[Shadowlands→ Crashed Again?]

A little reading material while we wait.

 

DDoS:: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DDoS_attack.html

[The Shadowlands Server Has Crashed]

Same. Crashed and can't back in, error code 1003.

[Finding Moddable Schemes?]

Orange schems can be had from running the Mission-related Crew skill to your crafting skill. So, Underworld Trading for Synthweaving, Treasure Hunting for Artifice etc. However, you are then facing the mercy of the random number generator. On my Artificer, I was able to obtain the schematic for the level 20 double bladed saber 4 times in one four hour gaming session. However, that was a day of blessed Karma for that character. Your mileage may vary.

[A Message from the Community Manager]

Hi everyone,

 

I wanted to take some time to reassure you all that my team, the community team, is still committed to you folks. As part of this commitment, we’re excited to let you know that we have been developing a brand new strategy for our team that focuses on developing new ways to bring you more information about the game and the people involved with SWTOR's development.

 

As we progress towards the recently announced Free-to-Play experience, you can expect more frequent updates to the game (which means more information coming to you) and more developer interactions.

 

.... One of our primary goals with this is to ensure that new information about the game is communicated as quickly and effectively as possible.

 

We're all excited about the future of this game and with the new focus on more frequent content updates ...

 

Thank you, sincerely, for participating and being a part of our community over the past few months. We look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

 

Sorry, gotta throw the BS Flag on this. Read it before a few months ago, and in a nearly identical form in previous MMOs, some of which no longer exist, including another MMO using the IP from "A Galaxy, far, far away..."

 

Been here since late beta, read a lot of promises, plans and outlooks. Then things take a downward turn and communication abruptly stops. Then starts up again only to once again stop again.

 

There is a clear disconnect between what the Devs think the players would like and what the players actually would like. You ask for questions and get a ton, but cherry-pick softball questions or include questions already answered on the Q&A. Insulting the intelligence of your playerbase is never a wise thing to do. The ball is clearly in your court and the remaining players are watching and waiting.

[What were you doing before you were kicked?]

I was on my Sorcerer alt and was just in the middle of a class quest discussion with my master (Lord Zash) via holo-cam. She told me to return to her chamber and that she had a surprise for me.

 

Then everything went black and the server was down. It scared the crap out of me. To cover all bases, I called a local priest, rabbi and witch doctor to come cleanse my PC (and house).

 

Then I checked the forums and realize it was just really REALLY odd timing.

 

You win, lol.

[All servers down?]

Simple server bounce is ~15 minutes. Add to that the time to add a patch, maybe a little more time to make sure nothing breaks while bringing the servers back up and letting the patch propogate, ballpark about 30-45 minutes unless there are complications. As always, Your Mileage May Vary.

 

You could go outside and fry an egg on the sidewalk as a distraction...

[Alderaan too hard?]

Going back a bit, when the first wave of folks began reaching Alderaan, there were posts about the mobs there being significantly harder and the planet in general being a distinct step up in difficulty.

 

After more observations, it became apparent that there was definitely more of a need to use your character's interrupts in a timely fashion as the big damage attacks the mobs would "load up" hit quite a bit harder than the previous planets. Another tactic that became common was sending in the companion to open the attack against the elites and story bosses to draw initial attacks, then joining in with your character and taunt/pull aggro to your character before your companion died to finish out the fight.

 

Using interrupts and tactical use of companions is pretty much old hat now, but back then there was an adjustment period and Alderaan stood out as the first planet where these tactics were more "required for survival" rather than optional.

 

This was particularly hard felt by those folks racing to the level cap and skipping planetary bonus series and not taking the time to finish off bonus pieces of normal quests along the way, thus reaching Alderaan a little undergeared and perhaps slightly under-leveled. Folks that "stop and smell the roses" and completionists tended to arrive at Alderaan a bit overgeared and over-leveled and therefore, the planet was not significantly harder than the previous planets.

 

As always, your mileage may vary.

 

Good hunting

[Alderaan too hard?]

well right at the start defuse the bombs I think it was

 

Been a while since I went through there, but if it is the area I think it is, there are some Elites that path around those areas. Just have to be watchful of them and don't start a fight you can't finish with an Elite joining in. Doing so at that level will probably get you killed.

 

Just watch their patrolling pattern and get to the bombs and kill off other normal mobs without interference from the Elites. Should be much smoother.

[Non-combat dungeons confirmed! Thumbs up.]

In the Trooper class story, after Nar Shadaa is completed there is a place you go to and there is a puzzle-like element that needs to be solved that has some combat sprinkled in with it. It was a pleasant change of pace from endlessly fragging NPCs. Pretty refreshing.

[When do mobs stop attacking (if ever)?]

A level 1 MOB aggroing onto a level 50 player is somewhat silly, granted. But for nostalgia's sake does anyone remember the name of the littler critter MOB in SWG that could be found just outside of NPC cities on Tat that would aggro onto players of any level? One could view TOR's mechanic as a slight tip-of-the-hat, but that's a reach.

 

Given the option, I'd prefer the BioWare Devs to draw from the mechanics of EQ2 where, if a MOB is grey to the player, it would actually cringe and turn away from the player as the player walks/rides by. A seemingly trivial thing to many I'm sure, but definitely a nice touch.

[Not having a lvl 50 char doesnt mean you suck]

...or a shipload full of alts...

 

 

/raises_hand

 

That's me and I have been playing since Day 1 of Early Access. Granted, some of it is due to RL getting in the way.