Galactic Seasons 5 - What Happened?

[DWho]

The biggest problem with the comps has been generally lackluster story associated with them. You don't "bond" with them over a series of adventures but just drag them out for the GS points. GS 5 was by far the worst implementation so far for GS with no companion, a totally minimalist story (which to add insult to injury, they originally wanted to charge GS tokens for - presumably because not enough people are buying the junk they put on the vendors and so are full up on GS tokens), and in the end there will be nothing to "remember" the season from (reskinned weapons and armor, no companion, achievements will be blanked and no meaning to the reputation gained).

They wasted what could have been a very good story arc with a gimmick mission, a gathering mission, a pointless combat mission, and a very unsatisfying ending. So much more could have been made of the concept behind it, but instead they threw it all away.

[Spikanor]

52 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

The complaints would be worse IMO if they put it on the vendor.  Look at the complaints this season about the mission items not being in collections at first and needing to be bought with GS tokens.  They had to change that because people hated it.   I don’t see a comp being much different. 

people have been complaing about the gelactic season all since the first season about a lot of things.

first the missions and the reward track suxs hard.

next is the lack of objective's that space heroic's are not in it.

the lack of rewards has been a problem all.

people have been complaining there reach there tokens limit but not wane spent anything in the vendor's since there not like the stuff at all.

now we can add the companion discusion on the list of problems people complain about.

i think that the idea somebody else got few seasons back was the best one ever to give only cartal coins as reward and notting else.

in the end the its never good since there do it always wrong with the gelactic seasons since there is not one season at all that got zero complains.

 

edit: here is also something there can do with the gelactic season to make it what better ( and i know now all a lot are not happy about it at all)

do the same thing other game's do with the battle pass.

from here is the reward track and you earn it by playing the game normal by getting exp end of story.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Spikanor

[Darcmoon]

36 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

people have been complaing about the gelactic season all since the first season about a lot of things.

first the missions and the reward track suxs hard.

next is the lack of objective's that space heroic's are not in it.

the lack of rewards has been a problem all.

people have been complaining there reach there tokens limit but not wane spent anything in the vendor's since there not like the stuff at all.

now we can add the companion discusion on the list of problems people complain about.

i think that the idea somebody else got few seasons back was the best one ever to give only cartal coins as reward and notting else.

in the end the its never good since there do it always wrong with the gelactic seasons since there is not one season at all that got zero complains.

You won’t have a season where there are no complaints.  They could give a ton of CC, free play time and have it finish in a day and there would be complaints.  Season one was the test season realistically. They asked for feedback and took enough of it onboard that season two was received much better by players.  But people will complain about anything you can think of.  It’s the difference between minimal complaints and too many of them.  

Edited November 7, 2023 by Darcmoon

[Spikanor]

2 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

But people will complain about anything you can think of.  It’s the difference between minimal complaints and too many of them.

i know that sadly really good that people complain about anything nowaday's all is it from a old expension contant there still complain about it.

6 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

Season one was the test season realistically. They asked for feedback and took enough of it onboard that season two was received much better by players.

true but after that the complains have only become more and more when the feedback only drops more and more.

so in the end you only have complains about one topic what has been a problem all in this game for a long time all but that is what you get when you ignore the community more for a long time.

 

[juliushorst]

6 hours ago, Spikanor said:

since with each new season then you get the same story each time that the companion lovers are going to complain like hell when its a non companion season reward and the same go's for the once's that hate to have a new companion in the companion season time.

It's simple: don't add companions to the ship (to be honest, I rarely visit the ship after finishing the story, I don't care what's going on there), don't have companion-centered objectives but have companions. If people who don't like companions aren't happy at this point, I don't see any other reason for it than trying to spite people who like them.

[Spikanor]

8 hours ago, juliushorst said:

It's simple: don't add companions to the ship (to be honest, I rarely visit the ship after finishing the story, I don't care what's going on there), don't have companion-centered objectives but have companions. If people who don't like companions aren't happy at this point, I don't see any other reason for it than trying to spite people who like them.

there are a lot of reasons why people not like to have a new gelactic season companion and what you tell is only a few and not the compleet list so i give you some more things if you look is back what people told all why there not wane have a other companion anymore.

companion sheet has become a mess all so it only become's more a mess.

the alien voice there hate is a reason.

we have to much all in the game and the use limit is still the lowst.

 

what i have suggest is that there add the galectic season companions not anymore in the reward track anymore but add then in the Ki’at Thavo Vendor so that players that like to have a new companion can get one by using gelactic season tokens to buy it. then you fix most of the problems all with it.

[TyrFoge]

On 11/6/2023 at 11:49 PM, DeannaVoyager said:

It does, if it's placed on your personal ship and we can't get rid of them. A lot of us don't want it cluttered with ugly, generic companions that are not part of our personal story.  

I cannot argue with this at all.

Semi off topic: I'd even take it a step further and say until they make it so that you can place companions yourself on the ship (pick and choose which ones you want) they shouldn't add companions to the ship at all. I don't even necessarily like even Lana and Theron on it by default. They don't have to make the ship like a SH (even though that would be nice!) with hooks but we should at least get a checkbox of who we want on there. I'd spend more time in there if I actually got to see more of who I wanted to see (romance options for example). 

[juliushorst]

On 11/8/2023 at 8:36 AM, Spikanor said:

companion sheet has become a mess all so it only become's more a mess.

Doesn't concern you. You don't want the companion so you can destroy the unlock. Problem solved.

There is a way for you to not have a companion you don't want. There is no way for me to have a companion I want in season 5.

 

On 11/8/2023 at 8:36 AM, Spikanor said:

the alien voice there hate is a reason.

Doesn't concern you because you destroyed the unlock and don't have the companion.

Alternatively they can hire a VA to voice a few lines for the new companion, I would like it but alien voice is not a deal breaker for me.

 

On 11/8/2023 at 8:36 AM, Spikanor said:

we have to much all in the game and the use limit is still the lowst.

We have many more mounts and they give us 4 more every season while you can only use one at the time. Why aren't you complaining about mounts?

 

On 11/8/2023 at 8:36 AM, Spikanor said:

what i have suggest is that there add the galectic season companions not anymore in the reward track anymore but add then in the Ki’at Thavo Vendor so that players that like to have a new companion can get one by using gelactic season tokens to buy it. then you fix most of the problems all with it.

And I told you before, it's not a good idea. Why do I have to spend currency when other people get their favorite rewards just for playing? It's better than no companion at all but worse than companion in the reward track.

[Spikanor]

1 hour ago, juliushorst said:

We have many more mounts and they give us 4 more every season while you can only use one at the time. Why aren't you complaining about mounts?

no clue.

its the same why are people not complaining about we get a lot of weapons,armor sets,decorations,dye's in the gelactic season reward.

like somebody else has suggest all few seasons back its better to add only cartal coins in the track and notting else since people are not happy at all anymore.

and for you other points you need to read that other thread about the companion for the next gelactic season is good since people have point out there why there not wane see a new companion in the gelactic season.

and it seems also that the devs agree on some of the points also why we not need a new companion in the gelactic season.

so if you wane complain then come with strong points and good reasons why we need a companion for the gelactic season and maybe the devs agree with that or not.

but so far there agree with the strong points and reasons people have make why we not need a new companion.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Spikanor

[BulbulusTheGreat]

people aren't complaining about mounts becuse they like them, why would you complain about a nice mount game gives you? even if you don't ride it often its still nice thing to have, hell if for nothing else then just to have it in case of an event or something or just to screw around on fleet, often on fleet you'll see people have fun with specific type of mounts like imperial throne one or basilisk and they all stand around in same mount to look cool, its nice thing to have and thats all there is to it.


mounts are fun and cool, and people love both.

Edited November 9, 2023 by BulbulusTheGreat

[Spikanor]

2 minutes ago, BulbulusTheGreat said:

people aren't complaining about mounts becuse they like them, why would you complain about a nice mount game gives you? even if you don't ride it often its still nice thing to have, hell if for nothing else then just to have it in case of an event or something or just to screw around on fleet, often on fleet you'll see people have fun with specific type of mounts like imperial throne one or basilisk and they all stand around in same mount to look cool, its nice thing to have and thats all there is to it.


mounts are fun and cool, and people love both.

that and there is also a other reason why there not complain about it.

since there is no thread at all about then to not have one in the next gelactic season.

the companion for the gelactic season got one and on that thread a lot of points have come out why people not like to have a next one. and it seems the devs agree with some of the points people have bring out on that thread.

[DWho]

1 hour ago, BulbulusTheGreat said:

mounts are fun and cool, and people love both.

Companions are cool and people love them.

One thing new companions add to the game is variety. There has been so little content released over the last several years that people who are still around are reduced to running the class stories over and over in lieu of any new content (and thus have dozens of characters they can use new companions with). I find it refreshing to be able to use something other than the stock companions on story repeats. It adds a tiny bit of freshness to the game even though all companion perform basically the same way.

It's very much the same as a reskinned mount, or reskinned armor set, or reskinned weapon.

The best way to implement companions going forward is to have them be summonable from an object in the GS rewards track (perhaps an additional "reward" on the FTP track) or mailed to the character at the start of the season (just like the hundreds of pets we get). That way those that don't want them can toss the summoning device (although I am sure there will be some of those people complaining later they can't get the companion, just like they did when the begged Bioware to let them kill certain companions) and those that do want them can use it.

[juliushorst]

2 hours ago, Spikanor said:

and for you other points you need to read that other thread about the companion for the next gelactic season is good since people have point out there why there not wane see a new companion in the gelactic season.

So far I found no compelling argument that can be addressed in a way other than removing companions entirely.

 

2 hours ago, Spikanor said:

and it seems also that the devs agree on some of the points also why we not need a new companion in the gelactic season.

I don't think it works like this. People who are happy don't complain. So people who dislike companions complained, people who like them were happy and playing the game. Devs drew incorrect conclusion that everybody hates companions. So now I came to complain so they know that I hate companion-less seasons.

 

2 hours ago, Spikanor said:

but so far there agree with the strong points and reasons people have make why we not need a new companion.

I still don't understand why people don't want companions if they are in no way forced to use them if not to spite those who like companions. My ideal solution would be: give me an option to recruit the Master at the end of his questline. And then let me buy repaired astromech for season tokens.

[Spikanor]

10 minutes ago, juliushorst said:

I don't think it works like this. People who are happy don't complain. So people who dislike companions complained, people who like them were happy and playing the game. Devs drew incorrect conclusion that everybody hates companions. So now I came to complain so they know that I hate companion-less seasons.

sadly you are the only one complaining when back then when season 4 has end more people complain about there not wane have a new companion in the next gelatic season and there also have come with good points and reasons why we need no new companion at all.

your points to have a new companion are weak vs the one's that not wane have one since there tell hard points why we not need a new one.

come is with a good reason and good strong points why we need a other companion in the gelactic season since so far al your points are weak against the one that not wane have a new companions since there explane good why we not need a new one since there have told strong points and good reasons why we need not a other one.

17 minutes ago, juliushorst said:

So far I found no compelling argument that can be addressed in a way other than removing companions entirely.

then you need to read that thread is more better since people have bring a lot of good points out why we not need a new companion.

 

19 minutes ago, juliushorst said:

I still don't understand why people don't want companions if they are in no way forced to use them if not to spite those who like companions. My ideal solution would be: give me an option to recruit the Master at the end of his questline. And then let me buy repaired astromech for season tokens.

if you read that thread is better then you understand why there not wane have one.

here is the link from it so that you can read it again good: https://forums.swtor.com/topic/930747-i-hope-the-devs-change-their-minds-about-future-galactic-seasons-not-giving-us-a-companion/#comment-9773757

[DWho]

6 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

then you need to read that thread is more better since people have bring a lot of good points out why we not need a new companion.

Every one of them boils down to the same thing. They don't want the companion in their "list" of companions. The problem with that argument is that you never had to accept any of them (GS companions which is what we are talking about anyway). They were all summoned by an item you got for the first level of GS. Had you thrown it away instead of activating it, you wouldn't have the companion on your ship, or in your list. And before you go on about "what about the associated story", if you weren't interested in the companion in the first place why would you care about the tiny amount of story associated with them.

[Darcmoon]

21 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

sadly you are the only one complaining when back then when season 4 has end more people complain about there not wane have a new companion in the next gelatic season and there also have come with good points and reasons why we need no new companion at all.

your points to have a new companion are weak vs the one's that not wane have one since there tell hard points why we not need a new one.

come is with a good reason and good strong points why we need a other companion in the gelactic season since so far al your points are weak against the one that not wane have a new companions since there explane good why we not need a new one since there have told strong points and good reasons why we need not a other one.

then you need to read that thread is more better since people have bring a lot of good points out why we not need a new companion.

 

if you read that thread is better then you understand why there not wane have one.

here is the link from it so that you can read it again good: https://forums.swtor.com/topic/930747-i-hope-the-devs-change-their-minds-about-future-galactic-seasons-not-giving-us-a-companion/#comment-9773757

He isn't the only one saying they want the seasons to have companions or that they don't like that there was no comp this season.  Additionally, it seems to be your opinion that the arguments for new comps is weak vs no new comps.  I am of the other opinion.  

[Spikanor]

24 minutes ago, DWho said:

Every one of them boils down to the same thing. They don't want the companion in their "list" of companions. The problem with that argument is that you never had to accept any of them (GS companions which is what we are talking about anyway). They were all summoned by an item you got for the first level of GS. Had you thrown it away instead of activating it, you wouldn't have the companion on your ship, or in your list. And before you go on about "what about the associated story", if you weren't interested in the companion in the first place why would you care about the tiny amount of story associated with them.

you still not understand it he.

companions are bound since season 2 to the reputation track so to unlock it you need to have the companion summon at all so trowing it away you cant if you cant unlock the reputation track at all and that needs to be done with all your chars also to unlock the reputation track on it.

second we have the objective's from the gelactic season where you need to have that special gelactic companion summon to compleet that objective so trowing it away you cant since you cant compleet the season objective other wise.

see 2 big problems why trowing away is not a option since there are bound to the gelatic season it self.

if season 6 has a companion then there most not bound it to the gelactic season it self that means no gelactic season companion objective's anymore and there most not be bound to the reputation track also that you most do a story with then to open the reputation track npc like there have done in the past few seasons.

if there do that then some people have no problem at all for a new companion at all since there not wane be force to use then.

about the story for the gelactic season i give no damm about it at all since i like to see then focus more on the main story and make that better then do something like that since a gelactic season without a story is a better one then with one.

and i like to see there use the old companions more then wasting there time for telling a small story for companions that have no use at all in the main story at all.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Spikanor

[DWho]

19 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

companions are bound since season 2 to the reputation track so to unlock it you need to have the companion summon at all so trowing it away you cant if you cant unlock the reputation track at all and that needs to be done with all your chars also to unlock the reputation track on it.

The only thing the reputation track gets you is conquest points and there are plenty of other ways to get those so you don't need to do reputation on any characters at all. There are more than enough objectives in the season to reach 100 objectives for the title without using any of the companion (or reputation) related ones. Reputation is legacy wide, so unlocking it on a single character unlocks it everywhere so you could even put the companion on a throw away character and still benefit from the reputation CQ boost and progress the reputation track.

Edited November 9, 2023 by DWho

[Darcmoon]

17 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

you still not understand it he.

companions are bound since season 2 to the reputation track so to unlock it you need to have the companion summon at all so trowing it away you cant if you cant unlock the reputation track at all and that needs to be done with all your chars also to unlock the reputation track on it.

second we have the objective's from the gelactic season where you need to have that special gelactic companion summon to compleet that objective so trowing it away you cant since you cant compleet the season objective other wise.

see 2 big problems why trowing away is not a option since there are bound to the gelatic season it self.

if season 6 has a companion then there most not bound it to the gelactic season it self that means no gelactic season companion objective's anymore and there most not be bound to the reputation track also that you most do a story with then to open the reputation track npc like there have done in the past few seasons.

if there do that then some people have no problem at all for a new companion at all since there not wane be force to use then.

about the story for the gelactic season i give no damm about it at all since i like to see then focus more on the main story and make that better then do something like that since a gelactic season without a story is a better one then with one.

and i like to see there use the old companions more then wasting there time for telling a small story for companions that have no use at all in the main story at all.

I don't think you had to unlock the GS2 companion for the rep items.  I could be wrong but I think you only had to go talk to the NPC on Nar Shada.  I do agree that needing the comps themselves to get the rep items was a bad idea.  I would agree with you that future GS comps shouldn't be required for the objectives or the rep. They could easily do it like they did this season with only requiring a comp in a specific role and a container to turn in items too.  I doubt they would use older comps mainly due to the fact that which comps are alive and available to everyone restricts them.  

[DWho]

5 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

I do agree that needing the comps themselves to get the rep items was a bad idea.

Agree as well, but this is not an argument not to have a companion.

[Spikanor]

2 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

I don't think you had to unlock the GS2 companion for the rep items.  I could be wrong but I think you only had to go talk to the NPC on Nar Shada.  I do agree that needing the comps themselves to get the rep items was a bad idea.  I would agree with you that future GS comps shouldn't be required for the objectives or the rep. They could easily do it like they did this season with only requiring a comp in a specific role and a container to turn in items too.  I doubt they would use older comps mainly due to the fact that which comps are alive and available to everyone restricts them.  

it was not the items you need a companion.

it was to unlock the reputation npc to trade the season 2 tokens for reputation tokens.

its the same there have done in season 3 and 4 also.

in season 4 you most unlock anity and run the small story part to unlock the note of reflection npc to trade note of reflections for reputation tokens.

same in season 2 with fen zeil you most do the story quest to unlock for that char the reputation npc.

so trowing away the companion was not a option since you need it to unlock the npc to get reputation tokens from it.

and most players is the gelactic seasons reputation track the only way to compleet the reputation conquest for points since have compleet the other reputation tracks all from daily area's and events.

and most of then need the reputation conquest points for there guild conquest also.

[Darcmoon]

1 minute ago, Spikanor said:

it was not the items you need a companion.

it was to unlock the reputation npc to trade the season 2 tokens for reputation tokens.

its the same there have done in season 3 and 4 also.

in season 4 you most unlock anity and run the small story part to unlock the note of reflection npc to trade note of reflections for reputation tokens.

same in season 2 with fen zeil you most do the story quest to unlock for that char the reputation npc.

so trowing away the companion was not a option since you need it to unlock the npc to get reputation tokens from it.

and most players is the gelactic seasons reputation track the only way to compleet the reputation conquest for points since have compleet the other reputation tracks all from daily area's and events.

and most of then need the reputation conquest points for there guild conquest also.

I'm pretty sure I turned in rep items to the NPC on Nar Shada on characters who I never got the comp on.  You didn't have to do the story with Amity.  I only did the story on him on two toons but turned in rep items on ones who had him.  You just had to have him on a character for him to be on the ship and turn in rep items.  

I wasn't one of the ones who said to just throw the comp item away.  I'm also one of those who use the rep items for conquest since all my other reps are maxed.  

[DWho]

13 minutes ago, Spikanor said:

and most of then need the reputation conquest points for there guild conquest also.

Also not a good reason not to have a companion

[DWho]

16 minutes ago, Darcmoon said:

I wasn't one of the ones who said to just throw the comp item away.  I'm also one of those who use the rep items for conquest since all my other reps are maxed.  

The throw away the item was for those that didn't want them on their ship or in their comp list (since you only need the comp on one character for your legacy, destroying all subsequent tokens you get keeps them off your ship and out of your comp list - and doesn't take up cargo space). They only needed to be unlocked on one character in your legacy ever in order to turn in rep items or access the Reputation bonus. Having a companion unlocked on one character is pretty insignificant if you hate them but being able to have them is pretty significant to those who do want them. It was a simple solution (a workaround if you like - and we have plenty of those already in the game). If they unlinked the reputation from the comp, there really shouldn't be any arguments about having comps in every GS. People who want them can have them and those that don't can tuck them away on an unused character or destroy their tokens outright.

The reason for no comp in GS 5 is not likely due to complaints but rather running out of time on the dev side. The transition from Bioware to Broadsword obviously took up more resources than they expected, so cutting the companion was an easy place to go. With the transition complete, those resources should be freed up again.

[Spikanor]

20 minutes ago, DWho said:

Also not a good reason not to have a companion

like i told juliushorst all.

read that thread is good then you see the reasons why people are against to have new companion for the gelactic season since some of then are good reasons like that there see more old story line companions then new one's.

or focus more on main contant and main story line with voice acting.

11 minutes ago, DWho said:

The reason for no comp in GS 5 is not likely due to complaints but rather running out of time on the dev side. The transition from Bioware to Broadsword obviously took up more resources than they expected, so cutting the companion was an easy place to go.

also there lost a lot of team members also.

that means the understaff problem there got all at bioware has only become 10 time's worse at broadsword.