Gearing Changes in Eternal Throne

[Sareeph]

I've really been thinking about this, and I am not sure it is alt unfriendly. Because each level gives a box, and CXP goes up on a curve, if you maxed it on one character, it would take you much MUCH longer on that alt to get any gear...

 

I think what they should do is add a Legacy perk, say per class you max Command on, you get a +CXP modifier for any non max ranked Command character, but the XP bonus cuts off after you reach max CXP.

 

Not sure why you feel that grinding multiple "rep" levels (That's all this really is, another form of rep) isn't that bad. Even if you give a bonus for reaching max level, the shear number of alts out there still makes it prohibitive. As has been posted here previously, people switch roles depending on which real life circumstance crops up. Do we need a healer, a tank, another dps? Fine, I'll switch so that we get the group going. But with separate rep levels for each toon you'll have people losing interest because Sally the healer or Joe the tank is unavailable and who want's to regress? That is the reason for legacy gear. So that people don't have to run through the progression over and over just to make a group work.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Sareeph

[Kai-Del_Serromis]

Musco, would it be possible to get the drops changed from actual gear pieces to token? That way it's still random, but at least we still get a bit of say in what we get for ourselves.

[LordCorrino]

I have several problems with this system.

 

1. It is basically the worst part of a reputation grind with the worst part of a RNG system. I have to rank up a reputation grind and then pray to RNJesus?

2. No incentive to play a toon once you gear up. What's that? This pug needs a tank? Sorry, already BiS for my tank. Please take my ungeared DPS alt instead. Soon to be seen on fleet "LFM 2T 2H then GTG."

3. It kills alts. This is what really gets me. Alts are how experienced players deal with the content drought. My Jugg is geared. What do? Maybe I'll see how a Merc plays in 5.0? So in addition to not ending the content drought, now they've taken away our alternative to the content drought.

4. Wasted effort. The gearing system was actually decent in 4.0. It needed evolutionary change, not revolutionary change. Y'all could have tweaked gearing a little bit and then put that time and effort into new content.

5. Story cannot sustain this game. There are two major problems with story in a MMO: (1) you are too limited in the choices available to players because there is no reset button to see alternative endings. Lots of promises of "your decisions matter" but they really don't, and never will; (2) It isn't worth $15 a month for 30 minutes of new story when I can buy a whole new story-driven game for $60.

6. Unnatural progression. There is a reason the best gear is gated behind the hardest content. It is a natural sense of progression and accomplishment. It feels good to clear and then get a commensurate rewards Finishing a grind never feels good.

7. This kills FTP which is utterly inexplicable as FTP saved this game. Why?

 

That being said, the system could actually be brilliant with three minor changes:

 

1. Make the gear token rather than RNG. Finish a level, get something you need.

2. Make the reputation grind Legacy based.

3. Remove limitations on FTP players for gear.

[AlCorazon]

I like the entire feature, except gearing.

GC can work like they intend it to work, but instead of gear, it should give tokens.

 

Thats it. Problem fixed. Everyone is happy. (more or less)

 

Wonder what about gree tokens and similar stuff, i have some in stock, wonder if i shoud utilize them, same goes for legacy shells?

[Psychopyro]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

Umm, gonna point out that games that did this, got rid of it.... This is just getting worse....

[Tanitha]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

WHAT!!!! How are we going to get our gear in this way? WEEKLY CAP? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MINDS? PvPers and raiders need the gear to play... If for example, the cap for GCX last level is 100K, if we have a 10K weekly limit, we'll need 10 weeks to get to the top tier and get the top gear. Add to that the RNG system where you may NEVER get that last armor piece you need for set bonus...

 

This is incredibly stupid decision. Not just the RNG but also the weekly cap on top?

[Kallindar]

I hope this is not beginning of the end for swtor

[Sareeph]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

Really really high. As in unattainable except from some form of exploit?

Edited October 19, 2016 by Sareeph

[Jesira]

Not completely gear related, but the new GC system does not look alt-friendly at all as it's not legacy/account wide just like the alliance system. Ever since the current expansion came out, I haven't really had the time to focus on all my alts and their separate alliances so I find myself sticking to 2-3 characters max because of how long it takes to gain influence, etc. Is there any chance of making the new GC system legacy/account wide, as well as the Alliance/Influence system?

[Tanitha]

I hope this is not beginning of the end for swtor

 

The beginnign of the end started with KOTFE and no new content. 1 actual chapter per month, with one alert mission... SFs? Boring. TEC? no incentive to play it more than once or twice on a toon.

 

Heck most of my toons haven't even progressed past Chapter 9 of KOTFE and some have not even started it.

 

BioFail is shooting themselves in the heart and the head at the same time.

[Sareeph]

Not completely gear related, but the new GC system does not look alt-friendly at all as it's not legacy/account wide just like the alliance system. Ever since the current expansion came out, I haven't really had the time to focus on all my alts and their separate alliances so I find myself sticking to 2-3 characters max because of how long it takes to gain influence, etc. Is there any chance of making the new GC system legacy/account wide, as well as the Alliance/Influence system?

 

If not, how does one explain all the money spent in cartel coins to raise the max number of characters on a server?

[DanNV]

My biggest issue with the new gearing is that it is RNG and based on advanced class. RNG based gearing failed miserably at launch, why would anyone go back to it? All I need is six belts... Oh, but I can disintegrate them, but unless it lets me get another piece right away, you've just wasted my time trying to get the one that was tank gear for a DPS or is the 6th belt. That is going to upset players and again cost you subs and support in your player base.

 

The only real way to save it is to give me a token so I can be sure it's a DPS piece of gear not a tank piece on my DPS and to set the RNG to only pick from pieces I don't already have for the level box I am getting. IE, I have command level 7 helmet, chest, belt and boots, my next level 7 pieces can't be one that I already have.

[AlCorazon]

We asked for new ops ...

Instead of making new ops they decided to make them pointless... command points can be squired with a lot of alternatives than ops, therefore no need for them.

 

So solution, players ask for new content, instead of providing it, we eliminate the need for content? Am i right, Eirc?

[Kyrrant]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

So, just to be clear: Someone playing for, oh, 168 hours in a week without using any in-game exploits (...just... out of game exploits... shh) would not hit that cap?

 

I mean, it's a solid idea to have a cap as an anti-cheat measure, just making sure here .

[Sareeph]

My biggest issue with the new gearing is that it is RNG and based on advanced class. RNG based gearing failed miserably at launch, why would anyone go back to it? All I need is six belts... Oh, but I can disintegrate them, but unless it lets me get another piece right away, you've just wasted my time trying to get the one that was tank gear for a DPS or is the 6th belt. That is going to upset players and again cost you subs and support in your player base.

 

The only real way to save it is to give me a token so I can be sure it's a DPS piece of gear not a tank piece on my DPS and to set the RNG to only pick from pieces I don't already have for the level box I am getting. IE, I have command level 7 helmet, chest, belt and boots, my next level 7 pieces can't be one that I already have.

 

Problem with that is, when you do get all your set gear, what then? If by some miracle you get your entire set before the max level, what will keep you playing?

Edited October 19, 2016 by Sareeph

[Tanitha]

We asked for new ops ...

Instead of making new ops they decided to make them pointless... command points can be squired with a lot of alternatives than ops, therefore no need for them.

 

So solution, players ask for new content, instead of providing it, we eliminate the need for content? Am i right, Eirc?

 

THIS. Alienate all the old players, those who have been subbing for a long time, and have done most content. You already have lost a lot of subs with the disaster that was KOTFE, and you still continue on the path to destruction even more with KOTFE v. 2.0, the RNG system, and weekly cap on top.

[TBDNicodemus]

WHAT!!!! How are we going to get our gear in this way? WEEKLY CAP? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MINDS? PvPers and raiders need the gear to play... If for example, the cap for GCX last level is 100K, if we have a 10K weekly limit, we'll need 10 weeks to get to the top tier and get the top gear. Add to that the RNG system where you may NEVER get that last armor piece you need for set bonus...

 

This is incredibly stupid decision. Not just the RNG but also the weekly cap on top?

 

This is an example of how to complain about something, with nothing to base the complaint about. There is a cap... in reputation if you do all the content your looking at a 8k gain? This won't share across your characters mind you but, if the cap is 10k what are you complaining about? You don't even have all the facts to make a judgment call.

 

He says it will be a very high ceiling only meant so that exploiting, and pacing is allowed (no one finishes in a week what should take 3 months, which are made up time frames ofc). Why would you choose to complain about rep ceiling, and not having time to build main and secondary characters is beyond me.

 

I would rather keep the ceiling but make the "crates" drops a token, make NIM drop specific token for each person upon completion. I would also want this to be legacy wide, but if the tokens can go to different class vendors I'm good there too.

 

Until you have all the facts have people calm their ****.

[Andryah]

So, just to be clear: Someone playing for, oh, 168 hours in a week without using any in-game exploits (...just... out of game exploits... shh) would not hit that cap?

 

I mean, it's a solid idea to have a cap as an anti-cheat measure, just making sure here .

 

In fairness.. I doubt many players actually play anywhere near 168 hours per week, even in a frenzy over a new expac

 

A cap not only mitigates runaways from an exploit.. it also encourages players to get off the keyboard and actually go outside and smell the roses.

[WheresMyWhisky]

Eric so for advanced classes that have 2 wholly different disciplines e.g. heal and dps are the rolls totally independent?

 

It just seems unfair for those classes e.g. say I am a tank and I really need that shield I have a 1/2 chance I will get a tank item then a 1/14 chance I will get the correct slot which is basically 1/2 * 1/14 = 1/28 chance I will get that shield.

 

If I am a marauder and need my offhand I have a 1/14 chance. Now maybe that is not how its going to work but that's the standard way of working out the probability of 2 independent events as far as I can remember (caveat its been 20 odd years so I may be being a div).

 

Now its not going to be quite as bad as that early on but once you have filled half your slots its going to be potentially one hell of a grind. I really think if you want to keep any raiders or pvp players you will need to rethink this

[Jadescythe]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

My take away from this is that maxing out command level will be a multi-month project, even for those that play nearly every day. I realize you can't give us anything specific now, but is the intention of the system going to be that a player would not get enough cxp to even reach the maximum level within a few weeks?

[myrdinn]

...I'm guessing the Alliance system plays zero into the Galactic Command system, so... no reason to keep grinding all the alts to 20, then (given the lack of answer on the question when other questions have been answered).

 

Okay. Still wanting to know

1. Level cap on the command. Is it 50, 100, 150? I know you can still keep dinging it, but...

1a. How many tiers are in those levels? One tier per ten? Twenty? Five?

1b. What are the stat gain differences per teir?

1c. What are the stat differences between the craftable items and the loot items?

1.c.i Are their tier-use limits for the craftable pieces like the loot/reward pieces?

2. Any of the rewards transferable by Legacy?

2b. If not, please tell someone to consider making command levels in the legacy. Fark, grinding affection 10 for the four Alliance contacts is a pain in the bum now, considering breaking into the higher command tiers for the alts is a special place of grief.

3. Are there any alt-friendly design choices in the system at all?

[Drilcha]

Great going folks, this new system is RNGenius.

[Simpanx]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

Just like how you guys thought it would take really, really much time and grind to get Legacy level 50? Sorry for being cynical but your recent history with metrics isn't really promising.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Simpanx

[KnightOfTython]

Yes, there will be a weekly cap. However this cap is not being put in place to halt or slow progression in anyway. The purpose of the cap is a safeguard should some exploit or bug crop up which allows people to gain CXP in an unintended way. I can assure that cap will be really, really high!

 

-eric

 

Sorry Eric, I don't get it.

 

You basically confirmed that this feature is buggy else you wouldn't afraid exploits at this point.

Instead fixing it your fallback and workaround is a safeguard?

 

Is this EA quality standard? Really?

Edited October 19, 2016 by KnightOfTython

[Krazhez]

Musco, would it be possible to get the drops changed from actual gear pieces to token? That way it's still random, but at least we still get a bit of say in what we get for ourselves.

 

This.