Smuggler Archive

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ZarrnOrion wrote:

So I got my 2nd response back from the BBB about my complain on SOE, here it is for you all to read:

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Thank you for choosing the Better Business Bureau to aid in the resolution of your dispute with the above named company. On this date, we have forwarded a copy of your complaint to the company for their written response. Once we receive a written response from the company, it will be forwarded to you. If you receive your requested adjustment, please notify us immediately, as the company may have responded to you directly. Please note that the Better Business Bureau cannot compel a company to respond. However, we will attempt twice in a 4 week period to obtain a written response from the company. Please note that response times may vary, depending upon how quickly the company responds. We will keep you updated on the status of your complaint by mail within the next two weeks. Your original complaint will be kept in the Bureau's records for three years. Thank you for using the free services of the Better Business Bureau.

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Now the ball is in SOE's court. If they don't respond to me after that, I'll file another complaint to get a refund for the past year and Cancel my Account.

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Good luck...

Though SOE covered their butts pretty well with the EULA and the TOS. Basically saying it's not their fault if you're unhappy with their service. I doubt you'll see a dime of refund from them...

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DrevenStrobe wrote:

Without the LA job posting, I'd chalk this up to mere rumor...

But the Major Responsibilities on that job posting makes it look very much like they are moving SWG "in-house." If SOE was keeping it, I'd think LA would be looking for someone to serve more as a liason type role. But the job opening definitely looks like they're creating a full-fledged department to run SWG.

So...assuming this is true, what happens to the dev cycle? There will be a transition to an entirely new Dev team, considering the current team belongs to SOE. Which will probably mean new dev priorities...which, somehow tells me that the Smuggler Revamp is even farther in the future than we already are. However, if the new dev team is competent enough, I think I could live with that...especially if they could improve the over-all content of the game.

EDIT: Damn typos.

EDIT: LucasArts advertising for new Sr. Director for Star Wars Galaxies link.

Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 10-02-2004 11:00 PM

Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 10-02-2004 11:08 PM

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I think the vast majority of the current devs would simply be picked up by LucasArts. There would be a few let go, a few new devs added into the mix, but the vast majority of the SWG design group would remain the same. They know the current systems, and to create an entirely new SWG staff would mean the game would go offline for several months.

This is similar to the advertising industry. Especially for very large clients, when an account shifts from one agency to another, the vast majority of the people who worked that account move with it. The major difference is usually directional, which i believe we can all agree is the fault with SOE's management of SWG. As much as we blast the Devs sometimes, I think many of us privately acknowledge how the majority of their work is good. Given a new corporate philosophy and game direction, this current staff could probably put something together we'll all be proud to play.

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Arcan wrote:

I cannot believe that this thread has lasted so long without being jumped on.

If ever we needed proof that no-one at SOE ever reads the Smuggler forum, then this has to be it.

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Exactly. Our forum should start a Galactic Enquirer.

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DrevenStrobe wrote:

Without the LA job posting, I'd chalk this up to mere rumor...

But the Major Responsibilities on that job posting makes it look very much like they are moving SWG "in-house." If SOE was keeping it, I'd think LA would be looking for someone to serve more as a liason type role. But the job opening definitely looks like they're creating a full-fledged department to run SWG.

So...assuming this is true, what happens to the dev cycle? There will be a transition to an entirely new Dev team, considering the current team belongs to SOE. Which will probably mean new dev priorities...which, somehow tells me that the Smuggler Revamp is even farther in the future than we already are. However, if the new dev team is competent enough, I think I could live with that...especially if they could improve the over-all content of the game.

EDIT: Damn typos.

EDIT: LucasArts advertising for new Sr. Director for Star Wars Galaxies link.

Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 10-02-2004 11:00 PM

Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 10-02-2004 11:08 PM

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OMG, I hope your wrong

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Isleh wrote:

I always wondered how SWG can be so messed up. It's not like SOE wasn't provided with material to base the game off.

If LucasArts takes over the game, one things for sure. If the game doesn't comply with the time line, we can expect 2 answers. 1: "It will be fixed" or 2: "I does now, the time line has been altered, pray I don't alter it futher".

I would also expect that alot of SOE employees working on SWG would be offered a job at LucasArts. Why train new people? The time and cost saved by not having to do so would make LucasArts offering higher pay to get them to come over worth it.

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SWG was pushed out early by Lucas Arts. The Player Cities and Vehicles were to be in at launch. The current timeline has been approved by Lucas Arts. What makes you think, given this past histroy, that things will really change?

As far as people leaving, they may not have a new project to move them to and an incentive would be offered to current employees to transfer. Most likely the better employees will be retain, like Green Marine, for other projects (EQ2). If Lucas Arts does take it, it will be up to them to staff it and SOE would NOT want to aid a competitor by allowing their people to go (NDA) agreements.

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Nerj wrote:

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Isleh wrote:

I always wondered how SWG can be so messed up. It's not like SOE wasn't provided with material to base the game off.

If LucasArts takes over the game, one things for sure. If the game doesn't comply with the time line, we can expect 2 answers. 1: "It will be fixed" or 2: "I does now, the time line has been altered, pray I don't alter it futher".

I would also expect that alot of SOE employees working on SWG would be offered a job at LucasArts. Why train new people? The time and cost saved by not having to do so would make LucasArts offering higher pay to get them to come over worth it.

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SWG was pushed out early by Lucas Arts. The Player Cities and Vehicles were to be in at launch. The current timeline has been approved by Lucas Arts. What makes you think, given this past histroy, that things will really change?

Absolutely nothing. Not until LucasArts pushes out the KOTR MMORPG. There is just the opinion that SOE has a version of the timeline that is different from that of what was intended by LucasArts. If LucasArts takes over, there will be no question as to what was intended regarding the timeline.

How well the approval process was followed for the addition of material to SWG by SOEwe will probably never know. Did SOE bend that agreement? Did the LucasArts representative(s) to SOEdo their job correctly? Did SOE follow the agreement to the letter and the LucasArts representative(s) perform as required and some other factor, like someone micromanaging when they should have let thing be, mess things up?

As far as people leaving, they may not have a new project to move them to and an incentive would be offered to current employees to transfer. Most likely the better employees will be retain, like Green Marine, for other projects (EQ2). If Lucas Arts does take it, it will be up to them to staff it and SOE would NOT want to aid a competitor by allowing their people to go (NDA) agreements.

Agreed, but George Lucas is draconian when it comes to the Star Wars Franchise. Did those employees sign a NDA with SOE or did they sign a NDA with LucasArts or both? Who's NDA will win out if they had to sign a SOE NDA and a LucasArts NDA?

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Message Edited by JediNizar2 on 10-06-2004 12:33 AM

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Nerj wrote:

SWG was pushed out early by Lucas Arts. The Player Cities and Vehicles were to be in at launch. The current timeline has been approved by Lucas Arts. What makes you think, given this past histroy, that things will really change?

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Message Edited by true_Kieran on 10-06-2004 05:30 AM

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Effulgence wrote:

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Arcan wrote:

I cannot believe that this thread has lasted so long without being jumped on.

If ever we needed proof that no-one at SOE ever reads the Smuggler forum, then this has to be it.

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Was just about to say no Devs ever read this board.

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true_Kieran wrote:

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Nerj wrote:

SWG was pushed out early by Lucas Arts. The Player Cities and Vehicles were to be in at launch. The current timeline has been approved by Lucas Arts. What makes you think, given this past histroy, that things will really change?

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Quite easy, if the guys from Lucas Arts do not intend to do things different, then what would be the damn point of taking over now?

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Which bring back my orginal post that I don't believe they are. If anything, they are trying to increase enrollment in SWG by puting their money on the line with a nice fancy website and filling a job vacancy. With JTL coming on line this is a first for an MMORPG (mixing twitch play and RPG) and both companies want it to be sucesssful. It would also justify their deciesons and offset complaints by customers over SWG to various outlets ( Combat Balance furor) and the massive account losses that took place.