Serious question about content and the story

[thraxxousai]

So last time I played Onslaught was new. The "new" expansion, which amounted to about 2 hours of content, and a cliffhanger. Ive recently come back now that its on steam to find...in that time..the story has progressed 2 whole cutscenes.

 

Is this game dead? content wise I mean?

is there a big expansion planned or have the devs sorta just abandoned the game?

will we see more or have the devs said anything?

[SteveTheCynic]

Take a peek at the recap of the Livestream they did on 21 July.

 

https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=9864776

[ceryxp]

Dev tracker holds all the answers. This post by Charles Boyd, that explained what happened to the release schedule for this year, is a but old, so it is understandable that you may have missed it if you have been away from the game. To summarize, a pandemic happened. Due to Covid-19 they were unable to do the voice recording for update 6.2, which would have been the next story update that was scheduled for release in June. They did a stream on 21 July, recap here, that outlined their plans for the remainder of the year. The current plan is to combine update 6.2 with update 6.3 into a single update with two story updates. That is scheduled for the end of the year.

 

So, to answer your questions:

• Is this game dead? content wise I mean?
  
  • No. A pandemic happened and they had to adjust the release schedule.
    

• is there a big expansion planned or have the devs sorta just abandoned the game?
  
  • The next expansion (7.0) is still likely a ways off, but the next story update is planned for later in the year.
    

• will we see more or have the devs said anything?
  
  • We will see more and it is all in the Dev Tracker.
    

[DarkTergon]

They have added other 'content', just not story stuff. They added in the swoop racing, the new fp's (which were part of the story) and the new op. Also don't forget all the fantastic CM items......and the 'Cough 'Ad Bar' Cough* galactic thingie ma jig.

[Zaldalia]

funny how this still call onslaught a expansion

[ceryxp]

funny how this still call onslaught a expansion

 

Really, you do not think Onslaught is an expansion? Let us compare. I am only looking at story content and not class changes, new items, skill or class level increases, new difficulty modes on old FP/OPs, or new systems like achievements, disciplines, etc.

 

2.0 - Rise of the Hutt Cartel

 

• 2 stories - 1 per faction
  
• 1 planet - Makeb, w/ dailies
  
• 2 multi-world mission chains w/ dailies (that are now almost impossible to complete because one of the final missions can only be completed by people who are actually on the same mission and at the exact same stage, and another of the final missions requires 4 people, so good luck finding a group; obviously not an issue with the update, just spicy)
  
• 2 operations, one that takes place in a single room and is really just a world boss fight.
  

 

3.0 - Shadow of Revan

 

• 1 story with a single class specific mission
  
• 2 planets - Rishi and Yavin IV, w/ dailies
  
• 2 flashpoints
  
• 2 operations
  

Note - the 4 SoR prelude flashpoints (Tython, Korriban, Manaan, and Rakata) and the epilogue on Ziost were not part of the expansion

 

 

4.0 - Knights of the Fallen Empire

 

• 1 story for all
  
• 9 chapters (the other 7 FE chapters were released later)
  
• 1 planet - Zakuul
  
• A handful of Alliance Alerts
  
• Star Fortress missions - yes, there are 6 of them but they are just copies of each other
  

 

 

5.0 - Knights of the Eternal Throne

 

• 1 story for all
  
• 9 chapters
  
• 5 uprisings
  

 

6.0 - Onslaught

 

• A single story narrative with 4 branching stories, 2 per faction
  
• 2 planets - Onderon and Mek-Sha, both w/ dailies
  
• 1 flashpoint
  
• 1 operation
  

 

 

Overall, I would say that Onslaught is about on par with RotHC and SoR. A bit more content that 2.0 and a bit less than 3.0.

Edited May 17, 2021 by ceryxp

[Pietrastor]

Dev

So, to answer your questions:

 

Is this game dead? content wise I mean?

 

No. A pandemic happened and they had to adjust the release schedule.

And whats the excuse for 2019 when there was also just 1 story patch?

[ceryxp]

And whats the excuse for 2019 when there was also just 1 story patch?

 

Ah, which single story patch would that be? Hearts and Minds or Onslaught?

[KendraP]

The story is probably the one thing about swtor 2020 NOT passing me off. Its hardly BWs fault a pandemic happened. I'll wait for quality.

 

Now if they could just figure out how to properly scale bosses and content, or at least how to downscale properly.

[jedimasterjac]

The story is probably the one thing about swtor 2020 NOT passing me off. Its hardly BWs fault a pandemic happened. I'll wait for quality.

 

Now if they could just figure out how to properly scale bosses and content, or at least how to downscale properly.

 

I still don't understand why they just... didn't increase the level cap.

 

We could still get a new tier gear, and have Objective Meridian be tuned for the new tier instead of the old.

[Pietrastor]

Ah, which single story patch would that be? Hearts and Minds or Onslaught?

 

Onslaught of course. Calling Hearts and Minds - 3 minute cutscene - a "story patch/update" would be an insult to intelligence.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Pietrastor

[ShieldProtection]

WARNING: Very serious question ahead.

Proceed at your own risk,

 

Use protective gadgets and gears, protect your head and body all the time and wear a mask.

 

Dial and call the following number to reach International Anti-Trolling Organisation in case of danger.

 

Be aware of your surroundings,

 

This is a emergency international-wide broadcast,

[FlameYOL]

The story is probably the one thing about swtor 2020 NOT passing me off. Its hardly BWs fault a pandemic happened. I'll wait for quality.

 

Now if they could just figure out how to properly scale bosses and content, or at least how to downscale properly.

 

Yeah, I'm curious to see how much content 6.2 has... I'm hoping at least an hour or two per "story", since we're getting a two for one deal.

[eabevella]

They were planning to release two stories: one about the ghost ship, the other about the mandalorians. Can't blame them for delaying the ghost ship story because of the real world pandemic, especially when the US is still taking a hard hit.

 

I just finished Kotfe with a new toon today, I wonder if the Fett guy beside Shae Vizla will be the one challenging her rule and became the boss of the FP (or Shae if the player choose to side with Fett, choices, choices). His babbling of glory is kind of annoying and he seems to be the type of simple minded mando who can't take relative peace for an answer. Winter can't come soon enough...

[ceryxp]

Onslaught of course. Calling Hearts and Minds - 3 minute cutscene - a "story patch/update" would be an insult to intelligence.

 

A short story update, true, but a story update nonetheless.

 

Rise of the Hutt Cartel released on 9 April 2013. The next story update, I mean an update that advanced the story not, for example, 2.3 that added CZ-198, which had nothing to do with the main story. That was with update 2.7 - Invasion on 8 April 2014. A whole year later. Now, I will grant that in that year we received 2.3 that added CZ-198 and two flashpoints, and 2.4 that added Oricon and two operations, and 2.5/2.6 that added GSF, so by comparison content releases have slowed quite a bit.

 

2019, by comparison, received update 5.10.1 that added a mini-OP, the Geonosian Queen Lair Boss, and 5.10.3 that added a new planet, Dantooine, with a new recurring event, The Pirate Incursion, and that short, but definitely not 3-minute cutscene unless you spacebar through most of it, story update, as well as update 6.0 - Onslaught. Less content, granted. There is no argument that we are getting less content now than we were in the game's early life, but 2019 was also the year that Anthem was released and Anthem is widely acknowledged to have gutted the SWTOR team.

 

This year we have already received on mini-story update, The Task At Hand, which was supposed to connect Onslaught, released October 2019, with the next story update in 6.2 that was scheduled for release in June 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic happened and now we will have to wait until the end of the year for the next major story update, which will include two story updates in one. In the mean time we will also be getting a new event.

[Pietrastor]

A short story update, true, but a story update nonetheless.

No, it's an extremly poor excuse and pretense of a story update.

 

Rise of the Hutt Cartel released on 9 April 2013. The next story update, I mean an update that advanced the story not, for example, 2.3 that added CZ-198, which had nothing to do with the main story. That was with update 2.7 - Invasion on 8 April 2014. A whole year later. Now, I will grant that in that year we received 2.3 that added CZ-198 and two flashpoints, and 2.4 that added Oricon and two operations, and 2.5/2.6 that added GSF, so by comparison content releases have slowed quite a bit.

Oricon was full story patch, not just operation. I didn't like it, it didn't connect to other stories, I think the entire Dread Masters story sucked terribly but Oricon IS the definition of "story patch nonetheless". It wasn't a 3 minute cutscene.

 

There is no argument that we are getting less content now than we were in the game's early life, but 2019 was also the year that Anthem was released and Anthem is widely acknowledged to have gutted the SWTOR team.

And no one's to blame but Bioware. So... what exaclty does this change? Did they decrease price of subscription because they knew that SWTOR in 2019 would be less of a supported product it was in previous years? Nope. So everyone has full right to compare their effort in 2019 to previous years and no excuses make the difference. Especially excuses they're responsible for themselves.

[DarkTergon]

WARNING: Very serious question ahead.

Proceed at your own risk,

 

 

Ah, to be safe from THEM!!!! *Looks around* I'll put my tin foil hat back on.....

 

 

 

 

*warning...this post is tongue in cheek, humourous, possibly in bad taste, funny for some, probably not everyone, to be taken with a pinch of salt.....

[codydmaan]

I wouldnt call it dead. You do have 8 chars to play through and a bunch of achievements to get. Also forming raid progression groups is very challenging and fun. Lots of pvp too. If you looking for story to play though hours and hours of rheres really no game that continues to create story week by week. Swtor is still super populated and very fun

[ceryxp]

And no one's to blame but Bioware. So... what exaclty does this change? Did they decrease price of subscription because they knew that SWTOR in 2019 would be less of a supported product it was in previous years? Nope. So everyone has full right to compare their effort in 2019 to previous years and no excuses make the difference. Especially excuses they're responsible for themselves.

 

Ahh, and there we have it. You want the cost of the subscription reduced because new content is not coming out at a rate to your liking even though the cost of a subscription has always been about what content is already out and not what might come out. Well, if you do not feel that the price of a subscription is worth playing the game then you can cancel your subscription. We have seen that EA and BW only respond when something affects the bottom line, so continuing to pay a subscription so you can vent your displeasure is not going to change the direction of the game or how quickly content is released. But then, if you cancel your subscription then that will mean less revenue for the game, and if enough people do that then EA will reduce the budget and we will see even less content. Oh the conundrums.

 

We are never going to see the level of content creation that we did in 2012/2013. It is not going to happen.

 

And yes, The Task at Hand is a small story update. It was meant to bridge two larger pieces of the story. Perhaps they should go back to how they used to do it and only release a story update each year with absolutely nothing story related in between. You are already complaining that the story is dragging out, so maybe a longer release cycle instead of small updates in between larger story pieces would suite you better.

Edited July 25, 2020 by ceryxp

[Pietrastor]

Ahh, and there we have it.

"We" don't have anything other than another of your attempt to pull the attention away from Bioware's mistakes and declining amount of content released. I dont "want" cost of subscription reduced, I'm making a simple comparsion of the cost versus the constantly shrinking "product" Bioware's putting out.

 

You are already complaining that the story is dragging out, so maybe a longer release cycle instead of small updates in between larger story pieces would suite you better.

Yes yes those 3 minute cuscenes included in Onslaught and/or Ossus would make such a gigantic difference to each of those updates. You're basically proving my point. They're so tiny they dont matter or register as content either separately or had they been part of a larger update.

[JennyFlynn]

New year, new expansion, same old debate. People had these complaints during KOTFE/ET too. "Not enough story", "That was too short", "Those cutscenes don't even deserve being called an update on story!" yet they all were, in fact, story. The fact they were short, a one-minute conversation, doesn't mean they weren't part of the story. It may have been unsatisfying, a huge disappointment, but that doesn't mean it wasn't story content.

 

There is a history of Story taking a backseat as oftentimes, BW cannot manage to push out new content for multiple aspects of the game in one update. So PvP, crafting overhaul, whatever is going to take precedent at times. Right now even more so due to the obvious and understandable situation with COVID complicating VA work. So they may as well work on the aspects they CAN update in the meantime.

 

It happens, it has happened, it will continue to happen. I love Story, it's my sole reason for playing, but I've accepted that I gotta deal with long waits, sometimes worse than in other moments, and just make the most of what the game currently offers. Roll another Knight. No point getting worked up, trying to say that cookie wasn't a cookie just because it tasted bad, and so on.

[Ardrossan]

We have seen that EA and BW only respond when something affects the bottom line, so continuing to pay a subscription so you can vent your displeasure is not going to change the direction of the game or how quickly content is released. But then, if you cancel your subscription then that will mean less revenue for the game, and if enough people do that then EA will reduce the budget and we will see even less content. Oh the conundrums.

 

I can tell you from experience that this argument just doesn't seem to register on your target audience. They think that you telling them to unsub if they're dissatisfied with their experience is equivalent to an ad hominem. They seem to be under the impression that BW is like the government and they're protesters and if they simply protest long and hard enough, BW will see the error of their ways and cave in [note: that is not how actual protesting works either]. They don't seem to realize that BW is a business and doesn't GAF about customer loyalty.

[ceryxp]

I can tell you from experience that this argument just doesn't seem to register on your target audience. They think that you telling them to unsub if they're dissatisfied with their experience is equivalent to an ad hominem. They seem to be under the impression that BW is like the government and they're protesters and if they simply protest long and hard enough, BW will see the error of their ways and cave in [note: that is not how actual protesting works either]. They don't seem to realize that BW is a business and doesn't GAF about customer loyalty.

 

They have even said that they know some people are going to sub for a while, then drop for a while, and come back at some later date, and that they are completely okay with that. That is the model that BW is cultivating. Except for in some very rare cases the only way to make a business listen is to cost them money.