Development Cycle Archive

I wonder what veteran accounts mean.... because i was in beta, but due to moving problems i wasn't able to get in game until about the beginning of september. I wonder if i'm still considered a veteran player...?

I dont mind the veteran awards... i just hope i get them that's all. Kinda like CoH and the prestige preorder powers.

I enjoyed reading the article, however, one thing in particular caught my attention that I'd like to comment on:

"Merchant: Remove Empty Vendors from Planetary Map"

As I read this, I assume it is a per player option to not display empty vendors on the planetary map. If this is the case, I think it's a great idea in concept, but it won't work practically in many cases.

Many people put up more vendors (empty or not) to get Merchant xp. Planetary advertising gets more people to visit the vendor and nets more xp. If something is done to remove empty vendors from the planetary map, these people will just use the trivial workaround of putting up a CDEF pistol for 20 million credits (trivial item at a price noone will pay) and they'll still have their vendor on the map.

From my experience, when I'm looking for something randomly -- armor for example, and am visiting vendors on the planetary map, more than 50% are empty or near empty (I'd like to say 75%, but I don't want to exagerate). This is very frustrating as a shopper and has turned me off from searching for things on more than one occasion.

In real life, we have the luxury of visiting a shop where there's a real life form there to harass about selection, special orders, and so on. With the majority of merchants just putting up vendors that are occasionally stocked, it creates a big problem for shoppers.

The real solution is to have a better bazaar/vendor interface where you can browse vendors remotely. I get the impression that part of the current Merchant implementation is to encourage players to visit shops (good or not), perhaps a compromise would be to allow players browsing the planetary map to get a sample of items/prices from the vendor (maybe a random 10 items from the vendor to take a peek at) without having to go there and be completely disappointed at the lack of selection.

Just some thoughts, but I think removing empty vendors from the map is only a half fix.

Ok, I'm happy that they are going to revamp smuggler and the GSW. Why they are going to allow sever switching, I don't know but can understand why. I moved from Chilastra toBria and had to leave behind a pretty kick-a$$ Wookie because how childish most of the people were. Now I have started a new charater and that is getting up there and they are saying that they are going to start sever switching...what fun

Myquestion to the Devs iswhen are they going to drop the Medic restrctions. I can't see why an unaligned medic wouldn't be able to heal a covert reb or imp. There is no way to know unlest they go overt. Plus are we ever going to see any Medic Mission Termainals?

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Tstorm wrote:
I enjoyed reading the article, however, one thing in particular caught my attention that I'd like to comment on:

"Merchant: Remove Empty Vendors from Planetary Map"

As I read this, I assume it is a per player option to not display empty vendors on the planetary map. If this is the case, I think it's a great idea in concept, but it won't work practically in many cases.

Many people put up more vendors (empty or not) to get Merchant xp. Planetary advertising gets more people to visit the vendor and nets more xp. If something is done to remove empty vendors from the planetary map, these people will just use the trivial workaround of putting up a CDEF pistol for 20 million credits (trivial item at a price noone will pay) and they'll still have their vendor on the map.

From my experience, when I'm looking for something randomly -- armor for example, and am visiting vendors on the planetary map, more than 50% are empty or near empty (I'd like to say 75%, but I don't want to exagerate). This is very frustrating as a shopper and has turned me off from searching for things on more than one occasion.

In real life, we have the luxury of visiting a shop where there's a real life form there to harass about selection, special orders, and so on. With the majority of merchants just putting up vendors that are occasionally stocked, it creates a big problem for shoppers.

The real solution is to have a better bazaar/vendor interface where you can browse vendors remotely. I get the impression that part of the current Merchant implementation is to encourage players to visit shops (good or not), perhaps a compromise would be to allow players browsing the planetary map to get a sample of items/prices from the vendor (maybe a random 10 items from the vendor to take a peek at) without having to go there and be completely disappointed at the lack of selection.

Just some thoughts, but I think removing empty vendors from the map is only a half fix.

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I agree, I think what you have just stated is a great idea to make shopping easier for people.

And on a side note. I really like the "Character Transfer"
idea. I have some friends who left right before I started playing and they said that if they could transfer their current characters over to my server so they didn't have to redo "the grind" they'd start playing again in a heartbeat.

Finally a state of the game letter that actually says something substantial. Thank you Gary for communicating with us, I hope that this opens a new, two way street of communication with the players. All future friday features and state of the game features should be so forthcoming. Sometimes we are quite negative about the progress of publication and release of information, and rightfully so I say. I hope this ushers in a new age of actual communication with the player base.

Thanks again Gary, the best and most informative thing Ive ever seenabout the future of this game, I am indeed excited.

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aibo220 wrote:

There not lying as in the same sense of a child lying to his mother about what time he went to bed.

There lying in the sense of propaganda. That informercial that promises this and that, but when you finally get it, it does nothing of that sort. That is the kind of lie these "developers" continue to spread.

<snip>

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Caine_Chapel wrote:
I wonder what veteran accounts mean.... because i was in beta, but due to moving problems i wasn't able to get in game until about the beginning of september. I wonder if i'm still considered a veteran player...?

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My guess is they will start instituting player gifts when their account reaches its one year birthday. When my account becomes one year old in June I will get something and when another account hits one year in august they will get something. That way everyone will get something, they will just have to wait for it and be here a year. Or they will do a gift after a 6 month anniversary, who knows.

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LeBob wrote:

will the Hutt Casino be a player city building?
or an NPC building?

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ALSO
TH and/or Q-3PO or whomever

I saw that we veterans are going to get some special items and smth about an exclusive SHIP IN JtLS?!?!?! o.O

MY QUESTION: Will those of use that bought the Special Edition of the Core Game have any sort of cool thing, in JtLS, similar to the 3 unique and exclusive Visors that we have in the Core Game?

thanks alot

yes, I love my visor. Definitely worth the extra 40 bucks..................

Two words: World Class!!!!

Excellent State of the Game letter. Sounds very promising.

Can't wait.