Community Relations Archive

Devs

In the past few months (perhaps even since launch), you have as a team took a major bashing from the community from all corners. Many people have criticised the team as a whole for lack of communication. Though many of players understand the need to keep certain things under wraps i.e. new quests and content, there always remains the question of what is going to happen to "xxxxxxx profession" especially if something is anticipated (i.e. smuggler revamp).

I feel especially when somehting is due to be changed to a profession, it is important to keep dialogue going, ask for ideas like you have been doing in the past but provide a bit more dialogue and feedback from the development team on the ideas proposed by the community. I know a lot of this is done through fan fests but not everyone goes to them and for these people there is often a void. Yes people will always post things up relating to information past at the fan fests but there are sometimes information, very small bits of information which is overlooked. The reason I ask this is, so that the community as a whole can understand where you plan on going, cause more often than not the team gives the impression it is a headless chicken or a runaway train with no driver. This will always cause some unease amongst player as no one likes uncertainity. I wouldn't worry about providing information which may change and that it'll dissappoint players, as long as the disclaimers are clear about things changing, this will go a long way to building some much needed trust between the player community and the development team.

I don't want to criticise the team as in my view they have done a good job but have made some really funny and controversaldecisions. i.e. the crafting revamp a long while ago, decision to constantly mothball the TC and the constant rush to push out incomplete publishes. Whatever the reasons for these some were explained, but not really in a great detail so many of us are left speculating what is going on behind the scenes and this isn't good for building trust between both parties.

In the past few days I've seen much more dialogue from the development team, perhaps with the CU out of the way they have more time to focus on feedback. Never-the-less this is a very good sign. I know you will continue to face some uncomfortable questions from the community but keep up the feedback and communicationthat the community has seen in the past few days. In time a substantial element of trust will build between the community and development team as well as the rest of the soe staff.

If you don't believe me that this will happen, look at the relationship between the QAs and Test Center players. We want to achieve this with the Devs and All players/SWG community. In time we would be helping each other rather than fighting/argueingamongst each other.

Regarding the test center, I'd just like to say on behalf of the TC community that having both TCs up, many of us (and perhaps the crafting community)appreciate what you had done and that you did at least attempt to (and sucessfully)run both TC servers.

Last but not least, good work, and keep it up.

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Kwong-Wah Wong

"That re-vamp was our last hope"
"No, there's another"