Crittitt Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I should probably start this threat by saying that none of the following things is hate or flame of any kind. Its just... Im playing SWTOR for five? years now and a lot has changed, I'd just like to hear other people honest opinions about those changes. When I started to play the game I really liked it and it seems that I somewhat didnt even notice why I did. I paused for like half a year, now I wanted to start playing again and maybe just start over with one or two new characters. Thats actually where it begins: Leveling feels so unsatisfying now. It is way too fast, I get the intension to speed things up and get more players in the endgame, but as of now leveling feels so empty. There are no NPCs who are actually a threat, which would force you to learn your abilities. Also Level-ups are super boring now, it doesnt even matter. You wont notice a difference between being level 15, 19, or 25 anyway - youre always completely over your actual questing area. Also the class changes over the past few years really disappoint me. Instead of making combat more rewarding by allowing different combinations of abilities, pretty much all classes have a simple rotation which you just follow by "press the button that blinks". The shriking player base - no Im not saying the game is dead. But there are for sure not as many people than before and boosting everybody as fast as possible in the endgame and splitting up the social zones by adding Odessen surely wasnt helping. I can only speak for the german server, but it seems to be impossible to find people over the groupfinder. I listed over one hour yersterday (8pm) without any FP starting (Level 20) and I waited like five hours total and not a single low-level PvP match has opened. As we speak of PvP: this is my biggest point. Actually two. 1. The introduction of space PvP which never got built out. No new starfighters, classes or maps, but the mode was so promising. All my friends loved but then left cause it just got to monotonous. 2. The gorund PvP. The simplification of all classes plus the lack of players make it a nightmare. I used to love the PvP in SWTOR, but now I can barely find a match and if I do, especially in toplevel warzones the atmosphere is terrible. I dont know about other servers, but the german community is just toxic. I remember so many cases of players denying to keep on playing cause "there team is so noob", or just insults and fights in the chat about whose the worse player. And its not like that would happen from time to time, the last time I played it was literally every second match. I just dont know what to think about the game itself anymore, its weird mix of remember how much I loved it and being bored and annoyed of its current state. Please tell, what do you guys think, how do you feel about it? Also feel free to bring up new topics I havent mentioned like the new story arcs, map design, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUXs Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Thanks Keith... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crittitt Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 Thanks Keith... Ahh... sorry, as Ive mentioned I was away for sometime. Whats a Keith? Why should I thank him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodrac Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Ahh... sorry, as Ive mentioned I was away for sometime. Whats a Keith? Why should I thank him? The new Producer, Keith Kanning. Some heralded his arrival as the savior of SWTOR that was going to return it to greatness only to be disappointed that he's a mere mortal that still has to answer to EA execs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon_strikes Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) Is there really anything new to discuss about the state of this game? I mean it's going to be the same tired rhetoric of how dilapidated the BW team is and how little this game is getting and continues to get. We all know how much SWTOR has been hurting, there's nothing new to discuss about it. Not trying to be rude, just concise. Edited May 10, 2018 by Talon_strikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolarSaenz Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Is there really anything new to discuss about the state of this game? I mean it's going to be the same tired rhetoric of how dilapidated the BW team is and how little this game is getting and continues to get. We all know how much SWTOR has been hurting, there's nothing new to discuss about it. Not trying to be rude, just concise. ^ What he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master_Morak Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) Ahh... sorry, as Ive mentioned I was away for sometime. Whats a Keith? Why should I thank him? He is the current Game Producer - the man who drives the car full speed against the wall. Edited May 10, 2018 by Master_Morak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUXs Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Ahh... sorry, as Ive mentioned I was away for sometime. Whats a Keith? Why should I thank him? You said you were only gone for half a year...that's "gone briefly", not "away for sometime". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyFlynn Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) Ahh... sorry, as Ive mentioned I was away for sometime. Whats a Keith? Why should I thank him? This is such an adorable reaction. ♥ As to others in this thread; yeah, perhaps to us forum-veterans this subject isn't anything new but for the OP it is. A realization they're coming to while not having frequented the forums much in the past. I'm not going to delve too hard into my own critiques right now but I can say this; There was a time where I couldn't wait to login to the game. Where I'd wake up on the day of new content release and I'd be dying to delve into it and play. Where being in game and engaging in activities was the best damn thing ever but I have that feeling no longer and I don't think I'll ever get it back either. Edited May 10, 2018 by JennyFlynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashma Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Makes you wonder if it's worth your time and money playing SWTOR considering the current state of Star Wars as a whole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdornedBlood Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Makes you wonder if it's worth your time and money playing SWTOR considering the current state of Star Wars as a whole I only have 5 weeks of playing this game and i'm already thinking of letting the sub run out and not renew it. Don't get me wrong, i like this game, but not enough to pay every month. Two of the reasons to drop the sub are : the "maintenance" yesterday, 6 hours just to swap the text color and prevent an achievement to reset? Then the "logging issues" ? Really? Or the choices not being respected: kill or spare X or Y, go dark or go light, in the end you end up in the same bucket as anyone else. Disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ylliarus Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 SWTOR is a great game, it has been 5 years ago when I started playing this game and it is now as well. Doomsayers have been there at the start of the game and they will be here in 5 years still. They are screaming the game is about to shut down but base their claims on baseless conjecture and unfounded rumours. Things will always change, something can't stay the same forever. SWTOR is a different game now than it was 5 years ago, but the gaming environment was different then than it is now. The game simply adjusts to the new facts of reality and that's good, because if they didn't then the game might have shut down long ago. Don't you worry about the state of the game, there is still content coming and as a matter of fact we have an expansion incoming. Those who claim maintenance mode is near are doomsayers that have no facts to support their claims other than their own baseless conjecture. Love the game, play the game, have fun and don't bother yourself with worries of how long it will stay around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ylliarus Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Makes you wonder if it's worth your time and money playing SWTOR considering the current state of Star Wars as a whole Uh... the state of star wars is great? It's flourishing heavily? More fans join the fandom everyday and the franchise is growing steadily? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedip_enguin Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Uh... the state of star wars is great? It's flourishing heavily? More fans join the fandom everyday and the franchise is growing steadily? Not everybody feels like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costello Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I noticed the other day while playing my Sorc how things have changed. I remember in the old days when Andronikos was a duel wielding dps smuggler, I'd bubble us up (static barrier) and we would take on the enemies of the empire. These days I just leave him on heal god mode and lightning everything, it doesn't really matter what I just use the same attack cause it allows me to watch tv while I'm doing it. Though given how little new content there is and how bad and almost irrelevant the story has become I wonder should I just cut out the middle man and just watch tv. While the argument they are on a skeleton crew is often used, have we any proof of this. I read on another site that the size of the dev team is far larger than is commonly believed. It's not the size of the team that is the issue, but rather why bother doing more if people will pay for less. Does anyone think EA is a charity? If people will keep paying and paying well for a novelty lightsaber then why invest in an expansion just sell cosmetics that take a couple of days to build. If however it is as it appears and the team is tiny, then it begs the question why focus it on operations which by their own admission are only played by a relatively small number of players. Why spend the rest of the time nerfing classes just so they can have a harder time playing old content; and why if you can only put out 3 small story updates all year have two of them aimlessly running across a planet and the final one telling a story that is faitacompli where no matter how fast you run you can't change the outcome because its all been left too late to do anything. I believe Keith was brought in to sunset SWTOR ready for Anthem, which according to the latest blog is going to let players choose their own story. Perhaps the market just isn't big enough for two story driven sci-fi MMO's and you got to want to back the one you don't have to pay Disney to use the IP for. So I am sure 6.0 will be some form of replayable story lite battle for Azeroth playing field that can nicely segway into maintenance mode. Though given how light the summer will be, pub crawl as content (all 10 mins of it) mainteance mode may start early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImmortalLowlife Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I noticed the other day while playing my Sorc how things have changed. I remember in the old days when Andronikos was a duel wielding dps smuggler, I'd bubble us up (static barrier) and we would take on the enemies of the empire. These days I just leave him on heal god mode and lightning everything, it doesn't really matter what I just use the same attack cause it allows me to watch tv while I'm doing it. Though given how little new content there is and how bad and almost irrelevant the story has become I wonder should I just cut out the middle man and just watch tv... I'm not trying to be rude, but from this statement it seems like you're doing it too yourself. There's absolutely no reason you can't leave him in DPS mode and use a proper rotation if that's how you'd rather play. I've been here since the beginning. And while "life" keeps me from playing as much now as I did then, I actually enjoy it more now. Is it easier? Ohh yea..... of course I've got a crap ton of boost from datacrons, legacy, etc. But I can now play with the companion I actually like instead of the one healer. And now I can spend my few credits on cool looking armor, mounts, pets, decorations, etc instead of buying abilities. Now I can run some of my favorite FP's solo, take my time, gather crafting mats & watch every cut scene without worry of anyone saying "spacebarrrrrrrrrr!" I can make the gameplay as easy or difficult as I want depending on my ability level with that specific class. I can play my merc, guardian tank JK, or Immortal SW and only upgrade my armor and mods every 15-20 levels. If I'm playing my healer sage/inquisitors, or smuggler.... it's every 7-10 levels. I can take the easy out on my inquisitors and set Ashara on heals, or set her on tank and heal her myself. Apparently my choices matter. Long story short I still enjoy playing the game, while the expansions have been hit or miss for me I've enjoyed more than I've disliked. So tho I only get to play a few hours on the weekend's now, I still sub every month because it's still fun to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeelaSeventen Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) How do you do the vet mode fp's solo? I wouldn't mind trying them with a companion if I could. I am tired of the spacebarrrrrrrrrrrrr and the "i am not going to do any bonus"people. I don't understand not doing the bonus stuff, that gives you extra xp that you wouldn't have gotten if you skipped it. Edited May 11, 2018 by LeelaSeventen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costello Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I'm not trying to be rude, but from this statement it seems like you're doing it too yourself. There's absolutely no reason you can't leave him in DPS mode and use a proper rotation if that's how you'd rather play. So to make old content viable I should make more work for myself? I get the same reward either way, so for effort vs reward the smartest option is to leave companions on god mode and lightning attack through everything. The advantage of using a rotation is minimal at best, as I stay on full health throughout and can just let auto targeting and lightning do everything. I didn't create a situation where there is minimal content, where companions have had their individuality removed, their need for gear removed or even their ability to open their mouth when they talk removed. The game is very much going through the motions where the only challenge comes from players opting to handicap themselves when doing 3 to 6 year old content. The original game required some level of tactics, it personalized the experience and there was a real personality to each of the companions on your ship and the journey you were on together. Currently the game is designed for the most minimal of effort and can be done while watching TV, though at least then you might see a more interesting story and will have about as much involvement with your character as the current plot line had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quraswren Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) SNIP.... Please tell, what do you guys think, how do you feel about it? SNIP.... In my eyes swtor continues to go downhill in both story and how much new content there is to play. That is for both PVE and PVP. bioware continues to release new content at such a slow pace you have to wonder if they work a full week. They drip out on new content as they create different ways to do 5+ year old content over and over. That has multiple problems in that design. The first one being it's old content and no MMO survives on old content. MMO's thrive on new content for gamers to tackle. Relying on such old content was never going to be a good thing or very effective in player retention. We are down to 2 US servers and 3 across the sea and it's not because the game is doing wonders in the gaming world. Even something as simple as conquest which is designed to get every gamer to get involved in all the current content no matter how old and stale but bioware has successfully screwed even that up in a most wondrous way. They nearly killed off any reason to do the content more than once and on some you simple get no credit for doing it. All those alts they encouraged you to create and play over the years, bioware has successfully made sure they are pretty much useless unless you plan to log in every day. I don't recall anyone ever wanting swtor turned into a second job where you have to clock in each day to have a chance. You can't even do a series of simple heroics anymore back to back on one planet and get credit for them in conquest. Want to finish that easily done weekly in one evening and get conquest for it? Maybe even do it on two characters? We too bad sucker. Biowares simply lacks experience in the field of MMO's and what it takes and it shows and has shown in their design, development and changes. They do not seem to have learned from their own mistakes over the years and that shows as recently as 5.0 and their once again over reliance on story to the detriment of all else. swtor has turned into a mediocre game that can't even get mentioned in EA quarterly reports. While this game might not be in maintenance mode. It's clearly in a holding pattern and thats not good for any of us. Edited May 11, 2018 by Quraswren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec_Fortescue Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thanks Keith... Keith deserves a lot of slack. Game was in a bigger mess when he stepped in, let's see how it goes until 6.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExarSun Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Keith deserves a lot of slack. Game was in a bigger mess when he stepped in, let's see how it goes until 6.0 No it wasn't....2017-2018 is the worst state of the game i have ever seen. Merges, Nerfs and player numbers are there to show. Cold hard facts is what this is. We already saw how it goes until 6.0....will somebody remind me how much noteworthy content we got for almost 2 years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tippor Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Having played MMOs since the late 90s, I have to say I've seen a lot. Most of the old MMOs I started with (Ultima Online, etc) are still running and still have players. But, a couple of them are now dead and shutdown. I normally don't get anxious about an MMO shutting down, but I'll admit right now, I'm starting to dread it with this one. SWTOR is the reason I'll never play another MMO. I love the game and I can deal with changes, but I do believe they're killing it. "They" being the devs. I think EA is getting close to pulling the plug on development for SWTOR, no matter what BW says about that. I'll be very sad, and angry, when they finally shut it off. I will have lost a lot of time and that's just the way I see it. I play two MMOs currently, this one and one I won't name, but after they die, I'm done with MMOs for good. Give me a single player RPG and I'll play it, but I won't waste my time in something with a subscription and "servers" ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUXs Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Keith deserves a lot of slack. Game was in a bigger mess when he stepped in, let's see how it goes until 6.0 I disagree Alec...for over a year now, Keith has been hell bent on nerfing the fun out of everyone. He's made 6 year old content less enjoyable, harder to complete, progression far less possible and he ruined Conquest, one of the few systems in this game that actually worked great at getting people to do old crap all the time without ever feeling like they had to do old crap. Keith has unquestionably made this game less enjoyable imo. Far less tbh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeelaSeventen Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I will be honest and really have no clue how one knows if a game is dying or not. To me it seems like it is still popular and it still has new content and even more with a new expansion coming. So I am not sure if it really is dying or not. I think you guys should wait and see before giving up. Especially since you don't really know what 6.0 will give you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quraswren Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) I will be honest and really have no clue how one knows if a game is dying or not. To me it seems like it is still popular and it still has new content and even more with a new expansion coming. So I am not sure if it really is dying or not. I think you guys should wait and see before giving up. Especially since you don't really know what 6.0 will give you. Don't really need to know what 6.0 holds truth be told. The question wasn't is the game dying, it was: "Can we have a serious discussion about the current state of SWTOR? " and "Please tell, what do you guys think, how do you feel about it?" and a bit more truth, if you have been through bioware expansions, you know there kinda small. Sor being the only one that tried to make what most gamers think a real expansion should be. Problem was, it was filled with bugs and a couple that just wrecked the economy and were left to run rampant for months on end. It left a rather bad taste in the mouth of gamers with hold that was handled no matter how the expansion was presented as far as content goes. So just knowing 6.0 is coming means little given bioware affinity for such small new content releases and that means expansions as well. The wait and see approach doesn't really work out for the gamers benefit when it comes dealing with bioware. Best to get things out in the open and on the table ASAP. Waiting on bioware just doesn't work out all that well even if it has the slimest of hopes in change some direction of the game in time. As far as dying. Probably not but lets not pretend it's doing well. Edited May 11, 2018 by Quraswren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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