Level synch = Revival of SWTOR

[Eanelinea]

It doesn't bother me if I need to be downgraded to get a companion back doing some side stuff as a lvl 15 or whatever. So be it. But if I'm on planet x and I'm 65 but get downgraded to that planet's level, I'm not there for anything but what I might have missed.

 

As I've said before: Options are good. Mandatory is bad.

 

Alot of us don't mind the downscaling. We DON'T. Really. Have at it! It COULD be fun. But we want to have a CHOICE in the matter, not forced to become level 15 again just to set foot on the planet. If I clicked a heroic from the terminal and went back to Hutta, sure make me level 10 again or even level 12. I CHOSE to go there to do the downscaled heroic. But setting foot on that planet and automatically being downgraded? I want a damn CHOICE!

[Juromaro]

I don't see how that is.

 

My level 60 battle master going back to Nar shaddaa and facing a level 20 sith wanna be should not have our mastery skill, crit, dodge, parry, power, surge or really anything similar to the point where I need to care about him.

 

down scaling makes little sense in RP much less from a leveling game perspective.

 

Other than it needing to be a game feature that is offered but not forced.

 

But that level 20 sith is not a level 20 sith, in an RP setting levels mean nothing, heck I don't roleplay with the idea that people's names are above their characters do I?

[kirorx]

This scaling thing really is kind of funny, if not ironic.

 

First, Bioware gives subs 12xp so everyone can race to the end.

 

Now, they're giving us 'scaling' (reverse bolster?) so we can go back & do all the stuff we skipped using 12xp.

 

Personally, I think it sounds pretty slick. It gives you lots of options at endgame which you didn't have previously. I mean now, say you like Hoth and want to hang out there for a while. It's kind of pointless since you can faceroll everything. With scaling, it creates a challenging environment on a planet you enjoy playing.

 

This is a good point.

 

Something to do outside of the dailies on planets I enjoy would be alot of fun and beat running around the fleet.

 

My questions are this; will there be level appropriate rewards or credits? Maybe some dailies for repeating old planet queslines would be alot of fun. Could we get ques for group missions without being on said planet

[Heat-Wave]

3. Incentive to do Heroics. New players that usually couldn't get a group for heroics will be able to finally find a group. Yes, they occasionally could get some guy with lvl 60 to help out but it was rare and entirely missing the intention of the heroics by getting carried through.

 

We shall see about this one...

 

Knowing that the heroics now pay rewards useful to end game doesn't make me excited about doing them. I might give a few of them a try, but if I can't solo them, I won't bother...

 

I didn't group for them on level before, I'm not going to group for them when level synced now...

 

The only content worth grouping for is that which requires actual groups. I no longer queue for tactical flashpoints because they are boring, it is just 4 people and extra enemies that need lots of damage,

 

HM FP are fun because they require that you work as a group. OPs are fun because they require you work as a group.

 

When 4.0 launches, you'll see a small surge of people trying them out, "just because". I'll be among them. But frankly, they weren't that interesting in the first place, most are just "groups of elites that need more DPS than you can do solo".

[PavSalco]

If they start KotFE, planetary, side and bonus quests are gone. There is no going back and doing those. No reward at all.

Please, don't spread your disinformation. Once you start KotFE you can always come back to the old planets and do side missions. The only quests that KotFE disallows you to pick up are the class/companion/expansion quests. We will be allowed to do dailies and side missions in the previous content. Bioware wasn't clear enough about the planetary main quests and bonus series though. That's what needs clarification. Only that.

[Rafaman]

Please, don't spread your disinformation. Once you start KotFE you can always come back to the old planets and do side missions. The only quests that KotFE disallows you to pick up are the class/companion/expansion quests. We will be allowed to do dailies and side missions in the previous content. Bioware wasn't clear enough about the planetary main quests and bonus series though. That's what needs clarification. Only that.

 

Exactly right. We need to know how the bonus series will work simply because on several planets the bonus series was actually above the planet level. Presumably that will change. Bonus series might be a good way to gain xp since many bonus series quests were also dailies if I remember correctly.

[branmakmuffin]

I don't see how that is. [...] down scaling makes little sense in RP much less from a leveling game perspective.

Then I guess you are not really a RPer, more of a story-teller.

 

My level 60 battle master going back to Nar shaddaa and facing a level 20 sith wanna be should not have our mastery skill, crit, dodge, parry, power, surge or really anything similar to the point where I need to care about him.

A level 60 should not be (just picking a number) 100 times as powerful as a level 20. That is simply ridiculous.

 

But that level 20 sith is not a level 20 sith, in an RP setting levels mean nothing, heck I don't roleplay with the idea that people's names are above their characters do I?

Good RPers don't, most (self-labeled) "RPers" do. Or they call BHs "Hunter" and IAs "Agent." When people do that, I reply with "Why are you calling me that? Do I have a little green symbol floating over my head, or something?"

Edited October 1, 2015 by branmakmuffin

[Heat-Wave]

4. Helping out your friends or newcomers

Instead of blasting everything before friends or newcomers open fire, they will take an active part in their quests and will get used to their new class. Their gameplay experience will become much more pleasant. You could always make a new character and support your friends with him but what if your friends outleveled your new character? How many new character people can make for the pure purpose of helping out people? Now you take your fav character with you and enjoy the friend's quest as it was intended to do.

 

Meh, the only people I group with to do leveling stuff with is my family. We have a few dedicated toons that we only level together with (which will be made easier with the rise to 40 toons per server).

 

When random people want to group up to do anything not end game, my standard reply is, "just get 5+ levels over it and solo it. I've seen people asking in chat over and over for help, they keep getting the same answer from multiple people, which is "you can do that content yourself, it doesn't need a group".

 

Now I hear what you're thinking, "oh, but now it will need a group". If it does, then it really won't ever get done, if it doesn't, then you'll still solo it 5+ levels over.

 

The heroics either will be soloable, or they won't (what we saw in the livestream means nothing, that was on DK, an easy starter planet). The real test will be the +4 in Black Hole and the +2 on Oricon.

[Heat-Wave]

5. PVP servers and the problem of ganking

New pvp players getting ganked by people at the level cap seemed completely unfair and unfun. This change gives new players a slight chance to compete.

 

I wouldn't count on it...

 

If you're downscaled to a lvl 18 on DK and you still have your utilities and skills, and you're in PVP gear, you'll still crush newbies with ease. Even if they are 2 in a group.

 

So this does nothing to solve that problem.

[Bobs_YourUncle]

I wouldn't count on it...

 

If you're downscaled to a lvl 18 on DK and you still have your utilities and skills, and you're in PVP gear, you'll still crush newbies with ease. Even if they are 2 in a group.

 

So this does nothing to solve that problem.

 

lol very true, but at least all the lowbies attacks wont be dodged. Really don't know why there isn't a level restriction of some degree.

[Heat-Wave]

Revival not in sense that it will bring hordes of people but that the current playerbase will regularly revisit the old planets, so these planets won't feel that much empty and useless.

 

I have seen that assumption posted over and over...

 

Maybe... I think it'll happen the first few weeks out of morbid curiosity... then it'll stop...

 

Why? Because that content was never all that interesting anyway, most of it was just "tacked on" to give groups something to do at those levels.

[Kiesu]

My level 60 battle master going back to Nar shaddaa and facing a level 20 sith wanna be should not have our mastery skill, crit, dodge, parry, power, surge or really anything similar to the point where I need to care about him.

 

down scaling makes little sense in RP much less from a leveling game perspective..

 

If RP is truly what you are worried about, shouldnt you be happy your lv60 smuggler is no longer untouchable by the allmightly Revan flailing 2 lightsabers at you wondering how your pistol parries all his attacks.

[Heat-Wave]

2.Who wanted to go back and redo stuff for any other reason than achievements?

 

I didn't, which is why I've taken the past few weeks to work on knocking out the remaining achvements at lower level planets so I don't have to mess with this when it launches.

 

I pity those in the future who decide to achievement hunt and have to deal with this. Those of us who have gotten them already won't have to bother with it.

[Juromaro]

If RP is truly what you are worried about, shouldnt you be happy your lv60 smuggler is no longer untouchable by the allmightly Revan flailing 2 lightsabers at you wondering how your pistol parries all his attacks.

 

^this so much this

 

 

Improbability has ruined more RP sessions than I can count. I hear RP'ers all the time complain about mary sue and god-modding yet no issue walking among enemies not being touched. Makes no sense to me how a downscale is going to kill RP of all things.

[Icebergy]

It would be a great feature, if it was optional.

[Icebergy]

I don't think anyone arguing in favor of an on/off toggle for level sync is saying that people who toggle it off should be eligible for the new reward system. That would be crazy.

[Heat-Wave]

What content is relevant again exactly?

What world wide quests can you replay?

Are they adding in a way to replay class quests?

Are they adding in a way to reply world story arcs?

 

WHAT CONTENT? Instanced heroics? Heroic areas where datacrons are? World bosses? Big flip...nobody is doing those as it is, not because they're over leveled but because they're simply unfun.

 

So again...what content is suddenly relevant?

 

I suspect many people posting here either have never done much of this content, or did it so long ago they have forgotten how boring it really is.

 

I've done all the heroics on all the planets now, I took the past few weeks to knock them out for achievements before 4.0 drops. I'll try it out for the heck of it when it drops, but I honestly don't expect to do it more than once each, just for giggles and grins.

 

Why? Because the +2 and +4 stuff was largely tacked on as "filler" for groups and as challenges during the leveling game, none of it was really that interesting in the first place.

[Heat-Wave]

I don't know what some people are talking about...and clearly neither do they!

 

I watched on the Stream yesterday a LV60 character, whilst level-scaled to Lv18 on Kaas(i think it was) -DESTROY- enemies in a HEORIC Area...and so can you. -Go watch the stream, get informed before posting drivel on these forums.

 

I would hold a mirror up to you and suggest you get informed...

 

You can do that heroic at far less than lvl 18 solo today. It is DK, the second starter planet, where nothing is really hard.

 

Had he soloed the +4 in Black Hole, I'd have been more impressed.

[Heat-Wave]

This is simply not true. I, for one, am going to be spending plenty of time on the old planets..

Why?

 

I don't have to go through the post-55 grind on the same 2-3 planets anymore. I can take my numerous alts through varied leveling paths after the class-missions...

 

You might, and a few people will...

 

But if you haven't done them for awhile, you might find them rather dull. By comparison the end game areas are interesting, the older leveling stuff is just flat and you will likely find out why no one does it anymore.

[Heat-Wave]

People who are new and haven't don't the heroics several times over if at all, don't have the time or desire to do the standard endgame content. Altoholics to farm up some quick basic comms for gearing alts. Probably a number of other reasons. Not everyone fits into your mold.

 

Yep.. This entire expansion is all about the "new player".

 

I've posted it before, it seems that EA has decided that it is easier and cheaper to keep bringing in new people and not worrying about anyone who has been around for more than a year or two.

 

Vets here since launch? Too much trouble, they've done the content, let em leave. We have content that was paid for year ago, lets just keep recycling it for an endless stream of new people!

[Uruare]

and perhaps this is the start of a future mentoring system. Ever think of that?

 

It could also be the dawn of a new era of FIshy Overlords! We can play the What-If game all year long and be none the wiser for it.

 

So, have you figured out one good reason why this wouldn't be just as good and piss nobody off if it were optional, Sarfux? You're our self-appointed Bioware spokesman preaching some mad gospel, so, be useful for once.

 

Illuminate for us the many reasons why this would be just ruined if it were a toggle.

[Quraswren]

If RP is truly what you are worried about, shouldnt you be happy your lv60 smuggler is no longer untouchable by the allmightly Revan flailing 2 lightsabers at you wondering how your pistol parries all his attacks.

 

If I played a smuggler sure, it would be a bit stupid. Probably one of the reasons why I don't play one. I've got this blaster but hey, I'm going to run up and hit you with it to be more effective. Another stupidity in BW design in my eyes.

 

However, whats so great about it is I can choose to not play that toon.

 

I cannot however choose to not be down scaled if I go back to nar shaddaa or mos other planets. Not a fan of that on many levels.

 

It's a decent game feature but one that needs to be optional.

[Mavery]

Aside from heroics, what old content can you repeat? It's not class missions...it's not planetary quests...those are all once and done quests.

 

And you don't need to "get it"...you're welcome to play whatever way you like, just accept that not everyone is like you. I want all you guys to be forced into PvP all the time...would that be ok? I mean, if you're on the opposite faction, what fun can it possibly be going into any area killing NPCs that are no challenge at all to you? There's no fun in killing an NPC that can't beat you. You should be flagged for PvP so you won't be falling asleep at the keyboard for boredom of doing your PvE rotation.

 

I can be just as absurd.

 

When I spoke of old content outside of heroics, I meant FPs and Ops of yesteryear. I am well aware class missions and planetary quests are one and done.

 

Your analogy is terrible. Level syncing is so different from forced PvP (it starts with two completely different facets of playing the game). You are right on one thing: it is absurd.

 

Going to Tython, Tatooine or wherever else and one-shotting everything you say, is objectively non-compelling gameplay. It is tantamount to a child crushing beetles between his fingers, or hammering ants with a play hammer. It's a 'wee I'm the giant look at me crush the smaller creatures.' Well, if that is what you find fun, so be it, but most people prefer tasking their brains with a little bit more. Thus level syncing is objectively compelling gameplay -- and that means it's fun!

[bdatt]

I'm kind of excited about this. I haven't done a planet heroic in like 3 years except one or two to finish out some achievements (like Makeb staged recently).

 

Some of the heroics were always very time:XP efficient. I may level my Vanguard 60-65 doing old content now since I plan to do lvl 65 FPs/Ops on him, and run my shadow through KotFE in spare time since that story seems more appropriate for force users.

 

Cool stuff.

[Lansotey]

Areas where people like to RP being essentially take away, since it's kinda hard to RP when you're being constantly attacked by mobs that used to ignore you.

 

Quick speeder trips turning into knocked off > fight > remount > knocked off again slogfests.

 

Missions that spawn enemies designed to challenge you in areas full of other mobs which, until now, were no threat, but are now essentially adds for that boss enemy(see above point re Bounty Kingpin).

 

And the whole "not being able to solo stuff anymore(and still achieve the results you were soloing them for in the first place)" isn't actually that small a downside if folk would step outside their own preferences and gameplay style for five seconds and consider other people gain enjoyment in different ways. You know, that thing, what's the word, it'll come to me...oh yeah "basic human empathy".

 

I agree, just heard about this planetary level sync and my blood is still boiling because the only thing that has kept me in this game for so long has been the role-play. Being forced to sync to a level for the planets will create many annoyances for those who wish to use the different planets as backdrop for this intent.

 

Taking and enforcing a MANDATORY level sync is absurd; i agree with those that posted previously that an OPTIONAL level sync would not be bad. The same should be done for the Flashpoints and Operations, these are again places that I am not worried about having a challenge from the mobs or listening and playing through the story for the flashpoint, I will often go in to them to: A) Blow off steam by mincing through mobs. B) Use them as a setting for a role-play that would otherwise not be available.

 

Though admittedly I am used to the role-play community being sh*t on. Ideally instead of the wasted time and effort they put into some of the changes they are making they could have; made a better strong hold editing system, added a role-play area editor, etc., things that would have made a portion of the community that has been dumped on so much for so long (oh goody, so we have a couple servers for role-players, that are full of...PvPers that come a cr*p on our open world role-plays).

 

Here's a nice quote for the people making these changes. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."