Maintenance & Support Frustration

[thebigmontagestudios]

Hi guys. I'm not sure how well, or if at all at this point, these forums are even being monitored. I've been using RF for years now. Support & forum responses (or lack thereof) have been subpar in my opinion for quite some time. I have emails dating back roughly two years ago where this was acknowledged by higher up members of the Nextlimit/RF team and was told then how it was going to be an area of increased focus and improvement. Honestly, I'm sad to say that from my standpoint at least, can't speak for every user and would never try to, but from me, this is the worst it has ever been. I don't even know where or who to ask questions to anymore.
It's bad when I'm paying as much as I do for annual maintenance every year, and when I have a question or a problem, i usually feel like I have nowhere to turn to. There's not a tremendous amount of online resources. Questions on the forums take days, to weeks, to never to get answered. I've tried sending direct emails to a couple of people that I knew at least WERE a part of the team, don't even know if they still are, because I've never gotten responses back. I haven't heard anything about any upcoming RF 2016 at all. Don't know if there is one coming. If there is, will it be worth it? So I'm just at the point of super frustration where I fear the only hope of contact I may have with any Realflow team member is to let me know it's time to pay my maintenance in a couple of months.

I use many different softwares, have beta tested for a bunch of them, and use a variety of different plugins with all of them. Realflow is one of my favorite overall programs hands down. A tremendous piece of software. However, I feel like the experience of making oceans in Realflow has *with pun intended* often left me feeling like i'm on an island all by myself. Something has got to improve and honestly, something should be done as a restitution for just a lack of support throughout.

I even questioned a while back when exactly my maintenance is due and how much. I didn't even hear a response on that. All I know is at it stands right now, it seems like it's going to be an awfully painful process to shell out any more money for a 'maintenance & support' plan when I'd be the only one holding up my end of that bargain

[christianz]

Do you use the "technical support form" in the Customer Gateway? I think that is the only communication channel where they actually promise to answer when you are under maintenance?

What concerns future development of the software... as a Cinema4D user I am used to total absence of information from Maxon