7.0 launch follow up

[gregordunbar]

I'd like to get back to enjoying the game ... I DO NOT enjoy the game at the moment.

 

To help keep this thread on track from the clear trolling going on to derail it.

 

This post here is on point. More than a few of the changes made in 7.0 has changed the fundamental aspects that made it FUN. This is being echoed by many on the forums and can be clearly seen by the drop in population over the last 10 days. We had a major bump when 7 hit, and it has slid right back down already with a few too many old timers having quit from the start.

 

Most people like the second class option and removing class from story. Most would like loadouts more if they actually worked completely.

 

Undo the UI changes.

Undo stripping the skills.

Undo the conquest changes.

Undo the removal of Renown.

Undo the insanity of giving every mob so much freaking health dragging out combat.

Undo the companion gimping.

Give us back our cover skill bar.

And put flipping mods back into the game.

 

We got far more TAKEN from us than GIVEN with this poor excuse for an expansion. It removed too many goals and most of the FUN.

[Kyhiker]

At this point, I feel this is only damage control. The damage has been done, and players, like myself, are not happy and have pretty much jumped a sinking ship. I have been playing since launch, with 2 subs! I played the PTS and provided feedback. I was not happy with the game play at all. Was not happy with 90% of the changes. My suggestion was to push back the release date for 7.0 until the big issues were addressed and resolved.

But, since Bioware just implemented 7.0 as is, I see now that the company does not care about those that pay the bills. So at the drop of 7.0, I did not even download the patch. I cancelled my sub on both accounts and removed my credit card from the system.

And the ONLY way I will renew my sub, is if the 7.0 is totally rolled back and removed! Otherwise, I am done with SWTOR.

This is what happens when a company does not listen to their player base. I mean, we played the game, because we enjoyed it. Once it becomes un-enjoyable, subs will start bleeding like crazy. I would love to see how many subs have been dropped in the last 2 weeks!!

[Kyhiker]

To help keep this thread on track from the clear trolling going on to derail it.

 

This post here is on point. More than a few of the changes made in 7.0 has changed the fundamental aspects that made it FUN. This is being echoed by many on the forums and can be clearly seen by the drop in population over the last 10 days. We had a major bump when 7 hit, and it has slid right back down already with a few too many old timers having quit from the start.

 

Most people like the second class option and removing class from story. Most would like loadouts more if they actually worked completely.

 

Undo the UI changes.

Undo stripping the skills.

Undo the conquest changes.

Undo the removal of Renown.

Undo the insanity of giving every mob so much freaking health dragging out combat.

Undo the companion gimping.

Give us back our cover skill bar.

And put flipping mods back into the game.

 

We got far more TAKEN from us than GIVEN with this poor excuse for an expansion. It removed too many goals and most of the FUN.

 

THIS RIGHT HERE^^^^^ My exact sentiments!!!

[akdonkey]

People thanking you for the update but it's a typical Bioware answer. Sorry, we will look into it.

[JojoKasei]

I understand that as a community manager there are limits to what can be said, but I assume I'm speaking for the vast majortiy of the playerbase when I'm asking for someone with the authority to speak freely to issue a statement. This last update was ~85% trainwreck and the remaining 15% is riddled with bugs. Looking into it won't cut it. Again, I appreciate why more than saying that wasn't possible. It is just also woefully inadequate.

And as for the specific UI "fix" mentioned, toning down the contrast will also not cut it for those who have physical problems with it, as others have said before. The options here are 1) spend a lot of time to fix pretty much everything about the new one or 2) spend probably a little less to bring the new functions (combat styles, loadouts) into the old UI. I do not envy you for this situation, but this is a completely self-inflicted wound. Sticking one's hand into a working system can cause that.

Edited February 28, 2022 by JojoKasei

[Minden]

Not an avid forum poster but am an avid forum reader. Had to share my opinion.

 

⦁ Signed up for the forums the day the game was announced.

⦁ Enjoyed being a beta tester a few times (all hail the orange pixel!!).

⦁ Proud Collector's Edition owner.

⦁ Been a constant subscriber since launch. I subscribe in six month increments.

⦁ I have multiple accounts that are all full time subbed.

⦁ My main account has 32 characters, all at 75+ with 306 or better gear. I actually create a new toon every few months just to replay the stories.

⦁ I think the longest I have ever gone without playing might be seven days (took an actual vacation a few years ago).

 

I have one more class to get to 80 (achievement junkie), then I am done. Not going to speak for everyone but for me, the fun has been removed. I play solo as I work weird and unpredictable hours (joys of IT).

 

⦁ The companion nerf has made everything an absolute slog. What used to take twenty minutes now takes almost an hour. I have actually enjoyed re-learning my class, but still. The number of NPCs versus the max amount of DPS is skewed in the wrong direction. Competent companions helped to skew it back in my favor and actually made me feel heroic. There is no difference between a companion with influence 25 and a companion with influence 50.

⦁ Repeating the same heroics and planetary missions every day... whose bright idea was this? Large universe so cram everyone into a few planets.

⦁ Having to research third-party guides or require a Master's degree in Confusion should not be required to upgrade gear. What is simpler about needing multiple resources to upgrade one piece of gear? I did finally figure it out but I think it is too convoluted. I think instead of locking gear to the type of play, it should be locked to body style or hair color.

⦁ Bought a cool assault cannon from the Cartel Market that matched my armor. Can no longer use it because I am unable to pull the mods out of the 326 cannon I purchased with credits, a 324 cannon, and two other resources.

⦁ Have only been successful at defeating Malgus twice (first toon took 20+ attempts) because of the game breaking bug that has been out for two weeks now.

⦁ The UI... words fail me. How did this pass any QA? Everyone talked about how horrible it was in the PTS forums but...

 

Respect is earned and with this "expansion", you have definitely lost mine. This "expansion" has made the game un-fun and boring for me and the few friends I get to play online with. My subscription expires in June-ish and I have turned off auto-renewal for the first time in over a decade.

[Flying-Brian]

Just to add (again).

 

Please fix the Set Bonus for the Victorious Pioneer armor set at level 75+.

[jaradboy]

Hello everyone,

 

We’ve spent the week gathering your feedback, reading posts, and messages on various platforms. The team has been working on fixing bugs that are being reported as well as making adjustments to improve players’ experiences.

 

As I’ve alluded to in a previous post from earlier today, we are finalizing details on when the next patch will be. This will include the UI contrast adjustment and other fixes. When we have that info, we will be communicating that to the wider playerbase including details of everything that will be deployed within that patch. More communication will be coming.

 

Lastly, I understand that there are many topics to debate on the forums, but I am asking you all to please be civil with each other and toward members of the team. Attacking, harassing, and wishing harm against each other and against staff is not permitted. I and the moderation team try to find balance with allowing players to voice their concerns freely and enforcing the guidelines. We ask you to be respectful. Please contribute to the forums in a meaningful manner that promotes healthy conversation.

 

Thank you,

Jackie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So basicaly those of us, with G14 zeph we have to wait another moonth or so before we can play? Its been 4 weeks ive played 7 hours of the new stuff, thats it, i was able to log in 1 day and play, after that nothing, i sent in the email as per thier support team, they say compensation will be given to those affected, but we get no ETA when it will be fixed. I wanna play the game i pay for thats all. DO some emergency maintance, do something, im not the only one with this issue, and please respond to the emails, which was stated that you give them your account name, proof of servers not being show. any form of ETA would be great.

[eabevella]

It's not Jackie's fault, but her higher up need to:

 

1. Give a clear schedule of what and when known problems will be fixed. No vague words. Start from the UI. When.

2. Give a clear schedule of what and when contents will be released. No vague words. "7.1" doesn't say anything. List the month/quarter of when 7.1 will be out.

 

Let people know you have a plan, that x and y problem will be fixed in a and b months. People will be willing to wait if they know what exactly they are waiting for (and not for nothing).

[NathKnights]

Just to add a bit more ...

 

1. sometimes the fun bits are not that expensive, the sassy dialogue of my smuggler has brought a smile to my dial many times, whether as a flirt or as a out and out 1 liner put down
   
2. Getting things removed, for me the pertinent example (although others may disagree) is renown and the renown level-up crates is a disappointment and a let-down.
   

 

If you can turn around and say yes we may have ditched renown but we now have this new "you-beaut" way of rewarding you and tracking (Measuring) your experience gains that will want to make you keep playing way beyond level cap, I am all ears. At the moment though I'm not seeing that

 

I feel renown should not be a big deal, but at the moment there is nothing enticing me to play beyond Level cap (unless I'm missing Something) despite some reasonable story lines and getting some great companions. If I'm not going to play beyond cap, then why should I bother subscribing?

Edited March 1, 2022 by NathKnights
spelling correction

[MirrimFaranth]

Removing/pruning abilities, some iconic and essential, will increasing level cap (more levels, less to show for it), while slapping down a new gear treadmill WITH ZERO NEW CONTENT to have to trudge through...

 

IS HORRID. Simply unprofessional and ridiculous planning. Then on top of it, you inexplicably ruin the UI.

 

Combat switching had promise, but the limitations you put on it makes it next to worthless. It is why we have alts. Some of the choices also BREAK THE STORY, which is the only thing this game really has going for it.

 

Please stop abusing the Star Wars IP. I know, you are not the first to do it. But you are really over achieving at screwing fans. If this game wasn't star wars based, it would have died, deservedly, years ago.

[JattaGin]

If I'm not going to play beyond cap, then why should I bother subscribing?

 

From what I have heard so far, quite some veterans (including myself) have stopped their subscriptions because of that (and 7.0 in general). There is really no point whatsoever for me anymore to stay a sub. The way how 7.0 allows me to still play "my way" is 100% possible for free. And since they obviously stopped giving out subscriber rewards for players who have been constantly subbed (last time was the 5th anniversary deco which they later "accidentally" granted to all players anyway), and they have also given all the formerly exclusive sub rewards to everyone for cash or via galactic seasons, there is zero incentive for me to keep paying for this game. Of course, I'm also not really playing anymore due to the fun being gone, but I have some dozen 100k conquest grants items still to use. So there is that.

 

Respect is earned and with this "expansion", you have definitely lost mine. This "expansion" has made the game un-fun and boring for me and the few friends I get to play online with. My subscription expires in June-ish and I have turned off auto-renewal for the first time in over a decade.

 

But you, good Sir, have won my respect for your well written post. And you have a 5-digit-forum number. That's proof that you've really been here from the very start and you know what you're talking about. Our current community manager has a forum digit beyond 24.000.000 and only joined in 2020. Before that she had never touched this game. If you imagine that other current decision makers might have a similar history with this game, it's no wonder they botched 7.0 so badly. Is there not one veteran dev left at BW? What about Mr. Boyd?

 

That said, I agree with everything you wrote.

 

empty marketing words

 

Dear Jackie, last week, you did three posts on this forum: one on Thursday, one on Friday, one on Saturday. That's not much for a full-time employed community manager. You surely won't remember it, but this is exactly what I predicted to you in your "hello, here I am" forum message in 2020. The fanbase has always wondered what the community managers of this game actually do. Mr. Musco has never managed this community. Then he got a second person for his team (I forgot his name, not sure if he even is still here; probably not), but the community management didn't improve. Then they got a third person to the team (you), and here we are: Still no noticeable community management. Maybe I have a wrong idea of what a community manager should do, however, I don't think that it's possible that all three of you are equally bad at doing your job. That's very unlikely. I therefore assume that you all are being used to do other tasks which are not part of your job description and this leads to the community management team losing their mojo to manage the community. Either way: The community management of this game has been abysmal since - I wanna say - 2013, and it's time for me to let go of this toxic relationship with this forum. 10 days left.

[idclip]

I'm pretty sure the "community manager" is just a forum admin that removes posts in violation

[iopseal]

The community management of this game has been abysmal since - I wanna say - 2013, and it's time for me to let go of this toxic relationship with this forum. 10 days left.

 

10 days until freedom my friend! Maybe you could play some good games?

[meddani]

PR Mumbo Jumbo

 

this is just lol.

"let's ignore all the feedback from the PTS & launch it broken anyway & stay silent for a couple of days when everyone's complaning".

wait why is everyone angry?"

 

honestly this game won't make till the end of the year, fall at best.

[iphacles]

Hello everyone,

 

We’ve spent the week gathering your feedback, reading posts, and messages on various platforms. The team has been working on fixing bugs that are being reported as well as making adjustments to improve players’ experiences.

 

As I’ve alluded to in a previous post from earlier today, we are finalizing details on when the next patch will be. This will include the UI contrast adjustment and other fixes. When we have that info, we will be communicating that to the wider playerbase including details of everything that will be deployed within that patch. More communication will be coming.

 

Lastly, I understand that there are many topics to debate on the forums, but I am asking you all to please be civil with each other and toward members of the team. Attacking, harassing, and wishing harm against each other and against staff is not permitted. I and the moderation team try to find balance with allowing players to voice their concerns freely and enforcing the guidelines. We ask you to be respectful. Please contribute to the forums in a meaningful manner that promotes healthy conversation.

 

Thank you,

Jackie

 

I have a hard time believing that you (the dev team) are listening to any of the feedback. Most of the complaints people have now that 7.0 is live were the same complaints the testers were posting on the PTS forums. Hardly any of it was adjusted, followed up on, or even acknowledged. I cancelled my sub a week or two ago and have only logged onto swtor half a dozen times since 7.0 went live. There's barely any new content and you've ruined the content I did enjoy playing. It's sad to see a game I love fall so far so fast. It's clear that no time was spent on story or content and the only thing really worked on at any length was making sure that the gear grind was grindier and as time consuming as possible.

[LordBeliall]

Hello everyone,

 

We’ve spent the week gathering your feedback, reading posts, and messages on various platforms. The team has been working on fixing bugs that are being reported as well as making adjustments to improve players’ experiences.

 

As I’ve alluded to in a previous post from earlier today, we are finalizing details on when the next patch will be. This will include the UI contrast adjustment and other fixes. When we have that info, we will be communicating that to the wider playerbase including details of everything that will be deployed within that patch. More communication will be coming.

 

Lastly, I understand that there are many topics to debate on the forums, but I am asking you all to please be civil with each other and toward members of the team. Attacking, harassing, and wishing harm against each other and against staff is not permitted. I and the moderation team try to find balance with allowing players to voice their concerns freely and enforcing the guidelines. We ask you to be respectful. Please contribute to the forums in a meaningful manner that promotes healthy conversation.

 

Thank you,

Jackie

 

How about you at the very least shut up those annoying fleet public service announcements? nobody likes them and they're ungodly annoying! not only do they blast right in our ear drums at max volume you go the extra step and actually lower the volume of everything else so they sound that much more annoying.

[Lichtfaengerin]

Yes, more communication will be coming. One vaguely meaningless weekly post at a time.

[MrDesith]

7 is the number of completion... they Order 66'd themselves.

[khamseen_air]

Yes, more communication will be coming. One vaguely meaningless weekly post at a time.

 

They're just waiting until 4:55PM on Friday so they don't have to actually read any of the replies.

[robwettengel]

Something that would benefit the entire community, Jackie, is for us to know how many people need to approve what substantive posts you make that are beyond acknowledging bugs. Is it just the relevant Dev? Is it relevant Devs and Keith? Is it all the preceeding plus the head of comms at BW? Does EA get involved in vetting communications? What about LucasFilm Games?

 

I ask this because it is absurd to need a week or two turnaround time to post a response to a concern that only takes up a few sentences.

Edited March 3, 2022 by robwettengel

[Gwena]

I was really hoping that there'd be some sort of more substantial dev post about 7.0 by now. I know that the people who make the game would of course want to be positive about what they have released, but I think in this case the player base would probably be more receptive to something that at least somewhat resembles an apology for all the problems, along with some sort of plan for fixing them. Though of course, I can speak only for myself.

 

The more I play the more discouraged I get. My companions are weaker now, so I am not having fun doing dailies, and I don't even want to think about what a slog it will be taking my newer characters through KOTFE and beyond now with everything so out of whack. Even Space Barbie isn't as fun now with the unify color bugs and the awful UI.

[Lichtfaengerin]

I was really hoping that there'd be some sort of more substantial dev post about 7.0 by now. I know that the people who make the game would of course want to be positive about what they have released, but I think in this case the player base would probably be more receptive to something that at least somewhat resembles an apology for all the problems, along with some sort of plan for fixing them. Though of course, I can speak only for myself.

 

this is so true. its been more than two weeks since launch, and a week since this thread was made, and all we got is "we hear ya" followed by silence, and "more communication is coming" followed by silence.

If i'd do that to my customers, i'd be reprimanded. though I gotta say, our health ensurance works the same way, so maybe i just got the wrong job.

 

They're just waiting until 4:55PM on Friday so they don't have to actually read any of the replies.

 

What a brilliant idea gonna try and apply that to my work as well.

[Minden]

I was really hoping that there'd be some sort of more substantial dev post about 7.0 by now. I know that the people who make the game would of course want to be positive about what they have released, but I think in this case the player base would probably be more receptive to something that at least somewhat resembles an apology for all the problems, along with some sort of plan for fixing them. Though of course, I can speak only for myself.

 

The more I play the more discouraged I get. My companions are weaker now, so I am not having fun doing dailies, and I don't even want to think about what a slog it will be taking my newer characters through KOTFE and beyond now with everything so out of whack. Even Space Barbie isn't as fun now with the unify color bugs and the awful UI.

 

Even leveling up a new character is less fun than before as you do not get as many abilities until much later.

[Blues_Otters]

I guess at this point I'm just trying to keep the thread going, as I've voiced most of my concerns already. I'm really worried about devs' silence over all the issues and negative feedback pouring in. If they at least acknowledged that they messed up and are aware of the general outrage, I'd feel safer about swtor's future. But that's not the case.

 

 

I do not enjoy the game in its current state and I do not like where it's going.

 

 

I know the rule of "This is not an airport, no need to announce your departure", but at this point I'm really considering unsubscribing until this mess is resolved. I'm not happy with gameplay changes, and the story "expansion" is everything but engaging.