Smuggler Archive
Thread: To buy or not to buy ToOW
Message Edited by Aendracon on 09-15-2005 01:55 AM
Aendracon wrote:
"The November edition of PC Gamer mistakenly reported that the next expansion pack of Star Wars Galaxies, Trials of Obi-Wan, would be available as a free download to subscribers. In fact, the expansion, while a digital download-only release, will be available for purchase by subscribers for $29.99. Also, as part of the pre-order promotion anyone pre-ordering the game will get early access - on October 25th - one week prior to the official launch along with an exclusive in-game item, the Transport skiff -- the first-ever eight-person vehicle available in Star Wars Galaxies!"
I would probably care to pre-order, but there are some points to consider:
1. it is a download only. I had to buy TTE for the sole reason that it would have taken about 23 DAYS and a couple of hours just to download all the updates for SWG and JTL via modem. So much for "can be played either via cable or modem". But even if I could manage the downlaod, what happens if I ever have to reinstall my computer? Download from scratch? Is there any way to save the updates/expansions sepparately?
Burn the .tre files on a CD/DVD, you can also ask a buddy with a faster connection to download those, I recently found in the CS-Forum a thread with links to the .tre-files for direct download.
2.A transport skiff sure sounds fun, if only because it is Episode VI material for a change (at least that´s what I assume). Given SoE tendency to break balance in order to push sales, I could also immagine that it is in every way supperior to the craftable 7 person speeder. But here is the catch: RotW taught me that SoE has also no quarrels about spitting its long time customers in the face by releasing a bundled edition with an even better special right afterwards. So as far as I know, there could be another bundle in December with a friggin Corvette as a special gift.
I am disappointed about that pre-order reward. If that is all I don't think I will buy the expansion.
3. Apart from this skiff, I have heard nothing that would make me want to buy the expansion. Sure, there will be some more uberloot - not to mention the already infamous lava-saber (and whoever thought of that idea needs his head examined). But frankly, I own RotW as part of the bundle and never really cared to set foot on wookiee world so far.
Probably I should try and beta test this pile of crap. So far it is not interesting at all.
I've learned my lesson from SOE expansions... don't buy it unless you're absolutely positive that you will have fun with it. JTL was sort of worth it, but that fun lasted for about a month an was gone. I still don't have RotW, and I'm not sure I'll ever get it.
I probably won't be buying ToOW either. Only thing I can think of that might change my mind is if somehow real smuggler missions made it into this expansion. That's extremely unlikely... if anything it will just be one or two missions aimed at smugglers.If that's the case, I know I won't be getting it.
On a completely unrelated note:
I wonder how people at PC Gamer could get the idea of an expansion available for free to suscribers? Imagine that: devellopment of new content covered by monthly fees?
Iawo wrote:
I've learned my lesson from SOE expansions... don't buy it unless you're absolutely positive that you will have fun with it. JTL was sort of worth it, but that fun lasted for about a month an was gone. I still don't have RotW, and I'm not sure I'll ever get it.
I probably won't be buying ToOW either. Only thing I can think of that might change my mind is if somehow real smuggler missions made it into this expansion. That's extremely unlikely... if anything it will just be one or two missions aimed at smugglers.If that's the case, I know I won't be getting it.
I have a feeling that if this happened, there'd be a riot here on this board. To promise a Smuggler revamp for years, only to have us pay for it as part of an expansion in the end - surely not even SOE can be that greedy and stupid?
...
Well...
It is SOE we're talking about here. So it's not entirely unlikely that they could do this. But then I guess we would have heard about it already. If something as big and wanted as smuggler missions would be part of the expansion, surely they would have said so to generate more interest?
Aendracon wrote:
And risk a shiploadof cancelled accounts?
Well, if marketing (which is calling the shots here) was aware of the PR disaster and cancelled accounts such a move would entail, surely they wouldn't do it in the first place?
Only way id pay for smuggler missions in an expansion would be if that expansion was the Underworld Expansion. By that i mean it added a multitude of criminal factions that all players could join and could do quests and missions for said factions. Play them off each other with your proffession being given proffesion centric missions. That way you could not get a crafter with no smuggler abilitys taking smuggler missions and vice versa (un less it was spice 
). Also it would need to add Nar Shaddarr and possibly a huge space sector around it all with content.
that would be the only way id pay for smuggling missions.
If they simply bolted them onto an expansion that had nothing else for me i would jump this ship so fast not even the rats could catch me
Aendracon wrote:
And risk a shiploadof cancelled accounts?
umm.... CU?
TheChipmunkSlayer wrote:
Aendracon wrote:
And risk a shiploadof cancelled accounts?
umm.... CU?
That's exactly the problem. SOE found out shortly after the CU that, sure alot of folks will moan about an unwanted change, or an unfulfilled promise .... but far too many people continue to play SWG.
If a change were to occur and the player-community banded together and said, "That's it! Prepare to cancel half a million account SOE", then the next day SOE gets flooded with half a million account drops, then and only then would SOE listen to what the players are saying.
They don't care if we gripe or they get insulted, because we still line their pockets, disgruntled as we may be.
Message Edited by Ekwalizer on 09-15-2005 11:40 AM
I'm waiting until aweek or soafter it goes live to make my decision. Unless they have solid unique content for Smugglers the answer will probably be no.
You can think of everyone buying the expansion when it comes out to be my "Gamma" testers.