Petition: We Want MORE INDIVIDUAL CLASS STORIES AND COMPANION STORIES,

[ZionHalcyon]

Don't misunderstand me...I would like nothing more than for you to get EXACTLY what you want added to the game - happy players make everything more fun!

 

That being said, I would argue that the story has gotten plenty of updates with every new flashpoint, Operation, daily area, Oricon, Makeb...yet WZ's haven't received a new map in a year (Arenas aren't WZ's). I'm not suggesting your wishes are any less important, just trying to point out where "I" see advances in "story".

 

None of those advance the class story or the war story. They're very brief side stories that don't grow your character at all.

 

You have all this massive character development in the class stories, and this build up to a massive war... and then poof - nothing. You hit 50 and then thats it. Story over. Oh wait, you get Makeb, which is story-lite. Was ok, but hardly replayable past a few times.

 

The Class Stories are the core stories, interwoven into the fabric of the Republic-Sith War. Even if they can't afford to do Class Stories on the scale which they were done previously (and I do believe the devs in that department), I refuse to believe they can't write better and better intertwine those stories into a greater Republic-Sith War tapestry, that respects and honors the class story development and respects your characters motivations, instead of paying it lip service and then laying a very generic story in your lap.

 

So trust me, I like Flashpoints, Operations, Dailies, and the stories that come with them too. I also like Icing. It can be tasty and good. But without a cake to have that icing on, it just feels very incomplete.

[Damask_Rose]

Don't misunderstand me...I would like nothing more than for you to get EXACTLY what you want added to the game - happy players make everything more fun!

 

That being said, I would argue that the story has gotten plenty of updates with every new flashpoint, Operation, daily area, Oricon, Makeb...yet WZ's haven't received a new map in a year (Arenas aren't WZ's). I'm not suggesting your wishes are any less important, just trying to point out where "I" see advances in "story".

 

Other than Mabek, what you are listing is all group content. (The solo portion of Oricon is minimal and incomplete storywise.) Class and planetary stories were all solo content. While there is overlap in audiences for solo and group stories, they are not the same. Think of it this way. If they did start to release more pvp maps, but only for group ranked, would the solo ranked players and unranked players be content? After all, some pvpers do all three.

[StarSquirrel]

/signed, I was in shock the first time I read they planned to can class stories in favor of faction ones. Makeb insulted me, this game was built on story (just watch a few of the old promo vids) and its high time they get back to that.

[Thoop]

I'd really prefer more WZ's, more GSF maps and more Ops over any stories.

 

^this could all be added without the MASSIVE cost of voice actors and have real actual re-playability

 

there is sooo much class story already, play through once and forget it

 

The last thing i want the devs to work on is more class story,

Edited January 7, 2014 by Thoop

[Listrin]

^this could all be added without the MASSIVE cost of voice actors and have real actual re-playability

 

there is sooo much class story already, play through once and forget it

 

The last thing i want the devs to work on is more class story,

 

The devs have said that costs for Voice Acting is actually really small, considering they got all the Voice actors on Contracts.

[LamiaKan]

/Signed.

I came to this game for the stories and this is my first mmo. Now I have played almost all the stories, I don't have much to do besides ops. While I enjoy running ops at the moment, I miss the days my characters have some sort of purpose. Now they just look more and more like avatars, which for me is sad:(

[Grammarye]

There was a real poll a while back (post-Makeb) where 'more class story' came out very strongly as a requested feature. I think EA know it's desired. I think they also don't care until people start leaving due to lack of story, because it makes them significantly less money than churning out re-textured armours in the Cartel Market gambling packs. Can you see extra fully voiced class story, all eight of them, turning up, for free, from EA?

 

Bioware (mostly now long gone from the company) marketed TOR as 'story: the fourth pillar', but unfortunately, EA are busy branding TOR as 'TOR: the failed Riccitiello experiment - the search for more money' and are seeking to recoup as much money as possible.

 

The only real way you'll get EA's attention is by unsubscribing en masse and telling them it's because of the lack of further class story, and even that won't matter, because they're busy counting all the money from gambling they're raking in. Quality has long since fallen to quantity.

 

I wish it were not so, because I feel like TOR's 1-50 content tapped something we hadn't really seen before; it spoke to a whole segment of playerbase that really hated MMOs up until now. A visionary company would see that as a new market opportunity. EA aren't visionary - they're good at taking existing brands and churning out yearly tweaked sequels because that's a reliable bottom line.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Grammarye

[AlexDougherty]

There was a real poll a while back (post-Makeb) where 'more class story' came out very strongly as a requested feature. I think EA know it's desired. I think they also don't care until people start leaving due to lack of story, because it makes them significantly less money than churning out re-textured armours in the Cartel Market gambling packs. Can you see extra fully voiced class story, all eight of them, turning up, for free, from EA?.

 

Well they had better start making new class stories then, because people are leaving, the other had I did a cutscene on Tython, there was one instance and 112 people, six months ago there was at least two instances and nearer 240 people, and on other planets the figure are about two thirds what they used to be.

[jstankaroslo]

/signed

I only play class stories. I don't group so new ops are nothing to me.

Didn't get any story since Makeb, and Makeb was a faction based story, a dissapointment. I want my characters to grow more, learn new things, explore new planets.

I want my Consular to dominate the Council. I want my Inquisitor to dominate the Empire. I want my Knight to face new threats that only he can overcome. I want my Smuggler to organise some major smuggling. And so on.

In short, I want cool characters having interesting adventures in a fantastic world. So far I got it. But when I finish my last storyline, I'll be forced to look for some other game. Witcher 3 comes out on spring (hopefully).

[RTCBrad]

/signed

 

I agree this so severely lacking in RoTHC and ultimately made that expansion one huge let down. You said you would continue to develop characters and class stories to give us kotor 3 4 5 6 7 etc time to make good on that promise BioWare .

Edited January 7, 2014 by RTCBrad

[Fidelicatessen]

/signed

 

I'd prefer if the thread title weren't in CAPS, but I signed anyway because the stories are what make this MMO unique.

 

I have 3 class stories left to play through. Once I'm finished, I probably won't be resubscribing, because after that it becomes just like any other MMO.

[horrorfaneightys]

Don't know if I've already signed this so I'll post again just in case. The thing that got me playing was the stories - if they don't add more eventually I'll stop subscribing.

[hillerbees]

/signed

 

Playing all aspects of the game, finishing 8th story soon and at start of 2014 having spent over €300 over the last 2 years wondering will I continue to sub once I have this story completed.

 

I love the game and would happily pay €50 - €60 and sub on for 2 more years for a further 8 class stories x 50 levels but as much as I hate to say this I don't think I will be subbing to do dailies and gain reputation ad nauseam.

 

I would love to know what the devs have planned for the coming 12 months - Starfighter is not doing anything for me.

[Rhalius]

If they use the voice actors and writers of KOTOR, sure.

 

I find both the story and voice acting to be a lot weaker in TOR.

 

Even the most minor characters in KOTOR where voiced very well, you could really feel their emotional state.

It tends to be rather flat in TOR, some sound more like placeholders. A Sith with a flying pet at mealstrom prison being the worst example of this.

 

And for god's sake, start putting in cutscenes. Some of KOTOR's best moments where the cutscenes where you werent there. Like Malak ordering the destruction of Taris. Through this you actually got involved with the villains, it made you eager to face them.

 

As it is pretty much all villains in KOTOR are simple cardboard characters with a few exeptions here and there. Pretty much any interaction could be summed up as:

"you cant defeat me, now die!"

*player defeats enemy*

"argh! how could you beat me!"

*light side or dark side dialogue option for player.*

 

I know its a big game, but I simply expect better from Bioware. It's the company that made Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate series, Dragon Age 1 and mass effect after all.

 

They can do better, but they kept it all rather simple. Start giving us some real villains again like Malak, Saren, Gao the Lesser, Sun Li, Sun Hai, Desther, Loghain, etc, instead of all these throwaway cartoon villains.

[Zandoezan]

/signed

[Nemmar]

If they use the voice actors and writers of KOTOR, sure.

 

I find both the story and voice acting to be a lot weaker in TOR.

 

Even the most minor characters in KOTOR where voiced very well, you could really feel their emotional state.

It tends to be rather flat in TOR, some sound more like placeholders. A Sith with a flying pet at mealstrom prison being the worst example of this.

 

And for god's sake, start putting in cutscenes. Some of KOTOR's best moments where the cutscenes where you werent there. Like Malak ordering the destruction of Taris. Through this you actually got involved with the villains, it made you eager to face them.

 

As it is pretty much all villains in KOTOR are simple cardboard characters with a few exeptions here and there. Pretty much any interaction could be summed up as:

"you cant defeat me, now die!"

*player defeats enemy*

"argh! how could you beat me!"

*light side or dark side dialogue option for player.*

 

I know its a big game, but I simply expect better from Bioware. It's the company that made Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate series, Dragon Age 1 and mass effect after all.

 

They can do better, but they kept it all rather simple. Start giving us some real villains again like Malak, Saren, Gao the Lesser, Sun Li, Sun Hai, Desther, Loghain, etc, instead of all these throwaway cartoon villains.

 

I can agree with your point. I think they mismanaged their villains.

Actually, everyone is dead in the game except satelle, the commando leader and the player characters.

They didnt leave much to develop the story. I know its not popular but they should have taken a hint from Blizzard. Have you interact with the villain during the quest line, have small skirmishes and fights with him, but the real ending would come in an end-game OP.

 

Anyways, none of this matter as i dont think EA will finance any more of this.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Nemmar

[hadoken]

Honestly it's the main thing this game has over any competition. One could argue the only thing, as a lot of other systems are inferior and/or buggy. It should have been a main focus of theirs all along, I don't know why they're focusing on PVP so much (space combat and arenas). I understand the cartel market at least since that's their main income now.

 

If they haven't at least announced more story plans by the time WildStar is out...well...

[GoldenHornet]

I have 9 55s now and have completed all 8 class stories. These quest lines were the main interest holding me in this game. The unique flavour that ran through each alt.

 

Since I completed my agent, the last story to be done, I've barely found the impulse to log in.

 

Without more individual class story there's no point in running more than one character, and grinding dailies is just not my thing.

 

Shame all that effort put into the starfighter stuff couldn't have been put into the main game instead.

 

It's been a good 2 years, but all my guildies have wandered off. It's probably time to follow them...

 

Edited January 7, 2014 by GoldenHornet

[Talahar]

/signed.

Pretty much the only reason for me to play the game.

[Orlogg]

I have 9 55s now and have completed all 8 class stories. These quest lines were the main interest holding me in this game. The unique flavour that ran through each alt.

 

Since I completed my agent, the last story to be done, I've barely found the impulse to log in.

 

Without more individual class story there's no point in running more than one character, and grinding dailies is just not my thing.

 

I sympathize with this sentiment, although I still have a lot of time to go / things to do (just one lvl 55 char which I still enjoy doing dailies with, and 2 lower level chars).

 

I don't have an idea what or how, but maybe story-focussed players should somehow get together and help each other is some way that keeps the game going? Not necessarily in a dramatic RP way, but by setting out quests for other players or so... Like me solving some mystery would involve me creating a new mysyery for you to solve... References to my char would then be molded into some story relevant to your char.

 

Some kind of semi-automatic quest creation in which the actions of everyone participating would be of influence.

[TUXs]

None of those advance the class story or the war story. They're very brief side stories that don't grow your character at all.

 

You have all this massive character development in the class stories, and this build up to a massive war... and then poof - nothing. You hit 50 and then thats it. Story over. Oh wait, you get Makeb, which is story-lite. Was ok, but hardly replayable past a few times.

 

The Class Stories are the core stories, interwoven into the fabric of the Republic-Sith War. Even if they can't afford to do Class Stories on the scale which they were done previously (and I do believe the devs in that department), I refuse to believe they can't write better and better intertwine those stories into a greater Republic-Sith War tapestry, that respects and honors the class story development and respects your characters motivations, instead of paying it lip service and then laying a very generic story in your lap.

 

So trust me, I like Flashpoints, Operations, Dailies, and the stories that come with them too. I also like Icing. It can be tasty and good. But without a cake to have that icing on, it just feels very incomplete.

I would agree that they are "side stories", but I still think they should count as "story" content. I see your point though...I agree that the class story ends very abruptly and the new stories are very generic.

 

Hello minority, how are you?

That's rather racist...but I'm good...thanks for asking.

[Sabatus]

/signed

[AlexDougherty]

I have 9 55s now and have completed all 8 class stories. These quest lines were the main interest holding me in this game. The unique flavour that ran through each alt.

 

Since I completed my agent, the last story to be done, I've barely found the impulse to log in.

 

Without more individual class story there's no point in running more than one character, and grinding dailies is just not my thing.

 

Shame all that effort put into the starfighter stuff couldn't have been put into the main game instead.

 

It's been a good 2 years, but all my guildies have wandered off. It's probably time to follow them...

 

 

I'm finishing the last story myself (knight btw) and I do intend to replay the warrior story, but I will mist the newness of the stories. They need to add to the class stories, and the companion stories, and they need to add to them fast.

 

But I disagree about the GSf, it's fun and new, and if they add new maps it will hold interest for a while, admittedly if I had to choose between expanding the class stories and the GSF expansion, I would choose the class stories everytime.

[BloodyHarry]

/signed

 

The individual class stories were and are my only reason to log in the game. I don't understand why EA hasn't realized that the story is the only thing that make SWTOR unique - the only thing that's better than in other MMORPGs. If u want PvP, there are a lot of better alternatives. If u want PvE-Raid Content, there are a lot of better ones, too. TOR rises and falls with the Story - the Star Wars Universe and if u abandon this ...

 

I cannot believe how blind and greedy a company can be ...

Edited January 8, 2014 by BloodyHarry

[Darth_Wicked]

/signed

 

The individual class stories were and are my only reason to log in the game. I don't understand why EA hasn't realized that the story is the only thing that make SWTOR unique - the only thing that's better than in other MMORPGs. If u want PvP, there are a lot of better alternatives. If u want PvE-Raid Content, there are a lot of better ones, too. TOR rises and falls with the Story - the Star Wars Universe and if u abandon this ...

 

I cannot believe how blind and greedy a company can be ...

 

EA / Bioware aren't greedy per se, if one takes into account the concrete evidence, which - no offense - you pretty much chose to ignore.

 

When the game first came out, both Bioware and EA actually expected people to pour months and months into exploring every nook and cranny, when it comes to fetching datacrons, codex entries, storylines and so forth and the truth of the matter is that said approach pretty much FAILED... They were just UNABLE to retain the subscriber player base they were going for, because a considerable number of would-be long-term subscribers weren't THAT interested in experiencing every single storyline * cough * grind * cough * and explored two or three at most, having their minds focused in end-game content.

 

Problem is that, as we all knew back then, end-game content was pretty much an afterthought for Bioware.

 

End result? Subs fell rapidly, F2P model was eventually introduced, as well as the Cartel Market and the rest is history.

 

Now, I'm not trying to play devil's advocate but bloody hell, just stop pulling the card where corporations and video game developers are just greedy or evil... They went for a game model, whose basis was the eight storylines and that model COMPLETELY and UTTERLY FAILED at launch. I would like class storylines as much as the next person, since unlike some, I actually took the time to experience each more than once but it just ain't happening anytime soon.

 

Why would they invest yet again into something that on a short-term basis FAILED to retain a sizable subscriber base? Just because a minority nowadays says so?

 

Bioware has access to this kind of data concerning Mass Effect...

 

http://kotaku.com/5992092/two-thirds-of-you-played-mass-effect-3-as-a-paragon-mostly-as-soldiers

 

And if they do concerning that game, they surely do concerning TOR. What such data could reveal? Probably what I said already.