December Producer Livestream Wrap-up

[-Spc]

Also, how do perfered players get to do ops and wz's with friends ?

There was no mention of universal weekly passes or something like that.

 

Some of my best friends don't play this game very often, but sometimes they log in and wanna do some quick ops, or wz's.

That's why they're not always subscribed.

 

And now, they can't buy any passes because they got removed. I really hope bioware puts in some universal weekly pass that will give prefered players access to the whole thing for a week.

[Thoniei]

I have some feedback for PvE and a question for PvP.

 

Please rethink putting only a guaranteed drop only on the last boss in operation. The end result will be that the only thing worth doing is last boss lockouts. There is already too many groups who will only run last boss for the conquest and CXP now that that is the only guaranteed piece of gear that is all that will happen. Why even have 5 bosses in an operation if 90% of the rewards come from the last boss only. Last boss lockouts are boring please spread out the rewards so that groups have a reason to run an operation from start to end.

 

A quick question about PvP, on the stream you said that the unassembled components would be rewarded based on match outcomes and medals. The medal rewards will cap at 8 medals just like the current system correct? If not then the medal system will need a serious overhaul since tanks can easily get 14+ while healers struggle to get more than 8-10 in some matches. But if rewards are capped at 8 medals it won't be an issue.

[Andryah]

The command tokens still won't encourage use of alts.

 

The problem is that playing an alt means you are refocusing on a lower tier's grind and taking time away from your main character's progress toward tier 3.

 

Actually, people will quickly figure out that gaming the system with alts is worth doing. What do I mean? Simple.... people with lots of alts at cap level (and there are many) will simply roll them through GC for about 5 levels, collect the tokens and then forward them to other characters in their legacy or cargo them, since they are legacy bound. The first 5 levels goes pretty fast. So unless some form of safeguard is put in.. people will be gaming the system for tokens.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Andryah

[Andryah]

Please rethink putting only a guaranteed drop only on the last boss in operation. The end result will be that the only thing worth doing is last boss lockouts. There is already too many groups who will only run last boss for the conquest and CXP now that that is the only guaranteed piece of gear that is all that will happen. Why even have 5 bosses in an operation if 90% of the rewards come from the last boss only. Last boss lockouts are boring please spread out the rewards so that groups have a reason to run an operation from start to end.

 

Agree with this assessment.

[KWONRYU]

Love you Eric!

 

 

Love the upcoming changes!

 

Defeating the final Boss in an Operation should always be more rewarding than clearing the beginning of an OP and then resetting it, rinse and repeat!

[phalczen]

So, after 5.1, ops bosses will drop:

1) chance at vanity items

2) chance at schems

3) guaranteed per group member CXP "trophy"

4) guaranteed crafting materials

5) chance at a slot-specific token

 

And command crates will drop five things, including:

1) guaranteed gear item, anything from static green unmoddable to legendary set bonus moddable

2) guaranteed stack of command tokens

3-5) three other slots for things like jawa junk, comp gifts, orange cosmetic shells

 

Do I have it right?

Edited December 16, 2016 by phalczen

[Barnard]

Hey folks,

• 
  In PvE
  
• Each other boss in an Operation has a chance to drop any token. Bosses that are later in an Operation have a higher chance then those early in the Op.
  

 

-eric

 

This isn't good enough. We know how well we can trust you with "chance." Every boss needs to drop at least a random appropriate tier token. All you are doing is giving us more RNG on gear.

[Thoniei]

Defeating the final Boss in an Operation should always be more rewarding than clearing the beginning of an OP and then resetting it, rinse and repeat!

 

Sure it should. But the balance there should be more like 4.0 i.e. first bosses drop implants, belts, and bracers and last bosses drop chest pieces and main hands. Now all you need to do is beat the first 4 bosses once per week and then you can get rewards from the last boss as many times as you have alts. And since the last boss gets you the weekly and the only guaranteed piece of gear you are getting almost all of the possible rewards for killing just one boss.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Thoniei

[Ryenke]

Full disclosure - I unsubbed during 5.0 preview because I didn't like cxp grind and rng gear. Been playing out my unsub to see if it got better (it hasn't, the opposite in fact) and to see in what way BW might respond. Today's stream did nothing to make me want to resub.

 

Feedback - why I will not resub and why today's stream info didn't help:

• My basic problem with current system is unchanged. It is frustrating and completely unfun to play for hours and 'earn' a crate full of useless junk.
   
  
• The promised 1 to 2 hours per level isn't even true at level 15, and will be at least double that time very soon. (I don't pvp). I estimate would have to play 900 to 1200 hours to get to tier 3 gear ON ONE TOON - BUT, I already have a full time job and life. No progress in game unless I dedicated my life to SWTOR isn't for me.
   
  
• The new change to PVE raid gear (i.e. token/unassembled RNG on top of the current RNG?) looks horrible to me: My raiding healer toons are not on a regular raid team, I was a fill-in for a guild team pub side and I'd pug imp side. Only last boss guarantee loot means my chance to get gear in a pug run is at best what, one chance out of four? (yeah, I used to go 3 or 4 pug runs in a row without winning a roll, think my luck will be better when only one boss drops loot?) And only if I don't get a ninja. Chance to get gear as a fill-in - not gonna happen, because everyone will need it before me. Even if I had stayed subbed with this system I wouldn't have gear to do anything other than bolstered ops, so that no more fill-in healer spot for me.
   
  
• My dps toons I run in a casual fashion - dailies, tactical fp's, very occasionally for fun SM op runs. I used to gear them with com gear armorings, fp enhancements, and probably crafted mods. Mostly tho they got the left side ears and implants from comms. Now they get nothing but this command crate useless junk. I don't have time to take my healers through cxp - so how the heck would I have time to do it on my dps. My non raiding dps toons won't benefit from your token system, this cxp grind for useless command crates I'm not even going to bother, too depressing to get worthless stuff in crate after crate after crate.
  

 

TLDR: Nothing you said on stream makes it worthwhile for me to consider paying for the pain of cxp/galactic command system you have put in place. The game stopped being fun for me with it's implementation and became a lengthy grind for one frustrating crate of crap after another. Math says my luck would probably change but it might not - and it has become 'too long, don't care'.

 

Good Luck, maybe other (un) subs are happier with the changes you outlined than I. I don't wish you ill, but you asked for feedback so that was my honest take. I want to have fun when I game and I'm not doing so in the SWTOR 5.0 GrindForRNGfest and your changes don't sound like they are removing any of the frustrations or bringing any of the fun back.

[Death-Hammer]

I think the valor requirement for the pvp gear should be 10 , 25 , 50

[Arthuriuan]

The Dev team realy need to nip this in the bud by clarifying things. Is the only way to get set gear through the new unassembled drops in Ops/PvP? Or, will it still come along via RNG in crates in addition to the new way that is being implemented?

[AngFour]

The Dev team realy need to nip this in the bud by clarifying things. Is the only way to get set gear through the new unassembled drops in Ops/PvP? Or, will it still come along via RNG in crates in addition to the new way that is being implemented?

 

The Ops/PvP way is the more guaranteed (if convoluted) way. Everyone will still have a chance to get them from the Command Crates as well.

[Arthuriuan]

I believe that, too. But, I would like to see a gold post saying as much. They weren't really clear on it in the stream. Edited December 16, 2016 by Arthuriuan

[Zhiroc]

I believe that, too. But, I would like to see a gold post saying as much. They weren't really clear on it in the stream.

 

Yes, they said that on the stream.More than once, I believe.

[Radzkie]

 

Please rethink putting only a guaranteed drop only on the last boss in operation. The end result will be that the only thing worth doing is last boss lockouts. There is already too many groups who will only run last boss for the conquest and CXP now that that is the only guaranteed piece of gear that is all that will happen. Why even have 5 bosses in an operation if 90% of the rewards come from the last boss only. Last boss lockouts are boring please spread out the rewards so that groups have a reason to run an operation from start to end.

.

This.

 

inb4 most raid nights become last boss lockouts

[Tessie]

This suggestion is for non-PvP and non-Ops playstyles covering the following content types:

• H2s / Dailies
  
• Veteran / Master mode FPs
  
• Veteran / Master mode Uprisings
  
• Veteran / Master mode Chapters
  

 

Problems:

• Failing to get set pieces due to RNG
  
• Getting duplicate set pieces due to RNG
  

 

Suggestions:

• Allow duplicate set pieces to be exchanged for unassembled set piece components of the same tier
  
• Allow veteran and master mode content to have a chance to drop unassembled set piece components from the final boss
  
  • Veteran mode should have a very low chance (suggestion: 5%)
    
    • Always drops tier 1
      

    [*]Master mode should have a low chance (suggestion: 10%)

    • Always drops tier 2
      

  [*]Allow command tokens to be used, along with credits, to purchase assembled set pieces

  • Tier 1 gear should be purchasable once you reach tier 2
    
    • command tokens + 1 million credits per piece
      

    [*]Tier 2 gear should be purchasable once you reach tier 3

    • command tokens + 2 million credits per piece
      

    [*]Tier 3 gear should be purchasable once you reach command level 300

    • command tokens + 4 million credits per piece
      

  [*]Add a weekly mission for completing all planetary missions that rewards a small number of unassembled set piece components

[Betterclass]

Wouldn't adding gear tokens to operations force everyone to raid?

[RikuvonDrake]

Please don't re-introduce chance drop for gear tokens into PvE, last time you did the same for Nightmare you had to alter your system not once, but twice and already at that point, many players had left. I hope you reconsider to ensure that all bosses drop loot in an organised and specific manner, I realize you like RNG but please understand that this is not the case with this player base.

[Jeweledleah]

ok so.... forgive me if its been asked or I'm getting it wrong but... are you basically saying that solo players are STILL a subject to insane rng and slow command level gain if they want upgrades? I mean.. you ARE adding all those master difficulty story chapters that ARE solo content and ARE supposed to be challenging and requiring better gear. but... you are NOT reintroducing ability to buy some sort of upgrades through vendors like you used to be able to before? you know with commendations, and then crystals.

 

I'm not even talking about tier gear here, just the sort of non bonus stuff you used to be able to buy with verpine commendations, or glowing crystals and such.

 

the fixes to the system are barely a good start.

[xXxSPYROxXx]

Oh for goodness sake... Why is it so difficult for you to understand that this stupid RNG trash is never going to work? Please listen and stop insulting us by pretending. Revert to the old Comms/crystals please! that worked so well, we were rewarded for ALL the effort we put in, ALL the time! We saved up and bought EXACTLY what we needed. We had incentive to do things, to team up. Its so sad to see how far this game has fallen

[Nmyownworld]

I appreciate that the team is listening to, and acting on, player concerns. I'd like more information.

 

What's the Command token cost per piece when trading unassembled tokens to the vendor? If the number of Command tokens is too great, there's not much change. The RNG factor is removed (I can cheer for that). However, it can still be a stale grindfest before leveling through enough Command ranks in order to gain enough Command tokens.

 

A separate point is I think GSF should grant PvP unassembled tokens. The rationale that character gear is not needed for GSF disregards the fact that there are players who do play, or at least dabble, in many aspects of SWTOR. GSF is a form of PvP (literally, as in it is player versus player), and it should grant PvP unassembled tokens.

[Voblat]

So, let me summarize what you propose.

 

You are adding extra rewards to the fastest method of leveling galactic command (PvP).

 

You are adding extra rewards to last bosses on operations, ensuring that last boss lockout is all that matters now and new players are going to struggle getting into operations.

 

You have done nothing for solo players, who still have to rely on a year of grinding per toon plus insane random luck if they get anything at all.

 

Also, again, next expansion. What do you do? If you add the next level of gear to the end of GC, so 301-400 level, you just put on level gear further away from any casual player and the gear disparity for new players will be insurmountable.

 

If you reset all galactic command levels, you remove any benefit of being a long term player and erase everything people have done.

 

Its a lose lose situation.

 

The system you have designed simply does not work.

[AshantiV]

First, I want to say thank you. It is wonderful that you've added a method of playing that sets a direct goal, no matter how grindy that goal will be.

 

Now bear with me here, I'm going to try and summarize what I understand your system will be like for PvP'rs and ask a few questions in that regard. I realize that I may have repeated a few questions already asked in this thread but I feel that reiteration emphasizes importance.

 

As I see it, gearing for PvPr's will look something like this:

Unassembled components -> unassembled gear piece (pvp vendor)

 

unassembled gear piece + command tokens = tier gear (second, different vendor)

 

To pass move up into tier 2 and later tier 3 gear it will be:

 

Unassembled components + tier 1 gear shell = unassembled gear piece (pvp vendor)

 

unassembled gear piece + command tokes = tier gear (second, different vendor)

 

Assumptions:

1. All tiers are behind a valor requirement.
   
2. Command tokens are legacy wide.
   
3. I am not restricted to gear for the class I'm playing.
   

 

This set up leads to some general concerns/observations.

 

 

1. The first and most obvious concern is that pvprs will have to use two different vendors in, likely, two different areas of the fleet to gear up. This is more inconvenience than anything.
    
   
2. I have already received some tier gear through command crates right now. I pulled out the mods, and sold the shells. The shells are required for going up tiers. I'm assuming I'll have to start from the very beginning with those slots when I eventually decide to upgrade them and not rely on rng.
   
   
3. All vendors are locked behind a valor requirement, not the gear. This means my valor 100 character can potentially gear all my alts up to tier 3 gear, in gear they would be able to use. Please confirm.
    
   
4. Lastly, as both pvp and pve players will be pulling from the same gear vendor, my best guess is that the gear will have accuracy. Pre-5.0 we had vendors with enhancements and mods to optimize our gear. Will that be available again or will I have to tier through another set (heals) just to receive optimal stats (on dps sorc). I realize that crafting is an option; however, crafted stats are sub-par to GC.
   

 

I will not be surprised if I completely missed some information and my questions/observations are unfounded but I appreciate the opportunity to put them out there. I hope you do consider some of these.

 

Thank you!

[DansbyRotten]

A 100% drop rate of an unassembled gear token for every boss defeated will be necessary to motivate players to resume "progression" raiding.

 

The changes announced in the livestream are certainly an improvement but do not go far enough.

[merovejec]

SWTOR Dev Team.

 

Why do you insist on reinventing the wheel?

 

ROFL, good one