Game Update 5.7 and Beyond

[CloudCastle]

So the real test of this will come when Andronikus, Corso, and Risha are returned for their original class owners. There's no need to really convert them because they won't be cross-class companions. Maybe THOSE guys will have their mouths move and appear on our ships because there's no real need to fiddle with them. I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks.

 

Yes, this is what I've been asking, but no answer has been forthcoming, so I expect I will have to wait for others to do the new alerts and then let me know. I really hope we will get our original versions back, but I expect we won't. This stinks because I waited 2 years to get a return story for Corso and now chances are I won't ever get to see it unless I give up my "real" Corso for good.

 

I really wish BW hadn't done this to the companions.

[Bejita]

this announced content is pathetic, im afraid ill be moving back to my old MMO's untill an expansion is released with substantial storylines and new planets

[Damask_Rose]

Yes, this is what I've been asking, but no answer has been forthcoming, so I expect I will have to wait for others to do the new alerts and then let me know. I really hope we will get our original versions back, but I expect we won't. This stinks because I waited 2 years to get a return story for Corso and now chances are I won't ever get to see it unless I give up my "real" Corso for good.

 

I really wish BW hadn't done this to the companions.

 

I am curious as well. I adore Vector and I was hoping that after his alert I'll be able to dress him in something a little skin baring without having to use a customization since apparently they have no intention of fixing default Vector or Scourge. I can live with his mouth not moving if I can dress him as I like and not have to work around the grey metallic unitard and bra.

[CloudCastle]

I am curious as well. I adore Vector and I was hoping that after his alert I'll be able to dress him in something a little skin baring without having to use a customization since apparently they have no intention of fixing default Vector or Scourge. I can live with his mouth not moving if I can dress him as I like and not have to work around the grey metallic unitard and bra.

 

Yeah, don't even get me started on Vector either. Being able to dress him without the leotard at least may be one silver lining (if that happens.) My agent who romanced him hasn't touched KOTFE and probably never will. Neither has my knight (afraid they'll mess up Scourge) or my Trooper who romanced Elara. I took my warrior through and I regret it. I'll probably never finish it though because I don't want to lose the original Malavai.

 

I wish they had just done elaborate cut scene alliance alerts for most all the companions from day 1 actually. Let everyone get them back right away, have their reunions, and then take them on the adventure through Zakuul. That was the whole appeal after all - being able to share your char's adventure with your favorite companion. I'm surprised BW didn't seem to "get" that when they made the decision to take away companions.

[olagatonjedi]

Thanks for the update! Take your time, amd dont feel rushed or compelled to do anything you promised in the past. If people are realistic, they understand that things dont always come to fruition the way they want, nor at the pace they want. We will make the most of what is released, and look forward to the next update/expansion. Take your time, and go at the pace and workload your team can handle. Edited January 13, 2018 by olagatonjedi

[DarthSpuds]

Take your time, amd dont feel rushed or compelled to do anything you promised in the past.

 

If they took any more time they'd be stopped.

 

If they don't keep their promises they may as well just close the game now. Why would we trust anything they say, about anything at all?

 

All The Best

[Keta]

If they took any more time they'd be stopped.

 

And if they were any slower, they'd be going in reverse.

[olagatonjedi]

If they took any more time they'd be stopped.

 

If they don't keep their promises they may as well just close the game now. Why would we trust anything they say, about anything at all?

 

All The Best

If you put a gun to someones head and force them to say something that isnt necessarily true or they arent ready to disclose, then you cant realistically hold then accountable for it.

[olagatonjedi]

As paying customers players have a right to expect certain minimum standards of product quality - Bioware are falling short of that. End Of!

 

All The Best

You have a right to expect it, but they are not, and have never been obligated to give anything specific at any specific time frame.

 

They did not advertise such, nor have they charged you anything other than your monthly access sub.

Edited January 13, 2018 by olagatonjedi

[Tsillah]

You have a right to expect it, but they are not, and have never been obligated to give anything specific at any specific time frame.

 

They did not advertise such, nor have they charged you anything other than your monthly access sub.

No but that sort of attitude is exactly what's been pushing more players away instead of gaining them back. Nobody is obligated here but if Bioware Austin wants to keep existing perhaps they are obligated to themselves to do better than what we've seen in the last two years.

 

I know some people will be really sad if SWTOR would suddenly topple over but personally I would find it a shame but maybe I'll also feel relieved. Relieved that this poor game finally could rest.

 

See, players are also not obligated to pay for this game or play it. The premise has to be that Bioware wants to make money so they don't have to fire more people or the complete studio. For that they need to be profitable. Chasing more people away than gaining them back will not accomplish that.

 

The truth is that when 4.0 was announced a lot of raiders left already. But the truth is that also brought a lot of people back to the game. That was good, but a few months later they left again and more. With 5.0 they damn near destroyed this game, particularly with GC. They started on the group content tour but the thing is that even though that is an issue, it's GC that did the damage and new content doesn't fix that. Sadly also the new content for the most part didn't appeal and the ops is taking too long to have an effect because a lot of raiders are waiting for the full ops to be available. I suppose that cutting out F2Pers from endgame completely also wasn't beneficial.

 

I just hope they don't think that GC is working well now. It's working in the sense that you can gear up to BiS really easily...too easily really, but as such it doesn't feel rewarding and it also encourage people to skip content as much as possible and do the easiest content to get the best gear. That's still a mess and it doesn't encourage the right behaviours.

 

So I honestly believe that if the next expansion that should come out this year does not address such issues in a big and satisfactory way, there will be another round of more people leaving than coming. Honestly with 5 servers of which only 2 are reasonably well populated that's not a thing you want to do.

[olagatonjedi]

No but that sort of attitude is exactly what's been pushing more players away instead of gaining them back. Nobody is obligated here but if Bioware Austin wants to keep existing perhaps they are obligated to themselves to do better than what we've seen in the last two years.

 

I know some people will be really sad if SWTOR would suddenly topple over but personally I would find it a shame but maybe I'll also feel relieved. Relieved that this poor game finally could rest.

 

See, players are also not obligated to pay for this game or play it. The premise has to be that Bioware wants to make money so they don't have to fire more people or the complete studio. For that they need to be profitable. Chasing more people away than gaining them back will not accomplish that.

 

The truth is that when 4.0 was announced a lot of raiders left already. But the truth is that also brought a lot of people back to the game. That was good, but a few months later they left again and more. With 5.0 they damn near destroyed this game, particularly with GC. They started on the group content tour but the thing is that even though that is an issue, it's GC that did the damage and new content doesn't fix that. Sadly also the new content for the most part didn't appeal and the ops is taking too long to have an effect because a lot of raiders are waiting for the full ops to be available. I suppose that cutting out F2Pers from endgame completely also wasn't beneficial.

 

I just hope they don't think that GC is working well now. It's working in the sense that you can gear up to BiS really easily...too easily really, but as such it doesn't feel rewarding and it also encourage people to skip content as much as possible and do the easiest content to get the best gear. That's still a mess and it doesn't encourage the right behaviours.

 

So I honestly believe that if the next expansion that should come out this year does not address such issues in a big and satisfactory way, there will be another round of more people leaving than coming. Honestly with 5 servers of which only 2 are reasonably well populated that's not a thing you want to do.

Im not talking about what I feel they should do. Im talking about the entitled attitude displayed by many, many posters. BW owes them nothing, flat out, except access for paying subs. Argue all you want about right and wrong, good or bad business, etc - its all subjective and wont ever reach 100% resolution.

 

That said, BW has been consistent in what they do do, for 6 years. I dont see how people that have stuck around havent caught on yet, and act as though their actions (whether each of us individually believe it to be good or bad, sufficient or lacking) are any different than when they first started bringing updates to the game. After 6 years of the same process, I would tend to believe they are going to continue the same process no matter how many people claim thr game is dying, or threats of leaving, because its obvious after 6 years thst they are still meeting their ultimate bottom line. When you start seeing radical changes, deviating from the "norm," thats when I would start to get concerned about the future of the game.

[Bonzenaattori]

Shortest patchnotes ever

 

That said, BW has been consistent in what they do do, for 6 years. I dont see how people that have stuck around havent caught on yet, and act as though their actions (whether each of us individually believe it to be good or bad, sufficient or lacking) are any different than when they first started bringing updates to the game. After 6 years of the same process, I would tend to believe they are going to continue the same process no matter how many people claim thr game is dying, or threats of leaving, because its obvious after 6 years thst they are still meeting their ultimate bottom line. When you start seeing radical changes, deviating from the "norm," thats when I would start to get concerned about the future of the game.

 

And then there's this ^

 

Why do people who know nothing talk the most sh*t?

Edited January 14, 2018 by Bonzenaattori

[TheLexinator]

This is a short term view of what's coming, and I am impressed. Good job Bioware, and keep the content coming.

[DarthSpuds]

That said, BW has been consistent in what they do do, for 6 years. I dont see how people that have stuck around havent caught on yet, and act as though their actions (whether each of us individually believe it to be good or bad, sufficient or lacking) are any different than when they first started bringing updates to the game. After 6 years of the same process, I would tend to believe they are going to continue the same process no matter how many people claim thr game is dying, or threats of leaving, because its obvious after 6 years thst they are still meeting their ultimate bottom line. When you start seeing radical changes, deviating from the "norm," thats when I would start to get concerned about the future of the game.

 

Well that's false.

 

The "norm" was Individual Class Stories with Voice Acting.

That became Faction Stories with Voice Acting.

Then Mono-Story with Voice Acting.

And finally we are at No Real Story, with no Voice Acting.

 

Those "radical changes" you claim we need to look out for happened years ago.

 

You really haven't been playing this game that long at all have you?

 

All The Best

[PennyAnn]

Im not talking about what I feel they should do. Im talking about the entitled attitude displayed by many, many posters. BW owes them nothing, flat out, except access for paying subs. Argue all you want about right and wrong, good or bad business, etc - its all subjective and wont ever reach 100% resolution.

 

That said, BW has been consistent in what they do do, for 6 years. I dont see how people that have stuck around havent caught on yet, and act as though their actions (whether each of us individually believe it to be good or bad, sufficient or lacking) are any different than when they first started bringing updates to the game. After 6 years of the same process, I would tend to believe they are going to continue the same process no matter how many people claim thr game is dying, or threats of leaving, because its obvious after 6 years thst they are still meeting their ultimate bottom line. When you start seeing radical changes, deviating from the "norm," thats when I would start to get concerned about the future of the game.

 

How about for the first time in the game's history a full year is going to pass without an expansion?

 

You really think things are business as usual around here?

 

Once upon a time we got full raids, put in the game complete. Sometimes two at a time (DF/DP, Ravagers/ToS). We can't even get one complete raid a year after they started promising it.

 

I'm sorry, but you said: "When you start seeing radical changes deviating from the "norm" that's when I would start to get concerned about the future of the game." That's precisely why we're concerned. We're there. No expansion, no announcement of an expansion, and the most minimal content release schedule in the history of this game and having been here since beta, I'm very familiar with their content release cadence... even if they weren't releasing a new raid as quickly as most MMOs, at least they were doing some.

 

And when they weren't doing those, they were producing a significant cinematic story line that even if you didn't like it, you could at least say something new was in the game and it was building upon itself at a decent enough rate. I never thought I'd miss the days of KOTFE and monthly chapters (I hated that story line and what it did to the game), but right now I'd even take that over the couple of flashpoints and see ya next year content dribble we're getting.

 

It's time to be concerned.

Edited January 14, 2018 by PennyAnn

[ExarSun]

You are all wasting your time explaining things to this EA fanboy. His posts are ridiculous and quite frankly funny. Yes, yes BW... go with your pace and see if the game can withstand another year like 2017 and still be the need for 5 servers.

 

On topic...I am beginning to miss KOTFE monthly chapters as well...better than this refocusing for 2017 that has brought 4-5 days worth of content.

Edited January 14, 2018 by ExarSun

[meddani]

On topic...I am beginning to miss KOTFE monthly chapters as well...better than this refocusing for 2017 that has brought 4-5 days worth of content.

 

this! lmao.

i remember back in the day so many people whining (including myself) about the monthly chapters...& now it doesn't look that bad anymore.

[ExarSun]

this! lmao.

i remember back in the day so many people whining (including myself) about the monthly chapters...& now it doesn't look that bad anymore.

 

I had some issues with the story, but I liked the model, I looked forward to something to do every month. If they had added some repeatable group content with the monthly chapters - couple of FP's, 1 OPS, etc. it would have been perfect for me.I wasn't into those uprisings at all.

[DarthSpuds]

It is indicative of just how appallingly bad things have got when we can look back at KOTFE as if it was some zenith in the quality and quantity of content delivery for SWTOR.

 

When KOTFE looks appealing the game is in serious trouble.

 

And there is no reason it should be - it is arguably the most valuable Game IP on the planet.

Frankly a utter moron could run with a Star Wars badged product and make a go of it.

You'd have to deliberately plan to fail at not making a go of it with a Star Wars product.

 

The only reason SWTOR isn't making a go of it is because either Bioware or EA don't want it to.

It really is that simple.

 

All The Best

[CrazyCT]

It is indicative of just how appallingly bad things have got when we can look back at KOTFE as if it was some zenith in the quality and quantity of content delivery for SWTOR.

 

When KOTFE looks appealing the game is in serious trouble.

 

And there is no reason it should be - it is arguably the most valuable Game IP on the planet.

Frankly a utter moron could run with a Star Wars badged product and make a go of it.

You'd have to deliberately plan to fail at not making a go of it with a Star Wars product.

 

The only reason SWTOR isn't making a go of it is because either Bioware or EA don't want it to.

It really is that simple.

 

All The Best

 

Can you all stop with this ****? If they didn't want it to work they'd just shut it down. And we get it, you didn't like it. But luckily the game isn't here just to cater to you and your wants.

[Tsillah]

How about for the first time in the game's history a full year is going to pass without an expansion?

That's complete and utter nonsense and I'll prove it to you. This is directly from the patch notes listing on this website:

 

Dec. 2011 Game Release

Apr. 2013 RotHC

Dec. 2014 SoR

Oct. 2015 KotFE

Dec. 2016 KotET

 

As you see FACTUALLY all expansions except KotFE took MORE than a full year to bring out. What you say here is therefore the exact opposite of the truth, so congratulations.

[DarthSpuds]

Can you all stop with this ****?

 

Well, as you asked so nicely... ...oh, wait.

 

No!

 

If they didn't want it to work they'd just shut it down.

 

Well, where's the evidence they want it to work.

You could argue Bioware have struggled valiantly on with KotFE/ET to deliver content while under severe budget restraints. But that would still leave EA in the "not wanting it to work" camp.

 

But from 5.0 onward there's precious little evidence that even Bioware want it to work.

Just about everyone told them exactly what would happen with Command Crates, and they went ahead and did it anyway, and then in a half-arsed attempt to "fix" things they let Ben Irving moronically tell us how "exciting" it all was.

 

This isn't evidence of "wanting it to work"; but it could very well be argued it is evidence of "wanting it to fail".

 

And we get it, you didn't like it. But luckily the game isn't here just to cater to you and your wants.

 

Clearly wasn't just me who didn't like. this game had close on 200 servers at launch.

We've now got 5.

 

Nuff said, don't you think?

 

All The Best

[CrazyCT]

{Just like "everyone" hates Twilight, Justin Bieber and Nickelback? They're not very successful either}

[Tsillah]

{Just like "everyone" hates Twilight, Justin Bieber and Nickelback? They're not very successful either}

What do you mean with 'either"? SWTOR is hardly successful at the moment.

[supertimtaf]

Clearly wasn't just me who didn't like. this game had close on 200 servers at launch.

We've now got 5.

 

 

All The Best

 

As a side note, I don't know many MMO with that many servers, especially if they aren't any activities cross server.

Imo BW got too greedy when making the game and ordered 200 servers, because the game was built on the hype of being a "WoW killer" (this didn't work at all, in fact, WoW helped to kill swtor ). It's not because you give the biggest praise to the worst student that he will bring out a decent work. If he don't know how to do it and doesn't want to learn, then he's screwed.

 

I miss the good old 3.0 PTR

At least at the time there was an effort of listening to actual feedback, there was a bit of discussion between developpers and players.

The issue right now is that there is too few developper to bring out content, and that there is too few devs to improve said content with actual feedback. Nor do they want to for most of the time, I'll agree with you on this part. But I think that this is because of one main factor :

This game has too much flaws. If they started to listen to feedback for every part of this game, it would take months to repair everything, and even longer to repair it right. I don't find them an excuse, but I cannot blame a team of at most ten developpers because they cannot do the work of a team of 60.

 

 

Tbh, if this game was handled correctly since the beginning, it would be in a much more manageable state right now...

But hey, we shouldn't panic about that, right ? We have to "trust them, they're developpers".