An open letter to our players

[casirabit]

OK...I'd agree with that number being roughly 6 "I quit' replies...but is that really "bleepity bleeping"? Isn't it the players saying "I need more details, this is too vague to keep me...I quit"? To me, those are more 'pleas' than rants...

 

Have you ever quit an MMO before Max? I have...several. Know how I've done it? I just cancelled and left...I think the people who are stating they're quitting, probably are...but they're stating that they are because they really don't "want" to...they'd rather be given a reason to stay (reason being HOPE) here.

 

I saw the name calling ones...so we saw that too. I read those as frustrated players wishing for more...I'm not excusing them, I just ignore them...they're few and far between usually imo.

 

I can't speak for those but I do know that we lost our guild leader that had been playing since launch. She transferred the guild to my boyfriend and me but she doesn't even play f2p as she wishes there were things her and her boyfriend could do, outside operations, pvp and heroics.

[TX_Angel]

The diehards are still here and will be here till you guys decide to pull the plug no matter what. But we are your customers, yes 99.9% of us moan about stuff, cry about changes, want MOAR of everything etc, etc. We are also human beings so treat us decently. We as the customers deserve to have MMO content in a MMO game.

 

Why should they treat you decently when you say you'll be here until the end no matter what?

 

If they can count on your support no matter what, then they don't have to treat you decently at all.

[AlrikFassbauer]

I almost never post on these forums but I wanted to say thank you for this open letter.

 

I say "thank you" as well, because Open Letters like this is what we greatly need ! We are almost dying of thirst for communication posts like that !

[Chiltonium]

While I'm happy for your success with Kotfe, I have to say it's the reason I actually -stopped- playing. I remain subbed for the rewards, and the hopes that SWTOR will actually return to being an MMORPG and not a single player RPG. The challenge is just draining from the game and it's becoming WoW (the game that killed an entire Genre it seems). I am glad SWtoR is still receiving support, I just dont think it's going in the right direction.

[Max_Killjoy]

While I'm happy for your success with Kotfe, I have to say it's the reason I actually -stopped- playing. I remain subbed for the rewards, and the hopes that SWTOR will actually return to being an MMORPG and not a single player RPG. The challenge is just draining from the game and it's becoming WoW (the game that killed an entire Genre it seems). I am glad SWtoR is still receiving support, I just dont think it's going in the right direction.

 

I'm still playing, but it's in spite of KotFE, not because of it.

[TX_Angel]

7th April - oh wait I forget that's just story. I am fed up of people saying that this is not content, it may not be content that you want but its content all the same.

 

It is not ENOUGH content to justify a $180 year sub...

 

If each chapter was 8 different stories around a central thread, such that it was worth playing 8 times on 8 classes, then I'd be all in with my sub. I could understand the lack of other content if that was the case.

 

But for 1 hour of play, once a month? You've got to be kidding... KotFE has almost zero replayablity... If you're dedicated, it can be worth playing twice, once as light side and once as dark... but that's it...

[TheDancingHare]

Hi Ben, thanks for taking the time to let us know what's happening. I have been here since the beginning and I love this game, more than that I love my character. It's really nice to hear about all the plans you have for the game, sometimes the doom and gloomers can get me down a bit. I really enjoy the monthly updates, it gives me something to look forward to every month! Any chance we might get more strongholds in the future? Odessen, Zakuul and Hoth would be awesome!

[TX_Angel]

Complaints from customers are not inherently bad, or whiney, or illegitimate.

 

The issue here is not complaints -- it's tone, and venom, and irrational backlash.

 

Keep in mind that some of that tone, venom, and backlash is because this wasn't the first straw, it was the last. Many people are shocked when the last straw breaks the camel's back, without paying attention to the slow steady pace of many straws being laid one at a time.

 

I've calmed down from yesterday, I don't stay cranky for long. But my payment details are still deleted and will stay that way. Life moves on.

 

Players have been begging for Bioware to communicate, but once again, when Bioware tries to communicate, they get roasted for it. Even if one believes the attempt was poor, it's an opportunity to engage with Bioware productively, and keep trying until we get the sort of open and forthright communication we wanted.

 

Except that this wasn't communication, it was PR spin, and obvious PR at that. It said so much, without saying anything at all.

 

Had it just said "sorry folks, it is all story stuff this year, no new FP or OPS", I would respect that. I probably would have pulled my son and wife's sub, but left mine in place.

 

An opportunity which a certain set of players has once again made sure will be wasted -- because evidently they didn't want communication, they wanted someone from Bioware to come in here and listen to them rant and take a ritual beating.

 

Or the silliest reaction of all -- "I'm quitting because of your attempt to communicate."

 

I'm quiting because I'm sick of being ignored and taken for granted. The post from Ben did nothing to change that viewpoint, instead it reinforced it.

 

Ben didn't want to communicate, he wanted to do damage control. Rest assured, if I thought Bioware wanted to talk, I'd love to have a civil conversation with them. But they don't, and years of no communication and no follow up to prior posts has made that plainly clear.

[TX_Angel]

We get it... the letter didn't address, specifically, the one -specific- thing that you care about. Guess what? It didn't address any specific thing, specifically.

 

Wait and see. If you are not happy and want to do something else while you wait, you should do that. Maybe the break will be refreshing.

 

Better to react to details. If they stated, "We're working on Ops," and it took another year to go live, I think that would hurt them more than not saying anything until 3-6 months before the go-live.

 

You weren't replying to me, but I'll address your points...

 

The primary problem, I think, for many of us is that we don't see value for our money. For all the hundreds of millions SWTOR is bringing in, where is the return to the players?

 

Even if they said "no more operations ever!", but instead season 2 of the solo story was going to be class stories, I'd be fine with that.

 

The primary problem is that what they are putting out isn't worth paying for, in my opinion. If the sub was $5 a month, I'd pay it happily for what they do, but it isn't worth $15 a month.

 

The launch content and even 2.0 was rather rich in detail and flavor... 3.0 and to a greater extent 4.0 has been very mild and bland. We are just not getting that much anymore... the 8 class stories were what made this game special, they should have never stopped doing that.

[TX_Angel]

You're absolutely right, and that's exactly the problem. This is obviously a PR move. And it's from a big enough producer that anyone who knows A comes after B can see it means they're bleeding subs. Their wallets are hurting, and they have to assure us that our fears are unfounded.

 

Here's the problem, without specifics, this post does as much to amplify fears as they were hoping it would to dissuade them. We've been in "wait-and-see" mode for far too long.

 

^ This, all this...

 

A month after 4.0 dropped, I figured I'd give it awhile to see if we got some new group content or something else interesting in the new year.

 

It is almost May and we've had more or less nothing. One new WZ map is nice, but not enough.

 

I wasn't even planning to remove my payment info from my sub, but when I read Ben's post, I realized the time had come. I think it may well cost as many subs as it saves.

[TX_Angel]

Bioware doesn't communicate -- "Developers silent, this means the game in maintenance mode and dying."

 

Bioware attempts to communicate -- "Developers engaged in PR, this means the game is bleeding subs and dying."

 

Instead of attempting to communicate, how about actually working on the game?

 

The problem is that you think communication or no communication is the issue. It really isn't. It is the sorry state of the game that is the problem. The lack of stuff to do.

 

The problem with Ben's post is that it basically said, "sorry folks, here are a bunch of words about what we did last year, and we promise more stuff in the future, please keep paying us in the hope that we actually do it".

 

It doesn't matter how you deliver it, that is just not what people want to hear. In this case, silence would have been better in some ways.

[GrandLordMenace]

"Biggest expansion ever?" Wait what?

 

2.0-3.0 brought FIVE solo stories that combined probably double or triple the length of your "chapters," THREE OPERATIONS, Nightmare Modes for FOUR operations, and SnV was the longest operation we've ever had, one warzone, four arenas, 2 NEW flashpoints, two new daily areas, GSF, Strongholds/Conquests, and the list goes on.

 

Please stop trying to fool us into thinking you are doing the best you can. You aren't. Not even close. Your story chapters are just a blender cut up of a story that you made slightly more lengthy by eschewing any form of side content or planetary exploration...

[Max_Killjoy]

I'm quiting because I'm sick of being ignored and taken for granted. The post from Ben did nothing to change that viewpoint, instead it reinforced it.

 

Ben didn't want to communicate, he wanted to do damage control. Rest assured, if I thought Bioware wanted to talk, I'd love to have a civil conversation with them. But they don't, and years of no communication and no follow up to prior posts has made that plainly clear.

 

Bioware's rep just said "we want to communicate".

 

So I'm going to take that statement at face value, and attempt communication. If no one ever takes the opportunity and everyone says "That guys full of it, no way I'm buying this." then nothing changes.

 

Now, if it turns out they didn't mean it all, then twice as bad on them.

[TX_Angel]

Perhaps now is the time to point out the death threat that reportedly occurred while I was on my late-2015 hiatus...

 

Such things of course should be reported to the authorities...

 

But does the White House Press Secretary not show up for a month because someone threatens him? Or how about the press office of IBM or Amazon?

 

If your job puts you in the public light, if you have customers who pay monthly for your service, hiding is not an option, regardless of how your customers speak to you.

 

If you have a LOT of customers who do it, then perhaps you have a problem with your business. Happy customers who get value for their money don't tend to be that cranky...

[Tsetso]

<snip>

 

Here is some interesting read for the OP. I'm sure he has read it but nevertheless it's good to remind him how fun and rewarding content is created.

[TX_Angel]

What I'd like to see them do next is open up a Q & A.

 

We don't need a Q & A, what we need is content, more of it, and quickly...

 

Frankly, it doesn't matter how nicely or long winded Ben words anything, if the core message is not what customers want to hear, it isn't going to matter.

 

More stuff to do, more stories, new flashpoints, new events, new stuff, etc...

[Floplag]

I would like to thank you for this, at least we know our message is being heard.

I would also encourage you to be more open about plans. Having some idea what is in the pipeline would go a long way towards putting many of those concerns aside.

Too many things have gotten the "We are looking into it" brush off, or the "there is some really great stuff coming"... but no details. At this point its hard to take things on faith.

Thats all, just a bit more of an open dialog on what we as players can expect in the coming months as opposed to going month to month wondering endlessly.

[TX_Angel]

Sounds more like 9 months to go on that Burrito. I doubt we see Chapter 2 this year.

 

Meh, I think it will launch between October and December... That is a good time to launch an expansion...

 

Expect to see level 70, since everything is level synced, it gives the appearance of "new shiny" without anything actually changing.

[MrBorsh]

I don't think I have ever been so mentally satisfied by the SWTOR team regarding the game than I am now. I was for the most losing ton of motivation and I had stopped playing the game for maybe a week and was doubting to renew my subscription in the future. Thanks to this, I know for a fact that I will renew my subscription.

[FlavivsAetivs]

I just saw this now. I think, as others have stated, this was communication that was very badly needed. A lot of people have been skeptical about the support this game gets, and this is reassuring. The expression of concern over the number of bugs in this game tells us that at least something is known about them, and hopefully something might be done.

 

That being said, future content right now looks sketchy at best. Many elements of this game need updates, badly. GSF has not had an update in over two years and other than the consistently declining playerbase and learning curve that scares away new players, the viciousness of the PvP community has begun to leak into it. Operations are dying and also face the learning curve challenges now. PvP and the player classes aren't balanced. New content still feels lacking, without planets to explore, weird and fun achievements, and Datacrons (I mean, just look at how amazing Rishi was!).

 

I hope that what you all have planned, like you said, really truly is "amazing." Thanks for communicating.

 

~ Eudoxia

Edited April 20, 2016 by FlavivsAetivs

[tummiswtor]

Nice letter. Good to know someone read our topics and listen our opinions.

[TX_Angel]

my feeling is that "hostility" as you call it can be easily ignored. these are words on the internet.

 

if a few words on the internet from a few people can affect the way you communicate to your remaining customers, then you have a serious customer service problem.

 

^ Very well said... grown ups running a professional company are not going to change how they do business because someone called them a do-do head on the Internet.

 

They also won't stop communicating with their customers over it either.

[Max_Killjoy]

Most companies don't communicate with their customers at all, unless it's to sell them something or bill them for something.

 

Does Ford have discussion forums?

 

Does AT&T have "community managers" or a monthly Q&A?

[TUXs]

Does Ford have discussion forums?

 

Does AT&T have "community managers" or a monthly Q&A?

No...but both companies go to extensive lengths to tell their customers what they have coming (new styles, latest phone or vehicle features, car shows, commercials). I don't watch much TV, but I bet you I see an add for BOTH of these companies daily in an hour only of watching TV.

 

I know when AT&T has a special going on. I know when there's a new phone they have...I also know about Ford's new safety features, I know the awards they've won, I know the prices...

 

When you advertise as much as those companies do, you don't need a forum...but you know damn well what your customers want because those companies BOTH listen.

[TUXs]

Most companies don't communicate with their customers at all, unless it's to sell them something or bill them for something.

By posting, you're demonstrating that you're on of the people being billed by Bioware for something....