Star Stable is a horse game with a quite large group of players. From children to teens to adults to elderly - we’re all here. So many people, so many different interests and so many opinions. No matter which way they twist or turn, someone will be displeased. That’s a fact.
But how do they deal with displeasure when it spirals out of control?
As far as I can tell, they don’t. I’m mostly writing this due to the latest update, done today on the 4th of April. Now, this could all be an April Fools thing. It’s difficult to tell and makes little sense, but there is a possibility. If you’re looking back at this and snorting because it was, please excuse me. I have no way of knowing at this point.
Regardless, todays update added the Traveling Clothes Market and someone called Jojo Siwa. I’ll admit right off, I have no idea who that person is. I’m sure she’s lovely as a person and I have no wish to talk badly of her in any way. Whoever she is as a person has nothing to do with this at all as far as I’m concerned.
My instant reaction was a sigh, regardless. No matter how nice she is, I don’t see why I had to hear about her at all.
There’s a few reasons for this. I won’t go into them all, but I will talk a little more about two of them. The two biggest reasons why I’m not a happy camper today and why I wasn’t anywhere near excited after watching the Star Stable News.
The first reason is that it felt so, so childish. I would guess that whoever this Siwa is, her target audience aren’t those in their twenties, like me. She looks like someone that would appeal more to younger children and those barely nipping at their teenaged years. And while I am fully aware of the fact that Star Stable is a game for all ages, this felt uncomfortably juvenile. It felt like it didn’t fit in with anything and like it wasn’t done to actually add to the game itself, but like it’s just another ‘look at us!’ thing.
And yes, I understand that visibility and making connections and collaborations is great for Star Stable as a company. Despite that, this seems like a questionable decision to me.
I enjoy Star Stable because it’s a horse game (and I underline that because I feel like it's an important thing to keep in mind) that doesn’t feel like the target audience is tiny children. It’s got story, depth and thrills. Of course there’s going to be a variety of quests and things to please a lot of different people, but this felt so very out of character it’s almost funny. Taking into account their last ‘thing’, the place in the clouds with the weird race, I’m a little worried they’re going to continue this ‘appealing to children’ angle or if they’re going to be altering the general feel into the game.
Personally, I would not enjoy a ‘rainbows and cheer’ game. It’s not for me. I don’t genuinely fear that they will considering the darkness and tension of the main storyline, but I’m concerned they’re going to make it into a bigger part of the game. I don’t want to log on and get slapped in the face with pink cheery rainbow sparkles every day.
The second reason for my initial sigh was some of the responses Star Stable gave to people through instagram. I am fairly used to sighing at their responses to people overall, but this earned itself an eye-roll as well. A lot of people posted my exact thoughts in comments there, but I’m going to go into it a bit here, too. Star Stable talked about female role models and how Jojo fit into that - a general thing I don’t see a problem with. I’m sure Jojo is great. I’m glad they’re trying to add in role models in general and the fact that they have focus on female role models, especially in a game with a playerbase I would assume is majorly female.
Why they found a role model that has nothing to do with horses, the main factor of this game, I don’t quite understand. The horse world has a massive list of role models of all kinds to pick from, I’m sure. I am not, personally, very involved in the horse world and can’t give you a list from the top of my head, but I saw the many examples people came with. I googled for a few minutes and found a lot of people I feel like would be a better fit than Jojo, people with actual equestrian backgrounds that are actively involved in the horse world.
Why not them?
Should they include actually horse related role models into the game, I don’t think I would give it much second thought even if I disliked those particular people. Because it would fit the theme, it would make sense and would slip right into the game. And I’m a sucker for things making sense and Star Stable, at this point, has a track record of not making any sense at all.
I don’t want them to step too far away from the horse topic of this game. Having things that don’t have to do with horses here and there to fill the world, to give people more things to do makes sense to me when it’s permanent additions that fit the theme. Like the quests with the acting where they added moustaches and masks - I didn’t personally enjoy those quests, I’ll admit.
But I loved seeing the world fill up a little, seeing them start put things in the nooks and crannies that have been empty so long.
This, on the other hand, doesn’t feel like it fits. I would comment on their Instagram or try to contact them or anything to hear what they have to say, but establishing contact and getting proper answers from Star Stable is something I’ve never been able to do, be it serious issues or general questions. It’s like they aren’t interested in communicating with their players at all.
And I’m sure their answer would be something along the lines of ‘staying positive’ or brushing me off entirely or coming with some other comment that has nothing to do with what I said. It’s like all critical and questioning comments rolls right off them, forgotten and ignored. They don’t actually show us that they hear what we say, what we mean or what we feel. It’s very cold and distant, like trying to get some sort of reaction is impossible.
And what do I want? I want communication. Actual communication. If it’s one thing I would want Star Stable to get better at, it’s communication. Explaining why they do things properly, how things work, what their plans are (but of course, I understand not wanting to reveal all future plans, don’t get me wrong) and general things. Answering customer service mails timely and professionally without making people feel bad about themselves, answering general questions in a way that makes sense and can satisfy.
I know it’s possible. I don’t dread contacting customer support anywhere else, I don’t have to wait as long anywhere else, I don’t have to feel confused and uncertain anywhere else. It’s one of their absolutely biggest flaws, it makes them feel like a distant, untouchable thing that wants nothing to do with me, the mere player. The simpleton that plays their game.
I wish they made us feel heard, like they responded to the negative (not rude, not inappropriate - us players, too, have to behave) and critical comments properly instead of giving us all yet another lesson in ‘how to avoid customers’.
I wish they would make me want to support them, financially and everywhere else.
I wish they would start making some bloody sense.
But how do they deal with displeasure when it spirals out of control?
As far as I can tell, they don’t. I’m mostly writing this due to the latest update, done today on the 4th of April. Now, this could all be an April Fools thing. It’s difficult to tell and makes little sense, but there is a possibility. If you’re looking back at this and snorting because it was, please excuse me. I have no way of knowing at this point.
Regardless, todays update added the Traveling Clothes Market and someone called Jojo Siwa. I’ll admit right off, I have no idea who that person is. I’m sure she’s lovely as a person and I have no wish to talk badly of her in any way. Whoever she is as a person has nothing to do with this at all as far as I’m concerned.
My instant reaction was a sigh, regardless. No matter how nice she is, I don’t see why I had to hear about her at all.
There’s a few reasons for this. I won’t go into them all, but I will talk a little more about two of them. The two biggest reasons why I’m not a happy camper today and why I wasn’t anywhere near excited after watching the Star Stable News.
The first reason is that it felt so, so childish. I would guess that whoever this Siwa is, her target audience aren’t those in their twenties, like me. She looks like someone that would appeal more to younger children and those barely nipping at their teenaged years. And while I am fully aware of the fact that Star Stable is a game for all ages, this felt uncomfortably juvenile. It felt like it didn’t fit in with anything and like it wasn’t done to actually add to the game itself, but like it’s just another ‘look at us!’ thing.
And yes, I understand that visibility and making connections and collaborations is great for Star Stable as a company. Despite that, this seems like a questionable decision to me.
I enjoy Star Stable because it’s a horse game (and I underline that because I feel like it's an important thing to keep in mind) that doesn’t feel like the target audience is tiny children. It’s got story, depth and thrills. Of course there’s going to be a variety of quests and things to please a lot of different people, but this felt so very out of character it’s almost funny. Taking into account their last ‘thing’, the place in the clouds with the weird race, I’m a little worried they’re going to continue this ‘appealing to children’ angle or if they’re going to be altering the general feel into the game.
Personally, I would not enjoy a ‘rainbows and cheer’ game. It’s not for me. I don’t genuinely fear that they will considering the darkness and tension of the main storyline, but I’m concerned they’re going to make it into a bigger part of the game. I don’t want to log on and get slapped in the face with pink cheery rainbow sparkles every day.
The second reason for my initial sigh was some of the responses Star Stable gave to people through instagram. I am fairly used to sighing at their responses to people overall, but this earned itself an eye-roll as well. A lot of people posted my exact thoughts in comments there, but I’m going to go into it a bit here, too. Star Stable talked about female role models and how Jojo fit into that - a general thing I don’t see a problem with. I’m sure Jojo is great. I’m glad they’re trying to add in role models in general and the fact that they have focus on female role models, especially in a game with a playerbase I would assume is majorly female.
Why they found a role model that has nothing to do with horses, the main factor of this game, I don’t quite understand. The horse world has a massive list of role models of all kinds to pick from, I’m sure. I am not, personally, very involved in the horse world and can’t give you a list from the top of my head, but I saw the many examples people came with. I googled for a few minutes and found a lot of people I feel like would be a better fit than Jojo, people with actual equestrian backgrounds that are actively involved in the horse world.
Why not them?
Should they include actually horse related role models into the game, I don’t think I would give it much second thought even if I disliked those particular people. Because it would fit the theme, it would make sense and would slip right into the game. And I’m a sucker for things making sense and Star Stable, at this point, has a track record of not making any sense at all.
I don’t want them to step too far away from the horse topic of this game. Having things that don’t have to do with horses here and there to fill the world, to give people more things to do makes sense to me when it’s permanent additions that fit the theme. Like the quests with the acting where they added moustaches and masks - I didn’t personally enjoy those quests, I’ll admit.
But I loved seeing the world fill up a little, seeing them start put things in the nooks and crannies that have been empty so long.
This, on the other hand, doesn’t feel like it fits. I would comment on their Instagram or try to contact them or anything to hear what they have to say, but establishing contact and getting proper answers from Star Stable is something I’ve never been able to do, be it serious issues or general questions. It’s like they aren’t interested in communicating with their players at all.
And I’m sure their answer would be something along the lines of ‘staying positive’ or brushing me off entirely or coming with some other comment that has nothing to do with what I said. It’s like all critical and questioning comments rolls right off them, forgotten and ignored. They don’t actually show us that they hear what we say, what we mean or what we feel. It’s very cold and distant, like trying to get some sort of reaction is impossible.
And what do I want? I want communication. Actual communication. If it’s one thing I would want Star Stable to get better at, it’s communication. Explaining why they do things properly, how things work, what their plans are (but of course, I understand not wanting to reveal all future plans, don’t get me wrong) and general things. Answering customer service mails timely and professionally without making people feel bad about themselves, answering general questions in a way that makes sense and can satisfy.
I know it’s possible. I don’t dread contacting customer support anywhere else, I don’t have to wait as long anywhere else, I don’t have to feel confused and uncertain anywhere else. It’s one of their absolutely biggest flaws, it makes them feel like a distant, untouchable thing that wants nothing to do with me, the mere player. The simpleton that plays their game.
I wish they made us feel heard, like they responded to the negative (not rude, not inappropriate - us players, too, have to behave) and critical comments properly instead of giving us all yet another lesson in ‘how to avoid customers’.
I wish they would make me want to support them, financially and everywhere else.
I wish they would start making some bloody sense.