So after years of poor customer-service and underachieving with each consecutive game title, the Lightweight Choke-Artists at BioWare are repaying their loyal fans -- who built this lovely community around their love for BW's games -- by shutting down what they built and the last direct avenue of communication between them and the fans (something which was said to be their strength: their supposed closeness to their fans).
SAD!!
Kabraxal, I'm pretty tired of the "BSN is a toxic cesspool" rhetoric. It's so short-sighted. Do you not care about the host of practical issues that will be caused by the forum's deletion?
- some game mods are only hosted on the forums
- some DLC e.g. some items are tied to/only accessible using the forums
- the forums are the best source of tech support, tech solutions, bug fix information, etc. EA tech support/Answer HQ is woefully lacking and Twitter doesn't compare
- the forums are the best place for people who speak other languages e.g. French, German, to come together and speak to one another
- a lot of the citations on the fan-made DA wiki link to forum posts
- if we don't archive/save posts, build guides, posts on gameplay mechanics, lore discussions, character analysis, years of all of that will be lost
- the fracturing and fragmentation of an entire community
not to mention the silliness of the "omg it's a cesspool" position in the first place. not even going to get into that.
Mods and Builds especially, we need the mods and builds preserved. The Jade Empire mods and the NWN builds are lost forever, that's sad. Let's not let that happen to the DA:O mods and builds. What's a good way to do that?
The only characters I don't like in the ME series are probably Kaidan/Ashley (I can hear people yelling "how dare you!!!1"). IMO they're a**holes, at least after ME1 (whichever survives, anyways).
Always second guessing Shepard, never truly trusting. Always acting as the SJWs of the franchise. I could never have any type of respect or love for those characters.
Also I don't find them memorable like many others. Heck, I believe even Zaed is more interesting.
They cultivated that image from the get-go. Mods like Priestly and Woo effectively silenced criticism, or outright lied (i.e. the requirements needed to unlock ME3's "best" ending) constantly. It was under Priestly's watch that the forum became as unhinged as it did. Reactionary instead of proactive.
I was here when the ME3 backlash started. I remember the whole sordid saga. There was at least one mod who was stripped of his privileges for asking the company a question about DLC. People were who were banned on the forum lost access to the single-player ME3 component (which was quickly reversed once the gaming press got wind of it). Employees like Priestly, Woo, Christina Norman and others chastized the fans with all manner of insults, and they co-opted members of gaming sites to actively disassociate and demonize the fanbase. Major news sites like The New Yorker and CNN, along with industry people like CDPR and Adult Swim, mocked either or both parties. MrBTongue was right in one of his videos when he said that everyone involved just wanted to put a mulligan on the whole affair.
I think the majority of the tone in this thread is telling.... It is one thing to be disappointed and confused, but the constant attacks, lashing out, and proclamations of doom are the very reason this forum has faded over time. This isn't the exception here sadly. This place has challenged gamefaqs for one of the most toxic forums you can find. That is not good. Actually, all 3 forums I once frequented have had an influx of negativity and trolls..... I think forums are just in need of break on the whole.
omg, builds too, I hadn't even considered that. BUILDS TOO.
I miss the DAO days. All this information about the game posted on the forum, loads of discussion over it, the tournament between teams to decide who could speedrun through Ostagar the fastest, etc etc.
Bioware doesn't do that stuff anymore.
I think the majority of the tone in this thread is telling.... It is one thing to be disappointed and confused, but the constant attacks, lashing out, and proclamations of doom are the very reason this forum has faded over time. This isn't the exception here sadly. This place has challenged gamefaqs for one of the most toxic forums you can find. That is not good. Actually, all 3 forums I once frequented have had an influx of negativity and trolls..... I think forums are just in need of break on the whole.
Yeah, some of the posters are a little, umm, "carried away". But the underlying sadness and anger is fully understandable, and largely justified. This is the company that claims to listen to its players and fans telling thousands of them that their presence isn't wanted anymore. And using the flimsiest of excuses to do away with the forums which is one of the very few places available for lore discussions, news, and basically being with people who share similar interests in gaming. Now we're told to...what, go on Twitter? Facebook?
I don't want to lose anything! 
the post was more focused on the practical side of things is all. I'm obviously very concerned too about my own thousands-of-pages sometimes-romance-and-art-heavy thread
I don't want to lose anything!
Sorry; not biting into the poisoned apple of angst towards Bioware. Not fond of them choosing to close the forums; not happy that they are going to use lesser social media sites to issue notes, but refuse to become a hissing cat about to get a bath.
As with most issues, I hope for the best, but shall expect the worst. Hope the forums will remain open to better discuss games with others including the Devs, but expect that since the Devs do not see this with the same perspective, that the boards will close soon.
The forums are officially closing. This isn't a potential issue.
You may now resume your standard "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" MO.
I don't want to lose anything!
I don't get this toxic forum stuff.
Yes, I recall the vitrolic posts made by some and the fighting that ensued over DA2 and in particular ME3 (which is probably why Bioware would discourage in office visitors as some of that was pretty badly abusive).
Yes, there is bickering and name-calling by some posters even now. Yes, and even on this thread there are there are some posters who seem to be fanning the flames. The world is like that.
Why posters even respond to trolls and bullies on this or any forum is beyond me. Why poke the bears? Ignore them.
But it must be said:
The vast majority of posters on this thread and all others on this board are decent, fair, respectful, people who love the forum, love the games! To effectively silence the vast majority of supporters and lovers of Bioware because of those who are abusive - empowers the bullies, disempowers us and does a huge disserve to Bioware -I don't get why they want to shoot themselves in the foot ... I truly don't.
I hate being disparaged as toxic - so unfair.
Bioware - "take what is worth taking and with a breath of comfort, blow the rest away" (author unknown).
I'm my own biggest fan
This applies on so many levels. 
Thanks for posting this. I'm just a lurker on NeoGAF. It's also clear that, as a whole, the boards are not especially invested or interested in Bioware games. There's nothing wrong with that but it makes Bioware's recent attempts to court them all the more baffling.
On another note, it was pretty annoying how Shinobi talked up the E3 presentation for months only to pull back in the days preceding.
PROTIP: Don't post on GAF. Stay as a lurker. Run afoul of the prevailing opinion in any thread in Off-Topic, and you're likely to get permabanned.
GAF has always had a history of letting developers "moneyhat" their way into the forum. I've heard plenty of stories over the years of sockpuppet accounts, shills and the like using the board to stealth-promote various games. I hate to say it, but Shinobi is essentially a tool for Bioware, even if he doesn't realize it. He's literally the designated hypeman for the community thread, but the conversation often boils over when the game is delayed or nothing new is announced at one of the big conventions. They're going to drive themselves crazy, just like the Metal Gear Solid community thread.
I'm my own biggest fan
...
The fact that a rep from this forum basically told someone who (politely) asked if they could come in and talk to someone that they were "upset" and insinuated that they would be led out by security speaks volumes about Bioware's current culture.
I'm not suggesting that you are upset. But you must understand that someone showing up unannounced at a business with no clear intentions could be potentially alarming to our front desk staff.
Kabraxal, I'm pretty tired of the "BSN is a toxic cesspool" rhetoric. It's so short-sighted. Do you not care about the host of practical issues that will be caused by the forum's deletion?
- some game mods and (edit) builds are only hosted on the forums
- some DLC e.g. some items are tied to/only accessible using the forums
- the forums are the best source of tech support, tech solutions, bug fix information, etc. EA tech support/Answer HQ is woefully lacking and Twitter doesn't compare
- the forums are the best place for people who speak other languages e.g. French, German, to come together and speak to one another
- a lot of the citations on the fan-made DA wiki link to forum posts
- if we don't archive/save posts, build guides, posts on gameplay mechanics, lore discussions, character analysis, years of all of that will be lost
- the fracturing and fragmentation of an entire community
- the logistical/organizational workload (nightmare) created for folk who lead communities here
not to mention the silliness of the "omg it's a cesspool" position in the first place. not even going to get into that.
This is a reminder, please keep reposting all the links to relocate all the members to new boards. Also put those links in your signatures and keep posting on these boards until they shut down.
Conal, when you shut down these boards, could you redirect everyone to one of the communities made by fans instead? Thank you.
The forums are officially closing. This isn't a potential issue.
You may now resume your standard "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" MO.
On the emotional side of things (gotta be balanced 
) drosophila wrote it out elsewhere very eloquently, their experience and feelings here go for me too (posted with permission):
"Yes, it was probably done as a result of cost analysis. And that does not hurt my feelings any less.
It is also a terrible business decision. Here’s why:
As a player, I didn’t pay for the forums, but they were an essential part of the gaming experience, which I did pay for, including purchasing the game and all DLCs.
I spent many more hours discussing the game on the forums than playing. After my third playthrough or so, there was very little replay value left, apart from experiencing one or two cutscenes again. But I spent close to a year after the final DLC was out analyzing my choices, discussing characters and fan theories, and connecting with other fans on the forum.
Bioware is a brand that focuses on compelling story telling, lore, and unforgettable characters. You cannot fully experience these things all by yourself. A compelling story makes you want to analyze it together with others. An unforgettable character makes you want to discuss their strengths and weaknesses in a group. After the game is done, you want to go online and justify the choices you made and share your OCs with others. These are all the things that are unique or especially important about playing a Bioware game, and by taking the avenue of expression away from fans, Bioware is seriously hurting their brand.
Yes, there are unofficial forums, as well as twitter, tumblr, reddit, and none of those are a good substitute for one centralized, officially maintained forum. The format of twitter, tumblr, and reddit does not allow fans to talk in a large groups, not everyone’s voice is heard equally, and content moves so fast that long, thoughtful discussions are incredibly hard to maintain. Unofficial forums are too many, lack the professional design and layout that makes posting effortless, and are maintained by fans with real lives that might get in the way at any point. From now on they will have to do, but the quality of the experience is greatly diminished.
The fan community is also one of the main ways synergy in sales can occur. I would’ve never played previous DA games, or read the books or the comics, if it weren’t for other fans who introduced me to them and showed me how they are important in understanding the story and Thedas. Without having talked to people, DAI was just a really confusing story with a great ending that I would’ve forgotten eventually.
What happened makes me wonder if I will get as much out of playing Mass Effect Andromeda as I got out of playing Inquisition. Why play if there no one place I can go to talk about characters, the story, and the choices? And the fact that the devs completely disregard how I and many other fans like me play the game, and applaud this decision, because they’d rather be on twitter hurts my feelings. Who are these games for, really?
If this was a result of cost analysis, it was not a good one. Your financial statement might look at bit better at the end of next quarter, but your brand will suffer, and no one accounted for the lost opportunity in the long run from fans who are not getting the same experience anymore."
Not quite correct:
You've misconstrued my response. The mod post deliberately characterized the OP as upset, which wasn't correct.
It was a reactionary and wholly-unfounded response to a civil question. I'm still not sure why someone who comes in off the street and asks a question at the reception desk would be perceived as "potentially alarming" to the employees at the company.
There are issues with the closure, but many are not addressing any of that and are just calling Bioware cowards basically or throwing childish tantrums. I get being disappointed. I have been a full member since 07 when the forums were radically different and a lurker for longer. But that forum died out years ago and it has been gamefaqs for too long. The only reason I started posting again lately wasn't because it was better all the sudden, but because I was bored at a job that has me doing nothing for 8 hours. Before this place devolved in 2012, and I partly took part in that de-evolution, it was fun and lighthearted where criticisms were actually stated rationally instead of the patronizing and hostile ways those criticisms are commonly brandies about now.
Sorry if you don't see how awful this forum had become, but that is pretty much an indisputable fact at this point. Most forums have felt this though lately. I actually can't name one big forum that hasn't been taken over by hostile negativity and trolling.
Instead of espousing concerns about or otherwise flagging those issues, you're just "omg cesspooling". If you don't care overmuch about the forum, what are you doing here anyway really? It almost comes off as gloating.
I don't condone calling BioWare cowards or having childish tantrums, or abuse or harassment or hostility.
The toxicity thing is just so.. broad-strokes, sweeping generalization, taking the actions of a few and applying it to everyone, disregarding BioWare's part in it with their issues with modding, etc. This forum has plenty of members who are nice, polite, friendly. I'm someone who might be described as being the "warmfuzzyTumblry"-type by others on here and I don't think this forum is "toxic". Toxic people are everywhere. They won't go away with the forum's deletion, they'll go elsewhere. There are cesspooly parts of Twitter. There are cesspooly parts of Reddit, Tumblr, YouTube... Just like how some patches/folk on the BSN aren't great either. Yet BioWare recommends these sorts of sites as replacements! A few people are the problem, not the forum. This is an important, helpful community for loads of people, and any forum will have a percentage of trolling/mean behavior. The problem isn't in how I see the forum. You get out of a forum what you put into it.
Sorry if you don't see how awful this forum had become, but that is pretty much an indisputable fact at this point. Most forums have felt this though lately. I actually can't name one big forum that hasn't been taken over by hostile negativity and trolling.
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