Does anet read forum posts?

I just wonder for devs and staff seem to be more active on reddit than on their own forum

Uh... Gaile posts pretty much daily and if something needs to be looked at urgently she at least relays it so that somebody else takes a look.

Ben is pretty active.

Countless other devs post too. Just take a look at the "Latest Arenanet Posts" from the index page of the forums.

It's different for different members of staff.

Gaile will read and post on the forum because it's part of her job, but because she's not a developer she can't always answer questions without checking with other people and it may not always be worth doing that. For example it's unlikely the topic about adding 2-person mounts will get a developer answer because it would require Gaile to find out who created mounts and ask them and they may need to do some investigation to find out if it's possible and check what's planned for future updates/whether there's other reasons not to have them before replying (because inevitably at least some people will take "it would be technically possible" as "we are planning to do this")...and it may not be worth everyone's time to do all that. Especially because that's just 1 question and if they answer enough it sets up an expectation that they'll answer them all and then the time taken goes up massively.

Other staff might occasionally be asked to comment if Gaile/their manager/whoever decides these things thinks it's worthwhile - for example if a particular balance change is causing a lot of controversy someone from the team that did that update might be asked to post a comment explaining it (and then it will go to wherever it's most relevant, if the discussion is on Reddit a reply on the forum makes no sense).

And other than that my understanding is it's up to them - they aren't required to be on the forum (or anywhere else) and aren't given time to read and reply as part of their job, but if they want to do it in their own time then they can and they can use whatever website or form of communication they like. So staff who like chatting to players and prefer Reddit will post there more often, ones who like the forum more will post here and I imagine the majority like to get home and do something other than work - or defend their colleagues work to randoms on the internet - and don't post at all.

Yes they do

Often times, devs won't respond to a thread because some forum members will then hold them to their posts as gospel and scream, kick and cry when things don't happen that the devs "promised".

I would have loved Gaile to pop on this thread with the following answer:

Yes. 15/chars.

@"Laila Lightness.8742" said:I just wonder for devs and staff seem to be more active on reddit than on their own forum

Recently, they've been more active on the forums. There have been relatively few dev posts on Reddit. Besides that:

• Devs can and will read posts without responding
• Just because they've read a post doesn't mean they agree with its assumptions, its problem statement, or the suggestion.
• Agreeing with any of that doesn't mean that there are resources to implement the idea.
• If there are, sometimes ANet will keep things quiet until they are ready to release.

Three examples:

• There were tons of complains about runes & sigils cluttering inventory. ANet might have commented once, maybe twice before the major overhaul.
• Every year, we have requests for new festival content. This year, we got a couple of new things, including the Lair of the Snowman, which was a specific request in these very forums and is an "easy mode" raid, of the sort that lots of people have asked for.
• Earlier this year, there was a post suggesting "Orchestral style weapons" and this Wintersday, we have that set. (Unknown whether there was a direct or even indirect connection.)

No, forum is only for ppl like us who have too much free time.. they are busy doing programming .. writing and testing codes. :P just kiddingBtw there is a section in the forum where you can track posts which dev replying and response to..https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussions/tagged/arenanet

Also, these forums are "official" whereas Reddit is not.

Watch Guild Chat; you'll find the Devs talking about how they read the forums first thing in the morning as part of their daily schedule, talk about when and where they post, explain many things that come up on the forums (and elsewhere), and a plethora of other topics (such as Joel Helmich explaining how he created Mounts, and why they can and cannot do certain things [such as carry 2 players], etc.).

Good luck.

Edit: typo

@Gaile Gray.6029 said:

@"Strider Pj.2193" said:I would have loved Gaile to pop on this thread with the following answer:

Yes. 15/chars.

• posting (anywhere) is voluntary
• a significant number of devs
  do
  read the official forums daily
• much of what the devs choose to do within the game is influenced by player input
• these are our official forums and are intended to contain the most relevant information for our players (information that normally would not be shared elsewhere first, if at all)
• The "carousel" at the top of the index page shows up to 18 recent posts by ArenaNet staff, and the Dev Tracker, while imperfect, also shows recent posts. Helpful tip: If you're interested in what a dev had to say, click the little arrow next to "ArenaNet" in the red banner to cycle through their posts.
• I read and relay feedback, input, reports, and suggestions from these forums (and, although less frequently, from other media) on a daily basis and try to keep forum members abreast of the results of those conversations

No ‘sorry’s’ necessary! :smile:

We do appreciate the communication, and although there are times we want more, it’s not always needed.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Laila Lightness.8742" said:I just wonder for devs and staff seem to be more active on reddit than on their own forum

• Devs can and will read posts without responding
• Just because they've read a post doesn't mean they agree with its assumptions, its problem statement, or the suggestion.
• Agreeing with any of that doesn't mean that there are resources to implement the idea.
• If there are, sometimes ANet will keep things quiet until they are ready to release.

• There were tons of complains about runes & sigils cluttering inventory. ANet might have commented once, maybe twice before the major overhaul.
• Every year, we have requests for new festival content. This year, we got a couple of new things, including the Lair of the Snowman, which was a specific request in these very forums and is an "easy mode" raid, of the sort that lots of people have asked for.
• Earlier this year, there was a post suggesting "Orchestral style weapons" and this Wintersday, we have that set. (Unknown whether there was a direct or even indirect connection.)

And soon we might get bagpipes.

Bagpipes Anet.

Just throwing it out there again

Bagpipes

(Ill also laugh my arse off if we get the legendary greatsword as three skritt in a trenchcoat!!)

@"Randulf.7614" said:

And soon we might get bagpipes.

Bagpipes Anet.

Just throwing it out there again

BagpipesIf you're serious about that, start a new thread. I think it's unlikely that the artists are going to be inspired by a post buried in the middle of a complaint-by-proxy thread about process.

(Ill also laugh my kitten off if we get the legendary greatsword as three skritt in a trenchcoat!!)This seems more likely based on the precedent of the Lunar New Year racing horse.(I think it would be very popular, too.) Also worth its own thread.

@Gaile Gray.6029 said:

@"Strider Pj.2193" said:I would have loved Gaile to pop on this thread with the following answer:

Yes. 15/chars.

• posting (anywhere) is voluntary
• a significant number of devs
  do
  read the official forums daily
• much of what the devs choose to do within the game is influenced by player input
• these are our official forums and are intended to contain the most relevant information for our players (information that normally would not be shared elsewhere first, if at all)
• The "carousel" at the top of the index page shows up to 18 recent posts by ArenaNet staff, and the Dev Tracker, while imperfect, also shows recent posts. Helpful tip: If you're interested in what a dev had to say, click the little arrow next to "ArenaNet" in the red banner to cycle through their posts.
• I read and relay feedback, input, reports, and suggestions from these forums (and, although less frequently, from other media) on a daily basis and try to keep forum members abreast of the results of those conversations

wait... WUT. did you just quote something that happened in the future? what is this some sort of forum chrono continuum split deal? madness I say!!!

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@Gaile Gray.6029 said:

@"Strider Pj.2193" said:I would have loved Gaile to pop on this thread with the following answer:

Yes. 15/chars.

• posting (anywhere) is voluntary
• a significant number of devs
  do
  read the official forums daily
• much of what the devs choose to do within the game is influenced by player input
• these are our official forums and are intended to contain the most relevant information for our players (information that normally would not be shared elsewhere first, if at all)
• The "carousel" at the top of the index page shows up to 18 recent posts by ArenaNet staff, and the Dev Tracker, while imperfect, also shows recent posts. Helpful tip: If you're interested in what a dev had to say, click the little arrow next to "ArenaNet" in the red banner to cycle through their posts.
• I read and relay feedback, input, reports, and suggestions from these forums (and, although less frequently, from other media) on a daily basis and try to keep forum members abreast of the results of those conversations

Same reaction lol.

'Accepted Answers' always move to the top of the thread.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Randulf.7614" said:(Ill also laugh my kitten off if we get the legendary greatsword as three skritt in a trenchcoat!!)This seems more likely based on the precedent of the Lunar New Year

racing horse

.(I think it would be very popular, too.) Also worth its own thread.

If that happened I'd make a second guardian to wield that sword and the choya hammer.