Development Cycle Archive
Thread: I'm out of my cave!
DrevenStrobe
Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:08 pm
#157
Shug_Ninx wrote:
Blackman: First I’d apologize that we were misleading at all, if that was the case, or if he was misled and had expectations for a Smuggler revamp.
"I'm not a smuggler, but after all the talk of a Smuggler Revamp, this comment was bordering on infuriating. What about Greenmarine's posts on a Smuggler Revamp? What were you meaning by this comment?"
If I recall correctly, the original question involved smugglers, specifically, being upset over the combat balance coming after JTL. I personally don't know if we ever promised that the combat balance specifically would include a Smuggler Revamp, but I wasn't aware of that being part of the plan. We have talked many times about a desire to do a Smuggler Revamp. I was apologizing if any smugglers out there were upset because we confused the two. We do still plan a Smuggler Revamp. I don't have an ETA.
Just to clear up your confusion about WHY Smugglers are upset by your comments, see HERE.
We aren't "specifically" upset about the CB, JtL, or whatever else. What frustrates us is being told repeatedly that we are being heard and fixes are forthcoming, only to turn around and find that one of our skills has been made less useful or some "cool addition" that really does nothing for us (see: Jawa Junk Dealers, Crackdown scan avoidance, etc.).
We've been told that we were on schedule for fixes since LAST August...before the Combat Balance, Before Jedi, and when JtL wasn't such a big deal...yet we haven't seen any fixes of note.
There was supposedly a Poison Mitigation spice (Liik) that was going in Publish 9. TH even made it a point to say that it was still in the design, since it was one of the few aspects that we actually WANTED to keep out of the crappy revamp proposal that we were to be given in P-9. Well, needless to say, Liik didn't make P-9...no mention was made as to why...and Docs are now getting Poison and Disease resist buffs. So...the rich get richer...and Smugglers just get s**t on again...
THAT'S why we're upset, frustrated...whatever...it has NOTHING to do with the Combat Balance or JtL.
durks
Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:18 pm
#158
KaptainKrude wrote:
Shug_Ninx wrote:
(in fact,just to show that everyone has their own opinion,I talked towell over a dozen people at Comic Con who felt that the current combat system is great and doesn't really need any changes).
Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer
At Comic Con I'd guess that you were meeting a dozen hardcore SW fans who areplaying SWG mostly because it's Star Wars.
A better opinion of game mechanics would come from those who aremore hardcore gamers, I think. The gamer types are well represented in these forum discussions because we're fans of gaming and enjoy the opportunity to add input. If we seem insistent in our opinions, that's usually why I think.
/agree
Haden, spend some time in-game so maybe you can get an idea of how bad combat is right now.
Aakhperkare
Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:25 pm
#159
Haden. HADEN! Combat is not fine the way it is, how about you actually play the game a little and see. How could you possibly spend so much time "developing" something and never actually get involved in it? Oh, I know. Because you don't care...
Whiteness
Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:31 pm
#160
I just want to smuggle...
and I know Dreven already posted a link, but click on my sig to see why smugglers are upset
DarkY0da
Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:33 pm
#161
I just wanted to say Sorry for my reaction to some of the stuff you had said and things that had been going on with the game. And THANK YOU for taking the time to do this sort of thing with those of us on the forums.
I also had a small question:
Does the SWG team of anyone working on the game with a background in economics to track the games economy and such things?
( It was just one of those things that I had been thinking about as the player based economy is extremely important to the well being of the game as well as how accessible certain things are to "casual" players.)
microunityexclusive
Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:06 pm
#162
Haden, what about the people who unlock in between publish 9 and 10?. What is going to happen to us? Sincepublish 10 has been delayed and will probably be push back even more can people who unlock in between publish 9 and 10 create their Jedi chars before publish 10?
RohmEnari
Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:23 pm
#163
Please tell me that list includes SOMETHING for Rangers. Right now we are a lame horse that just needs to be shot. Please don't shoot us. Help us.
Shug_Ninx wrote:
Is there any possibility of classes that have been overlooked since launch to receive a "Scooby Snack" within the next month to hold them over until larger changes could be made?
We're looking at a bunch of things we can do to give the community more love over the next few weeks. We don't have a final list yet, but we'll post what we know when we know it.
Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer
Matsubaa
Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:25 pm
#164
PlayeroftheDay wrote:I have a strong feeling we all have very valid points....on the other hand what exactly are we giving Haden to respond to? Most of our posts aren't pc enough for him to comment on.Message Edited by PlayeroftheDay on 08-02-2004 05:22 PM
The only worthwhile response would be to apologize and fix this dual management nightmare of Lucas testing and setting deadlines and SOE attempting to code fixes based on testing they didn't do and timelines they didn't project.
Aside from that, he's just put the final nails in the coffin for a lot of people. The lying, the doublespeak, the protection racket of "We'll delete your characters if you don't pay us indefinitely for this broken game we don't intend to fix."
Evayy
Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:29 pm
#165
i was one of those folks that responded in the end of the pages of outcry at your statments from the interview
My first thoughts were how detached the developers seemed to be with the community and where in the heck was this game going ..........
I still would like to bring up the issue of effictive truthfull communication with your customers
You still have public relations nightmare here
First combat re vamp delayed, then possible no macro looping then purge are we to see next merged servers????
or once publish 10 hits mega jedi like rabbits around?
Back in the first few months of the game there was a survey on the fourms on how many folks pvped (a very small percentage)
many folks play mmorpgs because it is not a twitched based game, not everyone was planning on getting jtls and especialy since so many issues still exist with core game do not want to spend even more on a system we know will have issues . That and there are many folks that do not take part in combat and are the crafters entertainers , medics /docs
My suggestion is to truly do some surveys to see what your remaining players want focus on
Have your team that deals with customers take communication courses
Dale carnigee offers some wonderful classes for companies
Work on gaining your customers trust back and just maybe this game can survive it's own development foo pas Unless you are willing to bend a bit to your customers i just cannot see even jtls saving this game
Funny what i see going on now is not the same team in beta that spoke with all of us so effectively, and communicated changes so well to us all, and helped us to feel excited about what we were taking a part in,
Arcan
Tue Aug 03, 2004 1:49 am
#166
I would like to Smuggle.
I purchased the game to Smuggle.
The Advertisements and the blurb on the box said I could be a Smuggler.
Why am I a "Slice Monkey"?
The real reason people are getting angry is not so much becausethe proposed/promised fixes to their professions are being put on hold, but because we cannot get a straight answer form you or any red name.
If you were to come onto the boards and state, for example, : "The Smuggler Revamp is off until next March because (insertreason here)" then a lot of we Smugglers would be satisfied. We might not be happy but at least we would have an expected time frame for our Revamp.
All we get is empty promises, assurances that we are being looked at, the occassional Dev post about needing our Corrospondent to send them our ideas........then total silence for months on end. If any information is given out, it is "after JTL and the Combat Balance and Jedi". I wish I could have that sort of planning at my work. your attitude seems to be tofinish whenever you want because you know we will keep playing in the hope, the vain hope, that our revamp is just around the next corner.
I read somewhere that one of the goals which you set yourselves was for bettercommunication with the customers, you have failed, not "doing analright job" or "could be better", you have failed dismally.
I payed for SWG and I had assumed that my monthly payments would be used to ensure that the game I purchased was working and fun, instead it seems that part of the fee I am paying is going towards development ofa new game/addition which you will still have the nerve to charge me for, even though it was my money which payed for part of its development.
Only one word can sum up my current feelings toward SOE and Lucasarts attitudetowards us as paying customers.....DISGUST.
falacy
Tue Aug 03, 2004 3:07 am
#167
Shug_Ninx Wrote:
"We have 9 *designers* on Live, and 15 people capable of "coding" for us, which in this case includes the 9 designers."
You have too few people working on physically writing/maintaining a program of this scope and magnatude. Seek assistance from corporations like IBM and Microsoft. They will help you better allocate your most important assets: TIME & PEOPLE.
I'm not being smug, I'm really quite serious. The Sony Online Entertainment dance has gone on far long enough. It is quite obvious you need help managing your company. Both IBM and Microsoft (and heck, add HP, Sun Microsystems, and Corel too) have overcome many, many stringent time lines pioneering such things as Windows, OS/2 Warp, Inkjet technology, and Java. I'm sure they have teams who do nothing but help smaller companies manage their projects - for a price of course. I hate to burst your bubble, but SOE is a small company who is not above requiring assistance from elder members of the IT community.
At this point, your over worked team of 15 programers just isn't able to provide the level of service that is expected of them, especially when nine of them are further burdened by having to devote their brain power to actually designing the game! That's not their fault, it's the SOE management's fault and it hurts us all, even your company...
To you 15, whom ever you are, I'm proud of you for not giving up, not burning out, and not going into isolation like Bobby Fischer did!
You're asking too much of them and you're missmanaging their time. Get help. You need it.
The next couple years are only going to get more competitive in the MMPORPG world and without help, I think you're going to fail. Why 'reinvent the wheel' when so many other successful companies can help you understand what works and what doesn't work? Pride? I sure hope not...
Change or fail. It's your descision.
"We have 9 *designers* on Live, and 15 people capable of "coding" for us, which in this case includes the 9 designers."
You have too few people working on physically writing/maintaining a program of this scope and magnatude. Seek assistance from corporations like IBM and Microsoft. They will help you better allocate your most important assets: TIME & PEOPLE.
I'm not being smug, I'm really quite serious. The Sony Online Entertainment dance has gone on far long enough. It is quite obvious you need help managing your company. Both IBM and Microsoft (and heck, add HP, Sun Microsystems, and Corel too) have overcome many, many stringent time lines pioneering such things as Windows, OS/2 Warp, Inkjet technology, and Java. I'm sure they have teams who do nothing but help smaller companies manage their projects - for a price of course. I hate to burst your bubble, but SOE is a small company who is not above requiring assistance from elder members of the IT community.
At this point, your over worked team of 15 programers just isn't able to provide the level of service that is expected of them, especially when nine of them are further burdened by having to devote their brain power to actually designing the game! That's not their fault, it's the SOE management's fault and it hurts us all, even your company...
To you 15, whom ever you are, I'm proud of you for not giving up, not burning out, and not going into isolation like Bobby Fischer did!
You're asking too much of them and you're missmanaging their time. Get help. You need it.
The next couple years are only going to get more competitive in the MMPORPG world and without help, I think you're going to fail. Why 'reinvent the wheel' when so many other successful companies can help you understand what works and what doesn't work? Pride? I sure hope not...
Change or fail. It's your descision.
Getoc
Tue Aug 03, 2004 3:31 am
#168
One simple question no flame .
What do u say how long do we have to deal with the actual gcw/frs issue ?
U wrote in that interview that we should try fighting alongside with jedi that would be cool but u might try for ureself beeing an overtnon jedi and participating in raids with this FRS....... believe me its nowhere near cool .
this is no flame its just a fact as a lot of people are feeling like xp spending cows atm .
Rorenikibi
Tue Aug 03, 2004 4:47 am
#169
Fair enough explanation. Actually, even without the Revamp coming soon, the recent series of changes have really been some genuinely great steps in the right direction. You don't have to build a new car when the current one you own isn't running properly, but you do need to make damned sure the repairs keep it going until you can get the new one.
Combat medic fixes, turrets, NPC difficulty, loot drop changes are all huge hot buttons that we've been after for some time, and finally seeing them has edged back the angst a notch.
There are still a lot of things that could use adjustment, and some other things need outright nerfing, but now we've SEEN some progress, we don't feel like we're banging our heads against the wall for nothing.