Do you still believe we will see 2 expansions this year?

[Darth_Wicked]

Nit picky...

 

Three months is a long time, especially in a MMO from what I gather.

[TUXs]

Three months is a long time, especially in a MMO from what I gather.

Some here would argue that 3-months doesn't even constitute a delay

 

And you're right...21-months isn't 2 years of course, but in terms of an MMO, it's close enough

[Akheria]

*shrugs*

Although there is definitely a possibility, I personally doubt that they'd wait till next year. Frankly, doing that would be shooting themselves in the foot when players have been griping about thin content this year. (And no, strongholds doesn't really count)

[CyberneticDucks]

In the producer's roadmap for 2014, published 2/3/2014, we were told to expect 2 digital expansions this year. One would be roughly the size of Galactic Starfighter, and the other would be the size of Rise of the Hutt Cartel.

 

Release 2.8 was being heralded as "the biggest update up to this point".

 

Obviously a lot has changed since this roadmap was published in February. On 4/23/2014 a Producer update let us know that Galactic Strongholds (originally slated to be part of 2.8 on 6/10/14) would be delayed until August 19th to give time for additional features. At roughly the same time it was announced that the additional ship in Starfighter was also removed. And in the end, 2.8 was actually the smallest major content update in history.

 

To be honest, I'm not begrudging BW for making a "promise" that it couldn't live up to with the delay of Strongholds. Twenty years as a professional software developer myself, I know that kind of thing happens occasionally in big software development projects.

 

What I am wondering is whether the delay of Strongholds is simply the first of two dominoes that are actually in motion, but that we haven't been told about the other domino (the delay of the second digital expansion). I suppose it's entirely possible that the one does not have any affect on the other, but in my experience that's rare. Resources are finite. The longer those finite resources work on the first expansion, the less time they have to work on the second.

 

Anyway, when I read some forum posters say "just wait for the level cap in November/December" I completely laugh inside. My that's are "what are these guys smoking that they still believe that". Sure, we have not been told that the second expansion is NOT coming this year. But we've also not been given that "vote of confidence" that it is indeed still coming. And this, for me, is very telling.

what i expect for the future:

 

i certainly think that GS will be able to be pumped out this year. however, i doubt they will have time to pump out a second expansion the size of RotHC within that time frame.

 

GSF already took about 6 months to go from sub early access to "fully operational", as palpatine would put it. i would expect the same amount of time with GS regarding the perceived amount of work to be done. really i see GS finished up with a red bow on it by the month of december.

 

 

how RotHC and GSF effected the game:

 

RotHC involved the creation of a brand new planet as well as everything on it, advanced class abilities, items, gear, and endgame commendation system as well as the major balancing to be done with all of this.

 

as with GSF, it really only involved creating the game engine for the flight simulation, ships and equipment, as well as handing out rewards (i believe they copied the WoT system for requisition).

 

however, there are no major ties between GSF and the rest of the game. there was no economics or PvP / PvE balancing involved because GSF was really "self contained".

 

 

how i expect GS will effect the rest of the game:

 

i believe that the same thing is true with GS as was GSF. making GS its own "department" and minimizing how much it mingles with the rest of the game will drastically reduce the time and work involved with creating the new expansion in comparison with one that does, like RotHC.

 

except for the economics planned for decorations, GS will not interfere with the rest of the game. for example, when GS is in place it will not influence aspects like combat or AC.

[Apeth]

Close is fine. This is a gaming forum. Calm down lol.

 

This, some times things are taken way to literally on here. It needs to be remembered that this is a game forum and we don't always have to work in exacts backed up with evidence. General opinion is ok.

 

My general opinion of course.

[Transcendent]

I'm calm. Just being accurate, instead of being misleading.

 

Stop quibbling over a couple of months, we get it, you've pretty much derailed the start of the thread by hanging on to it.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Transcendent

[Cbaoth]

2.9 as we all know is the early access to GTS. 3.0 IMO will be the "real" realease of the same content, maybe with a few adds. No prove of this though, but it is how they usually role, and until they say otherwise thats what I will be expecting.

[deltadt]

My hope is that we move to a once per year major level expansion, I don't want to wait 2 more years for lvl 65, I wouldn't wait that long. But if they now have a plan and can keep it to 5 levels per year, I'd be happy with that.

do you even think about the problems that will bring with regards to gearing to have to do gear grinding every year and what about those players who want to take a break from playing swtor for a few months. unless bioware start to send out reward emails with comms for gearing it's a bad idea. and it would drive players away from this game.

[Griad]

I know that many consider the new strongholds like new content but for me it should have been something they released on the side, their main focus should have been on updating the storylines, creating new FP, new OPS, a new planet with more sandbox style gameplay for level 55 and last but not least a 100% free roaming PVE space experience. (like x-wing vs tie fighter or jump to light speed.)

 

But then again thats just my opinion.

[Heat-Wave]

do you even think about the problems that will bring with regards to gearing to have to do gear grinding every year and what about those players who want to take a break from playing swtor for a few months. unless bioware start to send out reward emails with comms for gearing it's a bad idea. and it would drive players away from this game.

 

The flip side is that once you have a set of 168/180 gear, once you'd done the various ops and FP a few times, what else is there really to do?

 

The grind IS the game...

 

WoW started at lvl 60 and at the 4 year point, was at lvl 80. They have slowed down since, which I personally view as a mistake.

[Heat-Wave]

I know that many consider the new strongholds like new content but for me it should have been something they released on the side, their main focus should have been on updating the storylines, creating new FP, new OPS, a new planet with more sandbox style gameplay for level 55 and last but not least a 100% free roaming PVE space experience. (like x-wing vs tie fighter or jump to light speed.)

 

But then again thats just my opinion.

 

I suspect many players agree with you. I also suspect that Bioware does not have the budget for any of that. GSF clearly was done on the cheap, something to allow fanboys to say, "see, new content!", and little else.

 

GSH is shaping up the same way. Instanced carbo copied homes with hooks? I haven't seen anything in the videos yet that looks expensive, it looks like another cheap development item to keep everyone happy, so people don't notice that the last actual game content of any substance was Oct of last year.

[Master_Hitsugaya]

Did you even read what he wrote? He's asking if people believe that both expansions will be released this year still.

 

Regardless, I've already suggested in the past that the delay for Strongholds threw whatever Road Map they had into the garbage bin and as such, I no longer expect 3.0 to be released this year, at all...

 

Especially since I don't ALSO believe they'd release two digital expansions back-to-back. Their tendency to overstretch every single of those for a two-months period implies as much.

It will probs come out early next year.

[DarthDymond]

Not sure if this has already been said, but don't feel like digging through 7 pages to see:

 

During Pokket's first stream at the 1:20:45 mark (sorry don't know how to embed for a specific time) Courtney says:

 

"As of right now, I can say we're not delaying the expansion, but we haven't announced the date[...] it is still on schedule"

 

Now, I'm not necessarily taking that as absolute confirmation that it will definitely be released this year. It may be that they just haven't made any decision to postpone, which doesn't mean they won't make that decision between now and December, or it may mean that they just haven't communicated such a decision to the community team yet (which sometimes happens, in all sorts of companies in fact). BUT, for what it's worth, this is the latest "official word" we've gotten on the matter.

Did you even read what he wrote? He's asking if people believe that both expansions will be released this year still.

 

Regardless, I've already suggested in the past that the delay for Strongholds threw whatever Road Map they had into the garbage bin and as such, I no longer expect 3.0 to be released this year, at all...

Especially since I don't ALSO believe they'd release two digital expansions back-to-back. Their tendency to overstretch every single of those for a two-months period implies as much.

I'm personally on-board with them stretching the release of a Digital Expansion over two patches when it's a free expansion, but I hope if the next one ends up being a paid expansion (which I would assume since it's been described as RotHC-sized) that it is only a single patch (the way RotHC was).

 

I do find it odd that they're releasing expansions back-to-back, since GSH Early Access is now 2.9 in August and Full Release, I assume, is 2.10 in October, which means the only way the next expansion could be in 2014 would be if it is the December release. But hey, I'm not really going to complain if that does happen (especially if it brings at least one new Operation).

Edited July 15, 2014 by DarthDymond

[maximumdamages]

I could maybe see with the new planet coming with the expansion (if there is one) they could be adding the 5th stronghold to that planet.

[Raansu]

Anyway, when I read some forum posters say "just wait for the level cap in November/December"

 

I know I'm in the minority here but I really hope we don't get another level cap increase. I can't stand level cap being increased. Its incredibly lazy and completely unnecessary for new content. I still cringe when I reach 50 on an alt and then realize I have to spend several more hours to get to 55....and I have to go to Makeb to do it *sigh*

[Master_Hitsugaya]

I know I'm in the minority here but I really hope we don't get another level cap increase. I can't stand level cap being increased. Its incredibly lazy and completely unnecessary for new content. I still cringe when I reach 50 on an alt and then realize I have to spend several more hours to get to 55....and I have to go to Makeb to do it *sigh*

 

Go and play ESO and try to reach veteran rank 10 after that you would not complain even if They raised the cap to 100.

 

I don't care ether way.

[Infernixx]

I'm 'hoping' that the level increase is 10 levels and not 5, but we'll see.

[Rafaman]

My take on the OP. Yes. Yes I do.

 

Just thought I would throw that in now that the debate is winding down.

[Raansu]

I'm 'hoping' that the level increase is 10 levels and not 5, but we'll see.

 

Why? I will never understand why people want level caps to be increased. All it leads to is WoW's current situation. Level cap in that game is about to be what? 100? The damn levels got so high that they had to completely redesign the skill system to a "tree" that shares the same setup regardless of what spec you choose.

 

There are so many better ways to add content than increasing the level cap. Hell FFXI level cap stayed at 75 for almost 10 years and had a ton of end game content. As soon as they decided to raise the level cap it destroyed all content in the game. Level cap increases makes old gear and old content obsolete which in turn actually makes end game have less content. FFXI end game content from the very first expansion was still viable 8 years later and people still ran it like crazy because while gear in new content was good, some of the old content still dropped some of the best gear in the game.

[Anaesha]

Why? I will never understand why people want level caps to be increased. All it leads to is WoW's current situation. Level cap in that game is about to be what? 100? The damn levels got so high that they had to completely redesign the skill system to a "tree" that shares the same setup regardless of what spec you choose.

 

There are so many better ways to add content than increasing the level cap. Hell FFXI level cap stayed at 75 for almost 10 years and had a ton of end game content. As soon as they decided to raise the level cap it destroyed all content in the game. Level cap increases makes old gear and old content obsolete which in turn actually makes end game have less content. FFXI end game content from the very first expansion was still viable 8 years later and people still ran it like crazy because while gear in new content was good, some of the old content still dropped some of the best gear in the game.

 

I played a game where the level cap was at 135 before it closed down and so them raising the cap to 60 or even 65 is nothing in comparison to that.

[Darth_Wicked]

Why? I will never understand why people want level caps to be increased. All it leads to is WoW's current situation. Level cap in that game is about to be what? 100? The damn levels got so high that they had to completely redesign the skill system to a "tree" that shares the same setup regardless of what spec you choose.

 

There are so many better ways to add content than increasing the level cap. Hell FFXI level cap stayed at 75 for almost 10 years and had a ton of end game content. As soon as they decided to raise the level cap it destroyed all content in the game. Level cap increases makes old gear and old content obsolete which in turn actually makes end game have less content. FFXI end game content from the very first expansion was still viable 8 years later and people still ran it like crazy because while gear in new content was good, some of the old content still dropped some of the best gear in the game.

 

Don't you worry.

 

I'm fairly sure Bioware already has a plan for that, namely by bumping old flashpoints and operations, like they did with 2.0 and then reintroducing the removed armor shells through the Cartel Market.

[annabethchase]

I know I'm in the minority here but I really hope we don't get another level cap increase. I can't stand level cap being increased. Its incredibly lazy and completely unnecessary for new content. I still cringe when I reach 50 on an alt and then realize I have to spend several more hours to get to 55....and I have to go to Makeb to do it *sigh*

 

You have to go to Makeb? Why? Of all the level ranges in the game, 50 to 55 has the most options to choose from. I find I level too fast from 50 to 55 and can't get in all the classic FP's I want to do.

[Raansu]

You have to go to Makeb? Why? Of all the level ranges in the game, 50 to 55 has the most options to choose from. I find I level too fast from 50 to 55 and can't get in all the classic FP's I want to do.

 

Ilum is slow, makeb gives around 40k per quest compared to dailies that give between 10k-28k per quest. So if you have some secret enlighten me. And please dont say kuat drive yards cuz **** that damn boring FP.

[LordArtemis]

I am actually more concerned with adding features to the game. But, I was not happy with GSF at all, and I am not exactly floored by what I have seen in Strongholds so far.

 

Love the market, mounts and armor, but so far, in my eyes they are not scoring well on expansions (the new crew)....so I am a bit worried how they will do on a full expansion.

 

Tacticals were a brilliant addition IMO. So generally speaking I just sit back and wait to see what is next, subbed or not.

[Darth_Wicked]

I am actually more concerned with adding features to the game. But, I was not happy with GSF at all, and I am not exactly floored by what I have seen in Strongholds so far.

 

Love the market, mounts and armor, but so far, in my eyes they are not scoring well on expansions (the new crew)....so I am a bit worried how they will do on a full expansion.

 

Tacticals were a brilliant addition IMO. So generally speaking I just sit back and wait to see what is next, subbed or not.

 

It actually remains to be seen how much of the new expansion is actually NEW material, so to speak.

 

As pointed out by many people in the past...

 

There was still A LOT OF STUFF "fished out" ages ago that hasn't been released yet. Whole sections of dialogue written and what not, pertaining a few planets.