Smuggler Archive

I'm sending this out to all the SWG News websites that I can think of, and possibly IGN and other sites like that... give me some ideas of where to send it...

SWG Stratics
SWG Warcry
SWG Online

give me some ideas...

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Greetings,

I'm writing this to you in an effort that the plight of the smuggler will be heard. The smuggler profession has been "broken" since the launch of SWG. The first overhaul or "re-vamp" of the profession was promised on August 26, of 2003, over one year ago... since that time it has been pushed back contiually to make time for other "more important" aspects of the game e.g. jedi, chef, image designer... The smuggler community as a whole has been continually lied to by the Development team and have been told by SOETyrant that "I'm sure every time inthe pasta mention was made of something we intended to do it was true -at that moment-" They have shown un-professional business practices to PAYING customers. This is un-acceptable, and can be confirmed by this post on the official forums

Smugglers in SWG History - as written by the Devs
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=smuggler&message.id=81983&page=1

There treatment of their customers is completely rediculous, especially for someone like me (of which there are many) who purchased the game intending to Smuggle. There have been several "petitions" on the forums that have gone completelty unnoticed by the Development team.

PETITION TO NOT NERF OUR ALREADY NEGLECTED PROFESSION !!!!!!!!! A MUST SIGN FOR ANY SMUGGLER
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=smuggler&message.id=64231

Also, with the addition of Jump to Lightspeed, and the "Smuggler's Alliance" as it's called, there has been an uproar about the fact that any player, who chooses to be a neutral pilot can be considered a "smuggler". This has been considered a slap in the face by the smuggler community as a whole, and it is feared that the development team may be slowly trying to weed out our beloved profession.

*Smuggling* -vs- "smuggling" ...why is the Smuggler community misunderstood?
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=smuggler&message.id=134811

The following is a letter, not written by myself, but written by Shrendyc of the SWG Forums as a letter from the smuggler community to Sony Online Entertainment; and signed by various members of the smuggler community. I ask that you at least show the smugglers "some love" and post this in the news section of your website or at least give some hororable mention, help the plight of the smuggler, a paying customer.
______________________________________

We, the undersigned members of the smuggler community, are coming together in the one effort to alert the Developers, Managers, Community Relations People at SOE at just how grossly and unfairly we as paying customers have been treated since this Online Game has gone live in June of 2003.

The smuggler profession was unfinished at launch, and the people who chose to play this professionwere informed on the boards established by SOE for communication to its playerbase that the smuggler profession would see attention via a revamp quickly. Several posts were made to that effect, and many promises were made and then broken.

The profession in its incomplete state was still somewhat enjoyable to play and if it were left alone would still be entertaining. However, over the course of the past 17 months of live game, the profession has suffered one setback after another during various patches, with almost no positive fixes to aid the profession in becoming complete.

There has been almost zero communication with the developers regarding the revamp promised. There has been almost no communication with the developers regarding changes that affect our profession. We have suffered the indignity of having high level imperials smuggle better than our masters. The one saleable item we craft is not in demand at all because chef foods are largely better with no downer. The downer was changed with no warning or reason. Slicing is more tedious than ever due to a change that was never supposed to have made it to the live servers - which was promised to be fixed and yet still remains. A great deal more history can be found with this link [attach EN's history postclicky here]. It can even be said that all the broken promises have done was to keep more people in the game and as paying customers, since they were holding onto the notion that SOE was going to produce the improvements soon. Many people who solely purchased the game to play a smuggler character, had they known the truth, would have been able to save their money by cancelling and then returning when the revamp had been completed. It appears that SOE deliberately misled these people by planting these posts regarding the smuggler revamp at times of great agitation within the community itself.

This treatment of paying customers is completely unacceptable. This treatment has already resulted in many members of the profession not only quitting the profession itself, but leaving the game in its entirety, with no hope of ever playing another SOE product again. Many of the smugglers who have remained are reaching the same point, and will never reccomend this product or any other made by this company given its abysmal customer service.

We are making this effort one last time to reach the decision makers in this matter, so we can get some attention. It is becoming more and more apparent that we have ceased to be important to the SOE hierarchy, and if this garners no real action then a copy of this and all signatures will be forwarded to any and all game magazines and periodicals possible in an effort to prevent good people from potentially wasting their money on a mediocre product made by a bad company.

Shrendyc
Milasio
yimaz
TsN-Wizzer
KiayaWi
Jalgraxa
torgo23
traccer
Jibbrish
SmugglinZane
rogue_eight
electricnomad
VoiceofReason
Homer_J_S
Traie
JacobKell
01201986
DrevenStrobe
Boycarino
kingfarooq218
BigLands
kgmkiorys
K_Star
chaosdreadnaut
TimSpork
NickHeel
Kibbypoo
fishbrains
Barndamascus
MorphineOne
LM
dig1tree
GuntherSlag
Sataki
Slipkid42
flounder05
JohnnyBravoRPD
Akiram_Glockem
Sookithewooki
HeadHunterq2
Planeseeker
Arcan
Rudakus
Drakainen
SBRD0C
Gooney
Tynvyr
Solo4114
d0qtrX
HaughtyElf
Durinthiam
VitoGenovese
Spec-Ops
Ailen
darf13
Mentski
ApollyonTB
Stunzzuf
Road-Kill21
DDfan
puffer1999
dolansorbet
Iridonian
Rotgut231ci
ZejjiZ
Sirgleno
Andur
Vyko
DarkTrout
almanish
BaronPwent
Toront
TheVirg
AboveTopSecret
Undergrid
wookieonrampage
Kivas
mega419
NotWorm
HimFan
Ramsey_Lanclo
Kerg-istan
DaBartender
BaronJuJu
Gechi
HA-SuperNaut
Kobei
akd23
HeYoU
cult22
JediNizar2
Dwiggz
Tyd
xTekx
DarthGrendel
HOTDOG
SdeWndr
rahzaar
Kruge99
dpk241
and finally myself... JarusSarn

I implore you, there is no group of people more passionate about their profession than the smugglers. We need the entire communities help and support. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Jarus Sarn
Representing the SWG Smuggler Community

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Well written. /sign

/sign

*looks up to last 2 underworld boxes to complete...wonders why on earth i should*

---

Shrendyc wrote:

Great idea - not that they'll listen, and not that it will do any good.

SOETyrant has his own agenda, and with every change in regime, the smugglers get dumped back to the bottom of the bin.

There's always something else that needs attention first. Way of the world man.

That said - let me make a "positive" contribution...

We, the undersigned members of the smuggler community, are coming together in the one effort to alert the Developers, Managers, Community Relations People at SOE at just how grossly and unfairly we as paying customers have been treated since this Online Game has gone live in June of 2003.

The smuggler profession was unfinished at launch, and the people who chose to play this professionwere informed on the boards established by SOE for communication to its playerbase that the smuggler profession would see attention via a revamp quickly. Several posts were made to that effect, and many promises were made and then broken.

The profession in its incomplete state was still somewhat enjoyable to play and if it were left alone would still be entertaining. However, over the course of the past 17 months of live game, the profession has suffered one setback after another during various patches, with almost no positive fixes to aid the profession in becoming complete.

There has been almost zero communication with the developers regarding the revamp promised. There has been almost no communication with the developers regarding changes that affect our profession. We have suffered the indignity of having high level imperials smuggle better than our masters. The one saleable item we craft is not in demand at all because chef foods are largely better with no downer. The downer was changed with no warning or reason. Slicing is more tedious than ever due to a change that was never supposed to have made it to the live servers - which was promised to be fixed and yet still remains. A great deal more history can be found with this link [attach EN's history postclicky here]. It can even be said that all the broken promises have done was to keep more people in the game and as paying customers, since they were holding onto the notion that SOE was going to produce the improvements soon. Many people who solely purchased the game to play a smuggler character, had they known the truth, would have been able to save their money by cancelling and then returning when the revamp had been completed. It appears that SOE deliberately misled these people by planting these posts regarding the smuggler revamp at times of great agitation within the community itself.

This treatment of paying customers is completely unacceptable. This treatment has already resulted in many members of the profession not only quitting the profession itself, but leaving the game in its entirety, with no hope of ever playing another SOE product again. Many of the smugglers who have remained are reaching the same point, and will never reccomend this product or any other made by this company given its abysmal customer service.

We are making this effort one last time to reach the decision makers in this matter, so we can get some attention. It is becoming more and more apparent that we have ceased to be important to the SOE hierarchy, and if this garners no real action then a copy of this and all signatures will be forwarded to any and all game magazines and periodicals possible in an effort to prevent good people from potentially wasting their money on a mediocre product made by a bad company.

Shrendyc

---

This is slightly political calling out people.

/sign;

However the main points in the post do remain true! And I do feel as though I've recieved substandard service on this game as opposed to others in the community, meaning that I feel as though they have treated us differently then they have treated others.