Class Masters.

Zsymon

I got this idea from another game I used to play.

Basically you appoint one very experienced player, based on polls/elections or some other way, for each of the four classes. That class master then gathers the information he or she needs to compile a list of bugs, underpowered skills, overpowered skills and needed improvements and suggestions, and supplies this list to ZOS, who use that list to bugfix and to decide what changes that particular class needs. ZOS has the final say but they'll be able to make better decisions based on this list.

ZOS can create a forum subsection for each class, which the Class Master then uses to gather the information he or she needs to make their report. ZOS can give the Class Master some form of contact with their developers, who then on his or her turn can bring that information to the general player population. This might put an end to the bad changes a whining vocal minority keeps managing to push through, because ZOS wouldn't be dependent on who ever whines hardest on the forum anymore to make their decisions, and will be able to make informed decisions based on experienced player insight.

It worked in other games, it'll work here too, what do you think?

Zsymon

I forgot to mention, it is also a good way to improve the severely lacking connection between ZOS and the playerbase. There is no direct connection this way where ZOS developers have to post on the forums, but they can go through the Class Masters and depend on them to talk to the player base on a regular basis.

TBois

Zos has meetings with guilds in each faction for this purpose. How quickly the information gained through these meetings is handed to the content creators and addressed is what we don't know. And as someone who has been in these meetings, it doesn't seem to be very quickly

Tolmos

Some games have "community managers" or whatever, appointed by or even employed by the company that runs the game, whose entire purpose is to do this. It's useful to have them as an employee because it guarantees that they will continue to do their job.