Why the reported NDA then?
The NDA allows us to talk more openly than we otherwise would be able to. Things like uncertain timeframes, content that isn't confirmed, issues that haven't been confirmed, and long-term plans that don't have a timeframe at all. We're cautious when sharing information publicly because it's very important to us that we set realistic expectations that we can fulfill. We disappointed you with the release of the game and we want to avoid that going forward as much as we can. We always try to minimize how restrictive NDAs are but they are sometimes necessary for us to share information and have discussions like this, which we have found to be really useful through the years.
In 2019 Colossal Order hosted a somewhat similar event where modders, map makers, and asset creators were invited and told about Cities: Skylines II. Back then I was an asset creator and lucky enough to join. We were told a lot of things that didn't become public information for years but it allowed for open conversations about the game and what the modding community needs. It might also have served as a "thank you for all you have done for the game" - at least it felt like that to many of us. I think we were about 20 people back then from all over the globe.
For the event this month, I think we had about 60 people with a good mix of YouTubers/streamers, modders, asset creators, and map makers. They won't represent our entire community - you have to be passionate about the game to pull a few days out of your calendar for a trip like this, so at the very least our more casual players wouldn't be represented. This is something we keep in mind, it's part of why we source feedback from so many places. Different playstyles will want and care about different things, and we try to give everyone some love.
As community manager, it's my job to try and understand and consider all the different types of players we have, so the dev team has the full picture. If there are issues you feel are important that you worry might not have come up (during this event or in general), then this forum is a great place to share that. Actually, I'd rather you share things that have already come up than we miss it.
Some people have suggested in the past that CO select some "normal/average" players as beta participants. I am not sure how much of a difference it would make in the end, but it would make some people feel they are listened to. I think the problem is that some perceive that the relationship between Youtuber/content creators (some get hired/paid by CO for various reasons) is not as free of conflict and that they may not express sufficiently critical opinions.
YouTubers/streamers mostly work with Paradox not directly with us, but I do believe that they, like us, will not stop working with someone because they share honest but critical opinions. What matters to us is that it's constructive, because that's something we can act on. While positive feedback is of course nice (it's always great to hear how players are enjoying our game) constructive criticism is what helps us make the game better. Having people join this event just to tell us we're doing great wouldn't have been as useful as people telling us what frustrates them or what would make them enjoy the game more.
While I of course can't speak for the content creators, I think we have the same goals. The more people who enjoy the game, the longer we get to work on it, and the more people will want to watch content about the game. We also always try to encourage them to share how they feel, so I hope they know they can be honest with us.
Have a suspicious that she might be the forum chatbot ...
Shhh! Don't give them any ideas, I really like this job and don't want to be replaced by an AI bot.
On a more serious note, I do end up repeating myself and I have ended up with a few "scripts" for certain replies because they just come up so often. I hate that part but I think it's probably better that I get around to answering more people, even if some answers are a bit "samey" than spending time finding new ways to say the same thing (I'm not THAT creative), and answering fewer people. I'm not sure if a chatbot would actually be possible on here as the forum is handled by Paradox, but it could perhaps be useful in some cases.
