SWTOR - Playing with Ken and Barbie

[Darth_Wicked]

Lol! You can even craft your own orange gear. Guess what? Some people enjoy crafting too. There's noting on the cartel market that you can't get in game by playing other than skins and a lot of those are reworked versions of what's already in game. This is much ado about nothing.

 

It also ignores the fact that if people want to play for free, income needs to be generated somewhere. We should all be thanking people's love of costume variety for saving the game and funding the new ops and fps that have been added on a regular basis.

 

Do I like kdy as well as say, Black Talon or the Foundry? Nope, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't serve a gameplay purpose, allowing for a wider range of levelling options and letting friends of different levels and gear to play together. And I do like the new storyline they'be started and the Oricon Ops. Not every player has to like everything. Just because one doesn't care for something personally doesn't mean it isn't valuable content to someone else.

 

Your definition of "regular basis" is certainly not the same as mine. At this rate, one full year(!!!) will go by without a single new operation, daily area or flashpoint outside the tactical ones.

 

In other words, no doubt that the CM most likely saved this game from going bonkers but suggesting or openly stating that it helps to both fund the game and deliver content in a timely fashion is... Well, a gross overstatement.

[Sangrar]

The forum "defenders" would disagree with you entirely and call you out for being hyperbolic.

 

no we don't, stop trying to act like you can read our minds...

[Reno_Tarshil]

Objection: Nothing in my post even remotely counts as a personal attack.

 

 

The forum "defenders" would disagree with you entirely and call you out for being hyperbolic.

 

Fact: All of the resources and manpower goes to them while the other teams suffer and the bleeding playerbase reflects that.

 

 

Fact: Which makes up a minority while the rest of what is released has to supplement the cash shop in some way.

 

Since you're always white knighting for EAware and SWTOR I wouldn't expect you to understand why SWTOR lost OVER 2 million subscribers and went F2P in LESS THAN A YEAR. Instead of regularly releasing both PvP and PvE content, EAware is always trying to release reskinned items almost monthly to milk what remains of the diminishing playerbase.

 

That is a label and a personal attack.

[Darth_Wicked]

Guys, if you stop feeding him, he will eventually go away.

[errant_knight]

Content you don't personally want to do is not the same thing as no content. Galactic Starfighter was massive new content and a lot of people really enjoy it. If one doesn't, that doesn't make it cease to exist. Likewise, the tactical fps are new content even if one prefers regular ones. That's not everyone, however. There are always people queuing for the tactical fps. They're trying to provide content for a wide range of people, not just hardcore raiders and that's not a bad thing. And this is coming from someone who spends most of their time in ops. It's not just about my preferred content, or about anyone else's.

[Darth_Wicked]

Content you don't personally want to do is not the same thing as no content. Galactic Starfighter was massive new content and a lot of people really enjoy it. If one doesn't, that doesn't make it cease to exist. Likewise, the tactical fps are new content even if one prefers regular ones. That's not everyone, however. There are always people queuing for the tactical fps. They're trying to provide content for a wide range of people, not just hardcore raiders and that's not a bad thing. And this is coming from someone who spends most of their time in ops. It's not just about my preferred content, or about anyone else's.

 

You're confused or perhaps you're confusing me with those who actually don't play this game and spend all their time seeking a confrontation in these forums.

 

First, I never said that Galactic Starfighter wasn't content. If I did, I do suggest you tell me where.

 

Second, you failed to address that which I stated earlier, if only you felt the need to reaffirm it, namely the release of tactical flashpoints ONLY.

 

The issue here is not the release of the tactical flashpoints but rather the fact that Bioware chose, for some inane reason, to do the exact opposite of what they did when they first went with that route. CZ-198 flashpoints offered both tactical and loly trinity versions of the same content... Why alter the deal mid-way and backtrack on that which was expected by most?

 

Also, let us do a comparison...

 

By June 2012, we had already gotten Karagga's Palace, Explosive Conflict, Kaon Under Siege, Lost Island, Black Hole, among some other PvP stuff I'm probably unaware.

 

By June 2013, we had gotten Makeb, Scum & Villainy and by August, the CZ-198 daily area, plus two tactical and holy trinity flashpoints.

 

By June 2014... We got two tactical flashpoints and I won't count GSF seeing that it was first released in late(!!!) 2013. What else exactly?

 

Again, your definition may not be the same as mine but don't even try to imply or state that this game has been anything else other than LACKLUST compared to 2012 and 2013.

 

The Cartel Market made many things possible but it doesn't seem to have any role in having Bioware releasing stuff in a timely fashion.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[Lord_of_Mu]

I always thought it was a little strange that Space Madonna's "Vogue" was always playing every time I left my ship. Now I know, I'm just fabulous in the field.

[errant_knight]

You're confused or perhaps you're confusing me with those who actually don't play this game and spent all their time seeking a confrontation in these forums.

 

First, I never said that Galactic Starfighter wasn't content. If I did, I do suggest you tell me where.

 

Second, you failed to address that which I stated earlier, if only you felt the need to reaffirm it, namely the release of tactical flashpoints ONLY.

 

The issue here is not the release of the tactical flashpoints but rather the fact that Bioware chose, for some inane reason, to do the exact opposite of what they did when they first went for that route. CZ-198 flashpoints offered both tactical and loly trinity versions of the same content... Why alter the deal mid-way and backtrack on that which was expected by most?

 

Also, let us do a comparison...

 

By June 2012, we had already gotten Karagga's Palace, Explosive Conflict, Kaon Under Siege, Lost Island, Black Hole, among some other PvP stuff I'm probably unaware.

 

By June 2013, we had gotten Makeb, Scum & Villainy and by August, the CZ-198 daily area, plus two tactical and holy trinity flashpoints.

 

By June 2014... We got two tactical flashpoints and I won't count GSF seeing that it was first released in late(!!!) 2013. What else exactly?

 

Again, your definition may not be the same as mine but don't even try to imply or state that this game has been anything else other than LACKLUST compared to 2012 and 2013.

 

The Cartel Market made many things possible but it doesn't seem to have any role in having Bioware releasing stuff in a timely fashion.

 

Hmm, ok, if you'd put it like that in the beginning instead of being so attack dog about it, I might have been with you sooner. You have a way of making people not want to agree with you. But yeah. I see your point. Still, given the resources that GSF and the upcoming strongholds (which were supposed to be released earlier) will have taken, I'm not sure they had the resources to do otherwise, given how understaffed they are. As far as I know, they never did hire back any of the people who were laid off and I'm not sure EA would let them. They're not letting them produce class content, after all, even with the obvious increase in revenue and I don't believe for a minute that's what Bioware actually wants.

Edited June 22, 2014 by errant_knight

[Darth_Wicked]

Hmm, ok, if you'd put it like that in the beginning instead of being so attack dog about it, I might have been with you sooner. You have a way of making people not want to agree with you. But yeah. I see your point. Still, given the resources that GSF and the upcoming strongholds (which were supposed to be released earlier) will have taken, I'm not sure they had the resources to do otherwise, given how understaffed they are. As far as I know, they never did hire back any of the people who were laid off and I'm not sure EA would let them. They're not letting them produce class content, after all, even with the obvious increase in revenue and I don't believe for a minute that's what Bioware actually wants.

 

"Understaffed" is an understatement.

 

There's a reason some stuff pertaining GSF was put on hold indefinitely(!!!) according to Eric, since they felt the need to have most(?) of their manpower working on the upcoming two expansions.

 

Regardless, at this point, I have no idea what Bioware actually wants seeing that they really don't share their plans in advance and I don't know the people who work there nowadays, bar some notable exceptions.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[TalantM]

Isn't it EA austin now and not bioware? Would that not explain............................everything?

[OddballEasyEight]

Hmm, ok, if you'd put it like that in the beginning instead of being so attack dog about it, I might have been with you sooner. You have a way of making people not want to agree with you. But yeah. I see your point. Still, given the resources that GSF and the upcoming strongholds (which were supposed to be released earlier) will have taken, I'm not sure they had the resources to do otherwise, given how understaffed they are. As far as I know, they never did hire back any of the people who were laid off and I'm not sure EA would let them. They're not letting them produce class content, after all, even with the obvious increase in revenue and I don't believe for a minute that's what Bioware actually wants.

 

Well, they did hire back a couple of the authors as contractors... So they didn't actually hire them as staff, but just temporarily to write more story (which is a good thing)

[errant_knight]

Did they? That's very good news! Which ones, do you know?

[OddballEasyEight]

If you believe anything other than the CM rules the game, you are utterly deluding yourself.

 

If you believe the CM rules the game, you are utterly deluding yourself.

[horrorfaneightys]

Did they? That's very good news! Which ones, do you know?

 

I might be wrong, but I think the author behind the IA storyline was one of them.

[Darth_Wicked]

If you believe the CM rules the game, you are utterly deluding yourself.

 

Other than CM stuff, it's not exactly like we receive content in a timely fashion, as I pointed out here. In other words, he's not exactly the one who keeps deluding himself.

 

I might be wrong, but I think the author behind the IA storyline was one of them.

 

Indeed.

 

Regardless, it's not unseen for writers to do this kind of stuff: Leave one's former company and work for it later on, as a freelance writer... Better payoff and more flexible deadlines, assuming the latter's work is highly sought off.

 

Which seems to be the case with Alexander Freed.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[OddballEasyEight]

Other than CM stuff, it's not exactly like we receive content in a timely fashion, as I pointed out here. In other words, he's not exactly the one who keeps deluding himself.

 

Releasing CM stuff on time and releasing actual content on time is not the same... as you very much know. And it still doesn't mean that "the CM rules the game".

It only means that the release of content has been slower. And it's not because of the CM that it's slower.

[Darth_Wicked]

Releasing CM stuff on time and releasing actual content on time is not the same... as you very much know. And it still doesn't mean that "the CM rules the game".

 

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better I guess. One full year without a single new operation, daily area or flashpoint outside tactical ones must be peachy indeed.

 

No wonder people at Bioware troll its player base with something such as 2.8, in addition to their latest debacle with the Star Cluster pack.

 

It only means that the release of content has been slower. And it's not because of the CM that it's slower.

 

It's not slower.

 

It's akin to a caterpillar crawling.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[Tsillah]

People should stop mixing things together. We all know the CM is an important part of how this game makes money. They haven't abandoned the sub model so that also must bring in a good chunk of cash.

 

The CM however works independently of the other teams. It's a very profitable part for the game but the regular in game content releases are not ruled by this, they are supported by this.

 

Having said that, I do agree that the content release schedule, after picking up some speed last years, is late. I understand the delay of Strongholds as such but Strongholds should've been released before the summer and the next big content update should've been that upcoming level cap raise and new endgame content at least released in fall.

 

I am not gonna quit because the content releases are late. I still enjoy the game and I pay for the game as it is today and not what it could be in the future, but I do think that content release is late this year. So really 2.9 and 3.0 should both still come out this year and 3.0 should be a big deal. I will await patiently what news will come still about what's coming out. The devs said there would be some big news in the next couple of weeks (end of june, beginning of july).

 

But as much as I disagree with all the exaggerations about the CM, I do agree that new content is taking a long time and that is a shame as such.

[OddballEasyEight]

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better I guess. One full year without a single new operation, daily area or flashpoint outside tactical ones must be peachy indeed.

 

No wonder people at Bioware troll its player base with something such as 2.8, in addition to their latest debacle with the Star Cluster pack.

 

Which still doesn't mean that the CM controls the game. Just that the release of content has been slow.

oh and FYI, it's been a year since patch 2.2.1 and that means that we've had CZ and Oricon added as daily areas. It also means we've had GSF added and the new forged alliances storyline added "in the last year".

It hasn't been a full year since there was a new operation or daily area.

 

In the last year (ie. from patch 2.2.1 which was released a year ago from this coming wednesday, 25/6/2014) we have had 2 new daily areas, 2 new events, 4 new lvl 55 FP's, 1 new companion, 1 new mount type, 2 new operations, new gear sets, 1 new game mode (GSF), 1 new Tactical Flashpoint for lvl 15-55, 3 new reputation organizations, 1 new PvP map (not counting arenas) and new maps and ships for GSF.

 

But yeah, totally no content at all in the last year...

 

It's not slower.

 

It's akin to a caterpillar crawling.

 

Which is... brace for it... slower.

But it's not that slow as I pointed out above.

[Darth_Wicked]

Which still doesn't mean that the CM controls the game. Just that the release of content has been slow.

 

Akin to a caterpillar crawling. Perhaps you'd prefer the tortoise analogy?

oh and FYI, it's been a year since patch 2.2.1 and that means that we've had CZ and Oricon added as daily areas. It also means we've had GSF added and the new forged alliances storyline added "in the last year".

It hasn't been a full year since there was a new operation or daily area.

 

In the last year (ie. from patch 2.2.1 which was released a year ago from this coming wednesday, 25/6/2014) we have had 2 new daily areas, 2 new events, 4 new lvl 55 FP's, 1 new companion, 1 new mount type, 2 new operations, new gear sets, 1 new game mode (GSF), 1 new Tactical Flashpoint for lvl 15-55, 3 new reputation organizations, 1 new PvP map (not counting arenas) and new maps and ships for GSF.

 

But yeah, totally no content at all in the last year...

 

You're trying too hard or rather, trying to make the data fit whatever nifty little theory you may come up with.

 

We know the release cadence until mid-October.

 

Until then, we do know that not a single new operation, daily area or flashpoint - outside the tactical ones - will be released... Now that I think of it, I'm actually being utterly generous.

 

No new companion either, not to mention a new event that is not akin to a huge credit sink preceding what we all know.

 

Again, you're just trying a bit too hard to NOT see that which is clearly evident and put forward by Bioware itself(!)... Unless of course, Galactic Strongholds magically transforms itself into Galactic Strongholds + 3.0.

 

No offense but I find it fairly pathetic that people try to dismiss 2014 as a standalone year and try to make a year-on-year comparison, even if that same comparison proves them to be wrong in the medium-run.

 

Which is... brace for it... slower.

But it's not that slow as I pointed out above.

 

I guess you never heard of something called "hyperbole".

 

Regardless, as I pointed out already, you're just trying to either discard or ignore what has been pointed out and / or laid bare more than once:

 

If you compare 2014 from early January to late June with previous years, it's a fail. If you compare taking into account that which was released from late June 2013 to June 2014, it will STILL be a fail on the medium-run.

 

Not that hard to grasp but then again, some people just need to have that dish best served cold in order to fully grasp reality.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[demotivator]

Seems like the primary content and favorite entertainment in SWTOR is buying CM outfits. What a disappointment.

 

I guess its a good thing and generates $$$ for Bioware.

 

Bad thing for the few players (if any are left) that like playing the game for Flashpoints and Operations.

 

I am disappoint.

 

I was expecting a series of TOR videos with characters made up like Barbie and Ken.

[ghoul_drool]

I can't argue with the points Wicked made. He's right. Content has been extremely lacking since the launch of GSF.

 

But I find the notion that the Cartel Market is somehow responsible for the lack of content completely ludicous.

 

The sad thing is we wouldn't even be having this discussion if Housing hadn't been moved back. We would have had early access by now. For the life of me I can't understand why Bioware has chosen to remain this silent for this long. Aside from the sparse details that came forward with the latest Cantina in LA, we know nothing.

 

There's not wanting to hype something up. And then there's this. Complete absence.

 

Eric said to expect more info at the end of June. That can only mean this week.

[Darth_Wicked]

I can't argue with the points Wicked made. He's right. Content has been extremely lacking since the launch of GSF.

 

But I find the notion that the Cartel Market is somehow responsible for the lack of content completely ludicous.

 

The sad thing is we wouldn't even be having this discussion if Housing hadn't been moved back. We would have had early access by now. For the life of me I can't understand why Bioware has chosen to remain this silent for this long. Aside from the sparse details that came forward with the latest Cantina in LA, we know nothing.

 

There's not wanting to hype something up. And then there's this. Complete absence.

 

Eric said to expect more info at the end of June. That can only mean this week.

 

I don't believe the CM is to be held accountable for our current situation, as far as the present drought is concerned.

 

However, seeing that CM-related stuff is the ONLY kind of content we see being released in a timely fashion, it makes it sound as if the CM is taking hold over everything else.

 

I mean, I pointed out this several times but yet again...

 

Hey folks,

 

I wanted to give you all an update on the new ship role that Bruce had mentioned previously in his roadmap, slated for Game Update 2.8. Unfortunately, that ship role has been pushed out indefinitely. Not to say it is impossible to be brought in at a future date, but it has been pushed off of our current roadmap. (...)

 

It feels like they have two people working on this game at most.

 

Also, some people love to boast over the fact that Bioware chose to either support or introduce new stuff to this game yet they CONVENIENTLY fail to acknowledge that midway, they just choose to either discard(!) or delay indefinitely(!!!) upcoming updates to those features.

 

Again... The only thing I never see slowing down is CM-related stuff. Everything else, well....

[Sangrar]

I don't believe the CM is to be held accountable for our current situation, as far as the present drought is concerned.

 

However, seeing that CM-related stuff is the ONLY kind of content we see being released in a timely fashion, it makes it sound as if the CM is taking hold over everything else.

 

I mean, I pointed out this several times but yet again...

 

 

 

It feels like they have two people working on this game at most.

 

Also, some people love to boast over the fact that Bioware chose to either support or introduce new stuff to this game yet they CONVENIENTLY fail to acknowledge that midway, they just choose to either discard(!) or delay indefinitely(!!!) upcoming updates to those features.

 

Again... The only thing I never see slowing down is CM-related stuff. Everything else, well....

 

but wait a sec, wasn't the ship role and a lot of stuff slowed down and pushed back for the housing expansion? I know that they pushed a lot of work off of that.

 

 

As for the cm thing, they are a seperate team from the rest of the other teams who require less time and resources to maintain than anyone else (because designing/recoloring a few pieces of armor and some mounts still takes less work than designing a flashpoint or an op, which is why it has always appeared that the cm releases more regular shipments than anyone else, in truth though they got a pretty easy job ( but still take time and pride in some of their work, that Tulak Hord set in particular was pure craftsmanship lol)

 

 

my theory is that they are waiting. With the level cap increase coming, some endgame content will have to be boosted to high level, at the same time it would be a waste of effort if they released some of the new content now and had to go boost it up a few months later, so my theory is that eventually (probably my guess is the second expansion after housing) we will see at least a good nugget of content released.

[Darth_Wicked]

but wait a sec, wasn't the ship role and a lot of stuff slowed down and pushed back for the housing expansion? I know that they pushed a lot of work off of that.

 

According to Eric on that same message, the new ship for GSF was delayed indefinitely. Doesn't mean it won't come back at some point but it's not exactly a priority for them.

 

As for the cm thing, they are a seperate team from the rest of the other teams who require less time and resources to maintain than anyone else (because designing/recoloring a few pieces of armor and some mounts still takes less work than designing a flashpoint or an op, which is why it has always appeared that the cm releases more regular shipments than anyone else, in truth though they got a pretty easy job ( but still take time and pride in some of their work, that Tulak Hord set in particular was pure craftsmanship lol)

 

That's not the point.

 

The point is that throughout the year, the only kind of content that has been released in a timely fashion is CM-related stuff, which given the current drought, makes it feel the more obvious and glaring.

 

They never seem to slow down in that department, even if bugs and glitches plaguing several armor sets go for months unaddressed, if not ignored.

 

my theory is that they are waiting. With the level cap increase coming, some endgame content will have to be boosted to high level, at the same time it would be a waste of effort if they released some of the new content now and had to go boost it up a few months later, so my theory is that eventually (probably my guess is the second expansion after housing) we will see at least a good nugget of content released.

 

It doesn't excuse them for the fact that this year has been exceptionally paltry, not to mention that their cloak-and-dagger approach to divulging new info is absolute BS.

 

I find the latter the most upsetting, if not obnoxious of the bunch.