Meretz

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Datendrache, Dec 11, 2019.

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  1. Datendrache

    Datendrache Avatar

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    Greetings Avatars!

    Yes, I realize this will likely become the least most popular thing I've ever posted, but it comes out of concern and trying to do the right thing. It also was featured on today's livestream and wanted to tell you folks that I brought this all to @Chris during SotACon and with good reason. I'll own up to this, but please hear me out.

    First, I don't have a problem with the Meretz concept. My concern is more with Meretz itself -- it is technically a loyalty rewards business and it was the intent to draw people to Shroud of the Avatar by creating a community within Meretz of other gaming companies.

    It hasn't grown or lived up to its promise even though Portalarium/Catnip/SotA has put a lot toward helping them be promoted:

    1) The original landing page is still filled with companies that have stopped providing through Meretz. (https://www.meretz.com/)

    2) The list of active companies hasn't grown (must login to look at it.)

    a. Eve Online, Pirate 101, and Smite are discounts by MarkeeDragon.com, a SotA long time supporter.
    b. Wizard 101 has a message their rewards are no longer available.
    c. So about HALF of everything on the Mertez game list is either SotA or Markee Dragon... That's a very short list.

    3) The Facebook page is nearly 100% SotA -- meaning they haven't gained much traction from anyone else. (https://www.facebook.com/pg/meretzapp/posts/?ref=page_internal) The activity there is dead as a doorknob and isn't showing any signs of recent self-promotion.

    4) App store history has showed a significant slowdown (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meretz/id1170673128) with the last update in March 2019.

    I find it very regrettable that Portalarium has spent a lot of time on making emotes and giving out their bread-and-butter Obsidian Potions to promote Meretz while it looks like Meretz has given up.

    Second, Obsidian Potions being given out cheaply. I'll be the first person to tell you my health is terrible, but even at my worst I've been able to earn 1-2 potions each month. Now that I've been on a year-long get-back-into-health kick, they are coming in fairly fast.

    I'm not cheating-- the bar was just set really, really low. I'm not sure if anyone had to cheat/fool/exploit Meretz to get potions, they simply had to install the application and do normal things.

    Third, I'm very PRO Catnip promoting themselves, but in my opinion this is the wrong place to be putting all this effort. I'm not sure where the place would be that would benefit and be appreciative of all the goodies that are being given away, but it clearly isn't Meretz. While this benefits the players of SotA, it's not having any cross-promotional value or giving a significant reason to go out and exercise more than normal.

    I apologize to all the players that get their Obsidian Potions via Meretz, use it for exercise motivation, etc. but I'm hoping that as a community we want to see more players be drawn into SotA, more growth for Catnip games, and more opportunities in general -- and no more deadbeat "partners".

    Sincerely,

    Engineer
     
  2. Kara Brae

    Kara Brae Avatar

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    You just reminded me to claim a potion! I never understood the benefit behind Meretz and the tribe concept which never seemed to take off, but it doesn't bother me. The app is on my phone and I collect potions regularly because they are there, but I don't use them, so if they were discontinued I wouldn't mind.
     
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  3. Cirsee

    Cirsee Avatar

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    I understand that Chris said this was supposed to help them bring in some new players at the time, but it was shown, on the forums, as a way to incentivize exercise. I have used it at such. I have diabetes that I try and control with a combination of medication and exercise. So my points have been gained the hard working sweating way. I don't even use them right away as I get them, but I thought it was a nice little thing to do. So if Chris is looking to see who still uses it for the purpose of movement, then I will add my name to that list.

    All that being said, I can't say its a great app by itself, nor is it great for any other games. So if Catnip decides not to support it, I am okay with it. I hardly use the potions I do get; so I don't get the "bread and butter" comment from the OP and I am willing to bet that dyes sell better than Pots.

    While I do get that Chris doesn't want to give stuff away for free or to players that can exploit the benefit; I think we do need to find a charity the devs and players can get behind to bring back our "make a difference" store. At the very least, having a developer sponsored event for charity on a recurring basis would be very well received. I think it looks good for a game, or business in general, to support the community that it operates in. Its good PR and SoTA needs good PR.
     
  4. Kardall

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    The one issue I have with Meretz is that it doesn't save 'everything', so for example, lets say you forget to even load up the app for a couple of weeks, it doesn't seem to add in anything but say the last week into the app. So you have to make sure you are using the app every week/day to ensure your points get tallied.

    I am sitting at 110,140 points in there, which should be more, but because I had even forgotten that it was installed for a few months, I kind of didn't get any points. I can look back in my history on the apple health thing, and it's in there, but Meretz says zero. So I know it never did upload those days.

    Anyway... I did use it for the potions when I started, and I tried doing the house deed draws, but I kind of lost interest in it. I mean, it's nice to have a motivator but... I can't seem to be bothered to open the app every day to make sure I have points loaded into the app every 3 days so that I can purchase an obsidian potion.

    The biggest issue, however, is the location of the services. It seems like Meretz is a Texas program only. So unless you have an online offer, there are really only 1-3 things on the app you would even be interested in. Most of this is due to the program's developers lack of updates and reaching out perhaps. I am not really sure what their inner workings at the company is doing in regards to pushing out more companies to take part.

    I mean, I am sure if you reached out to Subway or something, they would most likely be able to provide some sort of API system to give out $5 or $10 Gift Cards, or even a free 6" Sub for like 10k points. Hell I would probably use that one since I have a subway on the way to work ;s

    Anyway... Meretz should probably just go away, I agree. The company seems to just not really promote it in anything other than SotA, and even then, they are relying on any mentions on SotA for business or promotion of the app. I don't think I have ever seen anything about it anywhere else.
     
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  5. Datendrache

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    This is my use of words. Chris said nothing about this being their bread and butter. Which brings me to the next line here:

    I believe the opposite: Chris was willing to change his mind about Meretz on today's livestream because people were using it even though he was told about people exploiting it from apparently other people in the know besides me. He's that nice a guy! Really he is!!!

    That's why I've made this post -- because I'd really like to turn this into a win-win somehow. Either we determine that Meretz is not helpful, or only a little helpful, or very helpful. We should help Chris make the decision without having to feel bad about it. I'll side with whatever the community determines are the facts and/or best solution. I don't hate Meretz, just disappointed with them.

    I fully understand the diabetes situation -- my quick story is that in January of this year I was told that my pre-diabetes condition matured into an insulin required full-blown Type 2 (A1C from 5.7 jump to 9+) but they'd need three readings before they'd administer insulin. To fight it off, I've been exercising and dieting the entire year. In many cases I've made some very long walking trips that, yes, I was thinking about Meretz and how I was going to get a potion when done. In the end, my A1C is now down to 5.3 and they plan to take me off of medications in January (and I avoided having to take insulin). Very little of that was driven by Meretz, but it was a very nice gesture, and sometimes its the little things that give us a smile in an otherwise unpleasant situation.

    So I'm weighing in my mind the value of Meretz from firsthand experience. I can certainly claim that it was, as you stated, "a nice little thing to do". In fact, Meretz may be onto something there if they were bothering to build their business, to their credit. However, at the same time, there's 6 "Exercise Emotes", 6 "Yoga Emotes", the "big giveaway raffle", and Obsidian Potions being given out to an audience that appears to be limited to mostly SotA. Portalarium put a lot of time and money into making all that, my feeling is that they can be better leveraged in another way(?)/same way(?) by someone else.

    Sincerely,

    Engineer
     
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  6. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

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    I wish I could just take my pooled points and use them to buy high end SotA items.
     
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  7. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

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    I play hockey 3-5 times a week. I'm not going to take my phone onto the ice just to get smashed, so I bought a cheap device that I wouldn't cry over if it was destroyed. I could never get the data from the device into the Meretz app and they never responded to any of my pleas for this device to be supported in their app, so I gave up.
     
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  8. Cirsee

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    He is a good guy, sorry that is mistaken. I meant to say I can understand not wanting to put hard earned time into something that is supposed to benefit people, only to have the bad apples take advantage of the work.

    That is fantastic work on your diabetes! I have touched high 4s once, but an illness brought it right back up to the 6s. It is an evil disease that requires so much attention to keep in check. There is no forgiveness in this disease.

    At any rate, it seems that people use it, but on a more casual "Oh yeah that things" basis. So I don't thnk poeple will mind too much if it goes away. Just make sure to give the community, in forum and e-mail (weekly update) enough notice that it is no longer going to be supported. Maybe Catnip could develop their own form of it and use it with those games they are partnering with?
     
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  9. Cinder Sear

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    I like free stuff...
     
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  10. Vladamir Begemot

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    It's great it gets people moving.

    It's too bad the app seems to be almost abandoned. Seems like the app builders are really the ones dropping the ball.

    Someone buy it and reinvigorate it.
     
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  11. Oakenhammer

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    The Meretz app was a great idea that failed to live up to its potential and it is pretty obvious that there is little to no effort behind continued development. I have 130k points saved up through just regular activity and I've been spending quite a few points on obsidian potions and the house drawings. I earn them passively faster than I can spend them. This app is definitely not contributing to me exercising and in the best interest of the game, I concur that it might be the time to discontinue this partnership as it's just being used as a funnel for free stuff.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2019
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  12. Vladamir Begemot

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    I wish the App makers would go for it. If it's still functioning, all they need is a person on the phone selling ads and getting more games in. The hard work is already done.
     
  13. Sentinel2

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    As I understand it, you can manually enter information into the app detailing your activities. I weight lift and add that information into the app which gives credit for the work. Sure you can lie. But then what's the point?
     
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  14. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

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    Thanks but I'm dumpimg Android in favor of a pure Linux phone, so it's irrelevant now.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2019
  15. Sentinel2

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    Is that a subsidiary of Meretz?

    :D

    I was referring to the Meretz app. The OS doesn't matter AFAIK.
     
  16. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

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    There's an Andriod app and an iOS app; so yeah, it does matter.
     
  17. Sentinel2

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    So one you can add additional information and the other doesn't?

    Sounds like Meretz should have the application consistent regardless of the platform. Sad.
     
  18. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

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    Lol. Yea, right.

    I don't see android going away for yet another linux flavor of the year. Linux distros come and go. Remember Lindows? Yea, me neither.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2019
  19. Grimbone

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    They seems to have abandoned SotA. I had an issue connecting after months of no problems connecting to Meretz so I contacted them. No answer. Sad.
     
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  20. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    I thought it was intended as a support and incentive for those who move more to do something for their health.
    A small reward when you're out in the air - and if only for half an hour a day ...

    If people move alot, they receive more points. It's another kind of "grinding" (more healthy, of course) outside the game - instead of killing enemies for ingame gold...

    So what's wrong with it? Just because the support isn't good? Alot of people are telling the same about Portalarium support ;)

    Don't get me wrong, please: I just don't understand, what's the issue of having this possibility?

    I did not see it primarily as a way to win new players, but rather to give active players an incentive to move daily outside the game.
    May be I was wrong?
     
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