Interview with Bioware (Gamescom)

[Gabrandt]

Thank you for translating, Suzina.

[Andryah]

look i know you guys think F2P will bring in tons of players but with the system requirements of this game that's just not going to happen.

 

At launch, I would have agreed with you. Note how much energy they put into the first 6 months improving the game performance for lower end systems, often to the vocal anxiety of the super game-boxers. Remember all those threads??

 

This game actually can play on a half way decent laptop these days. Which means it will play on most middle aged desktops. Not to super gamer box performance, but then again, we are talking about drawing in more players that are not min-max performance pushers right?

 

F2P games only thrive when they can bring in older, lower powered systems. no one is going to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade their systems for a free to play game and this game does not work well on lower powered, older systems.

 

A generalization that will be true in some cases, not true in many cases given the current settings flexibility of the game client. So there is plenty of headroom for middle range and middle aged systems. AND it's free for them to give it a spin and see. If it plays, they will play.

[Sith-Viscera]

Well they better start doing more solo stuff cause how long has team rank been out now and i still haven't been apart of a team rank group and its not from a lack of trying, i have all the comms and credits needed to buy crap with but i cant cause i don't have war ranking points or what ever they are called but now if they had solo rankings i wouldn't have to worry about it, so Bioware you better get solo activities and give equal priority or i'll be joining the others on that fast train out of this town of SWTOR...................

[Soluss]

There are many ways to out level another player in this game. That is self-evident.

 

Are those all P-2-W too??? No, they are not, and you know it.

 

Pick a negative argument about the game that you can win, IMO.

 

Of course it isnt. There currently, is no way to pay to out level someone.

[Erishumlol]

At launch, I would have agreed with you. Note how much energy they put into the first 6 months improving the game performance for lower end systems, often to the vocal anxiety of the super game-boxers. Remember all those threads??

 

This game actually can play on a half way decent laptop these days. Which means it will play on most middle aged desktops. Not to super gamer box performance, but then again, we are talking about drawing in more players that are not min-max performance pushers right?

 

 

 

A generalization that will be true in some cases, not true in many cases given the current settings flexibility of the game client. So there is plenty of headroom for middle range and middle aged systems. AND it's free for them to give it a spin and see. If it plays, they will play.

 

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=227621

[Andryah]

Thank you for translating, Suzina.

 

The translation should be stickied by the mods IMO. There is a lot of good feedback in here. Maybe Bioware will publish an official translation of it for us (or just cut and paste this goodness by Suzina).

 

The downside is the more feedback shared, the more distortiona and conflation that gets tacked to it, but that's fine as we can also point all of that out too.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Andryah

[Emeda]

For your conflation to be accurate, both parties would have to play identical curves of play time and play content. Which as I said (and you ignored) only really happens between people who play 100% together (and who would either both forgoe any xp boost, or both go for it SINCE THEY PLAY TOGETHER 100% of the time, and level TOGETHER).

 

You are trying too hard to make it about P-2-W. It's just not there.

 

Your trying too hard to say its not there but even in what I quoted you just admitted that it is there.

 

Two people that do exactly the same thing with the only difference being buying the XP boost from the cash shops and therefor leveling quicker is a definite example of P2W.

 

It doesnt matter if the likelyhood of it happening is a billion to one its still P2W which you are admitting too but using that it would be rare as a reason to ignore it.

[Jnight]

look i know you guys think F2P will bring in tons of players but with the system requirements of this game that's just not going to happen.

Not sure on this. Grant it its a custom build with a proper graphics card, but my system is from mid 2008 using best bang for your buck components (total system cost about $1500 not including any optical drives) and runs this game well with everything except shadows on high. Seems pretty accessible to me.

[Urael]

No, because if you play the same amount of time one is greatly advancing over the other. You are actually proving my point by saying this.

 

No.

 

Has nothing to do with "skill level" actual or gear influance only "time played". Logic for the win.

 

But hey walk on four legs not on two right? Everyone must be the same.

 

It has begun ..

 

"NERF EXP GAIN NAO"

 

QQ in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

[DarthTHC]

No.

 

Has nothing to do with "skill level" actual or gear influance only "time played". Logic for the win.

 

But hey walk on four legs not on two right? Everyone must be the same.

 

It has begun ..

 

"NERF EXP GAIN NAO"

 

QQ in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

You're really stretching there. Nobody's saying nerf exp gain. Though wouldn't it be interesting if EA nerfed exp gain after releasing an XP gain buff into the cartel coin market...

[CorellianWannabe]

People who are saying an XP Boost is Pay 2 win... You my friends are quite sad. The time it takes to level to 50 does not affect anyone but yourself...... Really people?

 

And me buying raid-quality gear doesn't affect anyone but me-so is pay to win gear only a problem in warzones? Unlikely as a lot pf players get to top tier pvp gear without playing particularly well-either due to class imbalances or simply being carried by the groups they join.

 

So what's the problem with buying gear then?

[Soluss]

No.

 

Has nothing to do with "skill level" actual or gear influance only "time played". Logic for the win.

 

But hey walk on four legs not on two right? Everyone must be the same.

 

It has begun ..

 

"NERF EXP GAIN NAO"

 

QQ in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

K.. go one on one with a level 20 vs a level 40 and see what the outcome is.

 

If you could buy levels would you consider it P2W?

[Andryah]

Of course it isnt. There currently, is no way to pay to out level someone.

 

Right, you play to outlevel others in this game. You have a number of xp boost abilities available to you as a subscriber. When the shop opens, you STILL have to PLAY to outlevel others in this game. You will have one additional xp boost abilty available to you. Non-subs will only have that one ability unless they buy all the others that subs get for free.

 

NOW, if they let you buy actual XP in the shop, you know.. where you get levels without playing the game, maybe you have a P-2-W scenario. But we all know that's not what they are going to do.

[Andryah]

If you could buy levels would you consider it P2W?

 

More conflation. Nowhere is there any evidence they are going to sell levels.

[Urael]

K.. go one on one with a level 20 vs a level 40 and see what the outcome is.

 

If you could buy levels would you consider it P2W?

 

Apples and oranges again with your logic.

 

If someone gets to level X faster than another no matter if its by time played, or exp boost perks. The END outcome is the same. One does not have a distinct advantage in game play over the other. P2Win is when someone has a distinct advantage in game play ( more specifically PvP usually ) which has NOTHING to do with time played.

 

To counter, say I am more EXPERIENCED gamer than you. We play the same amount of real time but I level faster than you becasue I know how to optimize my play experience. Am I cheating?

[Jnight]

And me buying raid-quality gear doesn't affect anyone but me-so is pay to win gear only a problem in warzones?

It does affect others comparative performance through 'raid' zones.

 

World firsts are apparently a big deal (not to me but to those who care) and so when you get people getting world firsts with paid for gear vs others who used only gear found in game you get into a grey area of who really deserves the title.

 

Personally to me its a game I play to have fun. I don't care if others around me pay for gear, but it shouldn't be the top gear. Maybe the 2nd from the top teir so people can get into the end game if they wanna pay for it, but never be as good (gear wise) as those who work for it.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Jnight

[Andryah]

And me buying raid-quality gear doesn't affect anyone but me-so is pay to win gear only a problem in warzones? Unlikely as a lot pf players get to top tier pvp gear without playing particularly well-either due to class imbalances or simply being carried by the groups they join.

 

So what's the problem with buying gear then?

 

In reality, until it's Player vs Player.... there is no Pay-2-Win scenario in my opinion because that is the only place where you can actually "win" in and MMO.

 

However, many raiders are very passionate about the time they put into a game for gear progression and do not want to see anybody able to catch them, or leap frog them, without putting in the same grind. I'm not sure I agree with them, but I see their point. Raiding is core to may guild social systems, and selling raid gear in the shop offers to do harm to guild dynamics, so I can see not doing this as it has wide ranging potential impacts.

 

For PvP, if you sell top end gear, then you are doing Pay-2-Win to a certain extent (they still need skillz too). One could argue however that since many players are already fully geared and enjoy camping and stomping people in newb gear in PvP, one could argue it mitigates PvP griefing, but I don't buy into that. PvP is where P-2-W is relevant and needs to be 100% avoided IMO.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Andryah

[Urael]

However, many raiders are very passionate about the time they put into a game for gear progression and do not want to see anybody able to catch them, or leap frog them, without out putting in the same grind. I'm not sure I agree with them, but I see their point. Raiding is core to may guild social systems, and selling raid gear in the shop offers to do harm to guild dynamics, so I can see not doing this as it has wide ranging potential impacts.

 

To add to this part of what Andryah wrote. If one can buy gear that helps them perform better there is a potential that a person may not learn to play their class as well as someone who had to put the time into earning the gear. They become a potential liability to a Raid.

 

Remember the whole Ebay Warriors Kerfuffle in WoW back in the day? Similar effect.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Urael

[Andryah]

To add to this part of what Andryah wrote. If one can buy gear that helps them perform better there is a potential that a person may not learn to play their class as well as someone who had to put the time into earning the gear. They become a potential liability to a Raid.

 

Remember the whole Ebay Warriors Kerfuffle in WoW back in the day? Similar effect.

 

Excellent point, and very valid!

[Dansu]

Nice to see someone asking something other than softball questions like all the US based fan sites do.

 

They are all too scared that Bioware won't talk to them ever again to ask anything important.

 

Also good to see BW actually answering some of these.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Dansu

[Soluss]

Right, you play to outlevel others in this game. You have a number of xp boost abilities available to you as a subscriber. When the shop opens, you STILL have to PLAY to outlevel others in this game. You will have one additional xp boost abilty available to you. Non-subs will only have that one ability unless they buy all the others that subs get for free.

 

NOW, if they let you buy actual XP in the shop, you know.. where you get levels without playing the game, maybe you have a P-2-W scenario. But we all know that's not what they are going to do.

 

If you run 50% xp potions, full time... how many levels did you get for free? What if they were 100% boosts, as I have seen those in some games. If you run 100% xp boosts then you are effectively buying 25 levels.

[Urael]

If you run 50% xp potions, full time... how many levels did you get for free? What if they were 100% boosts, as I have seen those in some games. If you run 100% xp boosts then you are effectively buying 25 levels.

 

100% exp boost is already built into the game. If someone can optimize their play time well, they can run this entire game AT FULL 100% level gain from strategically resting in cantinas.

 

Non-issue. Next.

 

But, you answered my question I posed to you that if one is more experience in knowledge of playing MMORPGs you feel they are cheating because they know how to optimize thier play time.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Urael

[Jnight]

If you run 50% xp potions, full time... how many levels did you get for free? What if they were 100% boosts, as I have seen those in some games. If you run 100% xp boosts then you are effectively buying 25 levels.

So people get to end game ("where the game begins") faster and rob themselves of the story that (while I enjoy) everyone complains is nothing but crappy repeating side quests.

 

XP Boost is a good option for alts.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Jnight

[Technohic]

speeding up XP and leveling faster, especially allowing new players to do things faster.... ... well, that's not exactly pay-to-win. And we would never do pay to win.

 

 

Translated: They are willing to put stuff on the cash shop that speeds up XP gain.

 

Anyone here think that's Pay-to-win?

 

I do. But it would be a stupid purchase, so I have heard recently.

[Soluss]

Apples and oranges again with your logic.

 

If someone gets to level X faster than another no matter if its by time played, or exp boost perks. The END outcome is the same. One does not have a distinct advantage in game play over the other. P2Win is when someone has a distinct advantage in game play ( more specifically PvP usually ) which has NOTHING to do with time played.

 

So then the same could be said for gear. If you buy WH gear then its not P2W? I mean you can still play and get it in game right? Thats the logic you are using here.

To counter, say I am more EXPERIENCED gamer than you. We play the same amount of real time but I level faster than you becasue I know how to optimize my play experience. Am I cheating?

 

To counter lets say you are a more EXPERIENCED gamer than me. We play the same amount if real time but I level faster then you still, because I paid to.

 

Answer the question... is buying levels P2W to you?