Given Bioware's horrid communication, releases, and overhyping, I wish theyd refocus.

[TUXs]

Trust me, when the content comes out and you hear the information on what's coming up you will probably not be so gloomy still. Or perhaps you will be All I know is. Don't lose hope, nothing is going seriously wrong at all, the game isn't losing money, shutting down, people getting fired, etc they are just working very hard on things.

I have no doubt they are (ok...some doubt, but not much)...I just wish they would stop acting like they're the NSA with information. We'd like to be excited about the game...not depressed about it. We need them to show us they're excited and we'll become excited...excitement is contagious!!!

[tanerb]

Actually I believe that last report indicated subs had fallen again. I posted all the official info I could find, I can try and find it again if needed.

 

However, it was reported that free to play had grown.

 

That is the old report from last year. They did not give any info in the last quarter's call

[RakghoulsRTrolls]

no. The poll indicates otherwise, and its the only source towards that end of what people want most for future content.

Because EVERYONE who plays the game saw that thread and voted on class story. Even those who quit the game came back and voted for more class story.

 

Stopped reading right here because all you have for "proof" is a conjectural thread that proves absolutely nothing! At least I can bring up numbers.

 

/check_and_mate

[Sangrar]

Because EVERYONE who plays the game saw that thread and voted on class story. Even those who quit the game came back and voted for more class story.

 

Stopped reading right here because all you have for "proof" is a conjectural thread that proves absolutely nothing! At least I can bring up numbers.

 

/check_and_mate

 

really? I do not see any numbers saying that class story is only wanted by a minority number of players, all I hear is you CLAIMING that they are the minority.

 

anyway ever heard of a scientific poll? its where a random portion of people ( in this case random players just viewing the forums) vote on what they want regarding a certain issue and in general it represents the whole quite accurately. True it can vary a few percentage points, but with the overwhelming landslide of people who wanted Class Story it did not matter.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Sangrar

[AlienEyeTX]

You swung and missed again.

 

And yet we're all still sitting here, waiting for you to show evidence that most people DON'T want story the most.

[RakghoulsRTrolls]

And yet we're all still sitting here, waiting for you to show evidence that most people DON'T want story the most.

The sub number losses speak from themselves.

Edited June 30, 2014 by RakghoulsRTrolls

[Sarfux]

I have no doubt they are (ok...some doubt, but not much)...I just wish they would stop acting like they're the NSA with information. We'd like to be excited about the game...not depressed about it. We need them to show us they're excited and we'll become excited...excitement is contagious!!!

 

I agree with you on the part about them being secretive about it recently. Even I wish they would tell us more things. They should tell us even little things. It's been quiet for a little bit. That will change soon though probably

[TUXs]

I agree with you on the part about them being secretive about it recently. Even I wish they would tell us more things. They should tell us even little things. It's been quiet for a little bit. That will change soon though probably

 

Eric said end of June...which is TODAY!!!! I've patiently (depending on how you define "patient") waited...I expect something BIG today!!!

[LordArtemis]

It is silly to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.

 

Some folks will have unreasonable views based in fantasy. That is just how it is going to be. They will say blue is red, and no matter how many times you point out, accurately that that is wrong they will refuse to see it.

 

And they have every right to see it as they do. And express that belief.

 

After an initial attempt, it is folly to continue to argue the point to someone who obviously has a view that is not based in reality.

 

It is silly to think that the folks that desire housing is a minority, or the folks that like the CM, or those that are playing right now and enjoy the game are a small portion of the playerbase. It is also pretty silly to claim that a minority wants a continuation of class story. It is a pretty safe bet that the majority.....

 

Does not participate in the hardest game content

Does not PVP

Desires a continuation of class story

Feels appearance is important

Is not driven by reward based play

Looks for more convenience features

Enjoys the CM

Participates in secondary game activities

Engages in rerolling activities

 

And why is all this likely? Because that is the hallmark of a casual player, and MULTIPLE market studies have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that casual players dominate the MMO player market. This is just reality....a reality that most hardcore players refuse to accept and have refused to accept for many years now.

 

There is no need to argue with those sorts of players, because game companies are more than aware of who dominates the market and are now catering to that majority playerbase. Naturally this does not make hardcore players happy....but there are not enough of those types of players to keep the lights on.

 

At any rate, a few individuals spouting silly notions does not mean that Bioware will be swayed. They know who their players are, and the CM exists as evidence, IMO, that they are now catering to them properly.

 

Just my slant.

[ZionHalcyon]

It is silly to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.

 

Some folks will have unreasonable views based in fantasy. That is just how it is going to be. They will say blue is red, and no matter how many times you point out, accurately that that is wrong they will refuse to see it.

 

And they have every right to see it as they do. And express that belief.

 

After an initial attempt, it is folly to continue to argue the point to someone who obviously has a view that is not based in reality.

 

It is silly to think that the folks that desire housing is a minority, or the folks that like the CM, or those that are playing right now and enjoy the game are a small portion of the playerbase. It is also pretty silly to claim that a minority wants a continuation of class story. It is a pretty safe bet that the majority.....

 

Does not participate in the hardest game content

Does not PVP

Desires a continuation of class story

Feels appearance is important

Is not driven by reward based play

Looks for more convenience features

Enjoys the CM

Participates in secondary game activities

Engages in rerolling activities

 

And why is all this likely? Because that is the hallmark of a casual player, and MULTIPLE market studies have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that casual players dominate the MMO player market. This is just reality....a reality that most hardcore players refuse to accept and have refused to accept for many years now.

 

There is no need to argue with those sorts of players, because game companies are more than aware of who dominates the market and are now catering to that majority playerbase. Naturally this does not make hardcore players happy....but there are not enough of those types of players to keep the lights on.

 

At any rate, a few individuals spouting silly notions does not mean that Bioware will be swayed. They know who their players are, and the CM exists as evidence, IMO, that they are now catering to them properly.

 

Just my slant.

 

Very well said

[Andryah]

Yes, but over the years they have lost millions and millions of subscribers...

 

Apprximately 95 Million through it's ten year life (per data shared by another player in this very forum in the last week....so NO.. it's not my data). Which.. frankly is not that different then other MMOs in terms of % playing vs % creating an account. It's just that WoW was also larger player base scale then others and has that 90+M to target and entice to come back now and then and resub.

 

But all this injected discussion about WoW vs SWTOR is just the usual nonsense where someone want's to epeen one MMO vs another.... most often from players who loathe SWTOR.. yet are here on active subscriptions slathering us with everything they dislike about the game.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Andryah

[AlienEyeTX]

The sub number losses speak from themselves.

 

That doesn't really say WHY they left, does it? There's a good chance that they played the story and then left because they were bored without more story.

[horrorfaneightys]

I also want to say that I think the idea proposed in the OP would be marvellous. But I also want to agree with others saying that I don't think they have the resources to achieve that. Unfortunately.

[Deewe]

Is there such a game? any link?

Not the best article I read still some info here:

• 
  

AN OPEN WORLD NEXT-GEN STAR WARS GAME IS IN THE WORKS

It is a pretty safe bet that the majority.....

 

Does not participate in the hardest game content

Does not PVP

Desires a continuation of class story

Feels appearance is important

Is not driven by reward based play

Looks for more convenience features

Enjoys the CM

Participates in secondary game activities

Engages in rerolling activities

 

And why is all this likely? Because that is the hallmark of a casual player, and MULTIPLE market studies have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that casual players dominate the MMO player market. This is just reality....a reality that most hardcore players refuse to accept and have refused to accept for many years now.

A very good wrap up, still I'd higlight some entries:

 

Does not PVP

They would if there was open world PvP and by open world I'm not speaking about ganking randonly lowbies but defending their areas.

 

Is not driven by reward based play

Although they all like upgrading their character but it's not in an epeen way not being the %1 player totally maxed out.

 

Enjoys the CM

As long as it does not kill in game progression and is mostly based on cosmetic or convenience features.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Deewe

[Andryah]

I also want to say that I think the idea proposed in the OP would be marvellous. But I also want to agree with others saying that I don't think they have the resources to achieve that. Unfortunately.

 

Even Blizzard lacks the resources for something like the OP demands. And SWTOR is a smaller MMO, and hence has a smaller ongoing operations budget.

 

And all the ongoing nonsense by some about them not reinvesting revenue earned into the game is turbo-charged-nonsense. Here is how ongoing operations around a large consumer software application actually works in the real business world:

 

1) company sets target profit margins, revenue goals, and cost plans that meet corporate goals for the fiscal year.

2) the actual cost plan (the ongoing operations plan for the fiscal year) is built and funded based on the revenue goals/forecasts (from all sources.. because cash is cash) and is consistent with the profit margin goals. AND, it is very common for the corporation to press for "stretch goals"... rather then allowing a division to "play it safe and sandbag".

3) Based on the approved cost plan, the cognizant group or division will create a product plan (in the case of an MMO, that would be the content plan) for the next 4 quarters.

4) It is not unusual at all for some of the cost plan to be devoted to moving into new areas for a product (in the case of an MMO, that would be expanding into new areas (rather then simply doing the same thing over and over again).

5) All plans for cost, revenue, and profit margin are evaluated at the end of each quarter to insure that the operations plan for the fiscal year remains on target. If not, they replan (like they did on a massive scale in the summer of 2012 for SWTOR)... precisely because they were not going to retain as many players as they thought they would.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Andryah

[Sangrar]

Eric said end of June...which is TODAY!!!! I've patiently (depending on how you define "patient") waited...I expect something BIG today!!!

 

Actually on the last dev stream they said it would be this week now.

[Anaesha]

Does not PVP

They would if there was open world PvP and by open world I'm not speaking about ganking randonly lowbies but defending their areas.

 

This one would still be a no for me even if it was something like defending areas. I'm not a big fan of any PVP type.

[ScarlettDiablo]

Ahhh, very nice thread, very good comments out there:

 

I love pvp, but yes, I know perhaps belong to the .0001% of the game's population, lol.

And yes, they can't please everybody, and logically, they are gonna focus on the casual if

those make the 99.9999% players of this game.

 

And being that the case, I guess they are gonna take 10 years to improve some stuff in the game,

there are lots of details to be polished but I guess we will see them around for ages.

 

I guess I will become more casual and be happy with killing the same adversaries in pvp

(yeah, some of them pvp a lot and u just farm them, ha) and making

some creds to buy the gear set I like at certain moments (and still worry about augments, lol).

[Andryah]

This one would still be a no for me even if it was something like defending areas. I'm not a big fan of any PVP type.

 

If the PvP was truly realm on realm WITH realm level benefits and consequences.... in most of MMO history... said PvP develops highly energetic and active open world PvP. DAoC did it better then any other MMO, IMO.... but TSW is somewhat similar in it's approach... as is GW2.... Both are still inferior to DAoC IMO.

 

Sadly, most players these days are into it for themselves... NOT for realm pride...and so that is what MMOs do.. make meaningless (from a realm perspective) instanced PvP matches in sanitized content instances that provide candy for the self-interested.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Andryah

[Deewe]

This one would still be a no for me even if it was something like defending areas. I'm not a big fan of any PVP type.

Understandable still I'm always surprised at how many non PvPer step in when there's action in their cities/villages.

 

Not that they keep doing it for long but they tend to try it and some even like it in the end

[Andryah]

Understandable still I'm always surprised at how many non PvPer step in when there's action in their cities/villages.

 

Not that they keep doing it for long but they tend to try it and some even like it in the end

 

Well.... probably because ad-hoc smack-downs of anyone messing with your factions content is almost universally recognized and appealing for some ad-hoc action by anyone in the local vicinity.. and they may even call in guildmates and friends if there is some persistence in the attacks.

[Anaesha]

I did normal PVP and guild area PVP when I was playing Sun of the Ultimate Nation which soured my opinion of PVP as it wasn't fun since it wasn't just about taking pride in having defended your guild areas it was just about beating the other team which then turned into flaming and taunting of the winning team. and normal PVP was just about going into the contested areas and ganking lowbies who had a mission in the area. Edited June 30, 2014 by Anaesha

[Taorus]

I agree communication is horrid, but there is no overhyping. There is not even hyping. I think they already gave up. Sure, not enough resources to produce content. Probably not enough revenue to support a targeted margin for the game hence the lack of investment. I think people are overrating the CM revenue. EA announced a number last year but in this year's call Swtor was not even mentioned and there was no discussion of F2P revenue as well. My guess is, it came down from last year, as is the sub number.

 

I am glad that I am not the only adult that saw and understood that.

[ZionHalcyon]

I am glad that I am not the only adult that saw and understood that.

 

Its not correct however.

 

Both in the case of GSF and GSH they are hyping and did hype an initial, sub only release, only to continue to hype the preferred release a month later, and finally hype the F2p release a month after that, each time hyping it as new and exciting. It was not only a poor way to release that content, but the constant hype over that period of time wore thin with a lot of people. It's honestly one of the most literal definitions of overhype

[Deewe]

I did normal PVP and guild area PVP when I was playing Sun of the Ultimate Nation which soured my opinion of PVP as it wasn't fun since it wasn't just about taking pride in having defended your guild areas it was just about beating the other team which then turned into flaming and taunting of the winning team. and normal PVP was just about going into the contested areas and ganking lowbies who had a mission in the area.

Yeah, not fun I agree.

 

Long time ago few people like me advocated to oblige players to wear specific gear for ranked WZ, in a way mitigating the skill vs gear issue. Time has passed and instanced PvP isn't better than what it was, maybe even worse considering it's a STUN WARS model.