We all know things are pretty crazy right now and while I miss the streams, I understand why we can't have them at this time. This being said, the lull of news on the various Twitter accounts and here is concerning. We know the team is working on stuff but the lack of info always worries people and considering that we still have things that need to be addressed, I'd love to see more dev posts about what's going on right now!Are we getting the new character soon? What about the others we know are planned? Any word on fixing the issues some have with Tourist Trap? Any new maps for the other modes? What about ops phase 3 (which we sorely need)? How about balancing and general bug/performance issues?And beyond those, it'd be nice to just be able to interact more with the Dev team! I'd love some insight into ideas they have for the game, why they went with the new angle rather than GW3, and so on. Obviously they can't tell us everything but I'd be great to have a more active line of communication between the devs and the players, especially here on the forums!

@GutmanSca It has been a rough ride for sure. I'm back at work this week as we're essential but also slow, so I have a lot of time to post. It's why I post less when at home than here, ironic perhaps, but even when we're busier a lot of my time is waiting for the CMM to process the current part I'm inspecting (like right now) so I'm at my desk anyway.That being said, I know a lot of our regulars are either posting less, not posting at all, or are still at GW2 (I think Pandero is still there), and I don't blame them. I do enjoy BfN but it's hard to get into it as much as GW2, at least right now. GW2 had a lot of issues too, and I remember some of the big changes in GW1 they had to do (like nerfing Agent Pea), but BfN has a lot more things that aren't even bugs that I wish we got an answer on; why aren't coins useful after a certain point, when are we getting needed optimization to fix stuff like the issues Tourist Trap Island has, and so on, and if we had better communication with the devs, that would go a long way.Maybe they're planning a huge patch like what I hear is going on at Anthem so they are quiet for that and maybe other reasons, but I miss all the dev videos they did for GW2 and the streams and other stuff that were so prevalent when BfN launched, even with the issues, it at least made everything more responsive and alive. All this silence is not reassuring. We know there are big plans for Ops for example, but they just aren't that good right now, so here's one place they could really come out with some good news and talk to us about the long term plans for this mode, that would be a great start.So I play BfN and other games, even with my almost 2500 hours in GW2, I was still playing other games, just not as much as I do now with BfN being the main PvZ shooter. I'm going to keep trying to get BfN improved, but I have plenty of other games to enjoy as well. I love PvZ and especially GW1 and 2 so will continue to support it and try to make BfN reach that untapped potential.

⁸@Iron_Guard8This would be nice, because the only communication we are really getting right now is through patch notes, and the patch notes communicate to me that the devs aren't listening and most importantly, that they don't quite understand their game.Even with my faith in the game dwindling, I still think their is hope, because all the answers are right in front of them, even if the devs aren't using them. If they had kept the core gameplay elements of GW1 and 2 while adding sprinting and their class redesigns, this game would be 10 times better. Instead they refuse to add good balance ideas like damage dropoff that were in the GW games, and have been requested since founders. I still have hope the game can be made better, but the devs need to start communicating more to raise morale and let the community know that they are really listening.

@Iron_Guard8 🙏. This is a problem and it needed to be said. I have been absent for quite sometime but this post strikes true. Silence is not the answer and solves nothing. Even if there is no answer there should still be a reply. Even if the feedback is accepted negatively. Even so there is progression in either communication or resolution. We never demanded resolution but at least recognition. When that’s absent it leads to resentment. You’re a regular champion imo and you truly know the road we’ve been on. Thank you for posting this and hopefully it gets acknowledgement. Bottom line, recognize or inform us. It’s okay to give us news that you don’t think will be received well. We can take it. Can you?

@Iron_Guard8 I've had about 3 weeks out of both forum & game after posting I needed a time-out from my frustration with both & it's made me realise a few things.I've realised I still want the game to succeed & be enjoyable but the fact I haven't missed playing it these past few weeks is a big "tell" to me, given how I still regularly play the GWs, despite max-ranking & obtaining all the cosmetics on several profiles between the two games.I've realised I've been playing for a long time out of love for the franchise & hope that the devs can turn things around still - but we've had months & months of hoping, without even a little communication from the devs to us here in the forum.I know there are things that can't be discussed or promised, but it would take just a minute of someone's time to post an occasional "Sorry, guys, can't go into detail / give you a timeline on x,y,z but wanted to let you know we're aware of it".Even if they did so through gritted teeth while cursing us all for being demanding, it's good PR & I've never understood why they haven't taken the time to engage with us.Communicating with us would give us all some hope that it's worth continuing to play... not doing so is leading to far more people leaving the forum & game than any other issue in my opinion, sadly.I know the Covid situation isn't helping, but it hasn't prevented weekly Twitter updates for PvZ2, so surely an odd message te BFN isn't too much to ask for?? 🤷♀️I've had a brief pop-in today to post on a few subjects & this one is by far the most important - I'm happy to take breaks from the game if things are feeling bad after updates but a continuing lack of communication about the future (in terms of bugs, balance etc) is likely to make me stop trying altogether & give up on the game completely.

@kapkarrotIt does feel that way which is a shame. I have no idea how well it's doing beyond what I see in game, it's not dead on PC, despite what I hear (although NA East is apparently one of the more populated regions), but adding bots does make it seem like they are already acknowledging issues with population. I was hoping to hear something about it with EA Live today, but saw nothing about any of the PvZ games.I do remember that list, and I've never understood why they don't focus on the official forums and instead reference Reddit. Reddit does have some helpful people, but I just don't get why they don't hang around here more where they have more control and a lot of us prefer this environment anyway.For all its flaws, I still like BfN so plan to hang around and play, also still playing some GW2 (although not as much), a little GW1 here and there too. I still want BfN to do well as I don't know if we'd get a GW3 if BfN doesn't go well. I'd hate to have no PvZ shooters to play, but I agree it looks bad right now, that's for sure.

Requesting more communication | EA Forums

59 Replies

GutmanSca
5 years ago
Iron, I really like your posts, I think it shows your dedication trying to do everything for a game, and I really, REALLY like it. But I will say it: don't try that hard, go do anything else, and post less often.
From founders to here, PopCap showed us how they don't care for 90% of people's requests and opinions, some are incredible and it would make the game 100 times better, but....... They don't care.
I am sad to say it: they won't improve communication, they didn't until now, and never will. I can only hope that they will at least, AT LEAST improve the game from what it is right now.
PopCap's situation is actually so bad, I will not get even surprised if they never put drop-off in the game. I am sorry to say it, but it is the reality, I am a fool with you, who thinks that making giant posts and much more, will change something. But in the end, it's always the same, the last Patch proves my point:
No one, not a SINGLE soul, said that Peashooter, Chomper and Citron deserved buffs, we asked for broken zombie nerfs and buffs to low tiers, like Imp. And let's remember: SB's broken upgrade is coming, will they balance it before it comes out? No, just like Steam Blaster.
Thanks for your and other people's kindness trying to help the game in this forum, people who care, appreciate it. But... Just don't try that hard, for your own sake.
Iron_Guard8
Legend
5 years ago
@GutmanSca It has been a rough ride for sure. I'm back at work this week as we're essential but also slow, so I have a lot of time to post. It's why I post less when at home than here, ironic perhaps, but even when we're busier a lot of my time is waiting for the CMM to process the current part I'm inspecting (like right now) so I'm at my desk anyway.

That being said, I know a lot of our regulars are either posting less, not posting at all, or are still at GW2 (I think Pandero is still there), and I don't blame them. I do enjoy BfN but it's hard to get into it as much as GW2, at least right now. GW2 had a lot of issues too, and I remember some of the big changes in GW1 they had to do (like nerfing Agent Pea), but BfN has a lot more things that aren't even bugs that I wish we got an answer on; why aren't coins useful after a certain point, when are we getting needed optimization to fix stuff like the issues Tourist Trap Island has, and so on, and if we had better communication with the devs, that would go a long way.
Maybe they're planning a huge patch like what I hear is going on at Anthem so they are quiet for that and maybe other reasons, but I miss all the dev videos they did for GW2 and the streams and other stuff that were so prevalent when BfN launched, even with the issues, it at least made everything more responsive and alive. All this silence is not reassuring. We know there are big plans for Ops for example, but they just aren't that good right now, so here's one place they could really come out with some good news and talk to us about the long term plans for this mode, that would be a great start.
So I play BfN and other games, even with my almost 2500 hours in GW2, I was still playing other games, just not as much as I do now with BfN being the main PvZ shooter. I'm going to keep trying to get BfN improved, but I have plenty of other games to enjoy as well. I love PvZ and especially GW1 and 2 so will continue to support it and try to make BfN reach that untapped potential.
Pheesley
5 years ago
⁸@Iron_Guard8This would be nice, because the only communication we are really getting right now is through patch notes, and the patch notes communicate to me that the devs aren't listening and most importantly, that they don't quite understand their game.
Even with my faith in the game dwindling, I still think their is hope, because all the answers are right in front of them, even if the devs aren't using them. If they had kept the core gameplay elements of GW1 and 2 while adding sprinting and their class redesigns, this game would be 10 times better. Instead they refuse to add good balance ideas like damage dropoff that were in the GW games, and have been requested since founders. I still have hope the game can be made better, but the devs need to start communicating more to raise morale and let the community know that they are really listening.
Shadowphinx101
5 years ago
@Iron_Guard8 It is really sad tho. The Repairville blows up on PvZ forums, and I've only seen one manage recognise it, and they only XPed it. I mean, the amount of support, would prompt the devs to say anything but nope. I think, rn people still have hope for communication and BFN, but the hope is going. If they don't do something really amazing soon, unfortunately, it will continue to get smaller and smaller. We need some bold stance by PopCap, to excite us rn. Because everything just seems repetitive. Yes, sick new upgrades, but they are now becoming unfair, and they aren't prioritising character that need it. I really still want the devs to at least mention #repairville or at least look at the posts, but there we go.
malfinman
5 years ago
I play since founders and I came here only like a month ago because most of my friends left bfn for similar reasons everyone here is talking about and I was looking for some new ppl to play with. BFN has enormous potential and I still hope things will get better, much better and soon and I hope some of the great ideas and suggestions here from the community will be finally heard and implemented. Thats probably the most frustrating part - most ppl here knows how great BFN can be its right here all of it all the answers are right here but it seems like the devs are not listening and all we want is simply some hey we are aware of the issues and are working on that and that.
dwooten77
5 years ago
@Iron_Guard8 🙏. This is a problem and it needed to be said. I have been absent for quite sometime but this post strikes true. Silence is not the answer and solves nothing. Even if there is no answer there should still be a reply. Even if the feedback is accepted negatively. Even so there is progression in either communication or resolution. We never demanded resolution but at least recognition. When that’s absent it leads to resentment. You’re a regular champion imo and you truly know the road we’ve been on. Thank you for posting this and hopefully it gets acknowledgement.
Bottom line, recognize or inform us. It’s okay to give us news that you don’t think will be received well. We can take it. Can you?
kapkarrot
5 years ago
@Iron_Guard8 (putting on tin foil hat)

I believe that communication is sparse because BfN is performing below expectations and won't be supported as long-term as initially suggested.

Huge caveat: I have no inside information. I don't review sales graphs, I am not involved in board meetings, and my uncle doesn't work for PopCap.

However, I have been around the block a few times and once got mugged in the alley. I am older gamer, and this pattern is eerily familiar. Updates are weak, bugs are unfixed, and communication is nonexistent. That is very indicative of a game that doesn't have any good news to share. I've seen this with games, comic books, and TV shows. Have you heard the phrase no news is good news? Yeah, that's garbage; don't believe that.

Remember when @spIash_damage posted a list of changes and asked for more communication (it was a wonderful thread)? Well, they responded with a shout-out on the live stream to a similar reddit thread (y'know, the place with all the inappropriate humor and drug references) and never acknowledged the hard work used to compile the information on their own official forums.

And now there is even less communication! Yes, there is a pandemic, and I certainly don't expect a livestream. Yet companies are still making it happen. Twitter is still running, these forums are still open, games are being announced, games are being released, and we even had an EA Play conference today.

I think prize maps will continue for a bit, and we likely get another plant character. I don't expect too much after that. BfN as a live service game? Not feeling it.
Iron_Guard8
Legend
5 years ago
@kapkarrotIt does feel that way which is a shame. I have no idea how well it's doing beyond what I see in game, it's not dead on PC, despite what I hear (although NA East is apparently one of the more populated regions), but adding bots does make it seem like they are already acknowledging issues with population. I was hoping to hear something about it with EA Live today, but saw nothing about any of the PvZ games.
I do remember that list, and I've never understood why they don't focus on the official forums and instead reference Reddit. Reddit does have some helpful people, but I just don't get why they don't hang around here more where they have more control and a lot of us prefer this environment anyway.
For all its flaws, I still like BfN so plan to hang around and play, also still playing some GW2 (although not as much), a little GW1 here and there too. I still want BfN to do well as I don't know if we'd get a GW3 if BfN doesn't go well. I'd hate to have no PvZ shooters to play, but I agree it looks bad right now, that's for sure.
Shadowphinx101
5 years ago
@Iron_Guard8Well we now have some more communication.!!
spIash_damage
5 years ago
@Shadowphinx101 wrote:
@Iron_Guard8Well we now have some more communication.!!
I wouldn’t hold my breath. Twitter messages or Reddit posts only exacerbate forum members feeling ostracized.

@kapkarrot wrote:
@Iron_Guard8(putting on tin foil hat)

I believe that communication is sparse because BfN is performing below expectations and won't be supported as long-term as initially suggested.

Remember when @spIash_damageposted a list of changes and asked for more communication (it was a wonderful thread)? Well, they responded with a shout-out on the live stream to a similar reddit thread (y'know, the place with all the inappropriate humor and drug references) and never acknowledged the hard work used to compile the information on their own official forums.
Communication has been sparse since day one. 😢. They truly could care less about the forum...
When I made this post: https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion/5-Community-Ideas-For-Developers-Livestream/m-p/8620081#M11646 the forum was also much different in that monthly XP leaders would have over 1,500 to 2,000 points per month, many vets were still playing, and video content was being added to the boards daily.
Had more typed and forum software deleted original post... 🙁