Same gender relationships clarifications?

[Tatile]

No idea since not one of the actual people that are in charge are willing to take 5 minutes and give us real updates on SGRA content.

 

Oh, but they do care and they are working on they just can't tell you about it but I'm sure you'll just love it and won't it be darling?

 

Isn't it terrible when they can't even take the time to be patronizing?

 

 

Also, Natashina, no offense taken, just trying to un-muddle what I meant.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Tatile

[natashina]

Oh, but they do care and they are working on they just can't tell you about it but I'm sure just love it and won't it be darling?

 

Isn't it terrible when they can't even take the time to be patronizing?

 

I must admit I had a big chuckle when I read that(you do a wonderful job of conveying sarcasm via text and the gold color was a great touch.) The funniest things in life tend to be the truest in my experience. I personally agree with every word in the post. Plus, I'll admit that quotes from 6-12 months ago are losing weight day by day. Vague answers aren't going to cut it, yet if we push too hard they'll shut down even further. I really wish we'd get a sign other than a "yes yes, we're going to do it, please shut up now."

 

 

Also, Natashina, no offense taken, just trying to un-muddle what I meant.

 

Thanks, and I certainly see your point.

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[natashina]

Captain and Uluain: Thanks for the welcome back. Good to see ya guys are still playing too.

[Baptes]

After a few minutes of digging, Erickson simply said, "Actively looking for new opportunities," on his LinkedIn profile. While it doesn't look good, I'll retain my doubts as to whether or not he's leaving the company altogether.

 

http://www.gamefront.com/swtor-lead-designer-erickson-actively-looking-for-new-opportunities/

 

Would I be surprised if he left? With wording like that, no. Until it's confirmed that he's leaving/going to be let go, I'll stand by the quote. If he does leave, I'll ask you guys what I should do with that particular quote.

 

Even if he did leave, I'm actually not too concerned about the future of SGRs. Now, if I see a mass exodus of the writing team, then I know the writing is going to suffer. Gotta love the "wait and see" game.

I believe that I read a large chunk of their writing staff are gone/soon to be gone. Not sure where I read that, but it was around the same time that rumors of Erickson leaving started up.

 

The simple fact that we have no idea who is doing what anymore, let alone what (if any) story content is actively being worked on is...disconcerting.

 

I feel if F2P isn't a huge success, EA will do what it always does. Either shut down the game, or go to full on maintenance mode like Warhammer (3 devs total). And if that happens on the same timeline everything else has happened with SWTOR, we'll know sometime next year.

 

What with all the troubles this game has, I can't help but imagine SGRA will get left by the wayside.

 

Dang, I'm just getting all maudlin.

[Tatile]

Free2Play really will be the make or break for this game, which is really, really sad. I still maintain that this game should have achieved so much more than it has, that it could have been a game with 2 million subscribers, but it got rushed out and has only had half-arsed support since.

 

Story content is their most expensive part of the game and it's the thing that's most likely to get cut with 'maintenance mode' because it's different to what every other game has.

[Uluain]

I'll admit that quotes from 6-12 months ago are losing weight day by day. Vague answers aren't going to cut it, yet if we push too hard they'll shut down even further. I really wish we'd get a sign other than a "yes yes, we're going to do it, please shut up now."

 

A point I tried to raise once I had gotten Joveth's attention, and one that I am glad to see reiterated. It is understandable to hear "we don't have anything new for you on this since the guild summit", but it is not satisfactory. There are good reasons for concerns arising since the guild summit, not to mention points of clarification which have never been addressed but have remained unspecified for over a year (e.g. will SGRs be available with existing companions).

 

I like this game. I do. But just as F2P may make or break it for EA/BioWare, how this issue is handled will make or break it for me.

[Tatile]

A point I tried to raise once I had gotten Joveth's attention, and one that I am glad to see reiterated. It is understandable to hear "we don't have anything new for you on this since the guild summit", but it is not satisfactory.

 

Six months and they haven't got anything new? I have to be honest here, they're either lying or have the single worst story based development I've ever seen. They can't even define whether or not they've progressed in development since release.

 

That's like being given a shed to put up and six months later going "yes, that's a box with a shed in it."

[natashina]

Free2Play really will be the make or break for this game, which is really, really sad. I still maintain that this game should have achieved so much more than it has, that it could have been a game with 2 million subscribers, but it got rushed out and has only had half-arsed support since.

 

Story content is their most expensive part of the game and it's the thing that's most likely to get cut with 'maintenance mode' because it's different to what every other game has.

 

I concur. F2P will make or break SWTOR, and if it fails, then I don't expect much in the way of story. By the time my sub would run out(signed up til about the 11th of December,) the fate of ToR(and the story) will be shown. I'm holding out a lot of hope that people will come back if it's free to play. I'm also hoping I don't see that rumored mass exodus of the writing team as well.

 

Since the subject of F2P came up, I don't consider the game going F2P entirely a sign of doom and gloom. I've been doing a lot of digging during the summer, and it seems the S2P(subscription to play) model is going out. There are some pretty good F2P games out there; for example, while I'm not into world PVP, I have heard surprisingly good things about GW2 since it launched(from the players. I really don't trust most sites like gamespot to be more objective in their reviews.) In my opinion, more and more people don't want to have to keep up a subscription just to play. They may wish to play the game and have a lot of interest, but can't afford the money/the hassle. They can play at their leisure and they are relieved of the pressure of sub payments("Did I put a stop on my account?") So that in itself isn't a bad thing.

 

It is a bad thing that so much in the game is hanging on by a thread though.

 

Edited to add: If the writing team leaves and there is more microtransactions than content, I'll know the game is done. I've seen it happen with other mmos as well. I'm going to hold out some cautious hope though that this game doesn't go down the Dark Side of the Gaming Force.

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[Uluain]

Six months and they haven't got anything new? I have to be honest here, they're either lying or have the single worst story based development I've ever seen. They can't even define whether or not they've progressed in development since release.

 

Rather say that the community team (which mostly means Joveth & Allison) have been given nothing they can tell us. Why that is, I can only speculate, but my disposition doesn't get any sweeter while I do. Yes, someone surely knows more than has been told. Why they are sitting on this information I can only guess, but it's not helping.

[Tatile]

Much like the ghetto nature of the SGRA discussion, it's likely a misguided attempt at avoided drama that has become a self-perpetuating nightmare. The hush-hush secrecy has gone on so long that they now know that openly talking about SGRA's will cause the drama they're attempting to avoid, but they likely don't know how to handle the drama.

[natashina]

Much like the ghetto nature of the SGRA discussion, it's likely a misguided attempt at avoided drama that has become a self-perpetuating nightmare. The hush-hush secrecy has gone on so long that they now know that openly talking about SGRA's will cause the drama they're attempting to avoid, but they likely don't know how to handle the drama.

 

I must say this is QFT. I don't think they knew from the beginning how to handle the reactions that was rise if they had put SGRs in from the start. When things still looked much rosier. Now they are so cautious about this game being shut down, they are afraid of driving people away again. I feel bad for the people at BW...I loathe to say it, but I've seen this from EA before.

 

Had to go with a Jawa frown. I feel there is few things as sad as a depressed Jawa. Except a depressed basset hound.

 

If the game really fails, then you know any progress on SGRs would be the first to go. Too controversial.

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[natashina]

Heh, I wanted to add this. A version of the quote in my sig I'm thinking about changing to:

 

Impatience leads to grumpiness, grumpiness leads to trolling, and trolling by the devs... leads to people voting with their wallets.

 

I refuse to give up though. I want EA to be reminded, as well as the gaming community as a whole, to realize this isn't the boogeyman they fear. Yet without acknowledgement on the part of the development team to us or in the press(since March anyway), there won't be any progress in the arena of LGBT content in online games.

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[Captain_Zone]

Free2Play really will be the make or break for this game, which is really, really sad. I still maintain that this game should have achieved so much more than it has, that it could have been a game with 2 million subscribers, but it got rushed out and has only had half-arsed support since.

 

Story content is their most expensive part of the game and it's the thing that's most likely to get cut with 'maintenance mode' because it's different to what every other game has.

 

I've seen this before with EA. 10 years ago with Earth & Beyond. WestWood was on the chopping block that time, thanks to EA's unrealistic demands and expectations. They ended up gutting WestWood rather than let them have the leeway they needed and they seem to be doing the same to BioWare now. A few years back when EA bought BioWare, I was afraid that something like this would happen. I hate it when I'm right about this stuff.

[Baptes]

Rather say that the community team (which mostly means Joveth & Allison) have been given nothing they can tell us. Why that is, I can only speculate, but my disposition doesn't get any sweeter while I do. Yes, someone surely knows more than has been told. Why they are sitting on this information I can only guess, but it's not helping.

Yes. No one can blame the CMs for not giving us info. It's all on the devs (maybe. they do seem kinda...arrogant sometimes) or more likely (from what I've read from former employees' statements) marketing heads. Perhaps they think SGRA isn't monetize-able enough to be worth mentioning and maybe talking about it might lose them money... somehow somewhere.

 

Seriously, I just don't get the whole curtain of silence thing. It isn't like we're talking about nuclear launch codes here, it's some story content in a MMO. To paraphrase Austin Powers: "Throw us a freakin bone here people!"

[natashina]

Heya Captain!

 

I want to ask you(and the rest of the more veteran posters as well): Do you think it's another telling sign that we are at over 140 pages and hasn't been locked and redirected by a diligent moderator? That is one of those smaller signs on a much lower scale that makes me seriously question the fate of SGRs in general.

 

Am I just reading too much into this?

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[Captain_Zone]

Heya Captain!

 

I want to ask you(and the rest of the more veteran posters as well): Do you think it's another telling sign that we are at over 140 pages and hasn't been locked and redirected by a diligent moderator? That is one of those smaller signs on a much lower scale that makes me seriously question the fate of SGRs in general.

 

Am I just reading too much into this?

 

I think they either laid off some of the moderators or decided that it was too much trouble to keep making new threads.

[Kioma]

Heya Captain!

 

I want to ask you(and the rest of the more veteran posters as well): Do you think it's another telling sign that we are at over 140 pages and hasn't been locked and redirected by a diligent moderator? That is one of those smaller signs on a much lower scale that makes me seriously question the fate of SGRs in general.

 

Am I just reading too much into this?

 

It's happening right across the forums, apparently. Most seem to assume it's a change in policy. I wouldn't be too worried; posts get trimmed with regularity when the trolls come a-trollin'.

[Captain_Zone]

It's happening right across the forums, apparently. Most seem to assume it's a change in policy. I wouldn't be too worried; posts get trimmed with regularity when the trolls come a-trollin'.

 

True. I noticed that whenever some numbnuts comes in here with some "I'm gonna QQ emoRAGE/quit if they put in SGRAs!!!!" crap that they end up getting removed fairly quickly.

[natashina]

It's happening right across the forums, apparently. Most seem to assume it's a change in policy. I wouldn't be too worried; posts get trimmed with regularity when the trolls come a-trollin'.

 

True. I noticed that whenever some numbnuts comes in here with some "I'm gonna QQ emoRAGE/quit if they put in SGRAs!!!!" crap that they end up getting removed fairly quickly.

 

Ah, thanks for the info guys. I guess I was starting to let all that melancholy and gloomy talk go to my head.

 

Also, when I read the bolded part of your post Captain, I pictured it in Machoman Randy Savage's voice.

Edited September 15, 2012 by natashina

[Uluain]

Where they can be civil, I am more than happy to go through the issue point by point with them, but it is remarkable how seldom they are able to convey their opinions without falling afoul of the Rules of Conduct.

 

But the point is well-made: the community team have always kept this thread clear of that sort of thing, and if in order to do so, they need to confine the discussion to a single thread (as was finally explained to us to be in fact the case), then I can accept that.

 

But to further say (as Joveth did, in defending the practice) that it's forum-wide policy for all redundant threads is preposterous. Or, it may well be policy, but it is not widely applied other than in our particular case. If you doubt me, go up to the search window and enter the keywords "chat bubbles", "paid transfer" or "companion romance".

 

Yes, this is a controversial topic. But it was controversial long before BioWare decided to take a stand on the matter by determining to include SGRs. Not talking about it, and restricting where we can talk about it, is not helping matters at all in any larger sense, so while I appreciate them sweeping up the rubbish, I don't think it's beyond the bounds of reason to expect more.

[natashina]

Just wanted to clarify, that when I said, "They haven't been giving any information," I should have said, "They haven't allowed any moderators, ect to release the information." They, in this case, being the devs and/or marketing team.

 

Also, thinking about having only one SGR thread...well, I think this is the case because there is of a lot of chuckleheads out there that would start hate threads and it would force the mods to keep closing them. By keeping everyone right here, we can continue to breathe/flag/report any offense posts rather than the mods having to track them all over the forum boards.

Edited September 16, 2012 by natashina

[natashina]

After some sleep, I was thinking of an idea for the possible companion quest reset that has been kicked around here. I think everyone should get 1 reset per toon per server. For example, I'm going to make my Jugg into a lesbian, for several rp reasons(one of which being Vette* > Quinn in my humble opinion) and I get one free reset. If I change my mind, and go for Jaesa* instead after my free reset, perhaps there should be some kind of in-game fee after that. I thought of it the way that the game scales up for skill tree resets;(this is just examples of prices) but first hit's free, second one is 10k cred, the third is 50k cred and so on. That way everyone can get a free reset on companion quests, hopefully no one feels like it would be pay for gay, and it would also allow some more money to be taken out of the economy.

 

Thoughts?

 

* If available for SGR romance.

Edited September 16, 2012 by natashina

[Uluain]

After some sleep, I was thinking of an idea for the possible companion quest reset that has been kicked around here. I think everyone should get 1 reset per toon per server... That way everyone can get a free reset on companion quests, hopefully no one feels like it would be pay for gay, and it would also allow some more money to be taken out of the economy.

 

Thoughts?

 

Sounds fine by me. The only hitch I can see is looking at XP gains from the companion stories, but then one already gets XP for repeating PvE content, so why not?

[natashina]

Sounds fine by me. The only hitch I can see is looking at XP gains from the companion stories, but then one already gets XP for repeating PvE content, so why not?

 

I figured that they could let the player keep whatever exp is gained from those companion quests. If the player decides to reset it at that point, they wouldn't get exp from the quests they had done before. They would get exp for any new companion quests they take after that though. That way it could prevent some players from abusing the system just to get more exp.

[stormdrakelord]

After some sleep, I was thinking of an idea for the possible companion quest reset that has been kicked around here. I think everyone should get 1 reset per toon per server. For example, I'm going to make my Jugg into a lesbian, for several rp reasons(one of which being Vette* > Quinn in my humble opinion) and I get one free reset. If I change my mind, and go for Jaesa* instead after my free reset, perhaps there should be some kind of in-game fee after that. I thought of it the way that the game scales up for skill tree resets;(this is just examples of prices) but first hit's free, second one is 10k cred, the third is 50k cred and so on. That way everyone can get a free reset on companion quests, hopefully no one feels like it would be pay for gay, and it would also allow some more money to be taken out of the economy.

 

Thoughts?

 

* If available for SGR romance.

 

Make it level 50 and you would be good.