Marandahir
Crown-Forester (he/him)
Remember also that "I don't like it, so it must not be good design" may also be at play here.
The playtest is not a democracy, it never was a democracy, so of course playtesting is not seeking a popular vote to determine what they're going to do with the game. But they are going to use audience reactions to impact which directions they go. So while -I- may like something, or not like something, if I'm not likely going to be the target audience for this feature, or the broadest target audience of the game means it should go a different way, then my likes are not so important, no matter how much I shout them out or convince other people to voice content or discontent about the feature design in the feedback surveys. WotC still can overrule us, of course they can; the playtests are ONE piece of the evidence for why they want to publish what they want. We're a sample size of their actual audience, and if the hardcore responders to the surveys are largely grognards like a bunch of us are, then they may need to take those demographics into account when taking our opinions into account.
The playtest is not a democracy, it never was a democracy, so of course playtesting is not seeking a popular vote to determine what they're going to do with the game. But they are going to use audience reactions to impact which directions they go. So while -I- may like something, or not like something, if I'm not likely going to be the target audience for this feature, or the broadest target audience of the game means it should go a different way, then my likes are not so important, no matter how much I shout them out or convince other people to voice content or discontent about the feature design in the feedback surveys. WotC still can overrule us, of course they can; the playtests are ONE piece of the evidence for why they want to publish what they want. We're a sample size of their actual audience, and if the hardcore responders to the surveys are largely grognards like a bunch of us are, then they may need to take those demographics into account when taking our opinions into account.