You've got questions. We've got answers and love hearing from our fans. That's why, every so often, we reach into the Gearbox Mailbag and have the Gearbox Software crew--the world's foremost experts on all things Gearbox Software--respond to a few questions right here on Gearboxity.

In today's edition of the Gearbox Mailbag, your questions about Borderlands 2, the principles that drive Gearbox Software and more!

With the introduction of the Gunzerker in Borderlands 2, are you evolving the other classes as well? Retiring some and bringing in new ones? - Kris M.

From day one on this project we knew that the classes were a part of the game that we wanted to really make shine. We’re very proud of all four of the classes in the first game, but we also learned a lot from making them. What we learned made us want to bring back some old, create some new, but generally level up the whole idea of classes for the four new characters in Borderlands 2.

Salvador (the Gunzerker) is an evolution of Brick (the Berserker) from the first game. Both characters are unhinged enough to believe the best approach to a dire combat situation is always to “Charge,” but are tough enough to actually make it work. Brick used his fists to put that philosophy into practice while Salvador uses 2 big guns. Anyone who liked playing Brick will be very much at home with Salvador.

Maya (the Siren) is a great example of a class where we are combining some favorite and some new. Whereas Lilith’s approach to combat combined speed and deception, Maya focuses on control and her gameplay is a completely different experience. I don't want to spoil too much, but you'll see what I'm talking about once we start to reveal more about Maya and the other classes. - Jonathan Hemingway, Game Designer

Does Gearbox ever game with the players? Any special events? - Allen

You bet! We love to hop online and game with our fans, especially when we've just released a new game or add-on. Not only does this allow us to answer questions and gather feedback, it also provides a great reason for us to play more video games.

These events are usually promoted here on Gearboxity as well as our Twitter and Facebook with as much advance notice as possible so keep an eye on those pages for future dates and details. - Chris Faylor, Community Manager

I am passionate not only about video games, but the industry and driving forces behind what makes them great. I don’t often get to ask developers questions. What is the mission of Gearbox and what about Gearbox do you feel makes the games you have created special? - Jeff L.

Our purpose is to entertain the world. There are many noble things that people can dedicate their ingenuity and time towards. I respect all contributors to society. We’ve prioritized entertainment because it is the positive experiences we have while alive that make life worth living. It is joy and the pursuit of happiness which both drive and reward us. There are many forms of entertainment that are all awesome and valuable, of course, but we feel that interactivity is a super exciting medium for entertainment because it is new and has lots of undiscovered territory and because its nature is more engaging and involving for the audience.

Our metrics for success towards our purpose are in the answers to questions like “How many people can we reach?” and “To what extent can we gratify and bring joy to the people we reach with our entertainment?”

Within our studio, the culture that is centered towards our purpose as examined by our metrics is guided by three principles:

1. Happiness and Harmony: We should endeavor to enjoy each other and the process – we should be invested in the happiness of our team mates.
2. Creativity and Entertainment: Our talent and time should be directed towards creating joy for our customers and audiences.
3. Money and Profit: We should be careful and mature enough to make sure that we spend as much or less than what we can reasonably expect to make else we’ll lose our ability to pursue our purpose. - Randy Pitchford, Gearbox Software CEO and President

Have a question for the Gearbox Mailbag? Shoot it on over to mailbag@gearboxsoftware.com! On top of answers, you'll also get a Gearbox Prize Pack if we use your question--official rules permitting, of course.