What Direction We as a Community Want for SWTOR

[DarthDymond]

If their going to do that, then they better drop the act, and admit, right now, that they have no group content.

If they focus on more on-going Chapters and put out PVE Group Content as side content, the way they did with the WZs and TEC in KotFE... then why would they have to 'admit' they have no group content?

[peter_plankskull]

If they focus on more on-going Chapters and put out PVE Group Content as side content, the way they did with the WZs and TEC in KotFE... then why would they have to 'admit' they have no group content?

 

You're really counting the TEC as group content? Seriously? Our standards are that low now, that just the fact that they include multiple people to enter in it, even though it isn't tuned at all, is group content? PVP hasn't had a WZ in two years before anyway, I assume that its probably what was left over from SOR and was never implemented, so they threw it into KOTFE. Not to mention it was bugged to hell and their was a blatant problem with bugs, glitches, and hackers. Ill admit I should of said "PVE group content" but the TEC does NOT count, by no means, and even if it does, name a single other piece of group PVE content besides that.

[Ovaer]

i want a new class to play, and while your at it add Kel Dor as a playable race! oh and moar level increases please....

[DarthDymond]

You're really counting the TEC as group content? Seriously? Our standards are that low now, that just the fact that they include multiple people to enter in it, even though it isn't tuned at all, is group content? PVP hasn't had a WZ in two years before anyway, I assume that its probably what was left over from SOR and was never implemented, so they threw it into KOTFE. Not to mention it was bugged to hell and their was a blatant problem with bugs, glitches, and hackers. Ill admit I should of said "PVE group content" but the TEC does NOT count, by no means, and even if it does, name a single other piece of group PVE content besides that.

When did I say that? I said in KotFE they put out TEC and WZs as side content (in addition to the Chapters), and I said in KotET they should put out PVE Group Content as side content (in addition to more Chapters).

 

TEC isn't group content in my book, but the fact that they produced it (and WZs) shows that they have the capacity for side content in addition to the Chapters, I'd like to see that additional side content be PVE Group Content in KotET. When I said that in my original post, you said "if they do that, they should just admit they don't have any group content".

[peter_plankskull]

When did I say that? I said in KotFE they put out TEC and WZs as side content (in addition to the Chapters), and I said in KotET they should put out PVE Group Content as side content (in addition to more Chapters).

 

TEC isn't group content in my book, but the fact that they produced it (and WZs) shows that they have the capacity for side content in addition to the Chapters, I'd like to see that additional side content be PVE Group Content in KotET. When I said that in my original post, you said "if they do that, they should just admit they don't have any group content".

 

Sorry... the wording confused me a bit their and after another re read through it I see what you were talking about. My bad .

[DarthDymond]

Sorry... the wording confused me a bit their and after another re read through it I see what you were talking about. My bad .

No worries - sorry if my posts weren't as clear as they could have been.

[Rolodome]

I just want to say, I really think KOTFE 1-9 and KOTFE 10-16 should be thought of as two different stories.

 

KOTFE 1-9 was released all at once and was polished. KOTFE 10-16 was pushed out monthly, on a tight schedule.

 

Not everybody agrees with me on this, I know, but I think KOTFE 1-9 was awesome! And KOTFE 10-16 was "wait, where is the experience provided in 1-9? I wanted more of that!"

 

Some of the chapters in KOTFE 10-16 were awesome in isolation (such as 13 and 14) but I think they'd have worked better as being like the HK chapter is supposed to be... standalone pieces. They didn't really work for me as part of a larger whole. They were just cool side missions, is what they felt like. Like something that should have been filler, while the main story was being worked on.

[LyraineAlei]

I do understand the complications of resources, but I do feel that they could reprioritize. I love raids, but I love Flashpoints more, don't get me wrong. FPs are far easier to organize and run, and can be fun PVE content in and of themselves. I just think a little content can satiate a crowd.

 

I completely agree with the SoR "ducks under complaints about Revan", I loved the story even though I think it was a cop out. I am not asking that they recreate their storyline, or make class specific storylines again (even though that would make me happier than anything I have before stated), but I do think they could put some more thought and get some more community input (even though I firmly believe in creating your own 'work of art' without trying to please everyone).

 

There is a lot more 'force user' focus in KotFE then is probably prudent. I am just hoping that they amend some mistakes with a few SUBTLE (not so heavy handed as Ziost) course corrections with KotET. I hope they listen to what everyone has to say in the community and make an appropriate decision. Because I really do like this game, and wish the best direction from the devs and producers.

 

Exactly! FPs (even with Solo mode to help those who don't wanna group like 90% of me), could be cranked out a bit more. I enjoy FPs as much as I enjoy PvP (which is more than it was last year, it used to be a third-place zone for me) , and honestly, a story player could be just as amused with a little bit of story - or motivation into why going into the FP is important, which Prelude to SoR and SoR did quite well.

 

Ziost was just my example of how some parts of a story don't make sense for a non-Force User class, and it felt like a BW heavy-handed "THIS IS A FORCE USER STORY MUAHAHAHA. NO ONE PLAYS NON-JEDI OR SITH CLASSES, LOOK AT OUR METRICS!" *grumblegrumblegrumblesmuttermuttermutter*

 

Story as a main focus was a bit odd, because with the variations of the Classes being so different, they were very likely bound to focus on one class, kind of like how in base game Imperial side has the better stories (in general) with less railroading in terms of LS/DS choices (unlike the Jedi classes, RT and Smug don't have the same railroading with LS/DS to me) in order to make playing a Bad Guy fun ("why not play a Nice Bad Guy?" stuff like that) and then JC's very broken-up seeming story (it's almost like KotFE but just a little more coherent from Act to Act).

 

Focusing on one segment of the game over another also doesn't seem like a good use of the time and resources BW might have to me as well. RotHC was a great expansion, even as much as I hate Makeb (more for the amount of time spent on it on the main quest is a lot than actual dislike for the world), because it had a story, the Makeb Op, PvP stuff, and later on had Oricon (I love Oricon, even though it ends in an Op that I won't likely run anytime soon). I joined during the post- RotHC release, so I may be nostalgic as well.

 

SoR was also a great expansion, the main story had its obvious weak points, and the whole Instancing Thing never seemed like a great idea to me (and worse, it stuck around), but it had a little bit of everything. It could have had more Imp/Pub differences for story like RotHC did, but SoR had the class flavor mission that was enjoyable (but I do wish they would pick back up on those threads again).

 

*ducks under the complaints about how SoR was rushed to release with bugs that were ignored* Not my point! SoR had it's downside, but SoR was better as an expansion than KotFE!

 

On the other hand, there was a two year gap between 2.0 and 3.0 releases, so having 3.0 to 4.0 being so short (about a year, more like 11 months) surprised me more. I expected SoR to be the last expansion for some time, maybe with a new planet for a daily zone released about October 2015 with some storyline about the Emperor doing More Bad Stuff and we need to stop him somehow. And then spring of this year could have started up a Forged Alliance-type series of FPs preparing us for the Zakuul Eternal Empire, like trying to defend Tython/Korriban (faction unique FPs) from the Mysterious Enemy and Strange Droids at the end of 2016. Then 2017 would be the less Force User Focused version of KotFE.

 

 

I can see it now.

 

Darth Marr: "[imperial Class End of SoR Title Here or General Class Title], the enemy who had invaded Korriban appear to have come from the Wild Space region of the galaxy. Meet me at the following coordinates."

 

Satele Shan: "[Republic Class End of SoR Title HEre or General Class Title], the SIS has found a lead on the Tython attackers out in the Wild Space. Meet me at the following coordinates."

 

Then both factions meet in the middle of Wild Space and have a Yavin Coalition-type alliance to investigate the Wild Space where Marr gets killed by Vity and Shan helped survivors escape. Player Character is frozen, and we follow KotFE for the most part as the same, but with a little less Viti/Valky being all "You are a part of me I do not wish to destroy" to all classes (Likely just Warrior or Knight) and less shoe-horning because BW would have had two years to map out the KotFE story. Hey look, a KotFE story people could be more happy with. With group stuff!

 

And PvP maps could have been made, Arenas, Huttball, the Oddessan Alliance-like things...

 

 

 

Mostly, I like SoR and RotHC because there is at least a slight faction difference if class stories are no more.

 

 

I just want to say, I really think KOTFE 1-9 and KOTFE 10-16 should be thought of as two different stories.

 

KOTFE 1-9 was released all at once and was polished. KOTFE 10-16 was pushed out monthly, on a tight schedule.

 

Not everybody agrees with me on this, I know, but I think KOTFE 1-9 was awesome! And KOTFE 10-16 was "wait, where is the experience provided in 1-9? I wanted more of that!"

 

Some of the chapters in KOTFE 10-16 were awesome in isolation (such as 13 and 14) but I think they'd have worked better as being like the HK chapter is supposed to be... standalone pieces. They didn't really work for me as part of a larger whole. They were just cool side missions, is what they felt like. Like something that should have been filler, while the main story was being worked on.

 

I agree with you, actually. If I-IX were released all at once, and then in the fall X-XVI were released all at once with the disjointed story parts smoothed over, KotFE could have been better too. X-XVI feel like each one was given to a different author without having much to look at each other's work until later.

Edited August 17, 2016 by LyraineAlei

[Monumenta]

repeatable group content

 

and for my splash screen to stop going back to ROTHC all the time on my main

[LyraineAlei]

repeatable group content

 

and for my splash screen to stop going back to ROTHC all the time on my main

 

I'd love to have RotHC splash screen. Actually, I want all of the splash screens in a rotating Loading Screen selected thing by a default form BW, not a thing to work through myself.

[Andryah]

If they include the FPs with the story, I do hope they will give the option of having a god bot buddy so that solo players like me can see the story, because there was a time, where people like me could only get so far and never see the ending, if the ending was the FP or the Op and that really sucked.

 

I agree. IMO, based on their evolving approach to FPs, any new FP will very likely also have a solo option.

[Storm-Cutter]

Repeatable group content.

Some decent storytelling, taking into consideration events in the past.

A return of some old enemies and groups out to get even with you.

Individual class stories, not one-size-fits all.

at least a new 4 person FP every couple of months.

Fully voiced convos.

New events - smuggler event, soldier event etc.

A new PvP map.

Some dev time spent on GSF. - even an hour or two would be nice to sort out some fundamental things.

An actual new GSF map and a new game-mode & legacy hangars / req transfer.

Mission boards, where random adventures pop up around the galaxy - like mini companion alerts

New companions with stories, that can't just be bought off with gifts and enable us to romance them.

Varying faction alliances and enemies.

A pony, a unicorn and a shiny hat.

A half dozen new planets to explore with new mission types - not just kill x or click x things.

A return to the Pub vs empire war.

 

-I could add more but I know that there's probably only one thing on this list that's gonna happen, and I have a cargo bay full of hats already.....

[lilathrone]

What me, as part of the community want for SWTOR

 

-Storywise -> Focus more on main plot, less on returning companions

-More engaging, challenging fights, mainly boss fights in story content with mechanics and stuff

-New FPs tied to the KOTFE story.

-Retune old tacticals so they can be fun in any group composition (so kick the lowest level and pull out a healer companion could never happen, or a lowish level 4 dps group wouldn't be a nightmare).

 

Other than these, I can't recall a thing I don't like about current game state.

 

Just a + suggestion: FPs and Ops can be fun, but ToR could use a new way of group content. In Rift or ESO even if I didn't enjoy those games, I enjoyed those "invasions", where in certain points of the map random events occur, which bring many players together, mobs spawn which must be taken down together and it ends with a boss fight.

Here it could be something like Zakuulian(?) invasion which can occur on any planet at definite points, a ship comes in, drops Zakuul knights or startroopers, or anything which ends in a challenging boss fight with cool mechanics, and after ppl took him down everyone would get shiny awesome loot.

I heard even WoW brings something like this in with the new expansion.

[DarthSpuds]

A FP each month? I doubt it. But good on you for asking. Maybe a Heroic 4 each month instead? FP once per quarter and Ops every 6 months or so?

 

And please don't make those FPs mandatory for story. That was a major flaw with SoR.

 

I can't see them doing an FP each month either, and I agree they shouldn't be mandatory.

 

So how about say, 3 FPs throughout Season 2. One released with the initial release, one at a key story point somewhere around mid-season and one just before the season finale. And to meet the not mandatory component, how about have them fulfil a similar role to getting the Alliance Commanders to high enough Rep to unlock the Star Fortress Buffs. Complete the FP on Normal mode get a slight buff or temporary skills for use in a key story chapter, do them on hard-mode and get a bigger buff.

 

And if they could make the Buff/Skills you get from them make sense to the player's class that would be awesome too. Heck the skills can have the same material effect across all classes, but just name them and animate them in a class appropriate manner.

 

All The Best

[Tintfax]

Well written, OP. It does seem the ice is thawing a bit from the studio and they have begun to understand the necessity of having a healthy endgame to keep players engaged. IMO "story" can't be as much of a focus as a trademark. There is no studio on earth that has the capacity to deliver enough pure story to keep players engaged on its own.

 

 

 

This is ridiculous.

 

Both Operations and PvP in this game are incredible. They are simply not supported properly, and have not been since launch. The vast majority of PvE/PvP focused players that have left have done so reluctantly. There is zero doubt in my mind that this game could very easily sustain large communities on both sectors.

 

I won't get into the PvP side of things. There are people far more capable of describing it. The interview with Musco a few weeks back nailed most of it.

 

There is certainly much to be done on the PvE side - specifically in creating a logical bridge over the chasm between KotFE-esque content and the more difficult content. However, as in the past, guilds can and will cover up a lot of the structural weaknesses of the current endgame environment. The dearth of content has destroyed your endgame guild community. Its return can bring it back. Content cadence has to change. I think BW is still just beginning to understand how much value to the game - literally, value - guilds provide.

 

And no, I'm not talking about the "hardcore" maniacs people on these forums like to dream up that are 99% fairy tale. I'm talking about the groups that get together twice a week for a couple hours to have some fun and tackle some challenges.

 

Players that have spent time raiding in this game generally enjoy it. Moreso than elsewhere. I've watched players stick around for months - now over a year - after they've come to the conclusion that raiding is "dead" in this game solely out of hope something might change. Raiding in this game is fun. the group size is perfect. The combat is fun. The encounters have been unique and challenging.

 

Anyone who says otherwise has not spoken to many people who've focused on those aspects of this game. Period.

 

Operations have lacked only one thing - support. Bugs are allowed to linger for months. That's insanity. PvE class balancing has always been an afterthought, and when it is done it's done with an atomic warhead. Abilities aren't nerfed, they're obliterated. Exploits remain in place for months. Years, in some cases. And the tuning of bosses, at all tiers of difficulty, has been.... haphazard. And more often then not, the fixes turn out worse than the original problem.

 

An engaged group of CMs, effective dialogue, and prompt, tested reactions would improve the experience of endgame players by 100%. This isn't building a video game. This is basic, fundamental running a business.

 

Stop with this HHM nonsense. The gear should not be the goal. For most endgame players, it is not. It is the experience. The camaraderie. The challenge. The kill. The gear is a byproduct. Gear just happens.

 

As a studio, you should not want to foster the mindset of gear = better. Because it's flat wrong. If you truly care about your players doing more damage you should create an environment where they can learn how to. If you're simply trying to give them easy rewards, there are other rewards you should be able to think of.

 

Stop with this "normalization" of Operations. It doesn't work. It reduces the amount of content people have, except for nightmare raiders. There is nothing for groups to work on anymore. People have killed what they can kill. Walls exist. Overleveling opened a whole new tier of content to people.

 

The fact people new to the game have not done old content at level is not a problem you should have concerned yourself with. Because it wasn't a problem. Not having current content - that was a problem.

 

Stop with this "Hardmare" structure. The playerbase for such a structure simply does not exist in this game. If you want a vibrant endgame community - who, by the way, make you a heck of a lot of money - you need to bring back NM mode and stop trolling 80% of your playerbase by putting NM bosses in HM content. And your story mode makes no sense as it currently exists. If you want LFR (and I think you need it), do it. It seems like a lot of work to do it properly but when you don't render it obsolete with HHM or normalization people will play it for years.

 

Those are fairly obvious things I believe most raiding teams/guilds that have left would agree with. Those are things I believe most players who bought, subscribed to and play this game primarily to raid would agree with.

 

Spend less time trying to reinvent the wheel. Spend more time making sure things work properly. The raiding itself is fantastic, and could thrive if you just acted like it was important.

 

well said gabigool!

[DarthDymond]

I want this game to shut down and people post pics of the remaining devs on the unemployment welfare line so i can get a good laugh.

Ah yes, the good ol' "someone made a game that I don't enjoy, so I want to see them suffer" mentality. It's so nice how the internet gives a voice to even the most inane and childish of sentiments.

Edited August 17, 2016 by DarthDymond

[Virus_Bot]

Ah yes, the good ol' "someone made a game that I don't enjoy, so I want to see them suffer" mentality. It's so nice how the internet gives a voice to even the most inane and childish of sentiments.

I dont want to see them suffer because i have a personal vendetta against them. I just think it would be kind of funny.

[DuckKing]

I'd like to visit places like Vandin. The planet where you team up with Gault and Vette. Nothing is more frustrating than going to these awesome places like Asylum or Vandin and it's only a story phased instance. As an RPer, I'd love if they would open up these areas. The only world I really remember past chapter nine you could actually return to was Darvannis. Now Darvannis was great but it's a world we've already seen in the Scum and Villainy Operation. Vandin was such an awesome Planet I'd like to RP on.

 

Other than that I'd hope both Factions will one day be able to travel to places like Korriban, Tython, Hutta, Dromund Kass, Coruscant, Ord Mantell and the the faction locked areas on Nar Shaddaa. Look, I get that it wouldn't make sense to see Jedi running around on Korriban regularly but whats stopping anyone from traveling anywhere at this point in the story? Both factions Republic and Empire are in an Alliance. Places like Korriban and Tython are not what they once were when this game first launched Four years ago. You fight Jedi at the end of Korriban Incursion and Sith in Assault on Tython or vice versa.

 

Keeping Korriban, Tython or any of the starter planets Frozen in time is kind of a setback for for this game by design. Sure aesthetically worlds wouldn't match up because of timeline differences but we should be able to go to these other planets. As an RP I'd love this and I'd be able to interact more would Pubs and Imps. Also now that PvE and PvP instances are separate you wouldn't be able to attack new players on the starter planets.

 

I dunno I'd like to see this happen. Maybe it's just me. xD

Edited August 17, 2016 by DuckKing

[TUXs]

I want this game to shut down and people post pics of the remaining devs on the unemployment welfare line so i can get a good laugh.

When you say "Devs", I hope you mean the people in management who have led this game down a path of utter destruction, not the actual Devs who work their butts off for us?!

[DarthSpuds]

When you say "Devs", I hope you mean the people in management who have led this game down a path of utter destruction, not the actual Devs who work their butts off for us?!

 

Do they?

 

No idea who the lead story developer is - but I'd bet my last £1 that any random fan from the forums could do a better job.

 

If he/she is working their butt off just to attain the current level of story mediocrity and disjointedness then I suggest the "higher ups" start advertising the position for a replacement PDQ.

 

Heck, I've had better short stories (not Star Wars) than this published for crying out loud.

 

All The Best

[Damask_Rose]

I would like to see companion conversations returned. Fully voiced, not the "Kotor style"! I felt disconnected from my characters in KotFE and lack of interactions with my alliance members was a big part of that.

 

I'd like to see more done with the alliance base. I'd like all of my companions there, not just some, or let me pick which ones. I want at least some rudimentary decorating abilities. Let me make it mine.

 

I'd like all of the little bits and pieces of planets to be expanded into real planets, ideally with some new heroics or dailies & a new rep. faction. That includes Manaan & Rakata Prime! I'd love more to do there!

 

While new flashpoints and pvp maps aren't high on my list, I would like to see some. But not if they have convoluted, gimmicky mechanics.

[TUXs]

Do they?

 

No idea who the lead story developer is - but I'd bet my last £1 that any random fan from the forums could do a better job.

 

If he/she is working their butt off just to attain the current level of story mediocrity and disjointedness then I suggest the "higher ups" start advertising the position for a replacement PDQ.

 

Heck, I've had better short stories (not Star Wars) than this published for crying out loud.

 

All The Best

I guess it all depends on how much freedom he actually has...

[Tieru]

I would just like to write a disclaimer for myself in light of other threads and possible misunderstandings (the before disclaimer seems to not cover my intent adequately).

---------------------------------------

 

The format of my original post when I opened this thread was meant to read as an open letter to SWTOR in the forums. I under no circumstance meant to interject myself as a representative as the community as a whole, as I do not - and indeed cannot, know the needs and desires of the community in its entirety. Because of this, I felt that this thread should serve as yet another thread where devoted players of this game could post their suggestions in a civil manner, in a way that might serve developers and producers of this game as a sort of 'feedback'.

 

I would also like to take this moment to thank those who have so far participated and posted with civility, their suggestions and feedback on their game experiences. This is how forum feedback is supposed to work - with the actual community commenting and discussing in open forum. Thus I can say that this thread has been successful so far in my main goal - to provide a thread of feedback with my own and community analysis of the game and our experience forthwith. On a tangent - it is a lot like voting (not bringing outside politics up, it's just an analogy), voter turn out legitimizes democracy. And forum feedback in the same regard enables story artists and developers to create content the forum suggests (with discrimination of course).

 

Please continue to share your feedback! and Thank you!

[Jamtas]

Do they?

 

No idea who the lead story developer is - but I'd bet my last £1 that any random fan from the forums could do a better job.

 

Ahh the internet. Where everyone is a developer and usually a legal expert as well.

 

but any thread wanting to represent the community should just acknowledge from teh get go that the community wants everything in the time span of now. for the cost of... on the house.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Jamtas

[ikinai]

Ahh the internet. Where everyone is a developer and usually a legal expert as well.

 

but any thread wanting to represent the community should just acknowledge from teh get go that the community wants everything in the time span of now. for the cost of... on the house.

 

I am neither, I am simply Queen of the Internet. Oh wait, actually I am a developer, hmmm...maybe I'm a lawyer too? I should get myself checked out if so. Would my GP be able to diagnose me as such? I wonder how she'd treat me if I were also a lawyer? I mean it's bad enough being a developer, but a lawyer to boot? I would be a shameful disgrace to humanity.