weathering the storm...a general appeal to BW

[greeblesnort]

I have two 50s, 7 characters total across both factions, and I have played every class except guardian and sage to at least 25. In this time, I have developed a rather consistent feeling that the devs have a very specific role for each class in mind and that, if you choose a role that does not match, your performance will be far, far below optimal. I don't have a huge amount of MMO experience, SWG and Eve. I was with SWG from day 2 until post-NGE and Eve for almost three years.

 

My concern is that, since they're not hawking the subscription numbers, it's probably because the numbers are not meeting their expectations and, now that there are some new competitors coming on board, we're going to be looking at even lower numbers.

 

So, how do those of us that really want a Star Wars based MMO to succeed help? I've heard a lot of suggestions, and it does appear that BW is at least tacitly listening. With the massive amount of user-level experience out there, what does everyone think SWTOR needs to be successful? Big ones, in my opinion:

1. cross faction (and server?) markets...would sure be nice if smugglers had some part in "moving" parts back and forth =)

2. dual-spec; possibly opening up more trees/skills to each AC

3. on-demand character copy to PTS. You can't test new ideas/changes adequately without enough PTS involvement, but at this point, I see no personal reward whatsoever to spending a significant amount of time leveling a whole new character there. Give me any easy method to test your content, and I would be more than happy to help. I don't care if you have to change my character to avoid name conflicts or whatever. Hell, run my name thru an MD5 hash if you have to.

4. ???

 

To summarize, there are those of us who want very much for you to succeed. Help us help you and we all win. We will suffer all manner of issues from bugs to "balances" if you simply involve us in the solution.

[cshouston]

1. Already implemented on Nar Shadaa and via the Legacy Black Market terminals that nobody uses.

 

2. Already happening, first with field respec, and later with legitimate dual spec. Hardly something that will save the game.

 

3. Already being done.

 

4. ??? ... Dump HeroEngine and start over. If only.

[Kthx]

My concern is that, since they're not hawking the subscription numbers, it's probably because the numbers are not meeting their expectations and, now that there are some new competitors coming on board, we're going to be looking at even lower numbers.

 

Since they have announced subscription numbers in public earnings calls and presentations, this argument has no merit.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Kthx

[monkgryphon]

I have two 50s, 7 characters total across both factions, and I have played every class except guardian and sage to at least 25. In this time, I have developed a rather consistent feeling that the devs have a very specific role for each class in mind and that, if you choose a role that does not match, your performance will be far, far below optimal. I don't have a huge amount of MMO experience, SWG and Eve. I was with SWG from day 2 until post-NGE and Eve for almost three years. Cool story bro!

 

My concern is that, since they're not hawking the subscription numbers, it's probably because the numbers are not meeting their expectations and, now that there are some new competitors coming on board, we're going to be looking at even lower numbers.Do you know exactly what their minimum expectations are? Also, do you know what number of subs defines a loss to them?

 

So, how do those of us that really want a Star Wars based MMO to succeed help? I've heard a lot of suggestions, and it does appear that BW is at least tacitly listening. With the massive amount of user-level experience out there, what does everyone think SWTOR needs to be successful? Big ones, in my opinion:

1. cross faction (and server?) markets...would sure be nice if smugglers had some part in "moving" parts back and forth =)Something like that is coming. All GTNs are going to be purchased by the Hutts and will all be linked.

2. dual-spec; possibly opening up more trees/skills to each ACThey've already said it is on their to-do list and are working on a system for this.

3. on-demand character copy to PTS. You can't test new ideas/changes adequately without enough PTS involvement, but at this point, I see no personal reward whatsoever to spending a significant amount of time leveling a whole new character there. Give me any easy method to test your content, and I would be more than happy to help. I don't care if you have to change my character to avoid name conflicts or whatever. Hell, run my name thru an MD5 hash if you have to.This seems more like a very minor issue. But, I guess it could be worked at a little better, since it just is a minority of players that do go to the PTS.

4. ???

 

To summarize, there are those of us who want very much for you to succeed. Help us help you and we all win. We will suffer all manner of issues from bugs to "balances" if you simply involve us in the solution.

 

Responses above in red

[greeblesnort]

1. Already implemented on Nar Shadaa and via the Legacy Black Market terminals that nobody uses.

2. Already happening, first with field respec, and later with legitimate dual spec. Hardly something that will save the game.

3. Already being done.

4. ??? ... Dump HeroEngine and start over. If only.

 

Having to go to Nar Shadaa to sell/buy across the whole server is klunky and useful only to send stuff to your alts (pre-1.2). Now, it's easier to simply have an alt on the "other" fleet and then email items, so, at best, they're putting roadblocks into a process that is easily bypassed. Rather than using the process to beat us about the head with yet another irritating workaround, either simply accept that we're going to ship stuff back and forth across factions and use that to enhance the game or tag each item with a faction and disallow it's use on the other.

 

I must have missed the field respec notes.

 

Last I heard, character copy was on a guild-by-guild basis. This isn't the best way to encourage people to logon to the PTS.

[greeblesnort]

Responses above in red

 

Background provided solely for information purposes.

 

Nope, I don't know their expectations. I'd love to sit in on some developer meetings tho =)

 

"4. ???" was intended to encourage others to state what they thought was important.

[monkgryphon]

Background provided solely for information purposes.

 

Nope, I don't know their expectations. I'd love to sit in on some developer meetings tho =)

 

"4. ???" was intended to encourage others to state what they thought was important.

 

So you're OK with your misconceptions based upon assumption and will gladly share your poorly contrived idea?

 

Also you missed the part where I wrote all GTNs are going to be linked.

 

As for what I believe is important: People need to just play the game at their own paces, if they get tired of it then put the game down. There is no need to come up with conspiracy theories or half-brained ideas of how this game could be saved.

[Bozse]

4. Allow free transfers and consolidation of characters and legacies first and foremost instead of the current plan with directed transfer being the only free once.

 

5. Close down / merge some or all of the low populated servers.

 

6. Get transfer system online like yesterday.

 

7. Get transfer system online ... you get the point by now.

[monkgryphon]

4. Allow free transfers and consolidation of characters and legacies first and foremost instead of the current plan with directed transfer being the only free once.

 

5. Close down / merge some or all of the low populated servers.

 

6. Get transfer system online like yesterday.

 

7. Get transfer system online ... you get the point by now.

 

As much as I'd like to see transfers come rolling out, what about faction locking? Some servers are incredibly imbalanced. If they allowed people to transfer their characters to those servers, wouldn't it just push the faction balance even farther apart?

[Bozse]

As much as I'd like to see transfers come rolling out, what about faction locking? Some servers are incredibly imbalanced. If they allowed people to transfer their characters to those servers, wouldn't it just push the faction balance even farther apart?

 

Possibly, any directed transfers, faction locks, server locks and such can be done after an initial period where everyone that re-rolled are allowed to consolidate their characters and legacies though, with the current path they announced that doesn't seem to be an option.

 

Not to mention that the system needs to be in place, like yesterday, really should have been at launch already as we wouldn't be in this mess now if it was, not like it was unexpected in any way that transfers would be needed in a multi server game.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Bozse