Quality of Life Improvements in Game Update 1.4

[UltimateKrucible]

While I welcome any new features - why haven't we been given the things people have been crying out for a year?

 

Things like a Barbershop or a Hood toggle. These are the things people actually want and ask for - no-one I've seen has posted asking for 'moods'.

[DjSnazzyduds]

"These are, of course, small improvements, but in these cases, a little bit of programming and design work go a long way towards making players happy and improving quality of life."

I very much like this line at the end of the article. Over the past months of frustration and secrecy, it seems BioWare is starting to get the hang of things. Like many players try to express, they don't want to know everything that's going on but a little goes a long way.

 

Very excited for the changes and hope to see even more in the future. My Sith Marauder is going to be /angry 24/7!!!

[BadOrb]

First of all, people can still wait for everyone to roll greed and then roll need to ninja a loot item as it stands right now. They can then leave the party and vendor the item. If anything, this new system will allow someone to trade the item to someone in the group if the need rolled by accident. Secondly, with the way they have it set up in 1.4, you can only trade the loot item with people that were in your group involved with the kill. Therefore, it is impossible for someone to ninja an item, and go to the fleet to sell it to someone else within that 2 hour window because that someone else wasn't in on the kill.

 

I think that this new system is great because if let's say a mount drops that everyone in the group rolls need on, the winner can opt to sell it to someone in the group within the 2 hour window if they so choose. The only downside to this is if everyone starts rolling need on everything, even if they already have said item, simply to make some extra credits. However, this is pretty much the same exact system that WoW has implemented and it seems to work fine. Basic etiquette should follow where you need what you need and roll greed on everything else.

 

I haven't tried 1.4 on PTS , so your explanation is most welcomed. I agree with what you have said and also didn't realise you could only trade to the party members. It sounds to me like more people will roll need but having said that at least if someone does accidently roll need they can at least rectify it by trading with the person who needed it the most. It improves the present system then , by the looks of it.

 

Cheers,

 

BadOrb.

[Ifrica]

I'd much rather be able to switch over not only my second build tree, but my secondary gear for said build with one or two clicks than to spend time setting up my respec and swapping over all of my gear while the group waits. I believe this is what everyone refers to when they talk about dual spec.

 

so 2 more minutes that other guildies can use to get a drink while they wait? it's not like respeccing and clicking gear takes an hour. and if that is what people mean, then why use the term dual spec, that term only refers to the talent spec, not to the gear you are wearing, that's a whole other thing.

as i said, it's my opinion that it isn't needed.

[Liangbi]

There's just no pleasing some people. No matter what is added, there's always going to be someone asking why this or that wasn't added. You can't do everything in one patch. Be thankful that SOMETHING was done; I'm sure it wouldn't go over well with people if they never updated unless they had everything you yourself wants. Take these as a sign that something is happening and be patient.

 

We’re always on the lookout for small wins like these, and there will be more of them in the future.

[Elear]

Community again lives up to my expectations (altough in smaller numbers than I thought)

 

BW: Hey people, we've managed to finish A B and C QOL improvements and stuff them into 1.4 update.

People: OK, but I don't care about A and C, where is E F G I X and Z?

 

 

My guess so jerks don't que up, hop into the flashpoint then immediately leave and use it as a free port back to fleet. Having to get in a ways or kill a boss means people looking for a quick port cant do it, i assume.

They can do it anyway. Restriction is here to prevent ragequits, sort of additional lockout, so you not only have to sit out 15 min, but also bet back on feet where to were if you don't want to even attempt flashpoint.

[Malaka_Blue]

For the sake of the Devs seeing more people clamoring for it... Hood Toggle.

[KabutoNin]

It would be really cool if you could interact with the environment such as chairs and couches

[RickRedOne]

Some nice changes,

 

But where are Chat Bubbles????

[cidtheslayer]

Can I just say, this is awesome.

 

The parts of this game that really make it for me are all the little things adding up to create the player experience.

 

These may seem like small wins, but they add up to a helluva lot of fun

 

[Luckyguyangelo]

While I like the fact that EAWare is trying to improve the game by adding such features.....one feature would be GREATLY appreciated: A Hood Up/Down toggle function for Jedi/Sith chest pieces that have hoods attached to them. Many players want this and its STILL not in game yet....Sorry but Hood Toggle > Chat Bubbles + Facial Moods.

[Nikei]

Some good stuff, but ultimately a little only goes a little way.

 

Glad to have the features. Its a weight on the possitive side of the scales when juding the value of re-subscribing. Unfortunately its a pittance weighed against the crushing lack of new activities and the continuing absence of features that have become commonplace to MMOs in the 5 year timewarp that slipped past the Devs between whiteboarding a WoW-killer and actually getting this beast to market.

 

Keep at it - you've got a LOT of catching up to do.

[Desri]

This is so cool! Can't wait to try it out. Thanks for thinking of this. It really does mean a lot. Bet the programmers like to do stuff like this too

[Skodan]

will the companion matching be used off the companion's chest piece or would it be possible to also match from your chest piece, that way both of you could match

[Alduinsm]

Thank you very much for these small changes

 

Now please add things like Hood Toggle,Chat Bubble,(green lightsaber change-this is just me ), in your next update

[Mithros]

Group finder teleport back is good. I know that at times I would not queue up for group finder because I was in some remote corner of a planet and just didn't want to deal with travelling back there if I went off to do a flashpoint somewhere.

 

Delayed binding is good. I figure that most people that ninja loot will not be utilizing this feature (unless they try to sell the item to their group members, but that is just asking to get kicked and ignored), but it will be helpful for those cases when you accidentally purchase the wrong thing from a vendor, or even to serve as a real dressing room, where you can see how the weapon looks in your character's hand(s), or get better looks at how a piece of gear will look when worn.

 

Moods are okay, unless you are a Jedi Knight, at which point no one can see your face because of the stupid hoods.

 

Expanded companion customization is good. Hiding the helmet and color-matching will help out with style.

 

So all in all some okay stuff here, though nothing spectacular.

 

Still need to do something about Jedi hoods, though, and they need to fix the 'big butt' thing that happens when Jedi wear robes (not the dresses, but the chest pieces that have the belted robes that come down to feet... I mean, look at this guy.

 

That ain't right.

[Anjuli-Bai]

HOOD TOGGLE HOOD TOGGLE HOOD TOGGLE. As players we want to see our toons heads. Players have been asking for this as long as I've played. Thanks for the other improvements.

[Alduinsm]

 

Still need to do something about Jedi hoods, though, and they need to fix the 'big butt' thing that happens when Jedi wear robes (not the dresses, but the chest pieces that have the belted robes that come down to feet... I mean, look at this guy.

 

That ain't right.

 

Big Butt is Fixed

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=531074

[Pherdnut]

It's the absence of lots of little tweaks like these that have hurt the game for me. The end-gamers complain loudly about lack of post level-max content but it's the ironing out of details that I'm most concerned about. If stuff like this is easier to do, by all-means keep at it.

[Vicen]

Yet again stuff that should of been here when the game first came out...glad it only took you guys almost a year to add this in when tons of people are all ready gone and most likely not coming back...

[Pdarkk]

This all looks great , the only real concern is if someone rolls need for an item in a group mission aren't they going to be tempted to leave party and sell said item within the 2 hours at the fleet ? Think carefully Bioware , because basically I know this change is supposed to improve group missions and get rid of a lot of the arguments that occur , but it seems like it might cause more arguments. Ninja looting w/e you want to call it.

 

As I have suggested before maybe just don't let people trade money on such items in that 2 hours ? Or something similar.

 

O and I second the chat bubbles , it's about time we had those , it what makes an mmorpg an mmorpg , in my eyes.

 

Cheers,

 

BadOrb.

 

they said only ppl involved with the kill are eligible for those items. go read! they got it under control

[Pdarkk]

These are awesome but i would love to hopefully see a few more little things like this in 1.4 give us a few more;)

[Flaniganican]

so 2 more minutes that other guildies can use to get a drink while they wait? it's not like respeccing and clicking gear takes an hour. and if that is what people mean, then why use the term dual spec, that term only refers to the talent spec, not to the gear you are wearing, that's a whole other thing.

as i said, it's my opinion that it isn't needed.

 

Well I agree that dual spec isn't necessarily needed, it's just a nice feature to have. Obviously not having it isn't game breaking or anything but think about it from this perspective. First of all, I am with you that building your tree again only takes a couple of minutes, especially if you have it written down. But let's say that you were a PvE tank, more specifically a Juggernaut. Every single day, you like to tank your daily HM, and then respec for DPS to do PvP for the rest of the day. Having to do this every single day would certainly get annoying. So again, it only takes a few minutes, but having the option of having a second pane to just click on over to change specs would be greatly beneficial.

[TUXs]

Great changes!!! I know the "little things" don't draw players in, but they make players a lil bit happier!

[iamthehoyden]

They can do it anyway. Restriction is here to prevent ragequits, sort of additional lockout, so you not only have to sit out 15 min, but also bet back on feet where to were if you don't want to even attempt flashpoint.

If that's the reasoning, then that's rather silly considering ragequits happen a LOT in lower level fps and people get shipped to Fleet anyway. It's not going to stop many of the ragequitters and it punishes those who got unlucky enough to get stuck with an awful group. This return to location is going to be excellent for my 50s who are doing dailies because it's pretty rare that a hm fp doesn't get in at least one boss kill, but my lower level toons are still going to run the risk of getting stranded on Fleet a galaxy away from where they were questing or sitting for hours, potentially, waiting for a group. (I'm not exaggerating, I've sat in queue as dps at low levels for hours.)

 

If they're concerned that people would use lfg, get into the fp, go to Fleet, go back to the fp, and then back to their questing location then give them a short (5-10 min) delay before they can transfer back to their questing location. I'd take a minor delay over having to haul a** back out to the middle of Hoth.