A Q/A session would also help to build hype. Much less impact than a PfH and Patch, but also much less effort on Larian's side.
Yeah, let's be realistic, Larian stands to lose a lot more in this point in time from clearly answering things, rather than keeping things close to their chest until it's done (or not done). Especially as so many things change later in development and certain realities start to sink in.
Plus there's a lot of plausible deniability in all this. Let's say BA Shove was something that was always planned to just be BA for the EA testing period only, and they have always planned to revert it to a standard action once the full game is out and level 5+ is a thing. They get to reap bonus points from the community thinking that they changed it due to feedback. Not saying this is what is happening, but plausible deniability is a form of PR.
Eh. That all might have been more true 1 or 2 years ago, when they knew less about the final game state and thus any statement about their plans had a big chance of being incorrect. But at this point, Larian should know what big mechanics are going to be in/out of the game, and personally, I'd prefer that Larian tells us in advance that "X mechanic will be changed for full release" rather than them just changing it at full release. Even saying "we're working on it due to the large amount of feedback about it, but no promises" would be better than silence imo. And at this point in development, even if they always planned on changing shove, they can already lie and say "Due to feedback over the past 2 years, we're changing it."
That said, I do recognize the hostility and nastiness of Outraged Gamers™, so any Q&A should make sure to anonymize which developer is responding, at the very least.
I agree that we are not entitled to anything. We bought an EA game of our own free will and nobody ever promised us direct responses to our feedback.
At the same time, I think is a really poor marketing strategy for Larian to completely ignore those people who have spent premium money to buy an unfinished game just to help them make the best possible product. [...]
I, for example, am pretty sure am never going to buy another EA game from them. Not because I dislike them or the game (I love both, even with their faults), but if I feel like my energies and words are falling on deaf ears, then I really don't want to spend any more time and money on an unfinished game.
I know my not buying another EA game from them is not going to make them shiver in fear of bankruptcy (not that I want that from them in the first place) but for them is a source of data less in the development of their next game.
And, again, for "falling on deaf ears" I don't mean they have to fulfil my every wish, just to let me (us) know that they have acknowledged the feedback and what is their standpoint on the aspect of the game they discuss.
Well said! This basically captures my feelings on the matter.
