How does this sort of thing get past QA?!
QA analysts may have reported it. Whether or not there's time for a reported bug to be fixed as of launch is always another question altogether.
At least, that's what I've gathered from what I've read on the subject. Anyone can feel free to correct me. 
Surely if it's detected before launch there should at least be a "known issues" list available. At launch.
If not, then they're spending too much on eye candy and not enough on Quality.
I don't really get any banter at all. Good to know that it's a bug and not just laziness as with the companions in general...
QA analysts may have reported it. Whether or not there's time for a reported bug to be fixed as of launch is always another question altogether.
At least, that's what I've gathered from what I've read on the subject. Anyone can feel free to correct me.
It sounds like it's an inconsistent issue, which are always the worst. Especially if it's inconsistent enough to fail "silently." Lets assume that we have 100 people all doing legitimate playthroughs (i.e. not testing with their focus on something else) and something happens 1% of the time. That means that 1 person's playthrough will be affected, and if it so happens that that one person doesn't notice (because they found other issues, or are specifically tasking on something else) then it can get missed, which means we need on average another 100 playthroughs before it occurs again, and we have to hope it gets noticed and not overlooked because some other thing was noticed as well.
Now let's fast forward to release. Lets say a million people all start playing at release. Something that happens 1% of the time is now impacting 10,000 people. That's a lot of people and their concerns are valid. Further, once people starting point it out, then others that might not have noticed also start noticing (this happens in QA too, people say "Hey, keep an eye out for this thing."). I don't think banter has been an issue in my game, but I am definitely much more cognizant of it when I notice "I haven't heard a banter for a while... or am I just going crazy!?"
Numbers just made up for easy math, but it's the crap reality for inconsistent issues 
I loathe intermittent problems because it usually means that there's some particularly unusual and not at all obvious set of preconditions (computers aren't really random) to cause it to happen, so now the hunt becomes "figuring out what those problems are." I'd much rather it simply be "banter doesn't happen very much at all for everyone" because then it's easier to identify and fix. Alas.
I do appreciate the feedback though.
I'm glad our voices have finally been heard.
I'm glad our voices have finally been heard.
Guest_elfadelbosco_*
I'm playing on xbox 360 and I'm missing the party banter almost totally, I heard it 3-4 times in 25 hours of gameplay
It sounds like it's an inconsistent issue, which are always the worst. Especially if it's inconsistent enough to fail "silently." Lets assume that we have 100 people all doing legitimate playthroughs (i.e. not testing with their focus on something else) and something happens 1% of the time. That means that 1 person's playthrough will be affected, and if it so happens that that one person doesn't notice (because they found other issues, or are specifically tasking on something else) then it can get missed, which means we need on average another 100 playthroughs before it occurs again, and we have to hope it gets noticed and not overlooked because some other thing was noticed as well.
Now let's fast forward to release. Lets say a million people all start playing at release. Something that happens 1% of the time is now impacting 10,000 people. That's a lot of people and their concerns are valid. Further, once people starting point it out, then others that might not have noticed also start noticing (this happens in QA too, people say "Hey, keep an eye out for this thing."). I don't think banter has been an issue in my game, but I am definitely much more cognizant of it when I notice "I haven't heard a banter for a while... or am I just going crazy!?"
Numbers just made up for easy math, but it's the crap reality for inconsistent issues
I do appreciate the feedback though.
I was starting to worry that perhaps it was somehow tied to party approval because the members who are most talkative are the ones who I generally have the highest approval rating with, before I checked in here. (But then they also don't talk a great deal with other members of the party period even w/low and high approval party members) Which would be a really punishing mechanic because how else can I get to know people if they don't at least chat amongst themselves and let me know what sort of stuff they like or dislike/what type of person they are!
But I've definitely noticed an inconsistency myself. Even within the same session. And the magic of the Storm Coast seems to have worn off for me *cries*
Would someone be so kind to post party banter on youtube?
Sera has never said a thing to anyone for me in the roughly 12 hours of gameplay she has been in my party, so no, not if we're glitched.
Good luck, Jazz. Let us know!
Posting for the first time ever because I am also having this issue.
On PS4, disk version. 40 hours in. Have explored all but one location. Have used every companion in several combinations and I've had at most 6 banters.
In regards to the person above trying a new character. What is everyone who is having the issue currently rolling with? Maybe there's some kind of common denominator?
Mines is a male human mage. British voice. Imported world state.
male human rouge.Birith voice, imported world state.
Male Human Warrior. British Voice. Imported World State. I customized his appearance, yeah.
If people can confirm that it seems to be region based that would certainly provide more information. Seems right now a few people have a gut feeling that that might be the case?
While my issue thankfully isn't nearly as bad as Jeff's, in about 13 hours of play time, I've had banter among my companions come up about 5xs. They'll occasionally remark on an item in the area, or make a couple of comments about a landmark, but I've gone for up to 4-5 hours without my companions saying a word. I'll see if it gets any better, but so far my companions are pretty quiet throughout the entire game.
Happens in all zones that I've been to: Val Royaleux, Storm Coast, The Mire and the Hinterlands.
Conversations so far in Hinterlands: 3
Storm Coast: 2
Mire: 0
Val: 0
<---US, PC gamer.
If people can confirm that it seems to be region based that would certainly provide more information. Seems right now a few people have a gut feeling that that might be the case?
Sorry if I'm being dense, but when you say region-based, you mean the locations of the game world, right? If so, I will say that out of the paltry few times banter has ever triggered for me, at least half occurred at the Storm Coast. Two more at the Hinterlands. I'm... thinking nothing has happened anywhere else, but don't quote me 100% there.
For reference, I have traveled a considerable stretch in the Western Frontier, Forbidden Oasis, and the Fallow Mire as well. I've also started testing in the Exalted Plains with no luck there either (except for the usual "party members sometimes commenting on region-specific things; ie at the Storm Coast everyone still remarks about the water/at the Western Frontier companions react verbally when I attempt to step inside that poison pit... place; but actual banter is practically nonexistent anywhere).
Or you mean region-specific with regard to our whereabouts? Haha. In which case, US gamer here. PS4.
I don't know if this is as severe as some other folks on here, but my roommate has been getting party banter about once an hour at most (sometimes much larger gaps). She has commented on how the game seems so quiet compared to the other ones.
Female character, imported worldstate, voice 1, and we are in Florida.
Mine doesn't seem to be quite as few and far between (though I still feel like it's a bit silent)
While my issue thankfully isn't nearly as bad as Jeff's, in about 13 hours of play time, I've had banter among my companions come up about 5xs. They'll occasionally remark on an item in the area, or make a couple of comments about a landmark, but I've gone for up to 4-5 hours without my companions saying a word. I'll see if it gets any better, but so far my companions are pretty quiet.
<---US, PC gamer.
Aw, sorry to hear it's probably hit you too to a point. Yeah, remarks on stuff like that do happen on my file as well, there's just a virtual absence of the banter stuff.
It may improve for you without a patch. A couple of people on the forums have reported this thing mysteriously going away with time.
Region based meaning in game levels. Though with such a low sampling of numbers it might be hard to say.
And it has been a problem for multiple regions (storm coast, hinterlands, the swamp area I can't remember the name of).
Aw, sorry to hear it's probably hit you too to a point. Yeah, remarks on stuff like that do happen on my file as well, there's just a virtual absence of the banter stuff.
It may improve for you without a patch. A couple of people on the forums have reported this thing mysteriously going away with time.
That's what I'm hoping for. I honestly thought it was just me. I do know that I want to at least go get the quests going to pick up Cole.
Actually, a lot of the game is really quiet for me. The music almost never lasts long while out and about. It doesn't loop, so I hear the sounds of the wildness for hours at a stretch. I honestly thought that either I had done something wrong, or the banter was supposed to be that quiet for the lower level zones. After I took Cass out of my party (about 4 hours of game time ago,) Varric has spoken once as a party banter.
Region based meaning in game levels. Though with such a low sampling of numbers it might be hard to say.
OK, yeah. And I agree, the sampling definitely isn't optimal, heh. But I definitely see how this might be better than nothing. I'll jot down here for easier viewing what I've encountered, in Natashina's style:
The Hinterlands: 2 (I've quested/explored here for roughly 15 hours)
Storm Coast: 3-4 (roughly 5 hours)
Val Royeux: 0 (been here maybe 90 minutes, half of which was me playtesting this last night when I read a recommendation I go here)
Fallow Mire: 0 (let's say... 3 hours)
Forbidden Oasis: 0 (2 hours)
Western Frontier: 0 (3 hours)
Exalted Plains: 0 (1 hour)
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