Community Relations Archive

Clearly the SWG team is working hard on expanding the feature set of the game at this time. However, you should not start adding new features to a product until you finish the old ones. Finishing a feature does not include fixing bugs, as bug fixing is an ongoing process beyond the point where you can say "a feature has been implemented." However, there is one critical part of implementation that is required before you can say you're done:

Documentation.

I'm sure not too many people bother to look at it any more, but here we are, some two months post-CU, and the "Current Manual" on the SWG Web site still reflects pre-CU game systems. Sure, you can find CU information on the "Combat Upgrade" section of the home page, but that doesn't reflect the fact that the "Current Manual" is in many ways terribly out of date.

If you're trying to attract new players, this is not the way to do it.

If you're trying to get people to fall in love with new systems, this is not the way to do it.

Now I don't own The Total Experience, so I don't know if it comes with an updated paper manual or not, but I'd think if it did, they'd be able to update the Web site more effectively.

Sadly, it seems most games fall victim to this. However, part of implementing any new system must include documenting the system for the end users if you expect people to embrace the change and to avoid alienating new or returning users. Incredibly, some people do read manuals, especially for more complex games (like SWG).

Here's a tip: Providing no information is better than providing wrong information. If something is no longer valid, take it off the site. People don't need to see it.