Community Relations Archive
Thread: John Smedley's Letter to the Community: April 7th, 2005
Ya, just wanted to see if anyone elsetook the bait. However, the first time I saw it today, the CU finally made sense
Insidius wrote:
You DO know that was an April Fools Joke, right?
Tiggs wrote:
In Austin, our Star Wars Galaxies™ team is focused on a big change to the game's combat system. The "Combat Upgrade" is now live on the SWG test server, and it's getting very positive feedback from the SWG playerbase. The team is also putting the finishing touches on Star Wars Galaxies™: Episode III Rage of the Wookies™, which launches in less than a month. The SWG playerbase is very strong, and we're continuing to put a lot of effort into making Star Wars Galaxies™ even better and adding new content all the time. The latest expansion pack adds Episode III content into the universe -- something our SWG players were asking for!
And asking for Ep3 content? Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with the forums on that. Most of us don't even KNOW what is going to be in Ep3.
I'm bothered that he would post that, but then again I've never heard many good things said about Mr. Smedley so its not like its anything new.
D8alus wrote:
Are you even READING my responses, or are you just providing standard responses from a checklist??
YES, SOME of the game needed fixing. HOWEVER, they are CHANGING things that have NOTHING to do with the BROKEN aspects of the game, thus BREAKING them.
And spare me that "just quit" line. I will fight as hard as I can for as long as I can to keep this game from being ruined for me and then and only then will I quit. If YOU can't handle criticism, stop reading my posts.
Face it, most of the live games unbalance comes from the HAM system ALONE. Buffs ruined this game. I was there before buffs were around, and I'm GLAD to see them dumbed down again. As for the everything else about the combat system that has changed...I can only guess that this is how everything was supposed to work in the old version. Health was meant to be your "main" source of HP. Action and Mind were secondary to that, and were meant to be primarily for using specials and abilities. The CU makes SENSE. Don't knock it because it's different. Open your mind to something new and give it a thorough examination before you cast it into the fires and call it crap.
)As long as the investors think 100% of SOE's playerbase is satisfied and happy the share will rise and it's all that matters. Do you really think investors read these boards ? Definitely not, but it is more likely they might read Smed's letter... and chances are they'll believe him over our 1000 voices especially if they're making money thanks to his company.
The big news for players though is that PvP is coming to EQ2... how does that interest us (the SWG community), you decide
The other news could be that EQ2 is coming to SWG but we know that already Message Edited by Sineya on 04-09-2005 02:12 AM
Crystalis_Jedi wrote:
D8alus wrote:
Are you even READING my responses, or are you just providing standard responses from a checklist??
YES, SOME of the game needed fixing. HOWEVER, they are CHANGING things that have NOTHING to do with the BROKEN aspects of the game, thus BREAKING them.
And spare me that "just quit" line. I will fight as hard as I can for as long as I can to keep this game from being ruined for me and then and only then will I quit. If YOU can't handle criticism, stop reading my posts.
I don't foresee them chaging the games HAM system, buff system, or even weapon system back to the original design. They're pushing a new envelope here, one which goes to eliminate the massive unbalance between powergamers/ubergrinders and casual gamers/new players.
Face it, most of the live games unbalance comes from the HAM system ALONE. Buffs ruined this game. I was there before buffs were around, and I'm GLAD to see them dumbed down again. As for the everything else about the combat system that has changed...I can only guess that this is how everything was supposed to work in the old version. Health was meant to be your "main" source of HP. Action and Mind were secondary to that, and were meant to be primarily for using specials and abilities. The CU makes SENSE. Don't knock it because it's different. Open your mind to something new and give it a thorough examination before you cast it into the fires and call it crap.
Knightrunner wrote:
In Austin, our Star Wars Galaxies™ team is focused on a big change to the game's combat system. The "Combat Upgrade" is now live on the SWG test server, and it's getting very positive feedback from the SWG playerbase. The team is also putting the finishing touches on Star Wars Galaxies™: Episode III Rage of the Wookies™, which launches in less than a month. The SWG playerbase is very strong, and we're continuing to put a lot of effort into making Star Wars Galaxies™ even better and adding new content all the time. The latest expansion pack adds Episode III content into the universe -- something our SWG players were asking for!
Two questions immediately come to mind;
1) Why is he lying?
2) Who gave this information to him so he would look like a complete fool to a lot of the SWG playerbase?
It is very easy to take a quick tour of the forums, Server, Profession and the TC Feedback, and after discounting all of the obvious whiny "Chicken Little-ish" posts, you are still left with about a 2 to 1 posts that are negative regarding the CU as it currently stands in TC. These are informed, thought out posts that are not rants, but constructive critical observations made by people that otherwise very much like this game.
Take a quick breeze through the Armorsmith profession forums. They have identified an issue that, to alot of them, is a critical threat to existing, longtime Armorsmiths. This is not mindless raving, this is "nuts n bolts" gameplay issues that they feel will, if implemented, cheapen their entire profession to the point where art of crafting armor will be lost and the whole process dumbed down to the point of being a trivial crafting process.
In summary, these are not;
- ...very positive feedback from the playerbase.
- ...positive feedback from the playerbase.
Instead, what this represents is critical issues that need a constructive discussion before it gets implemented. Because, if implemented now without modification, could add serious harm to the game. This is not a positive response to the CU as it currently stands. It is a guardedly negative (at best) response that need to be addressed and not ignored.
And, in case you are wondering, I do not have an Armorsmith toon. I'm just using their issue to illustrate the point that the feedback is not some rosy picture that Mr.Smedley would have everyone believe, because that's what a room of Direct-Reports told him.
There is good that can come from this CU. But SOE needs to put the smokescreens and the "song and dance" away and address the real issues. I'm not saying that a failed CU will be the death of this game, but it can place it in the ICU section. Tread carefully Devs.