The Eternal Championship

[DarthDymond]

It's still a lose lose. If they delaye, people whine. If they don't and release a buggy version, people moan.

[1] Release it late = "lose"

[2] Release it buggy = "lose"

[3] Release it bug-free and on time = "win"

 

Look, I prefer option [1] to option [2]; I'd rather they get it right than get it by some specific date. But it's a pretty sad state if we're supposed to just accept that option [3] isn't even a possibility anymore.

 

BW are the ones who advertised that EC was going to be released (implicitly bug-free) on February 11, and then that it would be released on March 10. Now we're looking at "more information" (not necessarily even the actual release) in 4-6 weeks - early to mid-April.

 

This isn't one of those situations where players have cooked up their own arbitrary dates for when they wanted to see new content and then gotten pissed off because BW didn't meet them (which has happened around here).

 

"Everything is subject to change" is a perfectly reasonable disclaimer for BW to put on all future releases, but when they make statements about what is coming, that does set people's expectations - that's the whole point of providing pre-release information. So I don't blame anyone for being disappointed or annoyed at this turn of events.

[Blitz-wing]

...

The team is hard at work on the 7 remaining Chapters in Season 1, as well as additional content, which you will get monthly starting in February. For us, it is important that all of the our content, group content included, ties into the storyline of Fallen Empire and connects to your character’s story. Story is what sets The Old Republic apart and it is important for us to deliver your personal story across all aspects of the game....

 

-eric

 

Bold face lie there eric.

 

Waiting until post early access cut off date before announcing this removal of content is sleazy!

[keimox]

EA made around 1,3 billion dollars in a year just from in game cash purchases alone, thou half of that came from FIFA, NHL and Madden ultimate team - game mode purchases.

Maybe they should direct more funds for BW Austin dev team?

[Jerba]

My initial agitation has waned and all that's left is another disappointment in BioWare. At the beginning of our raid yesterday, I told everyone how EC is coming next week and how I expected everyone to complete all 10 waves since they are progression players and shouldn't have problems with it. Then shortly before the end of the raid, I find out that EC is delayed... Suffice to say, 8 players were disappointed in BioWare that day.

 

Not really sure why you are thanking Musco for being so open and forthcoming with this information. Let me tell you, they released the information at the latest possible opportunity. It should have been clear days earlier that EC is not in a presentable state. I would have accepted this news if they released it during the last producer livestream, not four days before the patch.

 

However, he now set very, very high expectations for EC with this delay. I didn't expect much from it before but with yesterday's post, BioWare set themselves up for disappointment by promising the "highest quality experience", to "exceed quality expectations". Musco has been in the business for years and he still overpromises things.

 

What I find sad is that the story chapters are not getting delayed; I guess they don't want their subs to get angry because they laid out a very precise timeline for when the chapters release. Anything else is just "side content" and goes to second priority when the chapters don't finish in time. Funny thing is that the chapters are released in whatever state they're in and not delayed to improve quality.

Anyway, I find that "our commitment to offer the highest quality experience possible with our latest expansion" sentence very funny, it once again shows that the community department is controlled by marketing and is not interacting with the community.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jerba

[VanderII]

It's a bad idea delay The Eternal Championship for two factors:

1) with these companions op there will never be a challange;

2) people don't want challange (do you remember when all guys cried when Bioware reduced companios' power?)

Edited March 5, 2016 by VanderII

[Firolas]

Just make The Eternal Championship actually difficult.

 

That's all.

 

Just have it at some level of actual difficulty.

 

Delay it fine but please don't nerf it to death

[Karkais]

It is better to release something that works even if it comes a bit later

 

Well yes. Theres no point in releasing a broken event that doesn't work at all and only gets our hopes up before they crash. Kind of like all events during december.

[Damask_Rose]

I would like to know if the bugs we find on the pts will actually get fixed. Their track record since 4.0 has been dismal. Most of the bugs have never been acknowledged (eg. Collections unlocks not unlocking). Some get "fixed" but remain bugged and then get ignored ( eg. Companions using the wrong voice when healing). Only a small fraction of reported bugs get acknowledged, get fixed and stay fixed. Why should we believe EC will be any different? I really want to believe that delaying for three or four months will result in a largely bug -free release, but with so many bugs still hanging around from 4.0 (not to mention the myriad of older bugs) I just can't.

[keimox]

Just make The Eternal Championship actually difficult.

 

That's all.

 

Just have it at some level of actual difficulty.

 

Delay it fine but please don't nerf it to death

 

By the gear rewards that has been announced already, it can't be be very difficult and also it will be designed that majority of solo players are able to beat it with any class or spec.

For progression raiders it will probably be just a faceroll.

[foldyjedi]

The game is just getting so inceredibly bad. logging in for 30 min every months, and then have nothing more to do is not what this game should be.

and really you guys who think that EC will be bug free when they release it in 3 months, are hilarious.

[peter_plankskull]

The game is just getting so inceredibly bad. logging in for 30 min every months, and then have nothing more to do is not what this game should be.

and really you guys who think that EC will be bug free when they release it in 3 months, are hilarious.

 

You forgot the abysmal chance cubes and them not fixing other major bugs.

[Karkais]

.....what?

 

i can accept the delay of bowdaar and the eternal championship. if it needs more polish so be it, better it come out functional instead of early. but seriously there is NO new alliance alert incoming? so all we are getting is the Jorgan chapter and nothing else to do?

 

The way I see it, the championship IS the alert. Sorta.

[foldyjedi]

Sometimes i ask myself if they are messing everything up on purpose.

Is this game handled by only one person who programs on a smartphone? Aren't Star wars and EA and Bioware big multi-million dollar brands/companies?

[peter_plankskull]

Sometimes i ask myself if they are messing everything up on purpose.

Is this game handled by only one person who programs on a smartphone? Aren't Star wars and EA and Bioware big multi-million dollar brands/companies?

 

EA hasn't had a good track record for the last 5 years... and the "Bioware" we had at launch is now gone. EA is to busy riding the battlefront and battlefield gravy train to worry about SWTOR at the moment apparently. Oh, don't forget there bug free FIFA games with a plethora of new things after each and every year.

[Tashia]

I am super, super disappointed -- first the story live stream gets cancelled ( and still no "vlog" as you call it up on Youtube ... yes I check, but none last I looked; I've given up ) --- and now THIS ... I understand why you have to do it ... but it's just very disheartening ....

<sigh> doesn't look like this subber will even bother to play this chapter until April ... so be it ;

I'll just grind ... that is so much fun anyway

[Talahar]

Sometimes i ask myself if they are messing everything up on purpose.

Is this game handled by only one person who programs on a smartphone?

 

Some time after SWTOR shuts down there will be a big discovery about a SWTOR dev team never really existing, and EA not even having a clue about they having had a MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe, and it will turn out it's all been Musco in a basement. Same basement he does the community streams from, and all the poeple we saw were just his buddies, and hired actors/actresses in a big multibillion dollar conspiracy.

ERIC MUSCO, MY TINFOIL HAT IS OFF AND MY EYES ARE OPEN!

 

Kidding of course. Or am I? *waggles eyebrows*

[Tobero]

Hey folks,

 

We have been doing a lot of internal playtesting on the Eternal Championship and it is currently not at a level that we believe our players deserve. In keeping with our commitment to offer the highest quality experience possible with our latest expansion, we have decided to delay the launch of the Eternal Championship. We are focusing on overall balance, ensuring each boss fight is challenging, endeavoring to exceed quality expectations, and most of all, making sure it is a fun experience. Please note Bowdaar will also be delayed, but will continue to launch alongside the Eternal Championship.

 

To help ensure we deliver on the deeper experience we promised, we have decided to make the Eternal Championship available on our Public Test Server (PTS) prior to releasing it. We are eager to make this feature as high quality as possible and would love to get your feedback as we work to strengthen it. Once we nail down the release schedule we will let you know how to get access on PTS.

 

I will provide more information as I have it; our goal is to have more information in the next 4-6 weeks. Thank you.

 

-eric

 

Let me get this straight: Three weeks ago you said on the stream that we will see it with 4.2. Now you say that you have to postpone and will bring it to the PTS (no eta) with more information on it in 4-6 weeks. I'm all for not releasing stuff unless it's finished. But do you really think anyone will believe that you could not have known that a lot earlier than half a week before release (when most people who wanted to come back to swtor with the bowdaar chapter have subbed again)? And what a coincidence to get this news out on a Friday afternoon so the rage can die down over the weekend. Sound about right?

 

And above all we are not even getting a replacement alliance alert. I won't even pretend to unsub now because of this but I'm seriously considering to drop the sub after kotfe until season 2 (if it even gets made) is finished.

[Davyk]

Let me get this straight: Three weeks ago you said on the stream that we will see it with 4.2. Now you say that you have to postpone and will bring it to the PTS (no eta) with more information on it in 4-6 weeks. I'm all for not releasing stuff unless it's finished. But do you really think anyone will believe that you could not have known that a lot earlier than half a week before release (when most people who wanted to come back to swtor with the bowdaar chapter have subbed again)? And what a coincidence to get this news out on a Friday afternoon so the rage can die down over the weekend. Sound about right?

 

And above all we are not even getting a replacement alliance alert. I won't even pretend to unsub now because of this but I'm seriously considering to drop the sub after kotfe until season 2 (if it even gets made) is finished.

 

And that is exactly what i am going to do.

I have had it with the incapable way they are posting stuff and making sure everything since Kotfe gets delayed.

This Championship was the one thing that i was looking forward to.

I'm already bored with the story as you actually only play for about 20 - 30 mins...The other hour is just fighting.

 

I strongly feel that there will not even be a Season 2, as this game is going down....HARD...

Edited March 5, 2016 by Davyk

[captindoom]

Hey folks,

 

We have been doing a lot of internal playtesting on the Eternal Championship and it is currently not at a level that we believe our players deserve. In keeping with our commitment to offer the highest quality experience possible with our latest expansion, we have decided to delay the launch of the Eternal Championship. We are focusing on overall balance, ensuring each boss fight is challenging, endeavoring to exceed quality expectations, and most of all, making sure it is a fun experience. Please note Bowdaar will also be delayed, but will continue to launch alongside the Eternal Championship.

 

To help ensure we deliver on the deeper experience we promised, we have decided to make the Eternal Championship available on our Public Test Server (PTS) prior to releasing it. We are eager to make this feature as high quality as possible and would love to get your feedback as we work to strengthen it. Once we nail down the release schedule we will let you know how to get access on PTS.

 

I will provide more information as I have it; our goal is to have more information in the next 4-6 weeks. Thank you.

 

-eric

 

LOL LOL LOL Delays Delays Delays you guys love them, good luck with your love for delaying....... #SOON

[Eanelinea]

I don't care that the championship was delayed for whatever reason, **** happens.

 

But not releasing any alerts at all because you have to move it back probably to 4.4 or 4.5 or even 4.6? Come on, Bioware. You know damn good and well that people are going to be pissed. Give us someone back. They're alerts, the main story guys don't say anything about those people.

[Qnos]

Thanks for the info. Tell the dev team thanks for working hard on getting it released at good quality rather than fast.

[Jordes]

Thanks for the info. Tell the dev team thanks for working hard on getting it released at good quality rather than fast.

 

People spend Money for a full Patch 4.2. And now They get a Patch 4.2x1/2 .

 

I think you're right. Quality is better than quantity. But to say, three days before Patch 4.2 will come, the Content is delayed for many weeks or months. That is cheating.

 

When I Go to a restaurant and I buy Fish and Chips, pay for that, and get only the Chips it is not ok too.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jordes

[wainot-keel]

Let me get this straight: Three weeks ago you said on the stream that we will see it with 4.2. Now you say that you have to postpone and will bring it to the PTS (no eta) with more information on it in 4-6 weeks. I'm all for not releasing stuff unless it's finished. But do you really think anyone will believe that you could not have known that a lot earlier than half a week before release (when most people who wanted to come back to swtor with the bowdaar chapter have subbed again)? And what a coincidence to get this news out on a Friday afternoon so the rage can die down over the weekend. Sound about right?

 

And above all we are not even getting a replacement alliance alert. I won't even pretend to unsub now because of this but I'm seriously considering to drop the sub after kotfe until season 2 (if it even gets made) is finished.

 

I don't know what's worse, that 3 weeks ago they genuinely thought this was close to being released, for 4.2, or that they knew exactly what was going on and how far it was from being done but they choose to lie about it.

 

If you're supposed to release such a feature in 3 weeks (after a first delay), then whatever it is should be close to being done. But if now they need to 4 to 6 weeks to even estimate when it'll be done... well.... it's a complete failure. And yet, many people are giving praise to BW over this.... amazing...

[Taramayne]

Hey folks,

(snip)

ensuring each boss fight is challenging,

(snip)

and most of all, making sure it is a fun experience.

-eric

 

Please remember that there is a difference between challenging and frustrating.

 

Frustrating =/= a fun experience for most people IMO.

 

Mind your mechanics.

[peter_plankskull]

Please remember that there is a difference between challenging and frustrating.

 

Frustrating =/= a fun experience for most people IMO.

 

Mind your mechanics.

 

That is completely subjective to each person. Not everyone wants the game to be so easy that its practically automated, some like to fail every now and then, realize there mistakes, pick themselves up, and try again, adjusting to the situation accordingly.