Hey Fatshark.
Been sitting on this post for a bit, figuring out how to phrase it, whether it should be posted on reddit or other places as well so more PS4 eyes could get on it, but decided solely here would be the best place, so the thoughts I will be including in this post are more personal, in a way. And please understand writing this post tears me up in a way that makes my heart twist.
I want to disclaimer that I love and support you as a company. Vermintide is a huge staple in my life, and I’ve met so many friends, mentors, and people who have wholly changed not just my gameplay, but also me, as a person. I straddle two platforms, but I started as a “console pleb”, and my roots really speak to me when I see daily posts on the PSN saying they are losing hope in the game. It’s painful to watch people I’ve played with over hundreds of hours be so upset. Many are at a point where optimism is just no longer an option for them.
We, as PS4 players, tend to be a patient bunch, stemming over from a slower update schedule (even in VT1), than our Xbox peers. However, VT2 on PS4 is a slow drip of core playerbase lossage, and getting full lobbies can be tougher. I’d like to break down some possible problems I’ve noticed in my experiences and with talking with others:
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Lack of content and updates. Or much communication at all. As PS4 players, we do, in some way, expect to play a bit of a waiting game. However, even during waiting periods, we are often left in the dark. A dev may post on reddit, but not all of us are on Reddit. Or, they are posted in threads that aren’t really appropriately titled, so the info goes by the wayside. I try flairing things over there where I can, but we really, really need some manner of health check every so often with the PS4 community; whether that’s a bigger, more easily more sifted through platform like here, Twitter, or even posting in the PSN. We’re small enough that once you connect to someone in the regularly playing playerbase, news will spread. It just needs to be appropriately accessible (tall order, I know). I get this is not an easy, or maybe even practical suggestion, but I feel our playerbase can sometimes feel unloved or abandoned, and could benefit from someone from Fatshark checking in on us every so often.
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Lack of events specifically catered towards us. We get PC is where the main chunk of players lie, but the last PS4 stream was during our release. We’d love a chance to play with the devs and strut our stuff! I think most of us would like connecting with Fatshark in general. We have some real hardcore fans who have even raised their kids on Vermintide fan-ism, and are some of your biggest supporters. Beyond that, chances to earn frames we missed out from having a later release, or other goodies could also prove a boon.
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Lack of “End Game” Content. WoM not withstanding, we’ve got some talented players. I understand mod porting is a huge chunk that might not be possible, but right now, there’s no place for many of us to go. We don’t have things like Onslaught to move into. We can’t natively stack Twitch with other things like on PC without working around it, and many people who would otherwise stay and make sure the playerbase stays vibrant and healthy otherwise just leave because a 500 deed grind just isn’t incentive enough to make them stay. These people are hungry, but can otherwise carry pubs, and generally find what PS4 offers them too easy. I’m regularly in teams that absolutely CRUSH Twitch deeds, run Twitch twins when it rolls around, etc. Where do we go next?
Obviously, I am but an outsider looking in. Game development is hard, and no one faults you all that. You all have dev things to do, and a game to develop. But in comparison to our PC peers, it’s almost no-contact for us. Some of us have PC’s so the pain is soothed, but many don’t, and this is the only way people can get their rat-slaying fix.
Fatshark, we love you. We say this because we love you. But please, let us know you love us in return. These periods of silence are painful and are driving away many players who would otherwise stick around—and have stuck around since Vermintide 1. Tell us what’s cooking. Drop in and say hi. Just let us know you’re there instead of radio silence for months at a time.