EA Holds Reddit AMA to Address Star Wars Battlefront II Outrage, Top Questions and Answers

EA held a massive AMA on Reddit in an attempt to communicate directly with fans about all of the uncertainty and straight-up rage over the in-game economy. Players and media have been throwing a lot of shade EA's way due to the ungodly amount of time it takes to unlock all of the content in Star Wars Battlefront II, with the assumption that the multiplayer has been tailored from the ground up to exploit players and encourage them to spend extra money on loot boxes and microtransactions.

Additionally, many of the in-game purchases are able to give players an edge in online multiplayer, and this has been met with heavy resistance as well. Every time an EA rep answers a question in the AMA it gets down-voted -- a lot -- making the answers almost impossible to find. We've copied the answers to the most important and pressing questions right here for you, and you can find the full AMA link here. We'll post questions from Reddit in bold, followed by the answer given by EA's representative.

Reddit:

1. "Are you aware that it will take a gamer who plays 2 hours per day over 6 years in order to unlock all of the content? Don't you think that is a bit unfair that a large portion of content will be unaccessible for those who have other responsibilities like work, school, in a game they paid for?

2. Will you be looking to lower the number of microtransactions in the future?

3. Do you have any comment on the cool down to earn credits? Will it be lowered or removed in the future? Any concern that this will make the grind even more challenging for players who don't buy microtransactions?"

EA via John Wasilczyk:

"We've seen the speculation about how long it takes players to earn things - but our averages based on the Play First trial are much faster than what's out there. But as more players come in, that could change. We're committed to making progression a fun experience for all of our players. Nothing should feel unattainable and if it does, we'll do what it takes to make sure it's both fun and achievable. As we update and expand Arcade mode, we'll be working towards making sure that players can continue to progress without daily limits."

Reddit:

"As a father with young kids, the two things that I lack are time and money. For all players like myself, with the vertical progression of the star card system how can we progress in game and stay on EVEN footing with those that have hours upon hours to grind daily, and those that are willing to throw down $$$ on loot crates for power increases via star cards and hero unlocks?"

EA via Dennis Brannvall:

"Mainly through matchmaking. We take into account not only your gameplay skills, but also inventory and time played, when we match players together in multiplayer. You should not ever be matchmade together with players who are much better than you are. Ultimately your effectiveness is going to come down to skill, not the Star Cards that you have. If it doesn't feel that way, we'll see it on our side, too. Our data will tell that story and we'll make adjustments. We're looking at results from millions of matches and will be continuously rebalancing items, unlocks, and matchmaking to create a fair, fun experience for all of our players. Beyond that, all Star Cards have maximum values regardless of how they are unlocked."

Reddit:

"What do you plan to do to repair the backlash you've received and are you worried this will have serious impact between you and the consumers?"

EA via Paul Keslin:

"Jumping into this AMA is just one of the ways we want to start to repair the bridge to our players. Lots of people told us that we shouldn't do this this as it wasn't going to go like we hope it would. That said, we are committed to continuing this dialogue even if we need to face some harsh feedback. We welcome the discussions and criticisms, we're not just here for the praise (although it is nice to hear!). And we'll continue to be here, and on our forums, talking to our community as we strive to work with you to make a Star Wars game you enjoy."

There are several more questions and answers on the actual AMA page, and the moderators have done some great work organizing it all to make things easier to find. Check it out here.