oredith Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) You have to start somewhere. As the community grows, you gain more and more recognition and eventually traffic gets very busy. We can sit here and complain to BW for something they do not seem to be willing to provide to us, or we can create our own communities and make our gaming experience what it should be. actually, i chose option C - not subscribe. i'm not one of those people "OMG GIVE ME A, B, C or i'm quitting". i have no problem buying games like MetalGear Solid 4, play it for the awesome story, and putting it down and not going back. i was hoping that SWTOR wouldn't be a once through game like that, and a MMO, but so far, all the community related decisions they have made have been to the contrary. great single player game, terrible community support - and I am getting the feeling that's simply the design position of the dev team. the people i already know in game, i keep in touch via our own forums outside of game, I don't need to play the game for that. I wanted a MMO to meet new people, but that's just not easily accessible given the limitations BW put on (an option that WOULD work for me, would be cross faction communication via ANY method, not just /say) will I miss the game? very much so, I missed playing wow when i quit after 5 years too. Diablo 3 will be out soon, and I bet the D3 forums will have a better "community" structure than the SWTOR one, and i think that says something about a game that's suppose to be a MMO, rather than a single player game. Edited January 6, 2012 by oredith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoE_Jarcus Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 i'm not going to dis any of the "privateer" forums because the bottom line is that they're all going above and beyond what BW should have done, so in my book, they're all saints already. however, the will all suffer from the same problem - they're not the official server. how do you pick between x-y-and z unofficial forums? post traffic? take a look at hogafett's link in his sig. at first glance, it looks like there's some traffic, and then you take a closer look, and you realize that the are self-populated posts from the forum itself. I think the majority of people will have a username on more than one. The set that is moderated well, kept clean/up to date will shine above the others. As for self generated posts, I moderate the veela server forum there and any self generated posts are there to organize things like videos,raid progression,crafting and guilds. It takes time to build a community on a 3rd party website and the only way to do it is to step up and post. Hope to see you soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qqemokitty Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I have taken it upon myself to assist with word spreading and moderation for The Harbinger at swtorowned.com http://www.swtorowned.com/harbinger/ I feel like this site is the one getting the most attention. I don't really want to sign up at a bunch of different ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yhor Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 i'm not going to dis any of the "privateer" forums because the bottom line is that they're all going above and beyond what BW should have done, so in my book, they're all saints already. however, the will all suffer from the same problem - they're not the official server. how do you pick between x-y-and z unofficial forums? post traffic? take a look at hogafett's link in his sig. at first glance, it looks like there's some traffic, and then you take a closer look, and you realize that the are self-populated posts from the forum itself. Emphasis mine. I agree it looks that way, but that's more to do with how moderators are recruited more than the discussions being 'self-populated'. The site admin is preparing for a high population (at least that's my guess), by getting moderators for each server set up and getting familiar with how things work.... before they are -needed- to jump into a hailstorm of chaos (although the community there seems to be pretty relaxed without much, if any, drama). If I'm wrong on this, hopefully the admin will come by and explain the reason for moderator ranks being given so freely (first impression at first glance to a few). I think it's reasonable to get a moderator staff ready before it's needed though... a lesson learned from the Official forums here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 While I applaud the effort I have checked out these community run server forums and 90% of them don't have a single post and very few have more then the one welcome thread. I have checked out the two most advertised forum sites for my server and both of them are completely empty. I am able to take a lot of crap from a developer. I have been through so many game launches and was not surprised nor bothered by the bugs and problems and lag and even the memory leaks and the terrible auction house. But the one thing I cannot forgive is neglecting the core of what makes an MMO different from any other genre of game. I will hold out hope that things may change for the better but in my heart I have already given up. The damage has been done and the chance for this game to build a true community to keep it thriving for years to come has been dashed. It almost makes me want to cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qqemokitty Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 While I applaud the effort I have checked out these community run server forums and 90% of them don't have a single post and very few have more then the one welcome thread. I have checked out the two most advertised forum sites for my server and both of them are completely empty. I am able to take a lot of crap from a developer. I have been through so many game launches and was not surprised nor bothered by the bugs and problems and lag and even the memory leaks and the terrible auction house. But the one thing I cannot forgive is neglecting the core of what makes an MMO different from any other genre of game. I will hold out hope that things may change for the better but in my heart I have already given up. The damage has been done and the chance for this game to build a true community to keep it thriving for years to come has been dashed. It almost makes me want to cry. Well, they might change their minds. I hold out hope for that. Regarding the outside forums: The only way to make them thrive is to post on them and spread the word. It is easy for us to go look at them, see nothing, and shrug "Oh well!" Someone has to be the first one, to take the initiative and post. It could be you! Make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Back to the front page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadblue Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I too find this to be a very frustrating situation to be in, not having server specific forums makes community building difficult (as we all know). However Bio Ware's commitment to quality service is respectable. If I read the interview correctly, it sounded as if they did not have the man power to moderate server specific forums, and thus could not deliver the standard of service they have committed themselves to. Perhaps there is a solution to this. I know of a few smaller budget games that have player moderators that help with the amount of work the companies themselves have to do. Naturally this would come with its own potential issues regarding the player moderators not performing well enough, but I'm sure it would take less Bio Ware man power to moderate the moderators than it would be to moderate the entire server forums themselves. Just a thought I had while browsing the thread . I'm sure we will have the forums that we desire eventually, but Bio Ware simply doesn't have it as a high priority currently, which is understandable. Looking at things positively, I can see a lot of potential for the makings of an outstanding community! Many thanks to the creator of this thread, and all the off-site forums that are popping up as a temporary solution to this issue, and to everyone who has expressed their concerns here in this thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 They have the money to voice every npc and player in the game, they have the money to licence star wars, they have the money to pay hundreds of developers and other workers for years without profit, they have the money for millions of dollars of advertisement. But they don't have the money to pay a couple hundred minimum wage college students to delete spam and check in on a forum a couple times a day? k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broom Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 They are easier to find, but I find that players will gravitate to other forum communities where they can learn things and communicate in ways that may not be available in an official forum setting. There will still be people that are fine with official forums, but the fun is really in unofficial forums. That is not how it works, in my experience. Once Warhammer opened its official forums, the Curse fprums dried out in no time, the old gang stopped going there, the new people never came there because they didn't know about it. For Aion it was slightly better, since the official forums were known to overmoderate (zero criticism of the game allowed), but still, newer players and especially those new to MMO went to the official forums. In the end, I think this sort of split is unhealthy. Thinking back to the time when I was an MMO noob, I have to say I learned a lot from the experienced crowd on the SWG forums. They gave insight in the existing community, provided hours of entertainment and lots of practical tips. If they'd all been off on some unofficial forum, it would have been a different game. It took me months to even go to the official forums, don't know if I'd ever have found any unofficial ones, or if I'd have looked for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBMC Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Getting tired of this, without server boards there is no community, the two servers I've chosen one for republic, one for imperial its a farce trying to even get people to say anything in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The how old are you thread has more posts.... really? Come on guys EA isn't going to come to their senses if they see more people interested in an a/s/l thread. Spread the word, get this thread over a thousand by next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yhor Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've resubbed to WoW on a number of occasions, just to talk to old friends on the server forums. Same with LOTRO. At least if a server community ever picks up speed and becomes established, I wont have to worry about resubbing here in order to talk to friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowdream Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm with you completely. It's a pain in the rear to have to go through pages of threads to see if there is anything new on your server. I'm on a relatively quiet RP server and would like to see more going on around it. In order to build community, you need to have a place to get together. In DDO, before I even got onto the server I ended up staying on, I felt like part of the community because I was chatting with people on the server forum, getting a feel for the place. It encourages people to get to know each other, to make connections, to have server events and such. It encourages the forums to be used! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogmios Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) Well, I for one know I wish there was a server forum for Ven Zallow, so I could know why it's been offline for the past couple hours. Edited January 7, 2012 by Ogmios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Mark my words, beyond any of the other problems with this game, if this isn't remedied it will be the reason this game is not successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogfatt Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 That is not how it works, in my experience. Once Warhammer opened its official forums, the Curse fprums dried out in no time, the old gang stopped going there, the new people never came there because they didn't know about it. For Aion it was slightly better, since the official forums were known to overmoderate (zero criticism of the game allowed), but still, newer players and especially those new to MMO went to the official forums. In the end, I think this sort of split is unhealthy. Thinking back to the time when I was an MMO noob, I have to say I learned a lot from the experienced crowd on the SWG forums. They gave insight in the existing community, provided hours of entertainment and lots of practical tips. If they'd all been off on some unofficial forum, it would have been a different game. It took me months to even go to the official forums, don't know if I'd ever have found any unofficial ones, or if I'd have looked for them. You are right that it is an experience issue, and I believe both official and unofficial forums should exist. If done correctly, there is no need for unofficial forums to exist; but in my experience more often than not, game companies often make blunders which push more experienced players away from the official forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takkajedi Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 So strange that there are no server forums. Great way to get to know our fellow server mates. I strongly support the suggestion that Bioware add server forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astronauts Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Please Devs!!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!???!?!?!? We need em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggFish Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Hey there, While we wait for official forums I have built some unofficial ones for those that would like to use them. The North American servers all have their own forums and I'll try my best (though work is getting in the way) to have EU server forums up on Monday or Monday evening EST. I know that they aren't a replacement for official forums, but maybe they can fill the gap until Bioware changes their mind. Enjoy! If you have any suggestions PM me here or on the boards. The forums just went up, so every name with the exception of mine is available. The URL is: http://www.theswtorserverforums.com Again, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BaconStrips_ Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Hey there, While we wait for official forums I have built some unofficial ones for those that would like to use them. The North American servers all have their own forums and I'll try my best (though work is getting in the way) to have EU server forums up on Monday or Monday evening EST. I know that they aren't a replacement for official forums, but maybe they can fill the gap until Bioware changes their mind. Enjoy! If you have any suggestions PM me here or on the boards. The forums just went up, so every name with the exception of mine is available. The URL is: http://www.theswtorserverforums.com Again, enjoy! The thought is nice but honestly there are already too many "unofficial" forums around and adding more will just further split up the community. But at this point who cares, there is no community anyways, so go right ahead. I want to love this game so much, but after spending weeks searching for a fitting guild for my needs on my server I gave up and spent almost 3 hours tonight on the forums searching. I even looked at pve and republic guilds and servers. There is just no way to look for any information about guild populations or what guilds are recruiting. The recruitment sections are the worst mashup of random information from all the servers, many guilds do not even post what server they are on. I already paid for 3 months but I am this close to just putting a hammer through my monitor. I am a lifelong gamer and MMO addict but this experience has started to sour me to the whole thing. Hell maybe this is a good thing, I hear RL have awesome server forums and when you get to end game you even get something called "sex". I will have to investigate it further. :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakamama Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 it was something i didn't expect tbh... Having NOT server forums on mmo multi-server game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninogan Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Just going to post in this thread again because this decision by Bioware is just straight up stupid. Give us some server forums already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astronauts Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I thought they said they would listen to player feedback? :[ sadface X's a million at least make Threads with the server names a sticky. might not be organized but at least we would have somewhere to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amnolith Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) You should NEVER use a third party forum besides your guild's forum. Trust me I am also a Senior Community Manager and I can tell you that people use the exact same login for the games that they use on the same game website...at least the large majority does. To not recognize this as a serious potential issue is un conceivable for a community manager. You have the choice between potential not monitored but secure forums or a third party that can grab passwords in plain text upon registration. Once there what stops the server admin from selling these to the highest bidder. You should be very very careful where you create accounts and for Bioware to not have individual servers forums and asking people to go to third parties is major facepalm material Installing a script that will capture your passwords in plain text before hashing them is child's play. Edited January 8, 2012 by Amnolith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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