Gearing Changes in 5.1.1 and 5.1.2

[Eli_Porter]

Also for all of us who have reached Tier 3, why cant we get a boost that works in tier 3? Its all good and well to go play alts, and I probably will on at least some of them take advantage of it. But if what I need is Tier 3 gear, what is the reasoning for me not being able to get similiar boosts while working on getting gear in Tier 3?

 

Because if you play your alts you're giving up on getting T3 gear and schematics from crates, so there needs to be an incentive.

Edited February 4, 2017 by Eli_Porter

[Anzel]

So basically you are addressing the community's disgust with this garbage system by introducing more garbage that we have to pay for with real money from a cash shop that nobody wanted in the first place? Gee... why is this game failing again???? Mass Effect comes out next month. What is the monthly subscription for that game? Oh yeah...

[Eli_Porter]

So basically you are addressing the community's disgust with this garbage system by introducing more garbage that we have to pay for with real money from a cash shop that nobody wanted in the first place? Gee... why is this game failing again???? Mass Effect comes out next month. What is the monthly subscription for that game? Oh yeah...

 

You don't have to buy anything from the CM, re-read the OP and try again.

[Ottoattack]

Fyi, if people have not done so already, I suggest to google 5.2 datemined changes regarding GC.

 

So you maybe able to get tier 1-2 faster, till you figure out there is more to come..so unless you grind 10 hours a day you will stand not and chance against someone who does. All that with no end game content added! Unless you count the one boss. Maybe there will be a super master mode and then a super duper master mode

 

Man, I though this game will last at least till EA loses the IP rights in 2022, now I am doubtful. They completely ruined the gearing system and introduced this cluster f*** which by 5.2 would have went through 6 patches without fixing jack.

Edited February 4, 2017 by Ottoattack

[NRieh]

Player: We have some random **** from our CXP crates and it's hard to upgrade the gear this way

BW: Hey! How about...We'll make a special event and tripple your CXP gain, so..now you can have some random **** more often?

[Edyn]

You are not the population being looked into atm.

 

Which is sad considering so many players are into your shoes and they have much easy money to make with people like you.

 

Anyway, thx for taking the time to write your feedback.

 

I know I'm not part of the population being looked into, but my point was that the GC system touches a wide range of players, not just raiders or PvPers, and they all share the same problem: RNG. I have a hard time believing that the BW team thought they could take something away from the players that no one ever complained about, which was a predictable and reliable token system for gear and misc. items, replacing it with something erratic and unreliable, which is an RNG crate system, and then expect the players to happily accept the new product.

 

I feel that the majority of the discontent in the players has nothing to do with the rate of CXP earned, but everything to do with the removal of a system that once allowed the player to reliably earn gear and items being replaced by an unreliable system of chance where the players can only hope to obtain what they have been workings towards. The fact that the BW team has tried selling this new convoluted system of chance as more simple and exciting does nothing but insult their customers' intelligence.

Edited February 4, 2017 by Edyn

[DanNV]

Player: We have some random **** from our CXP crates and it's hard to upgrade the gear this way

BW: Hey! How about...We'll make a special event and tripple your CXP gain, so..now you can have some random **** more often?

 

Nice summation of the announcement.

 

I know I'm not part of the population being looked into, but my point was that the GC system touches a wide range of players, not just raiders or PvPers, and they all share the same problem: RNG. I have a hard time believing that the BW team thought they could take something away from the players that no one ever complained about, which was a predictable and reliable token system for gear and misc. items, replacing it with something erratic and unreliable, which is an RNG crate system, and then expect the players to happily accept the new product.

 

I feel that the majority of the discontent in the players has nothing to do with the rate of CXP earned, but everything to do with the removal of a system that once allowed the player to reliably earn gear and items being replaced by an unreliable system of chance where the players can only hope to obtain what they have been workings towards. The fact that the BW team has tried selling this new convoluted system of chance as more simple and exciting does nothing but insult their customers' intelligence.

 

BW gambled and lost. Isn't RNG fun, isn't it exciting, Ben?

 

I've got two days left on my sub. The only thing BW has understood since launch is sub numbers. They don't give a damn about feedback or whether or not the players are happy as long as they keep paying. This is the same way. They are going to keep playing with smoke and mirrors to try to get people to keep adding another month.

[GalacticKegger]

So basically you are addressing the community's disgust with this garbage system by introducing more garbage that we have to pay for with real money from a cash shop that nobody wanted in the first place? Gee... why is this game failing again???? Mass Effect comes out next month. What is the monthly subscription for that game? Oh yeah...

This whole experience has soured me on Bioware's pervasive culture so badly that all their other games are essentially dead to me ... Andromeda included ... regardless of which studio is responsible for the title. Harsh? Not nearly as harsh as they've been on us. Edited February 9, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[Voblat]

Has anyone given any thought to the implications of additional gear tiers being added on? I have.

 

there are 2 options. The 1st is additional CXP levels on top of 300.

 

This means that if you have an alt, or a new player hitting 70, you need to do 300 CXP levels BEFORE you start getting content appropriate gear, given that new content will be tailored to the latest tier.

 

The second option means resetting CXP levels so that tier one introduces the 1st tier of the new gear and so on, so new 70's begin with the level 242 or whatever it happens to be. In which case, grinding to get to 300 right now will simply mean nothing and you start all over again. Probably sooner than you think.

 

The players cannot win with this system whatever is chosen, but to highlight just how poor the design is, the devs cannot win either, they are guaranteed to lose subs through aliening players, whichever option is taken.

[Ottoattack]

I know I'm not part of the population being looked into, but my point was that the GC system touches a wide range of players, not just raiders or PvPers, and they all share the same problem: RNG. I have a hard time believing that the BW team thought they could take something away from the players that no one ever complained about, which was a predictable and reliable token system for gear and misc. items, replacing it with something erratic and unreliable, which is an RNG crate system, and then expect the players to happily accept the new product.

 

I feel that the majority of the discontent in the players has nothing to do with the rate of CXP earned, but everything to do with the removal of a system that once allowed the player to reliably earn gear and items being replaced by an unreliable system of chance where the players can only hope to obtain what they have been workings towards. The fact that the BW team has tried selling this new convoluted system of chance as more simple and exciting does nothing but insult their customers' intelligence.

 

There are many problems:

 

1. The new system does not reward you first tier, even major amount of time spent. In PvP in particular that is a killer.
   
2. The system is becoming way too convoluted between GC buffs, UC and tokens.
   
3. Problem with the boxes is not only how often you get them, but they drop junk.
   
4. BW is moving at the speed of a snail, even with the player backlash. They are gambling on that people will not drop out.
   
5. The system is still extremely alt unfriendly.
   
6. The 250% CXP buff is no more than a gimmick, as they are raising the GC and introducing more tiers in 5.2.
   

 

So far the changes does not address any of the above. They are no more than smoke in mirrors.

 

It seems the future of SWTOR is grind old content for eternity for a "chance" to obtain loot. In addition, this GC buill**** is masking the real issues: lack of content and lack of class balance, which now are not even on the radar. So, overall the devs think they are succeeding.

 

Unless there is a major drop in subs, nothing will change.

[BelenUmeria]

Has anyone given any thought to the implications of additional gear tiers being added on? I have.

 

there are 2 options. The 1st is additional CXP levels on top of 300.

 

This means that if you have an alt, or a new player hitting 70, you need to do 300 CXP levels BEFORE you start getting content appropriate gear, given that new content will be tailored to the latest tier.

 

The second option means resetting CXP levels so that tier one introduces the 1st tier of the new gear and so on, so new 70's begin with the level 242 or whatever it happens to be. In which case, grinding to get to 300 right now will simply mean nothing and you start all over again. Probably sooner than you think.

 

The players cannot win with this system whatever is chosen, but to highlight just how poor the design is, the devs cannot win either, they are guaranteed to lose subs through aliening players, whichever option is taken.

 

Who knows how they will do it but it WILL happen. They may keep it to 300 levels and just grind crates but most likely, they will add levels or "rebalance" it. So they will reset everyone, but then make it only 150 levels etc.

 

GC has no good way to introduce new gear tiers. I am almost certain that we will get new tiers though. They do it every time a new op comes out so I hope people are ready for 242 to be the lowest tier.

[Avicii]

There are many problems:

 

1. The new system does not reward you first tier, even major amount of time spent. In PvP in particular that is a killer.
   
2. The system is becoming way too convoluted between GC buffs, UC and tokens.
   
3. Problem with the boxes is not only how often you get them, but they drop junk.
   
4. BW is moving at the speed of a snail, even with the player backlash. They are gambling on that people will not drop out.
   
5. The system is still extremely alt unfriendly.
   
6. The 250% CXP buff is no more than a gimmick, as they are raising the GC and introducing more tiers in 5.2.
   

 

So far the changes does not address any of the above. They are no more than smoke in mirrors.

 

It seems the future of SWTOR is grind old content for eternity for a "chance" to obtain loot. In addition, this GC buill**** is masking the real issues: lack of content and lack of class balance, which now are not even on the radar. So, overall the devs think they are succeeding.

 

Unless there is a major drop in subs, nothing will change.

 

Agree with all of your comments.

 

*This might be a little tinfoil hat*

 

What is coming is they are going to increase CXP Level to 500 or 600 and put in 2 or 3 more tiers of gear with the new raid boss. Most likely when the 1st boss drops with story and vet mod there will be 2 tiers when NIM mode drops with boss 2 for boss 1 then we get 1 more tier.

 

After reflecting on this for a day, I realize this has all been planned by BW. These changes are not hard to make they are dragging them out according to their pre 5.0 plan, that plan doesnt include adjusting the crates crap dropped or helping Alts gear.

 

They are not making changes on our feedback, clearly since most of it is ignored maybe the tokens were put in early then planned to try to stop the sub bleeding, but this CXP speed up is an attempt to get players closer to the current cap before they increase the next one.

 

Eric is just out here offering lip service to try to quell the anger. They put an NDA on testing the OPs boss and daily my guess is due to keep it quit till they drop the bomb.

 

Nothing else makes sense. There are only a couple explanations for this cluster we are in, 1 they planned it all along 2 they are clueless. Seems more likely the later true. Thoughts?

[BelenUmeria]

Nothing else makes sense. There are only a couple explanations for this cluster we are in, 1 they planned it all along 2 they are clueless. Seems more likely the later true. Thoughts?

 

The CXP speed up is pre-planned. they have done it every time a new tier of gear is about to drop. They are just lying to us AGAIN. They act like these changes are based on our feedback, but they are not. They had it planned.

 

Heck, they may even drop paid CXP level boost so that you start at rank 200 etc.

 

The sheer amount of doubling down on CXP shows that this is how they expect us to play the game.

 

I am actively telling my friends to avoid swtor at all costs now.

Edited February 4, 2017 by BelenUmeria

[Shwarzchild]

The idea of adding more gc levels and another tier or two of gear this soon in the expansion is annoying.

[BelenUmeria]

The idea of adding more gc levels and another tier or two of gear this soon in the expansion is annoying.

 

They have been doing it to PvPers for the last 5 years. Grind gear, then in six months, add new sets.

[Ottoattack]

Agree with all of your comments.

 

*This might be a little tinfoil hat*

 

What is coming is they are going to increase CXP Level to 500 or 600 and put in 2 or 3 more tiers of gear with the new raid boss. Most likely when the 1st boss drops with story and vet mod there will be 2 tiers when NIM mode drops with boss 2 for boss 1 then we get 1 more tier.

 

After reflecting on this for a day, I realize this has all been planned by BW. These changes are not hard to make they are dragging them out according to their pre 5.0 plan, that plan doesnt include adjusting the crates crap dropped or helping Alts gear.

 

They are not making changes on our feedback, clearly since most of it is ignored maybe the tokens were put in early then planned to try to stop the sub bleeding, but this CXP speed up is an attempt to get players closer to the current cap before they increase the next one.

 

Eric is just out here offering lip service to try to quell the anger. They put an NDA on testing the OPs boss and daily my guess is due to keep it quit till they drop the bomb.

 

Nothing else makes sense. There are only a couple explanations for this cluster we are in, 1 they planned it all along 2 they are clueless. Seems more likely the later true. Thoughts?

 

It does not even require a too much though my friend. No matter how incompetent BW devs are, they have more than enough tools to monitor gearing progress. Remember in 3.3 when they said that 2% of the player base had top tier PvP gear? It is guaranteed that currently the amount of people in full tier 2 gear or above are probably less than 1/1,000 and BW is more than aware of the exact percentages.

 

The changes do not offer a better path for gear, cuz even when the path was clear, not everyone could go through with it. The objective in my opinion is:

 

1. The current gearing system tries to prolong the grind as long as possible while repeating the same existing content.
   
2. The issues with the current system mask the real issue, lack of content.
   
3. Subs who are not willing to subscribe to the grind, BW wants to get rid of them. For them they are vocal, annoying and rally up other player groups to contest the system.
   
4. In conclusion, it is milking the subs base to the extreme while offering the minimum in return.
   

 

Again, only thing that can impact their strategy is faster than expected iteration in the subs base. Lets be hopeful for that. The only action we as subs individually can take is vote with our wallet. I have been preferred status for couple of days now and the only reason I can still post is the last time I logged into the computer I was still a sub (it takes around 10-14 days for the system to force a login to the forums again).

Edited February 4, 2017 by Ottoattack

[omaan]

Who knows how they will do it but it WILL happen. They may keep it to 300 levels and just grind crates but most likely, they will add levels or "rebalance" it. So they will reset everyone, but then make it only 150 levels etc.

 

GC has no good way to introduce new gear tiers. I am almost certain that we will get new tiers though. They do it every time a new op comes out so I hope people are ready for 242 to be the lowest tier.

 

Yeah new tiers with current system will be a killing blow to those who wont be lvl 300. Just imagine the player who returned to swtor after a long break being in 230 gear he must fight on warzone tier 4-5 players who will just rekt this 230 geared player in 2 seconds. And bolster isn't helping much now because it was nerfed. Even now i play for 240 sentinel and i torn apart players who 208/230 geared, i just dps them too hard. I think many people won't play pvp because of this crap and obviously will leave the game

[MeNaCe-NZ]

Has anyone given any thought to the implications of additional gear tiers being added on? I have.

 

there are 2 options. The 1st is additional CXP levels on top of 300.

 

This means that if you have an alt, or a new player hitting 70, you need to do 300 CXP levels BEFORE you start getting content appropriate gear, given that new content will be tailored to the latest tier.

 

The second option means resetting CXP levels so that tier one introduces the 1st tier of the new gear and so on, so new 70's begin with the level 242 or whatever it happens to be. In which case, grinding to get to 300 right now will simply mean nothing and you start all over again. Probably sooner than you think.

 

The players cannot win with this system whatever is chosen, but to highlight just how poor the design is, the devs cannot win either, they are guaranteed to lose subs through aliening players, whichever option is taken.

 

There is a 3rd, 2 new tiers so 5 tiers but still 300 levels. If you were rank 70 getting tier 1 drops you would now be getting tier 2 drops. Shorter gaps between tiers basically.

That would actually be quite cool, especially in line with guaranteed drops off the new op boss which one would assume would be new gear ratings if they do indeed come about.

Raiders get gear through raiding the new boss ( be nice if they made guaranteed random drop to old bosses too ) and casuals get gear easier and faster through GC though the loot table still needs better drop rates.

 

The problem, as always, is bloody PVP because you now have even bigger gaps in gear rating between those in early tiers vs end tiers.

 

They need to get rid of PVP gearing. Easiest way is just chuck in the bolster to 250 again ( or more ) and get rid of any weird means of wearing inferior gear to get more out of bolster.

[JediAkemi]

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but why are these proposed changes being doled out in two parts instead of all together?

 

Surely it would make sense to do it all at once if they want to look like they're listening to us... and especially if there are more tiers set to be added on top of the existing 300 levels of CXP.

 

This can't end well.

[DanNV]

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but why are these proposed changes being doled out in two parts instead of all together?

 

Surely it would make sense to do it all at once if they want to look like they're listening to us... and especially if there are more tiers set to be added on top of the existing 300 levels of CXP.

 

This can't end well.

 

Because they want to get people to keep adding another month to that sub. That is the entire goal.

[eriksarcasm]

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but why are these proposed changes being doled out in two parts instead of all together?

 

Surely it would make sense to do it all at once if they want to look like they're listening to us... and especially if there are more tiers set to be added on top of the existing 300 levels of CXP.

 

This can't end well.

 

What DanNV said.... OR:

 

They were unprepared for this and are releasing content as they develop it.

 

Oh, and next time you come late, bring donuts

Edited February 4, 2017 by eriksarcasm

[BloodyKisses]

sound's "awesome" !..... but ups!

 

...can't find the :"weekly CXP CAP RAISED UP TO .........." Part!

 

 

hmmmmm.......

 

makes me hmmmmm too......

[JediAkemi]

What DanNV said.... OR:

 

They were unprepared for this and are releasing content as they develop it.

 

Oh, and next time you come late, bring donuts

 

Ok, I have donuts filled with red jelly, and donuts filled with a dark-blue jelly.

I'm pretty sure they won't convert anyone who eats them into Jellaxes or Zofa Soldiers

[ScottishDrunk]

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but why are these proposed changes being doled out in two parts instead of all together?

 

Surely it would make sense to do it all at once if they want to look like they're listening to us... and especially if there are more tiers set to be added on top of the existing 300 levels of CXP.

 

This can't end well.

 

Because people will hang about for change number one

Then when it arrives, and its bollocks, they'll hang around for change number two

 

By the time change number 2 arrives and is also bollocks, change number 3 will have been announced and people will hang about hoping it won't be bollocks, which it will

Ad infinitum

 

The dev team are treating us with contempt.

How dare we the players want to play a game our way and not theirs. They are the devs. They know better.

We're merely an inconvenience

 

Vote with you wallet.

 

If we can't save the game then maybe we can out them put of a job

Edited February 4, 2017 by ScottishDrunk

[MeNaCe-NZ]

They were unprepared for this and are releasing content as they develop it.

 

Don't be silly, everyone knows this is all a major conspiracy theory to keep us subbing! I bet the new boss will just be Operator IX dressed in Karagga's hat and they hope we won't be able to tell the difference.