Gathering Datacrons

[Shainra]

So basically......cause your computer sucks...you suck at pvp....or you just cant play altogether....make getting datacrons easy for you? WoW. Why not just ask BioWare to start out out with the additional stats without having to go and get them.....over and over? Give me a break.

 

You are completely entitled to your own opinion. However, there is no need to insult me simply because mine is different. I appreciate everyone has a different view of the matter. And if you enjoy the way datacrons are now, then just say that and your point is made. I don't suck at PvP, in fact I do quite well. I am by no means the ultimate-top-best-world's-greatest player, but I can hold my own.

 

It seems some people didn't understand what I was trying to say in my original post. I'm not asking to be handed the stats and shards. Quite the opposite. I want it to remain challenging, however, I don't think having the datacron gathering be exclusionary toward people with higher latency or lower frame rates is the way to go. I'm sure there are ways to make finding datacrons just as difficult without it being nigh impossible for some people (I'm not saying just for me, I can usually get to them, but depending on time of day and other factors, my latency can be high enough for the game to almost never register a jump when I go leaping over that cliff).

 

As a matter of fact, there are some datacrons I really liked. Like the one on Dromand Kaas that requires two people, and likewise the one on Taris. It can be challenging, require help, or someplace out of the way that you might just stumble across... but it doesn't have to take hours and a perfect latency to get.

 

I just believe excluding some people because their computers meet the minimum spec requirements rather than exceeding the maximum is a fallacy. I'm sorry if what I said earlier was unclear. I certainly don't want to be handed anything, I simply want things to actually be achievable through skill or knowledge, rather than relying on buggy mechanics.

[Atayin]

What I want to know is, why are jedi and sith doing little bunny hops? But they can force jump to distant enemies lol. And hello... the bounty hunter has a jet pack, but it's only used for certain jump-up-and-fire-rockets attacks.

 

Wow, great point. It is kind of ridiculous, isn't it? Facepalm-worthy, even.

[Tarkus]

I brought this up on the beta boards and as expected 95% of the responses were negative. The best one to me though was the one that said none of the datacrons should require you to run and jump like an italian plumber. I agree OP and I actually cancelled my CE order. As release drew closer I ended up reordering it though. I will now be participating in the 12 months of paid beta that begins on 1/20/12. There really has not been a good open world exploration scenario in an MMO since AC.

 

Tarkus

[TradewindNQ]

I brought this up on the beta boards and as expected 95% of the responses were negative. The best one to me though was the one that said none of the datacrons should require you to run and jump like an italian plumber. I agree OP and I actually cancelled my CE order. As release drew closer I ended up reordering it though. I will now be participating in the 12 months of paid beta that begins on 1/20/12. There really has not been a good open world exploration scenario in an MMO since AC.

 

Tarkus

 

lol you cancelled your CE over optional content that's only limited by your ineptitude. I hope you're not on my server, or if you are you're Republic.

[Axethales]

You tube shows how to get all the datacrons.

 

I agree with the OP. My wife fell and was like F* it while trying to get the one on Taris inside the sewer pipe that is like playing Mario Bros trying to get to.

[Flowerslayer]

It's like my worst nightmare. Well, unhelpful complaining remark out of the way, I'll explain why I feel that way. I apologize if this has been posted before, there's currently no search function for me to check with, and I scrolled back a few pages and didn't see anything.

 

First off, if I wanted to play a platforming game, I would. Part of the biggest problem with many of these datacrons is gathering them requires perfect movement of the character. Unfortunately when playing an MMO things like lag, low frame rate, pulling mobs from strange places (I aggro'd several packs of mobs while trying to platform hop across an awning 20 ft overhead, I died since I couldn't hit them, but they could hit me), PvP, and dozens of other factors makes it a lesson in frustration. I personally would rather have to kill 1000 elite mobs than hop another platform. Why? Because I know I will eventually be able to kill those mobs even if it takes a loooong time, while platform hopping is about 80% luck, and no guarantee you'll ever get up there. I've gotten to the end of a 20min platform hop only to lag out, the game not register my "jump" and fell to my death more than once.

 

Second, I know people will say datacrons are "optional". However, that is a lie we tell ourselves to sleep at night, I know I've used it. At the end of the day, when you want to be competitive you need every little stat you can milk out. In PvP or PvE. I would much prefer to see the reward from datacrons changed to real vanity items, like non-combat pets, mounts, titles, or various other things so that they really are an optional timesink.

 

Finally, I'd love to see datacron boosts and the shards gotten shared across all characters on an account. Doing them once is mildly interesting and infuriating. Gathering them 8 times (at minimum if I plan on seeing all class quests as we've been encouraged to do) is... well... disheartening to put it mildly. It would probably make me feel a whole lot better if, as I'm doing this terrible, infuriating thing that makes me just want to hurl my computer into the drywall like a SNES controller, I knew I would never have to do it again.

 

Obviously the above are just my opinions. They are not meant to be whiny or a demand to make the game easier. I would be perfectly happy to have gathering the datacrons remain a challenge, I just find myself occasionally asking myself "Am I really having fun?" while doing these things. And most of the time when it comes to datacron gathering, I find myself answering "No". Which seems to be counter intuitive in a game made for entertainment. But I force myself to keep going because I don't want to be at a disadvantage in the long run. I honestly believe there must be a way to make datacron gathering rewarding, challenging, but much more fun.

 

Other than this and one or two minor things I know will be fixed in due time, the game is absolutely fantastic and when I'm not bunny-hopping platforms and tight roping across pipes, I'm having a blast. Well done BioWare.

 

I cant say this without being a total douche, so sorry in advance. I think lag or the fact that you have trouble getting to the datacrons is a bigger concern than that +1-2 stat change for your character.

 

What I mean is that the small improvement from the datacron isnt going to be a make it or break it factor when you do endgame. Lag or lack of brain activity however will.

[Atayin]

lol you cancelled your CE over optional content that's only limited by your ineptitude. I hope you're not on my server, or if you are you're Republic.

 

Hey, now. Don't be that way. He's actually contributing with a good point.

 

I'm sure there were other factors involved in canceling. And the fact that there is so much optional content involving gameplay mechanics that haven't been properly polished is understandably disconcerting to some people.

 

This is a valid problem that can be improved on by fixing Jump. Nothing wrong in acknowledging an obvious flaw.

[Moondragon]

From my own personal experiences and opinion, I've had no problem getting to them as of yet and I actually like that they're completely hidden away. Maybe that's just from a "Lore" perspective. They're not SUPPOSED to be easy to find.

 

However, with that being said, I didn't realize they were also being used as a way to "Explore the world".

Uh...No. Not a very good exploration tool because some are hidden TOO well.

I agree whole heartily that they shouldn't be used from that aspect. I like the idea of having some NPC tell you about such-and-such location and there might be the promise of maybe a "bigger" security chest (i.e. treasure), or a higher XP bonus for really out of the way points (Codex Updates with big xp), or some other type of "reward" system...but to use the datacrons? Meh. It would've been cool to even have some hints to some far away points on the map and then at a few of those locations is a Clue to say...a REAL Holocron (i.e. Old school treasure hunting). That would definitely make me explore the maps more.

 

I agree though, competitive people will hunt for every freaking one of these...but I've always hated Elitests in mmo's...so I personally don't care. I collect them because, as one of the other posters said, I'm a completist.

[AeonWeapon]

You tube shows how to get all the datacrons.

 

Link please

[yomanaaiton]

Personally, I'd like it if the datacrons were a bit more varied. In most cases you need to do some platforming to get them, or, rarely, some exploration. It would be cool if you could get them from other random encounters as well, for instance finding a totally random NPC with a quest in the middle of nowhere and such.

 

But anyway, they are optional and they are implemented better than I thought they would be. The platforming mechanics can suck at times, but I've seen worse.

[Atayin]

I guess you could say I was "in the zone", focused entirely on completing missions in Justicar Territory on Coruscant. Tunnel-vision. I have a habit of turning fun things into a chore.

 

When, suddenly- in my peripheral- I notice playernames bobbing up and down behind background objects. So, naturally, my curiosity is piqued and I had to investigate.

 

What I find leads me into an area I never noticed was there... The platforming was needlessly tough due to the Jumping latency, but it was a welcomed break from what I was doing. I was very impressed something like this existed in TOR. After several tries, I nailed it. The other players were still struggling by the time I moved on...

 

The Datacron features are great. But, I think it's the jump mechanic that needs to be fixed. That's all. I like jumping around like a plumber even if it doesn't make sense (the force, jetpacks, etc.). But that's me. I think its a fun feature.

[carnac_fett]

The datacrons need to be put in better places.

 

I've only run into the ones on the four starter planets but the placement of some is ridiculous.

 

There's one on Ord Mantell that requires you to run down this really long beach populated entirely by friendly lizard NPCs. No mobs, no quests, no interesting scenery. Just run down this barren beach, find the datacron behind the volcano, and run back to civilization.

 

It's a stupid timesink. There's no reason for anyone to go back there. To find it, you either need to look up the location online or dedicate yourself to spending hours exploring the most barren, out-of-the-way corners of the world.

Edited December 19, 2011 by carnac_fett

[Shainra]

I cant say this without being a total douche, so sorry in advance. I think lag or the fact that you have trouble getting to the datacrons is a bigger concern than that +1-2 stat change for your character.

 

What I mean is that the small improvement from the datacron isnt going to be a make it or break it factor when you do endgame. Lag or lack of brain activity however will.

 

Well, the jerk bit aside , I agree, one +2 stat change doesn't make much of a difference... but 80 +2 stat changes does. They add up. Not to mention gear between levels only changes by slightly more than that. That +2 bonus is more than it seems.

 

I'll also admit, while I want the bonuses so I won't be lagging behind, I'm also something of a completionist and mildly OCD. I can't stand having that blank spot in the middle of numbers 1-80. Yes, I know that "that's my problem, I should deal with it". But why make gathering these little buggers so latency dependent that it stops some people from ever getting them. Lag in PvP is bad, but is usually deal-with-able under normal circumstances. Platform hopping, however, is not. It is far more unforgiving. Even just minor changes, making platforms and pipes a bit bigger, narrowing the gaps just a bit, and smoothing out the jump feature itself would make for a vast improvement to this system.

 

All that said, it's quite possible I just lack the brain activity to hit a couple of buttons in the right order. But I doubt it. After all my mother always told me I was special, and she wouldn't lie to me, right?

[CKNairb]

In all fairness you can see the datacrons from a crapload distance away ( the one on dromund in the elite area you can see from Max Draw away )

 

So have to explore and do stupid stuff to get to them ( another is on a big rock that have to jump a barrier and tomb raider to get it )

 

( have all datacrons from dromund Kaas, korriban, and hutta ) will be getting Balmorra when I'm done with the quests there which should be soon as think have 1 or 2 quests and finished main story quest

Edited December 19, 2011 by CKNairb

[Atayin]

It's a stupid timesink. There's no reason for anyone to go back there. To find it, you either need to look up the location online or dedicate yourself to spending hours exploring the most barren, out-of-the-way corners of the world.

 

See, that's what I like, though.

 

I plan on returning to previous planets with a decent mount for that very reason. The Datacrons give incentive to come back and explore instead of just grinding all the time. Frankly, I'm glad there are so many diversions.

 

I think it just depends on your approach to them.

[HelluvaJedi]

There's nothing wrong with making things difficult.

 

I've already outleveled my questing areas, SOMETHING has to be a challenge.

[Shainra]

In all fairness you can see the datacrons from a crapload distance away ( the one on dromund in the elite area you can see from Max Draw away )

 

Seeing them can be a problem for people, but that isn't what I'm on about. At the end of the day, you can explore to look for them, or youtube them, or whatever. The thing that I'm a little frustrated with is the getting to them. Not all of them, mind you, just the platforming bits. Meaning the parts where you have to turn into an Italian plumber and hop across 3 miles of pipes, only to accidentally pull aggro from something 30ft below you, or lag at just the wrong moment and tumble to your ultimate doom.

[Baaddare]

if they were easy to get there would be no point they could just have easily started us with the stat increases. The whole point is for them to be hard to get to. Yes they do reward exploration that is why they are in out of the way places.

[Semitote]

I've been going after the datacrons recently. Obviously using a guide and not trying to find them on my own as I'm just trying to boost my stats, not my ego. I rather like the challenge - and I actually find myself struggling more with some of the easier jumps than the harder ones which is weird.

 

The only thing that is aggravating about the datacrons are the ones that seem to be bugged. For instance, one of them I have an item I have to turn in to a usable object, and the path up to the object is simply not there - some sort of graphical glitch with objects along the path floating in mid-air. And there's another one that I'm not sure if it's bugged or not - it looks straight forward, but the straight forward path is not working. I spent about an hour looking for other ways around to no avail. After I've gathered all the datacrons I can, I'll probably report the other ones as bugged if it looks like they are impossible to get due to some sort of unintended glitch.

 

Anyways, the benefit of an MMORPG is that it can be many things to different people. If you don't like platforms, not all of them are platforms - some just require you to pay close attention to the terrain for hidden paths. If you don't like space missions, don't do them. If you don't like getting ganked, play on a PvE server. But the fact of the matter is - There are people who rather enjoy these things and complaining about something simply because you do not want to do it seems rather selfish, and an MMORPG is the last place in the gaming world that you want to be selfish.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Semitote

[split_light]

I was working through the Datacrons with my character, on level appropriate worlds, and rapidly came to the conclusion that I'm going to wait and come back when I'm much higher level.

 

The jumping is a big enough pain, but having to deal with the mobs is just annoying. I want to be able to flatten them without worry.

[Amdarius]

My biggest gripe is that they said they put them in to reward exploration, but these things are so out of the way that there's no reason anyone would ever find them. If you want me to explore, take me to some major landmarks, or have npc's drop hints about out of the way locations. Make it actual, meaningful exploration.

 

+1. Couldn't agree more.

 

The current datacron system is a lesson in frustration and pointlessness. And since everyone will "need" to have them to be on a level playing field, well...

[Lutherus]

My biggest gripe is that they said they put them in to reward exploration, but these things are so out of the way that there's no reason anyone would ever find them. If you want me to explore, take me to some major landmarks, or have npc's drop hints about out of the way locations. Make it actual, meaningful exploration.

 

hint's would be kind of cool, actually. But running up obscure pipes is a little too out there. Why would anyone (in character, anyway) even fathom jumping around pipes near the ceiling in the first place? It doesn't even remotely fit into the Star Wars paradigm.

 

There were a few datacrons that made a lot more sense, like finding one in the back of a cave on Tython. The cave was well hidden, but was fun to find and made sense in the universe. Off the beaten path and not obvious, but not so obscure as to require awkward pipe climbing. More like this, please!

 

I mean, sure, my character is played by Nolan North who also played Nathan Drake in Uncharted, but that doesn't mean THIS character is suited to climb a labyrinth of boxes and pipes in this game too!

Edited December 19, 2011 by Lutherus

[Petrus]

Me too. Pushing spacebar is so hard. Seriously. Bioware, make this game easier.

[CKNairb]

+1. Couldn't agree more.

 

The current datacron system is a lesson in frustration and pointlessness. And since everyone will "need" to have them to be on a level playing field, well...

 

Not really, the stat bonus's they give are only +2 to +4, the only thing that would be required would be the items the crystals build,l but that's only if you didn't want to buy the vendor versions

[Shainra]

CKNairb, as has been mentioned before, while a single +2 bonus will likely not make much of a difference, there are approximately 80 datacrons in the game. Those tiny little bonuses add up very quickly, and that isn't counting the Matrix Cubes from shards. All totaled, that can make for a pretty big difference in stats by the end. Even if you just gain +15 to a single stat from all those datacrons, that's a pretty big variance. It's the difference between two pieces of armor with a level 10 difference, not counting the bonuses to endurance or stats that aren't your main stat, but still contribute to your abilities.