Why doesn't swtor utilize the entire planet???????

[Cerion]

Open them up to resource farming. Make them tourist locations for achievements. How about long-term escort missions, or random missions or side-jobs? The point isn't that there HAS to be something to do everywhere... just that you CAN go everywhere. Or at least to some spot that was designed just TO BE.

 

I'm laughing at everyone that things it will be massively expensive. Import some freaking USGS topographical maps. It's not that expensive to accomplish something decent. They had six years, and how many people working on the game across the planet? It COULD have been accomplished. It still should.

 

 

And I'm telling you, few people will endeavor to visit these areas of there's nothing to do. Resources farming? Our companions can do a lot of this already, and even if we had such, to what end? The system in place now already is pretty self contained. It's not like resources are difficult to acquire, nor is there a huge demand for them.

 

I'm laughing at everyone who thinks this isn't expensive, and will not take away from more important content development. There's already a precedent for your seemingly inexpensive idea: LOTRO. This game created a large open area north of Bree...beyond the horse stables. Hardly anyone goes there. The devs created it to appease the voices like yours...but guess what...it was largely a failure. So much so, that they've not added a similar zone since.

[Koalachan]

I have a difficult time believing that my actions in one very small area of a planet or city are affecting my entire faction's influence on the entire planet. That would be like me going to Washington, DC, doing some errands in the surrounding neighborhoods, subverting a faction of congress, usurping one party of the bicameral system, and then lay claim that I have just taken over the entire United States of America (or the world for that matter) for the glory of the Empire. Yet, this is exactly what I did on Alderaan.

 

War in Iraq/Afghanistan? Each person in the war contributes a small amount to the big picture, and most only see a small area of it.

[Greyfeld]

And I'm telling you, few people will endeavor to visit these areas of there's nothing to do. Resources farming? Our companions can do a lot of this already, and even if we had such, to what end? The system in place now already is pretty self contained. It's not like resources are difficult to acquire, nor is there a huge demand for them.

 

I'm laughing at everyone who thinks this isn't expensive, and will not take away from more important content development. There's already a precedent for your seemingly inexpensive idea: LOTRO. This game created a large open area north of Bree...beyond the horse stables. Hardly anyone goes there. The devs created it to appease the voices like yours...but guess what...it was largely a failure. So much so, that they've not added a similar zone since.

 

Here's the thing: the idea that the OP proposes doesn't mean that Bioware would have had to spend more money on this project, it just means they would have had to change their approach and the scope of the game.

 

There's currently, what... 17 planets? Bioware could have easily trimmed that down to 6 planets and expanded each one to incorporate 3x more content than they currently do. What if, as a Jedi Knight, i started in the newbie area of Tython, then was shipped off to Coruscant, then told to fly back to Tython to level in another area altogether? Then, when business is done there, I get sent to Alderaan, then Ord Mantell, then back to Coruscant, hop back to Tython for a couple more levels, then fly back to Alderaan one more time to mediate some political issues?

 

The fact that each character visits 11 planets before hitting level 50 is nothing short of bloated and unnecessary, especially in conjunction with all the pitstops made at wasted, random space stations for each individual class quest that are never visited ever again. Trimming it down to 6-7 planets that host multiple leveling areas not only makes for less wasted space, but also allows for more expansion in future content, and creates a more seamless grouping and pvp environment.

 

Not to mention what it can do for the inclusion of sandbox exploration and easter egg hunts.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Greyfeld

[Cerion]

Here's the thing: the idea that the OP proposes doesn't mean that Bioware would have had to spend more money on this project, it just means they would have had to change their approach and the scope of the game.

 

There's currently, what... 17 planets? Bioware could have easily trimmed that down to 6 planets and expanded each one to incorporate 3x more content than they currently do. What if, as a Jedi Knight, i started in the newbie area of Tython, then was shipped off to Coruscant, then told to fly back to Tython to level in another area altogether? Then, when business is done there, I get sent to Alderaan, then Ord Mantell, then back to Coruscant, hop back to Tython for a couple more levels, then fly back to Alderaan one more time to mediate some political issues?

 

The fact that each character visits 11 planets before hitting level 50 is nothing short of bloated and unnecessary, especially in conjunction with all the pitstops made at wasted, random space stations for each individual class quest that are never visited ever again. Trimming it down to 6-7 planets that host multiple leveling areas not only makes for less wasted space, but also allows for more expansion in future content, and creates a more seamless grouping and pvp environment.

 

Not to mention what it can do for the inclusion of sandbox exploration and easter egg hunts.

 

 

They didn't do that. So what's the point of bringing it up? You gonna turn back the hands of time to make it so? It's a masturbatory exercise.

 

But I'll tell you this, by the time I'm done with a planet's quests, I'm so ready to move on to something different. In fact, I dreaded coming back for some bonus series quests because I wanted to look at something new. I didn't do Taris bonus series for that reason.

 

But on top of this, BioWare's approach fits in with the Star Wars paradigm, by the way. Hoth: arctic. Tatooine: desert; Coruscant: metropolis. Each location in Star Wars is meant to be biome of its own. In a fantasy world, yeah, maybe you mix up the landscape...you've got frozen ice fields in the north and a desert in the tropics. That DOESN'T work with Star Wars.

 

And can you imagine the **** BioWare would have gotten if they'd said "yeah, we're only launching with 4 planets." Nobody would've been happy with that.

[Greyfeld]

They didn't do that. So what's the point of bringing it up? You gonna turn back the hands of time to make it so? It's a masturbatory exercise.

 

If we avoided every discussion on the basis that it would yield no results, this forum would be a ghost town.

 

But I'll tell you this, by the time I'm done with a planet's quests, I'm so ready to move on to something different. In fact, I dreaded coming back for some bonus series quests because I wanted to look at something new. I didn't do Taris bonus series for that reason.

 

But on top of this, BioWare's approach fits in with the Star Wars paradigm, by the way. Hoth: arctic. Tatooine: desert; Coruscant: metropolis. Each location in Star Wars is meant to be biome of its own. In a fantasy world, yeah, maybe you mix up the landscape...you've got frozen ice fields in the north and a desert in the tropics. That DOESN'T work with Star Wars.

 

And can you imagine the **** BioWare would have gotten if they'd said "yeah, we're only launching with 4 planets." Nobody would've been happy with that.

 

I get the feeling having this discussion with you is pointless. You seem to lack the imagination to see beyond "what is" into "what could be."

[Cerion]

If we avoided every discussion on the basis that it would yield no results, this forum would be a ghost town.

 

 

 

I get the feeling having this discussion with you is pointless. You seem to lack the imagination to see beyond "what is" into "what could be."

 

oh, right...because I disagree with you, I'm suddenly 'lacking imagination.' lol.

 

My imagination is quite fine....in fact, I make a very nice living off my creative imagination. What I lack is the Walter-Mitty-ish tendency to dwell on the delusional.

 

How about you address my very cogent and relevant points rather than sink to ad hominem?

[Greyfeld]

oh, right...because I disagree with you, I'm suddenly 'lacking imagination.' lol.

 

My imagination is quite fine....in fact, I make a very nice living off my creative imagination. What I lack is the Walter-Mitty-ish tendency to dwell on the delusional.

 

How about you address my very cogent and relevant points rather than sink to ad hominem?

 

Relevance is subjective. Your supposed points are irrelevant to my post. There's no reason for me to bother debunking them, because you're trying to argue something that has absolutely nothing to do with my original post.

[gurugeorge]

BioWare AUSTIN had full creative license to play and invent anything within the STAR WARS property. Lucasfilm and LucasArts had, and exercised, final veto authority, but that was rare.

 

Yeah, like they're going to change Tattoine from "desert planet" to "desert planet with a temperate zone that you've never seen in the films". If the game had been set a few hundred thousand years back in time, then maybe, but the game is too close to the canonical stuff for that big a change.

 

Again, if one thinks the planets should have more variety, the fault is with the SW canon, not with BW for following it.

[DarkCarnage]

Here's the thing: the idea that the OP proposes doesn't mean that Bioware would have had to spend more money on this project, it just means they would have had to change their approach and the scope of the game.

 

There's currently, what... 17 planets? Bioware could have easily trimmed that down to 6 planets and expanded each one to incorporate 3x more content than they currently do. What if, as a Jedi Knight, i started in the newbie area of Tython, then was shipped off to Coruscant, then told to fly back to Tython to level in another area altogether? Then, when business is done there, I get sent to Alderaan, then Ord Mantell, then back to Coruscant, hop back to Tython for a couple more levels, then fly back to Alderaan one more time to mediate some political issues?

 

The fact that each character visits 11 planets before hitting level 50 is nothing short of bloated and unnecessary, especially in conjunction with all the pitstops made at wasted, random space stations for each individual class quest that are never visited ever again. Trimming it down to 6-7 planets that host multiple leveling areas not only makes for less wasted space, but also allows for more expansion in future content, and creates a more seamless grouping and pvp environment.

 

Not to mention what it can do for the inclusion of sandbox exploration and easter egg hunts.

 

maybe tehy got plans for the "missing" space and they add them in later with updates/expantions so we have a reason to go back to them. they might add optins like "hey a new area opeing up and can land your ships on planet X now that chez techolgy unearthed a missing Sith temple"

[DarthKhaos]

Someone earlier said it best. There is truly no more exploration in MMOs anymore. Once something is found out by someone they rush and post it on a website, post a youtube video and everyone knows where it is how to get it, what to do to defeat said mob etc etc etc.

[Ascertes]

Why do they build bases so close to each other? simple! Logistics, supplies, manpower, etc etc. Take a look at the clone wars, if you looked at many of the planetary scenarios, ONE SINGLE BATTLE determined whether that planet would remain with the Republic or the CIS (CIS = Seperatists, General Grevious, etc for those never played the BattleFront series.) If they placed their bases far apart, that would mean more fuel and food requirements for BOTH sides. It would take a MONUMENTAL amount of time for either side to colonize and set up a STRONG military presence all over a planet anways, for the Galactice republic it would have been in impossibility to build up mass defenses on every system. (Maybe not for teh Seps, they could produce billions of droids a day) Logistically, they could only setup 1 base, maybe 2 or 3 per planet simply because they lacked the resources to go beyond that.

 

Alderaan however, I will say the setup does not make sense. All the houses in one local area? Lolwuuuuuut?

 

Anyways enough ragging. I would like to see more areas of planets yes, but is it realistic? No. Probably not even in our lifetimes.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Ascertes

[JusticeCommando]

I agree in full with the OP.

Now, I see people saying how people are already complaining about taking so long to get places. I remember back in SWG the planets seemed so huge that when my speeder broke down in the middle of nowhere, I was forced to explore. It always angered me so much that I had no idea where I was going, and I loved it! The vast landscape there made me love it. I can only wish Bioware will add something like that, since SWTOR's already a great game in the first place.