PvP Seasons increased to 16 weeks long with 7.5

[BryantWood]

Hey Players!

We just talked about it on the 7.5 dev stream, but I wanted to give more detail on some changes you’ll see upcoming in PvP Season 6.

Summary:

• PvP Seasons will be extended to 16 weeks long (from 12)
• The maximum Season Level will be increased to 30 (from 25)
• Maximum catchup level will increase to 20 (from 15)
  • Note: The catchup start date will remain unchanged
• The points per level will increase to 300 (from 280). The total points required to complete the PvP Season will be increased to 9000 (from 7000).
• New rewards will be added to the Season Track
  • A season themed Emote
  • Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs

Reviewing the way PvP Seasons are released and the cadence of seasons throughout a year, we are going to implement a few changes to PvP Seasons, making them a bit more similar to Galactic Seasons and more predictable. With this change, PvP Seasons will launch with our .X patches and Galactic Seasons will launch with our X.X patches. For example:

• PvP Season 6 will launch with 7.5
• Galactic Seasons 7 will launch with 7.5.1
• PvP Season 7 will launch with 7.6
• Galactic Seasons 8 will launch with 7.6.1

Longer PvP Seasons
The most noticeable change is that PvP Seasons will now last 16 weeks instead of 12 weeks, and will have a maximum level of 30 (up from 25). To match with this longer season, the required points per level will increase to 300 (from 280). Players will be able to use credits to catch up to level 20 (previously capped at level 15).

What does this mean for completing the season?
By lengthening the season this way, we are able to reduce the amount of time players need to play each week to complete the full PvP Season. This will allow you to progress through the season more slowly and make it easier to take breaks if life situations happen.

New Rewards on the Track
For the 5 new levels on the reward track, we will be adding Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs, an emote that matches the seasonal theme, and adjusting the reward levels that used to grant 2 rewards.

We hope you’ve been enjoying PvP Seasons as much as we have, I can’t wait to see you in Warzones!
 

[colemak]

10 minutes ago, BryantWood said:

By lengthening the season this way, we are able to reduce the amount of time players need to play each week to complete the full PvP Season. This will allow you to progress through the season more slowly and make it easier to take breaks if life situations happen.

 

How does this work exactly? 7000 points over 12 weeks is 583.3 points per week, 9000 points over 16 weeks is 562.5 per week. The difference here around 1 game per week assuming no wins, but there's 4 more weeks of it. If anything this seems to extend the grind, and the rewards we get instead are warzone medpacks (things we can buy with credits) and an emote?

Would much prefer 7000 points over 16 weeks and 20 pvp tokens per season without the achievements

[Syxah]

All my apologies if I sound rude as this is not my intention, but do you guys ever play PvP?

When you complete a warzone or an arena, you receive MORE medpacks and adrenals that you are able to use in the next match. On a toon that only played the current Season 5, I'm already at ~2000+ Warzone Medpack and ~2500+ Warzone Adrenals without purchasing a single one...

Anyone playing PvP already has way more Medpacks/Adrenals that they will ever need so I really can't understand why are you adding this to a "rewards track" 😑

 

And seriously, a "text-only" (according to the live stream) emote? So will a simple /me have the same result?

[BallisticKaine]

37 minutes ago, BryantWood said:

Hey Players!

We just talked about it on the 7.5 dev stream, but I wanted to give more detail on some changes you’ll see upcoming in PvP Season 6.

New Rewards on the Track
For the 5 new levels on the reward track, we will be adding Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs, an emote that matches the seasonal theme, and adjusting the reward levels that used to grant 2 rewards.

We hope you’ve been enjoying PvP Seasons as much as we have, I can’t wait to see you in Warzones!
 

Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs as a reward is just THOUGHTLESS and POINTLESS. We get enough from the cache boxes we get from matches. I have an ABUNDANCE of them in my legacy hold and an average of 250 of each on each character. 

New Rewards on the Track to spread it out is THOUGHTLESS as well. Just admit that you can't really come up with meaningful rewards in the track. Like Cartel Coins or something worthwhile to players that actually play PvP

Edited May 1 by BallisticKaine

[YaddleTwo]

14 minutes ago, colemak said:

How does this work exactly? 7000 points over 12 weeks is 583.3 points per week, 9000 points over 16 weeks is 562.5 per week. The difference here around 1 game per week assuming no wins, but there's 4 more weeks of it. If anything this seems to extend the grind, and the rewards we get instead are warzone medpacks (things we can buy with credits) and an emote?

Would much prefer 7000 points over 16 weeks and 20 pvp tokens per season without the achievements

 

Already out of reactions so quoting instead

[Urthal]

Still no option to participate in the PvP season by playing the good PvP mode (That is, GSF, a mode specifically designed for PvP, as opposed to the ridiculous PvP system that was haphazardly added on top of the PvE game)?

*yawn*

[BallisticKaine]

1 minute ago, Urthal said:

Still no option to participate in the PvP season by playing the good PvP mode (That is, GSF, a mode specifically designed for PvP, as opposed to the ridiculous PvP system that was haphazardly added on top of the PvE game)?

*yawn*

Sorry to say, but GSF was DOA. 

[Samcuu]

Honestly I couldnt care less about how long a season is or the rewards I finished without even looking at my progress. What I need to know is if you are going to fix the issues that the pvp community has been telling you about for almost two years now since 7.0 dropped? Reduce max group size for premades and do some balancing to the classes. These are the two most elementary things that you could do to make the experience better for just about everyone. Yet all we've got is radio silence...and just to reiterate it's been close to two years now. It's honestly unacceptable. 

Edited May 1 by Samcuu

[ockwave]

Do you play PVP? We already have enough adrenals and medpacs. When are you going to fix the matchmaking in PVP?  Its terrible.

[Luciferior]

@BallisticKaine Wujue plays on star forge imp side hes known for playing jugg specifically vengeance

@Liarrrra You are welcome to correct me If I am wrong here Wu but If I recall correctly last time I saw you and lei on korriban yal were playing rage jugs so Im I am unsure what ballistic is talking about you being a sin tank lol

Maybe the server hes on he sees a sin tank with the same name but I dont believe for a second you would play a sin tank lol

Besides sin tank has no vengeful slams and we both know how much you liked those lol

 

Maybe we could get some cybertech grenades for PvP reward tracks because as you can see in my inventory Im kind of well stocked on adrenals and tbh I dont even PvP that much anymore

I understand some of the newer players might need to build up their stock but for anyone whos been PvPing longer then 6 months we dont need more lol

But since this thread is up this would be a prime opportunity for broadsword to hear out the PvP player base on some issues as this patch is going to pretty much set the tone for how PvP is going to function until 8.0

And being realistic here as I see a few known PvPers on star forge are present in this thread...

 

@BryantWood I think the PvP player base can agree with me when I say we are looking for yal do to something with this game mode past the current seasons and truly I believe If broadsword drops the ball on this coming patch that the players who are already have no confidence in how this game mode is being handled are going to continue to sour and be disgruntled 

The true PvPers of this game are looking your company with a shred of hope in their hearts that you will hear our pleas for something to happen..

Even adding a 8v8 death match que would possibly gain some traction and support whether yal realize it or not you need to have some PvPers supporting this game

At this moment idk If there is any PvPers who can say they support how this game mode is being handled

*I am going to be packing up and moving to a VA homeless shelter in literally 2 weeks upon my hopeful return I would love to see this game mode turned around and thriving in a direction that the PvPers in this very thread can get behind and carry forward* 

Even If you do not want to do it for me thats fine Do it for the other countless Service Members and Veterans who play and support your game..

#VeteransForPvP

Edited May 1 by Luciferior

[Liarrrra]

1 minute ago, Luciferior said:

 You are welcome to correct me If I am wrong here Wu but If I recall correctly last time I saw you and lei on korriban yal were playing rage jugs so Im I am unsure what ballistic is talking about you being a sin tank lol

Correct, I have mained vengeance since I started playing SWTOR. And although i queued a couple wz as a sin tank, weaponless, for laughs. I don't actually play sins often,.. and if so, then deception with May Cause Injury. However as I've said, I've quit. Thanks @Luciferior for correction tho.

[jaingskiratanuul]

54 minutes ago, BryantWood said:

Hey Players!

We just talked about it on the 7.5 dev stream, but I wanted to give more detail on some changes you’ll see upcoming in PvP Season 6.

Summary:

• PvP Seasons will be extended to 16 weeks long (from 12)
• The maximum Season Level will be increased to 30 (from 25)
• Maximum catchup level will increase to 20 (from 15)
  • Note: The catchup start date will remain unchanged
• The points per level will increase to 300 (from 280). The total points required to complete the PvP Season will be increased to 9000 (from 7000).
• New rewards will be added to the Season Track
  • A season themed Emote
  • Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs

Reviewing the way PvP Seasons are released and the cadence of seasons throughout a year, we are going to implement a few changes to PvP Seasons, making them a bit more similar to Galactic Seasons and more predictable. With this change, PvP Seasons will launch with our .X patches and Galactic Seasons will launch with our X.X patches. For example:

• PvP Season 6 will launch with 7.5
• Galactic Seasons 7 will launch with 7.5.1
• PvP Season 7 will launch with 7.6
• Galactic Seasons 8 will launch with 7.6.1

Longer PvP Seasons
The most noticeable change is that PvP Seasons will now last 16 weeks instead of 12 weeks, and will have a maximum level of 30 (up from 25). To match with this longer season, the required points per level will increase to 300 (from 280). Players will be able to use credits to catch up to level 20 (previously capped at level 15).

What does this mean for completing the season?
By lengthening the season this way, we are able to reduce the amount of time players need to play each week to complete the full PvP Season. This will allow you to progress through the season more slowly and make it easier to take breaks if life situations happen.

New Rewards on the Track
For the 5 new levels on the reward track, we will be adding Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs, an emote that matches the seasonal theme, and adjusting the reward levels that used to grant 2 rewards.

We hope you’ve been enjoying PvP Seasons as much as we have, I can’t wait to see you in Warzones!
 

So, in short, you increased the grind, added two worthless rewards and an emote you couldn't even bother to make complete, spread out previously clumped rewards, and didn't do anything to fix PVP itself. Worst part of the dev stream by a long shot, and this post added no new information. At least add CC and packs like galactic seasons has if you're going to make this more grindy. There's no reason to chase these PVP seasons.

[Samcuu]

The thing they don't seem to understand is that people who play the game because they enjoy pvp are going to finish the season regardless and no rewards are doing to change that, we simply play because it's fun to us. Their target with seasons is newer players, in an attempt to get them to try pvp and maybe they'll enjoy it, but it's difficult for new players because the mode is broken as currently constructed. The new players have voiced their opinion that the season track is already too long and grindy, so typical response from the devs is to make it longer and make the people who are there for rewards suffer even more... which will most likely lead to ppl just not bothering with it anymore. 

Vet pvpers have tried to advise them on making the mode a bit more friendly to inexperienced players, but we are ignored. So the idea of seasons is great, the execution is just turning people away from playing. 

[darksidenerd]

They missed the mark again. Making changes in areas player literally don't care about. Try again - I cant wait to see what you come up with in 6 months. 

[supertimtaf]

1 hour ago, BryantWood said:

New rewards will be added to the Season Track

• Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs

I think that, while the rest doesn't seem that much of an issue (though I'm fairly sure you devs are aware that stretching out the grind is not a good long-term solution, please don't forget that and work on this for the next season after this one), the adrenals and medpacks are completely missing the mark.

The game already showers you with these, and with their long cooldown (please don't change it) you can't use more than 6 per warzone on average, which is already the amount you get after each warzone, more or less.

I have already thousands of medpacks and adrenals, I don't need any more of these, so does anyone else who plays PvP. Please think of something else. This feels like "change because we need to change" not "change because something is wrong", it doesn't benefit anyone, not even the dev team by stretching the grind and making the pvp season look more uninteresting with rewards that we don't really care about.

[Toraak]

1 hour ago, Urthal said:

Still no option to participate in the PvP season by playing the good PvP mode (That is, GSF, a mode specifically designed for PvP, as opposed to the ridiculous PvP system that was haphazardly added on top of the PvE game)?

*yawn*

Until they add GSF to PvP Seasons, PvP seasons means nothing to me. No reward they'll put in will matter to me.

[Caisrim]

Hey dev team, thanks for the entertaining livestream today and the chance to give feedback! More of a solo/PVE player here, but I've had a crack at the last two PVP seasons (for those sweet sweet armour sets). I'll preface this by saying that I'm not a huge PVP fan in general nor am I anything close to an expert at it but I enjoy reward tracks and thought it would be a good way to get into something I don't typically enjoy.

I was a little disheartened to see the length of the season extended with more gaps between levels, as I find the reward track to deliver less valuable rewards for my time compared to something like Galactic Seasons. An hour of PVP vs an hour of GS objectives can net two totally different feelings of progression. Going up against premades often drags out the time it takes to hit my weekly objectives and if I run into a particularly bad streak against them, I can lose an hour to the grind without actually having achieved much on the track. It can then take a long time each week for a reasonably average player like myself to feel meaningfully rewarded for the effort let alone one who might be brand new to the game.

I do appreciate the concept of the season being extended but if it's going to take longer to progress from one level to the next, it almost feels like rather than having more time to complete the track, I now have to play across more weeks to achieve the same results.

To balance out that feeling I'd love to see new ways of earning points on the track. Galactic Starfighter (which in contrast to regular PVP, I absolutely love) would be a great addition to the objectives list - though I suspect if that was easy to do on the dev side we'd have seen it by now! In Seasons you get points for logging in a set amount of times per week - could the same happen for playing PVP a set amount of times each week? Or maybe an objective tied to earning a certain number of specific medal types in a week e.g. Objective, Heals etc to encourage strategic play or learning a new class? Maybe in the long term some objectives tied to PVP in in old open world zones like Outlaws Den?

Thanks for reading, and hopefully that was more constructive than not. Excited to dig into all the things 7.5 and beyond brings 😁

[Darkestmonty]

2 hours ago, BryantWood said:

• New rewards will be added to the Season Track
  • Warzone Adrenals and Medpacs

 

 

if you are talking about these don't bother especially if they don't stack with what we already own. Seasoned PvP players have thousands already. Non PvPers can pick them up cheaply for 1000 credit each and get rewarded more than they use  playing warzones and arena.

Stims and buffs will be useful, but not Adrenals and Medpacs.

Edited May 1 by Darkestmonty

[hillerbees]

Can't believe that GSF is not included in earning towards the reward track STILL.  Also the rewards are so lame there is zero reason to try and complete it.  I go in Warzones or Arenas just because I want to do it occassionally.  The current rewards do not inspire extra play.

[Spoloma]

You're killing the last remnants of PVP. No new maps, no mods, and no balance, what we apparently do get is even more PVP adrenals. Wonderful. No wonder it's getting harder to find matches even during prime time on DM.

[VilianSW]

I've done PVP for about a week, for that one Alliance Alert.  I've got about 95 pieces of Adrenals and Medpacks each - how's that useable for actual dedicated PVP players? Who actually thinks it's a sufficient reward for PVP season?

[_Izanagi]

So this is literally just padding playtime. Probably good for the metrics, and a way to stop people from unsubbing between Galactic Seasons.

That's kinda scummy, but fine.. you're a business after all.

 

But then giving us MEDPACKS to try to sell this change to us is insane. Like, ludicrous. This has to have been a suggestion from someone that has never logged into the game. I can't wrap my head around this.

Giving us 500 credits for the added tiers would've been less of a slap in the face.

 

And how can anyone say it'll take less time a week with a straight face? That's so dishonest it's crazy. The first reply already summed it up, so I won't waste my breath.

[Spoloma]

6 minutes ago, VilianSW said:

I've done PVP for about a week, for that one Alliance Alert.  I've got about 95 pieces of Adrenals and Medpacks each - how's that useable for actual dedicated PVP players? Who actually thinks it's a sufficient reward for PVP season?

Someone who doesn't play PVP. Any experienced person has literally THOUSANDS of those.

[Samcuu]

I've honestly never seen a more perfect time to use the analogy "organizing deck chairs on the Titanic." No better way to describe how the devs are treating pvp lol.

The pvp ship has a massive gash in the hull and is sinking at incredible speed yet the best they can come up with is increasing the season by 5 levels and adding medpacks/adrenals to the rewards track lol it's actually insane how inept this is, bordering on self sabotage. 

[Darkestmonty]

20 minutes ago, VilianSW said:

I've done PVP for about a week, for that one Alliance Alert.  I've got about 95 pieces of Adrenals and Medpacks each - how's that useable for actual dedicated PVP players? Who actually thinks it's a sufficient reward for PVP season?

Since they can only be used in PvP, they are only useful to PvPers.

I usually buy 10 of each with a new character and never have to buy more because I am always rewarded more than I can use from the previous game.

I would rather get vendor trash that I can sell for 1 credit than more stims that I'm betting won't even stack with the ones we get as rewards from PvPing which means I'll have to manually delete them.

  

13 minutes ago, Spoloma said:

Someone who doesn't play PVP. Any experienced person has literally THOUSANDS of those.

Even players who don't PvP won't need more than 10 of each to start off. After that they will constantly be rewarded more than they will use.

Stims are such lazy filler.

Edited May 1 by Darkestmonty