Community Q&A – April 27th 2012 Blog Discussion

[bloomfireblade]

Agreed. It would be downright stupid for them to allow free transfers from dead servers to other dead servers--at least from a business perspective. I doubt Bioware is that stupid. If they can manage to get rid of a few dead servers, that's less money they have to pay to maintain them.

 

it would be best to reduce the servers to 50% both in USA and EU but seeing how bioware tries to wind itself out of server transfer and server merge that wont happen soon but i agree dead servers should be shut down .

But that also depends in the standards Bioware considers a server dead it may be different then what you describe as a dead server.

[sylrian]

If you guys don't fix your four month beta by at least getting me on a good populated server, this game is history to me. You stranded me on a dead server, when i started the game the population said heavy btw. Now fix it or I have a sneaky suspension your share holders are gana have you by the necks. As far as the duel spec thing, What mmo does not have duel spec, seriously. I am sick and tired of respecing to pvp. This is getting so lame its really just plain not funny anymore. I am on my free month and barely log in so I am sure not gana pay for this incompetence.

[Bozse]

We all have choices in life; you made yours. It's not the dev's fault you chose to re-roll on different servers. QQ somewhere else.

 

Actually BW decided where my guild was placed to begin with.

 

Patience is a virtue that has been lost on you. Since your demand of instant gratification won't be answered, there seems to be only two logical conclusions.

 

Waiting patiently for months to get transfers of a dead server isn't demanding insta gratification, we're past the point of acceptable waiting by now.

 

You could kill yourself, or you can just quit the game. By your postings, it seems as though the plight of your life can never be solved by free server transfers. Therefore, I would highly recommend the former suggestion, rather than the latter.

 

Reported.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Bozse

[sithheroes]

to all the complaining pvpers out there.

You get a brand new warzone for free and you continue to complain.

Sure Ranked warzones weren't dropped yet but atleast they are in DEV and not just an idea on a storyboard.

Yes Ilum was removed but does everyone forget about the Tattooine PVP area?

Other thoughts

a neutral town with a pvp area right next to it would be a cool idea

[Obie_Wan]

No, that's not it.

 

As we said, we'll have more details to share closer to launch. Between Group Finder and a Character Transfer Service, our plans are designed to allow more players to play together more often.

 

Vague answer again? If BioWare Austin's history with SWTOR is anything to go by, we're in for another disaster folks.

[Sandtrooper]

Is there any way at all that the end game story lines could be extended? Perhaps the character level limit could be raised to 100? Your stories are really great, it is a shame that we can't get more.

 

Please consider extending the character story lines.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Sand

[JediKnightJax]

1. Hood toggle.

2. More Jedi-esque robes for Knights & Consulars

 

Add those and I'm set for life!

[Rischardo]

Field Respec is not the same as dual spec.

 

Is it possible to get a little more information than this? I feel like Field Repsec is a placeholder for dual spec, where we can essentially reset all of our talent points while we aren't on fleet.

 

The main question is, once we have it, do we have to pay the respec costs you would have to pay if respeccing on fleet?

 

Since this is to hold us over, in my opinion, field respec needs to do a few things:

 

1. The cost to "purchase" the field respec legacy "skill" should be based on Legacy level and not purchased with credits. Players (IE: your customers) get screwed if they have to pay for field respec, then later dual spec, despite the former essentially being a simplified version of the latter.

 

2. More importantly, Field respec should not cost any credits to be used. If it does, it defeats any usefulness it may have. The issue is not being near the trainer to respec, the issue is the outrageous costs of respeccing multiple times a week.

 

I'm sure that there is someone at Bioware arguing that allowing frequent/free respecs means that players will play the game less because there is no need to roll an alt (IE: you play a healer and want to DPS, free respecs makes it less likely that the healer will roll an alt DPS). There are two counter-arguments to this.

 

First, in order to switch roles, most classes (except Sorcs/Sages, your stats are similar across gear when compared to other classes) need to have separate gear. That means doing the gear grind twice in order to be able to switch roles.

 

Second, players will like the game more when they can play the way they want to play. As a primarily PvE tank, I know I would enjoy the game more if I could respec into a PvP tank after raids. However, I don't do this because respec costs so much and I simply make do without the more PvP oriented talents. I would be more inclined to PvP if I felt I could respec to operate at 100% effectiveness without it costing an arm and a leg.

 

If field respec works in the way I have suggested, I think most players will be satisfied until a dedicated system is worked out. If it is simply means you don't have to visit the trainer to respec and you still have to pay all the same associated costs, forget it...it's honestly not even worth the time to code it in.

[sDSSm]

For next weeks question, on my part, will there be the ability to change EXISTING character's looks when some of this new content rolls out? A free one time change would be great but, I'd even be willing to either pay in game for a change token. I'd also be willing to pay say 5$ to change my char one time. I'm sure everyone else would be thinking along my lines as well.

 

I was thinking just the same thing. I'm very interested to know if there will be a way to change existing characters. (I can't imagine deleting my main just because I love Togrutans and Nautolans.)

 

The idea of a "barbershop" is nice, but if I sit down as a human, I'll stand up as a human with different hair. To sit down as a human, and stand up having lekku and montrals would be something else!

[JoseSilva]

I am really loosing my patience in this game =(

 

I was one of the biggest defenders of bioware and a truly fanboy but what is happening in this game is ridiculous.

 

I am in one of the lowest populated server and is a pain to play everyday. We have top 20people on the fleet most of the times 5-15. Warzones are controlled by the imperials couse they have good pre-mades and we don't so we are just farmed all day long. I have to make 20wz to make the daily. I can't raid because almost all guild mates leave the game and only 2 guilds have enought people to raid. I am seeing day after day people leaving the server and now i see transfer only on summer!!

 

I can't pay anymore for a game like this:(

 

Really bioware so many things that could be done to help players like me and others in a dead servers but you decide that we can handle it.

Edited May 3, 2012 by JoseSilva

[Nucairion]

im sorry but i just dont agree with bioware that expanding the legacy system the patch after the first round of legacy stuff is more important than dual spec. DS was ment ot be in 1.2 then posponed to 1.3 now postponed again. id rather see dual spec than having crap legacy stuff like field respec (which is probably just the respec at a huge cost on fleet) just in the field or more unlockable emotes. Edited May 4, 2012 by Nucairion
spelling mistake

[Phelnis]

May is spring. Summer doesn't even *start* til nearly the end of June.

 

yes, but not every country/state has same season.

 

so... your summer be our my winter

[Phelnis]

Those who are wanting that duel spec, well this is my opinion. I reckon that Duel spec is not very necessary to have unless you are wanting an option to respec to diff advance class thus is to the reason why most of ya wanting duel spec where u can have 2 adv class talent trees.

 

I think that will be unfair, because BW basic made SWTOR with out duel spec in first place. So they may occasionally have that idea in mind and patch it somewhere to allow their customers happy or keep things the way they are.

[Galbatorrix]

Those who are wanting that duel spec, well this is my opinion. I reckon that Duel spec is not very necessary to have unless you are wanting an option to respec to diff advance class thus is to the reason why most of ya wanting duel spec where u can have 2 adv class talent trees.

 

I think that will be unfair, because BW basic made SWTOR with out duel spec in first place. So they may occasionally have that idea in mind and patch it somewhere to allow their customers happy or keep things the way they are.

 

Dual spec would be a very good feature even within the same AC. A Healing AC could be both a healer and a DPS and tanks could do the same. As for the pure DPS classes, you could have a PVE and PVP spec.

 

 

This is the ONLY way dual spec should work. Allowing people to change their ACs, or spec for two ACs would ruin the game. There would be entire periods of time when you wouldn't see certain ACs at all as everyone would be specced into the FOTM.

[Nucairion]

i agree ac spec changing would ruin the game, but dual speccing for the same ac is wot people want. for examle kp only really needs 2 tanks for 2 bosses, jarg and sorno and foreman crusher. it would be nice to have one of those tanks be able to switch to dps for the other bosses without having to spend a fortune to do so and without having to spend 5-10 mintues to have to re slot talents and re assign skills to skill bars each time.

 

also no1 ever mentioned dual spec would be for having a second advance class and bioware have already said they dont intend on allowing that. dual spec is already a confirmed upcoming feature at some point and will only be usable in the AC you chose. for many of us we want dual spec so we dont have to spend fortunes changing specs for pve and pvp or having to switch a spec for raid coz theres too many people for yor role and not enough for the other role.

[Adderdin]

Arymono: When will character transfers be available for everybody?

 

Dallas Dickinson (Senior Producer, Live Services): We will be rolling out our Character Transfer Service in early summer. First we’ll have some targeted free transfers from/to specific servers, but that will be followed with a broader system where you can either take advantage of free promotional transfers to specific servers or paid transfers to the server of your choice. We know everyone has more questions about character transfer, and we’ll reveal more details closer to the launch date.

 

 

 

DrakeAssaShin: What is being done to address low population servers?

 

Dallas: The Character Transfer Service, as mentioned above, will be offering free transfers from/to specific servers. This should allow the most motivated players to get onto a higher population server.

 

Great, what if there will be players who will be inactive aka not payed subscription but would start paying after their toons are moved? Will you let them transfer their toons?

 

What if player was inactive, came back to the game but missed the server transfer window, his server is derelict because those 50 players who were there transfered. Will he still be able to transfer or will he has to abandon his toons and reroll?

[Pdarkk]

I think server merges is alot more useful then char transfers. they have enough servers to merge 2-3 into one plus that equally balances all servers instead of 10 full the rest empty. i guess both are needed in the end though. but i prefer merges

[GreatGarth]

I think server merges is alot more useful then char transfers. they have enough servers to merge 2-3 into one plus that equally balances all servers instead of 10 full the rest empty. i guess both are needed in the end though. but i prefer merges

Sever merges would be better, and just plain easier for everyone involved.

[Popadopolous]

Amazing how so many people feel their $15/month entitles them to tell the dev's how to do their job. I'm not sure if the bagger at your local grocery store would let you do that for $15. You pay for access to what they develop. You don't tell them what to develop. If you don't like what you're paying for then I'm sure the community could use one less self-entitled player. Did you pay to develop TOR through the first 7 years?

 

TY for the information we would otherwise have never read (other than speculation and data mining), Devs, keep up the good work.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Popadopolous
Complimenting devs

[cs_Kimmo]

Amazing how so many people feel their $15/month entitles them to tell the dev's how to do their job. I'm not sure if the bagger at your local grocery store would let you do that for $15. You pay for access to what they develop. You don't tell them what to develop. If you don't like what you're paying for then I'm sure the community could use one less self-entitled player. Did you pay to develop TOR through the first 7 years?

 

TY for the information we would otherwise have never read (other than speculation and data mining), Devs, keep up the good work.

 

Although I do like your constructive criticism of the player base's outrage if you will, it's still in Bioware's best interests to keep their player base happy. Look at Mass Effect 3. Look at the 400,000 lost TOR subscribers. If every employee of BioWare had your attitude, there would be pretty much 2 people left with you playing this game.

Edited May 14, 2012 by cs_Kimmo

[Popadopolous]

My attitude? I never said BW doesn't need to listen to the players. Of course they're going to aim to please their customers. I simply meant how people expect the game to bend to their every desire. If it's not your cup of tea then go explore the next MMO on the list. I personally love it here=) Even more so after more polishing

[bloomfireblade]

i agree 100% BW is doing a good job despite the difficulties and in my pov its okay sure some aspects are not good but tell me is there mmo out there that has no disadvantages ?

[Akaela]

Amazing how so many people feel their $15/month entitles them to tell the dev's how to do their job. I'm not sure if the bagger at your local grocery store would let you do that for $15. You pay for access to what they develop. You don't tell them what to develop. If you don't like what you're paying for then I'm sure the community could use one less self-entitled player. Did you pay to develop TOR through the first 7 years?

 

TY for the information we would otherwise have never read (other than speculation and data mining), Devs, keep up the good work.

 

Goodluck playing alone, because that is what is happening here. The playerbase has real concerns, real questions. The player base are who you pvp with, who you group with, who pay the bills that keep the game afloat.

 

Of course the game wont be exactly what each and every player wants, that is fine. But If one is to take off the rose tinted glasses for a moment one would see that the customer service (communication from the devs) here alone is dismal, and that's not even talking about the actual game!

 

I know about 40 - 50 players who have all quit (my entire guild), now all spread across other games. Most wont buy from EA again, a couple (like me) unsubbed but still hold some hope, just we wont waste more money on something that feels so incomplete, and empty.

 

I had noticed before I left the Q&A were deviating more and more from actual customer concerns and more trivial, easier questions were being answered. It's a trend that in all honesty makes me feel less and less inclined to even check up on TOR. Take the healing nerfs/damage buffs for example. We asked why our healers were being made so pathetic, and actually a liability on a pvp team, we got back "u heal 2 much n we want moar dmg n moar killzorz!" pretty much back from them. It's just sad, it really is.

[Zarannah]

No, that's not it.

 

As we said, we'll have more details to share closer to launch. Between Group Finder and a Character Transfer Service, our plans are designed to allow more players to play together more often.

 

I have just waited 5 hrs to queue for a warzone i really wondering why i'm paying for this

[Adderdin]

Amazing how so many people feel their $15/month entitles them to tell the dev's how to do their job.

 

Lets see 400.000 that had left the game times 15$ equals 600000$. 600000 a month is kinda enough to tell the devs to do something.