Story was a bad idea

[Mandavar]

To the OP: I understand your reasoning, but don't agree.

 

I am at a point, where I played one char to lvl 50 with PVP Rank 45 and lots of FPs done.

 

I can honestly say, I would NEVER want to play a "normal" MMO anymore. There was never a MMO, where I even cared to read the text based quests beyond level 10. I hated it. It ws just leveling and no fun to get up to max level. The only fun while doing that was friends to play with, but not from the game itself. Here I can have double the fun basically. From the friends (as before) and from the game itself.

 

I agree, that there are MANY things, where Bioware has to improve on, but give them some time. If you've played other MMOs, you know that this takes time. There was never one single MMO, that just worked right out of the box. All systems need tweeking, improving or in the worst case even redesigning. Be patient.

 

Edit: Oh and I was so totally immersed into the story. Also Makos little side story was totally immersive too.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Mandavar

[DarthKong]

Where are they then, when people report 15 people on fleet during peaks?

 

Those people reporting that are full of crap, and you know it.

Edited February 7, 2012 by DarthKong

[Icebaron]

I can't tell you how many times I thought to myself "Man, this Jedi story is such a waste of time I really wish I could sit in that chair over there." Also you played WoW for 6 years cool. SWTOR has been out for a month and a half and still has a lot of growing to do. Comparing WoW 7 years after release to SWTOR is not fair.

 

WoW is mind numbing and the story is incredibly incoherent.

 

You can listen to the story once, maybe twice. You can sit in that chair for years.

[Dyvid]

Must be 2012 cause all I see are doom post lol

[Vydor_HC]

Whoops, missed a decimal place.

 

Okay, 2,000,000 sold in December

1,700,000 subscribers in February.

 

How is this growth?

 

The 1.7 mil actually reflects a starting point. We will know better if the game is growing in a month or two. The December sales show the initial purchase and free month. With a 75% subscription rate after the free play, the game is set to do well, as long as it can maintain that.

[maradigamer]

I think the main storyline is a big part of the reason this game is still on my system when by now most would be gone already. That, and some days pvp is worth playing even as a soloer.

[Avenloc]

I would also like to point out how LITTLE the story has to do with even this game as far as the playerbase is concerned. Look on the first page of these general forums. There is ONE topic talking about the story, it's this thread. The rest are talking about Ilum, animations, LFD tools and whatever else.

 

All feature talk, no story. So how important is the story in an MMO?

 

There are more issues with the gameplay than the story. You don't see as many threads about the story because it is one aspect of the game that - from my experience and observation - is generally accepted.

 

There will always be problems with gameplay, and each player has their own idea of what is right or wrong with the game. Hence, you will never be able to count the number of gameplay-related threads on one hand.

[SWaotc]

I would say the opposite of the OP, Bioware should have stuck to what they know best, the story. Instead of trying to lure players from other MMO's by meshing a carbon copy of WoW with their own brand of gaming and failing to be effective at either.

 

They had a chance to create a whole new type of MMO-RPG by doing what they do best but instead copped out.

[Blotter]

Where are they then, when people report 15 people on fleet during peaks?

 

They're hiding in your ceilings, watching you f-p.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Blotter

[Trenter]

That is exactly what they did. They were talking about end of year stats. And that is the only number given at all, when it sold more boxes then 1.7 million. How are you guys coming to the conclusion the game is growing?

 

I feel the subscriptions are dropping and I feel the reason is the overemphasis of story. Hence my thread title.

 

 

You're joking, right?

 

They go out Febrary 1st and say this to their investors:

 

Let me offer some metrics on purchase and subscription that will help you understand this

business. As John stated, we have sold through two million units of the game since December. We currently have a little over 1.7 million active subscribers. The rest have either not started playing yet or have opted out. This is an outstanding start for an MMO and the metrics on engagement suggests players are loving this game: unique log-ins are averaging about one million per day and their average play time is approximately four hours per day.

 

But even though they talk as this is going on right now, you're saying that they're putting on some kind of act, pretending that they do this back in december? Wouldn't that be messing with their investors?

[DarthKong]

You can listen to the story once, maybe twice. You can sit in that chair for years.

 

To each his own. That's why you'll go back to playing WoW's "I did this before you did" game, and we'll continue to play a game in an immersive Star Wars galaxy that we all love.

Edited February 7, 2012 by DarthKong

[Drallbait]

Understood.

 

However, you are completely wrong.

 

Story is awesome, and SWTOR will continue to prosper by including this kind of motivation.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Drallbait

[Blotter]

"I feel the subscriptions are dropping and I feel the reason is the overemphasis of story. Hence my thread title."

 

Translation: "I've been paying too much attention to forum crybabies who have convinced me the game is failing, the sky is falling and that kittens are a part of a healthy breakfast. I now want everyone else to feel the same dismay and chagrin that I feel, so I'm now posting the same crap that made my perception of the game so bleak in order to gain myself compatriots in misery. I don't have any data, mind you, I just FEEEEEL it like the force is flowing through me and I've been granted Yoda-esque visions of the future."

Edited February 7, 2012 by Blotter

[Scar]

Weird: people say "I'm done with story, now what?!?", where I say "Ok, I'm sitting in a chair, now what?"

 

To each his own.

[Pootmatoot]

 

All feature talk, no story. So how important is the story in an MMO?

 

 

That's because this board is mainly for complaints. The story is excellent, so there are few complaints, so few threads on it.

[Brool]

You may say that you prefer the story now, but lets see how long you wind up playing swtor compared to how long you played wow.

 

I played wow for six years, done now. Bores me to death now. But six years is just plain awesome for retention.

 

Ask again in 6 years, you might not still be here but im pretty sure Ill still be hanging around. Story was one of the reasons I chose to stop playing my former mmo and come to the force. That and well its bioware and star wars.

[Revanmug]

Started saying it when they announced space combat. Until then, I hadn't realized just how much they gave up to craft this magnificent 1-50 story. And yes, the story is fantastic.

 

Reasons I think story was a bad idea;

 

1. It too much development time, leaving little time for extras like decent space combat and sitting in chairs.

 

2. It restricts too much. Leaving less player choice on class/race combos or playable races.

 

3. It ends, they cannot pump out story faster then players can consume it. Meaning the game feels more like and RPG then an mmorpg. While fun leveling, it ends.

 

4. NOT immersive. I know, alot of people will pick on this one. But it's not me playing, it's some other guy I am sorta guiding. He is saying things I wouldn't say. I pick something, he says something similar, but not what I picked. And sometimes you just have three ways to say yes when you really just want to say no. Accepting quest with a yes/no option is actually more immersive, because my reasons are my own at that point rather then one or two reasons laid out by Bioware for me to choose from.

 

Wow, You're still there? With all the whining you did before the game launch, I thought you would have crawled back in that dark happy hole of yours!

 

Well, thanks for helping this game by finally buying it! Your money is helping bioware and this game! Keep it up!

[Icebaron]

The 1.7 mil actually reflects a starting point. We will know better if the game is growing in a month or two. The December sales show the initial purchase and free month. With a 75% subscription rate after the free play, the game is set to do well, as long as it can maintain that.

 

You think the story is going to retain alot of subs? Even though those sub numbers WERE Decembers figures, let's say (incorrectly) that those were Feb 1st figures. People are playing the story out, they are now actually paying money monthly to play this game. How is the story going to keep them playing after they have finished? You think everyone wants to roll and alt to have 5% new story to read?

 

So, you play Empire to 50 then play Republic to 50. What has this game got that will retain those 1.7 million sub six months down the road?

 

The story makes leveling more interesting and that is all it does. It does not make this game any 'better' or more successful. And it only works making leveling fun twice. There is no long term hook here, cause after story, WoW did everything SWTOR does only better. And SWTOR completely abandoned some of the most popular things about WoW (like arenas, mods and LFD tools).

 

The story will also prevent you from getting any new classes because that would mean an entire new 1-50 story. You may see some new races, but nothing vastly different then the near humans we currently have because it doesn't jive with the story. You will never be able to faction swap because it would mess up your story.

[maxetius]

Wow, You're still there? With all the whining you did before the game launch, I thought you would have crawled back in that dark happy hole of yours!

 

Well, thanks for helping this game by finally buying it! Your money is helping bioware and this game! Keep it up!

 

 

Epic LOL

[SentinelDranoel]

You may say that you prefer the story now, but lets see how long you wind up playing swtor compared to how long you played wow.

 

I played wow for six years, done now. Bores me to death now. But six years is just plain awesome for retention.

 

I have played through kotor story since its release. I can quote lines and love a lot of the characters and it turn me into a huge star wars fan.

 

Can wow turn you into a hug fan of its extended media?

Can you quote lines and characters from wow's story?

 

Star Wars is bigger then the MMO game genre!

Different games and genres at different times has dominated their respectful fields. Then that is it. Star Wars has will make other games, after swtor ends. The story of Star Wars is this games driving force.

[Blotter]

"Even though those sub numbers WERE Decembers figures"

 

They were NOT. They specifically told investors on February 1, 2012 that "CURRENT" active subscriptions totalled 1.7M and that the majority of that was comprised of paying customers. Saying "CURRENT" on February 1, 2012 but using December 31, 2011 numbers would get them in serious hot water with the feds AND WITH SAID INVESTORS. Not only could it incur criminal fines but it would expose them to civil liability if anyone relied on that misrepresentation to their detriment. You have it totally, compltetely and utterly wrong.

[Vydor_HC]

You think the story is going to retain alot of subs? Even though those sub numbers WERE Decembers figures, let's say (incorrectly) that those were Feb 1st figures. People are playing the story out, they are now actually paying money monthly to play this game. How is the story going to keep them playing after they have finished? You think everyone wants to roll and alt to have 5% new story to read?

 

-shrugs-

 

I'm in the "I don't know" camp. The numbers do not reflect a loss of subs, since there has only been 1 subscription period. Like I said we will know better in a month or two as far as the subs go.

 

But the longevity of the game as a story driven based MMO will need much longer to flesh out. I kinda have doubts they will be able to keep up with demand on more story as easy as it is to get to through it all.

[Blotter]

"WoW did everything SWTOR does only better. "

 

Notice: talking about WoW in the PAST tense. I like it. That game needs to just up and die already. I'm not the only person who played the living heck out of it to feel that way either. WoW fanboiz and Blizzard employees on this forum can shove it.

[Icebaron]

Wow, You're still there? With all the whining you did before the game launch, I thought you would have crawled back in that dark happy hole of yours!

 

Well, thanks for helping this game by finally buying it! Your money is helping bioware and this game! Keep it up!

 

You talk like swtor doing well would upset for for some reason, but I assure you it does not. I've also probably leveled more players and seen more of the story then most on this thread.

[Ice_Blue]

And it's really working out well for it eh?

 

Edit - I would also like to point out how LITTLE the story has to do with even this game as far as the playerbase is concerned. Look on the first page of these general forums. There is ONE topic talking about the story, it's this thread. The rest are talking about Ilum, animations, LFD tools and whatever else.

 

All feature talk, no story. So how important is the story in an MMO?

 

That is a horrible argument that says nothing about how little story has to do with the game from the player perspective. In fact, it might say just the opposite. People generally post about things they want to complain about, and in this case, people aren't posting about the story because generally, there aren't many complaints about it. People post about the stuff that needs fixing, like the UI, Ilum, etc.