Candy Crush Saga "Bugs"

CaribbeanBlues

Anyone else notice that nearly every level (probably every level but I don't happen to encounter it) has a "bug" that cheats the player?  I have discovered and reported reproducible errors but no response from support.  Lately I have had color bombs just "disappear," for example, on more than one level.  This time level 1669 simply did not count matching 3 green candies which caused me to miss completing that level by 2 green candies.  Considering the errors are reproducible, considering they always hurt the player and never help the player, considering support never responds to the reports of these supposed "bugs," and considering these people are selling lives and moves, it feels very dishonest to me.

_Elsa_

Hi CaribbeanBlues, sorry for the delay in responding but thank you for writing us here at King Care. Are you still having this issue? Do you still need help?  I reported level 1476 to them with a video where the color bombs were just appearing out of no where but haven't gone back to see if it has been fixed.  

I am a King volunteer (Superstar) and I don't get paid.  I come here to help all of you with your issues and if I see an issue reported more than once I elevate it to a King Admin who then notifies the studio.  If you haven't been responded to your issues before, it is because we are just a handful of Superstars doing this all the time.  I solely come here to do Candy Crush Saga problems while other Superstars manage some of King's other games.  So sometimes it takes a while for us to get to all the issues.  I have already responded to over 100 people here since 6:00 AM and it's now going on 6 hours and I haven't left my computer to get lunch yet!  So please bear with us as we try to get to everyone.  We do respond and you might see my name showing up on other responses.

CaribbeanBlues

Hi Elsa, and thank you for giving of your time.  Perhaps I'm too cynical, but this is what your message leaves me thinking.  I already have noticed, constantly, what would be considered "bugs" if they were not so predictable and always serving to obstruct the player.  (I literally have proven I can predict what will happen in certain situations again and again and again, though of course, everything is "random.")  Am I still having the problem?  I've passed a hundred levels since then, so now I have 200 more complaints.  Blizzard is a HUGE company, this game is bringing them a billion dollars in profit at least, and yet they rely on good spirited, generous people like you rather than paid staff???  Tells me even more about the situation, don't you think?

Coming from a technical background for 40 years at least, quite often in a support role, I know this.  I wouldn't need to wait for TWO users to tell me about something, and I was visible directly, not through volunteers.  If someone provided me a description of the problem, they would not need to reproduce it themselves, I would, but if they could reproduce it again and again I would be busy fixing it.  Why?  Because I didn't want errors!  Why does Blizzard add a layer of contact, through volunteers who spend 6 hours at their computer without lunch, then require two people to make the same complaint?  The logical conclusion to me is, "Because they don't want solutions."  I'm betting most people don't even notice what I do, I'm betting most people don't bother to fight through trying to find out how to contact someone, I'm betting most people don't know how to identify a problem or a reproducable problem, much less properly report it.

While there are likely hundreds of situations you can help with, I would advise you to think about what I just wrote, ask yourself why "bugs" always lead to people spending more money not less, why these "bugs" are made so difficult to have addressed, and since you understand players move on to the next level so they have no idea nor real concern if things are fixed, you take the same attitude.  Don't bother with program bugs.  They are there for a reason.  In most "worlds" this would be called dishonest, theft, even corruption.  In Blizzard's world it certainly seems to be called "desirable."  I can see why.

_Elsa_

Thanks for writing back.  Why do I volunteer?  Because I love to help people when I can.  I think it's awesome coming from a technical background but why aren't you applying for a job to work for King?  Then you could easily lead teams to make some changes.  I don't know their reasoning but I do know that I have met some awesome people here on King Care and through my games with Facebook.  I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world!  So I guess we all might get different things out of it.  I do truly understand where you are at and the frustration that you can see being in the field.  I know some programming coding myself but probably no where near enough like you do.  

You sound a lot like me because I like to fix and not create new errors.  I don't know how they sleep at night if that is what they are doing.  Maybe it's their salaries that keep them going.  

Your comment - The logical conclusion to me is, "Because they don't want solutions." - makes a lot of sense to me but the average player who is no where near the top of the game doesn't think like you.  If you've been playing this game for years then you know the difference from the old owners and the new owner.   I've expressed myself and so have the other Superstars expressed themselves how things have changed so drastically since the new owners came on board.  But it doesn't seem like they are going to be leaving any time in the near future since they are making a lot of money.  

I really appreciate your thoughts on this and it's nice to hear from programmers voicing their thoughts here in the community.  Kuddos to you!

CaribbeanBlues

I would say, "Kuddos to you!"    I don't apply because I'm retired.  (And that doesn't mean I was tired yesterday, too, though I was!)  Thank you for taking the time to communicate.  I appreciate it.  Now as I tell my kids and grandkids, "Behave!" 

_Elsa_

I have really enjoyed our conversation so thanks for responding back to me.  I should have retired from my real job 4 years ago but still need the good medical insurance.