Terrible (none) customer support

[cyclone 0]

Update:

What I have done so far:

- Reinstalled the game into the default path C:/Program Files/...

- Reinstalled Java Run Time

- Reinstalled Internet Explorer 7.0 (I am a firefox person, so my IE is very old, that is why I have to reinstall IE 7.0 hoping the old version of IE was the problem)

- Set Internet security options to enable all scripts/ActivX

- Accept all cookies

- Reinstalled Windows XP SP2

After 5 days (2 weekend days and 3 business days) without a single response from Softwrap/Sprocket/IDEA, I am now calling my credit card company to refuse payment for the purchase.

Meanwhile, I will also ask my friends who are attempting to try this game to hold for now. Until the game can be installed and launched to at least loading screen, I would consider this game to be still in BETA condition and not worth the money and efforts.

I totally missed the simplicity in original OFP/Resistance... it was a worry-free install in those cases. Guess will see you guys all later.

Bought the game last week, still not able to launch the game as of now:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=58888

I sent numerous support requests to various parties - Softwrap, Sprocket, IDEA-GAMES, and BIStudio. Virtually 0 reponse (only 1 reponse from BIStudio which says they never seen this kind issue). I figured maybe it was due to the weekend - no one is on customer support duty? (this would be unacceptable in the U.S. for a service provider but I guess it is ok in EU).

So, I waited for today, Monday. I got up really early (3 AM U.S. Central time) to check if anyone from either Softwrap, Sprocket, IDEA-GAMES, or BIStudio has any suggestion to my issue. None. Now, much of the Monday has passed in your time zone. I got 0 response from any of the above related parties. Do you guys in EU also get Monday off as weekends?

I know the game is hot, but with terrible (none) customer support, I am now being embrassed by my friends, who keep asking me how good the game is. I have been giving them all the buzz for a long time, and they all know I have got the game. So 3 days into it, all I can tell them is - "damn, I still have not seen the loading screen of the game yet...."

Can we get some fast response like we did in the old OFP launch days? Or, is this game dying, upon releasing? I have seen so many issues people are reporting in the forums, but little to none reponses from any of the related parties.

What is really going on? If you cannot solve the issues immediately, at least give an ETA to the customers, so they know you are working on those issue.

Is this too much to ask?

[Balschoiw 0]

Why is one thread in troubleshooting not enough ?

In the end it´s not even BIS who´s behind your problem.

[whisper 0]

It will be difficult for BI (you are on BI's board here) to give you any answer on ETA or how to solve this issue unfortunately.

It is more something to do with the people that have developped the web page that is taking care of the activation.

One of the things BI can do though, is put pressure on Sprocket/Softwrap for this issue to be corrected asap.

Looks like there's some incompatibility between your isntallation and the script used.

What windows version? Which Service Pack? These informations could help, probably.

[cyclone 0]

If the problem is solved in a timely fashion, 0 thread is needed in Troubleshooting forum

I found your logic flawed. Not to mention whoever get the most profit out of the product should be ultimately responsible for the customers, the online store and the download are very likely to be owned or at least the download/install mechanism is created or maintained by BIS.

Even just for heads up, in the future, DO NOT LET SOFTWRAP OR SPROCKET HANDLE YOUR CUSTOMER BASE.

You cannot imagine how bad this will influence potential customers. I persuaded 5 of my friends in my current WoW guild to come over to play this game, but now they are all turning away, or at least are putting the plan of playing ArmA with me on indefinite hold, after seening how laughable the experience I have had (yap, 3 days passed, have not been able to see the game loading screen, LOL).

[cyclone 0]

It will be difficult for BI (you are on BI's board here) to give you any answer on ETA or how to solve this issue unfortunately.

It is more something to do with the people that have developped the web page that is taking care of the activation.

One of the things BI can do though, is put pressure on Sprocket/Softwrap for this issue to be corrected asap.

Looks like there's some incompatibility between your isntallation and the script used.

What windows version? Which Service Pack? These informations could help, probably.

Good call. I would highly suggest BI to get rid of Softwrap, or Sprocket in their future game distribution.

I use WinXP SP2, with IE7 SP2 installed. I usually use Firefox, but due to this error I am seeting, I have installed IE7 hoping it will fix the error. Nope.

What I have done so far:

1. Turn my Internet security to lowest level

2. Accept all cookies

3. Enable all ActiveX/Scripts

4. Turn off firewall.

[whisper 0]

I found your logic flawed. Not to mention whoever get the most profit out of the product should be ultimately responsible for the customers, the online store and the download are very likely to be owned or at least the download/install mechanism is created or maintained by BIS.

Nope.

BI staff is not enough for that. Install version are down to local/global publishers. AFAIK it is them who put the translation files, and set-up the installation program, before release. Same for patches. Each must be properly set-up by the publisher for the version said publisher is reponsible for.

[whisper 0]

It will be difficult for BI (you are on BI's board here) to give you any answer on ETA or how to solve this issue unfortunately.

It is more something to do with the people that have developped the web page that is taking care of the activation.

One of the things BI can do though, is put pressure on Sprocket/Softwrap for this issue to be corrected asap.

Looks like there's some incompatibility between your isntallation and the script used.

What windows version? Which Service Pack? These informations could help, probably.

Good call. I would highly suggest BI to get rid of Softwrap, or Sprocket in their future game distribution.

I use WinXP SP2, with IE7 SP2 installed. I usually use Firefox, but due to this error I am seeting, I have installed IE7 hoping it will fix the error. Nope.

What I have done so far:

1. Turn my Internet security to lowest level

2. Accept all cookies

3. Enable all ActiveX/Scripts

4. Turn off firewall.

Well, the fact you installed IE7 and all seems to point the issue to somewhere else, like JVM used or something else. You could perhaps try to update your Java version (though I very much doulbt it, but who knows...)

The worrying thing is that XP SP2 is quite common

[Balschoiw 0]

But the strange thing is that a huge load of other downloaders did not have any of those issues, wich ias in my opinion pointing towards an error or malfunction or security limit on your system. Else there would have already been numerous reports.

[desertfox 2]

Let's see .. 100.000 people installed the game .. and only *you* are experiencing this issue.

I think it must be a bug in the game !!

[Jackal326 1181]

[...]Not to mention whoever get the most profit out of the product should be ultimately responsible for the customers[...]

Now THATS flawed logic. Whether BIS makes the most profit is immaterial, what matters is WHO sold you the game, and that would be Sprocket/whoever. If it were a bug with ArmA itself, then fair enough the ball would be in BIS' court, however its an issue with the distribution method which isn't BIS' fault.

[cyclone 0]

But the strange thing is that a huge load of other downloaders did not have any of those issues, wich ias in my opinion pointing towards an error or malfunction or security limit on your system. Else there would have already been numerous reports.

I think it has something to do with the English version with new patch.

Do everyone who downloaded the CZ version go through the same window I showed in my post?

I am not sure how many people in the U.S. have bought the English version with new patch and downloaded, but in my post in the Troubleshooting forum, at least 2 other players had the similar issue and could not go past the launching stage.

So it is not just 1 customer. It is 3 customers complaining here, and you don't know how many are just quiet (maybe just sent emails and still waiting for a response).

At worst, I will just request for a refund and wait for a stable release, but my goal in posting here is to warn for a loss of potential future customers due to stupid issues like this one. No matter how good the game is, bad distribution and customer support will hurt the customer base significantly.

[cyclone 0]

Let's see .. 100.000 people installed the game .. and only *you* are experiencing this issue.

I think it must be a bug in the game !!

I am not sure how many people have downloaded and installed the new English version with patch.

At least 2 other people have expressed similar issue as mine in the thread I linked.

If there are only 3 people bought and installed the new English version with new patch, then it is definitely something wrong with that form/webpage.

I did not say "it is a bug in the game" any where in my post. Please learn2read. My focus is the customer support, especially in the distribution aspect of it. It is seriously slow and lacking.

[SWAT_CDN 0]

cyclone

You are correct there are big issues with either "Softwrap" or "Sprocket".

You are not the only one with problems. Just do some quick checks trough out these forums and you will see nothing but complaints.

I and a few of my gaming buddies have had nothing but problems with their download.

A few have given up totally and have said they have written off the money spent (wasted is more to the point).

The shame of it all is they were die hard OFP'ers.

So don't feel alone.

[Luciano 0]

Quote[/b] ]Now THATS flawed logic. Whether BIS makes the most profit is immaterial, what matters is WHO sold you the game, and that would be Sprocket/whoever. If it were a bug with ArmA itself, then fair enough the ball would be in BIS' court, however its an issue with the distribution method which isn't BIS' fault.

Right, and Sprocket/Softwrap is BIS's (IDEA) answer to online distribution. Its like saying Valve is not resposnible for STEAM

I used to get that error all the time while using gamespy. That was back, 5 years ago. Never figured out what happened. It was something I could ignore, but I see in your case you can't go around it. It's really difficult to determine the real problem.

I also used to get similar errors with certain zip files. Which is wierd. It turns up I was getting errors on one of my memory module, so I changed it and fixed the problem.

It looks like a memory error. You could try to do a memory scan with memtest89. It takes about 4-5 hours for the whole test, but you can at least rule memory problems out if you get no errors.

[wiley p 16]

Hey Cy,me too.

I got the english version last friday at noon

and have yet to get it working.

I've written everybody and talked to Softwrap

via phone,couldn't understand a word the lady

said but someone is supposed to call me back

that speaks english.

When I enter my activation code(Purchase Ref)

it just turns RED and that's it.

I've requested a stop payment on my VISA and

if it's not working by the time I get the papers

to sign it's all over for me and ArmA.

..Wiley..

[wiley p 16]

ZISME had the fix for me and I just found the post.

Do Not use the New Activation check box.

Check the Reactivation box.

Use your e-mail addy as the license holder.

Then put your Purchase Ref number in the next box.

Click next or what ever it says and

Presto the game is activated,at least for me anyway.

Thanks Again Zisme,you da man.

...Wiley P...

[Zisme 0]

You welcome...I have to help others after what i went through.

[boecko 0]

Bought the game last week, still not able to launch the game as of now:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=58888

Have you installed a Script debugger for IE7?

This one is old but works. Maybe you get a better answer, when it's clear which line causes the error.

don't forget to activate debugging under "advanced settings" in IE7.

Regards

Boecko

[cyclone 0]

This is day 5, and I have not heard a single response from all the emails to Softwrap/Sprocket/IDEA.

None existing customer service I would say?

I will try all the suggestions posted here by you guys, if they don't work, I guess I have to put a no-payment hold on my credit card for this purchase. Will see you guys later when this game is improved so that I can see at least the loading screen.