I want to experience the huge game world you made but can't

[Waboose]

BioWare made the fourth pillar "STORY" a big part of what makes this game different and better. I agree that it has done this BUT, I find myself in a position where I've missed a lot of the rich worlds, environments and stories and have no "Perk" incentives to go back and do it!

 

I come across so many players who raced to level 50 so they could play endgame content who are bored of doing dailies on Belsavis or HuttBall but I note that they skipped a lot of the content Bioware spent money and time making because it was grey in their quest list. Enough skipped content that I'm sure they'd be busy for another couple weeks at least going back to do it if they got anything out of it. Going back for holocrons is a pastime of the newly 50... Why not going back for missed quests?

 

Being a bit of a 100%er (I like to smell every rose along the way) I did every quest i could find (Heroics and Bonus), did a couple of FPs at the beginning, daily space missions, and some PvP along the way. Before I even finished NarShada Everything that was coming up was grey and everything that was on the next planet was already grey for my level.

 

So I can do these quests now because I like the story but I get nothing else (Piddly credits, no XP, no Legacy XP no gear of any use for even my companions), while grinders are raking in millions of credits and legacy xp by rinse and repeating. Maybe I'm the only one who wants to experience the whole story from beginning to end as written by the team at BioWare and cares about getting nothing extra for it but I feel it should be mentioned. And I think there was a sizeable investment in the making of the world artwork, map making, voice acting and animating for cutsceens. no? Seems a waste if most people skim past it and then space bar past a handful of endgame daily quest givers.

 

I understand that they are trivial because my level now makes the quest too easy but legacy is trivial too... It doesn't impact your endgame in PvP or PvE.

 

If I could at least get decent legacy XP from going back and completing unfinished - non repeatable quests I'd rather do that then dailies. I don't want to skip story with spacebar. I want to hear it, it's why voice actors were paid...

 

On this note, I wish there was an easy way of differentiating repeatable quest that you've done from those you haven't before starting the conversation.

 

So in summary, I want you to give me a tangible reason to go through everything you invested in creating, rather than just the self satisfaction of knowing I did while others are sitting with 10 times the credits and lvl 35 legacy already from daily grinding. Love the game, there's my 2cents.

 

... Oh and thanks for making two ranking systems in the PvP ranking for solo and group separate. I asked for it and you probably already had that planned but thanks anyway!

Edited April 2, 2012 by Waboose

[Kaphik]

So in summary, I want you to give me a tangible reason to go through everything you invested in creating, rather than just the self satisfaction of knowing I did while others are sitting with 10 times the credits and lvl 35 legacy already from daily grinding. Love the game, there's my 2cents.

 

There is no reason, unless you want to feel that you have completed every quest on a single character. Either do them while leveling up, or go back and do them.

[Yakito]

You know, I thought about this once.

I kinda came up with an idea, to remove levels and level requirements from characters completely, to have something different instead, so all zones are basically the same level as us, there's no "greyed out" there's only the order in which you complete the zones.

 

What I mean is that instead of getting levels you get abilities (as level ups), pretty much like it is now with the trainer, but instead of getting XP for "ding" you get xp for abilities, and you choose which ones to level up first and so on.

But I guess Bioware isn't going for innovations here, well, except "story story story story story!! look at it! there's story in it!! look!! LOOK!!!! STORY!!!"

[Thebazilly]

You know, I thought about this once.

I kinda came up with an idea, to remove levels and level requirements from characters completely, to have something different instead, so all zones are basically the same level as us, there's no "greyed out" there's only the order in which you complete the zones.

 

You can't have level scaling in an MMO. What happens when you have a level 20 character and a level 26 character entering the same area?

[mathisk]

Another thing you can do is to see some of the content with your current character, skipping what's too low for you or whatever, on your way to 50. Then create an alt character and have that character do visit the content that your current character skips.

[Darth_Moonshadow]

You know, I thought about this once.

I kinda came up with an idea, to remove levels and level requirements from characters completely, to have something different instead, so all zones are basically the same level as us, there's no "greyed out" there's only the order in which you complete the zones.

 

What I mean is that instead of getting levels you get abilities (as level ups), pretty much like it is now with the trainer, but instead of getting XP for "ding" you get xp for abilities, and you choose which ones to level up first and so on.

But I guess Bioware isn't going for innovations here, well, except "story story story story story!! look at it! there's story in it!! look!! LOOK!!!! STORY!!!"

 

That's not innovation, that's what we call a platform game. We're an RPG. So yeah, leveling is needed.

[livnthedream]

Another thing you can do is to see some of the content with your current character, skipping what's too low for you or whatever, on your way to 50. Then create an alt character and have that character do visit the content that your current character skips.

 

this^^

 

its exactly what i am doing, especially since like the op i do a bit of pvp, and a lot of fps/space. generally i can get by with only running a bit of a planet, and only really complete 1-2 planets on each character. i pretty much skipped voss and corellia completely on my first character, and juts finished both of them on my newest 50. it actually added quite a bit in terms of how things are tied together for me.

[mokkh]

this^^

 

its exactly what i am doing, especially since like the op i do a bit of pvp, and a lot of fps/space. generally i can get by with only running a bit of a planet, and only really complete 1-2 planets on each character. i pretty much skipped voss and corellia completely on my first character, and juts finished both of them on my newest 50. it actually added quite a bit in terms of how things are tied together for me.

 

Same, I'm at 47 of what is soon to be my fourth 50 and I always mix up the world quests for precisely this reason. In all honesty by the time Corellia hits I have such story driven tunnel vision to make the play-through contiguous that its amazing I've done any side quests at all on that planet.

 

It seems to me that if you approach this game in the "classical" mmo fashion of one geared-out main and several alts you'll wind up being frustrated from the inevitable repetition. I have an "8 mains, 0 alts" attitude toward leveling and it's a ton of fun, never a shortage of things to do or try. Something else that sets this game apart, for the first time in a game from this genre I actually have a connection to and care about every character I create; no one is expendable.

 

I should also add that there is nothing tangible about playing an online game, when the servers go down you have nothing you can hold onto, OP. Just try to keep that in perspective, your experiences while playing are all you will ever be left with so make the most of it.

Edited April 2, 2012 by mokkh

[Kheld]

I posted the same thing the other day.

 

You level so fast in the first 30 levels thats its easy to outlevel severel plantes with all their content.

 

Theres NO incentive to go back & do them as all you get is 5 XP.

 

If you hate repeating dailys like I do level 50 gets very boring very fast.

[Shaz]

You can't have level scaling in an MMO. What happens when you have a level 20 character and a level 26 character entering the same area?

 

City of Heroes has a system for this. Their 'giant monster' code, for their world/zone bosses. To put it for this game, imagine if a world boss was considered even level... with everyone, regardless of their level. If you were level 10, you would damage it and it would damage you as if you were both level 10. Mind you, it would be a level 10 world boss, but it would still register as level 10. Or level 20, if you were 20. Or 50, if you were 50.

 

The scaling isn't perfect... 50s will do more than 10s would, and 50s would have more abilities, but it works, and it works well.

 

Look up 'City of Heroes giant monster code', I'm sure there's info about it online.

 

Edit to add: Here's a pretty good blog post about doing this universally, for games. It's 3 years old, but still has bearing.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Shaz

[ZDProletariat]

Guild Wars 2 scales people to the level of the zone.

 

To the OP though, I thought you said you were a 100%er? Then you ask Bioware for an incentive to complete everything? Which is it, are you a 100%er or do you want another incentive just to go back and complete everything?

[Thaed]

Guild Wars 2 scales people to the level of the zone.

 

To the OP though, I thought you said you were a 100%er? Then you ask Bioware for an incentive to complete everything? Which is it, are you a 100%er or do you want another incentive just to go back and complete everything?

 

^

 

I still have 2 or 3 bonus series to finish before I can complain about lack of content. Also, the balloon ride datacrons.

[Waboose]

Guild Wars 2 scales people to the level of the zone.

 

To the OP though, I thought you said you were a 100%er? Then you ask Bioware for an incentive to complete everything? Which is it, are you a 100%er or do you want another incentive just to go back and complete everything?

 

I'm a 100%er who wishes that my time spent playing was rewarded the same as a grinder (Or at least close the gap on the rewards between the two play styles).

 

I guess I feel, there's enough reward for grinders already. But there's a lack for the explorers and questers out there. We'll level up just fine but be left in the dust with Credits and Legacy XP at the end of the day.

 

When you look at what is earned by grinding and compare that to someone who explores the variety of content in the game, there's a HUGE gap.

 

I'm more entertained by playing the variety, but feel a little ripped off when someone is buying all the social gear, novelty pets and speeders available with credits they grinded instead of actually going out seeing / doing it all. I seriously think it'd be more rewarding to get these things as quest rewards rather than gear you'll toss in 2 levels and it would give 50s a reason to go back and do quests! You want the princess leah bikini for Mako? Go finish a quest chain on Tatooine... Not "Go grind for credits and buy it"...

 

Make sense?

[Holden_Dissent]

Everyone likes to be recognized for being awesome.

 

I know I do.

[sjmc]

There is more content than one character can do, without having to do some of it when it is gray. However, this also means that you can choose to skip content that you don't want to do and still progress -- and this leaves uncompleted content for your next character to do.

[GnatB]

I'd just say that "legacy" xp shouldn't become trivial.

 

5xp when you're overleveled works reasonable well to help bring you back "to level" for the content. But there's no reason to do that with Legacy XP.

 

 

I'd also argue that space combat (and the space combat quests) should *only* give legacy XP and credits. No "adventuring" XP at all. Particularly since you don't really use your abilities in space combat, other than unlocking certain spaceship parts at certain levels.

 

(perhaps space combat should have it's own tiering/XP system?)

[Jederix]

Everyone likes to be recognized for being awesome.

 

I know I do.

 

Just jaunt around these forums. There are plenty of people who recognize their own awesomeness and will go out of their way to let you, me and everyone know about it as many times as they think it will take.

[Felioats]

There are probably enough quests in this game to level to 50 three times doing nothing else. I'd welcome a reason to go back and do that content. Unfortunately, to do so now means time spent not advancing my character.

 

I'll be trying to do different things with alts, but seriously. I skipped like, 4 planets aside from my class quest on the way to 50. I don't know how many alts it will take me, or how I'll keep track of it all.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Felioats

[amantheil]

I don't get why people feel it's necessary or even desirable to do every single quest on every planet. What happens when you level up an alt? I haven't done many bonus series, I haven't even finished all the main planet quests. Which is fine - that way I'll have some new quests to do on my next character!

 

I'm all for multiple ways to get experience, because that way you can level up different characters in different ways. And you can focus more on planets you enjoy and less on the ones you hate.

 

But the game isn't designed for you to do every quest along with flashpoints, warzones, space battles, etc. on a single character. It's designed to have multiple leveling options for people with different tastes, or so people can do different things on different characters.

Edited April 2, 2012 by amantheil

[FantasyWriter]

The only FP I did was The Esseles and I only leveled to PvP Rank 20, while leveling up in this game and most of the time quests were green for me on my way to 50. They turned grey at some points too. I felt like I leveled up too fast in this game. I would skip whole bonus series or entire planets (outside of main planet quest and class quests) and still be a higher level than I wanted to be. If you ask me they should just give a substantial credit reward and a daily commendation for every quest you complete when you are level 50. This gives reason and purpose to go back and do the quests you missed.

[amantheil]

. If you ask me they should just give a substantial credit reward and a daily commendation for every quest you complete when you are level 50. This gives reason and purpose to go back and do the quests you missed.

 

if you do that you are then encouraging people to skip the quests completely until level 50. Just do your class quests (along with warzones, flashpoints, space battles) and skip everything else so you can maximize the credits and commendations you get at level 50.

[Hokonoso]

You know, I thought about this once.

I kinda came up with an idea, to remove levels and level requirements from characters completely, to have something different instead, so all zones are basically the same level as us, there's no "greyed out" there's only the order in which you complete the zones.

 

What I mean is that instead of getting levels you get abilities (as level ups), pretty much like it is now with the trainer, but instead of getting XP for "ding" you get xp for abilities, and you choose which ones to level up first and so on.

But I guess Bioware isn't going for innovations here, well, except "story story story story story!! look at it! there's story in it!! look!! LOOK!!!! STORY!!!"

 

lame, better fix (something tera has done) is let grey quests give full xp, 100% problem solved.

[Pinguaq]

Is part of an RPG not about making choices aligned to how you define your character? I dont feel my character would take on every side quest from every whiny little pissant NPC I come across.

 

Please don't punish me for playing the game this way. Please dont make my epic, evil sith lord need to go back to <enter prissy quest goal here> when I told the quest giver to get bent the first time.

 

For the 100%'ers that decide they just want to "do it all", this should be enough for you. If this is not a good enough reason, then get over it or start an(other) alt.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Pinguaq

[Galbatorrix]

I love that you're not forced to do every quest is you don't want to. That way, my alts have something new to experience my second or third time through.

[Urael]

You know, I thought about this once.

I kinda came up with an idea, to remove levels and level requirements from characters completely, to have something different instead, so all zones are basically the same level as us, there's no "greyed out" there's only the order in which you complete the zones.

 

What I mean is that instead of getting levels you get abilities (as level ups), pretty much like it is now with the trainer, but instead of getting XP for "ding" you get xp for abilities, and you choose which ones to level up first and so on.

But I guess Bioware isn't going for innovations here, well, except "story story story story story!! look at it! there's story in it!! look!! LOOK!!!! STORY!!!"

 

You mean like SWG pre-CU.