Development Cycle Archive

I am so sick of hearing about City Of Heros on these boards, if you want to wear tights, and play some oversimplified first person shooter that has a city with 4000 super heroes killing crooks that are trying to steal purses, go ahead, that game is for players with less than a 5'th grade education. I played beta, I admit it was fun for like 10 minutes but then I got bored and logged onto SWG. This game has staying power that many of the newer MMORPGs will not ever have.

When you all grow up and work in the real world, understand this: When you threaten to leave somewhere, anywhere, you had better be prepared to pack up and go because that's the way it goes. So rather than threaten the developers, TH, and the rest that you will leave if your questions go unanswered, then do them a favor, just leave.

Are there things I am not happy about in the game? Yes, does it really matter? No, the only bug that is getting under my skin now is having to click 3-4 times to get on my bike and then 3-4 times to get off. Before when I didn't have to pay for repairs, I accepted it, now I am paying for repairs on a bike that doesn't work right. I feel like I am leasing a used Ford Windstar sold to me by Larry Dallas from Three's Company.

The other things that bother me are ninja looting and cave stealers.

Are these things game breaking? No, not at all. If I use a /mount and /dismount macro, my bike is fine, I'm just running out of keys to bind with since there are more imprtant commands I need to use more often and I don't want to use modal chat.

Can I avoid ninja looters and cave stealers? Yes and No, i like advanced caves and now that the sisters have their force powers somewhat back, I can go into their caves a little more often since a buffed novice rifleman will no longer survive as long as a buffed master swordsman. As for Ninja Looters, that's a tough issue. You would think that a cave's containers and debris piles would be looted in the same fashion as an NPC, whoever does the most damage to anything in the room where these containers exist, gets to open them. But whatever, I don't really care about it that much since I've already made my millions by selling skill tapes that I looted the honest way.

My problem with the game that is game breaking is the lack of solo high end content. I can take a canyon krayt alone, but can never find one to take alone. I take take most Kimos alone, but can rarely find a spawn of one. So it's like I reached master and am really trying hard to find content that is challenging for me to play and its not there.

Yes, fighting 100k ham NPC's can be a challenge. But its a half hour long battle. I'm looking for that 10 minute challenge because I only play for about an hour a day. Ancient Bull Rancors fit the bill, and because of their obvious name, they should be rare. I want a rancor that is not rare with the same stats. Enraged Bull Rancors are the next closest thing, yes there are plenty and last night I took out about 25 of them in about 30 minutes. I like having the 7k stack of leather and 30 bottles of rancor bile among other odd loot, but my point being, it was too easy.

This game goes from too easy to too hard with little to nothing in between. When you are leveling any combat profession there are tons of different things to go slaughter and gain experience. But when you hit master, it all goes away. I can count the creatures on each planet on three fingers that are fun to kill at master.

It's almost like the play style you need to follow to keep the game interesting (master, drop, move onto something else) and the current jedi system of profession grinding is the reason for lack of high end content.

New content like Corvette and the soon to be launched Death Watch are cool and all, but they are geared for groups. Group combat does not work for me since it takes like an hour to get everyone together and head out. By the time Tom, Richard and Harry get from their point A to my point B and we can head out, it has taken about 30 minutes of shuttle waiting to group up. Then another 10 - 20 minutes for buffs and whatever else needs to take place. All said and done, grouping for me is the biggest time sink in the game since from the first /tell to the first kill takes at least one hour.

So Dev's please listen to a casual player. Give solo players some content that is challenging that does not require groups. It should spawn at a rate that we don't spend hours looking for it (krayt, kimo, etc) and should not drop rare loot. I'm looking for a mountain to climb, please give me one.

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taloncard wrote:

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Strikke wrote:

Why should mounts not be "nearly obsolete"? I mean, the only time people in the Star Wars movies (aside from theSand People and Gungans,that is) used mounts was when their vehicles weren't working.

Luke wasn't riding that Tauntaun because it ran up hills faster than a speeder and I'm pretty sure we didn't see any of thoseRebels in snow speeders getting mauled by snowbeasts (but that one sure did knock Luke off his mount).

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Really???

you need to go back and rewatch things

EP I - Gungans, Tuskans (Uh, I listed both of these, didn't I?)

EP II Naboo, Genosians, Sandpeople, Caminos (the flying mounts) (I thought the Genosians were flying using their own wings, I listed the "Sand People" above, and I don't recall the Caminosusing any mountsin their 'floating' city - exactly when did they ride on "the flying mounts", I'll have to go back and watch for it again)

EP IV Stormtroopers (dewback 20 min into the movie), Tuskans, Jawas (I thought the stormies were using dewbacks because they didn't have speeders adapted to the sandstorms, "Tuskans" are "Sand People" - I listed them in my original post, and I don't recall the Jawas using mounts, but I do remember them riding around in a big vehicle - the Sandcrawler.)

I think you get the idea. (I think you get the idea.)

Mounts had more uses are are in the movies more than vehicles for land transport.

If you think mounts were used "more than vehicles for land transport" in the movies, I would say you didn't watch the same movies that I did.

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taloncard wrote:

Really???

you need to go back and rewatch things

EP I - Gungans, Tuskans (Uh, I listed both of these, didn't I?) yes you did

EP II Naboo, Genosians, Sandpeople, Caminos (the flying mounts) (I thought the Genosians were flying using their own wings, I listed the "Sand People" above, and I don't recall the Caminosusing any mountsin their 'floating' city - exactly when did they ride on "the flying mounts", I'll have to go back and watch for it again) Check the arena the genosians use mounts there, as for the flying mount the lovely scene on camino where a camioan rises out of the sea and flys toward a floating city on a flying mount, yes sand people are tuskans I am mentioning them per movie. I've only seen AOTC twice and had forgotten about those, but I think you will be very hard pressed to argue that mounts were used more than vehicles - just about any 1 second clip of Coruscant willshow more vehicles in use than the rest of the movies shows mounts being used total.

EP IV Stormtroopers (dewback 20 min into the movie), Tuskans, Jawas (I thought the stormies were using dewbacks because they didn't have speeders adapted to the sandstorms, "Tuskans" are "Sand People" - I listed them in my original post, and I don't recall the Jawas using mounts, but I do remember them riding around in a big vehicle - the Sandcrawler.) I seem to remember the funny scene of 2 jawas being tossed from a ronto that got spoked by a swoop., No where in the movie did it indicate that stormies didn't have vehicular transportation, as a matter of fact they and their dew backs were droped off at the crash sight by a transportation shuttle. So, in that one scene, we see a mount being spooked by a vehicle - I'd call that a wash for your argument that mounts were more prevelent than vehicles. I didn't say "vehicular transport" - I said speeders - obviously those Stormtroopers landed on the planet using a vehicle, and my thoughts about that might have come from the George Lucas' book adaptation of Star Wars (it has been many years since I read it, so I could be wrong).

I think you get the idea. (I think you get the idea.)

Mounts had more uses are are in the movies more than vehicles for land transport.

If you think mounts were used "more than vehicles for land transport" in the movies, I would say you didn't watch the same movies that I did. I could say the same to you! I am not even mentioning the ramdom species you see on mounts, the majority of racers on the mos Espa circuit arrived on mounts or used beasts of burden to carry their equipment. Star Wars is full of creatures, you just have to open your eyes. I didn't say that Star Wars wasn't "full of creatures", I said creature mounts were not the preferred form of transport and I stand by that. For the 'technologically advanced' parts of Star Wars, vehicles were the first choice - heck, even that poor, backwater,hick Luke had a landspeeder. Mounts had their places - but those places were usually dictated by economics or special conditions.

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AFHyper wrote:

Quoted from this post:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=308396&highlight=limit#M308396

Holocron wrote:

OK, here's what we are going to do in tomorrow's update:
You will get 75 items per lot, instead of 25, up to a max of 250 items per house.
No vendors nor their contents will count against the house limit.
Factory crates will count as 1 volume, not 5.
We realize this doesn't get you all the way back to where you were, but it should improve the situation. A fuller solution cannot be accomplished by the morning, which is why we're only going this far. We want to do as much as we can as quickly as we can.
There are other things that we can and will be doing, but they will take longer.
(Since I am sure someone will ask: why not just roll back the code? Because it was multiple integrations and changelists, and it'd be somewhat hairy. This is safer).

-Raph Koster
Chief Creative Officer,
Sony Online Entertainment
Also, ex-Creative Director of SWG

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I am going to make this short and to the point.

What is the "fuller solution" and when can we expect its implementation?
What "other things" are being done to help us out with housing storage?
Can you make some kind of statement to the community about what is being done?
Maybe you should get in contact with Raph Koster and see what he has to say about his statements.

Axiously awaiting your reply

Hyper

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Here here!

/agree

Fivo Asia

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Cafa wrote:

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AFHyper wrote:

Quoted from this post:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=308396&highlight=limit#M308396

Holocron wrote:

OK, here's what we are going to do in tomorrow's update:
You will get 75 items per lot, instead of 25, up to a max of 250 items per house.
No vendors nor their contents will count against the house limit.
Factory crates will count as 1 volume, not 5.
We realize this doesn't get you all the way back to where you were, but it should improve the situation. A fuller solution cannot be accomplished by the morning, which is why we're only going this far. We want to do as much as we can as quickly as we can.
There are other things that we can and will be doing, but they will take longer.
(Since I am sure someone will ask: why not just roll back the code? Because it was multiple integrations and changelists, and it'd be somewhat hairy. This is safer).

-Raph Koster
Chief Creative Officer,
Sony Online Entertainment
Also, ex-Creative Director of SWG

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am going to make this short and to the point.

What is the "fuller solution" and when can we expect its implementation?
What "other things" are being done to help us out with housing storage?
Can you make some kind of statement to the community about what is being done?
Maybe you should get in contact with Raph Koster and see what he has to say about his statements.

Axiously awaiting your reply

Hyper

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Here here!

/agree

Fivo Asia

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SonGouki wrote:

When will rebs get some loving?

It's been almost 10 months now and we still have nothing to compete with the AT-ST (which is adirect contradiction of the devsstatements that players shouldn't be able control something over CL10 without devoting skills, yet it's CL125!)

Plus,now we get harassed and turned overt just for travelling in certain cities, andeven better,we get served insta-death just for running arround in the wilderness in the form of the new black hole STs...

Don't get me wrong, I like immersion, but this is a game and players like to think they can at least evenly compete with each other. I kind of like the fact that we are so "oppressed" and itdoes sort of add a sense of rebellion, but since we can't actually do any real damage against the empire what's the point of being a rebel? I once heard an idea about territorial control, which sounds great since it would give us something to actually fight for and feel that we are actually having an effect, enhancing the true spirit of feeling like a "rebel".

And please don't tell me the dead eye schematic, it doesn't even compare as it's useless for any master elite and, besides, itwas collectively earned by the rebels (and don't tell me the rebs "far out-number" than imps, as that statement doesn't fly with me from my online experience).

BTW, what ever happened to the rebel perks that were mentioned in the original instruction manual? Such as calling an evac shuttle from anywhere in the wilderness?

Anyway, all I can say is that I really hope in JtLS that the rebels kick butt the way they should own in space. However, if I see that imps get star destroyers as "pets" I will definitely be quitting.

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Gee I dunno, rebel whining to nerf AT-ST's has left them neutered to the point where the AI barely functions correctly. Don't give them two opponents or they just stall. Hope you rebels remember me predicting the cascade of nerfs in every profession that would follow once you got the devs to see that people will accept nerfs as an answer to a non-existant "Balance God".

After more than a month of free faction farming at almost zero risk you guys still whine. Amazing.

Cafa Asia

This is my first post on this forum. because up to this point I have really felt good (and Still do with this exception)about the changes made to the Game, Nerf/balance whatever you want to call them,they on the overall have been good. the game is progressing in thecorrect direction in inches or feet, but in thecorrect Direction.

Then yesterday in the major publish I see something added that made me jump for Joy. Nova troopers. the biggest concept flaw in this game is the fact that a solo rebel can solo a squad of troopers. and I am not talking a master profession here I have seen buffed marksman and non master TK's take on whole squads. I have even done it as a rebel on a different server with just 1-h 3 in brawler, good comp armor and buffs. this vs. the storyline is not inline with the concept of rebels being outgunned and has resulted in rebels using frontal assaults by individuals, rather than small groupcommando tactics.In the Books ST's where the elite and tho they could be soloed on occasion by the hero's,they even ran from them or avoided themif there was more than one or two.

now back to my point. SOE added Nova troopers, this was a great compromise. there are troopers that can be fought by newer players to get faction and XP and troopers that represent the strength and power of the Empire in the books. Not 12 hours later I hear they are getting removed from the game because rebels are whinning about "they areto powerful." I log on today and sure enough you cover your compliance to this with "After successful operations, the Imperial Novatroopers have been relieved of their duties in the Imperial Crackdown." and then nerf the xp and faction crackdown troops give to deter faction farming. I have no problem with rebels killing troopers for faction. This Is A war! I have no problems with new rebels being able to solo some troopers (despite the descrepancies from the books) this is a game and needs content for new and old players alike. but why take out something to challenge the advanced Rebel players because a few wimps donot want to accept the challenge? ok if the Crackdown troops where inhibiting travel too much spawn one nova trooper instead of three per squad. and spawn them farther away from the starports and shuttles. so noob rebels can avoid the nova troopers when traveling. but dont take them out of the game. You didnt take out At-st's. you balanced them to keep them in they are still powerful tho not as much as they where, but you didnt pull them. same thing with nova troopers. dont pull them, balance them.

One of your best concept fixes was removed because you are trying to cater to the majority. this game has and will continue to be a great game if you guys stick to your guns and donot cave in to whiners so quickly. You folks are not new at this. you DO know what your doing. Do not let the public sway you so easilly on concept changes. If you want to make the game have more high end content dont let the wimps who like it to be low end for ease of play sway you. sure you will loose some gamers who think its unfair. but the true Star Wars fans, and the gamers who like challenges will stay. ANd this game will be stronger for it.

Now maybe when you revamp combat in the next couple of publishes the ST's will be part of the revamp. hopefully some of the rebel NPC's will also be revamped. a friday feature long time ago listed soloed npc's who shouldnt be, as I recall rebel medic was on the list. rebel commandos should be there also. maybe with that publish things will go forward again. but today you took two steps forward then immediately took two steps back. lets keep the progress forward on the whole as you have been.

So my question is. When are you returning some Imperial and Rebeltroopers to the game that will be able to at least put up a fight against the veterans? When will we get these troopers to spawn at the player HQ's so that one person cannot solo an entire field detachement?

Gee I dunno, rebel whining to nerf AT-ST's has left them neutered to the point where the AI barely functions correctly. Don't give them two opponents or they just stall. Hope you rebels remember me predicting the cascade of nerfs in every profession that would follow once you got the devs to see that people will accept nerfs as an answer to a non-existant "Balance God".

After more than a month of free faction farming at almost zero risk you guys still whine. Amazing.

Cafa Asia

First I don't see anyone saying nerf the AT-ST. The comment made was the AT-ST is a tool which exceeds the "CL10" garbage that SoE has been waxing philosophical on actually implementing. [Consider this - CL10 pet vs CL13 droid ?? vs faction pet?] Clearly rebel faction pets are better than CL10 too - but they are no where near being in balance with being able to challenge an AT-ST. People who run about with the full buffs etc do no represent the majority of the community. They do represent the power gamers.

The crackdown NPCs and farming them?? LOL, all the bodies in mos espa aren't from players killing the ST's - there is something else going on.