Customer support about equipment removal

[MillionsKNives]

SO what, CS now cant inform a customr of PROPER way how to submit feedback? Really?

 

If i was CS i would hang up first time he said F word. And he said it instead of "hi"

 

CS is not counseling service.

 

Did you even bother to read what I posted?

[EricMusco]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

[DarthMaulUK]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

No offence Eric, but why don't you get off your back side and do some actual COMMUNITY stuff for 4.0? Talk about some changes, post some pictures of where popular items can be found and actually offer some guides for people who have lost stuff that your 'metrics' deem are important?

 

There's more to community than metrics.

[Eillack]

"We didn't want to do additional work, search for scraps yourselves, and pay us while you do it" is what I get out of that. Edited October 24, 2015 by CommunityDroidEU
language

[Kadin]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

I guess the question I have, as well as many others I imagine, is that why wasn't there any type of warning in advance given? Reasons are good to have as to why it happened but that doesn't help the fact that it would have really cushioned the blow a good bit by letting people know about it like you did with materials being converted, etc.

[Holohona]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

The one oversight I believe is that there are many reputation vendors that had weapons with various +41 color crystals (Makeb, CZ-198, etc). I often used these vendors for that purpose specifically. I'd like to have access to specific colored crystals without having to resort to the GTN or CM.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Holohona

[Rathruin]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

You'd think a Star Wars MMO of all games would have learned from NGE/Combat Upgrade...

[Alssaran]

I'd like to have access to specific colored crystals without having to resort to the GTN or CM.

 

I get what you are saying. I really do. But I think moving the GTN more into the centre of things is a good move. It could boost the will to craft in the long run. You could easily acquire orange crystals previously with those vendors. Now you have to buy crafted ones. The same for the armour. Many of those things have returned as craftable armour. That means that people will buy them on the GTN and actually boost an exchange of credits. At least slightly. This might bring people more to crafting in the long run.

 

We can agree that moving the CM into the centre is not such a good idea though.

 

As for the yellow post: I also get the basic idea behind what you are telling us Eric. But I will ask something which was previously asked: Why did you not inform us? I did not really care for much of the stuff, but there were a few decent pieces there. You could have told us.

 

Seeing that a lot of the stuff is still somehow obtainable...I'm not really upset. But you could have at least communicated early enough.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Alssaran

[wildcoast]

Eric - Since you asked, here is my first report: How can we get the TH-15a Patrol Armor set?

[smithre]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

Hey Eric, we had a 20+ page thread asking why certain achievements were removed from 4.0, while others were archived. Would you mind explaining that design decision, please?

[BenKatarn]

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items.

 

Frankly Eric, this is the absolute worst decision you could make. After four years of SWTOR, you should know that the players do not approve of having content removed from the game. You heard that when 2.0 came out and people called for the Tionese / Columi / Rakata gear to be returned to the game. And now you're hearing it again. It doesn't matter if the gear is obsolete. It is still our choice to make what gear we want to wear, or what weapons we want to use (some weapon appearances are gone now too, lightsabers, blaster rifles etc). Don't take these options away from us just because it makes streamlining the game "easier" for your guys in development.

 

As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here.

 

The issue here is that there is so little feedback on your part and the SWTOR team. Some people have been believing for a long time now that the game is only run by a skeleton crew and the constant silence of the team only furthers these beliefs. You need to interact with the player base more instead of merely passing information along.

Edited October 23, 2015 by BenKatarn

[Lord_Velan]

Its all well and good that most of the armor can be got elsewhere (which I'm not convinced is even true), but I know for a fact that there are MANY weapons those vendors sold that CANNOT be got elsewhere, at least not without excessive aggravation. Revan's lightsaber hilt is an excellent example.

 

At the very least, they should add the empty orange shells back in.

[Nightvale]

The issue here is that there is so little feedback on your part and the SWTOR team. Some people have been believing for a long time now that the game is only run by a skeleton crew and the constant silence of the team only furthers these beliefs. You need to interact with the player base more instead of merely passing information along.

 

This is absolutely dead on how I and a lot of people I know feel.

[Blackbird]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

[...]

-eric

 

Exactly what harm was done by leaving "obsolete" gear in the game? And as you as much as admitted, the addition of appearance tabs to the game means that no gear is truly obsolete, so frankly that excuse doesn't hold up.

 

So much of this expansion seems to be about removing things from the game, and I'm about ready to add myself to that list.

[Spamfritter]

Totally stupid, in my opinion. I agree with Assakara: it's like the RP community doesn't exist. Some people loved the armours, myself included. If they wanted a challenge, why not just lower the stats instead of removing the armour?

 

This game wasn't built to cater to hardcore RP'ers anymore than it was built for hardcore PvP or raiding.

[Clarian]

Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

Good to hear that they'll be re-added...except the "slowly" part. Hopefully not TOO slowly.

 

Hmm, I wonder if tor-fashion.com has a way to filter for the ones sold by those vendors - that could make it easier to identify ones no longer obtainable...

[Mikahrone]

Eric - Since you asked, here is my first report: How can we get the TH-15a Patrol Armor set?

 

http://tor-fashion.com/diatium-onslaught-pub/

 

http://tor-fashion.com/troopers-exalted/

[WizardZed]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

I feel for the Customer Support personnel. I really do.

 

However, the truth is, if someone is really upset about how a company has treated them with a product, Customer Service is exactly where they should go. Those who take their concerns, or rather rants, to the forums, are honestly just not that concerned about the issue. They don't feel the issue is significant enough to warrant some action. Sure they may hope for someone to note their comment, but they have no real expectation of it.

 

So, if Customer Support is getting bit, it means the company has something it needs to correct. If the company doesn't respond to those issues, it should really be concerned when those same people stop going to Customer Support...because that likely means they've moved on to another provider.

 

On the other hand, most people aren't passionate enough about non-critical services to even complain. For ever 1 person complaining about an issue, there are probably 9 that are equally upset but will never say a word. Those people just quietly leave. Even more reason to pay attention to the complainers. I generally fall into the quiet category that just quietly moves on.

 

That said, I've not yet seen anything so concerning from this expansion. Not happy with everything. But I'll keep playing the parts I enjoy until its no longer fun, or something more engaging comes along.

[MSchuyler]

Hmm. Bioware persists in maintaining they actually HAVE "customer service." Now we're told not to bother customer service with customer service issues because it's a waste of their time and instead to post on the forums where we know it will be ignored completely.

[Azut]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

I just want to buy the Campaign blaster rifle for my Operative as it is the most ****** rifle to date.

[trueKieran]

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

Granted this may not have been the most reasonable thing to do, but people would probably be alot more willing to keep feedback to the forum if they felt it actually gets them somewhere for a change. I mean it's not like you had anything to share about this topic before this thread popped up and I can't even count the threads where people ask valid questions without anyone of you ever answering.

[Balraw]

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

Sorry I failed the psychic class at school so it was somewhat difficult for me personally to know if this was a design decision, bug or something else. All I saw was vendors missing with no explanation until now several days later why this was the case. So how are we supposed to know where to address our concerns in those circumstances.

 

The change was poorly documented and poorly communicated to your customers and caused obvious confusion and frustration.

 

This is not the first time either and as always it boils down to communication which is sadly a lesson that Bioware seem to have some difficulty in learning. /sigh.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Balraw

[KyaniteD]

The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards.

 

What about weapons? Many weapons from heroics, FPs and equipment vendors had a unique, non-modifiable look (unlike armor sets). Armor can be dyed, but for weapons finding a match for an outfit is far more difficult.

 

And how do we obtain the items at higher levels when the heroic mission rewards, for example, are scaled to our actual level? The way it was we could freely obtain them when we felt like it, e.g when we needed them to complete an outfit. Making them part of level-specific or random rewards is not an improvement in terms of availability of customization options.

 

The vendors were all documented, along with their inventory, there was very little confusing about it if someone wanted a specific item.

Edited October 23, 2015 by KyaniteD

[smason]

You'd think a Star Wars MMO of all games would have learned from NGE/Combat Upgrade...

 

The just learned how to alienate their community in the stride for more cash... which we are seeing here.... and its a given they know how pissed we would have been because they never posted anything about these changes...

[LetoAtreidesII]

http://tor-fashion.com/diatium-onslaught-pub/

 

http://tor-fashion.com/troopers-exalted/

 

There are many variants of trooper armor that use that model. That's not the point - the great thing about TH-15A Patrol (and the slightly darker assault variant) is the texture/coloring.

 

It's my favorite for all my troopers and trooper companions. It's white with dark blue trim. Obviously it all comes down to individual taste, but to me (and obviously to many others) those two you listed don't even come close.

 

The closest you can come is using dyes on trooper's exalted legacy armor (you'd have to use a different base for companions since companions can't use trooper exalted). But even the best dyes don't really do it as well as TH-15A. There is no white/dark blue dye - there's white and black which is sort of close but too dark (black is not blue). And with all the white/blue dyes the blue is too light. And even if a dye is just right - dyes don't work properly half the time. When you dye the green trooper exalted legacy armor white and black, there's still sometimes this greenish afterglow. And dyes don't work at all in many cutscenes and with companions in many cutscenes (e.g. dyes don't register on companions for every single companion conversation cutscene in the game last I checked).

 

Trust me, this particular one is a big deal for me - I've tried everything - I'd do anything not to have to grind/spend warzone comms for purely cosmetic purposes. But because of there not being the right dye and dyes not working right I've resorted to just outfitting all my troopers and trooper companions with TH-15A at the expense of a lot of warzone comms. At least for my characters I can just buy the TH-15A chest and unify colors which works a lot better than dyes. But ah, can't do that anymore if I make any more troopers or if I roll on another server since they took it out of the game.

 

Hey folks,

 

For the question at hand about why equipment was removed from various vendors, this is due primarily to stat changes. With the release of Fallen Empire, we essentially made that gear obsolete due to the new stat configurations and formulas. This meant the best option was to remove those items. Obviously, this raises the main concern of the support call which is the appearances of those armor sets.

 

The dev team informs us that virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game. The majority of the old armor sets can be found via Crafting rewards, Missions, and Heroic Mission rewards. Now, there may be some variants of these core armor sets which are no longer available, but we’ll adjust that over time and slowly re-add pieces. If there are specific armor sets that can no longer be found, send the information to the Community Team and we’ll pass it along.

 

Taking a bite out of the people who can help with getting you back into the game, helping you restore missing items or characters, and addressing any billing issues, really isn’t a good use of your time, or theirs. As a general note, if you guys have feedback or questions about design decisions or development philosophy, come to the forums and raise it here. Going to Customer Support is not the correct place for that (and we will ask CS agents to direct you appropriately).

 

Thank you all for your understanding and hope that clears up any confusion on the issue.

 

-eric

 

The above example just goes to show, Eric, that "virtually all of the core armor appearances previously on those vendors can still be located throughout the game" just doesn't cut it. Just because there are items in the game which use the same model doesn't mean you can achieve the same or even similar appearance. Dyes don't do the job right. This is partly because of dye selection and partly because dyes bug out or don't function at all in many instances as illustrated in the example above. Also, sometimes there are features/textures on a particular piece that the dyes can't recreate. For example, you can dye the tactical trooper cartel market armor all day and it'll never look like TH-15A since it doesn't have the Republic insignia or the Havoc badge.

 

Please just put the stuff back in. If the vendors were taking up too much space, then consolidate them into fewer vendors and/or put them somewhere out of the way.