Galactic Seasons 5 - What Happened?

[Davgoso]

I’ve just completed the main part of the GS5 storyline and confronted the droids Master. 

I feel like I’ve missed something though. This can’t be the end of the story, surely? It feels like it ends awfully abruptly. Is this intentional?

 I’ve enjoyed the 4 other Galactic Seasons stories as all the characters have had something interesting about them and then there’s just nothing for this one. 😕

[Whykara]

I mean it's not much, but it's a nice little side quest.

Spoiler

There's a droid, there's his master, you kill the droid, you kill his master, finish.

There's not much to it, it's not an overly compelling story whatsoever, but it's straightforward. And when it's finished it's finished and you have no useless companion eating the food rations on your ship for all eternity.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Whykara

[ThanderSnB]

It seemed pretty much the same to me. Before, the three missions were tied to companion Influence. This time they were just tied to season levels. It was roughly the same amount of content. If anything, the story this season had a little more to do than the season companion stories before.

The season companion stories were pretty much all going to a location, have a little dialogue, and move on. This season we had more variety of objectives: mouse droid, collecting items, killing enemies, a boss fight. I also think there were more options in the dialogue that lead to different responses or outcomes. For example, the last mission had three main outcomes with a few variations. They won't have any lasting consequences -- this is a side story, after all -- but it did add variety to the mission. It wasn't the same thing on every alt. In contrast, the season companion stories were the same no matter what dialogue choices you made.

(some ending spoilers below)

As for the ending, I think they were going for a sort of Wizard of Oz kind of thing. You have someone who is fairly weak in the force but happens to be really good at building droids. He tries to make up for his weakness by building powerful droids to serve him. It is a short ending, but it's more of an ending than any of the companion stories had. I guess if they had more of a budget, they could have made the fight more involved or have cutscenes of the other outcomes. That's all that would improve it, and I think the fight being simple was because you already took out his big baddie. He couldn't do much else. It takes time to build droids. This was never going to be a class or planet story.

Edited October 27, 2023 by ThanderSnB

[juliushorst]

I hope they'll reconsider companion-less seasons. Don't put them on the ship, don't add objectives related to them, give people ability to reject them if someone doesn't like them but without a companion this season feels a little empty and unsatisfying for me.

[DWho]

3 hours ago, juliushorst said:

I hope they'll reconsider companion-less seasons. Don't put them on the ship, don't add objectives related to them, give people ability to reject them if someone doesn't like them but without a companion this season feels a little empty and unsatisfying for me.

GS5 certainly wasn't better than previous seasons. It was just the same but no companion when you were done. A very short side story which in this case ended in a very underwhelming manner.

[OlBuzzard]

47 minutes ago, DWho said:

GS5 certainly wasn't better than previous seasons. It was just the same but no companion when you were done. A very short side story which in this case ended in a very underwhelming manner.

Underwhelming incentives usually results in less participation and a lowered approval rating!  Sounds all too familiar!  (Although I could personally do without another annoying companion).  If they want to do something with companions, why not try find something fun to do that might even include repeatable interactions with some of the favorites we already have?

Back on topic:  The last few GS series has been ... well ...frankly ...  it's downright frustrating!

So much potential!  

🤦‍♂️

[LanceDefender]

For me GS5 was the worst. Weapons or Mounts are probably the best imo, but story and lack of companion are big minuses. Maybe they weren't super great, but at least were and I like getting comps.  Especially that they had some minor story, "unique" and they appear on Odessen. Now not only the story was ULTRA wtf I didn't got at least a new companion that would make a fresh gameplay for some time or to choose from time to time.

I don't know why everyone is against new companions. Noone force you to use them.

[Spikanor]

1 hour ago, LanceDefender said:

I don't know why everyone is against new companions. Noone force you to use them.

most of the players that are against new companions is that we have a lot of then all and the limit we can use is only 9.

if we can have 40 companions on 1 char and only 9 can be use from it the other 31 companions are doing notting at all.

and if there add only more and more new companions in the game the nummber of companions that are not going to be use only become more and more.

so thats why most are now against having a new companions since there first need to find a solution to make then more usefull then there are now.

and also the gelactic season companions have bad voice's people not like, there cant dress then up like other space barbie's.

[OlBuzzard]

2 hours ago, LanceDefender said:

For me GS5 was the worst. Weapons or Mounts are probably the best imo, but story and lack of companion are big minuses. Maybe they weren't super great, but at least were and I like getting comps.  Especially that they had some minor story, "unique" and they appear on Odessen. Now not only the story was ULTRA wtf I didn't got at least a new companion that would make a fresh gameplay for some time or to choose from time to time.

I don't know why everyone is against new companions. Noone force you to use them.

Incorrect...  those companions were not only the main focus but also the only way to complete the GS series!  There were also other valid concerns at the time regarding said companions.  And NO I won't go back to dig up the old threads.  (Why bother when no one wants to listen).

The simple fact is that many did not like them.  And what we got in replacement is seen by some as some sort of payback ???  Maybe??  (That's kind of the impression I get as well).

IMO with the GS series being such a huge part of the SWTOR activities calendar these days there is no excuse for such a dull, mundane and empty exercise with such poor rewards.

[Whykara]

3 hours ago, LanceDefender said:

I don't know why everyone is against new companions. Noone force you to use them.

I can't even find the companions I want to use in the menu anymore. Before they introduce any new companions they seriously have to overhaul the companion window and add the option to sort the list, hide companions, and pick favourites. Right now it's atrocious and it's getting worse with every additional companion.

[DWho]

11 hours ago, OlBuzzard said:

Underwhelming incentives usually results in less participation and a lowered approval rating!  Sounds all too familiar!  (Although I could personally do without another annoying companion).  If they want to do something with companions, why not try find something fun to do that might even include repeatable interactions with some of the favorites we already have?

Back on topic:  The last few GS series has been ... well ...frankly ...  it's downright frustrating!

So much potential!  

🤦‍♂️

Likely the reason for not re-using existing companions was that there were a lot of people that wanted to kill X companion, skipped content that provided companions, or even just hate some of the companions. By creating new ones, Bioware avoided all the complaints from those folks that they couldn't complete GS because they didn't have the required companion.

That said, they should be able to find some way to include existing companions in GS or at least make any new companion interesting in some way so that people would use them for something other than farming crafting mats.

As far as less participation goes, I can confirm that at least in my case. With GS1 and GS2 I completed them on multiple servers. By GS3 and GS4 I was down to doing them on only 2 servers. This time around, I'm only doing them on 1 server. A big reduction in play time. The rewards just aren't that enticing anymore. I have all the credits and cartel coins I'll ever need and the GS rewards themselves are underwhelming (how many new sets of armor and weapons do I need especially when almost all of them are reskins of old armors/weapons I already have)

[OlBuzzard]

11 minutes ago, DWho said:

Likely the reason for not re-using existing companions was that there were a lot of people that wanted to kill X companion, skipped content that provided companions, or even just hate some of the companions. By creating new ones, Bioware avoided all the complaints from those folks that they couldn't complete GS because they didn't have the required companion.

That said, they should be able to find some way to include existing companions in GS or at least make any new companion interesting in some way so that people would use them for something other than farming crafting mats.

As far as less participation goes, I can confirm that at least in my case. With GS1 and GS2 I completed them on multiple servers. By GS3 and GS4 I was down to doing them on only 2 servers. This time around, I'm only doing them on 1 server. A big reduction in play time. The rewards just aren't that enticing anymore. I have all the credits and cartel coins I'll ever need and the GS rewards themselves are underwhelming (how many new sets of armor and weapons do I need especially when almost all of them are reskins of old armors/weapons I already have)

Please believe me when I tell you that I totally get it with the whole companion thing.  I was just thinking that it MIGHT be a tad easier on the old pocketbook!  BUT if you account for the VA ... PLUS those that might not have said compainion .. [/shrugs] ..  Kobayashi Maru.  My point was (and probably not that great of a point at that) ...  if they are insistent on wasting valuable resources on such a "reward" (???) why not at least make some sort of attempt to put it "some" (??) good use.  OH ... as for farming mats [/facepalm] ... I don't even mess with that either.  Besides when it gets right down to it crafting when by way of the dodo bird a long time ago!

IMO the GS rewards system needs to be more in step with something useful to both new commers and veterans of SWTOR alike.  

[OlBuzzard]

22 minutes ago, Whykara said:

I can't even find the companions I want to use in the menu anymore. Before they introduce any new companions they seriously have to overhaul the companion window and add the option to sort the list, hide companions, and pick favourites. Right now it's atrocious and it's getting worse with every additional companion.

Several of us have suggested that there is a definite need for a companion favorite listing!  KUDOS for refreshing our memories! 

[/TWO THUMBS UP!]

[Spikanor]

9 minutes ago, OlBuzzard said:

IMO the GS rewards system needs to be more in step with something useful to both new commers and veterans of SWTOR alike. 

i think most veterans like to have a only free cartal coins reward track and give compleet notting about the other stuff at all.

[OlBuzzard]

17 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

i think most veterans like to have a only free cartal coins reward track and give compleet notting about the other stuff at all.

CC is ok I guess... but NOT necessarily the best.  There's a thread still floating around here started by a member of the development team that had several good ideas.  IMO the real answer is a wider VARIETY of objectives / rewards.  Even the coins we get I start out already maxed out!  😲  Not that much to spend them on!  There again ... in that old thread other people mentioned that very subject. 

Remember someone recently suggested taking a pole?  IMO there has been SEVERAL poles done!  All anyone has to do is open their eyes and take to heart what is being said on this forum board.  I realize we are expecting nothing short of a miracle to unfold in order to reach an understanding between the community and the team.  But somehow that has got to happen.

Edited October 28, 2023 by OlBuzzard

[Darcmoon]

19 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

i think most veterans like to have a only free cartal coins reward track and give compleet notting about the other stuff at all.

I think you are wrong about this.   Having a reward track with only cartel coins would be very, very boring. 

[Spikanor]

12 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

I think you are wrong about this.   Having a reward track with only cartel coins would be very, very boring. 

now if i can remember good there was somebody that have come up with that idea to have a only cartal coins track for the next gelactic season.

and this is now more the compleet problem with the gelactic seasons we have now.

what you not like do's not mean others not like so thats the compleet mess with it since you cant make all the players happy.

some like to have new companions for the GS and others not wane see a new one.

some wane see less weapons and some others wane see more.

so thats the compleet mess we are in now with the GS rewards that never ever gets a good belance since we can never agree on this point at all.

be happy you are not one of the devs that most think about the next rewards for it since there get a good headache from it.

26 minutes ago, OlBuzzard said:

Remember someone recently suggested taking a pole?

i know that idea it was a good one to have on the forum and i know also the player who's idea it was also.

28 minutes ago, OlBuzzard said:

All anyone has to do is open their eyes and take to heart what is being said on this forum board.  I realize we are expecting nothing short of a miracle to unfold in order to reach an understanding between the community and the team.

i think we to give up for that miracle since we all know its not going to happing.

also the part between community and the team is a super long road to find each other since you know what has make things worse between then and sadly its also going to wrong way still so that part has become a lost dream we can forget.

like i told darcmoon all its a headache the devs team get to think about what for rewards there wane add in the next GS reward track since its always wrong by some people what there do so be lucky you not have to make the call from it what it most be.

but what i agree compleet on is that we not need a new companion for the GS for some time before there fix the companion's problem is for once since thats a problem all since 2015 there need to fix for once since it has become a good mess with it.

[OlBuzzard]

21 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

now if i can remember good there was somebody that have come up with that idea to have a only cartal coins track for the next gelactic season.

and this is now more the compleet problem with the gelactic seasons we have now.

what you not like do's not mean others not like so thats the compleet mess with it since you cant make all the players happy.

some like to have new companions for the GS and others not wane see a new one.

some wane see less weapons and some others wane see more.

so thats the compleet mess we are in now with the GS rewards that never ever gets a good belance since we can never agree on this point at all.

be happy you are not one of the devs that most think about the next rewards for it since there get a good headache from it.

i know that idea it was a good one to have on the forum and i know also the player who's idea it was also.

i think we to give up for that miracle since we all know its not going to happing.

also the part between community and the team is a super long road to find each other since you know what has make things worse between then and sadly its also going to wrong way still so that part has become a lost dream we can forget.

like i told darcmoon all its a headache the devs team get to think about what for rewards there wane add in the next GS reward track since its always wrong by some people what there do so be lucky you not have to make the call from it what it most be.

but what i agree compleet on is that we not need a new companion for the GS for some time before there fix the companion's problem is for once since thats a problem all since 2015 there need to fix for once since it has become a good mess with it.

Incorrect.
** Not everything that was done was 100% wrong by the team.  But in the end some key mistakes were made which, in turn, overshadowed the rest!
** As for rewards not suiting everyone ... that will never happen.  It doesn't take a genius to figure that out!  And we can argue an assortment of points and values until Hell freezes over and not accomplish a thing!  Maybe that is what some people want.  They would rather prove that we are so divided that no one can fix or agree on anything... that would justify everything that the team is doing.  That would be true since all we do is complain about everything any ways ... who cares! (Trust me ... nobody is going to listen to or give a rats azz what we think if all we do is complain).  There has been in the past literally dozens of good ideas (most of them not mine).  ALL of them have been ignored!
** As for spoon feeding a series of poles IMO that is pointless.  Perhaps it might be helpful on subjects not yet covered ... but not on everything else.  Exactly what is the team paid for?  A part of any development team's job is to pay attention and understand what is unfolding.  IMO someone decided to totally ignore feedback and input for a long, long time now!  That is what lead us down the path which delivered the entire community to the front door of 7.0
** We can't get people to discuss stuff that might re-ignite interest in the game ... but we can (without question or hesitation) burrow our self-indulgence and grief deeper into the field of despair and anger.

At some point in time either this cycle will be broken, and someone will stop and listen, or the lights will be turned out on SWTOR.  I personally hope for the best ... but now (if things remain as they are) ... prepare for the worst!

[LanceDefender]

I'm all into new "ultimate" rewards instead of new comps. If majority don't want them, as a democracy I've lost.
But GS5 shown that without companion the GS story included in pointless and meh as hell.

So what other rewards you prefer/would want/suggest instead of comp?
It'll be hard trust me. Especially to make it worthwhile, while tied to story, no?

[OlBuzzard]

2 hours ago, LanceDefender said:

I'm all into new "ultimate" rewards instead of new comps. If majority don't want them, as a democracy I've lost.
But GS5 shown that without companion the GS story included in pointless and meh as hell.

So what other rewards you prefer/would want/suggest instead of comp?
It'll be hard trust me. Especially to make it worthwhile, while tied to story, no?

Actually ... what HAS been proved is just how pointless the entire GS matter is with or WITHOUT companions!

[Spikanor]

5 hours ago, OlBuzzard said:

There has been in the past literally dozens of good ideas (most of them not mine).  ALL of them have been ignored!

you are wrong on this one compleet.

since there not have ignore the suggestions at all since i can proof it also.

since 3 of my suggestions have been add in the 7.4 update.

all 3 of my suggestions are about to upgrade the GTN with some new things.

1: the favoriete option for the GTN my idea.

2: the sell limit to increase also mine but thats with a lot of others also that have ask for it.

3: sell the items from the same type in 1 sell slot what i mean more is you can sell 3 the same droid pets in 1 sell slot and not have 3 diffrend sell slots anymore.

this is my thread about it: https://forums.swtor.com/topic/930721-gtn-upgrade-ideas/#comment-9773486

the only developer what is doing something with the suggestions is JoeStramaglia ( sadly we see that not with the others also doing the same thing)

so yea he is listing and also doing something with the idea's we suggest.

5 hours ago, OlBuzzard said:

IMO someone decided to totally ignore feedback and input for a long, long time now!  That is what lead us down the path which delivered the entire community to the front door of 7.0

there have done that for a long time all.

remember the 6.0 amplifier sheet problem that there compleet ignore the feedback from the PTS to add a close option no there ignore it and add it few update's later on it when it become's worthless since there going to scrap it in the next expension.

its not become a big suprice there going ignore the 7.4 feedback from the PTS and make the same mistake again with it.

[Darcmoon]

4 hours ago, LanceDefender said:

I'm all into new "ultimate" rewards instead of new comps. If majority don't want them, as a democracy I've lost.
But GS5 shown that without companion the GS story included in pointless and meh as hell.

So what other rewards you prefer/would want/suggest instead of comp?
It'll be hard trust me. Especially to make it worthwhile, while tied to story, no?

Which ultimate rewards are you talking about.

[LanceDefender]

3 hours ago, OlBuzzard said:

Actually ... what HAS been proved is just how pointless the entire GS matter is with or WITHOUT companions!

For me it proves that GS was created for having a companion oriented stuff, especially story. But definitely we got 5 seasons that do not differ much from each other and it starts to become boring and not engaging. I agree.

[LanceDefender]

48 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

Which ultimate rewards are you talking about.

The companion. The companion was a core, main point, ultimate reward in the GS tracks as rewards were oriented around them, many items for them, story about them etc. GS 5 has story, but as bad as possible, not related to anything from GS track tbh. Except droid deco.

[OlBuzzard]

8 hours ago, Spikanor said:

now if i can remember good there was somebody that have come up with that idea to have a only cartal coins track for the next gelactic season.

and this is now more the compleet problem with the gelactic seasons we have now.

what you not like do's not mean others not like so thats the compleet mess with it since you cant make all the players happy.

some like to have new companions for the GS and others not wane see a new one.

some wane see less weapons and some others wane see more.

so thats the compleet mess we are in now with the GS rewards that never ever gets a good belance since we can never agree on this point at all.

be happy you are not one of the devs that most think about the next rewards for it since there get a good headache from it.

i know that idea it was a good one to have on the forum and i know also the player who's idea it was also.

i think we to give up for that miracle since we all know its not going to happing.

also the part between community and the team is a super long road to find each other since you know what has make things worse between then and sadly its also going to wrong way still so that part has become a lost dream we can forget.

like i told darcmoon all its a headache the devs team get to think about what for rewards there wane add in the next GS reward track since its always wrong by some people what there do so be lucky you not have to make the call from it what it most be.

but what i agree compleet on is that we not need a new companion for the GS for some time before there fix the companion's problem is for once since thats a problem all since 2015 there need to fix for once since it has become a good mess with it.

You really should be more careful how you answer!  The fact that I deliberately used the word "all" when referring to listening to the community was the bait!  I knew fully well that some of the matters at hand (particularly when discussing the taxations ... etc on the GTN) were somewhat loosely followed.  Those suggestions have also become a very negative part of the discussions here on the forum.  Some people like them ... while others don't.

So which is it...  the development team is totally incompetent (something that SOME feel is an absolute) ... or simply perhaps that only some key decisions (such as the implementation of 7.0 mechanics and related items) that have simply overshadowed the game in the last year or so!  I personally hold to the later of the two theories. 

The simple fact is that the development team has largely ignored most of us .... MOST of the time!  Solving the GS series and making it worthwhile for both newcomers and veterans alike is really something that needs more than just a casual glance.  It's not an impossible task.  And frankly given how much time and resource has been utilized on other projects of lesser value IMO is simply not an unrealistic request.  It should also be noted that if there were larger portions of newer content available GS would probably be of lesser importance and have lesser impact on player retention.  However, things being what they are ...  GS then takes on a larger role.  

And for the record ... No I'm not the slightest bit upset.  I take a different point of view from time to time.  The only real way to reach more difficult solutions sometimes takes a different approach.  Solutions that work should be our goal.  Anyone can gripe and tear down!  Building things for the benefit a larger portion of the community ... that's quite another.