ErikH2000
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I made the above poll to get people's opinions on the Danforth/CaravelNet messages that are sent near the expiration time of a trial or full CaravelNet membership. If you haven't received any yet, please wait to get one before voting. If you have a trial membership, you'll get one e-mail message a week away from expire time and a second message the day before expiration. Full membership people get messages at 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day before expiration.

I wanted these renewal reminder messages to be creative and catch people off guard. I wanted people to be entertained by them. And of course, I wanted people to cough up twelve bucks to renew their memberships. I've gotten a few e-mails from players who were confused by the messages, so I have a few doubts. I definitely don't want people upset by them, and it seems possible Danforth's parody obnoxiousness might by mistaken for real obnoxiousness. So either I'm going to tweak the messages a little bit, or redo them in some more dramatic way. One thing I know I will do is include a little more information about CaravelNet in the e-mails that go to people with expiring trial memberships.

The poll is there to quantify results in a tidy way, but also to give an anonymous outlet to people with negative opinions that would prefer not to voice them publicly. That said, I would like to hear what people think of the messages (positive or negative) in reply posts as well as the poll.

By the way, we are doing fine with renewals, so there are no problems there, but I still want to look for ways to improve the messages.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
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bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
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I'd have much preferred a straightforward, "Your subscription will run out in the next x weeks, if you wish to renew, blah, blah, blah." As it was, it didn't give me that needed push to resubscribe - and I still haven't - though I should point out that I suffer from PIOTTS.

ErikH2000
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Sorry, what is PIOTTS?

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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A thought just occurred to me. People on this forum are probably more inclined to understand the messages and respond favorably to them. I should try in the next Illumination to rally a few more votes from the non-forumites, and even then I'll need to consider that results will be skewed towards those who are more hooked in to the world of Caravel.

Also, thanks for the comments, Bandit.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Abbyzzmal
Level: Smiter
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At first, I thought the messages were kind of cute, but my oh my did Danforth get whiny. Even though I got the joke, I found myself saying, "Okay, Erik, that's a little much, don't you think?"

It seemed out of character for the world's greatest salesman to be so off-putting. Whether or not that was the point, he was still off-putting, and so I, too, have put off renewing my subscription.

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
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ErikH2000 wrote:
Sorry, what is PIOTTS?

-Erik

I don't know if I dare tell you.

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

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Erik,

I must say that I found the messages incredible irritating. They are funny alright, but not really appropriate. Perhaps funny posts are required for people that receives lots of spam, but then I've been lucky to receive very few of those.

Personally, if I got an e-mail from a "Erik Hermansen, creator of DROD" asking me whether I want to prolong CaravelNet, I'd probably do it immediately. It would definitely feel more sincere. I can understand why you don't want to do that though.

Oh, the reason that I'm putting off is that I'm trying some things out now that I don't have CNet, and that I'm trying to see if (and how) I can pay you instead (of just claiming my 8 contests prize).

-- Tim

PS. I hope you're not too angry at me...

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

ErikH2000
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Tim wrote:
PS. I hope you're not too angry at me...

No way would I be angry at you. Besides the fact that I asked for constructive criticism, this is Tim talking after all!

But the incoming criticism is painful, I admit. I can see now that I will definitely need to rework the messages. I think I need to get away from the "guilt" or "you're screwing up" ideas completely.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

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Oh, I forgot one important thing. Just in case someone changes his/her e-mail address after joining CaravelNet, it would be nice to receive either a PM or in-game a warning that the membership is almost ending.

---

[Last edited by Tim at 04-13-2006 11:29 PM]

eytanz
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My view here is that if I must get some sort of stylized message the current ones are pretty much ok, but I'd prefer a simple, dry message that's plainly informative and that's it.

____________________________
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Ezlo
Level: Smitemaster

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Umm, is it possible, for me, a person whose subscription won't run out until early 2007, get a copy of the E-mails so I can participate in this thoughtful discusion?

Abbyzzmal
Level: Smiter
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I see no harm in posting them here.

Moonlit Afternoons


I Won't Take "Yes" for an Answer


Just Go Away


The last one reminds me of an email I sent someone who wanted to "just be friends." I really hate myself for sending that email.

Ezlo
Level: Smitemaster

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Okay, I voted. Not the best E-mail, but it certainly wouldn't of confused me if I had got it, though I would've trashed it because I get to much junk mail like that to notice it was from Danforth. I hope he'll show up some more.

jamie
Level: Smiter
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Yeah, whilst I like the humour, and personally it's not a problem to me, the trouble is, we are all bombarded with spam and junk/unauthorised mail that a lot of people will mistake it for spam, or not see the joke - particularly if they are not active on the forums.

I'm afraid that I'd have to agree that an 'offical sounding' email would be more appropriate.... Let Danford arise in the nag screens, forums, and website, where he belongs

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Mattcrampy
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Oohhhh...

I never received "Just Go Away", and it's a good thing, too. I think it's probably too harsh, and it certainly doesn't leave one with positive thoughts about a product that's really an infrastructure thing, that works best when it's not noticed.

I enjoy getting something that doesn't just look like a form letter, but I think Danforth is a bit long-winded.

____________________________
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Mouse
Level: Master Delver

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I don't have CaravalNet (yet) but here's my thoughts on those messages anyway.

-The subjects are very likely to get the message put straight into someones trash. The messages smell like spam.
-The first two are fairly amusing, gentle reminders - I'd probably think "oh yeah" and then do something about it sometime.
-The last one is awful. If I received that message I'd think "well, screw you too" and then not renew until I felt like it, if I renewed at all.

Overall though, I think this is a good use for Danforth.

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
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What about a standard "This is Erik speaking. Please renew now. Thanks", followed by whatever content is sent (I haven't seen it but it does seem to have an overall negative acceptance).

If, as I'm inferring from the posts above, it is worded as a sales pitch, then I definitely think there are better ways around it, regardless of character synergism (?).

The game sells itself... ridiculously so. Enough said

[EDIT]

And obivously that includes Caraveln.net, and the site, the community, and the pleasure generated by taking the most humblest of products and losing your job over it...

---

[Last edited by Syntax at 04-14-2006 06:34 AM]

Tuttle
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I haven't received them myself, but looking at Abbyzzmal's post, I quite like the first one.

I'd suggest that maybe the one-week and one-day mails be a more standard sort of message though. That way some of us get a joke, and even the people who delete/don't understand/whatever the one-month email still get reminded.

Banjooie
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I think they're fine: my definition of 'spam email', having read many, doesn't really mesh with a highly sarcastic, terrible sales pitch.

But I'm pretty thick-skinned, so, I dunno. Just Go Away would have been priceless.

gamer_extreme_101
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I'm gonna have to agree with Banjooie on this one. Since I know the team and their wacky sense of humour, I wouldn't mind either messages. If I received that message from another company that I didn't know much of the people, I'd be pretty darn offended.

____________________________
--That guy with a million different aliases since he doesn't like this name anymore.

Banjooie
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Also: If you've ever read the nag screens, /ever/ and you have not figured out that Danforth Strout's job is to be an irritating salesman who you cannot stand, you're doing something terribly, terribly wrong.

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

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gamer_extreme_101 wrote:
I'm gonna have to agree with Banjooie on this one. Since I know the team and their wacky sense of humour, I wouldn't mind either messages. If I received that message from another company that I didn't know much of the people, I'd be pretty darn offended.

You mean that all CaravelNet customers who receive those mails know the team and their wacky sense of humour? Why do I not believe it?

Banjooie wrote:
Also: If you've ever read the nag screens, /ever/ and you have not figured out that Danforth Strout's job is to be an irritating salesman who you cannot stand, you're doing something terribly, terribly wrong.

You mean that you like to buy things from "an irritating salesman who you cannot stand"? I really need to sell you things then...

Fortunately, CaravelNet happens to be great value itself, so that customers can stand irritating messages to buy them.

-- Tim (There must be something wrong with my logic, but I can't see it yet...)

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

---

[Last edited by Tim at 04-15-2006 11:48 PM]

Maurog
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If I had a store, it would read "Just Go Away" above the entrance. People who are discouraged by that aren't real customers anyway. The attitude is right provided you deliver excellent quality product, and CaravelNet falls under that description.

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NiroZ
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Well the first one was hilarious, although i imagine that i would be alot more comfortable if the title was 'Your Caravelnet Anniversary' if i was to recive it.

to put it nicely, the emails when in a downwards direction from there.

Perhaps if you managed to fit them somewere ingame, saying somthing like "caravelnet has detected that you will be suffering from eternal unhappiness in < 1 month. Click Here to fix it"

I suppose this would also be the right place to say that i have not been able to look at a 'buy now' exit screen in the same light since playing DROD.

leroy00
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 155
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It may be a little late to reply to this thread, since it seems Erik has already decided to change things, but there are one or two things which haven't been mentioned.

eytanz wrote:
My view here is that if I must get some sort of stylized message the current ones are pretty much ok, but I'd prefer a simple, dry message that's plainly informative and that's it.

I guess this pretty much sums up my opinion, since this is the sort of homour that I call "wooden mallet on the head" and I prefer a more subtle art of humour. That sort of humour would hardly be suited to this purpose, however.

Points that might be of interest for such campaigns in the future:

- The e-mails landed in my junk mail filter.
- I fished one out only because I recognised the name Danforth Strout. Given (somewhat bogus-sounding) first and last names, I probably would not have taken the time to read the subject line containing "CaravelNet" and fished it out on those grounds before flushing it into the virtual sewers had I not recognised it.
- My history with JtRH was directly ordering a CD without ever downloading the full version or the demo beforehand. Somehow doing this seemed to miss out on Danfort Strout. I get the Strout screen in the full version, but he never states his name there, and since I never saw the demo's nag screen, he never introduced himself to me. I only found out his name and background through this forum. So someone who buys the full version on reference of some sort without perusing the forum or trying the demo first won't recognise him anyway, and even if such a person lands on the forum now, I doubt he'll ever come across those old, old posts about J. Danforth Strout, and you may never reach him with your mail.

--leroy

____________________________
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jdyer
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I don't have an opinion on the first two messages, but the going away message has to be very nice. This isn't someone who is necessarily going away -- they're maybe just on the brink of renewing, and haven't decided yet. You don't want to push them over the edge the wrong way.

Banjooie
Level: Smitemaster

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Maybe something along these lines? Still hideously overblown, but less on the guilt?

'Hi, I'm Danforth Strout. You may remember me as the guy who personally thanks you whenever you quit a session of DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold. If I'm not thanking you, I'm delighting you with one of my famous salespitches. Why are they famous? Because I'm the World's Greatest Salesman.

"But Dan," you ask, "What are you here to sell me today?"

What I'm here to sell you is what you already have--A subscription to CaravelNet. I couldn't help but notice that yours is running out!

What's that? You don't even know what CaravelNet is? If you don't, that's great--that's exactly how we like the system to work. Nice, smooth, and invisible. Maybe you were extra efficient in one of the many quality rooms you played, and you noticed that you had a high score. Maybe you've downloaded one of the holds, ingame, made by users just like you! What makes all this possible? CaravelNet!

(URL here because I'm lazy)

You liked all that, right? Of course you did, you wouldn't want to lose something so near and dear to both of us--yes, both of us! I'm only happy if you're happy, and DROD just isn't the same without CaravelNet. Thankfully, it's very inexpensive--only twelve dollars a year!

Sign up now, put a smile on both our faces!

Your friend,

Danforth Strout'

Bunches
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 192
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I think that that one is much better than the other ones!

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
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Wow, I am getting schooled here. Nice letter, Banjooie. I may borrow a few ideas from it.

Well, the real lesson for me is that although a lot of creative writing works better for me when I cut loose and not overthink it, some writing needs a more critical process. The CaravelNet messages obviously need to be written very carefully so that they work for many different kinds of people and don't offend.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Banjooie
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1645
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I'm still of the camp that anyone who's played DROD a month (or a year) knows you guys have a rather twisted sense of humour, but.