Grand strategy studio Paradox Interactive has spoken out against the rise in toxic behavior in its fanbase, stating in its latest "Hearts of Iron 4" developer diary that the developers are tired of dealing with the nonsense and that "over the past few months the have been a bit sparse on these forums."

"We are often faced with a discussion culture that is not fun to participate in, where developers are taken for granted for being lazy or incompetent and everything we do is viewed through that lens," wrote content designer Archangel85." Not only is it incredibly demotivating to spend months of your life creating something and watching the people who created it for you rip it to shreds, it's also a discussion where no one gets anything out of it."

Archangel85 is making a practical point, not simply referring to the emotional drain of constant online bickering. He says, "We are not paid to wade through pages of invective to find nuggets of useful feedback.

Fredrik Vester, chairman of Paradox's board of directors, expressed similar sentiments on Twitter a day later in response to complaints about the EU4 expansion Leviathan; user scores on Steam were "overwhelmingly negative" and Paradox Tinto's studio manager Johan Andersson, leading to a personal rebuke.

"We are eager to listen to feedback about our games and are open to all channels for discussion," he tweeted.

"We honestly don't care what you think when it comes to who works for our company. We hire and retain people who are talented, smart, and hopefully have great values."

Due to the nature of Paradox's games, user feedback is invaluable; Archangel85 says that a few weeks ago someone sent him information from an old Turkish book about Turkish railroads in 1936, and at the beginning of Hearts of Iron 4, the Turkish s railroad setting at the beginning of Hearts of Iron 4. The developers are also open to valid criticism and feedback, but "there is no point if we cannot provide it with a minimum of mutual respect."

"If you want to have a forum where developers are willing to answer questions, it is also your responsibility to create a place where we feel welcome and can disagree in a productive and professional manner," said Archangel85. 'It does you no disservice to assume that we are acting in good faith. None of us get up in the morning to go to work to do a bad job."

Thanks, PCGamesN.