Development Cycle Archive

---

AudioOrgana wrote:

---

Wepps wrote:

I find a major problem with this issue is that the development team appears to be out of touch, starting with Haden, who is the expert on continuity. Many of us are confused on continuity issues, as applied to the game. There are way too may to even begin to list. But that continuity is a MAJOR issue, when applied to the customer base spoken of above. To those of us that live the Star Wars Saga, and looked forward to this product, continuity is 1st and foremost in our minds, the true Nerds we are.

---

This is the absoulte core of the issue.

I really don't think the Devs take into consideration how players play the game, or how they think about it. Look at last weeks Friday feature about the "community" menu. Whomever it was that TH spoke to really didn't get why we wouldn't care to meet people who like the same kind of external interests that we do. Besides the fact that in a role playing game it isn't really helpful to find people who also like the same type of music you do, for example, it simply is useless to anyone that isn't here to socialize. That's why God invented Yahoo!...If I was just interested in meeting people online, I'd be using a free service that does exactly the same thing, only better. It's little things like this that really drive people nuts - that they don't even seem to understand why we are playing in the first place. Give me a matchmaking service that actually had to do with in-game content (people that like to hunt on Dathomir in groups of 5-6 hunting only big game in the late PM hours of a certain time zone, for example ).

As to Haden, honestly, I swear to God I'm not flaming, but every time I read something he has said I have to wonder what version of SWG he is playing. For example, a couple of months back Haden did an interview where he talked in-depth about how exciting it was in SWG because "bartenders in cantina's listen to actual player conversations and regurgitate them later to other players". That sounds like one of the things that was part of the initial design, but, like many nifty things like that, was eliminated. If I cared to look I'd look up the quote - but it was from this year (as in 2004) and an interview Haden gave that was listed on the main SWG page. It wasn't an offhanded comment from before release - Haden seems to actually believe this feature is in the game.

With these boards, and the correspondent system, I have finally accepted that it's simply a way to keep us occupied, not maintained out of a true concern for players. Take the DE forum, for example. As you are likely aware, this is the "Droid Invasion", and the next patch is "Droids Rebuilt". The misleading wall-paper aside (which has been out nearly a month and the thing it's advertising still won't be in until next week), this is the droid engineers time - this is supposed to be not one but TWO patches that "fix" the profession.

And do you know what is going on in the DE forums now? Collecting of bug lists - AGAIN...ideas for new modules...AGAIN...People making up combat droid proposals...AGAIN. It's just this endless cycle, made worse by the fact that not one but TWO publishes named after us - and it doesn't feel like we got/are getting anything that we really needed/asked for - and in the past couple of weeks virtually every single DE who has been in the profession from "the beginning" has quit. I mean it - besides the correspondent and myself, I don't think anyone is left that has been a DE since launch.

It's just like - what are we bothering talking about this in this thread for? On Monday, TH will come in, lock this one up, and start a new one. It doesn't matter what profound thoughts people come up with, because it all just feels like going through the motions. I'm sure when TH or other Devs read the very honest words people like us have been sharing lately - those of us (beta vets) who actually still give a darn - they either chooseto ignore itor maybe they do understand but feel helpless to fix it.

In either case, I just know that every day I play someone else I know, on the boards or in-game, leaves - many silently. And those that haven't often say, "I'm here until Space". It worries me that we are almost in Space, and we still have the /sit bug...and unless space is just so absolutely stunning that we never leave our computers again, I just see more people going than coming. SOE will have made their money, and those of us who are true Star Wars fans and have tried very hard to help SOE understand how they can truly make this game extraordinary - we will be left with a large blemish on our overall Star Wars experience. I know I can't watch AOTC without cringing every time I hear the battle music from the game - the very repetative battle music that was made dynamic (different tunes) late in beta, then for some reason re-broken (like many of things) the day the game went live. It just makes me shake my head and wonder how it could all go so wrong, and I'll never be able to experience Star Wars without the taint of it again.

What I outlined in my earlier post is the only way I see things getting truly better - because there are so many levels of red tape and misinterpreted information on all sides that the lines of communcation aren't getting better, they are getting worse. In the areas where we have seen improvement (bug lists, etc.) it's even more depressing, because now we find out that communication wasn't the big barrier, it was that it takes an act of the Galactic Senate to get a bug fixed internally - we are out here helping them do "triage" for bugs that have been around in some cases as long as the game has while at the same time new, also buggy content is being added.

I see where the Devs are coming from - it must feel like a hopeless situation. It sure does from this end.

AO

---

Thankyou Audio

I am so glad you posted this.

I wonder if TH will have any inclination to read it though? If he did he should take this post IMMEDIATELY to his many superiors while ringing alarm bells all over SOE headquarters.

Or perhaps he will just return to his desk, lock this thread and start a new one, secure and happy in the knowledge that he has once again done his bit for SOE-Player relations. I don't know why they choose to run their business this way, but it's a long time since I came across any business that appeared sobent on ignoring its paying customers, most of whom overwhelmingly want them to succeed. It's mind boggling to me why a drowning man won't grasp the helping hand being offered.

City of Heroes is on release on the 24th , about 90 or more of my PA are going to it , with a net loss of some 150+ accounts to SOE but more importantly , if I want to keep playing with them , I'll have to dump SWG too

There really needs to be more content : period . Not just content for the hardcore but genuine , fun things to do or the rot will continue . Radient has a vast quantity of "player graveyards" , houses paid for 200+ days and left , nameplates hovering en mass in deserts , its saddening .

I'm unsure if the dev team will maintain their jobs with SOE for the killing of Lucas' vision , I can only hope they can fix it , I really hope it isn' too late .

Is sad to say that the game with all that it promised in the beginning has not delivered properly. The Star Wars Universe is so big that you can havea great game according to the movies not according to some wannabe George Lucas programmer.

Let me give you an example, Final Fantasy XI is one of the most fast growing games right now great content plenty to do and alot of varieties in it from combat to crafting the game delivers(where I live in the Central Florida area, the game is sold out, you cannot find it), coming soon City of Heroes based on the Marvel World, you create your own character(Heroe) you can be a good one or a bad one, you can help the city or destroy the city(beta tester here ) the game has potential and the customer service of the game is great, they try to fix bugs fast and efficient.

I'm a Star Wars fan to the core, I have been playing the game since day one... eerrr i meant day two(day one was a fiasco) and for some reason the game only has some stuff from the movies, there is not involment in the present story or time of the movies within the game. Where is the ironfist of the Empire, where is the challenge of the rebels, where is the mighty power of the Empire, where is the good samaritan actions of the rebels, is sad but there is no depth yet in the game. As a combat class all you do is kill,kill,kill,kill, deliver stuff, kill,kill,kill, escort someone,kill,kill,kill,kill. I like action in the games but it seems that no matter how many missions I do it will not affect the outcome of the game. It would be nice if what the missions say under the details of the mission if we can really get to see it, we are tired of seeing the same dumb npc standing infront of a darn flag or inside of a camp.

The customer service needs to improve, do not keep on sending emails to the gamers telling them that becuase you did not witness a bug or a exploit you cannot help to give back what they lost(a base) etc. Treat your customers with respect and be honest with your answers. Try to be a bit more helpful in the future.

I have enjoyed the game, I like the game, but it needs more, is sad that big cities on different serversare disappearing due to people leaving the game, it needs more to keep people interested. Please listen to the people that point out valid points about the game, stop the nonsense of the nerf, all we need is to see you guys fixing the major bugs in the game.

Thanks

Hey TH,

I was wondering if we could get an official *OFFICIAL* word on shooting at PCs from within the confines of a base. Some have heard some CSRs saying that the bases can be used as bunkers and it's allowed, others have heard CSRs saying it's an exploit. If CMs can huck their diseases at a base and poison everyone within, are those inside this bunker allowed to shoot back?

I'd just like to get players and CSRs alike on the same page.

Thanks a lot.