I don't really care about review panels or official correspondence through the media. That is all too controlled and non-interactive. I would much rather have informal direct participation with the development team right here on the forums. Heck, even crusty John Winski (BioWare luminary who hated forums) would at least sometimes engage in a conversation thread back in the BG II development days. I know how frustrating things can sometimes be on the forums, but overall I think participation with the developers generates a certain personal bond with the players which in turn engenders loyalty to the franchise. And once in a while good ideas get transferred into the game ... no one can deny that fan input had a profound effect on the BG series. It would be so easy for a Larian writer to start a new topic on something like, "What things did you like and not like about the cleric stronghold quest in BG II?" I bet you'd see over 100 replies on that one, maybe more.
