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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ainulindalion" data-source="post: 6743510" data-attributes="member: 6801319">1.  Products are released early at WotC Core+ stores.2.  Core+ stores are stores with higher numbers of in-store participants in various WotC programs.3.  AL is a primarily in store program, designed as marketing (that WotC dumps $1000s into for no trackable return) to sell products.4.  New product is not usable in AL when Core+ stores get it.I don't see how that isn't seen as a system failure.  Is it crippling?  No.  Is it super-illogical?  Very much yes.  Does it decrease faith in the program overall?  In my case, yes.Now, my understanding is:1.  WotC produces new product.2.  WotC releases new product.3.  WotC then bothers to ask the people they've put in charge of a large marketing arm (the Admins) how they should market (include in AL) the product.4.  AL players get upset because Admins aren't providing logical service.5.  Admins get defensive because they aren't actually paid WotC employees with early access to material.6.  Admins get blamed because they actually communicate with people and WotC is seen as a monolithic organization that will simply absorb complaints and ignore you.7.  Admins try to get a handle on the situation by using the following form responses "This would be better addressed to WotC Customer Service" and "Your thoughts/comments/opinions have been noted.  They will be given due consideration."  These statements come across, unintentionally, as "F--- off, as despite being the designated representatives, we're not interested." and "We took your ideas and put them in the trash can where they belong."  People become pissed off more.8.  Eventually guidance is released on a subject of interest to the participants in the marketing arm.9.  Guidance feels unnecessarily restrictive for the purposes of 'future proofing'. Many participants do not understand the problems that results in the 'future proofing' either because they did not participate in a program which had issues that the future proofing is designed to overcome, didn't observe the supposed problem in one of those programs that they did participate in, can't understand the problem on a conceptual level, think the problem wasn't a problem, or various other reasons.10. Complaints eventually reduce until a new product is released and the process repeats.I personally would add the following steps, based on my own experiences:5.5 Admins try to defend selves with 'We're not WotC employees' when they are, which pisses off people more.6.5 Admins continue to fail to understand that volunteer, unpaid employees are still employees and representatives of the company.  This failure may be WotC's fault, depending on contractual nature of the relationship between the Admins and WotC.  People get more pissed off.7.5 Admins note that they could release guidance sooner if people weren't always complaining about how long it was taking, forcing them to respond and increasing their workload.  People offer to assist with workload.  Admins explain it isn't a heavy workload and they don't need help.  People become confused and lose program investment.</blockquote>

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