standard publicly traded behemoth.

[Xarne]

Well...we're forum posters, not spokesman of TTG. I cant speak for the others, but as Im not a TTG employee I cant explain their business practices or how they resolve their issues.
.

[holeydonut]

If you read their support forum, it seems their business practice is to not resolve user issues.

Honestly - go read the support pages. Many posters cite having emailed or attempted contact of TTG's support group and they never receive a reply other than some canned email that does not address their problem. Some even allege that weeks go by without acknowledgement or a trouble-ticket.

I believe TTG doesn't read its own user board because it seems every thread on here is some stupid flame war. Business/corporations will feel there is no redeeming value of their own board once they are indifferent to the contents of that board. Which is sad since their "tearful" support section needs someone staffed to address issues.

I just wish you'd lay off of someone who is pissed that he can't play a game that he wants to pay and paid money for. Yeah, his attitude sucks, but take the high road instead of dropping to his level.

[Cyreen]

Did you know that the age of gamers spans many decades? Did it occur to you that those gamers may not have the maturity level to your liking? What is sad is that the alleged mature ones go out of their way to insult and make fun of those they deemed to be immature. Which in itself is immature.


This being a mature forum for a mature game, I assume that anyone who immaturely posts a rant has their big boy/girl pants on and can take what they dish out. If they can't, all the better. There is a place and a time and this isn't it.

Got a problem? Direct it appropriately, in appropriate language to the proper channels. As previously stated, I would recommend email over posting a thread. If you're not getting a response, how is this my problem and why should I tolerate someone who attempts to make it my problem by posting inappropriately?

[DreadMagus]

How do you guys explain the dozens of other threads in the support forum from users who cite no feedback or response from TTG's support group?



Do they actually have a support "group"?

[Cyreen]

Do they actually have a support "group"?

By the end of this game, they'll need one.

[DreadMagus]

lol :)

[holeydonut]

Do they actually have a support "group"?


Yes, read some of the threads in the "House of Tears" (which I still assert is a very very very bad name for a forum that is supposed to help people).


http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=26


Some forum users who used to post there represented TTG's support group. They initially asked the questions that a normal support person would go through (PC and Mac triage is a pretty straightforward process). The initial assumption is that user error was the root cause. Then they move to client software/hardware. Then they say the issue is miniscule and not worth their time to fix.

The most damning problems were clearly issues with the code (exceptionally broad range of users affected in too many varying circumstances) rather than 1D10T errors.

At this point, the TTG official support goes radio silent. And most new complaints that show up late (around episode 2 and 3) claim that they never even get a trouble ticket when emailing support for assistance about issues.

The whole inverted mouse thing is a separate issue that is TTG's prerogative to ignore, but still awkward since they refuse to comment about it. Buggy games that are unplayable shouldn't receive the same treatment from any gaming company.

[Juicius Maximus]

Yes, read some of the threads in the "House of Tears" (which I still assert is a very very very bad name for a forum that is supposed to help people).

House of Tears sounds like a Zhang Yimou film. please, dude. It's the Home of Tears. Get it right.

[Gman5852]

This lack of support thread answers raises this question. What the heck happened to Telltale's staff? I remember having a glitch in one of their games and getting feedback from an employee within minutes, who continued to post until I got it fixed, what happened Telltale?

[holeydonut]

House of Tears sounds like a Zhang Yimou film. please, dude. It's the Home of Tears. Get it right.


You do realize I'm purposely picking the wrong word?

Trail of Tears = Death March
House of Tears = Gas Chamber

[8Bit_System]

why don't you just go back to playing with yourself? let the adults talk for a bit. :p
Let's do that! Just let us know where and when you fit in, so we know what we need to answer... and when.

[corruptbiggins]

They do seem very reticent to respond directly until what ever issue has been fixed, especially with the Walking Dead. It may not look like it, but they are very aware of the problems that have be going on. The best evidence of this is in the Walking Dead support FAQ (this thread (http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29368)). I'm not trying to make excuses for them, as they do need to be a bit more proactive in these kind of areas but there is some help available, if you look in the right places.

[Juicius Maximus]

You do realize I'm purposely picking the wrong word?

Trail of Tears = Death March
House of Tears = Gas Chamber

Ok, are you also purposely picking the wrong definitions for those names?

Trail of Tears = the forced relocation of Native Americans from the Southeastern United States, authorized by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

I had to google House of Tears to find out that it does in fact = gas chamber. More specifically, it = the one at West Point that all cadets must go through as part of their training. It apparently does not = any other gas chambers, like the kind used to kill people.

House of Tears also = a painting by Orozco, a book about westerners in Islamic lands, and the place I buy my crack from.

[holeydonut]

^ are you saying a forced relocation of people from their home causing 4,000 deaths is not a Death March because there were some survivors?

[Xarne]

^ are you saying a forced relocation of people from their home causing 4,000 deaths is not a Death March because there were some survivors?

that's funny, last time I was in here I thought we were talking about posts and where they belong and dont belong...how did the plight of the American Indian get mixed into all this. Focus people, focus!

[holeydonut]

that's funny, last time I was in here I thought we were talking about posts and where they belong and dont belong...how did the plight of the American Indian get mixed into all this. Focus people, focus!


The name of Telltale's support forum is "home of tears." I had pointed out this was a poor choice since it payed homage to very negative items. The suffix "of tears" is not something that denotes positive outcomes.

Maybe TTG did this on purpose knowing there would be nothing but frustration for users who entered their support forum?

As it was pointed out, the "House of Tears" phrase actually has two separate connotations. One being a gas chamber, and the other being artwork depicting the plight of women in a house of prostitution.

[Cyreen]

Seriously down to the last man at the party.

[DreadMagus]

I think House of Tears is an apt term, given how much boohooing seems to go on/belongs in there.

[Xarne]

In reality, this thread has been hijacked and is now serving as your own soapbox to preach about TTGs customer service (or lack thereof) :) I havent seen the OP since page 1
Preach on, brotha!

[Juicius Maximus]

^ are you saying a forced relocation of people from their home causing 4,000 deaths is not a Death March because there were some survivors?

That's definitely not what I'm saying. Don't you think you got a little carried away in the first place comparing a support forum to an historic atrocity? You went from Home of Tears to House of Tears to Trail of Tears, and it all made perfect sense to absolutely no one but you.

[holeydonut]

I said they chose a terrible way to describe their support forum because the connotations "of tears" are not positive. There is no reason for them to use "anything of tears" to describe their help center. Especially since there is no assistance being provided to the majority of players who use that support forum.

You guys went out of your way to describe the great job TTG was supporting people and how they are doing everything great. To the extent of making fun of other forum members for being frustrated.

Then you play some silly game of semantics even after you spent the time to do a Google Search to understand why "of tears" has no positive connotation.

[Juicius Maximus]

I googled because I was genuinely curious about your assertion that House of Tears = gas chamber. You're right, it is a silly game of semantics. Sorry if you feel made fun of, but that'll happen when you rely on hyperbole to state your case.

[Cyreen]

You guys went out of your way to describe the great job TTG was supporting people and how they are doing everything great. To the extent of making fun of other forum members for being frustrated.

Now you're just being silly. At no point did anyone advocate Telltale's support. The original poster was made fun of because he was immature (which he proved in spades) and it really wasn't out of the way considering he posted on the wrong board.

[Master of Aeons]

The allcaps of a whiny, ignorant jerk on the internet is like chum in the water.

[Xarne]

You guys went out of your way to describe the great job TTG was supporting people and how they are doing everything great. To the extent of making fun of other forum members for being frustrated.

Then you play some silly game of semantics even after you spent the time to do a Google Search to understand why "of tears" has no positive connotation.

Wow...hold on, let me get you a bigger brush for those broad strokes of yours.
Also, since you're defending someone who isnt even defending himself or his post; and since no one has an actual gripe with you; why dont you just change subjects? You're just making yourself look like some martyr now...not a good look

[Jodie M]

I only encountered the "invisible Duck" bug once, which was on my second playthrough, and Lee "rubberbanding" back into the Barn in Episode 2, after Andy asks you to come to Dinner. Other than those two bugs, I have had zero problems with all 3 episodes.

[Milosuperspesh]

on the dtoid live play they had the invisaduck bug on the 'xbox' version or pc with xbox pad lol

[JackSchirmer]

IMO, the corrupt savegame issue is much more severe than just a QA group that isn't testing thoroughly. The ones who developed the save module have a severe weakness in their code.

Almost every game with a save feature prompts you with a warning message at the start of the game that if you see some icon or symbol, then the game is writing save data. At this point, it instructs you to never turn off or reset your console if you see that icon or you may corrupt save data.

Beyond that time, there should be no action taken by game code to corrupt save game data. In contemporary games, gamers trust that their progress won't be wiped by unexpected bad code. I know some people will say that game developers don't owe gamers anything, but I feel Telltale is violating an implied trust.

And things are made worse by holier than thou forum members who seem to push the idea of "shit happens deal with it and quit whining."

I think this is deplorable for TTG to refuse patches on key game flaws. Any other game developer with these bugs would be hung out to dry. Imagine if your Diablo III data, Borderlands 2 (soon to be released), or Mass Effect save states would be corrupt just because "shit happens."

It is unacceptable for Telltale to use their small studio size to skirt around making a game that can save user data... especially a title that relies so heavily on save states and decisions. If they can't code their save state feature properly, then they shouldn't be in the business of making games since gamers trust that TTG delivered a quality game.

Plain and simple, their game saving module has bad code in it. Their code should create shadow copies in the event a primary save is rendered useless due to whatever bad programming is causing corrupt saves. This has been an issue since Episode 1 - and the success of their game should have afforded them the resources to assign someone the task of fixing this serious issue.

Well and thoughtfully stated.

Now, how about that issue that prevents tens of thousands of pc users from carrying even a single decision from one episode to the next?

It would help their argument at least a little if the apologists wouldn't try to claim that other than, you know, major and ongoing bugs TWD is just a perfect, perfect game.

It's barely playable, and tolerable only because it gets us another little slice of the fascinating world Kirkman created.

[JackSchirmer]

Several more issues that i've noticed:

- The scene where lee is walking back from the place where the blowtorch is in episode 3, he has 2 pistols at one point for a few seconds. In the next scene it's back to normal and he only has 1.

-When you can talk to christa and clementine, their mouths won't stop moving even when they're not speaking.


-The entire "in the next episode" trailer for episode 4 was bugged on the PC, the only thing that successfuly loaded for most of the clips in this trailer was lee's character model, and then after half of the clip was done the rest of the scene loaded even though the scene would be almost over.

-The mouse cursor is still bugged in all of the menus, where the mouse cursor appears on your screen isn't actually where the mouse is being detected, the game thinks your cursor is up to the right quite a bit further away than what it actually is.

-Minor clipping issues with stuff such as a door clipping through lee in one scene

-The game is pretty bugged on the PS3 too, apart from the corrupted save files, a friend of mine had to reload the game 3 times because he would not be able to select anything and the game would freeze.

What's remarkable, unfortunately, is that these are by far the most MINOR issues related to the game.

In most games, these would have been fixed before release. Instead, TTGs apologists want to claim that for some reason TTG is special and shouldn't have to be responsible for these issues.

In truth, they're charging in excess of $25 (we've in effect loaned the purchase price interest free in advance of delivery) for an extremely thin, short, point and click adventure game, and trying to make that sound like some sort of bargain price.

Come on, apologists. In truth it's a fun narrative which the game's bugs make nearly unplayable, and which few of us would be touching if it didn't borrow from TWD universe.

[JackSchirmer]

Well, you have here an issue that some experience and others dont. Valid.
But when someone comes up in here with this crybaby title of a thread and the 1st post is filled with such disgust, like he has never seen a glitch ever in his life or that this glitch is so immensely unacceptable for his $5 what else comes to mind other than:
1- update your goddamn drivers; or is TTG responsible for that as well?
2- check the support forums? Unheard of, I know.
3- unclench; it's $5

But really, its hard to rally support when you come off as some spoiled 14yr old; demanding to be heard over your $5 purchase.
"In other words: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER TTG!! Or disappear from the gaming industry once and for all. Jeez..."
haha, what adult talks like this and expects another adult to take them even remotely seriously
disappear from the gaming industry once and for all? haha go watch some Dragon Ball Z or something to cool you down

Do you know that you're not thinking, or is that too much for you?

The guy didn't pay $5, he paid $25. You've repeated it, so we know you know you're being disingenuous, but it's almost funny that you think it's meaningful. The poster knows what he paid, and he knows TTG isn't interested in helping him, and by all accounts won't refund anyone's purchase price. He's entitled to be upset.

[Cyreen]

Do you know that you're not thinking, or is that too much for you?

Having a good time playing with yourself? You might note in the bottom right-hand corner of each post are three little buttons. The middle button is known as the "multi-quote" button. You might want to experiment with that.

[JackSchirmer]

Having a good time playing with yourself? You might note in the bottom right-hand corner of each post are three little buttons. The middle button is known as the "multi-quote" button. You might want to experiment with that.

Still unable to address the deception? Pity...

[Cyreen]

I could give a rat's ass what your opinion of the game is and I have no intention of arguing with you. I just thought I'd save you some embarrassment, particularly if you actually want people to read what you post. Multiple posts are poor etiquette and just look like forum spam.

[TrickyZombie]

IMO, the corrupt savegame issue is much more severe than just a QA group that isn't testing thoroughly. The ones who developed the save module have a severe weakness in their code.

Almost every game with a save feature prompts you with a warning message at the start of the game that if you see some icon or symbol, then the game is writing save data. At this point, it instructs you to never turn off or reset your console if you see that icon or you may corrupt save data.

Beyond that time, there should be no action taken by game code to corrupt save game data. In contemporary games, gamers trust that their progress won't be wiped by unexpected bad code. I know some people will say that game developers don't owe gamers anything, but I feel Telltale is violating an implied trust.

And things are made worse by holier than thou forum members who seem to push the idea of "shit happens deal with it and quit whining."

Plain and simple, their game saving module has bad code in it. Their code should create shadow copies in the event a primary save is rendered useless due to whatever bad programming is causing corrupt saves. This has been an issue since Episode 1 - and the success of their game should have afforded them the resources to assign someone the task of fixing this serious issue.


Well put. This happened to me more than enough to be such a problem that commenting on it each time would have my post containing mostly nasty expletives. Please address this TT. Perhaps a free complete The Walking Dead game on another platform (when it's complete and corrupt-save-data-free) since I know a refund for a digital download seems like a stretch for you guys...

[Gman5852]

I'm curious, has anyone got a few bugs but nothing major in this game? Like a minor graphical bug or something of the sort?

Because so far, all I'm seeing is either
A. The game is perfectly bug free for the people who play.
B. The game is near unplayable with bugs such as save files being corrupted/not transferring over.

It's rather interesting how there is no middle ground for this game on bugs and is literally all or nothing...

[Cyreen]

I had a few graphical bugs, mostly in Episode 3, of the missing Duck and extra gun variety. Otherwise, smooth sailing. I'm pretty sure the majority of players are the same and the reason you don't hear about it is because it's not worth complaining about.

[Kiel555]

I'm curious, has anyone got a few bugs but nothing major in this game? Like a minor graphical bug or something of the sort?

Because so far, all I'm seeing is either
A. The game is perfectly bug free for the people who play.
B. The game is near unplayable with bugs such as save files being corrupted/not transferring over.

It's rather interesting how there is no middle ground for this game on bugs and is literally all or nothing...

Same as Cyreen. Barely noticed the missing Duck...he was back in place the next time Lee walked over to that area. So far the saves, games and carry over of past choices all worked as expected. I play on a PC and no issues worth mentioning have been noted.

[KCohere]

Same. A couple of things but very minor like the scenery showing through the train. Ive never had any problems with losing saves or my game carrying over or anything.