[The Importance of Player Feedback with the New Free-to-Play Option]

If there will be a vast increase in the number of characters that can be created per account I can see characters being created just to camp out names. This will make creating names for characters rather difficult.

 

Wait... you mean it's not already? LOL what names are you picking that aren't already camped out?

[So, How Many Names Did You Lose?]

Lost only 1... unfortunately it was my main... but thanks to ALT-Key codes I was able to keep the name with a special character

[Free Character Transfers Now Available On Select Servers]

Mine runs out on the 18th

This is my official FIRST post where I am stating that I am considering unsubbing.

 

I already did... My sub expires on the 18th. That said, I didn't unsub because of transfers. I unsubbed weeks ago... server population wasn't even in my top 5 of the reasons I left.

[Confirmed: SWTOR to have micro-transactions/in-game purchases]

In all honesty having a 15 level 'trial' period for players to give the game a try will make a LOT more people I personally know interested in giving it a shot. Nobody I know was willing to fork over $60 + $30(subscription for 1 month) just to play the game and see if they liked it after the first couple months of release. The "Free for 15 levels" model is a great idea and one I think is long overdue.

 

As to Microtransactions as long as it's mostly cosmetic stuff or things that don't really affect gameplay (speeders/etc) I'm fine with that. If some schlep wants to fork out an extra $10 to get a speeder he could earn in game anyway or change his hair color or get some cosmetic gear? That's fine by me. I think folks need to take a bit of a 'wait and see' approach to reacting to microtransactions until we see what EA is actually doing with them. A DEV post on the subject would go a long way to alleviate people's anxiety though.

 

Having played several of the f2p offerings out there (Currently playing LOTRO since I'm allowing SWTOR to lapse as I'm taking a break from it for a while) I have to say that most of them aren't really bad.

[Every name taken!!]

It would help if you listed what your old name was Or you can just use ALT codes to generate control characters.

 

Here's a site that lists them: http://www.irongeek.com/alt-numpad-ascii-key-combos-and-chart.html

 

To generate them on your character name hold down the ALT key while pressing the number associated with the control character on your number pad on your keyboard. (Make sure NUMLOCK is on)

 

Enjoy

[A new level cap just might be the gamebreaker for me]

Just as an FYI: I've been playing MMO's since they were called MUDS. Anytime you raise the level cap a lot of the 'retired' players who already hit level cap and got bored come back. This means the top end gameplay picks up for several weeks while players enjoy the new content and re-max their characters. So your entire theory/concern is flawed. Raising the level cap won't hurt the game at all. Though it's a shame they're going this route rather than enhancing the PVP aspect of end-game and adding things like conquerable planets, etc.. If they did that end-game would be quite cool. Allowing repub vs. empire territorial control on some "PVP" worlds with multiple capture points, etc, would be very cool. (See RVR in DAOC)

 

I've been playing this game without getting involved in the doomsaying or complaints for a long time now even while I watche activity on the server slowly melt away. But I got to say the anouncment of a raised level cap absolutely stunned me. Unless I'm missing something here it seems the worst possible move. Right now the servers suffer from players waiting till things get fixed. In my experience the anouncement of raised level caps usualy slowed down current raiding to a crawl since everyone knows their equip will be outdated within two levels anyway.

In my case my current motivation was working on all my crafting profesions, reverse engineering so I could outfit all my companions with purple gear (this is already inferior to just raiding and using leftover Columni but I just PVP..) but what's the point now? It's a ton of work to reverse engineer just the right purples and now I know they won't be good for long. I'm not even sure it is worth grinding PVP for War Hero gear now as I asume there will be new sets at the new cap.

I will say that I'm looking forward to more story but essentialy these news tell me "sit back, wait for the expansion to hit."

This is always the case with such anouncement but in a game already lacking player activity this just doesn't feel like a good idea.

[ToR is a success, dont feed no trolls.]

I suspect that if BioWare/EA were honest we'd find out that the number of currently active (paying) subs has dipped below 1 million at this point (Mine is cancelled even though my time hasn't run out as are a LOT of other players I know). I suspect if they were really honest and reported the number of unique logons we'd find that that is somewhere south of 700,000 at this point.

 

Is the game 'doomed'? No... but server transfers/merges/whatever need to happen very soon or the downward spiral will continue. I'm not re-rolling again. I re-rolled twice to try to stay on populated servers so that I could enjoy the fact that this is an MMO not a single player game and I'm not going to re-roll again which is why I cancelled. On my exit interview/survey the lack of players on my server was my number 1 choice any time I had the option to choose it.

 

I agree that there's a lot of folks who over state problems but trying to slap rose-colored glasses on and say 'everything is fine' is also stupid. The game has a single, major, issue: Low server populations. this makes every other flaw in the game (lack of LFG tool... poor end game content... etc) BIGGER because there's just nobody around to play with. On the few servers with solid populations (because everyone is re-rolling to them) this isn't as big a deal but on the servers that have become empty parking lots? It's huge.

[When will there be a SERVER MERGE?]

eve online) because they know when they **** up and can actually admit to it unlike these clowns ...)

 

Um... you are talking about the same EVE Online that I play where the devs never admit to a problem unless a 3rd party website outs them? I mean, c'mon now... What makes EVE so much better is they have the king of all end-game content: Conquest oriented PVP. But as far as admitting when they make a mistake? I'm trying to remember the last time that happened without a major customer explosion to drive it.

 

They also don't have the usual 'server population' issue that other games do because it's a single-shard game where everyone plays on the same 'server' (yes, I know it's not a single server but it is a single shared 'shard').

[When will there be a SERVER MERGE?]

I guess BioWare won't do server merges, because they are afraid of the bad reputation that has (almost every videogame website will then write the game is dying).

 

That ship sailed over a month ago. Every gaming website is already writing that TOR is dying.

[Will You Trust Bioware Again?]

I would trust them again but I will likely give any MMO they release a long wait before I buy next time. SW:TOR is at the 6 month point and is showing signs that, like many other MMO's before it, it won't really be a 'complete' game for about a year after launch. It's ironic that so many MMO's launch missing key features that they know people will ask for then the developers act surprised that they get backlash. It's not rocket science.

 

TOR is a decent game. Unfortunately it launched without several key features and then took far too long (closing on 6 months now) to implement them after launch. I wound up stopping playing around a month ago and still have 23 days play time left today. It's sad, honestly, because I really was hoping TOR would be my end game but I wound up going back to Lord of the Rings Online because so many key features are still missing in this game.

 

So far it looks like in another 6 months or so SW:TOR will actually be a somewhat finished MMO with the key features it should have had at launch. I'll probably take another look at it then.

[The end of the arguement. Is SWTOR in decline? Can it be saved?]

And everyone already knows transfers will just make things worse.

 

Depends how they do it to be honest.

[If 1.3 Isn't Out by May - Will You Unsub?]

I know a lot of people (myself included) have felt like patch 1.2 was essentially fluff and features that should have been available at launch.

 

As such, my guild agreed last night that we're quitting unless we get new content in May. Particularly with Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2 on the horizon. Now granted - James Ohlen himself has promised there will be monthly updates:

 

 

I suppose we'll have to wait and see. I'm certainty not holding my breath. Swtor currently feels very dull and static. For a Raiding Guild - we collectively were not impressed by EC. Though it's a step in the right direction from the abomination that was Tier 1.

 

Anyone else feeling the same regarding 1.3?

 

What server are you on? I will start a character there ASAP and you can give me all your stuff before you leave.

[May the 4th - Speculation Thread]

NGE

 

Need i say anymore

 

Dat shiz aint funny!

[Top 5 MMO's BioWare should model SWTOR endgame after?]

 

Not really no. You are ignoring sub numbers from other games that topped a million. DAoC was not the top of the market back then competing against games of that day.

 

Seems you have some selective memory. Not blaming you, often happens with people remembering their first or favorite MMO.

 

Actually it's you who have the selective memory. The only games that had 'toped a million' were 1 or 2 games in the far east which didn't use the same (or even similar) subscription system at all and really couldn't be compared properly since it was like comparing apples to pork chops... The only games, at the time, that had more players than DAOC were EQ1 (and it eventually dropped below DAOC) and Lineage II. Lineage II had about 700,000 subs at DAOC's peak of 350,000. At peak DAOC had more subs than any game except Lineage II because both EQ1 and UO had dipped below it and none of the modern MMO's ahd released yet.

 

For it's time DAOC was a huge success and had huge numbers.

[Top 5 MMO's BioWare should model SWTOR endgame after?]

Is that why they never broke 300,000 with that game?

 

Sometimes I wonder if all those fondly remembering DAoC only do so fondly because it was their first MMO?

 

Seriously... you need to remember the times... 300,000 back then was HUGE. Only EverQuest 1 and Lineage II were bigger at the time. From 1997 through 2004 or 2005 (when did WOW release?) 500,000 was the highest number any subscription based MMO ever got. WOW broke that, finally, when it released. Even Star Wars Galaxies didn't break the 400,000 subscriber mark and it was based on the most popular IP for sci-fi out there.

[The end of the arguement. Is SWTOR in decline? Can it be saved?]

I don't think anyone is saying its all doom and gloom but before TORs release people morons were shouting 'woot woot woot TOR its going to be the WOW killer!'

 

remove the red word

 

Fixed that for you. Anyone with half a brain knows that no MMO is a <insert MMO Name here> killer. Every MMO has it's loyal fanbase and no other MMO will 'kill' it unless that loyal fanbase is too low to maintain profit margins set by the owning company. the only "MMO killer" is whatever company runs the MMO. EVE Online ran for years with less than 50,000 subscribers, it's now one of the larger MMO's out there with over 200,000 subscribers. Is it dead? absolutely not... is it a 1mil+ subscriber base? Absolutely not... is it a stable, healthy, game? Yep...

 

Saying any game is going to kill another is... wait for it.... STUPID

 

Those of us who played in Beta knew SWTOR would be a fun and solid game, for those who like this game style. for those looking for another DAOC or WOW or EVE or UO or even SWG it's probably not what they want. For anyone expecting a game that released less than 4 months ago to be as content-rich and polished as games that have been out 5+ years it's probably a dissapointment. For the rest of us, who live in reality, it's a solid game.

 

My only complaint with sWTOR is that there are too many empty servers. BioWare and EA need to come up with a method for current subscribers to move to more densely populated servers *now* (and they need to somewhat control the moves by specifying a list of target servers players can move to, not open transfers). This will allow current players to enjoy the game they love with more players and not be on ghost-servers.

[Bioware, why are you forcing me into content I already did or content I don't enjoy?]

There is no upper level fun....

Actually there's quite a bit but you sort of have to play with other people to get it (a problem on low pop servers, I know)

 

there is no exploration

Um... everything is exploration your first time through... a lot even on your second, third and fourth... or did you google for all the datacrons, hidden areas, codex entries and lore items?

 

there is no random rare item finds

Um... so wrong it's not even humorous... obviously you haven't played enough.

 

there is no crafting community

Very true... i'm actually kind of stunned at how poor the trade/crafting community is in this game. The crafting system is actually fairly enjoyable too...

 

the credit sink is too large for non daily runners.

patently false. I don't do "Daily" quests at all except for heroics, and them only 1ce... I have no problem at all with credit flow. Anyone having credit sink issues is spending far more money than they need to.

 

the pvp system is sooooo boring.

I actually enjoy it... I am hopeful that more and more open world pvp and eventually world conquest PVP is coming but what we have so far really isn't bad.

 

I am going to Diablo 3 until that bores me too.

 

then I'm going to Guild Wars 2 until that bores me also.

 

So, come May 14th... this MMO ends for me.

 

Have fun! Let us know how long they keep your attention.

[Should have given 30 days to everyone subbed since release]

My two cents on the topic from another thread. Bioware shouldn't have given this just to 50s. They should have given it to all people who have been playing since launch. Regardless of who is 50 and who isn't.

 

Having said that I'm inclined to say if you've been playing for 4 months and you don't have a 50 then you clearly have no interest in content at 50. I personally believe they chose the people with 50s because they know that this is the area that this game is going to grow the most (also you know, ranked warzones). The person at 50 contributes more to the community and to the game than the person who isn't 50. The person who isn't 50 isn't a bad person and they should be rewarded for loyalty, but that's just my personal opinion on why they aren't being rewarded. The 50 pushes the game to evolve, the non-50 doesn't.

 

 

My response:

I reached 50 during beta. I already knew there wasn't much end-game content so I conciously chose to delay hitting 50 until BioWare had time to patch that content in. In the meantime I've enjoyed playing the classes I didn't try during beta and finding out which race/class combinations I enjoyed most and have happy levelled those to 30+ while waiting for more end-game content to be put into the game rather than racing to 50 for a sparse end-game.

 

These are the same reasons I didn't rush to 50 in EQ1 when it released... i'd already gotten 40+ during the beta and knew it's end-game would be sparse for the first few months of release.

 

It's the same reason I have never rushed to 'end game' PVE content in any MMO I have played. There's no point. Every single MMO ever released has had a lack of end-game content at release... it's always taken around 6 months for a decent amount of end-game content to get added to the game after release so there's never been a reason to rush there unless it's purely for PVP. I don't play SWTOR for PVP, for the most part, because I find arena PVP pretty boring and ILUM, which is a good start, isn't very well done for RVR style PVP yet (which is what I really enjoy).

 

So... should I have bored myself by pushing to 50 already knowing that there would be a lack of content or should I have *gasp* enjoyed the game by playing various classes/races I hadn't tried yet to various levels to find the ones I enjoyed most so that once level 50 content was there I'd be sure to be enjoying it as a class/race that I really enjoyed playing?

 

No offense but stating that anyone who hasn't reached 50 is just lazy is stupid.

 

 

Having said all that I honestly don't care about the 30 days. I totally get EXACTLY why they're giving it to the 50's and it makes perfect sense. But the way they worded the 'rewards' is basically a slap in the face to all other players. That's the problem. Not the gift... the wording.

[Should have given 30 days to everyone subbed since release]

Show me where do they state in that full quote that non 50`s are NOT valued or loyal, THEN we talk. Until then, you sir, owe me an explanation.

 

It's an issue of 'perception'. When you say one class of customer is 'our most valued customers' that automatically implies that anyone else is less valued.

 

It's just bad form to word the reward that way when they had to know it would rub anyone who didn't have a 50 but had been playing since release (or before) the wrong way.

[Win a Life-Sized Figure of Darth Malgus]

Sell it on ebay and hire more game testers.

 

This, tbh... *** do I need a life sized doll of a video game character for?

 

Edit: Really? W. T. F. is filtered?

[Before screaming at Bioware, stop and think a minute]

Uh. And then there is the real world ...

 

ROFLMAO

 

You owe me a keyboard

[Should have given 30 days to everyone subbed since release]

Now im curious, what on earth do you do in customer service to net a 6 figure income?

 

I don't work customer service any longer... that's a while back in my past but I still work with them. My job now is in network engineering but I still deal with the customer service team on a daily basis.

[FINALLY BioWare Giving 1-DAY COMPENSATION!!!!!!]

Only company I know of that has ever givin game time for extended maintenance. I'm very suprised.

 

Thank you Bio.

 

 

SOE gave free game time to every single subscriber about a month after release as a compensation for allt he downtime they had due to server and patch issues at release.

 

Pretty sure Blizzard did it after one of their fiasco's as well.

 

CCP has done it too

 

And Mythic did it once for a goof up during a patch of DAOC

 

That's just off the top of my head.

[Should have given 30 days to everyone subbed since release]

thats the problem dude

we still havent had the "we are sorry" post, its been like 10 hours and still nothing. Mr Rockjaw has said there talking about it.

 

whats to talk about?

 

you screwed up, either give all players who have an active sub on the 12th april a free month or just bin the whole 30day thing and still to the little pet.

 

I don't care about the 30 days honestly... I could give a crap about it. $15 is nothing to me, I have a 6 figure income.... What I care about is basically being told that despite pre-ordering the game, despite never unsubbing, despite playing 20+ hours a week every week since pre-release... despite playing and giving feedback since Beta.... I am not a valued customer. That, in fact, some kid who can spacebar to 50 in 2-3 weeks is somehow more valued than I am.

 

I would be far happier if BioWare simply posted a statement that they were sorry for the wording used in their level 50 reward and did not mean that level 50's were somehow more valued customers than the rest of the player base. I'd be perfectly happy if they did that and re-worded it to something like 'and to thank our level 50's for sticking with us while we get more end-game content for them' instead.

 

 

 

Just a clue... from someone who has worked around customer service his entire 40+ year life:

 

Never insult customers... you will regret it. Always correct missunderstandings as quickly and completely as you can.

 

Note: Nowhere did I say that I should get a free 30 days... I fully get what the REAL reason for the 30 days is... I've been around MMO's since before they were called MMO's... the 30 days is a bribe to hopefully give themselves time to get content in for those level 50 players. Nothing more.

[[Guide] The Sith Assassin's Codex]

Honestly the guide here is more than sufficient. Also it's a misconception to think in terms of 'rotation' in SWTOR. Yes you sort of have one but it's more of a priority list (as astral mentions frequently in the guide here) rather than a strict 'rotation'. Yes, you will, sort of, rotate through key abilities but you'll be bouncing around alot within them to maximize your effectiveness.

 

The key to playing any class that bases off procs/triggers is to hit that trigger as often as it's available so that you can use the upgraded ability that triggers off it more often. There's only 4-5 attacks worth doing in any priority list (unless you're going madness) so it's not super hard to keep track of or manage.

 

 

Edit: I researched and looked everywhere I could, and there is only one guide for Deception Assassins out there with absolutely no one doing viable testing on it. In fact the one guide that's out there is one that is filled with old builds and outdated information. I would think there needs to be some more research done into it.

 

In fact, in the one guide he states it takes him 2 cycles to get to 5 charges. All I can say is that is one awfully long rotation he is using. I can get to 3 static charges in one rotation. So waiting for 5 on a completely static non-moving boss is easily doable and I will do some testing to see how it affects my dps to wait or to use it on every CD.

 

I can guarantee you though that holding onto a full static charge is a dps loss.