Galactic Starfighter Development, Introduction: Part I

[ban-canal]

sry peeps out tere but i dont remember them saying anything about it just being pvp plus who said that they cant add a pve thing because i dont think that they are that stupid

 

p.s awesome read thanks for giving us stuff lie tat :)

[Telanis]

Thanks for the background, great read! Where did the SSSp term came from? Was it from the guild summit back in April 2012 or from something pre-launch?

 

Still holding out for capital ship though!

I believe it was from the Guild Summit! That's my first memory of the term anyways.

 

Nope, it was bandied about as early as December 13, 2011. Here's some posts from December 2011:

 

• http://www.swtor.com/blog/what%E2%80%99s-next-old-republic
  
• http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=16660
  
• http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=362101&postcount=3
  
• http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=861116&postcount=6
  

 

Getting to teach both Dulfy and Courtney in a single post is pretty awesome

Edited October 18, 2013 by Telanis

[The_Grand_Nagus]

sry peeps out tere but i dont remember them saying anything about it just being pvp

 

To that point, there will not be any Space based PvE content with the Digital Expansion. It is only going to be PvP.

 

There ya go

[Apophis_]

Can't wait for Galactic Starfighter! This is going to be the best thing since... game launch. Good job, BioWare!

 

 

Is there going to be any PvE content in this expansion?

 

You have PvE content in EVERY patch and expansion, even these marked as "PvP". I hope there will be no PvE in this one, just to make some PvE-grinders angry.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Apophis_

[TUXs]

It's not perfect but it's a great start. I had stopped playing back in 2012 but the news of this release has brought me back as a subscriber

 

Hopefully as they develop the space system, more will be added but as a first start I think this will do well

 

This! It's obviously not everything everyone would like it to be, but...I'm pleased they started the way they did. Anxious to try it

[Lu-Wan]

Free-Space Combat so that means open axis 360x360 degress, right?

[The_Grand_Nagus]

Free-Space Combat so that means open axis 360x360 degress, right?

 

Correct

[Trenter]

/snip

 

I thought that what people were hoping for was a JTL experience.

 

/snip

 

I find it hard to see how Space PvP mini game was what players wanted or where hoping for in the SSSP. I don't know where this view was arrived at from the Dev team 2 years ago when this was first started.

 

I was very active in the countless iterations of the huge space combat thread pre-launch, and smaller sized warzone-ish action was heavily requested back then. There were people who wanted a JTL experience aswell, but they were far from a majority. Battlefront II's space components were often mentioned.

 

It was probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, threads pre-launch so I don't find it hard at all to see where they came up with GS.

[falcon_Xtreme]

Happy Friday!

 

Lead Designer Michael Backus has written the first of many Developer Diaries centered around Galactic Starfighter! We start with some of the history behind the development of the upcoming Digital Expansion here.

 

Great Read, big thanks to Michael Backus, nice feed back on the thought process.. I have subbed since day one and i do love the game but always felt it was desperately missing some epic space combat. my hope was rewarded and I am glad that the SSSP eventuated, its genuinely exciting, and im eager for some pew pew lazer action. thank you.

[yindaka]

So out of all the amazing options you had with space flight, you choose pvp, which will probably still happen in a restricted space are or in other words a warzone in space. That of all the ideas mentioned is what seemed to be the winner to you.

 

Don't get me wrong, I look forward to testing this and space pvp should defintely be in it. But what about any decent story, wasn't your game build on a pillar called story and didn't you promise players they were able to experience their own star wars adventure and pretty much build their own story?

 

Some spoilers ahead about the classes.

 

 

Will I get to see the Emperor's body as the wrath or go on a rampage on republics or sith in his name? Will I finally be able to actually use my power as a dark council member or will i stay Marr's lapdog to be sent everywhere while I have damn armies and fleets at my back. Hell where are all those people who bowed down to me after the kaggath? What is mandalore really up to and will I find out, as a bounty hunter you're pretty much the only right hand left, hell you should have a throw for the mandalore position. And when will the damn (now unofficially active) Imperial agency call upon my agent, she's getting bored you know. Always doing marr's dirty work.

 

 

What is going on BW, we ask you for many things, some impossible but a lot defintely possible. Yet from all those amazing options you basically do a team cap raise to 12, make a bigger warzone map in space, and free flight is nothing more like moving your character on the ground and adding a down option.

 

Do you really make notes about our posts on forums that you later discuss. Do you really even care about what we want? It seems to me that many ideas of the community are just thrown in the garbage can without even receiving a glance. I sincerely hope this new expansion will be more than just space warzones and actually add something significant to the great and wonderful storyline that is the Star Wars Universe.

 

For those who disagree, please prove to me that BW isn't neglecting the personal class storylines.

Edited October 18, 2013 by yindaka

[Lateris]

@ SWTOR Devs\prgrammers\designers\artist-

 

It looks really beautiful. Ty for adding the code and physics to go off the rails in SWTOR. I think this is an excellent beginning and a well thought out experiment to see how space combat works off the rails in SWTOR. I can't wait to play it in December. I am also happy to see that PvP players will be granted such attention and we can look to the future.

 

With that in mind the concept of space can go further than just PvP maps. I am really excited to see how it can become part of PvE, not only for PvE but how it can further the scope of the SWTOR game play. There is nothing wrong with having a space game that hosts massive maps above the planets, or even offers a new experience to the SWTOR game that we have seen in classics such as Freelancer, X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, JTLS, the coming Star Citizen, or the behemoth Eve Online in terms of scope and size.

 

The possibilities for PvE is now endless. - love it!!!!

 

The fact that you delivered the off the rails promise makes me a believer in the game again. Take some chances here, build something big. We are all cheering for you BioWare. This is the BioWare we all know and love.

 

Capitol ships- still want them!!!!

[Cyreax]

Wow, that was a PR only statement if I ever saw one. That developer update was the biggest amount of useless fluff and styrofoam padding that pretty much didn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Rather disappointing because it implies "we had a grand vision but we dumbed it down to just PVP, hope you don't mind."

 

Greatly disappointing update - especially 8 weeks out from launch and this is all we get?. It's not that we needed details, it's that we deserved better than a half-hearted PVP only half-rear attempt. But maybe in the future you say? Really Bioware, how long do we really need to wait for a company that shows us it's serious about a space sim? Maybe the second developer update will be less in the way of a super-secret bag of hot air. It's pretty clear BW let the air out of this balloon a long, long time ago in a game far, far away from reality.

 

The Star Wars franchise deserved better than a PVP space game. The fans deserved better. The paying subscribers who waited 2 years and were promised more - also deserved better. 2 years later... that's enough time to put out 2 sims by the standards of other companies.

 

On the bright side, at least there are other options shaping up nicely.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Cyreax

[bluddragon]

Like everyone else, I have a love hate relationship with this game. Some things are on the mark, some things just sadly missed, which as I know you know, space combat was the big one.

 

With that being said, I was disappointed with the introduction of arenas...and then I played one, well, forced to when I queued up. I have to say, it was much better than WoW's arena. It was fun. I love the Hutt Ball announcer (the best PvP element in any MMORPG ever) and I loved the poison gas. I had epic battles where I was the last one with 3 left on the other team.

 

So I have high hopes for the new combat.

 

JTL had horrible space combat, both PvE and PVP. EVE has great tactical space combat that is as dry as reading a tech manual. Hopefully you will find a good balance and something that keeps us in the Star Wars universe.

 

I'm hoping for A LOT of customization which the current space combat lacks.

 

Finally, I appreciate the hard work the SWTOR team has put into this game. It's a quality product.

[Elminster_cs]

Do you create a massive, open world to fly transports around, smuggling goods through enemy lines? Do you create capital ships, some so vast players feel they’re on another planet? Do you populate all of that with more quests and voice actors and opportunities for crafting and Star Destroyers and the Force™ and more?

 

Amazing ideas... what a dream!

[Eillack]

You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Xur and the Kodan Armada.

 

So that means all but one person will be able to take part in this after everyone else's star fighters are destroyed?

 

----------------------

 

Also, hype crusade and it's inevitable disappointment from BW, inbound!

[Jett-Rinn]

"Do you create a massive, open world to fly transports around, smuggling goods through enemy lines? Do you create capital ships, some so vast players feel they’re on another planet? Do you populate all of that with more quests and voice actors and opportunities for crafting and Star Destroyers and the Force™ and more?"

 

Community:

 

Yes!!

 

Lead Designer:

 

Sorry, you get just PvP instead.

 

Community:

 

*facepalm*

Edited October 18, 2013 by Jett-Rinn

[The_Grand_Nagus]

"Do you create a massive, open world to fly transports around, smuggling goods through enemy lines? Do you create capital ships, some so vast players feel they’re on another planet? Do you populate all of that with more quests and voice actors and opportunities for crafting and Star Destroyers and the Force™ and more?"

 

Community:

 

Yes!!

 

Lead Designer:

 

Sorry, you get just PvP instead.

 

Community:

 

*facepalm*

 

It is kind of funny that they actually said all that, isnt it? Its kind of like a parent telling a kid, you know, I thought about buying you that really cool thing you actually wanted, but I decided to get you this new pair of socks instead. Telling someone what you thought about getting them serves no purpose if it was better than what you actually got them

[tman_ac]

It is kind of funny that they actually said all that, isnt it? Its kind of like a parent telling a kid, you know, I thought about buying you that really cool thing you actually wanted, but I decided to get you this new pair of socks instead. Telling someone what you thought about getting them serves no purpose if it was better than what you actually got them

 

Pretty much this.

 

However, I am glad there is something new coming now. I just hope this "PvP only" will turn to a PvE part as well.

[Jett-Rinn]

It is kind of funny that they actually said all that, isnt it? Its kind of like a parent telling a kid, you know, I thought about buying you that really cool thing you actually wanted, but I decided to get you this new pair of socks instead. Telling someone what you thought about getting them serves no purpose if it was better than what you actually got them

 

It just screams that the games budget has been Torpedoed, they can spin it any way they want but no dev would go this route on purpose.

[qamarnahaar]

It just screams that the games budget has been Torpedoed, they can spin it any way they want but no dev would go this route on purpose.

 

No doubt there are budget issues. I creatively read this Developer Blog entry as being almost like a hostage trying to secretly communicate when being forced to read demands for his own ransom. The coded message being "This is what we want to do, but this is all we're budgeted for right now. Help us out, give us support, and we can squeeze more in later."

[TimeBender]

Looking good guys, i'm staying hopeful that this is only the beginning of space for this game, cause everything mentioned in that sounded awesome and i highly suggest pursuing all of it.

[Jett-Rinn]

No doubt there are budget issues. I creatively read this Developer Blog entry as being almost like a hostage trying to secretly communicate when being forced to read demands for his own ransom. The coded message being "This is what we want to do, but this is all we're budgeted for right now. Help us out, give us support, and we can squeeze more in later."

 

Pretty much this^

[Tremed]

We can never say Bioware doesn't listen to the players anymore.

[NeoWolf]

Happy Friday!

 

Lead Designer Michael Backus has written the first of many Developer Diaries centered around Galactic Starfighter! We start with some of the history behind the development of the upcoming Digital Expansion here.

 

I am excited by this I am.."BUT" I do have some questions.

 

Firstly Why when most of your playerbase are here for the PVE aim this purely at the PVP'ers? Who in the scheme of things only make up a pretty small percentage of the overall players?

 

Secondly will there be some PVE starfighter experience to follow after? Will we PVE'ers eventually get the whole

Do you create a massive, open world to fly transports around, smuggling goods through enemy lines? Do you create capital ships, some so vast players feel they’re on another planet? Do you populate all of that with more quests and voice actors and opportunities for crafting and Star Destroyers and the Force™ and more? It was literally a whole new game, possibly larger than what we had already created.

that was mentioned in the dev diary regarding the though process of the designing.

And if not what will we PVE'ers get? or are you just saying if we want a Space experience its going to be PVP only or nothing?

 

Thirdly how will classes come into play in this? will classes have unique space abilities and tech options not available to others I.e jedi starfighters having different tech to sith, and republic troopers starfighters having different tech to them, smugglers having access to black market tech etc..etc.etc..?

[Mcky]

Thank you for the journal entry Michael Backus! I look forward to the future entries. I'd like to note that my entire guild has re-subbed because you are adding space pvp. We are all happy you've chosen to bring "Star Wars" into Star Wars!