An objective look at Early Start?

[baewen]

People at the moment are finding whatever excuse they can for a reason to vent against Bioware/EA because they have yet to be let in.

 

I think there are a couple of reasons for this and I'll go through them one at a time.

 

For me personally, this is the first staggered launch I've ever been apart of. I have yet to get in but that's because I pre-ordered late <-- My fault. Every previous early start that I've been apart of has been a mad rush day one, with everyone having equal access to the server. Obviously there are issues with this type of launch, overcrowded, server imbalance, server instability. Me personally, I think we've reached a point in hardware development where server instability should no longer be an issue which makes this a moot point.

 

Now I may be wrong here, I do believe this is the first staggered launch in AAA MMO history. As human beings we find comfort in consistency. Look at the keybinding setup for the AAA mmo's since World of Warcraft (maybe even before then) It's a bad setup, but it's never changed cause we like consistency. I digress, I'm hoping people can see where I'm going here though. With all previous Early Starts for AAA MMO's letting people in Day 1, I don't think it's unreasonable for people to automatically assume the same would happen with SWTOR.

 

It's poor marketing to break consistency UNLESS there is a damn good reason to do so. We'll have to wait and see whether this is in fact was a smart move by Bioware/EA.

 

It's in our nature to be competitive, it's life, we are also renowned for wanting what we can't have. With a staggered launch like this a lot of people feel disadvantaged. Whether it be economical, level's, whatever - the people who get in ahead of them are seen to have an unfair advantage and those missing out feel less valued because of it, this tends to bring out the worst in people. Personally I think this is more an unconscious reaction feeding people to look for whatever loop hole they can to complain about Bioware/EA and this type of launch feeds that type of behavior.

 

There I more I wanted to elaborate on as well as another point but I've gone blank...urgh 3hrs sleep waiting for SWTOR invite...yes I prob won't get in for a couple more days but hey I'm a die hard fan!

 

Personally I think the people upset and the people laughing, rubbing it in their faces are as bad as one another. Its a shame but anonymity rules the internet.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

*Patiently waits for that elusive invite!*

[sableyes]

thx for your insights

[LuanVetoreti]

Talking about breaking consistency, Star Wars Galaxies combat? anyone?

[Yfelsung]

November 4th, 2011

Bioware puts an article on the main SWTOR site entitled Early Access Details. In this article they informed us that we will have UP TO 5 days of play before launch.

 

They also used the direct phrase "Staggered Launch"

 

Then release comes around, they give us a potential extra TWO DAYS above and beyond what they said, and people accuse them of lying.

 

I do not understand how those people's brains work.

 

That's about as objective as you get. They said they'd do something, they did MORE than they said.

 

If you didn't like this launch style, you had A FULL MONTH TO CANCEL YOUR PREORDER.

[Realranger]

Wish they had of just manned up gone balls deep on the servers. At least then all preorders would have had the same experience, good or bad. This approach is just to hard on people, especially when even a very basic timeline isn't laid out. I guess i knew this was coming, but ill take crashing servers and long Q's over being kept in the dark anytime.

Besides what were those huge beta stress tests for anyway.

[Lunacris]

It's the first staggered launch that I've been a part of - and having been in WOW and EQ for tons of expansion launches, this is a good idea.

 

Have you ever been in a quest area and there are so many people that you can never get the quest item, or that all the monsters you need to kill are already dead? That you rage at the person who just stole the mob that just respawned that you had been waiting on?

Quest zones have to be tuned for a certain number of players. The spawn rate needs to be low enough that the mobs don't respawn right on top of you and you can't move and die to respawn all the time. But they need to have a high enough spawn rate to allow XX number of questing players to get what they need without causing them to be rude and kill steal from each other.

 

If they would have let us all on at the same time folks would be crying and whining about the fact that there are not enough mobs and quest guys to go around. They'd find something to QQ about.

 

The game release date is 12/20. Every day you have to play before that date is a freebie extra that you should just be happy about.

[BlakeAF]

People are just acting on emotions. It does kind of hurt your feelings to not be let in to the super secret club, but if you ask yourself honestly the following questions I think you will see that you don't have a much better way to handle what they are handling.

 

Would I have done it any different? Probably Not

 

Do I have the experience and knowledge to do it different ? No

 

Do I have the numbers, data and foresight to plan a better launch? No

 

and neither do the majority of people on these forums.

[MetalmanMatt]

exactly right.... we are being giving up to 5 days extra to play so I am assuming that by tomorrow almost every pre order should have access to play

[Seoh]

I for one applaud the staggered launch approach, i got in yesterday and there were no server problems at all.

 

It also prevents overcrowding on the starter planets.

 

 

However i can understand people being a bit antsy about this and that maybe they could have allocated everyone a slot based on current preorders and told them when they are expected to be allowed to log in.

[Berethos]

Wish they had of just manned up gone balls deep on the servers. At least then all preorders would have had the same experience, good or bad. This approach is just to hard on people, especially when even a very basic timeline isn't laid out. I guess i knew this was coming, but ill take crashing servers and long Q's over being kept in the dark anytime.

Besides what were those huge beta stress tests for anyway.

 

Those huge beta stress tests were probably part of why they're letting the numbers in that they are, and they can't give a timeline because they don't have one beyond vague information like "We're letting in more tomorrow than we did today." It's an ongoing process, monitoring the servers, and they respond with new invites when whatever criteria they use is met.

 

Think about it in real life terms...Best Buy vs Walmart Black Friday sales. BB tends to only let a certain number in at first until things settle down (at least in my area), and while it's crowded and super busy there is a level of control there. Walmart tends to let everyone in and it's a mad, crazy, dangerous dash for the items people want. Yeah, you may not get what you want if you showed up later at Best Buy than others, but the overall experience once you factor getting in the store and actually doing your shopping is better.

 

Other places also use lines or waiting lists, etc., to keep things controlled and provide a better overall experience...I really don't understand the freaking out over it here, to the degree that it is happening.