Tried listening, but gave up on it because of the incredibly loud, distorted laughter.

Good Lord, you are a baby. Turn the volume down some.

Why do you feel the need to be rude? I was commenting on a feature of the recording that I thought made it difficult to listen to. If I was making things like this, I'd really want to know if my audience didn't like some aspect of it, so I could think about ways of improving, and thus increase my audience. And FYI, volume control doesn't affect sound level or distortion issues.

Thanks so much for the feedback! Let me tell you, I actually feel you there! Audio is my thing. I'm an audiophile. (Side note: check out my podcast and you'll see what quality I normally roll with!) When I'm in charge of audio, I run separate mics on everyone involved, sound test, and adjust as I need to make up for stuff like really freaking loud laughs. When you've got individual wave forms for each person, you can balance SO MUCH BETTER. I, for example, set my mic at about half what it should be because of my laugh. I've been doing this for a while, so I'm pretty self-aware. Also, having individual files means I can do stuff like completely remove laughter when need be. I do it. A lot. Like, constantly. 

However, I was brought in as a guest on this interview and my partner felt confident that his set up would be what we needed. There was one microphone set between three people and one sound file to work with. It had also already been partially edited before I got it, which hurt the final product a little more. The tips and tricks I normally use to produce an awesome, good sounding product were unfortunately just not possible. Also, Biofan has a really, really loud, glorious laugh. Had I been able to view the computer as it was recording (I was not), I would have been a little bit more empowered there, too!

I apologize wholeheartedly that you feel it made it impossible for you to listen to. If you'd like, I can provide a transcription! Feedback from our listeners is so, so important to me and let me tell you--you could be upset and disappointed in the quality all day long and still not be anywhere near as upset as I was (and am). 

Great work guys. If you ever want to be on the radio, give me a shout. 

That's an actual life goal of mine.

Chachi Bobinks @ChachiBobinks

Check out this AWESOME @CourtneyWoods interview! #DAIDescent @masseffect Youtube: https://youtu.be/J73DccCyL8o  & Podbean http://www.podbean.c...Hn9Wh_M.twitter

Myself and Biofan had the awesome opportunity to interview Courtney Woods at BioWare Austin back in September and I wanted to share it with you all! This is story spoiler intensive so please take note!! Courtney was so funny and finding out the story behind the big easter egg was nothing short of spectacular. It's up on Podbean and Youtube. 

We also interviewed Jordan Koch (level designer) that same day. 

Thanks!!

(xposted to Story)

Myself and Biofan had the awesome opportunity to interview Courtney Woods at BioWare Austin back in September and I wanted to share it with you all! This is story spoiler intensive so please take note!! Courtney was so funny and finding out the story behind the big easter egg was nothing short of spectacular. It's up on Podbean and Youtube. 

We also interviewed Jordan Koch (level designer) that same day. 

Thanks!!

(xposted to General)

Chachi Bobinks @ChachiBobinks

UP NOW! My #leveldesigner @Mumble_Shout interview on #DAIDescent DLC (Youtube) https://youtu.be/ig3h5-X403w  OR (Podbean) http://tinyurl.com/psuchw9 

Interested in knowing a little bit more about how the levels of the Descent DLC were designed? This guy is responsible for some of the creepy stuff we experienced in this game. It was really awesome to hear him talking about some of the glitches and struggles of creating a dungeon world. So humbling that myself and BioFan were able to meet this guy and pick his brain a bit. 

We also interviewed writer Courtney Woods that same day!!

Check it out! Youtube or Podbean. 

(xposted to General Discussion)

This guy is responsible for some of the creepy stuff we experienced in this game. It was really awesome to hear him talking about some of the glitches and struggles of creating a dungeon world. So humbling that myself and BioFan were able to meet this guy and pick his brain a bit.

Check it out! Youtubeor Podbean. 

(xposted to Strategy)

Asking questions to show that one is listening is, in general and on balance, a solid way to have a fruitful conversation. In Caja's thread, people, on the whole, seemed open to listening and talking with each other, not past or at each other.

I visited the forums again tonight and I'm seeing a common thread among healthy conversations - that exact thing. Conversations where people are talking to, not at. 

Have to wonder what can be done to foster and encourage that kind of environment. It's obviously a good thing. We see evidence of it in some of the tougher, yet more successful threads. It also makes sense on a human level. People don't respond well when the stage for debate is already set. This kind of discussion respects those involved.

Ugh I want so bad, but no money
 
 
*snip*

We'll be having it up for another 21 days or so, so if things change for you... we'll be here!

Also we've started up a second fundraiser to add more shirt options and international shipping! Whoo hoo! Feel free to DM me if you want links or yell at me on Twitter (@ChachiBobinks).

People seem unclear as to where they can put their criticism and have it handled/acknowledged/etc. This causes them to throw that criticism everywhere. 

Environmentally speaking, it could be perceived that bad behavior gets all of the attention (like in life!) so we're lacking positive reinforcement.

Perception is that when mod action is taken, intention/opinion isn't clear. Leads people to be unsure of what they did wrong or what needs to change (especially relevant in threads where the entire group is being spoken to).

Disconnect between mod and user makes it impossible for there to be any sort of rapport, thus the system is respect based on title - something people generally don't respond to well. "Us vs them" mentality that might go either way?

Here's a space for us to list out problems we've noticed/heard about. We'll discuss solutions later, so please don't worry about that part just yet.

Holy snipes, that thread is beautiful!

You know, I did a little experiment last week. Picked three threads I thought could go south really fast. And they did. So I went in and kept saying "Yeah, I hear you - what do you think they should do differently?" or something along those lines. It took a little bit, but people started including suggestions. Changed the tide of the convo. I don't know that it would work in every situation, do you think that kind of changes the way they're considering their complaints? 

That certainly appears to be what's going right in this thread. People are thinking about solutions. Also, I like how they do a "compliment sandwich," lol. Its refreshing to read a thread where people praise the right, too. 

You're so welcome and I absolutely agree! 

I think it's really telling that we see people on Twitter saying "I went back to the BSN today and it only took me such & such long before I left." First, it means someone was made unhappy/uncomfortable in a place meant for them. Second, it means they were wanting to give it a shot in the first place. 

That, combined with my own memories of how much fun I used to have here, is why I want to see change and have the BSN turn for the better. 

One of the most important parts of a community is the safe haven, where one can go and share their interests with like-minded people without worrying about harassment and abuse. If you're here, it's because you agree that we need to establish such a place. You see the problems we have on the BSN, Tumblr, Twitter, and Reddit, and want to be an active part of the solution. For that, I thank you wholeheartedly. 

A wise man once told me that we should be the solutions to our problems. It's relatively easy to see an issue and hope someone else fixes it. Even easier to see that same issue and start complaining instead of considering. But it takes just a little bit more time to recognize these issues and start thinking of what we can do to eliminate them. 

If you're with me and believe that it's worth it for us, as users, to help improve the issues we see here, then you're in the right place. 

Now, my goal is to have as many think tank sessions as possible over Teamspeak or Skype. It's easier to get thoughts out that way. However, this group is a good place to store our feedback/ideas and to talk in the interim. Feel free to open discussions and start topics as you see fit.  

Thanks for your time and for joining us!

~ Chachi (& The Dialogue Wheel)

*SNIP*

 

There are also 2 not-Inquis-related relationships between party members/advisors (if you don't  romance them yourself) that will only trigger if you have them around and hear the banter strings--in the case of one coupling (at least, I haven't had the other happen yet), when you get to the end of the banter string, if you are bffs with one (or both) of them, you can then have a really amusing/touching conversation back at Skyhold with one (or both) of them about it (and I had a complete d'aawwww moment with one of them that i didn't see coming because of that). So, yes, banter is important, and it does fill in the characters. It even changes the conversations you have with them both at the post-story after-party. It is not just radio DJs firing, and these things are "hidden" behind the banter, hong--because they don't happen otherwise.

Oooh, now I need to know who these two are. :3

I didn't read all the responses but to the OP: It has been stated many times that the Blights are often forgotten as is the Grey Warden's sacrifices in between each Blight. As time goes by between each one, people move on and forget. The next Blight wont be for a very long time so currently, with Cory being a much bigger threat people aren't focused on the Blights and rightly so.

In one of my posts, I stated that I felt that this trivialization was completely intentional, and this is exactly why. So glad I'm not alone in this one. I feel that if it is indeed trivialized, it's because we're meant to respect/understand the sacrifice and whatnot the same way the Herald and the people would - it's out of sight, out of mind, largely because there are bigger issues to deal with.

Couldn't they just assign a button to 'listen to party' so you could actually manually trigger banter whenever you felt like it.

Just map it for makers sake. If people abuse it, let them, it's their game. And no, it would not be hard to set it at specific places, here's a list:

 

*snip*

 

Maybe the solution would be to have both, or maybe half of these map specific points plus the random banter in the wild.

I could see those suggestions being a problematic fix on a game that's already released, but maybe an option for other IPs in the future? To us, it's putting a thing in a place and why not? But I would imagine that would take a LOT of work since it would need to be in every single part of the game. And patching things through isn't easy, especially on Xbox and Playstation, where things go through their respective manufacturers first. 

Banter is not meant to be the primary vehicle for conveying a character's personality. You do that by talking to them, back at the homebase. Banter fills in the air time when you're roaming the map. If the soundtrack is muzak, then banter is the radio host.

I respectfully disagree. I think having development in banter is incredibly important and has always been a huge part of the character. You'd know nothing of Zevran's weird Wynne love if not for banter. Alistair & Morrigan's banter set the entire pace for not only their relationship with one another, but the entire plot twist with the OGB. The bulk of character development and opinions were formed/displayed in banter in DA2 as well. It's how you know how angry Anders is getting, how jovial Varric is about it all, and somethingsomethingbroodbroodbrood!Fenris. 

Can I just say that I like that this thread is throwing out suggestions to the problem? So many threads here get started up just to gripe about stuff. Few say "I'm griping, but how about this solution?" I don't like those threads - they offer nothing to us as fans. Thanks rising above and I hope you all do that often.

Yes, this is what Mass Effect 3 did so well. The real enemy is the reapers, but you spend the majority of the game fighting everyone else but the reapers. This makes for a good story. Said nobody, ever.

I'd say that, actually.

However, it's not like the reapers being a threat was some big secret. We couldn't fight the reapers and had a lot of other baddies to get. A game where you ignore the lesser threat in order to throw yourself haplessly at the bigger one while you're unprepared would be a pretty miserable game, don't you think? 

So if this same formula was applied to Dragon Age, and we spend time fighting everything that doesn't matter, then I don't see why that doesn't work in the same exact way, imho.

Yeah, this is how I see it as well. Flemeth in that form is likely gone, but I definitely feel the character will live on in some state. My guess is most likely through Morrigan because she definitely sent something into that eluvian at the end, and they wouldn't have shown her doing that if it wasn't an important action that's going to pop up again later. That said, I really like Solas, but I also like Flemeth, so I'd like both of them to reappear in the future.

Yeah, that's why I was asking if everyone was assuming that Kate was gone because of something SHE said. We know Flemeth can jump from body to body. There are assumptions here that her voice would change if it did, though... no reason to assume that. We don't know that Flemeth from DAO and Flemeth from DA2 weren't two different bodies.

I think sometimes we have to be careful with broad assumptions; our worry can become the unnecessary panic-driving rumor in two seconds flat.

That said, I really do hope we get more Flemeth. She's a favorite character of mine. And she's crafty as anything, so I've got faith!

*Sigh*   Disappointed.  Thought this might be a forum-based continuation of the QuizQuisition.

SERIOUSLY! Just name Weekes lead writer on the newest Mass Effect trilogy already! And I'm totally cool with any X-men: Days of Future Past-esque rewrite of...let's say elements from Mass Effect 3.

 

I agree with this read. When comparing the Darkspawn threat to the Mages/Templar threat, it makes sense within the lore of the universe for Inquisition to make M/T's the central focus and, to an extent, trivialize the Darkspawn one. BUT, it may be easier for the player to reconcile with M/T threat because it's a problem we more or less recognize and relate to--i.e., humans. Darkspawn are an alien subject, therefore it's harder to relate to them; so the player might end up feeling more threatened by their presence despite the game's insistence that Mages/Templars is the bigger issue.

 

Kind of ironic, really, since "fear of the unknown" is sort of the driving force behind the Mages/Templar threat in the first place.......   too heady for the Bioware forums?? 

I think he's at DA to stay! Gah, I wish I could find the source now, but I remember reading somewhere last year that he moved to DA because the DA style is much more in line with his method of storytelling. It wouldn't make since for him to swing back over if it wasn't a good fit initially. 

And that's not heady at all. That's freaking brilliant.

Very very true, and I could imagine how difficult it must be to find that correct balance. Though I would suggest that, even with the latest update, they're still on the lower end of the total amount of banters/total banters in the game ratio.

 

I think there are only two issues holding the current system back: the percentiles of banter firing being too low, and situational contrasts with the banter (light-hearted banter occurring during dramatic moments, fights, etc.). In an ideal world, both get fixed, but since that'd be tough, go with the easier fix for now--having banter fire more.

I agree! I think that if I had to choose between more banter and banter that isn't properly fit to the situation, I'd go for the former. The latter is awkward but it's still better than nothing. Plus I can headcanon that all of my companions are being self-centered jerks and that could be fun. 

While I mostly agree, let's be fair to Bioware- not everything has been trivialized. What you decide to do with Loghain and Alistair has a good impact on their characters. What you decide to do with the Old God Baby, while not having significance on the plot, DOES have significance with Morrigan's character--does she find true resolution and peace with her mother, or does she grow as an individual as her maternal love for her child grows?

 

Everything in the Here Lies the Abyss quest has ramifications from previous game choices, and the final decision of that quest still felt impactful, even if it probably won't lead to much. I'm okay with that though, as long as previous choices lead to good amounts of variability with playthroughs.

 

Fun fact, lead writer of that arc was Patrick Weekes, the same mastermind responsible for the Tuchunka arc in Mass Effect 3. When is Bioware gonna give that man his own game already.

I'll take two more of those, please!

If the darkspawn threat was trivialized, I have to wonder if it was on purpose. We know BW has got some genius writers. They do writerly things and deliver them with a ninja kick to the face. It makes me wonder if that wasn't intentional - the darkspawn threat feels trivial because despite them really being a terrible, horrible mass of blood-thirsty monsters, they still aren't as much of a threat as the mages/Templars? It feels trivialized to the player because it feels trivial (in comparison) to the people? 

It's been indicated before that to a lot of people, mages are the scariest things ever. Mages being out and about, freed from their towers and lurking in shadows, killing all that go past them--or however they may imagine it--is a truly frightening thing.