Do devs read these forums?

[Darkmoor_Dragon]

No one from CA is regularly active in the forums here. If they read them then what is the logic in them not posting?

Simple: It is pretty impossible for any of them to represent CA as an individual (it's not their job to) - but any reply by them WOULD be treated as a reply from CA, not an individual.

SO the safest and best policy is always to read but not comment unless given express permission on a specific subject and having cleared that through the very top levels.

(Unless the company has a specific job position to post on forums, such as a "online community relations manager". Generally you don't see too many of those outside of online games though.)

[Veresov]

Simple: It is pretty impossible for any of them to represent CA as an individual (it's not their job to) - but any reply by them WOULD be treated as a reply from CA, not an individual.

SO the safest and best policy is always to read but not comment unless given express permission on a specific subject and having cleared that through the very top levels.

(Unless the company has a specific job position to post on forums, such as a "online community relations manager". Generally you don't see too many of those outside of online games though.)

What you are saying is that it is unlikely that anyone from CA is actually reading anything on here on a regular basis.

I would think for example that CA would be interested in asking some questions about some of the bugs people are seeing or asking for some more information.

[Darkmoor_Dragon]

What you are saying is that it is unlikely that anyone from CA is actually reading anything on here on a regular basis.

I would think for example that CA would be interested in asking some questions about some of the bugs people are seeing or asking for some more information.

They'll have plenty of folks reading them, certainly: either on work time or off - you just wont see many responding.

They only need to chase down obscure bugs they cannot reproduce themselves, anything that can be reproduced doesn't need commenting on. And often such "research" can be conducted through the forum owner or Mods rather than direct via a thread (such as a request for bug information gathering into a concise thread)

Or sometimes clarification of something that is WAD and isn't a bug but is heavily perceived to be a bug.

Most games companies have pretty strict policies on responding to forums (BBS/Groups etc) though and you can't blame them for either doing that or for the employees to sticking to the rules.

Plenty of instances where folks have lost their job by not following such guidelines: remember that very few employees in a company will be able to act on behalf of the entire company, which is what you are doing by replying to a post as a company employee (or at best what you are *perceived* as doing).

Read, sure, reply, mostly not.