>> SWTORs Future - DO's & DON'Ts (PvE|PvP)

[DkSharktooth]

TL;DR - Look At The Different Color Text For Main Points.

 

(Operations PvE)

I can safely say I have beaten all the content in SWTOR at the hardest difficulty. The main problem with operations is trash & long runbacks. Nobody wants to clear endless brainless useless mobs who have alot of health and serve no purpose, even if they drop some silly epic pattern. This is evident when people find shortcuts to skip trash. It doesn't matter if they are tied into the story somehow or not, people want to kill boss mobs, not do trash for an hour or two. Example of bosses with no trash are world bosses and in World of Warcraft: Wrath Lich King - Trial of the Crusader Raid. If you want to see more people play endgame content, you have to cater to the simple fact that people do not have TIME to raid forever, especially since the majority of guilds start raiding late at night after work hours (7pm-2am). This often leads to an issue of sacrificing sleep, waking up late to school/work, and being tired in the morning. Allowing operations to be boss mobs only will give the CASUAL population more freedom to raid, the population that SWTOR blamed for their 400k decrease in subscriptions.The more time people spend on content as opposed to AOEing trash, the more fun they will have with the game since they have time to actually play it.

 

SWTOR doesn't have the time to develop more operations until there is more "stuff to do" and a "larger super server community" to play with, especially something to do individually during off-peak hours, besides dailys. New tiers of gear don't offer enough interest in the game unless there is something fun to do with alot of people. If you want to add more gear or fun gear, I suggest putting it in Nightmare Explosive Conflict. Fun can include some of these mini-games and events people have proposed such as PvP Space battles and events like the Rakghoul Plague. World Bosses don't drop relevant gear anymore and also take way to long to travel to, but the mount incentive was a great fix and motivation for this. PvE Dailies suck, everyone hates them, I have no fix for this, but nobody wants to do them. The reward system for doing something you hate is getting black hole/daily comms to get better items, which is good incentive. In operations, why do we have a chest system where each person has to loot it (16 times total) just to get their comms? It should be 1 person loots it, everyone gets their comms, it's stupid to make us click it 16 times, nobody wants to miss out, which happens sometimes. By the way, where are the legendary items?

 

(World PvP)

The way PvP works is by getting people to do PvP. In order to get people to do PvP, you need people, and those people have to be in a PvP area. How did we all get to PvP in ilum? We used a fleet pass to get to imperial fleet, mounted up, hoovered to our class elevator, drove to our ship door, passed a loading screen, walked through your ship to the space map, clicked the space map, clicked the area to travel to, walked back to the exit door, passed a loading screen, mounted up, clicked the speeder flypoint, and flew for about 10 minutes to get to our destination. What the hell? This is way to much time/work to just get to an area. Then we have a large empty ilum PvP area map on small individual servers that will never have enough people to fill it and if you had even 3 people from each faction in the area it would take them like 10 more minutes to find each other by driving around, even with the announcement system. In short, people need ALOT less travel time to get to PvP areas, they are way to hard to get to.

 

I am very interested in seeing what BWs plans are on reintroducing a new PvP system. An idea to fix the ilum PvP issue is to make another exit on the fleet, and when you exit the fleet, you are ported directly to your factions base for ilum PvP. This would remove the travel times, and loading times, allow people to travel directly to their home base at the PvP area instantly without the speeder ride from your ship. This would allow more people to be in a global PvP area quicker with less hassle to get there. An alternative example would be the travel PORTALS in World Of Warcraft that teleport you directly to a certain area, just put a star wars name spin on it.

 

Incentive: Well there has to be at least one. Whether mounts, titles, valor bonuses, legendary weapons for killing the enemy factions fleet leader or what have you.

 

We need like 3+ New Warzones, some with more obstacles, vehicles and fun stuff besides zerging each other. Nuff said.

 

Now as for the area itself, there were massive lag issues for alot of people, I have a decent computer so it didn't bother me to much and I personally don't know how to fix this, but I do have a huge suggestion for it. Remove usless fluff from large PvP areas. Yes ilum looked nice and cool, but who needs moving clouds in the sky and random objects in the areas where people don't fight? I am sure this stuff takes up some memory and load time.

 

Lastly, this idea of separated servers drives the community apart. We do not need PvE, PvP, RP servers. This has been stated countless times that factions need to have a sense of war with each other besides in story mode. All servers need to be PvP otherwise there is no sense of hate or competition for the opposing faction. There also have to be safe-zone areas where people cannot be attacked as well as neutral areas where you can battle each other out, so long as it doesn't prevent quest completion. **To clarify, I am not suggesting forced PvP should be required. Simply saying more areas should be susceptible to PvP activities to promote the cross-faction ongoing war.

 

(Miscellaneous)

Stop wasting development time on fluff patches such as "color matching", while this was a cool feature, it was put up as a priority at the wrong time in the game. Players need a community and a game to play before they need dress-up-barbie features.

 

And Yes, Wall Of Text does crit for Over 9,000

**Edits will be made, this is a first draft.

Edited May 30, 2012 by DkSharktooth

[OmegaMayhem]

You say ops are boring, but you want them to remove everything but the bosses?

[DkSharktooth]

You say ops are boring, but you want them to remove everything but the bosses?

 

They get boring because of trash, the bosses are fine for now, but could use a higher difficulty setting with more than 1 void zone every minute or so. Maybe add some obstacles, weapons, spaceships, mountable walker tanks, that specific players hop into. I just feel like Operations are following the same pattern as WOW raids, which people are fed up with already.

Edited May 29, 2012 by DkSharktooth

[Lurchy]

You are gonna have an awful lot of editing to do before you start getting any meaningful feedback OP.

 

You managed to type a whole bunch of suggestions regarding OWPVP without managing to even mention objectives or incentives.

 

You state that all servers should be PVP. I am just gonna say that is a pretty dumb idea and leave it to all the other guys that are gonna tell you why its dumb if you honestly cant see that.

 

Those are the two points that jumped out at me, didnt really read anything else worthy of response.

 

hope I was blunt and direct enough for you.

[spookyBen]

Your basically saying in PvP to make it just a big field of grass where people fight each other. Fun = Nope.

 

Theres other stuff like areas people cant get to (for example a blocked off area and you see NPC's in that area) thats part of what you want them to remove.

 

Takes up Memory

 

Theres a reason why this game requires 2012/2011 computers that have alot of memory....

 

 

Sacrifices sleep time

 

 

If you want to do a raid, then deal with it. Otherwise just dont do raids and stick to flashpoints.

 

 

If its laggy for some players, then they just need newer computers with better memory. That is the only reason that it might be laggy, either that or your computer gets way too HOT.

 

I believe I've answered all of the things you mentioned.

[Astoncam]

I think this game needs a "Molten Core". 1 operation, 10 bosses and a lot of trash. Get people something to do. One operation with events, legendary items hard to get (really hard, not swtor "hard mode").

 

Things to spend time.

[DorkTrooper]

All servers need to be PvP otherwise there is no sense of hate or competition for the opposing faction.

 

So long and thanks for all the fish, if that happens. I have zero interest in forced universal PvP. I already play that for free in RL.

Edited May 29, 2012 by DorkTrooper

[Amendial]

World PvP alone wont fix anything. They have to add the MOTIVATION to care about world PvP. Honestly even doing it over one planet is not simply enough, they need a campaign spanning 5-7 planets for world PvP and it has to have meaning. I have suggested having a very strong PvE zone associated with each planet in this campaign and to access that zone you have to have control of the PvP part of the planet. By strong i dont mean game breaking where if you cant access it you may as well log off, but something that is good enough that you dont absolutely need it, but you do want it; a good example of this is Darkness Falls in DAoC. This is a war, it should have open PvP areas and you should feel like the battle and who is winning is having an impact. Makes losing the campaign matter, perhaps have a bonus associated with each planet where if you take all of the opposing factions planets you get 20% dmg bonus and 20% exp bonus or something to that extent. It all has to center on MOTIVATION, and gear is not a great motivator.

 

On top of that they need to set up world PvP in such a way that dieing is a bad thing, make releasing and getting back to the fight a little time consuming (10 mins maybe), and at the same time release PvP skill trees that have other abliities that you can buy. Maybe you earn one PvP skill point every 5 or 10 valor levels, and these abilities can range from automatically taking you from zero force to full force/energy/heat on a 15 min CD. Or an in combat field rez for melee toons that can be used on allies on a 15 min timer (to off set the long trip back), possible 80% combat heal on a long CD, 10 Sec CC imunity ability, passive resistances to force or tech attacks...the possibilites are endless. Set the max Valor at 200 and make it damn near impossible to go from 100 valor to 200 valor in less than 2 years. Give players something they have to work a long time for.

 

Stop making PvP about gear and make it more about skill and ability management, regardless of what you do with Open PvP it will continue to flop as long as it is all about gear. Make Expertise only applicable in warzones, make a new rating called Finesse and add that to PvE gear that gives a bonus to PvE combat (basically the expertise equivalent to PvE combat) and then set both PvP and PvE sets main stats equal to each other. War Hero should mirror Rakata, Battlemaster the second tier PvE set, and Recruit should be just one step down from the first tier PvE set. In this manner you have made it where Open PvP will not rely as much on gear and will come down more to skill and ability management.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Amendial

[JimG]

These get boring. I can safely say I have beaten all the content in SWTOR and WOW at the hardest difficulty.

 

Sorry, but this is not a solvable problem. No game will ever be able to crank out end-game content fast enough to satisfy the people who spend a lot of time raiding.

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that allowing operations to be only bosses will allow the CASUAL population to raid, which was the population that SWTOR blamed for their decerase in 400k subs.

 

I'd rather see people have to put forth some effort to get the best rewards and best gear instead of just running boss-only missions. This is a game based on story and I don't think they should start compromising the structure of the game just so some people with A.D.D. can grind out operations bosses quicker.

 

All servers need to be PvP otherwise there is no sense of hate or competition for the opposing faction.

 

The majority of MMO players aren't even really into PVP. There's no need for forced PVP as PVP will always be secondary to PVE in this game. They'd be better off just creating a planet which is only for level 50s and has only PVP with no PVE content on it. Basically, what Ilum should have been in the first place minus the low level people being able to go there and minus the daily PVE quests. There should be some sort of port there from the fleet as you suggest....that's a good idea.

[sepulhead]

the moment they make all servers pvp is the moment i unsub and i have a 6 month sub and plan on renewing

[Galossj]

This post will be very blunt, and detailed. You have been warned.

We used a fleet pass to get to imperial fleet, mounted up, hoovered to our class elevator, drove to our ship door, passed a loading screen, walked through your ship to the space map, clicked the space map, clicked the area to travel to, walked back to the exit door, passed a loading screen, mounted up, clicked the speeder flypoint, and flew for about 10 minutes to get to our destination. What the hell?

 

LoL, you have explained this very well . however, it's not a problem IMHO. I like to travel trough the zones. And i like MY own ship.

[VanorDM]

All servers need to be PvP otherwise there is no sense of hate or competition for the opposing faction..

 

If this were to ever happen, SWTOR would lose well over half of it's playerbase in a single day. Most people don't want to play on PvP servers, and won't pay to play on one.

[Beaunidle]

If this were to ever happen, SWTOR would lose well over half of it's playerbase in a single day. Most people don't want to play on PvP servers, and won't pay to play on one.

 

Me for a start. If the game was all PvP servers I would never have bought it, I have zero interest in PvP and I don't understand why MMO's even have PvP.

PvP is catered to brilliantly by a myriad of team fighting games that are balanced, optimised and designed to cater to the pwnage crowd.

[jgelling]

Your basically saying in PvP to make it just a big field of grass where people fight each other. Fun = Nope.

 

I don't know - it'd be at least as good as playing more Huttball in that cramped arena with unbalanced classes for the game.

[Ashivauto]

I agree with u op except on the pve aspect for i dont care about pve at all..

With that said im lmao at some of the short sited posts like pvp shouldnt be in an mmo.... Are u serious? An mmo without pvp would suck! Itd b nothing more than a single player rpg with co-op.... Should just play xbox n that case...

Also to say things like if all servers were pvp id unsub or forced pvp shouldnt exist in a game... 1. I agree forced pvp should never happen, it should always b your choice.... 2. What i suspect the op means by the servers shouldnt b seperated is much like swg was... There were no rp or pve or pvp servers, it was just a swg server and if u wanted to pvp u flagged yourself pvp by choice, anywhere u wanted. And the only forced pvp was in an area that warned u that this was in fact a pvp only area.. and that area was the most populated in game, so to say most mmo players dont pvp isnt a fact... Alot of people pvp, just look at the wz's in this game theyre always being played...

Edited May 29, 2012 by Ashivauto

[Daethorz]

Don't make any more copys of Warzones and label it as a new warzone.

 

Civil War = Novare Coast

• 3 Nodes
  

 

Shoulda had 4 or 5, and an addition 5 or 10 people.

 

Yes, i enjoy the different ways of capturing the nodes and the landscapes, but still they are the same thing..

[DkSharktooth]

LoL, you have explained this very well . however, it's not a problem IMHO. I like to travel trough the zones. And i like MY own ship.

 

I think after the thousandth time, you wont want to make the trip anymore.

[DkSharktooth]

I agree with u op except on the pve aspect for i dont care about pve at all..

With that said im lmao at some of the short sited posts like pvp shouldnt be in an mmo.... Are u serious? An mmo without pvp would suck! Itd b nothing more than a single player rpg with co-op.... Should just play xbox n that case...

Also to say things like if all servers were pvp id unsub or forced pvp shouldnt exist in a game... 1. I agree forced pvp should never happen, it should always b your choice.... 2. What i suspect the op means by the servers shouldnt b seperated is much like swg was... There were no rp or pve or pvp servers, it was just a swg server and if u wanted to pvp u flagged yourself pvp by choice, anywhere u wanted. And the only forced pvp was in an area that warned u that this was in fact a pvp only area.. and that area was the most populated in game, so to say most mmo players dont pvp isnt a fact... Alot of people pvp, just look at the wz's in this game theyre always being played...

 

To clarify, I am not suggesting forced PvP should be required. Simply saying more areas should be susceptible to PvP activities to promote the cross-faction ongoing war.

[Ashivauto]

To clarify, I am not suggesting forced PvP should be required. Simply saying more areas should be susceptible to PvP activities to promote the cross-faction ongoing war.

 

thats what i figured but alot of posters were thinking that when you said all servers should be pvp servers that it would be forced pvp....

[MMornard]

The idea of all servers being PvP stinks worse than five feet up Jabba the Hutt's butt.

 

(Many Bothans died to bring us this information.)

[Megafstar]

Sorry, but this is not a solvable problem. No game will ever be able to crank out end-game content fast enough to satisfy the people who spend a lot of time raiding.

 

 

 

I'd rather see people have to put forth some effort to get the best rewards and best gear instead of just running boss-only missions. This is a game based on story and I don't think they should start compromising the structure of the game just so some people with A.D.D. can grind out operations bosses quicker.

 

 

 

The majority of MMO players aren't even really into PVP. There's no need for forced PVP as PVP will always be secondary to PVE in this game. They'd be better off just creating a planet which is only for level 50s and has only PVP with no PVE content on it. Basically, what Ilum should have been in the first place minus the low level people being able to go there and minus the daily PVE quests. There should be some sort of port there from the fleet as you suggest....that's a good idea.

 

A Port to Illum is a good idea. Travel times to and from planets including loading times need further improvement

[Talarchy]

Ex-WoW players make me lolz.

[DkSharktooth]

Stop making PvP about gear and make it more about skill and ability management, regardless of what you do with Open PvP it will continue to flop as long as it is all about gear.

 

Make Expertise only applicable in warzones, make a new rating called Finesse and add that to PvE gear that gives a bonus to PvE combat (basically the expertise equivalent to PvE combat) and then set both PvP and PvE sets main stats equal to each other.

 

Interesting ideas. My thoughts would be to leave the current gear progression system as is and not change a thing. Why that sounds like I am saying you need gear to beat people. Nope, I am saying that the gear cap should stay warhero for a long time, and everyone who really cares for PvP will eventually have it. It's just a time investment. The only problem I can forsee is that when 1.3 is released ALOT of people will NOT have full warhero for ranked warzones and will have a mix of WH/BM gear because it takes alot of time to grind out and in addition, alot of servers barely see Que pops right now for warzones.

 

I do like your second idea of the "finesse" rating for PvE similar to expertise in PvP but I am not so sure that it's viable. The reason being that in PvP you sacrifice your main stat for expertise. Example: full pve gear 2,000 AIM and full pvp gear 1600 aim 30% expertise.

Edited May 30, 2012 by DkSharktooth

[wolfmith]

(Miscellaneous)

Stop wasting development time on fluff patches such as "color matching", while this was a cool feature, it was put up as a priority at the wrong time in the game. Players need a community and a game to play before they need dress-up-barbie features.

 

Modeling designers (think that's how they're called) have nothing to do with content and other parts of the game. Do not complain about their work.

 

As for the rest, PvP related, World PvP has more issues than the time it takes to reach it (though it's a valid point) such as performance, zergling, faction imbalance.

 

Agree that we need different innovative WZs, being able to use vehicles would improve a lot the fun.

 

Shouldn't exist so many servers but differentiation between servers should exist. I don't want whiners to cry they were ganked at their faction base. If thy have the chance to roll on a PvE server so they can lvl in peace, leave them be.

[DkSharktooth]

Modeling designers (think that's how they're called) have nothing to do with content and other parts of the game. Do not complain about their work.

 

As for the rest, PvP related, World PvP has more issues than the time it takes to reach it (though it's a valid point) such as performance, zergling, faction imbalance.

 

Agree that we need different innovative WZs, being able to use vehicles would improve a lot the fun.

 

Shouldn't exist so many servers but differentiation between servers should exist. I don't want whiners to cry they were ganked at their faction base. If thy have the chance to roll on a PvE server so they can lvl in peace, leave them be.

Yea it seems that alot of people don't like the idea of being on a PvP server but I still feel like it creates a sense of danger and excitement. It's not like they lose anything for dying.