Why is swtor letting us down. Can it be fixed/saved?

[Jdast]

Several of us, notably Andryah and yours truly, have been pretty harsh toward Keith about the Roadmap issue over the course of the past year (read: We are not White Knights). A 90 day content update is not a Roadmap since the development pipeline is obviously longer.

 

Interestingly, there have been a couple of wildly divergent answers from EA. Albeit for a different game, Battlefront II, Vulkk interviewed EA community rep for that game who said with respect to the dearth of information...

 

Begin quote from article:

 

Community manager Mat Everett revealed another major reason for EA’s policy on only sharing quarterly update plans:

 

“Because of being a publicly traded company, EA only reveals specific details on what is coming within that quarter” Everett explained. He also added that “our progression update is coming and we have a massive amount of detail coming for that”.

 

Source: https://vulkk.com/2018/03/13/why-the-swtor-roadmaps-and-battlefront-2-updates-are-released-quarterly/

 

Anyone who knows anything about publicly traded companies knows that answer was complete BS, particularly since EA itself has routinely violated that policy, including with this game. Moreover, even if that were company policy, it has nothing to do with it being publicly traded. He can try to squirm around the meaning of "specific details" but it would not apply to broad aspects that would be contained within a Roadmap.

 

Eric himself contradicted this by saying they don't reveal more because everything is subject to change and they don't want to lock-in expectations, which is far more plausible.

 

My personal view is that it is a combo of what Eric combined with the notion that SWTOR is living if not month to month, certainly quarter to quarter. If they truly go into pure maintenance mode, by which I mean absolutely no updates, they want to lay that groundwork by not raising expectations.

 

Dasty

Edited May 1, 2018 by Jdast

[silenthc]

I truly believe the production team already is working in the state of what the base maintenance mode for this game would entail, in the sense that they won't do anything more than what's required of them unless they're directly being told otherwise (including keeping up appearances through Cartel Market 'updates'), and clearly the "press release" answer only supports that in typical fashion. Everything as officially stated only leads me to believe they're doing nothing but follow the market as it goes (I'm not necessarily knocking it, in this day and age it is fairly sensible actually), and put in a minimal-to-somewhat-acceptable level to effort in being able to sustain that amount of economically viable interest. 6.0 is going to be crucial in the game's continuity IMO. We, as well as EA/Bioware already know the game will be able to probably sustain it's current levels of subs thereabouts with the current amount of content and development until the end of its run regardless of whatever they bring out. I do not believe in terms of player numbers it's going to get much worse, because of the amount of hopefuls and SW lovers that will just keep on supporting the game no matter what. So yeah, future updates will probably keep churning in enough money for the game to keep running; but in terms of how much it will actually contribute to the game's continuity in terms of story and MMO viability? I'm holding quite a nihilistic view in terms of that one.

 

As much as it would suck I really wouldn't care that much in the traditional sense if they just told us "guys, what we're giving you, this is it", as it would be honest, but it is hard when you realize this game could have so much more to offer. There is no doubt in my mind any Star Wars MMO game with active resources would be a lot more profitable AND forgiving/willing than some generic modern game like what Anthem strives to be. It's really mind-boggling to me.

Edited May 1, 2018 by silenthc

[Lhancelot]

There is no doubt in my mind any Star Wars MMO game with active resources would be a lot more profitable AND forgiving/willing than some generic modern game like what Anthem strives to be. It's really mind-boggling to me.

 

I agree 100%.

 

It boggles my mind they are sitting on this goldmine and instead of mining it are deciding to mine in the mountains where there probably isn't any gold to begin with.

 

It really seems like a big gamble putting their focus on an unknown game when they have the Star Wars IP in their pocket.

 

Personally I have no interest in this Anthem game, and honestly speaking don't know anyone else who does either.

[Joonbeams]

I agree 100%.

 

It boggles my mind they are sitting on this goldmine and instead of mining it are deciding to mine in the mountains where there probably isn't any gold to begin with.

 

It really seems like a big gamble putting their focus on an unknown game when they have the Star Wars IP in their pocket.

 

Personally I have no interest in this Anthem game, and honestly speaking don't know anyone else who does either.

 

More likely EA has moved on to another internal team/division to do the SW "mining" going forward, leaving BW to what they're best at - custom story-driven RPGs like Anthem.

[silenthc]

More likely EA has moved on to another internal team/division to do the SW "mining" going forward, leaving BW to what they're best at - custom story-driven RPGs like Anthem.

 

That is what it's looking like both theoretically AND practically, but I'm still not really seeing the story appeal, which regardless of recent years' opinions is still Bioware's strongest appeal for me personally and for what I can only assume is how many others with me feel about how Anthem (which as far as I know, is the ONLY major game Bioware is actively working on at the moment?) is developing along at this point. I won't even pretend to know a whole lot of Anthem's development cycle, but there almost seems no denying the majority of SWTOR's resources over the past few years have gone into such a substandard, at this point, overdone (and in my opinion, bound to fail) genre of game that I find it hard to believe they would not be able to get the same amount of sustainability through this game. Anthem will likely hit like a bomb at first, like any majorly hyped game, then quickly fall into a place of mediocrity. Much like how Sea of Thieves has been received I think. There is nothing actually new or different being promoted from what SWTOR is capable of as far as I'm concerned even in its current state. Which makes it all the more frustrating the game is being shelved to the background the way it is.

[Ardrossan]

My sub runs out tomorrow. I didn't unsub, it just worked out that way. I'll be taking a month or two 'break' from the game, to time it for the next 2CXP event / substantial content drop / August summer break from work. I say break but I'll just be leveling a new alt or two; I don't like the speed of leveling as a sub. When I return I'll come back and continue leveling the other six classes to Tier 4 for the cheevo. There's a few games on Steam I want to play, and I'm also hankering to roll another jedi gunslinger in the modded Kotor2, been awhile.

 

I don't feel regrets about leaving, or saw a need to make an 'i quit' thread, since, as I say, I'm not really leaving, just taking a break from subbing. It would be nice if the game had a steady drip of content, and better yet, good story, but it hasn't had that since ROTHC [or the Rishi class stories, if you wanna be kind to BW]. New players wouldn't know that, but new players generally aren't the ones grousing on the forum about how the game is doomed, let it die already, bring back SWG etc etc. Rather, I suspect it's our beloved Founder title-holders doing that, and they should know better [in theory, I mean. For whatever reason, I rarely meet any blessed with an abundance of common sense].

 

You are not married to this game, and it's not cheating to see other games in between playing this one. If you expect BW to live up to your expectations about what a proper AAA game should give you, continue to expect disappointment. It's your lot in life.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Ardrossan

[Andryah]

Several of us, notably Andryah and yours truly, have been pretty harsh toward Keith about the Roadmap issue over the course of the past year (read: We are not White Knights). A 90 day content update is not a Roadmap since the development pipeline is obviously longer.

 

Interestingly, there have been a couple of wildly divergent answers from EA. Albeit for a different game, Battlefront II, Vulkk interviewed EA community rep for that game who said with respect to the dearth of information...

 

Begin quote from article:

 

Community manager Mat Everett revealed another major reason for EA’s policy on only sharing quarterly update plans:

 

“Because of being a publicly traded company, EA only reveals specific details on what is coming within that quarter” Everett explained. He also added that “our progression update is coming and we have a massive amount of detail coming for that”.

 

Source: https://vulkk.com/2018/03/13/why-the-swtor-roadmaps-and-battlefront-2-updates-are-released-quarterly/

 

Anyone who knows anything about publicly traded companies knows that answer was complete BS, particularly since EA itself has routinely violated that policy, including with this game. Moreover, even if that were company policy, it has nothing to do with it being publicly traded. He can try to squirm around the meaning of "specific details" but it would not apply to broad aspects that would be contained within a Roadmap.

 

Eric himself contradicted this by saying they don't reveal more because everything is subject to change and they don't want to lock-in expectations, which is far more plausible.

 

My personal view is that it is a combo of what Eric combined with the notion that SWTOR is living if not month to month, certainly quarter to quarter. If they truly go into pure maintenance mode, by which I mean absolutely no updates, they want to lay that groundwork by not raising expectations.

 

Dasty

 

Yep yep.

 

An absurd distortion of reality in the context of a publicly traded company. Most publicly traded companies actually do publish 24 month + roadmaps of their product plans... and do so because it instills faith in customers about the long term direction of a product or service said customers commit money toward. Nothing in these roadmaps divulges anything that would compromise short terms success, or SOX compliance to shareholders.. as they reveal clear direction but not irrevocable details.

 

Now.. had they stated that they hold things tight to their chests because they are afraid of tipping their hands to the competition.... it would still be BS but at least have some foundation of sane reality... even though said foundation is actually soft sand.

 

And yes.. Eric's meme for this issue is at least plausible and is probably at least partly true..... but that just goes to professional weakness in operations of the studio in my view. I have long since accepted that "professional operations" and "studio" being used in the same context is an oxymoron. More so with some studio than others.. but applicable to all of them in my experience. Can you imagine a company like SpaceX being run this way? I guess this is the fundamental difference between consumer entertainment products/services and actual real world mission critical operations that move humanity in a forward direction of progress.

 

What is really going on with this tactic, in my assessment ----> they are afraid that whatever they say will cause some players to walk away.. whereas if you say nothing and promise to speak later.. you actually are able to "freeze" some players decisions with respect to continuing to play a game. Why? Because many game players have a lot of self-talk going on inside them about the state of a game.. and more importantly.. a misplaced hope that said game will suddenly turn around and rain happiness all over them. Let me be more blunt with this... they are playing on the blind spots within a players personality due to attachment to a game.. something that in all honestly... most companies in most consumer product/service segments actually do to consumers 7/24/365.

 

MMOs have indeed frustrated me at times over the years... but what they do not do is create within me some false sense of hope with respect to changing things to please me. I play them as they are presented, and if they disappoint to the point where I do not enjoy them anymore.. I take break... sometimes for a few months.. sometimes I never return at all. I recognize that I am responsible for any disappointment or other negative emotion I allow some game or other form of entertainment to inflict on me. It is not in my nature to allow fantasy to drive my reality.

 

People would greatly benefit from tempering expectations and feelings in the context of entertainment services (which is all that an MMO is) rather then letting said services drive them to craziness. If you let these services tamper with your reality and personal happiness.... you are blurring reality with fantasy.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Andryah