What Happened To Miroslav?

[Hassknecht]

They're not supposed to post here, though.

Probably a stupid question, but: Why?

I guess the companies don't want the devs much to talk on third party forums like NMA. Lesser control over the flow of information, at least that would be my guess.

 

[Korin]

They're not supposed to post here, though.

Probably a stupid question, but: Why?

Probably so they don't say something stupid. Or stir up any unnecessary arguments and flame wars due to a lot of the anti-Bethesda sentiment that tends to be prevalent here.

 

[LinkPain]

@Atomkilla
Read that one, awesome post.

They read the forum and still they made Fallout3...what a fail of epic proportions.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

They're not supposed to post here, though.

Probably a stupid question, but: Why?

Probably so they don't say something stupid. Or stir up any unnecessary arguments and flame wars due to a lot of the anti-Bethesda sentiment that tends to be prevalent here.

Is it anti-Bethesda or anti-McRPG? I don't think anyone hates on Bethesda for it's own sake, but for what they produce behind the sturdily built facade of RPG Innovashun.

There's also the issue of the sacred Non-Disclosure Agreement. You can however discuss non-project related things with them at the official boards. They'll be happy to join in discussions about their favorite kind of donut and other such matters of import and interest.

 

[Brother None]

I guess the companies don't want the devs much to talk on third party forums like NMA. Lesser control over the flow of information, at least that would be my guess.

Pretty much this. Bethesda is notoriously paranoid about flow of information anyway, which is why devs aren't allowed to talk about gameplay at all. Only Pete Hines and Todd Howard are allowed to and they only do it in an official capacity.

It was quite different in the olden days. Van Buren had a lot of criticism flung at it both here and over on the Interplay forums by JE Sawyer would happily dive head-first into the discussions. Different times.

 

[Crni Vuk]

yes and from what I remember even then it would happen that the one or other got burned. All in a friendly manner though

It is not like people didn't complained about New Reno not being "correct" for the setting and such.

 

[Korin]

Is it anti-Bethesda or anti-McRPG? I don't think anyone hates on Bethesda for it's own sake, but for what they produce behind the sturdily built facade of RPG Innovashun.

There's also the issue of the sacred Non-Disclosure Agreement. You can however discuss non-project related things with them at the official boards. They'll be happy to join in discussions about their favorite kind of donut and other such matters of import and interest.

True, there is the NDA. That probably falls in the category of "something stupid". You never know what one of your employees could say and whether it will be on a news site the next day. We have something similar in place at the company I work for.

I don't doubt people have reasons for hating Bethesda but NMA is like a hive mind of Bethesda hate. This site generates almost a kind of hatred field. 10 miles wide and 5 miles high. I could see an employee being goaded into posting something that would reflect poorly on the company if they found out some people want to see them cremated and their ashes smeared on their face like warpaint.

If hatred were an energy source I'd plug the city of Boston directly into this forum.

 

[Brother None]

I don't doubt people have reasons for hating Bethesda but NMA is like a hive mind of Bethesda hate.

Bethesda devs did post here before the ban went into place, including Emil Pagliarulo, and were treated with civility and welcomed openly. Your trolling is as thin as it is untrue. NMA is a heavily opinionated site. It is not, however, regimented for opinion, it is not a "hive mind". If it was I'd ban your ass.

 

[Korin]

I don't doubt people have reasons for hating Bethesda but NMA is like a hive mind of Bethesda hate.

Bethesda devs did post here before the ban went into place, including Emil Pagliarulo, and were treated with civility and welcomed openly. Your trolling is as thin as it is untrue. NMA is a heavily opinionated site. It is not, however, regimented for opinion, it is not a "hive mind". If it was I'd ban your ass.

I'm not trolling . I've been on the forum for nearly a year now. Long enough to know the general NMA feeling toward Fallout 3 (and by association, Bethesda) is largely negative (it is practically legendary). Especially in the Fallout 3/New Vegas forum. Perhaps you don't feel that way but you are generally much more even handed. If I read a forum where my work was largely regarded as terrible and an offense to a franchise, I'd probably feel either unwelcome or defensive.

 

[Lexx]

Damnation. Now I had to read through all that old Van Buren stuff again. Wish such discussions and "exploration" would still exist even today, in combinaton with devs who actively post about it and explain their ways.

Really sucks that I haven't been registered back then. Hell, I most likely didn't even had any skills in english anyway (and I don't know if I have any now, hurr durr).

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

True, there is the NDA. That probably falls in the category of "something stupid".

I think there's much more to it than that when you consider that they not only keep a tight grip on information dissemination, but also couple that with bartering exclusive screenshots/content/tidbits in exchange for a big cover story/features that different publications would vie for.

It's shrewd PR to ration it out in exchange for favorable press than to let it out piecemeal, informally with no great fanfare and pomp.

Gives Hines credit, Bethesda PR is tremendous.

Now, if they could just design an RPG half as well as they execute marketing campaigns...

If I read a forum where my work was largely regarded as terrible and an offense to a franchise, I'd probably feel either unwelcome or defensive.

OK, one of these is the root problem, and the other one is a symptom of that. Dealing with the symptom doesn't remedy the root cause. Unless addressing the root cause was never intended, then yeah, why reciprocate feedback of such a manner as you purport. Would not be productive to your goals to engage in an objective that you are not pursuing.

The stayed true to their mission from the start, they did what they do best.

What they do best is in the RPG genre is akin to what Taco Bell does for Mexican food, but alas, this is meant for another thread.

 

[Korin]

I think there's much more to it than that when you consider that they not only keep a tight grip on information dissemination, but also couple that with bartering exclusive screenshots/content/tidbits in exchange for a big cover story/features that different publications would vie for.

I hadn't considered that there's probably a fair amount of money in the exclusives. I was of the line of thinking that releasing inaccurate info that would be taken as the gospel or accurate info that gets changed and/or doesn't make it to release would be problematic. For example if someone mentioned they were working on mounts but then they never showed up in production, etc. Hence "something stupid" that would end up spreading around as a rumour. I suppose most of it comes down to PR control, as you said.

As for posting on forums where opinions can be heated and varied, it's probably easier to just tell everyone to "stay out of them" to avoid possible leaks/complications or no-win situations.

 

[Brother None]

I'm not trolling . I've been on the forum for nearly a year now.

I know that, baby, and we love to have you. But you'd think that after a year you'd learn to drop lazy dismissals.

I hadn't considered that there's probably a fair amount of money in the exclusives.

There is no money in exclusives. It's a tit-for-that, I rub your back you rub my back deal.

I was of the line of thinking that releasing inaccurate info that would be taken as the gospel or accurate info that gets changed and/or doesn't make it to release would be problematic.

It is problematic. But it's a matter of attitude too. Bethesda considers fansites, even fansites on their side, problematic as a whole because they're not under their control. Bethesda runs a very tight ship, regimented PR. It's a choice, they're not the only ones to do it. And they're good at it.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

I was of the line of thinking that releasing inaccurate info that would be taken as the gospel or accurate info that gets changed and/or doesn't make it to release would be problematic.

Strangely enough it's official Bethesda PR that got called out on this kind of thing quite vehemently by Elder Scrolls fans no less during Oblivion pre-release hype blitz (and top guys like Todd Howard and MSFD, not the plebs letting tidbits false or otherwise slip out). I think that learned them come FO3, hence the NDA, fan-site blackout and spoon-feeding to the media. Happy happy, joy joy!

As for posting on forums where opinions can be heated and varied, it's probably easier to just tell everyone to "stay out of them" to avoid possible leaks/complications or no-win situations.

Easier? Sure.
Conducive to developing a great Fallout game in keeping with it's RPG roots? Probably not. But I never got the sense that was their goal anyway. So why not cast such mewlings aside with the rest of the detritus.

 

[EyeMaster7]

They're not supposed to post here, though.

Probably a stupid question, but: Why?

I guess the companies don't want the devs much to talk on third party forums like NMA. Lesser control over the flow of information, at least that would be my guess.

I believe some devs lurk around. I think more interaction with the fanbase would improve the game. at least it would make the history richer if sidequests related to things that pop up in the forums would be added making it more interesting.

 

[SimpleMinded]

If we were going to keep some of the topic on where have people gone... what about John Uskglass? I remember his long rants about politics I guess. Finally saw the book where his name came from and it made me think of him.