All the systems for 6.0 seem unappealing. Bioware you need to pay attention.

[IoNonSoEVero]

Raiders will stay in 6.0. We're getting a new operation, and generally speaking, HM and NiM operations have been the best way to gear up in this game. But pure pvp'ers have definitely gotten the shaft since expertise went away. It's a good thing the devs bolstered pvp up to 252, or gear disparity would have been immense.

 

Raiders aren't enough to save the game if everyone else leaves. Plus, it's neither here nor there with what I was responding to. The poster was saying that it would be up to story and RPers to save things and my point was that there's not much to keep them around either with the planned changes in 6.0. If it gets too hard for story players to actually play the story they won't stay.

Edited September 11, 2019 by IoNonSoEVero

[ZeroTypeR]

I’ve been reading the PTS feed back and keeping updated on what’s happening on the PTS.

 

All the new gearing, lvling, Bolster (pvp), crafting costs, RNG drops and some of class changes are completely unappealing to me and it would seem to many others on the PTS feed back forums. (I suggest everyone have a read through). Also there lots more grind than now, even for crafting, which is completely stupid

 

I’m sure the story and content will probably be good. But if those systems surrounding the content are bad, it doesn’t matter how good the content is, people will leave again like they did in 5.0 if the rest of the experience isn’t enjoyable.

 

I really hope Bioware are REALLY listening to the constructive feed back being given to them on the PTS and not paying it lip service. Just about everything needs major changes to it (which isn’t a good sign).

 

At this point, I won’t be resubbing (even to get the new race). I want to come back and have fun, not work harder than the game is now (which is partly why I’ve left).

I’m sure I’m not alone feeling like this or with this assessment.

 

Bioware please, please don’t destroy the game again like you did for 5.0. I don’t think it can survive another horrible expansion (due to the systems you introduce). The playing systems are the foundation for the great content to sit on. If the foundations are weak, it won’t matter how good the content is if the game play systems make people leave again.

 

If this is “Play your way”, then play your way is a mistruth. “Play your way” will become a meme for changing to another game.

They (BW or I should say BW management) don't care, that's my take on it at least.

[Balameb]

They have until April 2020 when Cyberpunk2077 comes out.

So true. My guess is that in April 16 2020 most MMO, Looters and whatever other subscriptions f2p and p2w based games will take a huge hit. It will be like aliens came and abducted most of the population. So developers would be wise to plan vacation periods in that time. And have the game in a good state before that, so everyone comes back.

[olagatonjedi]

It’s ground hog development principle. They are stuck in a loop and never learn the lessons of old. Even when they fully admit in the past that players dont like something and they change it, a year(s) later they seem to forget and implement it again..

If they are the ones in control, and they keep doing the same thing, and "everyone" feels itheir changes are bad, but the game continues to put out expansions and remain active, its reasonable to believe they arent the problem.

[kodrac]

If they are the ones in control, and they keep doing the same thing, and "everyone" feels itheir changes are bad, but the game continues to put out expansions and remain active, its reasonable to believe they arent the problem.

 

This is what shilling looks like. Yes olag, we know, the players are ALWAYS the ones at fault. Blah blah blah. Yada yada yada. End of thread. Thanks for coming along and straightening us out. What would Musco do without you?

Edited September 11, 2019 by kodrac

[Rion_Starkiller]

*mourns the loss of Kodrac*

[kodrac]

*mourns the loss of Kodrac*

 

Shilling for BW came up earlier in the thread. It was kind of olag to drop in and give us a real example. I've got 11 days left. I couldn't give two rat turds about his bait and report tactics anymore.

Edited September 11, 2019 by kodrac

[Rion_Starkiller]

Shilling for BW came up earlier in the thread. It was kind of olag to drop in and give us a real example. I've got 11 days left. I couldn't give two rat turds about his bait and report tactics anymore.

 

Doh. You're going to leave me to come up with all the forum one-liners by myself? Your snark will be missed.

[OlBuzzard]

I'm probably never going to hear the end of this … but (I think) Dasty may be right again !

 

(I'm never living that down !!)

 

 

Fair enough. Let's stipulate that we all want to make the game better (though there are a couple posters I have doubts about). The pursuit of that goal is not served by posters promulgating flat out false information. Since we share a mutual respect, I will go into detail. As I'm on the PTS now, I feel comfortable stating the following...

 

My reading of the PTS is that there were at least six good issues raised. Whether or not you called those "core issues" depends on how one subjectively rated them. But, as I've noted, I'm forward looking. We can do a post-mortem on the initial incarnation of the PTS but I don't know what good it will do. But, FWIW, I spent 15 years living in Manhattan and moved away a couple years ago, but I would love to ask Charles and Eric at the Cantina, "*** were you smoking with that initial release?" But let's get to what really matters...

 

Core Issue #1: Gear not dropping for your spec.

Status: I think it is fair to say this issue is resolved unless Eric is lying / misinformed. In fact, the toggle to gear up for off-spec makes it even better.

 

Core Issue #2: New Set Gear Bonuses are Crap and made worse by losing set bonuses at 75.

 

Status: Unresolved.

 

Core Issue #3: Crafting is Horribly Expensive and Hardly Worth the Effort

 

Status: Unresolved

 

Core Issue #4: Renown is too slow and bugged

 

Status: Eric acknowledged the bug part, the rate of Renown acquisition unresolved.

 

Core Issue #5: Too Many Tiers of Gear Forcing you to Wear Sub-Optimal Gear

 

Status: Not really resolved. Yes, you can guarantee an upgrade for a lower Ilvl slot, but it still doesn't stop the incentivizing of wearing gear that may suck but helps guarantee you an upgrade for a particular slot. That is highly annoying but largely from an inventory management point of view. Should make gearing up alts much, much faster since everything is legacy-wide.

 

Core Issue #6: RNG (here we go).

 

There are now 15 Gear slots plus Amplifiers, which we don't know much about. Eight of those slots, including the armor slots, and the tactical slot can now be purchased directly. Does Darev have a point that he wants to see that live? Sure. But if BW backtracks on that point, I will be the first in line to unsub. But armor shells and tacticals will be available for direct purchase. I think my grasp of the English language is on firm ground on that point. Quantitatively speaking, some posters are living in galaxy far, far away where 46.7 percent = 100%. I don't live in that galaxy.

 

That leaves...Ear, Implants, and Relics. Those are now currently, as I read it, 100% RNG. I'm assuming that BW wants to see how the "they are now all legacy" idea plays out. Ditto with weapons. As for Amplifiers, I'm going to steal a line from Kendra -- why? They don't matter for balance except for MM Ops, which I guess is fine. But either they matter or they don't. So I'll repeat myself -- I think they are most useful as a credit sink.

 

But now...Core Issue #7 (which I've added): Cost / Acqusition / Ratio of Tech Fragments (the new universal currency

 

Already people have discussed this issue in far better detail than I can (e.g., Zion). I'm trying to highlight my concern that having a vendor sell specific set items / tacticals doesn't do much good if they are grotesquely expensive. By way of example, how many people crafted 258 Ossus gear? If the GTN is any measure, not that many. But when Eric talks about adjusting the costs, I hope he relates my concern that I think they will take it too far (history is a good precedent in this regard).

 

So, I ask you … do I sound like a schill for BW or "completely clueless?" Am I "discarding" other PTS issues as one poster suggested? Or do I sound like someone who cares passionately about the game, will acknowledge BW's positive steps, yet hold their feet to the fire on the others?

 

I'll let forum readers decide for themselves. But, ultimately, I have an audience of one -- Keith.

 

Hugs,

 

Dasty

 

 

As for the rest of "who's fault" and all the other stuff .. UGH ! Truthfully .. I'm getting very weary of it !

 

If the game is done correctly things will be much better !! If not .. well .. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. For now .. time to chill , enjoy life !

 

Best Regards

[Lhancelot]

Shilling for BW came up earlier in the thread. It was kind of olag to drop in and give us a real example. I've got 11 days left. I couldn't give two rat turds about his bait and report tactics anymore.

 

You aren't going to stick around till 6.0 drops? You got to stay until you see how that goes, man. I can't see you leave, you are one of my last allies left on the forums from the old days! Everyone else has quit, gone to WOW, etc. sigh.

[kodrac]

Doh. You're going to leave me to come up with all the forum one-liners by myself? Your snark will be missed.

You aren't going to stick around till 6.0 drops? You got to stay until you see how that goes, man. I can't see you leave, you are one of my last allies left on the forums from the old days! Everyone else has quit, gone to WOW, etc. sigh.

 

In the past I would have renewed just to check out the story if nothing else, but today I looked to see how much time was left on my sub and I just can't pull the trigger. Last time i checked was 6 months ago and my sub had just renewed two days prior otherwise I would've let it lapse back then. I haven't had the motivation to log in in quite a while and now that it's time to renew I can't pay for something I don't use. I mean, I still pay for Netflix but at least my girlfriend still uses it. The same can't be said of SWTOR. All the cnahges and RNG and grind just seems so pointless. Been there done that. I'm all out of Fs to give I guess. I'll lurk and read reviews come release but my hopes aren't high.

[kodrac]

Why the slandering and name calling? Cant you form an argument without using such tactics?

 

My post was merely facts that lead to a reasonable conclusion. Diaagree if you wish, and by whatever logic you feel is able to, but no need for the rude comments.

 

What name did I call you and what facts did you give?

[olagatonjedi]

6.0 gearing is literally identical to gearing from 1 to 50 in "the good old days" of SWTOR. You have a minimum of 1-2 years before they introduce a new gearing change, so there really is no rush to force anyone to worry about gear acquisition. Play your way, however frequent you want, doing what you want. Just dont have unrealistic expectations.

[olagatonjedi]

What name did I call you and what facts did you give?

Its a few posts ago. You can search your history.

[Lhancelot]

In the past I would have renewed just to check out the story if nothing else, but today I looked to see how much time was left on my sub and I just can't pull the trigger. Last time i checked was 6 months ago and my sub had just renewed two days prior otherwise I would've let it lapse back then. I haven't had the motivation to log in in quite a while and now that it's time to renew I can't pay for something I don't use. I mean, I still pay for Netflix but at least my girlfriend still uses it. The same can't be said of SWTOR. All the cnahges and RNG and grind just seems so pointless. Been there done that. I'm all out of Fs to give I guess. I'll lurk and read reviews come release but my hopes aren't high.

 

I finally caved and got Netflix, lol. Man it's awesome. I like Amazon Prime and their movies etc., but Netflix has Prime beat for sure.

 

You need to keep the sub, you are going to be bored and want to comment here and that's worse than not playing the game sometimes.

 

Maybe just pay for a couple months that way you can at least be able to watch the phoenix of SWTOR rise or collapse into a burning heap of a dumpster fire and be able to actively comment on it.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Lhancelot

[PiiTarr]

In the past I would have renewed just to check out the story if nothing else, but today I looked to see how much time was left on my sub and I just can't pull the trigger. Last time i checked was 6 months ago and my sub had just renewed two days prior otherwise I would've let it lapse back then. I haven't had the motivation to log in in quite a while and now that it's time to renew I can't pay for something I don't use. I mean, I still pay for Netflix but at least my girlfriend still uses it. The same can't be said of SWTOR. All the cnahges and RNG and grind just seems so pointless. Been there done that. I'm all out of Fs to give I guess. I'll lurk and read reviews come release but my hopes aren't high.

 

I'm in a similar position, though I believe I have 14 days left to decide what to do. If I do let it lapse, it will be the first time in more than 5.5 years I've been without a six month subscription. I'm thinking I may come back in January or February with a one month subscription to play through the story, but that would be it until more is released.

[damonskye]

I have to say, I've read this whole thread and I still cannot figure out why in the world people aren't happy.

 

Is there something I have yet to fully understand?

 

I don't do master mode operations. For me, there seems to be only two ways to get gear... the RNG in a Command Crate (I'm a level-300 CXP rank on my main), or one item a week from Ossus. Every drop in the world is usually a level 220-230 item which I'm well above.

 

When Onslaught comes out, every single item that drops for me in the world has the ability to be an upgrade.

 

I can play anything I want - do a story or vet operation, a vet or master FP, world daily quests, whatever - and get upgrades.

 

Musco and the others have strongly (STRONGLY) implied that getting loot will be ridiculously easy. Like, you are always going to get a ton of loot. Most of it that you don't want, you'll be able to convert into tokens to get the things you DO want. Shifting away from total vertical progression, into a horizontal one where you already have most of the loot you want but are looking for customization options, is the new normal.

 

I am not alone. I would hasten to bet that the VAST majority of players of this game do not do master mode operations. Go to Tython or Korriban, or the stations, any day and the numbers there dwarf the numbers of players anywhere else in the game.

 

So, where does this leave us?

 

A MMO where I can get gear I want at any time. Where the gear upgrades are a bonus at any point and I can do the content I like. In a game that, let's face it, the only reason TO get better gear is to do those very same master mode operations that people seem to be complaining aren't dropping even more loot.

 

What am I missing? I can't WAIT for this expansion to hit.

[Lhancelot]

I have to say, I've read this whole thread and I still cannot figure out why in the world people aren't happy.

 

Is there something I have yet to fully understand?

 

I don't do master mode operations. For me, there seems to be only two ways to get gear... the RNG in a Command Crate (I'm a level-300 CXP rank on my main), or one item a week from Ossus. Every drop in the world is usually a level 220-230 item which I'm well above.

 

When Onslaught comes out, every single item that drops for me in the world has the ability to be an upgrade.

 

I can play anything I want - do a story or vet operation, a vet or master FP, world daily quests, whatever - and get upgrades.

 

Musco and the others have strongly (STRONGLY) implied that getting loot will be ridiculously easy. Like, you are always going to get a ton of loot. Most of it that you don't want, you'll be able to convert into tokens to get the things you DO want. Shifting away from total vertical progression, into a horizontal one where you already have most of the loot you want but are looking for customization options, is the new normal.

 

I am not alone. I would hasten to bet that the VAST majority of players of this game do not do master mode operations. Go to Tython or Korriban, or the stations, any day and the numbers there dwarf the numbers of players anywhere else in the game.

 

So, where does this leave us?

 

A MMO where I can get gear I want at any time. Where the gear upgrades are a bonus at any point and I can do the content I like. In a game that, let's face it, the only reason TO get better gear is to do those very same master mode operations that people seem to be complaining aren't dropping even more loot.

 

What am I missing? I can't WAIT for this expansion to hit.

 

This post has me second guessing my criticism of the new gearing system. But, then I remember, it's RNG based and that sucks.

 

Damon, do you have any issues with all of the RNG 6.0 gearing appears to be having when it comes out?

[damonskye]

This post has me second guessing my criticism of the new gearing system. But, then I remember, it's RNG based and that sucks.

 

Damon, do you have any issues with all of the RNG 6.0 gearing appears to be having when it comes out?

 

I don't, because it's been apparent to me for several weeks now that they're actively taking action against RNG bad luck.

 

But at the same time, let's face some reality here. MMOs are about, and have always been about, a certain level of RNG. If you do raids in World of Warcraft, you know that items can drop from raid bosses, but they often don't - that's RNG. You can get up to two bonus rolls per week to protect against RNG, but even they are RNG.

 

SWTOR has been about a certain amount of RNG since it launched. You've NEVER been able to get guaranteed loot drops from operation bosses. Not ever. The RNG was the direct impetus for doing the boss fights, over and over again.

 

I would ask people to start thinking about WHY they play. Do they play only for loot increases? That's perfectly fine. and I respect that... but what happens next? What's your plan for AFTER you have the perfect gear? Do you still want to do master mode Dxun every week, or every day? What will be your reason for doing so? Be careful what you wish for... having is not always as satisfying as wanting.

 

My reason is, I like to actually play the game itself -- I like doing flashpoints and the stories and the daily zones. Occasionally operations (usually story mode, but that's my choice.) I like gear too. Right now, if I want any hope of getting any better gear, I literally have to get a character to 300 CXP level (or, well, Tier 4 anyway), or do Ossus. I just did my weekly Ossus stuff on my main last weekend, and got another relic... which I already had.

 

Until Onslaught, when it becomes much better to just play the game and enjoy it.

 

Anyway.

 

The problem I'm really having with this thread is that it's obvious the very sparsely populated development team is trying to accommodate both hardcore operation players and the rest of the player base (which, I might remind everyone, the latter far outweighs the former in terms of raw numbers) by coming up with a solution for everyone that is FAR LESS reliant on RNG than people think.

 

No, Musco hasn't come out and said on camera, "You will definitely get many times the amount of loot you have ever gotten before, guaranteed." But why hasn't everyone realized that's pretty much what he and the others have been implying for months? Did you see the flow chart? I did, and I got the message.

 

P.S. You can see from my signature I'm not a SWTOR shill. I stopped playing for a while because of the content drought. But I believe there is a group of people at BioWare who are trying to keep this game going and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's 2019 and we're getting an expansion. Nobody thought that would ever happen again. NOBODY. I'm counting my blessings.

Edited September 11, 2019 by damonskye

[olagatonjedi]

I have to say, I've read this whole thread and I still cannot figure out why in the world people aren't happy.

 

Is there something I have yet to fully understand?

 

I don't do master mode operations. For me, there seems to be only two ways to get gear... the RNG in a Command Crate (I'm a level-300 CXP rank on my main), or one item a week from Ossus. Every drop in the world is usually a level 220-230 item which I'm well above.

 

When Onslaught comes out, every single item that drops for me in the world has the ability to be an upgrade.

 

I can play anything I want - do a story or vet operation, a vet or master FP, world daily quests, whatever - and get upgrades.

 

Musco and the others have strongly (STRONGLY) implied that getting loot will be ridiculously easy. Like, you are always going to get a ton of loot. Most of it that you don't want, you'll be able to convert into tokens to get the things you DO want. Shifting away from total vertical progression, into a horizontal one where you already have most of the loot you want but are looking for customization options, is the new normal.

 

I am not alone. I would hasten to bet that the VAST majority of players of this game do not do master mode operations. Go to Tython or Korriban, or the stations, any day and the numbers there dwarf the numbers of players anywhere else in the game.

 

So, where does this leave us?

 

A MMO where I can get gear I want at any time. Where the gear upgrades are a bonus at any point and I can do the content I like. In a game that, let's face it, the only reason TO get better gear is to do those very same master mode operations that people seem to be complaining aren't dropping even more loot.

 

What am I missing? I can't WAIT for this expansion to hit.

Someone gets it!

[Darev]

I have to say, I've read this whole thread and I still cannot figure out why in the world people aren't happy.

 

Is there something I have yet to fully understand?

 

I don't do master mode operations. For me, there seems to be only two ways to get gear... the RNG in a Command Crate (I'm a level-300 CXP rank on my main), or one item a week from Ossus. Every drop in the world is usually a level 220-230 item which I'm well above.

 

***There is another way. You can use unassembled components (UCs) which you get from deconstructing items from command crates. You can use those to buy very specific 236 gear for whichever slot/character/spec you want. Absolutely ZERO RNG involved. When you get a 236 piece you save up more UCs and get a 242 piece from the same vendor…and so on to 248. Again, absolutely no RNG involved.***

 

***Operation bosses drop tokens. Specific bosses drop specific tokens when you can take to a different vendor from above and turn them in for 236/242/248 gear. Again, no RNG involved***

 

***The weekly 252 reward is RNG, but directed RNG (I made up a name). You can choose 1 of 3 boxes. Each box has the chance to drop specific items that match your current spec when you open the box. Arsenal Merc – you get DPS gear. Bodyguard – you get healer gear. You want a gun, you pick the box that gives you a chance at getting a gun. It’s a 1 out of 5 chance instead of a 1 out of 14 chance. It’s going to match your spec, instead of being a gun that could be used by any other spec. Directed RNG toward your toon.***

 

***The RNG on PTS is not “Directed” to your toon at all (except for the recent change on ONE of the two vendors). All world drops, all boss drops, are not “Directed” RNG toward your toon like we currently have on live.***

 

When Onslaught comes out, every single item that drops for me in the world has the ability to be an upgrade.

 

***Every single item that drops for you in the world does have a CHANCE to be an upgrade for you. If you are on an Arsenal Merc you might get a drop for a Powertech tank, or a healer, or a commando…right now on PTS “upgrades” are defined by item rating for world drops. Maybe that changes down the road, maybe it doesn’t.***

 

I can play anything I want - do a story or vet operation, a vet or master FP, world daily quests, whatever - and get upgrades.

***Sure, you CAN get upgrades from RNG….but maybe not upgrades for the character you’re playing. And all those legacy shareable drops that you can send to your alts…have fun vendoring or deconstructing them. You won’t be able to sell them on the GTN. You won’t be able to buy the ones that other people might not need, but you may, because they’re legacy bound.***

 

 

Musco and the others have strongly (STRONGLY) implied that getting loot will be ridiculously easy. Like, you are always going to get a ton of loot. Most of it that you don't want, you'll be able to convert into tokens to get the things you DO want. Shifting away from total vertical progression, into a horizontal one where you already have most of the loot you want but are looking for customization options, is the new normal.

 

***I tend to comment on what I see, not what is promised. What I see on PTS is random world drops occur FAR less than live right now. Seriously. Run CZ198 and any 10 heroics on live. Then do the same thing on PTS and compare the frequency of gear drops. I have, it isn’t the same. Not even close.***

 

 

 

 

I am not alone. I would hasten to bet that the VAST majority of players of this game do not do master mode operations. Go to Tython or Korriban, or the stations, any day and the numbers there dwarf the numbers of players anywhere else in the game.

 

So, where does this leave us?

 

A MMO where I can get gear I want at any time. Where the gear upgrades are a bonus at any point and I can do the content I like. In a game that, let's face it, the only reason TO get better gear is to do those very same master mode operations that people seem to be complaining aren't dropping even more loot.

 

What am I missing? I can't WAIT for this expansion to hit.

 

What you’re missing, I’ve added into the quote. I bolded your questions and then replied to them.

[Darev]

I don't, because it's been apparent to me for several weeks now that they're actively taking action against RNG bad luck.

 

But at the same time, let's face some reality here. MMOs are about, and have always been about, a certain level of RNG. If you do raids in World of Warcraft, you know that items can drop from raid bosses, but they often don't - that's RNG. You can get up to two bonus rolls per week to protect against RNG, but even they are RNG.

 

SWTOR has been about a certain amount of RNG since it launched. You've NEVER been able to get guaranteed loot drops from operation bosses. Not ever. The RNG was the direct impetus for doing the boss fights, over and over again.

 

I would ask people to start thinking about WHY they play. Do they play only for loot increases? That's perfectly fine. and I respect that... but what happens next? What's your plan for AFTER you have the perfect gear? Do you still want to do master mode Dxun every week, or every day? What will be your reason for doing so? Be careful what you wish for... having is not always as satisfying as wanting.

 

My reason is, I like to actually play the game itself -- I like doing flashpoints and the stories and the daily zones. Occasionally operations (usually story mode, but that's my choice.) I like gear too. Right now, if I want any hope of getting any better gear, I literally have to get a character to 300 CXP level (or, well, Tier 4 anyway), or do Ossus. I just did my weekly Ossus stuff on my main last weekend, and got another relic... which I already had.

 

Until Onslaught, when it becomes much better to just play the game and enjoy it.

 

Anyway.

 

The problem I'm really having with this thread is that it's obvious the very sparsely populated development team is trying to accommodate both hardcore operation players and the rest of the player base (which, I might remind everyone, the latter far outweighs the former in terms of raw numbers) by coming up with a solution for everyone that is FAR LESS reliant on RNG than people think.

 

No, Musco hasn't come out and said on camera, "You will definitely get many times the amount of loot you have ever gotten before, guaranteed." But why hasn't everyone realized that's pretty much what he and the others have been implying for months? Did you see the flow chart? I did, and I got the message.

 

P.S. You can see from my signature I'm not a SWTOR shill. I stopped playing for a while because of the content drought. But I believe there is a group of people at BioWare who are trying to keep this game going and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's 2019 and we're getting an expansion. Nobody thought that would ever happen again. NOBODY. I'm counting my blessings.

 

You realize that with the system that's on PTS right now you could get 10 relics in a row from world drops, and 9 of them COULD be for tanks (if you play dps)

[damonskye]

What you’re missing, I’ve added into the quote. I bolded your questions and then replied to them.

 

Fair enough, and I agree that the unassembled components and operation boss tokens and "directed RNG" are fair points. They are not really things that are obvious to me as one of the majority of players who don't do veteran/master operations, so you'll understand why they aren't immediately part of my discussion. And I'm not on the PTS so I don't see these random world drops, and how much or little they occur.

 

But... I stand by everything I said. For several reasons:

 

One, because they are still testing and actively seeking feedback about the drop rates, along with many other topics, and how the trade ins from whatever the Chuck Bucks are. That to me is an indication that they are working with the numbers to hit a sweet spot, and I don't have any reason to doubt them on this topic.

 

Two, Musco (I think it was him) said that people getting nothing in renown crates is a bug being fixed. Renown is a supplementary system that will likely bridge some of that gap, or so they've said.

 

And three, I still go back to my point: once you fill up all your slots with the best possible gear, what's your next step? I'm not being disingenuous, I respect your criticism. But I do wonder what would be the reason you'd want everything perfect because playing the game with nothing left to look forward to is, to me, depressing.

 

As for "Every single item that drops for you in the world does have a CHANCE to be an upgrade for you," I still think that if every single drop was DEFINITELY going to be an upgrade for me, the game would get very boring. Opening your Christmas stocking every day, every year, would get very boring.

 

For "Sure, you CAN get upgrades from RNG….but maybe not upgrades for the character you’re playing," that sounds fantastic to me. I like playing lots of characters. Your mlieage may vary.

 

I get some of the criticism, but I think people are being far too harsh. This is not the end of the world. This is better than Galactic Command. I think a lot of the concerns will melt away when it goes live, except for the "I killed Boss X, I want my required obligatory super lightsaber right now" people. I don't get that at all.

Edited September 11, 2019 by damonskye

[Darev]

Fair enough, and I agree that the unassembled components and operation boss tokens and "directed RNG" are fair points. They are not really things that are obvious to me as one of the majority of players who don't do veteran/master operations, so you'll understand why they aren't immediately part of my discussion. And I'm not on the PTS so I don't see these random world drops, and how much or little they occur.

 

But... I stand by everything I said. For several reasons:

 

One, because they are still testing and actively seeking feedback about the drop rates, along with many other topics, and how the trade ins from whatever the Chuck Bucks are. That to me is an indication that they are working with the numbers to hit a sweet spot, and I don't have any reason to doubt them on this topic.

 

Two, Musco (I think it was him) said that people getting nothing in renown crates is a bug being fixed. Renown is a supplementary system that will likely bridge some of that gap, or so they've said.

 

And three, I still go back to my point: once you fill up all your slots with the best possible gear, what's your next step? I'm not being disingenuous, I respect your criticism. But I do wonder what would be the reason you'd want everything perfect because playing the game with nothing left to look forward to is, to me, depressing.

 

As for "Every single item that drops for you in the world does have a CHANCE to be an upgrade for you," I still think that if every single drop was DEFINITELY going to be an upgrade for me, the game would get very boring. Opening your Christmas stocking every day, every year, would get very boring.

 

For "Sure, you CAN get upgrades from RNG….but maybe not upgrades for the character you’re playing," that sounds fantastic to me. I like playing lots of characters. Your mlieage may vary.

 

I get some of the criticism, but I think people are being far too harsh. This is not the end of the world. This is better than Galactic Command. I think a lot of the concerns will melt away when it goes live, except for the "I killed Boss X, I want my required obligatory super lightsaber right now" people. I don't get that at all.

 

It sounds like we have similar play styles. I have two accounts and roughly 140 toons on Star Forge (from server merges...I made 20+ toons on as many servers as I could when there were more servers) but this current version of gearing on PTS is a nightmare to me.

 

Imagine your loot chances the same as the magic candy box from the first Harry Potter movie. You could get any flavor in the world, including Ear Wax. Now imagine having really bad RNG streaks and getting Ear Was / Vomit / etc before you got chocolate. I want to be able to pay my $.25 and buy chocolate on at least ONE shop. It doesn't have to be the ONLY shop, but please, at least one shop.

[damonskye]

It sounds like we have similar play styles. I have two accounts and roughly 140 toons on Star Forge (from server merges...I made 20+ toons on as many servers as I could when there were more servers) but this current version of gearing on PTS is a nightmare to me.

 

Imagine your loot chances the same as the magic candy box from the first Harry Potter movie. You could get any flavor in the world, including Ear Wax. Now imagine having really bad RNG streaks and getting Ear Was / Vomit / etc before you got chocolate. I want to be able to pay my $.25 and buy chocolate on at least ONE shop. It doesn't have to be the ONLY shop, but please, at least one shop.

 

That's fair, and I can't disagree with you. But I do think the developers really ARE moving toward the middle on this. I don't want everything to be completely reliant upon RNG, but at the same time, I fully acknowledge that RNG *must* be part of the equation... otherwise, every single loot drop will be the best flavor candy, and that gets incredibly boring, very quickly.

 

I keep going back to the flow chart. If it's working properly, increased loot drops plus renown crates plus crafting and other methods of acquisition plus deconstruction and chuck bucks... all of that should be a noticeable improvement on the current system. If it's not, it's a failure... but I really do believe they're putting enough attention into it so that it won't fail. I've been in betas and public test realms in other games, and I've seen developers learn from their mistakes FAR more than fail.