PATCH 5.2: The Great Return?

[blackphantome]

Hello everybody!

 

Post-5.0 was one of the most inactive time of my guild (including myself). Out of ca. 80 people five were actively playing the game after the release of 5.0. Pre-5.0 was not that easy, too because of the lack of multiplayer content.

 

After the release of 5.0 the very old bridge crashed because of many reasons:

• Still a lack of multiplayer content (okay, there are Uprisings but..meh)
  
• GEARING SYSTEM
  
• nothing that new
  

 

We tried to motivate ourselfes to play the game but there was no chance (lower than the chances of good gear in this RNG system) but there was nothing left that hold us. We played nearly 3-4 years, we loved the time of 2.0-3.0 (BTW: there was something "magical" in the period of time of 2.0, 3.0 - maybe because we didn't know us that well? I would like to read if there is something like nostalgic in other guilds too regarding 2.0/3.0 ).

 

The changes made with 5.1 etc. were not able to bring us back. The complete RNG system made us leave the game. But 5.2 sounds better...

 

BUT: will it be more alt-friendly (is alt what you call your other characters? In Germany, we call them Twinks)? We loved to do many things with different characters but since 5.0 we were not able (due to the fact of missing time and motivation) to gear ONE character the way we want it to be equipped so the time to equip other characters wasn't there.

 

Many of us will come back with 5.2 - but will patch 5.2 be the great return of many players? Since 5.0 the server population was lower, too.

 

What do you think?

[Quraswren]

Not likely to see a return to be honest. Not anything significant anyway.

 

The damage is done and not enough new content to entice a large return from what I hear gamers talking about.

 

To much negativity from poor design and development surrounds BW and swtor.

[Foambreaker]

Have to agree, the question is really will there even be enough to stop the bleed.

[bdatt]

For PVE 5.2 will definitely be more alt-friendly and a return to 4.0 gearing times (minus the BiS from Soa).

 

That said, with an MMO it's much easier to keep players than to lure them from another game where they have relocated, established new relationships, probably have content they're working on, etc. There won't be an instant flood, and hopefully that's not their expectation, but perhaps with a steady trickle and as long as Bioware can keep delivering new content to not lose anymore people, numbers can gradually rise.

Edited April 5, 2017 by bdatt

[Foambreaker]

For PVE 5.2 will definitely be more alt-friendly and a return to 4.0 gearing times (minus the BiS from Soa).

 

...

 

They are making command XP Legacy wide?

 

Short of that this game now discourages alts.

[Tsillah]

I think 5.2 will be a stop-gap to stem the hemmorhaging of players due to 5.0 gearing and the trickle of content we had the last 2 years. I still don't get why they thought that the new stories would have much replay value and also don't get why they thought that 5.0 gearing would be received well....but ok. We are getting an installment of some more traditional content and that might stop the player base from dwindling even further. Might even bring back a few players as well, though some will wait till the whole ops is out.

 

Bioware is going to have to keep the momentum going now though. I think the Rise of the Cartel Market has seen its best days as well and that's in line with people not wanting to invest into something that has no representative value.

[Rion_Starkiller]

They are making command XP Legacy wide?

 

Short of that this game now discourages alts.

 

Even class-wide legacy gc xp would be okay with me at this point. "One of your scoundrels is GC 300? Great! All of your scoundrels and operatives are 300!"

Edited April 5, 2017 by Rion_Starkiller

[psandak]

They are making command XP Legacy wide?

 

Short of that this game now discourages alts.

 

With 5.2 you'll get tokens from all ops bosses. After a while, those tokens will go to alts rather than mains.

 

I do not think 5.2 will bring back a lot of players for all the reasons above (specifically that it is easier to retain than recapture), and the fact that there is still very little NEW group content: there is ONE new OPs boss, a story and daily area...that's it.

 

Just my opinion, but those who love Star Wars, stayed and those who love MMO group content left. I think as bosses are released we will see more and more come back, BUT it will never be what it was.

[TUXs]

Not likely to see a return to be honest. Not anything significant anyway.

 

The damage is done and not enough new content to entice a large return from what I hear gamers talking about.

 

To much negativity from poor design and development surrounds BW and swtor.

I hope you're wrong...I really do...but I think you may be right...

Edited April 5, 2017 by TUXs

[Foambreaker]

With 5.2 you'll get tokens from all ops bosses. After a while, those tokens will go to alts rather than mains.

 

I do not think 5.2 will bring back a lot of players for all the reasons above (specifically that it is easier to retain than recapture), and the fact that there is still very little NEW group content: there is ONE new OPs boss, a story and daily area...that's it.

 

Just my opinion, but those who love Star Wars, stayed and those who love MMO group content left. I think as bosses are released we will see more and more come back, BUT it will never be what it was.

 

Ops? The big perk for alts is ops?

 

You do realize from the perspective of players with lots of alts how meaningless that is?

 

"Playing alts" doesn't mean grinding to BiS and then starting on another. People who play alts have 10 chars at 40 command level

[Andryah]

5.2 won't bring quitters back. Why should it?

 

1) Many of them have been bashing the game for a long time and looking for reasons to leave. 5.0 just gave them a less embarrassing reason to leave.

 

2) They largely have left for "greener pastures" (based on all their advertising on their way out the door), and the only thing that will bring them back is their being disappointed with those "greener pastures" when they have consumed the content and don't like some of the ongoing changes that go on in every MMO.

 

As for all this nonsense about 5.0 allegedly killing alts.. I'm simply going to disagree. It's narrow mindset by some players that is arbitrarily killing their alts. Anyone that thought they needed GC drop gear to gear alts was both conflating AND ignoring that there were other paths for gear in 5.0 for most needs for most alts. I've got a dozen in full 240 gear with augments and honestly, the only thing missing is some set bonus, which frankly none of my alts actually needs. My less important alts are all in 228s with full augments and even they are doing just fine with that level of gearing for the content I use them for.

[Rion_Starkiller]

I think 5.2 will be a stop-gap to stem the hemmorhaging of players due to 5.0 gearing and the trickle of content we had the last 2 years. I still don't get why they thought that the new stories would have much replay value and also don't get why they thought that 5.0 gearing would be received well....but ok. We are getting an installment of some more traditional content and that might stop the player base from dwindling even further. Might even bring back a few players as well, though some will wait till the whole ops is out.

 

Bioware is going to have to keep the momentum going now though. I think the Rise of the Cartel Market has seen its best days as well and that's in line with people not wanting to invest into something that has no representative value.

 

I agree with you completely. And what particularly sticks out for me is your last sentence. Why would a player want to invest in the Cartel Market when the game feels like it's dying due to lack of substantive content.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Rion_Starkiller

[Ratajack]

5.2 won't bring quitters back. Why should it?

 

1) Many of them have been bashing the game for a long time and looking for reasons to leave. 5.0 just gave them a less embarrassing reason to leave.

 

2) They largely have left for "greener pastures" (based on all their advertising on their way out the door), and the only thing that will bring them back is their being disappointed with those "greener pastures" when they have consumed the content and don't like some of the ongoing changes that go on in every MMO.

 

As for all this nonsense about 5.0 allegedly killing alts.. I'm simply going to disagree. It's narrow mindset by some players that is arbitrarily killing their alts. Anyone that thought they needed GC drop gear to gear alts was both conflating AND ignoring that there were other paths for gear in 5.0 for most needs for most alts. I've got a dozen in full 240 gear with augments and honestly, the only thing missing is some set bonus, which frankly none of my alts actually needs. My less important alts are all in 228s with full augments and even they are doing just fine with that level of gearing for the content I use them for.

 

True. The prevailing attitude among many of the complainers seems to be:

 

"If it's not absolute BIS gear, it's total garbage. Didn't you know that?"

[Screaming_Ziva]

For PVE 5.2 will definitely be more alt-friendly and a return to 4.0 gearing times (minus the BiS from Soa).

I thought HM EV and KP were going to drop BIS now.

[bdatt]

They are making command XP Legacy wide?

 

Short of that this game now discourages alts.

 

I frankly forget galactic command exists. Try crafting, Ops, or PVP to gear. If you're just a story dude, do like I do with my story only alts and just use gear that drops from that content. Or go half naked with companions.

Edited April 5, 2017 by bdatt

[Toraak]

They are making command XP Legacy wide?

 

Short of that this game now discourages alts.

 

Making Command XP legacy wide would be FOOLISH!!! Getting gear in tiers 1-3 will be a lot easier then getting Purple/gold gear in Tier 4. If Command XP is legacy side every alt will have a very low chance of getting purple/gold gear. So you'd be shooting yourself in the head if it was legacy wide by making it harder in getting purple/gold gear on alts if they did what you want.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Toraak

[bdatt]

I thought HM EV and KP were going to drop BIS now.

 

You thought wrong.

[Sargrith]

I doubt it will bring anyone back.

 

They are unwilling to get rid of the command crates, and they are a poison to some of those who left. As long as they remain I just don't see those who hated them returning.

 

People leave a game because it either no longer meets their needs as a game or because they simply don't think it ever will.

 

My thought is that most people who left decided this team of devs simply will never make this the game they want it to be. Its a fair and reasonable reason to leave.

 

I don't see many returning, because this group of devs has given them no reason to do so. And no reason to trust they ever will. Maybe with 6.0 if the dev team changes significantly or something we will see a rebirth but not with the current team. We have all seen their mettle, and it has been found wanting.

[Quraswren]

SNIP....

I don't see many returning, because this group of devs has given them no reason to do so. And no reason to trust they ever will. Maybe with 6.0 if the dev team changes significantly or something we will see a rebirth but not with the current team. We have all seen their mettle, and it has been found wanting.

 

That is the prevailing attitude i hear when bw and swtor comes up. There devs have given no reason that is solid enough to make a return here and currently that still holds true even with 5.2 and knowing the devs can barely complete even one OPS in an entire year isn't some hook to bring in more gamers much less a daily grind area.

 

Gamers have seen what bw has done to swtor and the direction they went with gc and solo content and too much reliance on story (that failed them when the game launched and when the story was more abundant and better).

 

You are dead on I think. Gamers have seen what the devs can do and have done and have been left wanting. It would take a FF14 style revamp to bring this game out of the hole it's in at this point. The devs have caused to much damage and negativity over the years.

[Tsillah]

I agree with you completely. And what particularly sticks out for me is your last sentence. Why would a player want to invest in the Cartel Market when the game feels like it's dying due to lack of substantive content.

 

Well I want to make one comment here. It's not because the game may be dying. I am talking about paying for a game monthly that doesn't add much content and has lost the excitement of new things happening. I used to be what people call a whale or whatever. I spent easily 150 bucks a month in the CM. Why? Was I crazy? Perhaps, but my reason was that I wanted to support the game financially so that BW would have room for investing into the game. I never believed the cartel packs where actually worth the money I spent on them and still don't. They are a rip off.

 

However, the bigger issue is that they haven't invested more into the game as far as content with replay value is concerned and though they went full out in the production with the new story lines, I find them woefully sub par and lacking replay value especially. As a pseudo investor I felt my investment was not taken seriously. That's what I mean with it not representing value to me anymore.

 

Whether the game is on its last legs or not is beside the point and I have no proof of it since I only log in twice a week to do some progression raiding and log out again. But the real issue for me is that I do not feel BW have been investing resources into the game as much as a lot of players have put money into the cartel market. I do not feel the answered my commitment with an equal commitment in return. Faith and trust lost. That's the real issue.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Tsillah

[Clarian]

will patch 5.2 be the great return of many players? Since 5.0 the server population was lower, too.

 

What do you think?

I can only speak for myself, but unless 5.2 includes an option to turn off the DvL pop-ups, it won't be the great return of me. I haven't played since 5.0 due to that.

[Rion_Starkiller]

I can only speak for myself, but unless 5.2 includes an option to turn off the DvL pop-ups, it won't be the great return of me. I haven't played since 5.0 due to that.

 

That's a joke, right? Please be a joke. Next, you'll be asking for the old tracer missile animation or you will unsub.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Rion_Starkiller

[mmmbuddah]

For PVE 5.2 will definitely be more alt-friendly and a return to 4.0 gearing times (minus the BiS from Soa).

 

That said, with an MMO it's much easier to keep players than to lure them from another game where they have relocated, established new relationships, probably have content they're working on, etc. There won't be an instant flood, and hopefully that's not their expectation, but perhaps with a steady trickle and as long as Bioware can keep delivering new content to not lose anymore people, numbers can gradually rise.

 

It is not NEARLY back to 4,0. In any way shape or form. Only for ops, that is it. For everything else, we still get the finger,

[TUXs]

It is not NEARLY back to 4,0. In any way shape or form. Only for ops, that is it. For everything else, we still get the finger,

Exactly...PvPers are still shafted.

[bdatt]

It is not NEARLY back to 4,0. In any way shape or form. Only for ops, that is it. For everything else, we still get the finger,

 

Exactly...PvPers are still shafted.

 

Fair enough. I read "lack of multiplayer content" and my personal interest/bias went to thinking PVE.

Edited April 5, 2017 by bdatt