JUNG MA: Bots have free rein, New players duped by mismanaged server populations

[SteveniusProctor]

New Player. First Post. Here goes:

 

I put this here because I felt it would get overlooked on the Jung Ma forum, but I feel this also speaks to a larger, more general issue.

 

Yes I know Jung Ma, is a dead/dying server. However, when I started playing this game about 3 months ago, I didn't know that when I chose to roll there, but I'll get back to that.

 

First, a couple weeks ago my GM was running me around, showing me places to farm for crafting, helping me w/ heroics and just basically educating me on some things. We're out by the Temple Ruins on Yavin, and he's like, "See that pub toon? That's a bot. I can't believe they haven't caught onto that guy, he's been out here forever. Wanna kill it?" I'm like really? Okay kill! Then we see another, and another. I go back there to farm a week later and sure enough, they're all still there, and all the same ones. So very obviously bots. I put in a ticket, get generic response, "we are investigating, bah blah." Guess who is still out there?

 

C'mon guys. Really? Don't tell me you can't do anything about it, and surely for as long as some of these same bots that are running 24/7 have been out there according to my guild mates, I find it hard to believe that you guys don't know about them. That just seems a bit lazy to me, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

 

Secondly, Just merge the low pop servers. It's not fair to new players who come here, not knowing where to roll and then wind up on a dead server only to find out later what it costs to transfer a toon; that transfer cost...quite simply no. Completely unjustified. Were it not for the discount transfers you're offering right now, after all the time I put in those toons that would have probably been all she wrote for me. What fun is it for a new player who lands on a dead server, who can never find people to group with, or pvp ques that never pop, random FPs that never pop etc? Had I known the state of things on this server, I wouldn't have rolled there. This feels like a money grab and it's not cool guys. "Let em roll there and we can get some more $$ when they find it's dead and have to transfer!" It's not a good first impression when a new player rolls on a dead sever and is potentially deterred from playing the game because it seems like no one is even here.

 

...and another thing. There's a reason I rolled on a PVP server, but this instancing crap you guys have going on... Yeah. Whatever. The only world PVP experience I've had thus far is killing the bots on Jung Ma that you guys won't get rid of. But I'm sure there were 500 threads posted about that whenever you guys did it (I seriously doubt it was always that way) so I'll stop there on that note.

 

For all its blatant flaws I still love this game, but please... get it together Devs, I really want this game to succeed. This grubby-handed business model of yours (cartel market) needs a serious kick in the face.

[DreadtechSavant]

I play on that server as well. I like low pop servers.

 

However if you have only been playing for 3 months there's not even an issue here. Just make a new character on any of the other servers. BW even gave you a cheap 90cc transfer if you must have the character already made. You can get a maxed levelled character in what two weeks or less?

 

Bots, who cares. There are bots on all servers and only bother those players who let it bother them. I have played for over 3 years and never once in all that time have bots had any impact on me at all.

Edited December 26, 2016 by DreadtechSavant

[SteveniusProctor]

I play on that server as well. I like low pop servers.

 

However if you have only been playing for 3 months there's not even an issue here. Just make a new character on any of the other servers. BW even gave you a cheap 90cc transfer if you must have the character already made. You can get a maxed levelled character in what two weeks or less?

 

Bots, who cares. There are bots on all servers and only bother those players who let it bother them. I have played for over 3 years and never once in all that time have bots had any impact on me at all.

 

No, it's an issue. If nothing else it's an issue on pure principle. I have been fortunate to have loads of free time lately. In less than 3 months time I have 3 toons at cap and several others I have invested many hours into before I realized I had wasted my time and potentially my money by rolling there when the ghost town servers should have been merged long ago to help preserve the longevity of this game, and ensure that new players who aren't total solo'ers have a good experience on a populated server, hence retaining a sub. I shouldn't have to do it twice.

 

You can solo on a populated server just fine.

 

Who cares about bots? I do. Shows a lack of commitment on behalf of the dev team, and that they either don't care about people exploiting the game, or most likely that the bots are subs, and they are simply willing to overlook them for those dollar bills.

 

Unacceptable on all counts.

Edited December 26, 2016 by SteveniusProctor
clarification

[TUXs]

No, it's an issue. If nothing else it's an issue on pure principle.

 

Unacceptable on all counts.

I could not agree more with you. It IS an issue...one that has been ignored far too long and one that does more harm than good.

[DakhathKilrathi]

There's one bot on The Ebon Hawk on Yavin 4 in the PVP instance that has quite literally been there for a year. There's one on Corellia that's been there for two years. Two years!

 

Good luck getting them to do anything about bots. They won't.

Edited December 26, 2016 by DakhathKilrathi

[SteveniusProctor]

I could not agree more with you. It IS an issue...one that has been ignored far too long and one that does more harm than good.

 

...and these bots that they won't get rid of are the same accounts that are flooding every chat channel on every server with credit-selling spam on a daily basis. Every time I log in it's the first thing I see. It's annoying, it's ridiculous, and it's frustrating; you should see my ignore list on every single toon. Spam report sent every time. Nothing ever changes.

 

Hey EA/Bio, how many credit-farmer/ bot accounts have you guys banned in the last 90 days? My guess is around zero.

[americanaussie]

Of course they aren't going to server merge the day the xpac comes out. It is on the discussion list for next year and they did say what they were addressing such as names and guilds etc. If transferred to another server 9 out of 10 names are probably taken so you'll have to rename.

 

As a sub I transferred a couple of weeks before the sale. I spent 3000 coins to transfer 4 characters (got the free one from a sub link) I had asked, begged, pmed Eric prior about a transfer sale. No comments were made but I decided it was important enough to get my top 4 out of 10 off the Bastion server.

 

Then the sale happened. I don't get a refund. I suck it up and accept it. No store or business I can shop in would give me a refund either. Some may do a if it goes on sale in 24 hrs deal but this was weeks before.

 

So consider yourself blessed. You get cartel coins per month enough to pay for 3 transfers and then some. So stop your whinging.

Edited December 26, 2016 by americanaussie

[SteveniusProctor]

Of course they aren't going to server merge the day the xpac comes out. It is on the discussion list for next year and they did say what they were addressing such as names and guilds etc. If transferred to another server 9 out of 10 names are probably taken so you'll have to rename.

 

As a sub I transferred a couple of weeks before the sale. I spent 3000 coins to transfer 4 characters (got the free one from a sub link) I had asked, begged, pmed Eric prior about a transfer sale. No comments were made but I decided it was important enough to get my top 4 out of 10 off the Bastion server.

 

Then the sale happened. I don't get a refund. I suck it up and accept it. No store or business I can shop in would give me a refund either. Some may do a if it goes on sale in 24 hrs deal but this was weeks before.

 

So consider yourself blessed. You get cartel coins per month enough to pay for 3 transfers and then some. So stop your whinging.

 

Yeah so that went over your head completely. Did I say "ermehgherd devs why u no merged server pops the day of x-pac?!" Nope. I said the crap should've BEEN done...long ago, and it needs to BE the NEXT major thing they do in addition to tuning up this grindy end-game system. And those cartel coins, and the cartel market...you know what you can do w/ those right??

Edited December 26, 2016 by SteveniusProctor
spelling

[CrazyCT]

Obvious sock puppet is obvious Edited December 26, 2016 by CrazyCT

[VirtualMorrigan]

And this thread again is flooded by the usual suspects who try to tell you to "just transfer or roll another toon."

 

Guess what. You lose things in the transfers (guild SH, guild ship, your mails, and so on)

Rolling another toon is also just a CYA argument if there are a) things bound to that original toon that you care about and that you can't replace because it's a random one in a million drop, or something no longer obtainable in game, or if you have invested a lot of real money in CM items bound to that toon.

 

Stop pretending it's not a big deal. It is not a big deal for something like the throw-away characters we made for the DvL event. For established toons, it bloody well is an issue. Denying that just makes you look like morons.

[CrazyCT]

And this thread again is flooded by the usual suspects who try to tell you to "just transfer or roll another toon."

 

Guess what. You lose things in the transfers (guild SH, guild ship, your mails, and so on)

Rolling another toon is also just a CYA argument if there are a) things bound to that original toon that you care about and that you can't replace because it's a random one in a million drop, or something no longer obtainable in game, or if you have invested a lot of real money in CM items bound to that toon.

 

Stop pretending it's not a big deal. It is not a big deal for something like the throw-away characters we made for the DvL event. For established toons, it bloody well is an issue. Denying that just makes you look like morons.

 

And all your complaining has gotten you what exactly? Nothing.

 

Accept that it's not gonna change and try to work around it yourself, or sit and pout waiting forever for it to get fixed.

[Rollbacks]

The white-knighting in this thread is strong and stupid

[CrazyCT]

The white-knighting in this thread is strong and stupid

 

common sense =/= white-knighting

[VirtualMorrigan]

And all your complaining has gotten you what exactly? Nothing.

 

Accept that it's not gonna change and try to work around it yourself, or sit and pout waiting forever for it to get fixed.

 

How boring. Back to your standard reply of "suck it up" because you have no counter argument but absolutely have to post.

[CrazyCT]

How boring. Back to your standard reply of "suck it up" because you have no counter argument but absolutely have to post.

 

{Unlike you, who are contributing many fine points for us to ponder over.}

Edited December 26, 2016 by CrazyCT

[BowtieJones]

Your points, OP, are valid. It's very good you've realized the state of you server only 3 months in.

 

It's true that the devs have said they will look at merging servers and closing down low pop servers in the new year. I can (sort of) understand their reasoning for not doing so right now. Yes they should've done it a long time ago, but the worry about an influx of new player brought in by the new xpac and movie causing overloaded servers is worth considering. I don't think it would happen, but there you go. hopefully they will merg soon.

 

I think it's harmful to the game to let new players start out on low pop servers like Jung Ma, POT5, Bastion. Those servers should be grayed out in the selection screen.

 

That does nothing for your situation though. You do have some options. The great thing about server transfers is you bring your legacy with you. You got 3 toons maxed? Great! That means (as long as you have done the initial story chapters) when you transfer one toon, all of your acquired class buffs come with you. You can also load up the toon you are transferring with all your credits, unbound cm items, legacy gear, crafting mats, etc. All of that stuff will come with you as long as it's in your inventory, or personal cargo hold. Legacy cargo hold items will stay behind, so make sure to get those out before you leave.

Achievements also transfer.

Strongholds kinda transfer. They will no longer be decorated, but all decos will still be available. Just reunlock the sh on the fleet. It's a bit tedious, but having a better in game experience, on a better server, is worth the trouble. BW won't do it for you. Not yet anyway, so it's up to you.

 

Honestly, the only reason to be a hold out is if you're a guild leader, with a ship, and lots of time and money invested in that guild. 3 months, and 3 toons is not that much. Plus, if you were clever with your naming, you'll keep your name.

 

I'd recommend Ebon Hawk. It's got a healthy pop. I assume you are east coast or midwest, so you'll still have a good connection. There's lots of people that still rp. There are chat channels like /allies that are active in forming pve group content. pvp warzones pop frequently, and ranked even happens. World pvp happens nowhere on any server unless it organized, so good luck with that.

 

And you don't even have to pay to transfer. These forums are full of referral links. If you are a sub, and you use someones referral, you will get a free character transfer, a name change, and a worthless friends bundle (it becomes worthwhile if you drop your sub). I can pm you mine if you like. Or talk to your gm in game. I'm sure they would appreciate it, since he/she would recieve extra cartel coins every month as long as you stay subbed. Or just click on a random persons link in their signature here on the forums. Tux, who posted above me, is one of the few level headed people that post regularly on the forums. And he's a former guildie of mine. So, if not me or your gm (use your gm's) use his.

 

good luck, and happy holidays.

 

love and respect,

[Aeneas_Falco]

And all your complaining has gotten you what exactly? Nothing.

 

Accept that it's not gonna change and try to work around it yourself, or sit and pout waiting forever for it to get fixed.

 

You're right that Bioware probably isn't going to fix it, and that players stuck on dead servers should decide whether they want to transfer on their own, create new toons on different servers, or unsub. Waiting for Bioware to fix it likely means remaining on a dead server.

 

Where you're wrong however is in pushing back against legitimate complaints about a service many people are paying for, a service that in some cases is failing to deliver. There are people who want to participate in flashpoints, Ops, or PVP and can't, because the server they are on doesn't have the population to support it.

 

Complaint threads like this one absolutely deserve to stay on the main page. It shouldn't be all sunshine & rainbows and praise for the things Bioware gets right. Bioware also needs to hear criticism repeatedly when the service that was purchased isn't providing what was promised. Subscribers on Jung Ma and other dead servers, are in effect paying for the full game but only have access to a portion of it. Those servers need to be merged into a healthier ones to give those players their complete money's worth.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Aeneas_Falco

[CrazyCT]

It shouldn't be all sunshine & rainbows and praise for the things Bioware gets right.

 

Maybe I'm just coming on here at all the wrong times, but I haven't seen any of that. All I ever see here is whining and moaning, and none of it has been fixed. Time to open your eyes, realise it's their game, and they will do what they want with it, and you can either put up with it and try to enjoy as best you can, or move on to something you will enjoy more. Sitting around waiting on something like this to get fixed is only going to give you bedsores on your ***.

[VirtualMorrigan]

Maybe I'm just coming on here at all the wrong times, but I haven't seen any of that. All I ever see here is whining and moaning, and none of it has been fixed. Time to open your eyes, realise it's their game, and they will do what they want with it, and you can either put up with it and try to enjoy as best you can, or move on to something you will enjoy more. Sitting around waiting on something like this to get fixed is only going to give you bedsores on your ***.

 

Is this the point where you fall back to telling us to quit if we don't swallow every nonsensical decision the company is coming up with? Because the only true evidence of maturity is to just sit there and accept everything as inevitable, instead of speaking up seeking to change things? Just checking...

[CrazyCT]

Is this the point where you fall back to telling us to quit if we don't swallow every nonsensical decision the company is coming up with? Because the only true evidence of maturity is to just sit there and accept everything as inevitable, instead of speaking up seeking to change things? Just checking...

 

No. This is the point where you throw in a strawman and try to put words in my mouth that I never said. If you want to know what I said, just scroll up and read again.

[VirtualMorrigan]

No. This is the point where you throw in a strawman and try to put words in my mouth that I never said. If you want to know what I said, just scroll up and read again.

 

Not necessary. I know what you said, and this is the gist of it. It's just another form of "take it or leave it.", just with a double-dose of condescension thrown in.

 

I don't need a strawman to hit at. You have little enough spine as is. I wonder what it will take to make you tired of explaining away all the stupid decisions BW has made over time.

[CrazyCT]

Not necessary. I know what you said, and this is the gist of it. It's just another form of "take it or leave it.", just with a double-dose of condescension thrown in.

 

I don't need a strawman to hit at. You have little enough spine as is. I wonder what it will take to make you tired of explaining away all the stupid decisions BW has made over time.

 

Maybe you should go back and try again. Saying "[you] don't need a strawman" while saying that I'm "explaining away all the stupid decisions" is a nice attempt. I never tried to explain any decisions. I stated that despite all the complaining, nothing has been done. That's not an explanation. It's an observation. I haven't defended Bioware.

 

I know it's the internet and starting arguments is what all the hip and froody kids are used to, but if you have to totally invent that I'm making a different point, and try to force words into my mouth to keep your argument going, that's pretty lame. Take a step back, actually read what's written, and take a breath before spewing all over the forums.

Edited December 26, 2016 by CrazyCT

[Andryah]

Obvious sock puppet is obvious

 

yep yep.

[DarthSpuds]

common sense =/= white-knighting

 

You are correct.

 

And the moment you demonstrate some common sense, rather than posting corporate apologies (in both senses of the word) I am sure people will stop calling you a white-knight.

 

All The Best

[DarthSpuds]

yep yep.

 

Says the Grand Master of Sock Puppets.

 

Oh, the irony.

 

All The Best