Development Cycle Archive

/speechless...almost ;-)

You devs never cease to amaze me. Your attempt at making it mysterious before we all will agree failed to a certain degree. Once we knew it was career based that was a start, then when the last went silent you ground profs til it unlocked. Too many powergamers (I started too late) figured if the silent was known to be a prof...grind grind grind til it unlocks. Seeing that too many people would be unlocking now, you guys progressively/silently nerf the unlock mechanism so that the fifth is harder and harder to stumble across. If it were just "odds" you wouldn't have the early days when I remember it being common to unlock around profession 12-14...compared to 30-32 being required now. Statistically looking at the data...something changed. In addition, if it were indeed random, holocrons would never have been needed in the first place. Simply having ONE holo tell you "You feel the need to master every profession in the game" would be all one needed to open. Still we dig in and work...I've done roughly 15 professions in a little over 4 months, only to have you hand us all a cookie and tell us...um we're changing it, thanks for all your hard work so far trying to unlock and the millions of credits you've spent grinding...we'll throw you "something" (likely a badge or something saying sucker award) toward the quest system when it goes live. Now after some time to calm down and the redness to fade from our faces, just when we suck it up and decide to take it in stride and give this quest system a chance...NOW NOW?? You want to implement another mystery system? WTH!?!?! How can you possibly credit the tons of people who followed your old mystery system persuading them to start again with the new one and screw with that til you change it again?

1) Mystery is an illusion, stop trying to be Agatha Christie in game...the community is not stupid they will figure it out and break the mystery again.

2) Once it is figured out, camping, macroing, farming, and grinding will once again happen...this time it will be called the Quest-Grind instead of Hologrinding.

3) Make it story based, make it enjoyable, YES! But be wary of the possiblity to turn this into the same problems you are trying to get rid of with the old system. Powergamers will ALWAYS "power play" to reach a goal.

4) Spend your creative efforts where they are needed like Slow Servers, Broken BH Missions, Broken Professions, Combat Balance, Vehicle Warping (rather people dismounting warping), System crashes, and a WHOLE thread of BUGS this game needs fixed.

5) For the love of God, throw the hologrinders a significant bone in the quests worthy of the time and effort all of us have spent...help us buy into your new system and regain our respect in the dev team.

I really don't mean to sound like I'm wielding the proverbial flamethrower on you guys, but sit back and consider the sickening feeling of MONTHS of playtime and resources devoted to a goal only to be making progress, closing in on it, and watching it snatched away with little more than a "we'll give you credit in the new system, but we haven't decided exactly what kind of credit" for your effort. Now sit back for 8 weeks, watch all the other jedi pull further ahead of you, wait for the new untried, not-even-in-existense quest system...we're sure it will be much more fun. MAYBE...for someone just starting out...but lots of us have already SUFFERED under the old system "mechanics".

Ok, mystery to enter it? Don't know how to answer that in such a way as to be fair to everyone out there who isn't new to the game...hope you have a good plan...but after almost a year...you must excuse my faith in the success of your master plans.

/endFlame;

/apologizeforinnerangst;

Gaavin (Master something) on Radiant

"Miscommunication leads to Confusion, Confusion leads to Anger, Anger leads to Hate...Hate leads to Cancelled acounts" -- The Yoda in the SWG Galaxy

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Personally, I'd like the path toForce Sensitivity to at least be known well enough that I don't rope myself into having to play a profession I don't want to in order to gain force sensitivity. Perhaps make the quests linked to unlocking force sensitivity within skills only achievable with related skills.

Originally, I'd have said "the more mysterious, the better." I LIKED the way Jedi were pitched before launch - that they'd be rare and mysterious and that I might never even see one. I scoffed at the people who bought the game so they could play a Jedi, because the devs had said explicitly that it was not the point of the game.

Now, the Jedi who unlocked with the 'crons stand as the undisputed lords and masters of PvP. And more and more often, I'm seeing dev responses to the tune of "well, if you want to compete at that level, you'll have to do the FS quests."

When someone raised concerns that Jedi would dominate the new racing tracks, the official dev response was "well, if you really want to be a competitive racer, maybe you should do the FS quests."

If that's the new line, that being a Jedi and/or having FS skills is now a necessary thing for everyone who wants to hit that "end game" level, then make it easy, because it's just cruel to make Jedi the "goal" and then not provide a path to it.

I really liked the original model in which force sensitivity wasn't a "goal" that was supposed to be actively sought after, and a "mysterious" path fit that model well, but it's a moot point now. Might as well just hand out the FS skills to everyone who's been a subscriber for 6 months and be done with it. Or heck, charge an extra $50 for the "Jedi Special Edition" box that gives you a free Jedi character.

Am I being sarcastic? I'm not even sure. The more I think about the direction this game is heading, and how far it's veering from what I expected,the more I question my decision to not cancel my subscription, honestly.

"Prettiest shim on Bria!" - Sev
Certified "cool" by the Darth Vader of Bria
Blue glowie.

Mysterious, and dynamic. You should be changing how to get it often enough that no one can pop a site up for a walkthrough. One you get that done, brainwipe all the servers and start over

Frederick Skinner
Antarian Ranger, Ranger(0030), Master Rifleman, CH(4214)
Ranger is not a profession. It's a lifestyle.

When you said you were going to change the system, you also said the new system would take into account the people prior to the change who had spent time to open the slot but didn't. So you plan on a whole new system where everyone is at square one?

Mariki Lee, Ex Rifleman
Last day Dec 2nd
Death by NGE
- All Hope Gone

I have a few char's all of which do different things, since with the current skill point's it's pretty difficult to be a crafter and a combatant within the same char(not impossible, just difficult) - now say i'd like one of my crafters , eg with Master Artisan, Master Architect, Master Weaponsmith and merchant 3-4-0-4 which is 249 skill points, i don't have any skill points to use for any combat professions without dropping a profession and then getting it back, but then with the 16 skill points needed for the crafting mastery within the Force crafting mastery (and maybe 4 for the sruveying tree- not sure how much use that gains though), then i must choose to completely loos one of those mastery professions, or loose the merchant (and rely on another char having merchant).

Now obviously, since i've choosed to make this char mentioned a pure crafter (who will never become a full jedi - no need), i would not like to have to do an unknown amount of stuff (especially not combat based) to acheive the force sensitivity. I feel I will have no choice but to gain the force sensitivity though to be able to compete in the market places, as i'm sure other crafters will do the same, and i bet the crafting bonus will allow better items to be made ? (maybe this is not true, but if so what is the point of those 16 skill points?). This obviously places a quandry for me, do i progress my main combat char (most likely) and give up on those accounts that have been the bread & butter accounts ?

If the path is unknown, then i most likely will hang those accounts around until the market becomes uncompetative by there being higher quality stuff out there (I only build the best quality stuff i can as there is no (v.small anyway) market for items that are not 'perfect') made by crafters that have gained the force sensitivity, since having to level more than one char on an unknown path (whilst trying to live in RL as well) i'm sure will be virtually impossible, which means i will never be able to compete with people who have more time for these things. Again things will be effected by the JTL pay for publish since I will not buy more than one copy of it (as why do i need to pay just to make ships with a char that will never fly them), but these details are also unclear at this time.

My thoughts would be that should the path be known, then it will most likely be longer than if it was unknown (as the unknown element increases the time taken), ie an unknown path could be completed by chance much quicker than a known path (but also it could take significantly longer).

Ehio The Ex-Purveyor of Quality GDK Scales and all types of loot to the Starsider Community
Vendor Closed due to CU (edit)
Please Leave All Auction Winnings at the Loot-u-Like Vendor

<img src="http://www.eq2fantasy.com/images/smiliesgif/jester.gif">

I personally believe that force sensitivity should be accessible to all via a known path whatever form this path takes.

I have been a long time player (since launch) and feel that the introduction of a more direct route to force sensitivity will lead to a more Star Warsy feel to SWG. Just because people choose to pursue force sensitivity does not necessary mean they will all become jedi.

A less mysterious route to force sensitivity should ensure a less frustrating gaming experience as witnessed in pre publish 9 hologrinding and a more accessible reward system for players who wish to begin to unlock the force sensitivity aspects of their character.

Riggwelter

I've had many complaints about this game in the fact that it seems the developers want a PVP type game or a group game rather than a game a single person can go out and enjoy and have a chance to get into all the content, but that just hasn't happened. With the jedi system, as it was before very frustrating, completely rediculous and a waste of time, it made me want to quit the game, not to mention all the people I knew that also wanted the opportunity. I did the holo grind as much as i could stand, and being a veteran player, even back 4 months into beta, I figured myself and my collegues might game some sort of edge, but that was not SOE's intention. The jedi system was best suited for those that had nothing else to do but to grind away. To make people change what they loved most about the game to get each profession was nothing more than a crime to a true gamer. So what it comes down to is DO NOT MAKE PEOPLE HAVE TO EVER CHANGE PROFESSIONS AGAIN, just to enjoy the content.

Each character type should have their own way to obtain the force sensitivity. Combat arts fight for it, artisans craft for it, entertainers play for it, and doctors heal for it. Whether it be kill 2000 kaadu's or heal 4000 people, compete 400 missions, or do 50 good deads, or collect all the location badges. Whatever, it should be independent to each player and obtainable without changing who they are.

Those of us that grinded a bit to try and please the dev gods, and especially us that are true veterans who want nothing more than to try this for once in their lives while continuing to actually enjoy the game should have some advancement into this, far beyond someone who can just join the game and grind every profession inless than3 months (WHICH I DID WITNESS).

You know what would make me really happy create a server where everyone can start out as a jedi, no grinding, no quests, it's just a starting profession. WHY NOT? I could care less about those who want nothing more than to PVP each other, I'm not into that, I'm into playing what's available, and to this day have not been able to do so.

Make a long story short, stop with mind games, all the guessing, secrets, just make it so people can get it if they want and enjoy the game. I could care less if everyone on the server is a jedi, you know what people want, diversity, so it won't happen, but at least they could try it out and have some fun in the process.

It should be a mysterious one, and it should be very, very difficult. Additionally, there should be additional subpaths in addition to the Jedi, perhaps force sorcerers/witches are one -- but there should be several -- so that there won't be an overwhelming number of Jedi knights running around, no matter what.

Regards,

Mafosp Se-Ec, MD -- Corellia, Lost Souls [Starsider server]

Reynolds Jones -- Albany NY, Earth -- [real life]

I am very dissapointed that you guys did not weigh in on this issue today, and why are we concerned with with GCW TEFS when that is pub 11, 10 is jedi trials and combat balance.

Jaxom Bladerunner
Imperial Col. Inf.
IRGN
Dark Jedi Sith