Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Great Expectations, Major Schedule Changes and making SWG the finest MMORPG ever
JediKalos
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:49 am
#1054
Nerarious wrote:
Thunderheart wrote:
Being a Jedi is a big part of the Star Wars experience
The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the galaxy. You my friend are the only one left of their religion. - Tarkin to Vader ANH
The Jedi are all but extinct. Obi-Wan to Luke ANH
Jedi is driving me away from this game, and it started out as a good game.
God, and I love Star Wars,but this is exactly it. All those people runnning around waving lightsabers are not jedi: the Not-Jedi Jedi are driving me away from this game. You guys had the right concept at the beginning: very few jedi at all, and with perma-death. It was perfect. But you want KOTOR online to make money. Sheesh.
Gruenpflanze
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:53 am
#1055
DeadlyBlue wrote:
I don't think this matters and thereis no need to announce your departure as for everyone that leaves 5 new join.
May I ask where those mysterious 5 new players per player that left are doing their business?? Certainly not on the Galaxies, where I play. I get more and more used to more or less ghosted towns and planets.
New Player should be easily noticed by very short Bio/ProfessionData, when you use /examine, what I do everytime I´m waiting for a shuttle, but there are almost no chars with such short Data...
Well, maybe new players by now get the novice skill "Invisibility". Let´s hope for SOE their 15$ don´t get invisible too...
Ceraphim
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:53 am
#1056
TH, I know you are just the bringer of bad news, so this isn't directed at you.
I am beginning to feel like i'm being strung along, and I don't like it at all. For myself and 99% of my guildmates, the combat rebalance and the gcwwill be the reasons we stay or go, not JTLS.
I am so very dissapointed in the results after theamount of effort and moneyI've put into your ideas for my entertainment.
I'm leaving if something VERY positive does not come of this 46 page thread.
KutchGriffin
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:53 am
#1057
Hey TH. Long time reader, first time poster (well to ideas such as this) But this has a major effect on many people. Not only was patch 10 combat revamp, it was letting the people who unlocked after patch 9 be a jedi. I know we dont need more, but people have unlocked. And i believe that they deserve to have their FS Char just becuase of the grind they did like everyone else.
PadawanChong
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:54 am
#1058
LordPriest wrote:
This explaination is unexcusable!! Because SOE doesn't want to spend anymoney on a larger staff to fix the game, they'd rather leave it broken and patch it up so they can make more money on their "future" expansion. How actually is this catering to our needs?!?!
They don't need more staff. Thunderheart is right. They need to regroup and focus on one thing. However, they chose the wrong thing.
Ilia
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:54 am
#1059
Well, I managed to read through about 20 pages of this thread. Most of what I would want to say is here already, there is no point in rejterating the negativity that apart from the fact I would wish to register my displeasure with the situation.
What I didn't see in those 20 pages was a single person question whether the combat rebalance will actually WORK. I want it as much as anyone else, but damn... you think it will work??
The intent of the rebalance has become clear through the snippets of content that have plainly been designed bearing it in mind (like the mandalorian armor stats being way lower than comp etc)
I suspect one reason that they have pushed CB back is because they are terribly afraid that:
a) lots of uber gamers are going to quit after it because they LIKE being able to wade through stormies, krayts etc and now might actually have to struggle to kill a storm trooper. The balance can work perfectly and there will be those who hate it.
b) they will recreate the combat system and it will not actually help. Yes, issues might be addressed and fixed - but others will turn up very quickly. New ways to beat the system will turn up, professions will not work or they will be too heavy handed on some and reduce them to the CH level now whilst elevating others. The balance will shift and once we figure out where to... we will be back to square one - but griping even more.
c) The feeling against Jedi is surprising them. Jedi are clearly being set up as the kings of SWG and not in limited numbers. Once we rebalance this will probably be even more the case. As such their plans may be in some disarray.
BY pushing CB back they allow JTL to come in and distract us... even if CB happens before mid 2005 (which I doubt as JTL is bound to slip again.)
The timetable is officially unknowable. Even if JTL is 75% better put together and more rigourously tested than AED it will still swallow dev time to mid 2005 IMHO. And... it won't be that well done.
I give this game precisely 2 more of my subscription months. One I have just paid for and I hope at that point the cancellations have a measurable impact and this decision is changed. I was within a hairs breadth of cancellation prior to the We Love the Jedi love in but gave them the benefit of the doubt.
You only get that once.
Listen to the lost dollars of ex-subscribers or see another wave leave when you don't.
Ilia
Korrack
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:54 am
#1060
JediKalos wrote:
Nerarious wrote:
Thunderheart wrote:
Being a Jedi is a big part of the Star Wars experience
The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the galaxy. You my friend are the only one left of their religion. - Tarkin to Vader ANH
The Jedi are all but extinct. Obi-Wan to Luke ANH
Jedi is driving me away from this game, and it started out as a good game.
God, and I love Star Wars,but this is exactly it. All those people runnning around waving lightsabers are not jedi: the Not-Jedi Jedi are driving me away from this game. You guys had the right concept at the beginning: very few jedi at all, and with perma-death. It was perfect. But you want KOTOR online to make money. Sheesh.
5 stars for you, but also we need to take a look at what this game has become. It is no longer Star Wars itself, it is no longer in a timeline originally suggested as somewhere betweenA New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It is somewhere out there. We have content from all timelines of Star Wars, we have content from movies and books and fanfic. This is not your father's Star Wars, and I for one am sad because of it.
Iarian
Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:55 am
#1061
Thunderheart wrote:
Great Expectations
There are great expectations in the community for the upcoming Combat Balance and the Galactic Civil War revamp. These announced upcoming major features are pivotal to making the Galaxies experience more of a Star Wars experience. To deliver on these major features, we will need the full development team and re-assembling the team isn’t going to happen until after the upcoming Jump to Lightspeed expansion is shipped.
Delaying these critical features was not something we are doing for our convenience, but only to ensure they are done well. The team leadership has been discussing these changes, the future of SWG and the feedback from the community. Clearly the community wants us to do a better job at delivering the game service and this reinforced our decision to make sure we have adequate resources on each update to the game.
At the core of the discussions are our team goals. The team’s goals are to increase the quality of the service, make the game more fun and accessible and finally to make a much more intense Star Wars experience. In this, we agree with the community that our design and implementation process should continue to be improved and we want to assure our customers that it is our goal to exceed their expectations and make SWG the finest MMORPG ever.
Rather than continue to split the team’s forces and try to accomplish too many goals, we’re going to do a few things and do them right. Once the Jump To Lightspeed is complete, the team as a whole will be re-grouped. Then the combined team will accomplish the Combat Balance, the GCW and all the other improvements to the game.
What’s Ahead
To offset this very big announcement that will affect all of you, I will be immediately working with the correspondents and the community to develop a list of pre-combat balance fixes to get combat into a more enjoyable state. This will encompass many items planned for the Combat Balance, and will happen in a steady stream between now and JTL. The Combat Medic and Bounty Hunter changes that are coming in Publish 9.1 are the first of these efforts.
Between now and JTL is where I come in. Right out of the gate, I’ll be working with the community to develop plans for the Combat Balance and post them on the site; we’ll do a few features and I will continue to post updates. Later we will do the same for the GCW, the Squad Leader Revamp and all of the community issues on the table. In this, we can marry community expectations and development goals in a way that has never been done before with online games.
Our next major update, Publish 10 will bring us “The Jedi Trials”. Finishing the revamp of the Jedi profession is a big task. Being a Jedi is a big part of the Star Wars experience and it is a big game system. To become a Jedi, there needs to be a known path with mysterious quests, new NPC’s, new NPC behaviors, new places and all the little things that will make The Jedi Trials a publish to be excited about. To accomplish this, the team has expanded the scope of publish 10 so there is more design time and more testing time (hence the big changes).
Not long after The Jedi Trials, we’ll be focused on the JTL Beta and integrating Space with the ground game. Meshing the live service with JTL is a big challenge since it means it will be the first time anyone has ever integrated a complete RPG and action Space game before.
The Jump to Lightspeed is currently on track for a later October launch, which is a relatively short time away. Prior to that, we’ll be finishing up the Jedi Trials (Publish 10) and right after that, we will begin integrating the ground game with Space, start the JTL Beta Test and get on with making the game we all want to play. The good news is that the Jump to Lightspeed beta registration site is opening later this week
We appreciate your continued participation in the SWG community. Please continue to give us constructive feedback on our message boards as it helps us keep focused on your needs and priorities.
I actually don't mind waiting - so long as these quotes ring true.. I really do hope that the DEV's - especially TH does work with us - and listens to us on how things should work. After all we are the ones who play the game on a day to day basis and know what does and doesn't work.
I also hope that the DEV's listen to the people who play the professions first - instead of say a Rifleman who complains that a Fencer is too strong because and vice versa. This is what happened to the CH profession - the DEV's were to quick to listen to everyone else complain and not the CH's themselves and have all but killed the profession.
I think if they truly do do this - and then fix it correctly. The wait will be worth it...
Galiger
Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:00 am
#1062
gngbng wrote:
LuthianP wrote:
Galiger wrote:
Well I know this post will be lost in the ocean of complaints but I just want to express my enjoyment in the game that you have created. It is unlike any game I have played in the past and in my eye is a very sucessful game. Please just do the best you can do and that is all that anyone, that is reasonable people, can ask.
I have extremely enjoyed the crafting and combat in this game and believe you are doing a wonderful job. People will always be unhappy with what you do... you are dealing with thousands of people - all of which have different ideas, dreams and wishes. You will never make a game that makes everyone happy... so set your goals and run with it, definately don't loss sleep over it... you're no good to anyone sleepy.
Good luck to you Thunderheart, and the rest of the Devs.
I personally thank-you for the game and the work you have done.
How long have you been playing SWG?
I was wondering the same thing. Give it about 6 or 8 months and we'll see if they sing the same tune. Fact is all they did today was screw the old timers. Anyone that's new to this game has no idea what's we're talking about because they haven't dealt with the same trash month after month after month. They haven't PvPed for months, while trying to "create" their own GCW. You should see the people trying to keep PvP alive on Kauri through all of this. The players are they ones I salute, not the Devs.
Well been here from week one... and I've enjoyed the game... I've PvP'ed, I've crafted, I've done combat lately... Is it perfect, no... did I say anywhere in my post that it was perfect?!? All I said was, "I just want to express my enjoyment in the game that you have created" You show me the prefect game and I'll be amazed... in fact I'll even recommend that you head over to that game...
I knew this would happen... all you haters can't let anyone enjoy the game... if anyone enjoys the game you have to make fun of them or try to discredit them by calling them Fanboys or crap like that. I'm truely sorry you aren't enjoying the game, I hope someday you will find the game that fulfills your dreams and gameplay style.
I'm sure someone will make the comment... "Well I hope you enjoy playing by your self, blah, blah, blah." I've heard that before and yet I still have to fight through the crowds at Coronet.... Well I wish you all luck, and hope you have fun doing something in your life. Good day.
NL-Sneeuw
Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:03 am
#1063
Well been here from week one... and I've enjoyed the game... I've PvP'ed, I've crafted, I've done combat lately... Is it perfect, no... did I say anywhere in my post that it was perfect?!? All I said was, "I just want to express my enjoyment in the game that you have created" You show me the prefect game and I'll be amazed... in fact I'll even recommend that you head over to that game...
Ever played: Age of Empires II ?
Personally i think its the most balanced game i have ever played 
JediKalos
Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:03 am
#1064
Korrack wrote:also we need to take a look at what this game has become. It is no longer Star Wars itself, it is no longer in a timeline originally suggested as somewhere betweenA New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It is somewhere out there. We have content from all timelines of Star Wars, we have content from movies and books and fanfic. This is not your father's Star Wars, and I for one am sad because of it
You are absolutely right. It has become this strange potpourri (sp?)--you know mixed up stew!--of things that just don't fit together. Especially all the faux-Jedi, as I will now call them, the faux-Jedi, the not-Jedi Jedi who act nothing like Jedi do. . . the Bizarro Jedi (remember, like the Bizarro Superman) from an alternate universe: thugs with lightsabers. What a mess. Especially if you love Star Wars.
SWG_Bobo
Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:05 am
#1065
I am very disappointed at where this is all going. What makes me upset however is the fact that I spent a grand to go to fanfest to find out all what is going to happen in "the next few months", only to find myself now guessing what is going to be happening.
Ok, soI got an automatic shoe-in for beta. I am more concerned about the combat balance and current bugs like still being tossed of my swoop 50m forward into a bunch of nasties without any combat skills or buffs. Or, when I log in and im at least 3000m from any base and tells me thatI cannot enter this structure till all turrets have been destroyed while inmy own HOUSE!
I have 5 accounts, so I know a lot of issues with the different classes. I'm not going to go on and list all the bugs thatI have found. I assume you know about them already. Bringing in more bugs will probably destroy this game and leave the elders looking for a new home.
I applaud your efforts TH, I really do. I enjoyed meeting all the devs and think they are really cool. But cool doesn't stack up against what needs to get done first. You all have had a bunch of great feedback from myself and others at fanfest. Please dont let these issues slip into thespace that I see out there, in that thing I call "Jump to the Black Hole".
JediKalos
Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:05 am
#1066
sorry for the multiple posts: something weird going on with the posting function