The Case for Why We're Getting A New SW MMO

[MikeCobalt]

I wish there was/is a new Star Wars game in the making after this one has seen Blunder after Blunder and since Zakuul they have done seemingly everything wrong to keep customers. From E.A.,.... that's where my skepticism is at. Watching the decisions here, customers reaction and corresponding Admin's indifference. The game gets farther and farther away from "Star Wars" which is the number one draw. The stories (Class stories) have gone from number one by far and still praised openly on MMO Review sites and other game forums still to a matter of History (again result of mgmt. decisions) to one lesser quality and only Minutes worth at a dismal pace, killing off main characters (Boyd said he wanted a G.O.T. type excitement builder) when better written stories have no need for "GOT style killings" to generate more satisfying stories. The entire E.A./Customer money ethic is troubling aswell. I hope there is however I'm very "Skeptical". Your Points are great, I'm just not going to get my Hopes up.

[Andryah]

Though not called an MMO, this is a tantalizing clue that EA is in fact working on a new "open world" game (and it doesn't appear to be a mobile game). - https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-open-world-game-in-the-works-at-ea-accor/1100-6457652/

 

I just believe this IP is too valuable to go to waste without trying "big" things....

 

It could be anything really, or nothing at all (given EA can and will kill projects before they even go live). The only thing clear in the article is that this is the game Visceral was working on before they shut Visceral down... and have now handed it to the Vancover studio to attempt to salvage something from it.

 

Besides Open World =/= MMO. Yes.. MMOs are generally open world, but so are other genres in modern gaming.

 

You were wrong last year... so there is no reason not to believe you are wrong now.

Edited March 24, 2018 by Andryah

[Akevv]

They’re certainly working on another game, but it’s not Star Wars. They’re taking our money and feeding it into Anthem. Edited March 24, 2018 by Akevv

[ThomasStarWars]

I want SWG remastered edition.

[Holocron]

It could be anything really, or nothing at all (given EA can and will kill projects before they even go live). The only thing clear in the article is that this is the game Visceral was working on before they shut Visceral down... and have not handed it to the Vancover studio to attempt to salvage something from it.

 

Besides Open World =/= MMO. Yes.. MMOs are generally open world, but so are other genres in modern gaming.

 

You were wrong last year... so there is no reason not to believe you are wrong now.

 

Yeah from what I remember from the various sources it's a Star Wars open world game in the vein of Destiny, Titan Fall, Overwatch, the Division, etc. The job postings they had back when pretty much said as much. Also, has the OP forgot about the leaks from a few months ago that were discussing the actual turmoil at Bio Austin, and the fact that they are actively discussing shutting down the game depending on the success of that other game coming out?

[Loadsamonie]

If a new SWToR2 is indeed on the way, I would HOPE that this one is made in such a way as to be playable on consoles.

 

Meaning you don't have to micromanage forty different abilities at once.

[evasilievna]

If a new SWToR2 is indeed on the way, I would HOPE that this one is made in such a way as to be playable on consoles.

 

Meaning you don't have to micromanage forty different abilities at once.

 

This won't happen, especially if Anthem will be successful. In which game would you invest? In the dying SWTOR or in the bland new & shiny Anthem?

Yes, SWTOR is dying, this is his last year of existence, it is kind of obvious.

[Naholen]

I remember when Andromeda was being developed that was a lot of "OMG this game is amazing, is going to be a amazing." Same is happening now with Anthem. I won't be surprised if it falls flat once out.

[Sinhammer]

Flash back 6 or 7 years ago and you couldn't get online without tripping over a video or social media posting about the new MMORPG coming out that was the new "WoW-killer". RIFT, TERA, SWTOR, WIldStar, list goes on. Except for maybe some imported Asian MMOs I can't even tell you what MMORPGs are around now (or being developed). Freely admit I'm no software developer but from an outsider's perspective it seems a fair bit cheaper to develop more casual friendly games (read: less grindy) like CoD, Overwatch, Fortnite and the like than big MMORPGS. You save a lot of time in man hours coding quests, animation, you name it, and in the end make just as much money if not more on microtransactions. People are always going to want to buy the swag for their toons.

 

From a business perspective you also have to cater to your consumer. The consumers by and large no longer have time or the patience to spend on a second job grinding hours and hours on end incessantly in some MMO for a chance to proc some gold armor or to go and kill 3000 mobs to get the Feather of Enlightenment or some other garbage. People want things NOW. It's another reason why we've seen so many QoL changes over the years like LFG and LFR. Go look at the die-hards over at WoW who cried and cried for vanilla servers and now that Blizzard announced it what has happened? Oh now there's a fight over whether it should include lfg and stuff because oh some of the die-hards are like well maybe we should at least have that...lol.

 

Guess basically what I'm saying is I don't see where it's WORTH it to develop these sorts of games anymore, at all. They almost inevitably fail. They could gamble a few hundred mil on a new MMORPG or on two or three cheaper Overwatch/Paladins/etc. style games and see if any stick. Which seems the better bet in today's market?

[Soljin]

If a new SWToR2 is indeed on the way, I would HOPE that this one is made in such a way as to be playable on consoles.

 

Meaning you don't have to micromanage forty different abilities at once.

 

If they did a reboot of SWToR the combat should be changed to an action style away from tab target ability spam. Similar to BDO..

 

Basically ability combinations, Block, Dodge roll etc...Add abilities on top of that but keep them limited to a reasonable amount slottable at one time. Having massive ability diversity is great but limit active slots so its a build choice which abilities you choose to use for specific purposes.

 

Another issue is the class based system....dump it! Use a skill point bases system so you level skill trees not class trees...Aka you start out just a specific race/species and then choose your path.

 

If you want to be a Bounty Hunter then choose the pistols tree, Scout tree, underworld tree and so on...this way you could have an infinite amount of combinations but all still bounty Hunters....Pistol or rifle or melee BH(s)....

 

No class base systems they are really linear and boring.

 

I think the reboot thing is maybe becoming a trend...Defiance online is doing this currently and they announced it just a few months before the reboot launch... If this is going to happen we may not know about it until 3 to 6 months prior to its launch...

 

For the record I would support it financially if they stopped trying to use a linear game design style...We need the Devs shooting for the moon not the trash can.

 

People need to face that theme park style MMO(s) get boring fast and take a massive content commitment...they are not feasible nor are they fun after a point. Sand box elements are a must for longevity sake...

Edited March 24, 2018 by Soljin

[Andryah]

Yeah from what I remember from the various sources it's a Star Wars open world game in the vein of Destiny, Titan Fall, Overwatch, the Division, etc. The job postings they had back when pretty much said as much. Also, has the OP forgot about the leaks from a few months ago that were discussing the actual turmoil at Bio Austin, and the fact that they are actively discussing shutting down the game depending on the success of that other game coming out?

 

I think this is exactly what it is.

 

I really don't see the large game companies continuing to invest in new MMOs, particularly when the new and popular genre is games like The Division, Destiny, etc.

 

I think there is still room for some new MMOs in the market, but it will be smaller more specialized ones developed by smaller independent studios. Unfortunately, these studios tend to be under-capitalized so I'm not sure how successfully they can develop and launch a true MMO these days unless they sellout to a major game holding company.

[Soljin]

I think this is exactly what it is.

 

I really don't see the large game companies continuing to invest in new MMOs, particularly when the new and popular genre is games like The Division, Destiny, etc.

 

I think there is still room for some new MMOs in the market, but it will be smaller more specialized ones developed by smaller independent studios. Unfortunately, these studios tend to be under-capitalized so I'm not sure how successfully they can develop and launch a true MMO these days unless they sellout to a major game holding company.

 

I agree there is a future for the MMO market after they catch up on what it should look like. Destiny 2 is not a good example because they are deploying the same mistakes that are holding back many games even though it made a huge bundle at launch.

 

Indie companies are working on prototypes for the new incarnation of MMO(s) several are in development. Once the big companies see one draw some cash the market will flood with new MMO(s) based of that model.

 

If we had a theme park/ sand box blended SW MMO with action combat and skill tree based progression rather than class based system...it would do well. This allows players to choose their own path in the SW universe rather than a preset class...It allows a more dynamic and exciting combat system and it alleviates some of the content press for a Dev team with the sandbox elements...

 

Sand box elements keep people busy for extended periods with minimal updates if designed properly from the start.

 

AAA games have suffered considerably because of the massive focus on money models...Its become increasingly clear that gamble boxes and P2W are a death sentence so hopefully we can move on to making solid games again.

 

MMO(s) will come back in a new form its just a matter of who figures out the formula and pulls the trigger first.

 

To sum it up meld current survival games with Destiny type games (add a money market with no loot boxes or P2W aspects) and you have the new MMO model.

Edited March 24, 2018 by Soljin

[Elessara]

If they did a reboot of SWToR the combat should be changed to an action style away from tab target ability spam. Similar to BDO..

 

Basically ability combinations, Block, Dodge roll etc...Add abilities on top of that but keep them limited to a reasonable amount slottable at one time. Having massive ability diversity is great but limit active slots so its a build choice which abilities you choose to use for specific purposes.

 

Another issue is the class based system....dump it! Use a skill point bases system so you level skill trees not class trees...Aka you start out just a specific race/species and then choose your path.

 

If you want to be a Bounty Hunter then choose the pistols tree, Scout tree, underworld tree and so on...this way you could have an infinite amount of combinations but all still bounty Hunters....Pistol or rifle or melee BH(s)....

 

No class base systems they are really linear and boring.

 

I think the reboot thing is maybe becoming a trend...Defiance online is doing this currently and they announced it just a few months before the reboot launch... If this is going to happen we may not know about it until 3 to 6 months prior to its launch...

 

For the record I would support it financially if they stopped trying to use a linear game design style...We need the Devs shooting for the moon not the trash can.

 

People need to face that theme park style MMO(s) get boring fast and take a massive content commitment...they are not feasible nor are they fun after a point. Sand box elements are a must for longevity sake...

 

How about no? There are plenty of "action" MMOs out there. Not every MMO has to be the same. One of the reasons I still like this game is because it's more old school. I actually play BDO and people look like demented bunnies in combat. Roll bounce boing zip flip flop flap .... that's combat. And honestly most of the time it looks really stupid. They actually put a targeted heal in that game ... why? Have you ever tried using a targeted heal on a demented bunny? Ok, sorry that was a little off topic. Anyway no, it does not need to be "action"-y. I prefer ability bars to memorizing 100 different key/mouse combos. And yes, I know BDO has an ability bar but it's very limited and there's a ton of things you can't even put on it.

[SaerethDL]

How about no? There are plenty of "action" MMOs out there. Not every MMO has to be the same. One of the reasons I still like this game is because it's more old school. I actually play BDO and people look like demented bunnies in combat. Roll bounce boing zip flip flop flap .... that's combat. And honestly most of the time it looks really stupid. They actually put a targeted heal in that game ... why? Have you ever tried using a targeted heal on a demented bunny? Ok, sorry that was a little off topic. Anyway no, it does not need to be "action"-y. I prefer ability bars to memorizing 100 different key/mouse combos. And yes, I know BDO has an ability bar but it's very limited and there's a ton of things you can't even put on it.

 

I second this, I do not really want an action oriented mmo.. it just doesn't work right for mmo's including network/latency issues. I like to have a lot of abilities and like elessara said I do not want to memorize hundreds of different key/mouse combos to play my character efficiently.

[TrixxieTriss]

I think this is exactly what it is.

 

I really don't see the large game companies continuing to invest in new MMOs, particularly when the new and popular genre is games like The Division, Destiny, etc.

 

I think there is still room for some new MMOs in the market, but it will be smaller more specialized ones developed by smaller independent studios. Unfortunately, these studios tend to be under-capitalized so I'm not sure how successfully they can develop and launch a true MMO these days unless they sellout to a major game holding company.

 

Asian game makers seem to be stepping into the void left by the big western companies. From the limited English info about the Asian game market, MMOs are still really big there and new ones are also in the works.

 

I think we may see less and less western made MMOs and more Asian ones ported to the west. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as they are usually visually stunning, even if their stories can be a bit soft compared to western MMOs or a bit harder to follow. The hurdle is do they think it’s worth porting them in the first place.

[Soljin]

How about no? There are plenty of "action" MMOs out there. Not every MMO has to be the same. One of the reasons I still like this game is because it's more old school. I actually play BDO and people look like demented bunnies in combat. Roll bounce boing zip flip flop flap .... that's combat. And honestly most of the time it looks really stupid. They actually put a targeted heal in that game ... why? Have you ever tried using a targeted heal on a demented bunny? Ok, sorry that was a little off topic. Anyway no, it does not need to be "action"-y. I prefer ability bars to memorizing 100 different key/mouse combos. And yes, I know BDO has an ability bar but it's very limited and there's a ton of things you can't even put on it.

 

To each their own but if you look at successful games the old tab target no dodge roll games minus WoW are dead or diminishing in strength considerably.

 

I'm not really talking about preference I'm talking about where games are going and How I think they will end up in the next few years.

 

If you don't like the idea that's entirely up to you but tab target ability spam game play design in MMO(s) is not likely to stick around.

 

As far as it not working...BDO has terrible servers so not a good base for that judgment. ESO is very stable and an earlier but similar system works fine there.

 

Concerning flipping and jumping around like a bunny...have you seen the SW(s) prequels or read any "Legends" books...BDO(s) combat is more Star Warsy than this game....

 

Even in the Original movies Luke does some pretty crazy force powered leaps and flips throughout...

Edited March 24, 2018 by Soljin

[TyonYlle]

This thread still going? tbh I think this is nothing but a pipe dream, because we've heard literally nothing about a "new SW MMO" (correct me if I'm wrong), nor do I want another SW MMO UNTIL we have a real ARMMORPG going. Imagine, an actual SAO, but set in the SWs universe? Edited March 24, 2018 by TyonYlle

[Lyshar]

This thread still going? tbh I think this is nothing but a pipe dream, because we've heard literally nothing about a "new SW MMO" (correct me if I'm wrong), nor do I want another SW MMO UNTIL we have a real ARMMORPG going. Imagine, an actual SAO, but set in the SWs universe?

You mean like...

*gets killed in the game by a lightsaber, dies in real life*

I can see EA making that as a bug, I'll never know because I don't buy EA titles.

 

Only got into SWTOR because when it all started in development it was BW, but since BW=EA now and they've proven that that will never change it's also the last BW title I am planning to ever get into.

[Soljin]

You mean like...

*gets killed in the game by a lightsaber, dies in real life*

I can see EA making that as a bug, I'll never know because I don't buy EA titles.

 

Only got into SWTOR because when it all started in development it was BW, but since BW=EA now and they've proven that that will never change it's also the last BW title I am planning to ever get into.

 

I'm with you on this. I didn't buy SWBF2 and I actively avoid EA titles...They would need a decent string of amazing games that were heavily reviewed before I would purchase. Honestly they carry a stigma for me..I associate them with greed and punishing boring game design...

[jedip_enguin]

OP needs to stop huffing paint.

[TyonYlle]

You mean like...

*gets killed in the game by a lightsaber, dies in real life*

I can see EA making that as a bug, I'll never know because I don't buy EA titles.

 

Only got into SWTOR because when it all started in development it was BW, but since BW=EA now and they've proven that that will never change it's also the last BW title I am planning to ever get into.

I'm with you on this. I didn't buy SWBF2 and I actively avoid EA titles...They would need a decent string of amazing games that were heavily reviewed before I would purchase. Honestly they carry a stigma for me..I associate them with greed and punishing boring game design...

 

Yeah, I've never really liked EA games, besides the WWE games, but they're a rare exception. I've never really enjoyed multiplayer games, they were always my brothers fave. I look like a literal chimp with a controller when I play a multiplayer game.

 

I'm only interested in four games this year, Vampyr (which I've preordered, Detroit, Days Gone, and TLoU2.

 

I don't actually think Anthem is gonna be a popular after it drops, just because there is such a saturation of multiplayer games, and the reason I probably why buy that new SW game Visceral were working on because it sounds like EA is going to change it to yet another multiplayer game.

 

Now, to bring this discussion back on topic!

 

Y'all know you'd live in a SW version of SAO, even with the wartime, and the ever possibility of death.

[BJWyler]

You mean like...

*gets killed in the game by a lightsaber, dies in real life*

I can see EA making that as a bug, I'll never know because I don't buy EA titles.

 

Only got into SWTOR because when it all started in development it was BW, but since BW=EA now and they've proven that that will never change it's also the last BW title I am planning to ever get into.

 

You do realize that EA bought Bioware in 2007, right? This game was EA/BW from start to finish, practically speaking.

 

As for another SW MMO, it's just not going to happen under EA. The genre doesn't give the ROI that EA is looking for in their current business model. They are all about games as a service, and there's a lot more ROI in the mobile platform and in models similar to Battlefront.

 

The IP is a gold mine in only the right circumstances, let's remember that the only two MMOs to exist with the Star Wars IP fell far short of expectations, let alone printing money. The OP makes several leaps of faith rather than with logic in regards to some of the facts he put out there, and ignores many other mitigating circumstances that would affect this sure bet of a new Star Wars MMO.

Edited March 25, 2018 by BJWyler

[AmadanNaBrona]

You lost me at "OVERVIEW"

[Soljin]

You do realize that EA bought Bioware in 2007, right? This game was EA/BW from start to finish, practically speaking.

 

As for another SW MMO, it's just not going to happen under EA. The genre doesn't give the ROI that EA is looking for in their current business model. They are all about games as a service, and there's a lot more ROI in the mobile platform and in models similar to Battlefront.

 

The IP is a gold mine in only the right circumstances, let's remember that the only two MMOs to exist with the Star Wars IP fell far short of expectations, let alone printing money. The OP makes several leaps of faith rather than with logic in regards to some of the facts he put out there, and ignores many other mitigating circumstances that would affect this sure bet of a new Star Wars MMO.

 

This is true but it does need to be considered that both SW IP MMO(s) were mishandled to an insane degree. I played both at launch and could have told you this one was going to tank once beta ended....

 

It's not that a SW MMO is doomed to fail it's that so far they have not found the right formula. SWG was plagued with bugs and SWToR was just linear and boring....Something SWG did not suffer from at all. A mix of the two games would have done well I think.

 

Basically dooming SW IP MMO(s) based off two really bad examples of how to manage a game is working off a bad baseline.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Soljin

[BJWyler]

Basically dooming SW IP MMO(s) based off two really bad examples of how to manage a game is working off a bad baseline.

 

As is saying that the IP is a license to print money in the gaming industry - especially the MMO genre. To use one of the OP's own sources, not one of the top 10 grossing games of all time is a Star Wars game. None of the top 3 are an MMO. WoW launched in 2004, when the genre was still relatively fresh and certainly not at the point of oversaturation, which we have now. The Korean game doesn't appear to be a true MMO, and there is a $4 billion difference between it and 3rd place.

 

Can there be a successful Star Wars MMO? Of course, but it by no means is a guarantee to be more financially viable than what we already have, nor will it compete with WoW in terms of overall popularity and numbers in today's MMO environment. And once again, it will not be released under EA's supervision. We have to wait until another company gets a license.

Edited March 25, 2018 by BJWyler