Wizards Of The Coast Learning That Pissing Off Geeks Isn't Such A Good Idea...
from the be-careful... dept
If there's one group online that it's useful to avoid pissing off, it's "the geeks." And one thing that plenty of geeks love is Dungeons and Dragons. Yet, D&D publisher, Wizards of the Coast, has fans of the game up in arms over the decision to stop a bunch of online retailers from selling PDF versions of its games and books, while also filing eight lawsuits claiming infringement for unauthorized distribution.... and I have to admit, I can't recall a story ever getting this many submissions from readers here (perhaps there's a bit of overlap in our audiences). In some cases, the demand to retailers to remove these PDFs has caused those who legitimately bought them (but hadn't downloaded them yet) to not be able to get the product they had purchased. On top of this, Wizards is apparently also looking at employing some sort of DRM for any future digital releases, which also has plenty of people angry.What's amazing to watch is the pushback from the games' biggest fans. They're wondering why Wizards is limiting legitimate sales of its products, and looking to make the overall product worse by limiting it with annoying DRM. As people keep pointing out, piracy is going to happen one way or the other -- but rather than trying to lock stuff down (and, one other aspect of this is requiring all resellers to become "authorized internet resellers"), why not focus on ways to use that content to build bigger and better business models that don't require treating all your fans and customers as criminals?
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: copyright, downloads, dungeons and dragons, files, pdfs, sales
Companies: wizards of the coast
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Someone help me out, please!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Someone help me out, please!
Nothing new here, except you would think WotC, of all people, should get it. It seems however, the **AAs don't have the monopoly on lack of common sense, or a monopoly on trying to pretend the revolution that happened over a decade ago still doesn't exist.
And you're absolutely right. You don't want to tick off the geeks, they have the wherewithal and the obsessive personality types to exact payback from WotC. Those are practically a prerequisite to be a user of their products in the first place.
Somehow, we've gone from "The Customer is always right." to "The Customer is our enemy." and it will be a long time, if ever, until things get back to something sane that actually serves customer and vendor alike.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
This has 0 to do with how the music business works, the other phrase you said, "the customer is our enemy" has indeed been occurring and that is a bad idea.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
"Some customers are sometimes right."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
"Some customers are sometimes right."
Could it be?:
"Customers are. Except when they're not buying."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
There's an understatement. I work with a bunch of these guys and I can tell you they have declared war and there's no intention to play by any rules but their own. DUMB, STUPID, IDIOTIC, SHORT-SIGHTED MOVE WOTC. They will make you pay dearly for the few extra dollars you might have earned.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Someone help me out, please!
If retailers are selling PDF versions of books created by Wizards Of The Coast, and WOTC didn't authorise PDF versions of the books, then I completely understand why WOTC is upset. I don't see the big deal if WOTC is still getting their cut of the revenue (i.e., perhaps the sale price of the PDF book is the same as the printed book, but some people wanted digital versions only), but this is not about my opinion of what's right or fair. It's about rather valid laws being broken, and overall, if the relevant laws actually help the creator of the content protect their work, then great.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Someone help me out, please!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The late, great, Gary Gygax
Every since Mattel and the late Gary Gygax, it's become "D&D for Dummies" and 'Let's do some cheap corporate whoring for cash!' on all fronts.
This was bound to happen. Most true geeks abhor that which our game has become.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
This is all because Wizards are a bunch of money-grubbing evil evil-doers; they bought D&D because they're evil, not because TSR FAILED AS A BUSINESS. Oh, by the way, they've been planing this conspiracy since 1997; maybe earlier!
Or Hasbro; Wizards was sunshine and unicorns before Hasbro bought them in 1999. Oh, wait; you said Mattel. Whatever, they're all evil corporations.
It's all part of a huge conspiracy to make the game dumber, obviously. Because making your game accessible to a larger audience is a STUPID way to ensure you won't go bankrupt like the last guys, who didn't do that but did go bankrupt. Marketing? Appealing to new audiences? Hell, they're probably even expecting some GIRLS will play their new wussed-out game!
Oh, and anyone who disagrees with us just isn't as hard-core of a geek as we are. Because in MY day, every time a new 1st level mage or thief walked out of the tavern, there was a 1% chance Orcus would be waiting in the street, and we LIKED IT that way!
Troll.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
That being said, the spirit of the original game is gone--having been slain by corporate greed.
PS Ad hominem, so soon?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
Look, I've played every version of the game (very little of 1st though). 4th edition is, to my mind, the GREATEST edition of D&D ever. And I have fond memories of pouring over the differences between a glaive-guisarme and a bec-de-corbin, and twinking out my elven fighter/mage (a bladesinger, of course). 4th is a better game, in my opinion. And yeah, I take umbrage to being told I'm not a "true geek" for holding that opinion.
The spirit is not gone. There was never a time when D&D books weren't made with an eye toward sleight-of-handing your hard earned gold pieces out of your belt pouch. But that's never stopped a group of friends from sitting around a table and rolling d20s at a dragon while making stupid Star Wars references.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
I've played 4th, my primary laments are that it's like World of Warcraft on paper. The economics are laughable, the crafting is nonexistent, and "magic" items now aren't.
Though 3.5 has it's problems as well...
Let's just agree to disagree; I believe it's not worth a holy war. :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
ty Evil M
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The late, great, Gary Gygax
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Violation
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Didn't you get that memo?
CJ,
Didn't you get that memo that was passed around the office last week? It was something to the tune of "The customer is always right, as long as they are dumb. Take their money."
I can forward it to ya if you need it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WOTC = greed
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: WOTC = greed
Where the issue should be is with what business models they've tried to apply with each new edition. 3rd edition was a success partially because of the creation of the OGL which allowed 3rd parties to create companion products--this grew the market and expanded demand for all market participants, as well as offered lots of innovation to the consumer.
Now, they don't seem to understand that they need to continue the OGL (they just recently phoned in a new version which shows a lukewarm commitment on their part), AND tackle the online gaming community. They're trying... but right now they are mostly failing and other products (some freeware) are filling the gaps. The character generator is a great product but the other products are coming so slowly the whole strategy may fail.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
If i could search on a kindle like ebook reader I might change my mind but as for right now the hard copy book is more usful then a PDF.
A lot of geeks are with me on this fact as well and its just not D&D, most roll playing systems are included in this remark.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Its a disease with them.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Its a disease with them.
If the new products today continue with their poor quality, new roleplaying games and new authors will enevitably take their place. As consumers we can demand a better game by not buying the shitty products. And as roleplayers we can create and distrubute our own material on the internet.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Continuing to drop the ball
3rd edition D&D was suppose to get a series of digital tools; after a series of delays, the promise was quietly forgotten.
4th edition D&D was suppose to ship with a series of digital tools, including access to an ebook version of every book you bought; current status? Delayed. And no ebook-with-purchase.
And now this? I can't say I'm surprised. Just... disappointed.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an evil warlock's dungeon to finish planning by Friday.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"...treating all your fans and customers as criminals?"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: "...treating all your fans and customers as criminals?"
In other words, "Making up a bunch of stuff..."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: "...treating all your fans and customers as criminals?"
I will give you a hint, DRM NEVER works. Never. Period.
Just how it is.
If that is their goal, they are simply throwing money away.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: "...treating all your fans and customers as criminals?"
Yup. My point wasn't that the DRM was a magical solution, just that it was more likely aimed at crooked retailers than end users.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: "...treating all your fans and customers as criminals?"
No, they are treating CRIMINALS as criminals. they have been selling wizard's merchandise as their own, and you are all complaining because you do not want to pay around 30 simple dollars, for a book.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
downloading pirated PDF's
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
BOYCOTT WOTC!!!
It seems obvious to me that the design philosophy behind D&D 4th Edition was to sell as many rulebooks, miniatures, and online subscriptions as possible -- NOT create a better game than 3rd Edition. For this reason alone I give WoC the middle finger and absolutely refuse to play 4E or purchase any of their products.
I highly recommend supporting those companies with d20 variants that use Open Game Content.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: BOYCOTT WOTC!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: BOYCOTT WOTC!!!
However I dont think WOTC is evil. I think they made a mistake. Their goal was to make money, to do that they need to provide a product which we the consumers want to buy. 4th edition isn't it.
I support your boycott, I want them to stop making 4th edtion and make a better book. If they don't learn fast enough then yes, they will go out of business. that's fine, a new roleplaying game will take its place.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mattel, eh?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Competition
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
The reason they announced was piracy, but there is some speculation that the real reason is so that wizards can do all their pdf distribution in-house (Of course, given their track record with internet applications, I'd estimate that application will arrive sometime between D&D Insider and Duke Nukem Forever). A more tin-foil hat theory is that they don't intend to republish older books because they'd rather not split their market accross editions any more than they already have.
The works in question were copyrighted, yes, but the companies that got the shaft were licensed distributors who paid Wizards their royalties. The real tragedy is that short of turning one up on ebay or at a garage sale, buying pdfs from those distributors was the ONLY legal way to find copies of some of certain books - specifically, the various D&D sets from the 70's and 80's.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Maybe what's needed is an FOS FRPG?
Who cares if SIWDCoCh is rolled on 1d20 (1 & 2 being handicaps, 19 Being extra stats with an achilles heel, and 20 being godlike stats.), or a 3d6 (oh, wait, probably copyrighted). And please, let's let the monk class be their original badass selves?
Zap.
P.S. You only get +2 initiative for a chain mail bikini, m'kay?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Part of the appeal of boardgames to me is still the wonderful physical nature of their printed graphics. It's a large part of why they're worth the money in the first place.
How much of the core concepts of role-playing are covered by the D&D copyrights, and will the habit of depending on a single source of authority last forever, or gradually be forgotten as its members age? Can an Open Source Community replace that traditional authority, as change of ownership and and the new owners' priorities gradually abandon the original intent of the activity?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
OGL and other games
Another thing also happened, games were created that went beyond the fantasy genre. Games were created to handle mecha, superheroes, horror, and a host of others. Now the base game, D&D, had rules and settings that were largely compatible with each other.
Another development was that folks that loved older versions of D&D could create their own d20 compatible game that resembled those older versions. (There's at least five I can think of.) When 4th edition came out under a completely different license, Paizo created the game Pathfinder as a continuation of the 3.5 edition game.
So to answer your question: There are quite a few OGL re-codified rulesets for the RPG community. Some bring back previous versions of the game, the d20 Core Engine hasn't changed, and Pathfinder is a commercial version largely based on the 3.5 version of the rules.
There were some elements, called Product Identity, that are subject to Trademark and copyright issues. So creatures called Beholders cannot be availble in the d20 license. Settings like Ravenloft, SpellJammer, and others also have Product Identity that cannot be converted. (Still, if those elements of PI are ommitted, it is still possible to create similar rulesets to cover these. IANAL, so I don't know about the legality of it, just saying that folks have "filed the serial numbers off" these settings.)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Just run a google search for the flavor of your choice: "Swords and Wizardry" (Original D&D), "OSRIC" (1e AD&D), or "Labyrinth Lord" (Basic/Expert D&D).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
As always. Sigh.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Emilio's take on a FOS FRPG...
And as far as content creation, one need to only look as far as http://www.planeshift.it/ to know it exists in copious quantity!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WotC
Then it became popular to be a geek. It became popular to play the computer versions of roleplay games. It became profitable to sell games and accessories.
WotC has gone through up times and down times. They want to get a share of the pie that they feel they baked. The recipe they created, then lost. They saw their games grow without their share. They don't want to lose their hold on it. They have taken the view that groups like the music and movie industry have.
I don't play 4E D&D and though I bought a new players handbook, I doubt I ever will. I have a set of the core rules in hard cover. I also have the SRD in a drop down version on my browser making it easy to find a section I need. I have many files and programs I have downloaded from various D&D websites. New classes, weapons, dungeons, spells. All free for use. I doubt I will buy books for 4E or any later editions, but that is as much because I am satisfied with 3.5 as anything.
I agree it is a stupid idea for WotC to do. It probably will hurt sales, and may even knock WotC down a notch or 2. But Hasbro may just let it die, if it does why do we care. Both E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the 2 who took a hobby and made it the foundation of an industry, created their own new games rules. There are D20 OGL rules out. (Anyone else notice how the 4E SRD needs more of the core books)
The best way to protest is with your wallets. Don't open them for new products by WotC, do what we did in the first edition, get ideas from the magazines, and create your own product for your campaign.
Roleplay is a hobby, a game, a pastime. It's what we did as kids with sticks as swords and guns. It will live on longer then TSR, WotC, or Hasbro ever will.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Top WoTC Execs:
"Damnit Jensen, I knew we should have never put out PDFs, people can copy them! If only we had stuck with paper books! Take down all those PDFs now!"
*time passes*
"Sir, people are STEALING scans of our books!"
"Damnit Jensen, I knew we should have never put out books, people can copy them! If only we had stuck with stone tablets! Burn all those books now!"
*etc*
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
DnD Dynamic Market conversion
to gain control of thier market they need to get people to want to paticapte in thier ideals or they need to learn to paticapte with thier customers to let them direct thier market. bad buisness ideals is not thier problem thier ability to manage thier projects and handle market and technology is the failing of many publishing entities who do not understand that just because you have a editor a writer and an artist, dose not mean you have a team Direction, with out a trained project manager who know that communications is a single goal of the team between marketing development and technology you have failed your project from get go.
the failure of WOTC is not thier product but thier managment of the three elements of the project.
nor the understanding that you can not reinvent your product when it is essentually an Ideal.
you can not copy write an Ideal, just its presentation!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Damn, feel like an idiot.
I didn't even know that they started using the D20 for character generation, that I was allready using with 1st Edition. (Yes, I even have old Dragon Mags with "What's New? with Phil and Dixie" in the back.)
So my D20 roll-up idea was ill informed.
Guess nothing reeks like an old geek.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
d&d
1. While I bought the first three 4.0 books, I've torrented all the rest because there's about $3 worth of useful info within each of their $40 covers. The PDFs are incredibly useful. I've gone back an forth between a pure paper and pencil adventure, in which I just print out my adventure and the monster pages I need; and a pure computer adventure when I do everything on my laptop, including rolling dice (thank you, D&D 2.0 disk with dice roller!). Regarding the index, most of the torrents I've got come with chapters bookmarked, and with Foxmarks you can add additional ones that are adventure specific, making reference very easy.
2. WOTC is getting those on-line tools ready. A character generator was on display at NY ComicCon, which will make creating NPCs as easy as using that D&D 2.0 disk I noted above. Right now, it's a bear in part because the DMG doesn't have pre-rolled examples of characters at various levels like the 3.5 DMG did.
3. The alignments are entirely changed in 4.0. There's no more chaotic good, for instance, because that's what you'd use to describe a freedom fighter aka a terrorist. True neutral is now "unaligned."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
1st edition
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WotC
Buying eurogames and RPGs from your local brick-and-mortar isn't cheap but it's the right thing to do if you love games and want to support the industry. Vote with your dollars.
I've worked in the print gaming industry for more than 10 years...maybe even one of the big companies appearing in this thread (I'm not saying). I can tell you this; the people at Wizards don't have the sophistication to make products that intentionally rip people off. They're TRYING to make the best product they can given their budgets and profit expectations. I "suspect" that Hasbro bought WotC hoping for a regular rhythm of Pokemon-like profits. That was an anomaly...and odds are spectacular that it will NOT happen again. Not to WotC anyway.
It's a bad time to be in consumer goods. WotC, like most companies in other sectors, are desperate not to have to fire any more of their fine employees...and if that means cracking down on pirates (or however they want to characterize it), that's their prerogative.
As a life-long gamer, I'm as passionate about D&D as anyone. (Dave Arneson, RIP) I don't blame WotC for trying to act like a big company...that's what they are. The creative grunts behind D&D are doing their best to bring us what we love with the meager resources they're supplied.
That's the way I see it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WOTC
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Seriously, this is enough.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Truth, you're missing a fact or two
WotC has complained about their customers sharing the PDFs ("piracy"), not the sellers legitimately selling PDFs that WotC said they could sell ("business').
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
My two cents
The thing I don't get is why did they force the discontination of the out of print earlier edition PDF's. Personally, I don't have the money to shell out getting a copy of the Kara-Tur boxed set, since the cheapest I could find it on e-bay was 60 bucks, and you know what, Wizards wouldn't have made a dime even if I did buy it, but if they still had the PDF's available, I could go get an electronic copy for probably $10 at the most, and Wizards WOULD make money off of that.
I don't think this has anything to do, at least directly, with piracy, otherwise, why would they remove the old editions as well? I think it's because they aren't selling 4th edition very well, and they're trying to force people to switch to the new edition. I've looked through 4th edition, and in my opinion it is far too dumbed down for me, and the entire flavor of D&D, even the little bit that survived into 3rd edition, is essentially gone. They've gotten rid of classic base races and classes in favor of new classes and races that seem to me like they walked right out of Everquest or WOW. I don't like MMORPG's, why would I want to bring that to my table?
Plus, in my 24 years of life, with my rabid addiction to D&D, I've spent at least $1000 dollars in gaming books and accessories, and I was just getting comfortable with 3.5, I refuse to switch, and I am pretty much done spending money on this hobby, and the money I do spend from now on isn't going to Wizards, not because I'm gonna boycott them, but because they don't make a game I want to play anymore. Honestly, because of their pulling of legitimate PDF's, it's only gonna make me turn to "piracy" all the more.
Also, last but not least about PDF's, most of the books I've bought in my lifetime have been lost or destroyed due to my numerous times being homeless, and other things. I've spent the money on the books already, Wizards (or TSR before the buy out, and Hasbro after Wizards got bought out themselves) got their money from me, so honestly, at least for the ones that I have bought in the past, I feel I have a right to a PDF copy, much in the same way that you're legally allowed to have mp3 copies of CD's that you own. The purpose of electronic copies in that case is backup, so even if you lose or damage the original, you still have a good copy. I feel completely justified in getting "backup" copies of books that I've already bought, whether they're still in my possession or not.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
tl;dr
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
An Olde Fart's Thoughts
Piracy being the cause of pulling ALL of the PDFs is just an excuse, as books can be (and were in the past) easily copied & distributed. As several here have already mentioned, I believe this a move to shore up the poor reception of the 4th Edition. I bought the first three books (Players, DMs, Monster) & found them…wanting. It reminded me too much of MMORGs (as has been mentioned), the system was “clunky” in it’s explanation , and while the art-work was well done the layout was not (sections and subsections were run together, making it difficult to find things). So, to me, the pulling of 4th Edition PDFs by WotC has no impact…I’ve already switched to Pathfinder for my “D&D” fix. As for the impact to WotC…well, only their sales figures and bottom line will tell if they did the right thing.
Oh…and if I want any other types of RPGs besides D&D, then I have somewhere in the range of $200,000 in game books to choose from (Been gaming since Chain Mail & one 7′x4′ foot book case is just D&D related). And if none of those fit the bill, then I’ve created two or three systems in the past for play with various groups, and I’ll do the same if I have to. So, no Game company, whether WotC or some other RPG Company, “end all, to be all” of gaming.
If you don’t what a company is doing, then don’t buy their products. If nobody is making something you like, then do it yourself (or get with others and make your own game). In short, step outside of the “Corporate created box” and do it yourself. I think you’ll find it’s a whole lot funner that way.
I’ll get off my soap box now.
Nadrakas…
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Play Something Else
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WOTC, 4E - Nerd by Birth, Geek by Marriage
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
fraud ripoff scam
Their Customer Support is terrible, rude and belligerent. I was told to speak to manager, "John". However their Kate and Justin would usually over talk me, refuse to get me John or any manager, and eventually disconnect the call.
"I'm not getting you any manager." Justin
"I am not going to let you speak to a manager." Kate
Their emails are copy and paste generic answers that do NOT apply to your actual question 90% of the time. I asked for a refund, they sent me an email talking about personal conduct. They then terminated my account after I sent 4 screenshots of their staff allowing abusive language in the general lobby where hundreds of players are abused at a time.
If you talk anything but english, they mute you. There is no international room or section. This is not polite, encouraging or accepted.
The ORCs, Online Responce Crew, are also players. Players make friends and enemies. They will tolerate some, or bend the rules, all while finding reasons to harass others. Complete bias child drama from unpaid volunteers.
The customer support is non existent. They only copy and paste off topic spam letters and never give an answer to your questions. more than 75% of the time my tech support tickets were closed out with no reply at all.
In game swearing can not be muted. I have been told to "concede" bought in tournaments and drafts because of their lack of support and software safety. I find this against their own Code of Conduct by not providing me with a safe environment. When I asked for a refund on my account, they then terminated my account as well as my wife's and son's.
I am out over $1, 000 of card value due to their lack of features, customer support, and terminated without reason. I can NOT get a reply and filed a complaint on the BBB.
Worst company and scam ever.
Wizards of The Coast and Hasbro
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The worst for me was Dagon, this god-like demon, older than all around it, lived underwater... in other words, the same Dagon written up by Lovecraft at least 60 years before Dagon was added to the MM, even boasting a similar description and picture
[ link to this | view in chronology ]