What are your gripes with the game at the moment?

[TUXs]

I dont think it is a terrible system for casuals, quite the opposite...candy is always good when it comes to casual play. But I think it is an absolute horrible mechanic for hardcore players, or players driven by gear acquisition.

How do you figure? Do you assume "casual" also means loner? Casuals are 100x's worse off now. They used to actually GET loot they wanted, not they just get screwed.

[Damask_Rose]

• The "nostalgic" Alliance mission conversations where the player character lines are not voiced.
  
• The inability to customize the appearance of post-KotFE companions with gear.
  
• The removal of the breadcrumb missions from the fleets to Section X and Black Hole.
  
• The scaling back of the number of chapters from sixteen in KotFE to only nine in KotET.
  
• The removal of the base classes.
  
• The mandatory nature of the new 'support the LS/DS' mechanic.
  

 

This ^^ plus:

The auto-start chapters that don't let me access my base.

Still no hood toggle.

The lack of a companion customization vender on Odessen so people can buy cross-faction customizations.

The removal of some heroic quest givers & no opt out on auto complete.

The removal of vender items with no warning.

No way to get the awesome new starter planet armor on older characters.

[DarthDymond]

The removal of some heroic quest givers & no opt out on auto complete.

Knew I was forgetting one from KotFE. This bugs me, too.

[LordArtemis]

How do you figure? Do you assume "casual" also means loner? Casuals are 100x's worse off now. They used to actually GET loot they wanted, not they just get screwed.

 

I'm not sure what you mean as far as loot, but casuals generally do not pursue end game gear. The packs provide periodic toys and candy, and perhaps a small chance to get some high end gear pieces they would not normally ever see.

 

I think the loot tables for the packs should be expanded (to include ALL cartel market items past and present), but generally it is really just a periodic bonus.

 

Now, if you mean the removal of crystals, I contend that most casuals used crystals to purchase comp gifts, so in that way, yes, they got a raw deal. As far as gear, most casuals, IMO, have crafted gear or drops.

[PlasmaJohn]

I'm not sure what you mean as far as loot, but casuals generally do not pursue end game gear.

 

...

 

Now, if you mean the removal of crystals, I contend that most casuals used crystals to purchase comp gifts, so in that way, yes, they got a raw deal. As far as gear, most casuals, IMO, have crafted gear or drops.

I absolutely disagree. Better gear makes tackling content faster even the very easy stuff. Considering how stale the content is few are running it to see it, it's a chore to be done. Anybody who understands the difference that gear makes will have an interest in improving their gear.

 

Crystal gear was so much better than the rare open world drops you'd get from Heroics. Crafted gear was (and still is) expensive. Since you were getting crystals anyway better to drop those on gear than fritter away your credits.

[Autumnsbane]

What are your gripes with the game at the moment?

 

I'm confused

Isn't this the entire purpose of the General Discussion forum?

 

I thought the same exact thing. I thought it was highly amusing for someone to ASK for gripes on a games forum.

 

But since he asked: Chapter IX of the final storyline running from level 65 to 70 is WAY too difficult in STORY mode. The difficulty is inconsistent with ALL other STORY level content until that point and casual players should not need to be raid-quality players to beat an encounter they looked forward to doing for the previous five levels. This is especially true for new players using the boost. It is unforgiving and requires flawless execution of movement, interrupts and heals that are on long coldowns, and requires a level of power that the gear acquired during that story seems insufficient to handle. No story mode content should ever be that difficult. By all means, make Veteran and Master levels as hard as you want. Hard Core players with high levels of skill and quick reflexes have content that challenges them, and that is fine. But not allowing less skilled players to finish a story due to a defecit of skill in an overtuned fight is simply not fair.

 

And from a business point of view, driving off newly subscribed players because you make them feel inadequate is a bad thing in a game that I keep hearing "is dying".

[TUXs]

I'm not sure what you mean as far as loot, but casuals generally do not pursue end game gear.

I know a great many players who are absolutely "casual" who undoubtedly want the end game gear. They still like to do Ops and other group content, they just don't have the time the more hardcore players do to set aside for it, but they do want the better gear to perform as well as they can. I have yet to meet someone who was doing Ops who didn't also want better gear.

[rabidrobot_xl]

I have a largish legacy, with characters at various levels, with different skills, and different objectives.

 

There are issues that affect my play, multiple times, every character I log in. Simple fixes (to my mind) that have gone unaddressed.

 

Buggy stronghold nameplates and conquest notices. I typically log off and in from a stronghold location. Every character logs in, and then runs around the stronghold, hoping the stronghold nameplate will fade away. Half the time it doesn't, and I do a "Reset the GUI" series of keystrokes. Why hasn't somebody just set the guild conquest and stronghold nameplates on timers or something so they disappear consistently? Every damn log in. Every damn character. Every visit to the stronghold, is a thirty second routine to get the pointless nameplate to fade away. Yes, I could just reset the GUI and skip the running around like a maniac part, but that takes at least 20 seconds and just makes me madder somehow.

 

Why is it so hard to ignore spammers? If you can't stop them, for whatever reason, then allow me to ignore them quickly. As it is, it actually depends where in relation to you the spammer is, on how to ignore them. If they are close enough to you to inspect, you have to hover through a series of pop-up menus to find the option to ignore. Or, who knows, maybe they are on the other side of the map, in which case you hover through a different series of popups. Put the "Ignore" option in the first menu pop-up, and keep it there no matter how close or far away the spammer is.

 

But seriously, the stronghold nameplates. What is going on? If I programmed the plates like that, and I played it, and saw that 50% of the time the nameplate doesn't go away, I would go back and fix it. Whoever implemented the guild conquest and stronghold nameplate emblems should go back, and change them from being tied to character movement. It was a bad idea. It doesn't work.

 

LvD pop-up. Like above, these all should be customizable elements available in the interface editor. Quit adding elements to the UI that can't be customized. The LvD pop-up is too loud. Too big. Stays too long. Has no reason to ever fade back into view when the mouse gets near it. No one needs to see that thing twice to see what it says. It is gigantic, you can't miss it. Why add 1 element (Light or Dark button) to the interface editor, but not another element (periodic pop-up) of the same system, created at the same time?

 

LvD, Conquest, and Stronghold name pop-ups bug me every character, every login, multiple times. They are needlessly obnoxious, displaying a lack of respect for the people playing the game who will have to interact with them repeatedly.

[Disverg]

Number 1 is lack of iconic Jedi outfits which were present in most Old Republic visual sources (KotOR 2, comics, even this game's timeline vids). This is the biggest issue I ahve with the game. It really has an impact on me and my enjoyment of the game as I simply can't fulfil my Jedi fantasy.

YES, YES ang again YES. i agree with this post.

[Joonbeams]

The new UI with nested menus hidden away and the splitting of crew skills menu from companion menu is really annoying. Is it a gamebreaker, no? But just really annoying and unnecessary (no one was asking for this and higher priority issues could have used those resources).

[Lionflash]

The new UI with nested menus hidden away and the splitting of crew skills menu from companion menu is really annoying. Is it a gamebreaker, no? But just really annoying and unnecessary (no one was asking for this and higher priority issues could have used those resources).

 

The devs explained that they made the menus into drop down lists because it would make creating and editing menus in the future much easier for them. So the new menus should allow them to focus on higher priority issues since they don't need to spend as much time on the UI every time a new menu or tab gets added, or something like this.

[DesertusRatticus]

Having rewards I earn in the game dependent on other players I'm not grouped with.

 

That stupid DvL server "war" thing impacts the way I play. I try to earn Lightside tokens when gaining a command level, and being on a server that's 85% Dark requires way more planning than I'm comfortable with. When I'm close to gaining a command level, and the Dark side is in control AGAIN, I stop playing that character. Which is really annoying.

 

Yes, I know, the stuff I can buy with these tokens is pure cosmetic fluff. But I like cosmetic fluff.

 

Yes, I know, I'm supposed to hunt the new World Bosses to earn these tokens. But I don't like being forced into an activity - that rarely happens on my server anyways.

[Joonbeams]

The devs explained that they made the menus into drop down lists because it would make creating and editing menus in the future much easier for them. So the new menus should allow them to focus on higher priority issues since they don't need to spend as much time on the UI every time a new menu or tab gets added, or something like this.

 

I'm a bit slow on the uptake - how does nesting the menus make it easier for them? Is the idea that adding a new icon to a drop down menu is easier dev-wise than adding a new icon to a horizontal menu?

[dr_mike]

The six copies of every email they send out that I get, even though I've unsubscribed, sent in tickets, complained to Salesforce and have attempted to go to arbitration over the issue because I can't get the matter resolved for nearly 3 years.

 

All I got form my trouble was some distasteful emails back and the run around from Ben.

 

Y'all realize that they're not going to pay any attention to this thread just like the last few times someone has started one of these, right?

Edited January 17, 2017 by dr_mike

[TUXs]

I'm a bit slow on the uptake - how does nesting the menus make it easier for them? Is the idea that adding a new icon to a drop down menu is easier dev-wise than adding a new icon to a horizontal menu?

They didn't specify exactly, but that's my assumption of it.

[Lionflash]

I'm a bit slow on the uptake - how does nesting the menus make it easier for them? Is the idea that adding a new icon to a drop down menu is easier dev-wise than adding a new icon to a horizontal menu?

 

I'm not the devs and I probably should have had a source, but basically the drop downs are a simplification on their end, and when it comes to adding or updating it, having the menus like this is easier and less time consuming.

[Damask_Rose]

I'm not sure what you mean as far as loot, but casuals generally do not pursue end game gear. The packs provide periodic toys and candy, and perhaps a small chance to get some high end gear pieces they would not normally ever see.

 

I think the loot tables for the packs should be expanded (to include ALL cartel market items past and present), but generally it is really just a periodic bonus.

 

Now, if you mean the removal of crystals, I contend that most casuals used crystals to purchase comp gifts, so in that way, yes, they got a raw deal. As far as gear, most casuals, IMO, have crafted gear or drops.

 

I think gaining GC ranks is too slow for casual play to feel rewarded and the odds of getting anything you actually want is too low.

 

When we had crystals I was guaranteed progress toward rewards that I got to pick, and earning crystals was pretty quick no matter what I did. Now when I'm running quests on an alt and realize that the amount of GCX for a few hours of play is going to barely budge the progress bar, I don't feel rewarded at all. I'd rather get a bigger credit payout so I can buy shiny things at vendors or off the GTN. Even as a filthy casual who hasn't sat down to craft up decent starter gear and who loves fluffy things like cosmetic shells, pets & mounts I end up disintegrating far more stuff than I keep. Again, that doesn't feel rewarding.

 

If the GCX payout was kinder toward older story content so it was a viable way to progress, if the shells were legacy, and if there were more other items like decos, then it might feel like a reward. As is it feels like a carrot being dangled out front but always out of reach.

[jimmorrisson]

5.0 is for many or dare I say most, grind PVP and Fractured Uprsing Veteran over and over and over again.

 

• The "nostalgic" Alliance mission conversations where the player character lines are not voiced.
  
• The inability to customize the appearance of post-KotFE companions with gear.
  
• The scaling back of the number of chapters from sixteen in KotFE to only nine in KotET.
  
• The removal of the base classes.
  

 

I support these changes. In fact at this point, while I enjoy the story, I can do without the entire Knight Of The Eternal Story period.

 

That stupid DvL server "war" thing impacts the way I play.

 

I try to earn Lightside tokens when gaining a command level, and being on a server that's 85% Dark requires way more planning than I'm comfortable with. When I'm close to gaining a command level, and the Dark side is in control AGAIN, I stop playing that character

 

...

 

Yes, I know, I'm supposed to hunt the new World Bosses to earn these tokens. But I don't like being forced into an activity - that rarely happens on my server anyways.

 

This is a massive issue. Dark versus Light: The Expansion stops gameplay because of this feature.

[LordArtemis]

Just to clarify...

 

My definition of casual and hardcore.

 

Casuals are interested in secondary pursuits in games, rarely if ever play in a group, and value content above all else.

 

Hardcores are interested in advancement, rewards and improvement of performance. They usually play in a group, and value progression above all else.

Now, that is not the only definition, nor is it meant to be the definitive one. Only to illustrate what I mean when I say casual and hardcore. ANY player that regularly engages in group activities is not likely going to be happy with this system, and any player that mostly plays solo and does not generally care about end game gear is likely going to find value in the system.

[Voblat]

I have't logged into the game yet this year, after playing since launch.

 

My problem? I have a lot of alts, after all my friends left in the first random loot purge, I've been playing mostly solo, so that has been my content. Trying out all the stories, different play styles. I actually liked DvL because it added rewards for doing the things I do anyway.

 

But, on the day of the patch for 5.0, I played in the morning, finishing off one last alt as encouraged. Then I logged in after the patch, and now if i do anything but play one toon exclusively to gain command xp, I am reducing my chance of having new gear.

 

Then I look at the levels I have (26 boxes opened, no purple gear of any kind and nothing much better than the 228 gear I've crafted), and realise that it simply is pointless. I don't get command levels fast enough on a single toon, never mind 4 or 5 that I like to play a lot. On top of that, when I do ding a level, I rarely get anything worth keeping for it. That does not encourage me to play.

 

Now with master level solo coming, it turns out I need better gear to do the content my sub is paying for, even as a solo, casual player. But I have no real way of getting it.

 

So well done Bioware. My sub payment goes at the end of the month, and I'm deciding how many more I will pay when I am not playing. I don't think its worth it any more, things need to change.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Voblat

[Lunafox]

My problems are:

 

-Not having my love interest companions back with a decent story in which to get them back.

 

-GC being dull as hell to grind with no decent reward. I've gained 2 levels this week and obliterated everything in the boxes I was given, because they're of no use to me...old reputation cards that I've already fulfilled, guns for my Jedi and Sith and empty ugly armors or greens that I have no use for.

 

-Not having enough customization options at character creation or to change/add to current toons.

 

-People bugging on the forums for merges, that don't need to happen. Pick on some other server, there are plenty that have like 5 ppl hanging about, merge those ones.

 

-And out of the one above this, the fact that they have no means in place to allow people to keep their names as they are, or to transfer over all of their guild belongings in full with no loss. If they could guarantee my hard earned efforts would stay with my toon, then I wouldn't care, but I didn't bust my chops saving and sc****** and buying cc items for 5 years to do all that I did with my guild houses and ship to have it ripped away. That's a game breaker for me.

[midianlord]

See the last line in my sig. That's my real gripe, and that it will probably never get any better, now.

 

Specifics including, but by no means limited to:

 

The shallowness.

 

The blatant rail-roading to crutch the piss-weak writing. (Sorry Drew and Alex, but even you can't save this patient...)

 

The even more blatant "just waiting for someone to shut the lights off" last minute cash milking, and the pathetic, easily-led little consumers enabling it.

 

The hilariously poor button-mashing gameplay against the same 5-8 mobs copy-pasted about a billion times and re-skinned here and there.

 

The abysmal lack of even the most basic level of quality-control.

 

The comically massive blindness of EAWre's arrogance. Since, literally, before day one.

 

For a company that supposedly understands C-n-C in its games so well (<---Sarcasm, OK? Sarcasm!) you'd think that they would have glommed onto the fact that they made the wrong choice, and have been making the wrong choices since pre-launch. ("Because Bounty Hunters don't need an interrupt!" Anyone remember that?)

 

Too late now, just waiting for the "CRITICAL FAILURE" screen. And it's 100% their own damned fault.

 

I guess I'll just load up Mass Effect 2 for a quick play through the Illium zone, reminder of when they still knew what they were doing, and hadn't let it go their heads, because there's just nothing left of any substance here, plus the thought of watching Ben Irving and/or Charles Boyd on another livestream all but literally make me ill.

 

Yes, they are that perfectly insufferable.

Edited January 18, 2017 by midianlord

[Doriath]

I think the better list would be "What are the good points of the game".

 

-There is not a lot of reasons to play. Story content is abysmal, is just the same streamlined story for all classes and its not even written well.

 

-Group content is pointless and devoid of all fun and community interaction.

 

-The old world, story, locations, everything pre-kotfe....has been completely abandoned. Leaving nothing but a few instanced zones for new content.

 

-Old companions are forgotten about, in fact almost all companions were a non-factor in kotfe. As a person who likes character development...it was sure nice to have that last unique conversation with Kira about 4-5 years ago.

 

-To much stuff being removed, lots of gear is unobtainable now, same case for mounts, pets and so on. In fact, are those cartel vendors on the fleet even usable anymore? Cartel certs are basically non existent so what is the point of even having vendors. Or how about getting rep for the cartel affiliates? Its impossible in the games current state.

 

-Bugs galore, I am annoyed by the number of bugs still left with the codex.

 

-To much grind for meaningless things. I can't get anything good out of command packs, and its not exactly a entertaining grind either. Id rather farm world quest on WoW.

 

-Not alot carries over between characters, not mounts, pets, titles, codex, toys, anything of entertainment. Unless you wanna shell out thousands of dollars just to make that possible. Gotta love EA games.

 

Ill stop before I ramble on about any of my petty issues with the game. I still wish someone with care to develop the star wars universe would take over and help improve the life of the game with community events, development of old and new planets and places to explore, character development and more unique missions.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Doriath

[midianlord]

The game is now awesome, the forums are crap, filled with "bitter vets" who whine, cry, threaten to leave, but won't actually do us the favor of leaving.

 

Ben?

 

Is that you?

[Wayshuba]

I'm a bit slow on the uptake - how does nesting the menus make it easier for them? Is the idea that adding a new icon to a drop down menu is easier dev-wise than adding a new icon to a horizontal menu?

 

No, as usual, it a bunch of spewed BS from BW (like us being too stupid for multiple currencies), to cover their really stupid decisions (of which there are a lot of lately).