I am not really a forum poster usually. However I feel compelled to write this. I have zero faith this will be up for very long so for those of you who see this (and I hope BW is one), I hope you can understand. I LOVE Star Wars. I own the movies (VHS, dvd, blueray), comics, books, RPG game, authentic movie props, and supported the OTHER SW game (until that games head honchos went stupid). I was willing, eager even, to overlook some of the more glaring problems in TOR just to be able to play in the genre. Now, I am having a difficult time even convincing myself to log in. This is in no particular order but here is why.
My thoughts for Bioware-
1. Fire the personnel who design the look of armor. It is a wretched combination of Lady Gaga, Homeless person and a 1950s sci-fi TV show. Thousands of out of work artists and you somehow manage to find all of the wacked out ones.
2.Your legacy system started bad by being AFTER folks had picked names with no clear understanding of how it worked BECAUSE NO INFORMATION WAS GIVEN. It continues it’s poorly thought out roll by allowing racial choices after most players had already secured and leveled more than one character. From viewing the “upcoming” perks to the legacy system it will quickly escalate to the laughable stage of “experience bonuses” when most people will have already leveled the majority of their characters for that legacy.
3.You tried to out WoW WoW. Hey I was quite happy to overlook the thin, SW veneer you placed over it. Facts are facts though. You didn’t create a new game. You enhanced an existing one. If you want inspiration I would highly suggest you pick a more like minded game that fanboys clung to for years after the game was decimated. You know what I am talking about.
4.You have advertised that (ALREADY within less than half a year from start date) you will be raising the level cap. Seriously who is your business advisor? Ditch the out of touch suit. Why would any gamer, who knows their gear will be obsolete when the level cap is raised, waste their time to get the max level gear for the current level. Why even raise the level cap? You literally can create a whole galaxy of possibilities for ppl to explore and interact with. Instead you are going the route of another game – the gamers are restless! Make them level!
5.Transfers. How about instead of upsetting the ppl who logged on the first microsecond they could to reserve a name that MEANS something to them, you create cross server pvp, and group finder? I won’t even go into the original mistake that led to this. It was supposed to be a perk of getting early access so you could get the name you wanted. You chose my server. You are choosing my next server. You screwed up. Instead of making it right you have made it worse. Even if by some miracle I am able to get all of my first names, there is no guarantee I will get my legacy name. Adding an extra letter or character to the name is not a fix. Nor should I be required to use this “fix” to make up BW’s lack of planning. Even if BW cannot come up with a better solution, at least come up an additional perk to take the place of the one you took. The transfer being “free” is not a perk. That is like someone holding a gun to your head and “letting” them have your money. If you want to consider that a perk then at least give us a variety of servers with which to choose from.
6.PRIORITIES. Forget the silly fluff stuff (oh yay, I can now dance on my bike) and fix immersion smashing/game stoppers first (but I still can’t complete my mission).
7.Recognize the genre you are dealing with. I would hazard a guess that most of the ppl playing are not children. Fanboys/girls are not boys or girls. They are adult gamers. Adults, who to varying degrees, just want to shoot a blaster or hear that magical sound of a lightsaber. The small thrill they get from these things can be quickly outweighed by poor game management and unwillingness on your part to treat them decently (or even as the ppl paying for subs that support the suit and the wacked out armor designers).
8.EVERY Star Wars movie started in space. Yet the space aspect of TOR is sad. You did an on-rails flying duck hunt. S T A R Wars. You know, as in, among the stars. Space? That distance between celestial bodies? How about some space pvp? Or a ship that I actually control?
9.Light/Dark side. Make these choices count. Right now, whether I decide to kill or help a load of orphans riding baby banthas on their way to give their kidneys to wounded nuns who are war veterans, I will still be the hero of Coruscant. These choices should be more than skin changes and minor companion storylines. Actually, this is more of a Meh subject for me. Since I am listing things though I will throw it in.
I love Star Wars. I can’t express how hard I tried to make this game work for me. For those of you who will still play, I wish you only the very best. For Bioware, it is my sincerest wish, that you give it to them.
