Will other companions besides Lana and Theron have any major roles. New ideas

[Lunafox]

I can't wait for the forum meltdown once it's official that Kira is going to be an alliance alert.

 

I can't wait for the melt down if they give her a full voice chapter. Cause there will be one.

[JediAkemi]

I can't wait for the melt down if they give her a full voice chapter. Cause there will be one.

 

I'd melt into a puddle of incoherent joy if Kira got a full chapter. Does that count?

[AngFour]

I'd melt into a puddle of incoherent joy if Kira got a full chapter. Does that count?

 

So long as you don't mind the tears of the people who got shafted because THEIR LI's returned via Alliance Alert get all mixed in with your puddle

[Lunafox]

I'd melt into a puddle of incoherent joy if Kira got a full chapter. Does that count?

 

No.

 

 

In all honesty, I'd be beyond p*ssed if that happened. In fact, if it happened for any of the female companions after they return the male romanced companions via AA I wouldn't be responsible. It would be unfair. It would solidify something I've always suspected about Bioware and how they feel toward their female player base. I also suspect that any forum title that has the word 'romance' in it is one they don't come near to save their lives.

Edited August 14, 2017 by Lunafox

[ZionHalcyon]

No.

 

 

In all honesty, I'd be beyond p*ssed if that happened. In fact, if it happened for any of the female companions after they return the male romanced companions via AA I wouldn't be responsible. It would be unfair. It would solidify something I've always suspected about Bioware, that they're sexist and hate their female player base. I also suspect that any forum title that has the word 'romance' in it is one they don't come near to save their lives.

 

I don't know if you need further confirmation of your suspicions. There already has been a lot made of exactly what you said from former female BioWare employees.

[Lunafox]

I don't know if you need further confirmation of your suspicions. There already has been a lot made of exactly what you said from former female BioWare employees.

 

I'd heard that, true enough.

[JediAkemi]

Which male LI is only getting an Alliance Alert?

 

Edit - a couple of people have PM'd me the bad news

Edited August 10, 2017 by JediAkemi

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I have all of these.

Still had time to play many chars through, usually in double xp just through class stories etc, games been out years now.

 

Then you more than anyone should understand they can't possibly cater storywise to every character you play though.

There are no more class stories, there is a one size fits all story with a wee bit of variety thrown in.

 

Funny thing is this has been going on for years now and this thread has people acting like it's something new.

 

You contest this isn't the game for someone with one character yet the story they are making is defined to ONE character.

 

It seems to me it's those running multiple characters that are having issues with the story the most. The direction of the game for the past few years doesn't cater to that. This will not change as I see it, EA aren't going to throw millions back at this game to push it back towards it's class story roots.

[Suzsi]

Then you more than anyone should understand they can't possibly cater storywise to every character you play though.

There are no more class stories, there is a one size fits all story with a wee bit of variety thrown in.

 

Funny thing is this has been going on for years now and this thread has people acting like it's something new.

 

You contest this isn't the game for someone with one character yet the story they are making is defined to ONE character.

 

It seems to me it's those running multiple characters that are having issues with the story the most. The direction of the game for the past few years doesn't cater to that. This will not change as I see it, EA aren't going to throw millions back at this game to push it back towards it's class story roots.

 

They have done a pretty good job of that so far, no reason that should change now.

Even in Kotfe and Kotet my characters where still themselves, enough to make it enjoyable for a story player like me to take each of them through. My smuggler for example still had plenty of her more snarky comments whilst my Jedi showed more concern etc.

 

Bioware always excelled at one thing and one thing only, story. The issue I am seeing now is that they are trying to spread too thin. Instead of focusing on the one area they always did better than anyone else, they are also trying to focus on areas that they were never going to be good at so everything suffers, including the story.

 

It is evident in swtor and mea both. They need to stop expending resources in the areas they are never going to excell at and pour them all into the one area theyve always done best - thats what will carry them further. Thats what will keep swtor afloat longer and what would redeem their other rpgs in the future.

 

SWTOR was never amazing for pvp or raids but it was amazing for story. I know there are some who may be annoyed at this but, facts are facts. Right now they are driving away all players with half assed efforts across the board, instead of at least keeping one, really great area going and those players around that would carry the game much further for longer.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Suzsi

[IoNonSoEVero]

I think multiple characters vs. single ones is really just personal choice and neither one is wrong or right. I have a few characters but there are classes I simply have no interest in playing, and will never touch. I can't bring myself to make a Republic character, either, but I actually made what is basically a clone of my original SW to run her through the story again with slightly different choices and different crew skills.

 

For myself, I'd rather stick to one or two characters and focus on all they can do - like right now my main is working on getting Legend reputation in a bunch of the daily areas and making money for her stronghold.

 

And I agree, all of the compliments and awards SWTOR has ever received have been about its amazing story. Throwing that away and driving those players from the game doesn't seem to be a smart decision.

Edited August 11, 2017 by IoNonSoEVero

[Celise]

Unfortunately the developers can't win on this topic. There are too many companions and the inital design makes it impossible for all of them to come back in a meaningfull way.

 

no they can't, the decision to take the community down this route started in the design department of bioware austin, thats the fact here. we didn't get a say, they decided it for us. they created this whole storyline and a way to bring back companions in the storyline, the community didn't like the way that bioware handled this and in response bioware decided to shoe-horn companions into alerts rather than actually figuring out why their customers didn't like the way they went around, they just took the path of least resistance.

 

the reason so many complained is because the mission the companions are found were boring to play, an example is kaliyo's mission, you have to run around the city to alter certain electronic devices and at places you encounter some mobs and minor elites, thats the part that was just bad. so instead of coming up with a different way to putting a companion in the storyline with a fairly exciting chapter, they decided not to do anything about it.

 

they chose these actions in the same way we choose to walk down a street or breathe or eat something. it's water under the bridge now anyway. bioware need to figure out what they are doing when it comes to content. FE and ET were not that well received and while ET finished better than FE, that isn't enough to save it.

[Eshvara]

 

And I agree, all of the compliments and awards SWTOR has ever received have been about its amazing story. Throwing that away and driving those players from the game doesn't seem to be a smart decision.

 

It's kinda weird, the millions of players who left didn't find story enough of a reason to stay, even when story was at its best.

Now the remaining story lovers are still here, myself included.

Hopefully BW will find some kind of balance!

[Suzsi]

It's kinda weird, the millions of players who left didn't find story enough of a reason to stay, even when story was at its best.

Now the remaining story lovers are still here, myself included.

Hopefully BW will find some kind of balance!

 

Originally? No. I left for a time also in the beginning. Why?

 

Because it was too difficult to repeat and experience story content in the begining, leveling was so slow. I wanted to, badly, experience the other class stories but once one character was done, the idea of starting another was so daunting. Every single planet story and side quest had to be done for enough xp to survive the next planet.

 

This has since been fixed, you can now get by on doing just some of the planet stories and all of your class story without having to do every tiny little side fetch quest. When double xp is on you dont even need to do any planet quests, just the class story. They made this a far more enjoyable experience and although some of us came back to try again, most haven't. Even tho I try to convince some friends the stories are much easier to repeat, that early damage was done.

 

And theyve made it even easier now with Kotfe and Kotet chapters, you can just jump right in there and redo your favs anytime. Its great. Or it was until now. (LI return in alliance alert, really?! Alliance alerts arent repeatable so thats one LI reunion we'll never get to experience again.)

Edited August 11, 2017 by Suzsi

[Eshvara]

Originally? No. I left for a time also in the beginning. Why?

 

Because it was too difficult to repeat and experience story content in the begining, leveling was so slow. I wanted to, badly, experience the other class stories but once one character was done, the idea of starting another was so daunting. Every single planet story and side quest had to be done for enough xp to survive the next planet.

 

This has since been fixed, you can now get by on doing just some of the planet stories and all of your class story without having to do every tiny little side fetch quest. When double xp is on you dont even need to do any planet quests, just the class story. They made this a far more enjoyable experience and although some of us came back to try again, most haven't. Even tho I try to convince some friends the stories are much easier to repeat, that early damage was done.

 

And theyve made it even easier now with Kotfe and Kotet chapters, you can just jump right in there and redo your favs anytime. Its great. Or it was until now. (LI return in alliance alert, really?! Alliance alerts arent repeatable so thats one LI reunion we'll never get to experience again.)

 

Now that levelling is faster, people complain that it's too fast, honestly it's never right. But I do agree that doing every side quest was too much.

As for the alliance alert, we don't exactly know if it's how it used to be or not. Datamined info surfaced on the forums and we're all running with it. It may just be an alliance alert like we know them and it may not be. Nobody knows yet. This is why datamined info shouldn't​ be taken as seriously, it isn't official.

 

It's not easy trying to cater to everyone, what character to out in what chapter/story, which one to return, how to return them. Someone will end up sad. Also only one is being brought back as far as I'm aware, which happened to be male, what about a female return for males, is that fair?

 

Maybe it's just easier for me as I barely care for any of the old companions, if at all. But still datamined info is what it is, and it may turn out to be different. I don't know if it is or isn't and neither do you.(speaking in general)

[MeNaCe-NZ]

They have done a pretty good job of that so far, no reason that should change now.

Even in Kotfe and Kotet my characters where still themselves, enough to make it enjoyable for a story player like me to take each of them through. My smuggler for example still had plenty of her more snarky comments whilst my Jedi showed more concern etc.

 

Because Kotfe/kotet made sooo much sense for a non force user right? I guess we can RP it in a means to make it make sense but they way it was written was awful.

 

The funny thing here is you state they've done a good job so far when they stopped doing it so far after the class stories.

 

This tells me you aren't actually annoyed at the future writing at all if it comes to pass, you are just pissed at the circumstances. Bad luck, story doesn't always work out how you want.

 

 

Bioware always excelled at one thing and one thing only, story

 

That's a fairly ******** comment from someone who either doesn't appreciate good gaming or blatantly ignores it. They have made some of the most fun RPG gaming evironments bar none. For you to imply Bioware are only good at story is ludicrous and quite frankly insulting.

 

 

The issue I am seeing now is that they are trying to spread too thin. Instead of focusing on the one area they always did better than anyone else, they are also trying to focus on areas that they were never going to be good at so everything suffers, including the story.

 

But this upcoming story is great for me, I love what's about to happen. Even the way it is seemingly written works well enough for me (I would have done away with this character long ago given the choice, they were noting but an annoying whining nuisance to me). You take "I don't like what's happening to me personally" and equating that to "bad story" - sorry your personal emotional response not instnatly = bad story.

 

The only bad story was the fact we were all shoe horned into getting stuck with such characters in the first place meaning events like this are bound to annoy many. But hey you felt up to this point it was all fine and dandy apparently so you can just suck it up and deal with it.

 

 

It is evident in swtor and mea both. They need to stop expending resources in the areas they are never going to excell at and pour them all into the one area theyve always done best - thats what will carry them further. Thats what will keep swtor afloat longer and what would redeem their other rpgs in the future.

 

What areas do you think they are never going to excel at exactly? Gameplay? You must be new to gaming because Bioware are *********** gameplay innovators and I feel they've let that slip in recent times to create these bloody interactive movies for "players" like you who seemingly only care about story.

 

Story is important sure but it needs to be balance by great game play because it's a game ...

 

SWTOR was never amazing for pvp or raids but it was amazing for story. I know there are some who may be annoyed at this but, facts are facts.

 

No, your opinion is not "Facts are facts". I had never raided in any MMO in my life until this game, from my perspective this game has the best raiding ever and taking your logic it therefore must be a fact right?

 

Right now they are driving away all players with half assed efforts across the board, instead of at least keeping one, really great area going and those players around that would carry the game much further for longer.

 

They introduced ****** gameplay systems (GC) and ignored MMO content for so long (operations) and voila, lowest population ever on the back of focusing on story. Don't try tell me they are bleeding numbers because of story - the history of the game says the opposite.

 

Treat your gaming community like a bunch of novel readers and suffer the consequences.

[casirabit]

No.

 

 

In all honesty, I'd be beyond p*ssed if that happened. In fact, if it happened for any of the female companions after they return the male romanced companions via AA I wouldn't be responsible. It would be unfair. It would solidify something I've always suspected about Bioware, that they're sexist and hate their female player base. I also suspect that any forum title that has the word 'romance' in it is one they don't come near to save their lives.

 

As much as I hate to agree with you, this seems to be the case and I am the last one that would believe that as I am not normally the type to accuse a company of being sexist but unfortunately their behavior is showing this. Sad that they are doing this which makes it harder for the female player base to play. We already have idiots in the game that think ladies don't play the game and then make comments about that and then we have bioware seem to act the same.

[Suzsi]

Because Kotfe/kotet made sooo much sense for a non force user right? I guess we can RP it in a means to make it make sense but they way it was written was awful.

 

The funny thing here is you state they've done a good job so far when they stopped doing it so far after the class stories.

 

This tells me you aren't actually annoyed at the future writing at all if it comes to pass, you are just pissed at the circumstances. Bad luck, story doesn't always work out how you want.

 

 

 

 

That's a fairly ******** comment from someone who either doesn't appreciate good gaming or blatantly ignores it. They have made some of the most fun RPG gaming evironments bar none. For you to imply Bioware are only good at story is ludicrous and quite frankly insulting.

 

 

 

 

But this upcoming story is great for me, I love what's about to happen. Even the way it is seemingly written works well enough for me (I would have done away with this character long ago given the choice, they were noting but an annoying whining nuisance to me). You take "I don't like what's happening to me personally" and equating that to "bad story" - sorry your personal emotional response not instnatly = bad story.

 

The only bad story was the fact we were all shoe horned into getting stuck with such characters in the first place meaning events like this are bound to annoy many. But hey you felt up to this point it was all fine and dandy apparently so you can just suck it up and deal with it.

 

 

 

 

What areas do you think they are never going to excel at exactly? Gameplay? You must be new to gaming because Bioware are *********** gameplay innovators and I feel they've let that slip in recent times to create these bloody interactive movies for "players" like you who seemingly only care about story.

 

Story is important sure but it needs to be balance by great game play because it's a game ...

 

 

 

No, your opinion is not "Facts are facts". I had never raided in any MMO in my life until this game, from my perspective this game has the best raiding ever and taking your logic it therefore must be a fact right?

 

 

 

They introduced ****** gameplay systems (GC) and ignored MMO content for so long (operations) and voila, lowest population ever on the back of focusing on story. Don't try tell me they are bleeding numbers because of story - the history of the game says the opposite.

 

Treat your gaming community like a bunch of novel readers and suffer the consequences.

 

You miss understand me, or a lot of what I've said.

 

I am not concerned with the upcoming story plot. I am concerned about them doing it well because in the past some story aspects have felt very rushed and unpolished. Some but not all chapters of Kotet and Kotfe suffered from this, as did the first part of the Iokath story.

 

More than that however is concern that they are now also doing returning LIs a disfavor by making them alliance alerts - content that story players can not repeat like you can with chapters. So those reuinions whatever they do with them cant be repeated without making that character all over again, this was something they had fixed with repeatable chapters and are now going backwards with.

 

As for the game bleeding players, it's done that since day 1. All games do. People play them until something they like better comes along. That means over time by default budgets are going to thin out as well. In order to hold onto as many players as they can for as long as they can, they need to focus on their strengths and that which is unique to this game that no other game companies out there do. The way in which bioware does their stories.

 

PVP in SWTOR was always okay, but it was never amazing, not like other games out there that are better and almost solely pvp based. Its natural people who prefer that style of game play are going to bleed out to the games that do it better. Also there are so many of those games now and only so many players to spread out over them all.

 

SWTORs verions of raids - operations - are okay but not amazing compaired to other games out there that do them better. Again the same with PVP people will bleed out naturally to those that do it better if this is their preferred game play style. Also like pvp games there are so many mmos now that do raids and the like and only so many players to spread out over them all.

 

The one thing none of the others do like swtor does, the story. The one thing they do thats different to the other 100s of games out there is the thing they need to focus on and sell. In this day and age of gaming theres just no competing with 100s of games all doing the same thing.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Suzsi

[TUXs]

Because Kotfe/kotet made sooo much sense for a non force user right? I guess we can RP it in a means to make it make sense but they way it was written was awful.

They lost me when I was force jumping to platforms on my Commando...that chapter, where you craft your meaningless weapon, was TERRIBLE in every possible way. For a company known for their "story telling", they sure suck.

[casirabit]

Now that levelling is faster, people complain that it's too fast, honestly it's never right. But I do agree that doing every side quest was too much.

As for the alliance alert, we don't exactly know if it's how it used to be or not. Datamined info surfaced on the forums and we're all running with it. It may just be an alliance alert like we know them and it may not be. Nobody knows yet. This is why datamined info shouldn't​ be taken as seriously, it isn't official.

 

It's not easy trying to cater to everyone, what character to out in what chapter/story, which one to return, how to return them. Someone will end up sad. Also only one is being brought back as far as I'm aware, which happened to be male, what about a female return for males, is that fair?

 

Maybe it's just easier for me as I barely care for any of the old companions, if at all. But still datamined info is what it is, and it may turn out to be different. I don't know if it is or isn't and neither do you.(speaking in general)

 

From their record, do you honestly believe they will bring one of the female companions back as an alert? Not from their record.

 

The the traitor situation: First we get Quinn as a traitor and now this one , why do they always have to make it a male that is a traitor. Women can be traitors but to do that they would have to make their favorite pet a traitor and from what I have seen they will not do that. I am the last one that would accuse them of being like this but unfortunately the evidence speaks for itself. While I would like the data mined to be incorrect that is something this time I am finding hard to do.

[Lammia]

And theyve made it even easier now with Kotfe and Kotet chapters, you can just jump right in there and redo your favs anytime. Its great. Or it was until now. (LI return in alliance alert, really?! Alliance alerts arent repeatable so thats one LI reunion we'll never get to experience again.)

 

It's already a done deal. Iokath is not repeatable either. Customisations didn't work in it either. So it was just a glorified Alliance Alert with the difference our characters had voice. It's a punch in the gut for those who waited for those comps to return.

[Suzsi]

They lost me when I was force jumping to platforms on my Commando...that chapter, where you craft your meaningless weapon, was TERRIBLE in every possible way. For a company known for their "story telling", they sure suck.

 

All of the characters in SWTOR are force sensitive - thats what makes them exceptional at what they do - its all over the place in the sw universe. Not all of them are Jedi or Sith. Besides, Valkorian gave all characters some of his power and Satele was standing right there, no doubt giving boosts as needed to non force users.

[Eshvara]

From their record, do you honestly believe they will bring one of the female companions back as an alert? Not from their record.

 

 

The the traitor situation: First we get Quinn as a traitor and now this one , why do they always have to make it a male that is a traitor. Women can be traitors but to do that they would have to make their favorite pet a traitor and from what I have seen they will not do that. I am the last one that would accuse them of being like this but unfortunately the evidence speaks for itself. While I would like the data mined to be incorrect that is something this time I am finding hard to do.

 

It's not like they're just sacking females with this, but males too. Theron isn't solely a female romance interest.One of my gay friends who is totally in love with Theron will be heartbroken and probably threat with quitting too. Maybe Lana is in on it or someone else. We just do not know.

 

I don't know if a female will be brought back as an alliance alert, and again neither do you or anyone else. We also don't know if this AA is going to be the way it used to be or not. Why do we all have to get mad at unofficial news?

 

Ugh spoiler alert.

 

Edit: and I'm actually surprised casirabit, when it was about the Manaan SH you didn't want to take datamined info seriously but wanted something official. As it tells us only so much.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Eshvara

[TUXs]

All of the characters in SWTOR are force sensitive - thats what makes them exceptional at what they do - its all over the place in the sw universe. Not all of them are Jedi or Sith. Besides, Valkorian gave all characters some of his power and Satele was standing right there, no doubt giving boosts as needed to non force users.

That's nonsensical. If the greatest Jedi/Sith the Galaxy has couldn't sense it in my Troopers, how "powerful" could they actually be?

[casirabit]

It's not like they're just sacking females with this, but males too. Theron isn't solely a female romance interest.One of my gay friends who is totally in love with Theron will be heartbroken and probably threat with quitting too. Maybe Lana is in on it or someone else. We just do not know.

 

I don't know if a female will be brought back as an alliance alert, and again neither do you or anyone else. We also don't know if this AA is going to be the way it used to be or not. Why do we all have to get mad at unofficial news?

 

Ugh spoiler alert.

 

Edit: and I'm actually surprised casirabit, when it was about the Manaan SH you didn't want to take datamined info seriously but wanted something official. As it tells us only so much.

 

Yea I am not one for datamined but unfortunately the Manaan stronghold proved to be right and considering that I am not saying it is 100% accurate but there is a good chance it is and what bothers me is the way it is handled. While I could understand the traitor being that person for my sith side but it makes no sense for my republic characters. To be fair they should have made it both not just one depending on your actions and whether you supported the republic or the empire but the way it seems that is not what they are doing. Now I may not be a writer like they are but I have done some writing in my forum roleplays and even I know you don't do that.

 

In addition, they way they have handled previous romance companions, when one of the characters that can be romanced is able to be killed, or banished, they are no longer any part of the story and with the way they are heading towards this the only one left is the one that seems is the other one and really not everyone wants that one as a romance companion.

 

My smuggler has romanced Koth but since he was able to be killed nothing from him since then so I have very low expectations for BW to handle this one right due to their history. And what's funny is when I started playing the game I didn't want to take any romance with the companions because I believed they were just glorified NPC until I read yours and others comments about that and decided to take a chance with Koth and look how that turned out.

Edited August 11, 2017 by casirabit

[Jedi_riches]

Yea I am not one for datamined but unfortunately the Manaan stronghold proved to be right and considering that I am not saying it is 100% accurate but there is a good chance it is and what bothers me is the way it is handled. While I could understand the traitor being that person for my sith side but it makes no sense for my republic characters. To be fair they should have made it both not just one depending on your actions and whether you supported the republic or the empire but the way it seems that is not what they are doing. Now I may not be a writer like they are but I have done some writing in my forum roleplays and even I know you don't do that.

 

In addition, they way they have handled previous romance companions, when one of the characters that can be romanced is able to be killed, or banished, they are no longer any part of the story and with the way they are heading towards this the only one left is the one that seems is the other one and really not everyone wants that one as a romance companion.

 

My smuggler has romanced Koth but since he was able to be killed nothing from him since then so I have very low expectations for BW to handle this one right due to their history. And what's funny is when I started playing the game I didn't want to take any romance with the companions because I believed they were just glorified NPC until I read yours and others comments about that and decided to take a chance with Koth and look how that turned out.

 

I agree with the Idea of making the traitor based on your actions (most likely the iokath one), since they are both li's you should be able to guard against loosing them such as the vette torian choice if you romanced one you can purposefully choice the outcome.

 

As for alliance alerts the info also holds the name of another former LI with no details yet so I think it's something bioware were trialling in order to bring them all back they may well change this approach come the next quarter if it proves to be too unsuccessful. It's just unfortunate who they may have trialled it with.