Will BioWare ever fix their lack of communication with regards to what's in the pipe?

[Beltorze]

Lack of communication aside. Bioware does seem to have this reputation of caving in to demands all too easy. For example 6 months before the initial launch SW:TOR was to launch in North America a full 4 months before the European and asian markets, but then once they made that announcement everyone in the European and Asian started complaining about how it was not fair for a company to launch a product in its home country first. But keep in mind that it is perfectly fine for Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to launch their consoles in their home country first and no one complains about; or they do but companies standfast in the decision launch the products how they see fit. But in a days time Bioware announces that both the America and Oceanic versions of the game will launch at the sametime because again too many people were complaining. So BW confirms that they care more about people pleasing than sticking to their convictions.

 

Personally the only reason I still remain a paying subscriber is that I still believe that the game has the potential to be the sensation the devs said it would be, however they will need to either remove the cartel market or limit the dedication and launch more content updates; cause face it the earlier tactical flashpoints still don't have a Heroic Mode to them and its been at longest 9 months since they introduced them. And they would also need to get rid of the F2P or cut it off at level 20 and get rid of all the retardedly needless restrictions they have to it.

[Darth_Wicked]

(...) however they will need to either remove the cartel market or limit the dedication and launch more content updates (...)

 

You can't be serious.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[XavinNydek]

It's sad (and infuriating) when you compare BW against Blizzard. Both SWTOR and WoW had their last core content drop at the same time last year, and both will have their expansion drop at about the same time. We have known the basics of the WoW expansion since the beginning of the year, with more and more details about content, class balance, new features, and mechanics changes flowing out the whole time. People have been playing parts of it on the alpha and beta servers for months. That is how you launch an MMO expansion, because there wasn't a year in the middle there where people wondered if something was going to happen at all. All we know about 3.0 is that it's a "big expansion", will raise the level cap, and has Revan in it. That's disgraceful this close to release. Nobody is asking for a rundown of the story spoilers, but we do need details on everything else.

[Reno_Tarshil]

You can't be serious.

 

Some people refuse to see how much the CM helps...

[Vandicus]

You can't be serious.

 

While I disagree with his assessment and recommendations of the cartel market and f2p(cartel market revenue likely drives new content creation, not takes away as he implies, and there's little reason to completely axe f2p), this Bioware studio at least does seem more prone to catering to complaints. Mass Effect and Dragon Age devs pretty much seem to adhere to their vision for the design and story, for better or worse, while SWTOR devs do seem to prioritize development based on player feedback.

[Drockter]

Please don't misread what I'm saying as dissing what we have received, I love GSF and GSH (guild ships actually), but that's not the content people have been asking for. I just feel they need to better pace their traditional content releases. Heck, even a new daily area would be welcome right now...

 

Emphasis added.

 

I think the better way to phrase that Tuxs, is it is not the content you (or me for that matter) have been asking for. But there were people definitely asking for a better space gameplay/pvp that wasnt "on rails", and definitely a lot of people asking for housing and more "guild" activities (be it a guild hall, or station or whatever". GSF delivered the former (maybe its not for me (I really dont like it to be honest), and maybe GSH isn't for everyone... but they were asked for, and BW did deliver what some people wanted. just not necessarily what you, or I wanted. Cant please everyone.

[DarthDymond]

The FPs were great to tell a story, but I can't agree that there was anything else meaningful about them...they were far too easy, dropped worthless gear, had no rep (other than KDY) and provided no reward of value for the time invested in them. If they're trying to avoid end game content, they're doing it wrong.

 

Please don't misread what I'm saying as dissing what we have received, I love GSF and GSH (guild ships actually), but that's not the content people have been asking for.

No argument here, but that is a different discussion than the question of how they're marketing/hyping things. By what you're saying the issue isn't "they're being silent" it's that the content itself (which is what they are advertising) isn't a good fit for expectations.

I just feel they need to better pace their traditional content releases. Heck, even a new daily area would be welcome right now...

Preaching to the choir. My position for months now has been that the overall quantity of content being released has been fine (except for 2.8), but that they really need to up their game in how they pace out the different types. Heck, I've started threads about just that topic (*grumble*stillbitteraboutitbeingtakendown*grumble*)

 

Two daily areas in back-to-back patches, two SM/HM Operations in the same patch, and then over a year without seeing either of those types of content again? Yeah, that's... not ideal.

[TUXs]

While I disagree with his assessment and recommendations of the cartel market and f2p(cartel market revenue likely drives new content creation, not takes away as he implies, and there's little reason to completely axe f2p), this Bioware studio at least does seem more prone to catering to complaints. Mass Effect and Dragon Age devs pretty much seem to adhere to their vision for the design and story, for better or worse, while SWTOR devs do seem to prioritize development based on player feedback.

Apples and oranges though. SWTOR is the only MMO on that list. I think it's unfair to criticize them for treating their MMO customers differently, when those customers are the only reason they're employed. DA and ME aren't sub based, they're stand alone products meant to be played through once, maybe twice...SWTOR is expected to occupy time daily for some players.

[Arkerus]

While I disagree with his assessment and recommendations of the cartel market and f2p(cartel market revenue likely drives new content creation, not takes away as he implies, and there's little reason to completely axe f2p), this Bioware studio at least does seem more prone to catering to complaints. Mass Effect and Dragon Age devs pretty much seem to adhere to their vision for the design and story, for better or worse, while SWTOR devs do seem to prioritize development based on player feedback.

 

I usually don't agree with the blithering masses of complainers, BUT this is an MMO and thus player feedback helps shape the game more than a primarily single player experience. MMOs are more living, breathing products that are in constant development. An MMO is not a finished product that is completed and sold. Obviously single player games and shooters get expansions and whatnot, but that isn't the same as the constant development cycle in an MMO.

 

As in life, everything needs to be in balance. They need to take some feedback while filtering out the BS.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Arkerus

[Darth_Wicked]

Apples and oranges though. SWTOR is the only MMO on that list. I think it's unfair to criticize them for treating their MMO customers differently, when those customers are the only reason they're employed. DA and ME aren't sub based, they're stand alone products meant to be played through once, maybe twice...SWTOR is expected to occupy time daily for some players.

 

Unless people don't like the game, no one is ever going to play an MMO as vast as Dragon Age only once or twice. Same with Mass Effect.

[Vandicus]

Apples and oranges though. SWTOR is the only MMO on that list. I think it's unfair to criticize them for treating their MMO customers differently, when those customers are the only reason they're employed. DA and ME aren't sub based, they're stand alone products meant to be played through once, maybe twice...SWTOR is expected to occupy time daily for some players.

 

I didn't criticize them for being more responsive to feedback(as opposed to adhering to designer vision), I just observed that this studio, of Bioware's studios(because I don't think his comment about them being overly responsive to complaints is at all applicable to the ME and DA teams, who generally ignore them) makes decisions with greater consideration to feedback.

[TUXs]

Unless people don't like the game, no one is ever going to play an MMO as vast as Dragon Age only once or twice. Same with Mass Effect.

I only played DA once...ME twice. (and I liked them both just fine)

Edited September 16, 2014 by TUXs

[TUXs]

I didn't criticize them for being more responsive to feedback(as opposed to adhering to designer vision), I just observed that this studio, of Bioware's studios(because I don't think his comment about them being overly responsive to complaints is at all applicable to the ME and DA teams, who generally ignore them) makes decisions with greater consideration to feedback.

 

Ah, ok...I didn't mean to mischaracterize what you had said.

[Darth_Wicked]

I only played DA once...ME twice. (and I liked them both just fine)

 

I stand by what I said earlier.

[Vandicus]

I stand by what I said earlier.

 

Not sure what an MMO the size of Dragon Age would constitute in terms of an actual game, but most people only played Dragon Age Origins once(and as a human to boot) according to a dev statement I've seen.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Vandicus

[TUXs]

I stand by what I said earlier.

Stand by your incorrect assumption then, fine with me lol.

[Darth_Wicked]

Not sure what an MMO the size of Dragon Age would constitute in terms of an actual game, but most people only played Dragon Age Origins once(and as a human to boot) according to a dev statement I've seen.

 

And you wouldn't have a source for that statement at hand, would you?

 

Stand by your incorrect assumption then, fine with me lol.

 

You claim that you played the series one time so to speak and all of the sudden, the entire world must have done the same.

 

Sounds logical indeed.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[Vandicus]

And you wouldn't have a source for that statement at hand, would you?

 

I might be able to find it(depending on whether new BSN retained old threads) if you consider it highly relevant. It was in an old (and now moot due to Bioware's reversal of the decision) thread complaining about Bioware's decision to again use a human only MC in Dragon Age Inquisition(which is now no longer the case), where people were waving around an internet poll saying around 50% of players demanded race choice(listing it as key to their purchase decision, ~50% of respondents would buy it without race choice, remaining ~ 50% said they wouldn't). Essentially a dev came in and said to the collective BSN "You guys are nonrepresentative. 90% of people who purchased DA:O only played it once, and with the human noble Origins"(heavily paraphrased and there might have been something in addition about a large percentage of people never actually finishing the game, but that was the gist of it).

Edited September 16, 2014 by Vandicus

[Darth_Wicked]

I might be able to find it(depending on whether new BSN retained old threads) if you consider it highly relevant.(...)

 

I do.

[TUXs]

You claim that you played the series one time so to speak and all of the sudden, the entire world must have done the same.

 

Sounds logical indeed.

I never said that at all. You said:

Unless people don't like the game, no one is ever going to play an MMO as vast as Dragon Age only once or twice. Same with Mass Effect.

I simply stated that I did indeed play DA once and ME twice, yet I enjoyed both. I made no claims as to the rest of humanity.

[Darth_Wicked]

I never said that at all. You said:

 

I simply stated that I did indeed play DA once and ME twice, yet I enjoyed both. I made no claims as to the rest of humanity.

 

You implied as much:

Apples and oranges though. SWTOR is the only MMO on that list. I think it's unfair to criticize them for treating their MMO customers differently, when those customers are the only reason they're employed. DA and ME aren't sub based, they're stand alone products meant to be played through once, maybe twice...SWTOR is expected to occupy time daily for some players.

[DrewFromPhilly]

If they were actually releasing content in a timely and consistent manner, their teasing and non-information wouldn't be an issue to me at all. As it is, I'm left wondering if their slow flow of information is simply because they literally have nothing to tell us, because nothing is actually happening in Austin other than recoloring items to stick in packs.

[Darth_Wicked]

If they were actually releasing content in a timely and consistent manner, their teasing and non-information wouldn't be an issue to me at all. As it is, I'm left wondering if their slow flow of information is simply because they literally have nothing to tell us, because nothing is actually happening in Austin other than recoloring items to stick in packs.

 

If a full reveal is scheduled to come by the end of this month, it is fair to assume something is going on in Austin.

 

People were told they'd be getting a teaser. They got a teaser.

 

Nothing else was said to come before the end of the month.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

[TUXs]

You implied as much:

Keep stretching for the fight Darth...it's within your grasp lol. Geezus man...have you nothing better to contribute?

[Darth_Wicked]

Keep stretching for the fight Darth...it's within your grasp lol. Geezus man...have you nothing better to contribute?

 

I am, in more than on thread to be more accurate.

 

I actually discuss the game, what has come and what is to come.

 

You on the other hand are always on a crusade on how Bioware has all the faults in the world, even whey they give a timetable pertaining the release of info. Keep at it since you seem to enjoy that far more than you enjoy the game.

 

As someone said already earlier, "reruns". Absent popcorn.