198 réponses à ce sujet

[Baalthazar]

I wasn't a huge fan of the keyboard interface myself - but it was easily fixed by buying a $20 game controller and plugging it into the USB port.

 

I've run into a couple of people that consider the keyboard interface to be "standard" in that the keys used are those used by a lot of other games.  Admittedly I'm not a huge gamer and the games I generally played before were mostly in the flight sim category and I generally used a joystick for those so I didn't really like the keyboard interface that much myself.

 

But it was an easy, cheap fix and it works great with the game controller.  

I tried playing with a game controller.  Apparently, you can't pause the game without a screen-obscuring menu popping up when using a controller.  (I spent an hour on the phone and online text chat with EA reps trying to confirm this.  Neither of them could tell me how to pause the game with a controller. Also not in the manual.)

 

If I am supposed to be responsible for the combat actions of four people at a time, why can't I pause to survey the battle, and then enter commands?

 

Apparently this works for some people, but I can't figure it out.  It's not fun at all for me.

 

For me, Dragon Age is about more than just the story.  It's also about the tactical combat, which was apparently left out of DA:I in favor of a more Diablo-style action-oriented approach.  Plugging in a controller didn't fix this for me.

[BansheeOwnage]

 

First of course is how odd it is to me at least that people would be so offended that Bioware is a company and wants to make a profit.  For those of you that have displayed such umbrage at this concept, I suggest that you go to your own employer and inform them that you no longer want to be paid for your efforts either.  You will now work for free out of the goodness of your heart and expect no compensation even though you will work just as hard as you did before when they were paying you.  Otherwise of course you can always admit your gross hypocrisy and give it a rest.  The folks at BIoware deserve to get paid for their efforts just as you deserve to get paid for yours.

 

Companies either put out products that sell well or they don't survive, it's that simple.  So if Bioware runs the numbers and they show that they make more money from selling a certain type of game or one for a certain type of system then I don't fault them for concentrating their efforts there.  Bioware or any other company has no obligation to create a game marketed specifically to me, or to you for that matter.  So for those of you again that seem to be so highly offended by this concept, I would suggest that you think about that carefully and try to get over yourself.  That isn't a logical argument, it's ego gone wild.

To the first paragraph: You missed my point entirely, if you're referring to anything I said. I'm not saying Bioware can't make money, that's stupid. However, Bioware used to make games that were more niche games that naturally sell less well than pandering to everyone. So what happened? Either they decided they wanted to make more money, or EA decided that for them. Now, why is this a bad thing? It's not - directly.

 

Which brings me to your second paragraph: To me, it all comes down to one thing: Diversity. We have genres for a reason. People like different kinds of things, with overlap. If everyone targets the overlap - the stuff most people like - we lose that precious diversity, which is at best boring and at worst it means your favourite genre(s) is destroyed. So when you say Bioware isn't obligated to makes games for me I think you're making us sound a lot more arrogant than we are. I just want the genres I like. And my favourite genre are RPGs. My favourite sub-genre happens to be Bioware RPGs. I love what they do, and no other company does what they do as well in my opinion. That's disheartening, both because obviously, only Bioware makes them (only every few years) and because if they stray from what makes them great, this genre as I know it will cease to exist. That's all I'm saying, and it makes me sad

[Elleria]

I saw your OP as sounding wistful and a little sad, but not demanding.  I think if anyone calls your OP a demand, then they have either not read the forums enough, or read them too much and are reading things into your post that aren't there.    <hugs>

Thank you. It saddens me to have my intention accused and misunderstood. However, your comment brightens me again <hugs>

[Grieving Natashina]

Thank you. It saddens me to have my intention accused and misunderstood. However, your comment brightens me again <hugs>

Aww, I'm glad I could help.  There is a lot of frustration and conflict among the fans right now, more so than usual.  I can tell a sincere and wistful post when I read it.  I felt the exact same way when David Gaider left the Dragon Age team to work on the new IP.  He was one of the few that wouldn't back down from the more aggressive and frankly, awful fans.  He'd give as good as he got, and he was always very direct.  I really appreciated that he took the time to chat with us when he did.  When his blog was still open, he was very nice about answering questions and addressing concerns.

 

Yet not everyone has the extremely thick skin that DG has, which is why I can't blame many of the developers and writing being silent on the forums.  That's understandable, because the level of vitriol thrown at DG over the years has been staggering.  The man left the project a few months back and still has some "fans" harassing him over decisions he made years ago.   Frankly, not everyone can deal with that nor should they feel they have to just to interact with the more respectful fans.  People like you and me, that love chatting with developers, even getting into friendly debates from time to time, we miss talking to the devs and writers.  There is just enough of the more hateful and spiteful (former) fans on the forums that make any sort of productive conversation with the company difficult.  I felt like the DA community lost something when DG left.  

 

I hope when things mellow out around here that we'll hear more from the writers and devs.  If I could give any of them advice, I'd suggest that they use the ignore feature with the completely destructive posters.  I'm not talking about folks that have constructively expressed problems or criticisms of the game.  Despite what some of the stereotype might suggest, the majority of unhappy posters would love a chance to reasonably talk to the devs about their concerns.  Unfortunately, there is enough posters that trash on the company, the game and anyone that disagrees like it's a hobby that can make the atmosphere very unwelcome to anyone that doesn't see their PoV.  It can make it difficult for the fans to have constructive conversations and civil debates, much less the people that are on the DA team.

 

I don't know if there is any solution to this that doesn't sound like a platitude.  I only hope that DG can give some of the writers and devs tips on how to deal with the more aggressive fans while trying to talk to the majority of the fanbase.  Civil mature players that want to feel like their voices are heard and matter.  As well as nerds like me that love hearing the ins and outs behind a big game like this.  

 

I think folks like DG should put out a "How-To" guide for implementing the right level of snark and honesty with an appreciation that I know the devs have for their players.

[bEVEsthda]

I wasn't a huge fan of the keyboard interface myself - but it was easily fixed by buying a $20 game controller and plugging it into the USB port.

 

I've run into a couple of people that consider the keyboard interface to be "standard" in that the keys used are those used by a lot of other games.  Admittedly I'm not a huge gamer and the games I generally played before were mostly in the flight sim category and I generally used a joystick for those so I didn't really like the keyboard interface that much myself.

 

But it was an easy, cheap fix and it works great with the game controller.  

 

- Don't even go there!

 

Look, I'm not discontent. I like the game. I enjoy the game. And I play it with the crappy K&M interface.

 

But if the idea is that I should play my PC game with a controller - then I'd go to war! 

And I know for an absolute fact that I'm very far from alone when it comes to those sentiments.

I really don't even want any PC game that can be played with a controller!

[DaemionMoadrin]

Aww, I'm glad I could help.  There is a lot of frustration and conflict among the fans right now, more so than usual.  I can tell a sincere and wistful post when I read it.  I felt the exact same way when David Gaider left the Dragon Age team to work on the new IP.  He was one of the few that wouldn't back down from the more aggressive and frankly, awful fans.  He'd give as good as he got, and he was always very direct.  I really appreciated that he took the time to chat with us when he did.  When his blog was still open, he was very nice about answering questions and addressing concerns.

 

Yet not everyone has the extremely thick skin that DG has, which is why I can't blame many of the developers and writing being silent on the forums.  That's understandable, because the level of vitriol thrown at DG over the years has been staggering.  The man left the project a few months back and still has some "fans" harassing him over decisions he made years ago.   Frankly, not everyone can deal with that nor should they feel they have to just to interact with the more respectful fans.  People like you and me, that love chatting with developers, even getting into friendly debates from time to time, we miss talking to the devs and writers.  There is just enough of the more hateful and spiteful (former) fans on the forums that make any sort of productive conversation with the company difficult.  I felt like the DA community lost something when DG left.  

 

I hope when things mellow out around here that we'll hear more from the writers and devs.  If I could give any of them advice, I'd suggest that they use the ignore feature with the completely destructive posters.  I'm not talking about folks that have constructively expressed problems or criticisms of the game.  Despite what some of the stereotype might suggest, the majority of unhappy posters would love a chance to reasonably talk to the devs about their concerns.  Unfortunately, there is enough posters that trash on the company, the game and anyone that disagrees like it's a hobby that can make the atmosphere very unwelcome to anyone that doesn't see their PoV.  It can make it difficult for the fans to have constructive conversations and civil debates, much less the people that are on the DA team.

 

I don't know if there is any solution to this that doesn't sound like a platitude.  I only hope that DG can give some of the writers and devs tips on how to deal with the more aggressive fans while trying to talk to the majority of the fanbase.  Civil mature players that want to feel like their voices are heard and matter.  As well as nerds like me that love hearing the ins and outs behind a big game like this.  

 

I think folks like DG should put out a "How-To" guide for implementing the right level of snark and honesty with an appreciation that I know the devs have for their players.

 

You are completely right.

 

BUT

 

The silence from BioWare is counterproductive, it's the main reason frustrations in this forums are so high. Most fans don't even need BioWare to actually do anything about their concerns, they'd be content with being heard.

 

I've said it plenty of times but when you have a large fan base and a community, then you need to interact with them. There needs to be at least one community manager who facilitates the communication between the devs and the fans. What BioWare is doing here damages their reputation and that's not something any company can afford. Even blanket statements like "the forum is toxic" are bad because this here is the BioWare forum. If they can't keep order in their own house, then that doesn't speak highly of their professionalism.

 

There are problems and they won't go away by being ignored. I mean, what's the plan here? Let it all fester until the entire thing has to be scrapped and replaced with something new?

 

Also, I don't think this forum is -that- bad. Yes, some people on here need to calm down, shut up and go away but the majority are decent folks. If the devs feel unwelcome in their own forum, then that's a sign they need to get better/more mods, maybe change a few rules and hire some community managers.

 

Blaming the (former) fans for the current state of things is not going to help anyone, it's not constructive and assigns guilt to (some) people who have done nothing wrong.

[Innsmouth Dweller]

generalization is always bad.

 

if few jerks post death threats doesn't mean all people who dislike the game do that. and it doesn't mean the forum is "toxic". there are moderators, right?

same as not everyone who likes the game is blind to its flaws.

 

there must be a '-geny' word for bashing a group of people for the opinions of its few representatives.

[Grieving Natashina]

 

Blaming the (former) fans for the current state of things is not going to help anyone, it's not constructive and assigns guilt to (some) people who have done nothing wrong.

I don't think those folks that have valid criticisms and are being respectful in their frustrations are doing a thing wrong.  I have read fans that are now no longer into the series because of what happened with this game.  You know what the difference is between them and the most toxic posters?  They may be frustrated, but they don't see a need to take it out on everyone else.  They offer valid and constructive ideas and concerns about the game.  They don't start crying that there is a feminist agenda; that everyone that every worked for this game should be fired.  Most of the people I've talked to that were unhappy aren't like that.  Those are the majority of unhappy posters that I'm talking about, and those concerns should definitely be heard.  Again, contrary to what some posters might think, most of the players that are greatly let down by the game offer ideas and concerns without resorting to troll behavior.

 

You don't think that the more toxic fans affect the company?  It has before, according to former BioWare employee and co-founder Trent Oster.

 

http://www.ign.com/a...nders-departure

http://www.nowgamer....ex-bioware-dev/

 

 

This list is based upon threads and posts I've personally witnessed just in regards to DA:I.  This is the minority of fans, but I'm sure the forums isn't the only place that the DA staff gets to read the following said to them.  These toxic posts aren't the complaints about bad AI or poor tactical cam.  Or the thoughtful posts that calmly illustrate what went wrong for someone in the game.  I think a few bad apples are making it hard for everyone.  I've seen posters state...

 

1) BioWare hates straight men, because Cass and Josie don't look pretty enough.

2) Everyone that worked on DA:I should be fired.

3) That BioWare should quit their successful publisher to do a Kickstarter

4) That BioWare "let" EA ruin their games.  Nevermind that EA was their publisher back in the ME1 days.

5) That the writers are "catering to the gay agenda."

6) That anyone that likes this game is a sheep.  As one poster put it, "This game was apparently made by people that think all gamers are drooling bucket heads."

7) Straight up harassment through PMs to the writers and developers. 

8) Accusations towards the writers, such as folks that tried to claim that Mary Kirby not making Vivienne a romance was racist.

9) Misquotes attributed to the staff, like David Gaider suddenly "hating the idea of a dwarf romance" and the comments made towards him.

10) Everything not-sexy in the game is the LGBT/feminists fault, somehow.  I've seen folks say that both groups were somehow responsible for the removal of brothels and the like.  

11) Personal attacks from (yes) the LGBT community towards Lucas, the man that wrote Sera because "straight men shouldn't write lesbians because they can't know what it's like."

12) Stating that the lack of good hair options for female characters meant that, "BioWare still thinks of women as second class citizens." 

13) Go into any positive thread to talk about how much the game sucks and how much others suck for liking it.

 

My solution was two-fold for the developers and writers in this case.  

 

1) They should use the ignore feature.  It can be frustrating to read posts and threads like that, and I don't think they should have to.  However, I figure if the staff just places the worst cases on ignore, not quote the trolls and address the rest of the fanbase, it would help.  In fact, I think them doing so would help discourage that behavior.  I remember when Allan was around a lot and many threads were a lot more productive and civil.  It wasn't because he was usually doing something special or moderating, but rather just calmly talking to the fans.  Even with some of the more angrier folks, because he felt their voices were just as valid.  That led to some of the best debates I've seen on the forums, where everyone learned something and walked away with mutual respect.  Sometimes I wonder if just having the staff around would help encourage civil behavior.

 

2) There is management training courses in several different fields of work dedicated to handling problem customers, and some even extend those to dealing with people online.  I feel that more interaction by the devs would certainly help the community, but I feel that a training course like the one I'm thinking of would make their life easier.  It might help give them the tools to handle posts like that, and I think everyone would benefit from it.

[Elleria]

Aww, I'm glad I could help.  There is a lot of frustration and conflict among the fans right now, more so than usual.  I can tell a sincere and wistful post when I read it.  I felt the exact same way when David Gaider left the Dragon Age team to work on the new IP.  He was one of the few that wouldn't back down from the more aggressive and frankly, awful fans.  He'd give as good as he got, and he was always very direct.  I really appreciated that he took the time to chat with us when he did.  When his blog was still open, he was very nice about answering questions and addressing concerns.

 

Yet not everyone has the extremely thick skin that DG has, which is why I can't blame many of the developers and writing being silent on the forums.  That's understandable, because the level of vitriol thrown at DG over the years has been staggering.  The man left the project a few months back and still has some "fans" harassing him over decisions he made years ago.   Frankly, not everyone can deal with that nor should they feel they have to just to interact with the more respectful fans.  People like you and me, that love chatting with developers, even getting into friendly debates from time to time, we miss talking to the devs and writers.  There is just enough of the more hateful and spiteful (former) fans on the forums that make any sort of productive conversation with the company difficult.  I felt like the DA community lost something when DG left.  

 

I hope when things mellow out around here that we'll hear more from the writers and devs.  If I could give any of them advice, I'd suggest that they use the ignore feature with the completely destructive posters.  I'm not talking about folks that have constructively expressed problems or criticisms of the game.  Despite what some of the stereotype might suggest, the majority of unhappy posters would love a chance to reasonably talk to the devs about their concerns.  Unfortunately, there is enough posters that trash on the company, the game and anyone that disagrees like it's a hobby that can make the atmosphere very unwelcome to anyone that doesn't see their PoV.  It can make it difficult for the fans to have constructive conversations and civil debates, much less the people that are on the DA team.

 

I don't know if there is any solution to this that doesn't sound like a platitude.  I only hope that DG can give some of the writers and devs tips on how to deal with the more aggressive fans while trying to talk to the majority of the fanbase.  Civil mature players that want to feel like their voices are heard and matter.  As well as nerds like me that love hearing the ins and outs behind a big game like this.  

 

I think folks like DG should put out a "How-To" guide for implementing the right level of snark and honesty with an appreciation that I know the devs have for their players.

Very well written comment Nathasina and really contain the major bulk of reason that might explain Bioware dev absence in the forum.

 

Apart from playing RPG game with rich character background and story such as DA:I, I do play online mmo,such as Marvel Heroes. The one thing that really impresses me with Marvel Heroes is the fact that I get to witness how the developers withstood barrages of heavy complaints from the players when the game first launched in 2013(Open Beta).

 

It didn't start out good, in fact there were many players predicted that the game was doomed to fail but the developers were still actively answering questions, even though many of them were toxic. It might have been tough for the developers to keep their cool in the heat of a battle that was seemingly against the odds, however, as much toxicity Marvel Heroes forum was then, there few others who defended the developers with reason that the developers were working hard to fix the bugs with numerous patches.

 

Fast forward to 2015, Marvel Heroes has seen numerous successes and gotten many awards such as 'Most improved MMO of 2014' and the developers are still so active in the forum as they usually are, which really empowers the players to love the game. I believe there's very little to no toxic topics in the forum and even if there are some toxic posts, the game will get heavily defended by other players who love the game.

 

I understand that they are 2 different games but I believe both share the same fundamental goal, which is to make the best games possible. Marvel Heroes developers are no less busy but they still make time to reply to the community in their own forum, twitter, facebook and any other social media network.

 

Anyway, I just want to share how through game developers activeness in interacting with their players will nurture positive growth in the community as a whole

[SofaJockey]

Some very thoughtful stuff in recent posts 

 

I'm going to post something one of the moderators in the Witcher forum said, not to invite comparison particularly because CDPR is a younger studio and so carries less of the baggage that BioWare has to deal with as well as a different regional culture.

 

But the points made were fascinating and very insightful (redacted to distil the point and ditch the detail):

 

"I understand your concern. Of course you'd like to be reassured about [specific concern].

 

It is highly unlikely any Devs will post here in answer to one of the [many] questions and issues that are cropping up.

Such posts would lead to more questions, mis-quotes and general hilarity. Smarter to wait until [answers are actually available].

 

If you were a Dev and someone accused you of [extremely rude accusation] over a concern, would you reply?

You can make this [critical]  thread but

 

a - try to be constructive and

b - realise we went through [other threads on this issue] a little while ago and all sides are licking wounds and twitching still.

 

[please understand] your friendly mods will be cracking down on inflammatory, angry, bitter, non-constructive posts and threads. Not because we like to flex our power, [*snip*] but because we need the forums to be a pleasant WELCOMING place for all, where concerns are heard and, AND fun discussions about game experience take place.

 

The forums are actually NOT a giant Complaints Department for [the Company].

Anyone making that mistake will get short shrift."

 

So, an absence of developer contribution I would suggest is the norm, not the exception and probably for good reason.

 

 

6 - That anyone that likes this game is a sheep.  As one poster put it, "This game was apparently made by people that think all gamers are drooling bucket heads."

 

Genius quote, I'm adding this to my signature 

[DaemionMoadrin]

Natashina, that was yet another excellent post.

 

The thing is, devs aren't paid to be on the forums, it isn't their job. There are community managers for that. I'd rather have someone at BioWare read the forums, collect the questions asked most often and then go around the company looking for answers. After they compiled everything they can post it here and this is how those things generally work.

 

I've seen that with several MMORPGs I played over the years and it worked pretty well. Players felt connected, their issues were heard, they got explanations and they could report bugs that way, too. You know. Feedback.

 

I don't need a writer or level designer here in the forum, they should have better things to do. If they do look in, then that's a bonus.

[Grieving Natashina]

Natashina, that was yet another excellent post.

 

The things is, devs aren't paid to be on the forums, it isn't their job. There are community managers for that. I'd rather have someone at BioWare read the forums, collect the questions asked most often and then go around the company looking for answers. After they compiled everything they can post it here and this is how those things generally work.

 

I've seen that with several MMORPGs I played over the years and it worked pretty well. Players felt connected, their issues were heard, they got explanations and they could report bugs that way, too. You know. Feedback.

 

I don't need a writer or level designer here in the forum, they should have better things to do. If they do look in, then that's a bonus.

Thanks!  I've had a few decent posts tonight, so I really appreciate that.

 

Which MMOs?  I didn't feel that way while playing ToR, and I didn't feel that way playing WoW.  Especially WoW and I spent from 2005-2012 off and on with the game.  

 

I agree, but I still noticed that more regular interaction by the staff to the fans on the forums helped improve the atmosphere quite a bit.  I know that they don't have to be here, but it would be nice to see.   I do agree that a compilation post would be a nice middle ground though.  

 

I would love the chance for a dev to open an AMA like thread (AMA=Ask Me Anything) where posters can have their concerns address in more or less real time.  I think that sometimes that more...I don't know..personal connection with talking to someone on the actual forums would be nice.  Maybe not daily, but I wish they weren't so intimidated by the forums.  I heard a rumor awhile back that the devs and writers refer to these forums as a shark tank.  BSN rumor, so take that with the usual shaker of salt.  

 

Edit:  The current community manager for the DA and ME forums is named David Hulegaard.  Last active back in February.

 

In any case, both of our ideas is a lot better than continued absence from the forums from even the community manager.  _{And of course I'm out of likes.}

 

 

Some very thoughtful stuff in recent posts  

 

I'm going to post something one of the moderators in the Witcher forum said, not to invite comparison particularly because CDPR is a younger studio and so carries less of the baggage that BioWare has to deal with as well as a different regional culture.

 

But the points made were fascinating and very insightful (redacted to distil the point and ditch the detail):

 

"I understand your concern. Of course you'd like to be reassured about [specific concern].

 

It is highly unlikely any Devs will post here in answer to one of the [many] questions and issues that are cropping up.

Such posts would lead to more questions, mis-quotes and general hilarity. Smarter to wait until [answers are actually available].

 

If you were a Dev and someone accused you of [extremely rude accusation] over a concern, would you reply?

You can make this [critical]  thread but

 

a - try to be constructive and

b - realise we went through [other threads on this issue] a little while ago and all sides are licking wounds and twitching still.

 

[please understand] your friendly mods will be cracking down on inflammatory, angry, bitter, non-constructive posts and threads. Not because we like to flex our power, [*snip*] but because we need the forums to be a pleasant WELCOMING place for all, where concerns are heard and, AND fun discussions about game experience take place.

 

The forums are actually NOT a giant Complaints Department for [the Company].

Anyone making that mistake will get short shrift."

 

So, an absence of developer contribution I would suggest is the norm, not the exception and probably for good reason.

 

Excellent points, thank you for putting this up.   

[DaemionMoadrin]

Dark Age of Camelot mostly. Sanya was -the- community manager, she was the one who really established this position in the gaming industry.

 

http://www.warcry.co...-Exit-Interview

 

Edit: typo

Modifié par DaemionMoadrin, 30 avril 2015 - 03:27 .

[Grieving Natashina]

Dark Age of Camelot mostly. Sanya was -the- community manager, she was the one who really establishes this position in the gaming industry.

 

http://www.warcry.co...-Exit-Interview

I heard very good things about that community.  My husband used to play DAoC and would sometimes lament about the differences between Blizzard's community and that one.  It's a shame that she left.

 

I hope you know that I don't feel like the devs or the writers owe us their presence on the forums.  It would be nice to see, but I know that this would be on their own time.  In some ways, I guess I got spoiled with the amount of interaction from the devs.  I'll miss it, but as you pointed out, they certainly have better things to do.  I'd rather see the devs patch and fix the game versus spending a ton of time with us on the forums.

 

However, seeing that the community manager hasn't been around n nearly 3 months doesn't sit very well.   Isn't a community manager, I don't know, supposed to be on more than that? 

[DaemionMoadrin]

I heard very good things about that community.  My husband used to play DAoC and would sometimes lament about the differences between Blizzard's community and that one.  It's a shame that she left.

 

I hope you know that I don't feel like the devs or the writers owe us their presence on the forums.  It would be nice to see, but I know that this would be on their own time.  In some ways, I guess I got spoiled with the amount of interaction from the devs.  I'll miss it, but as you pointed out, they certainly have better things to do.  I'd rather see the devs patch and fix the game versus spending a ton of time with us on the forums.

 

However, seeing that the community manager hasn't been around in nearly 3 months doesn't sit very well.   Isn't a community manager, I don't know, supposed to be on more than that? 

 

Well, I can't say the DAoC community was all that different from the folks here. The main difference was that we could always ask Mythic and get an answer as soon as possible. Somewhere in that interview I linked is Sanya's description of how community managers work. I myself almost worked there as a GM/Community Manager but then didn't take the offer.

 

I don't even know if there is a community manager anymore. I guess they should have at least some for the SW:TOR folks but I've never been to that forum. The last one here was Jessica Merizan and she left BioWare a while ago. Did we ever get a replacement?

[Creator Limbs]

I honestly feel that the lack of interaction from Bioware representatives(except for official announcement, which is so rare) is very discouraging to say the least. It's giving me this thought that Bioware is intentionally avoiding us like a plague

 

Do others feel the way I'm feeling or am I an alien in this community?

 

I guess you missed out on the "You guys are toxic" part.

[Grieving Natashina]

Well, I can't say the DAoC community was all that different from the folks here. The main difference was that we could always ask Mythic and get an answer as soon as possible. Somewhere in that interview I linked is Sanya's description of how community managers work. I myself almost worked there as a GM/Community Manager but then didn't take the offer.

 

I don't even know if there is a community manager anymore. I guess they should have at least some for the SW:TOR folks but I've never been to that forum. The last one here was Jessica Merizan and she left BioWare a while ago. Did we ever get a replacement?

His name is David Hulegaard, last active on Feb 16th.

 

http://forum.bioware...david-hulegaard

[Digger1967]

I tried playing with a game controller. Apparently, you can't pause the game without a screen-obscuring menu popping up when using a controller. (I spent an hour on the phone and online text chat with EA reps trying to confirm this. Neither of them could tell me how to pause the game with a controller. Also not in the manual.)

If I am supposed to be responsible for the combat actions of four people at a time, why can't I pause to survey the battle, and then enter commands?

Apparently this works for some people, but I can't figure it out. It's not fun at all for me.

For me, Dragon Age is about more than just the story. It's also about the tactical combat, which was apparently left out of DA:I in favor of a more Diablo-style action-oriented approach. Plugging in a controller didn't fix this for me.

Well when I want to pause I just hit the button that throws it into tactical mode. The action halts and time won't advance unless I use the controller and let it, otherwise it will sit and wait indefinitely until I take it out of tactical so I use that for a pause.

I think it works best for me because I started playing on console and got accustomed to that first.

[DaemionMoadrin]

His name is David Hulegaard, last active on Feb 16th.

 

http://forum.bioware...david-hulegaard

 

Well, he might as well not exist then, if he's inactive for months...

[Baalthazar]

How do we get a new community manager appointed?

[Grieving Natashina]

How do we get a new community manager appointed?

Hell if I know.  I'd be happy with the current community manager being active on the forums as a start. 

[AlanC9]

For me, Dragon Age is about more than just the story.  It's also about the tactical combat, which was apparently left out of DA:I in favor of a more Diablo-style action-oriented approach.  Plugging in a controller didn't fix this for me.

The design intent's fairly obvious; if you want tactical combat instead of action combat you're supposed to be using tactical mode. It's not unusual for action games to keep you from doing anything while paused, though there are exceptions -- ME prominent among them.

[Endurium]

I get the feeling they've taken Blizzard's stance, on feedback at least; read but don't comment.

 

Don't see most of what's suggested in here getting implemented unless it's for a DLC or added to the wishlist for the next game. At best we'll get a few more fixes and easy tweaks to the core game at this point.

[BansheeOwnage]

12) Stating that the lack of good hair options for female characters meant that, "BioWare still thinks of women as second class citizens."

Time to put myself on the firing line...

 

When almost every single hairstyle (including ones meant to be "feminine") have sideburns and/or male-pattern-baldness I'm just not sure how else to take it...   That is defaulting to male. What would have been infinitely better is if they defaulted to nothing - No baldness, and sideburns being an option in the facial hair section. That establishes neutrality which is absolutely essential if they want every style available for both genders.

 

Not to mention the fact that not every male has male-pattern-baldness ever, especially since most Inquisitors aren't very old, and that they don't all want to have sideburns either, another reason to put them in the facial hair section where they belong. In other words, this is bad for male and female characters, and while I'm all for everyone being able to choose any hairstyle, they went about it in the complete wrong way.

 

The other comments are pretty stupid though. *Braces for impact*
 

[Weskerr]

So even Allan doesn't participate on these forums anymore? They (the forums) must have gotten very bad (vitriolic, disrespectful, uncivilized etc...) if that's the case.