Hello,

First off all this isn't home to hundreds of former SWG vets (I'm one myself, get over it and stop moaning) so please no endless bashing of the game here. I'm here to ask a question concerning SWG's current condition.

I came to ask if SWG still as strong city communities on servers, For me playing SWG back in the day was all about the city communities and feeling part of that world. I played on Ahazi and spent most of my time living on Tatooine in the city of Sentinel Hill. Now the community was key to my experience and made many friends and even some enemies (which I won't go into now). 

I've tried to get back into SWG again in the past but in my experience with other MMORPG's out there I've come to realise that I need to be part of something for me to trully enjoy a world. SWG back in the day was an odd experience for me, my first MMO and I didn't no what to do but the world fascinated me..... it still does to be fair. it's odd, I left the game yet I still find SWG three times more interesting as WoW ever was. I wasn't much of a leveler in someways, what I mean is that I never really concentrated on fighting skills of such and spent most of my time Harvesting and enjoying life, I guess Roleplaying played a large part of that. 

I enjoyed Roleplaying, in fact it was my first experience, though I never really felt SWG had such a strong RP community (though I did meet some great RPers). I was never.... and I guess still am not that keen on combat which is disapointing as it now seems SWG is totally only combat.

But I ask, are there still strong City Communties on SWG? As I said, I'm a vet, well I say vet but veteran name only is given for people who played before changes. I don't really feel I'm a vet, though I played SWG the longest then any other MMIORPG. I come on these forums and read all the comments about SOE and SWG, I admit I was angry with what happened, logging on to have 40 emails all about people leaving really smegs you off, almost all 20 good friends left in three days . SWG is a great game, it offered an experience I've yet to have matched. Changes happened, I was Smeged off but I didn't endlessly moan as some seem to. I'm a little surprised that some ''vets'' seem to like upsetting the experience of other new and older gamers of the game. Just because they are upset with what happened......

GET OVER IT AND LEAVE THE PLAYERS ALONE!!

SWG was a game YOU make? there was and still is so much you can do. Don't read a comment by a so called vet saying endlessly bad things about the game an decide not to play the game... you make the SWG experience, thats why it was so good back in the day! it through you into a world with hardly any sort of tutorials and simply said 'THIS IS YOUR WORLD, DO WHAT YOU WANT' and we all did. We all have different experiences. Did I really think I would spend almost a year just working on Harvesters selling my wears.... cause not! but I loved it. There was so much I didn't experience in SWG, Space I never fully experienced (I still always wanted to go on one of the larger mining ships with mates) and there were many great planets. 

Finally, as much as I loved SWG. Please Bioware don't make Kotor Online! I want Kotor 3

Good post.  To answer your question about city life and the community, it really all depends on your server.  From the things I have read, there are some pretty lowly servers atm.

On Chilastra we are seeing new peeps transferring over weekly, entire guilds are even coming over.  On top of that, I am seeing more and more old faces that haven't played in years....and they are having a lot of fun as well ;)

City communities are NOT what they used to be.  Part of the problem is that the community in a whole was discharged for the mythical playerbase SWG is now experiancing. 

As well, I also used to take pride in visiting random cities and rollplaying.  It was rare to come across a city that was not actively populated.  By this I mean there were always groups of players doing something in cities; trading, crafting, missions, harvesting hunts, rollplaying, etc.  This is not the case now.

Most of the players are very centric on special loot which is typically generated from a specific named mob.  I've found the player base is more focused on strict rinse/repeat of killing these limited mobs more then at any other point in SWG's history.  Honestly, this somewhat existed during pre-cu with nightsisters and various other mobs, but it was more dynamic and the interdependacy established vast social avenues which no longer exist. 

The last few times I attempted to "rollplay" by using standard emotes and speaking in a native language, Rodian, it did nothing other then generate hate from leet speek foul mouthed kids.  Some were even playing Rodian characters...

your post was good until you came with the GET OVER IT part, which made it annoying to read.

As for the strong City communities, i haven't seen any in my almost 2 years of playing. I think that since 11-15-2005 its difficult to find any. I thought i found one (thanks to a friend) when i just started playing but it fell apart in less than a few months..  lets say it was the aftermath of the NGE...

Originally posted by Mr.Wizard

your post was good until you came with the GET OVER IT part, which made it annoying to read.

As for the strong City communities, i haven't seen any in my almost 2 years of playing. I think that since 11-15-2005 its difficult to find any. I thought i found one (thanks to a friend) when i just started playing but it fell apart in less than a few months..  lets say it was the aftermath of the NGE...

I apologise if that kind of got you reved up! I just am sick of seeing Veterans moan about the game endlessly! I wasn't happy but I got over it. I just don't think it's fair for every thread to have a '$OE sucks' comment or 'SWG can go and die comment' simple fact is that doesn't help current players of the game. It's unfair on them that some upset former playing hasn't gotten over it.

It's just everytime I check the forums out to see SWG happenings theres comments like that!

Originally posted by SaitanMar

I just don't think it's fair for every thread to have a '$OE sucks' comment or 'SWG can go and die comment' simple fact is that doesn't help current players of the game.

It's just everytime I check the forums out to see SWG happenings theres comments like that!

SOE made their bed and regardless of who's to lie in it with them EVERYONE benefits from a heed of caution. 

The populated and active player cities went to the wayside two years ago with the NGE. The population bottomed out,  the pvp/GCW changes, and the change from a player economy to a loot-based economy took away most of the 'usefulness' of player cities. You may see a little more activity in cities and towns run by large guilds, but nothing like what city life was prior to the NGE. You may not like what you read, but denial doesn't change the reality of the current game.

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

Anywhoooo back at the ranch errr topic.... Bria server is decently populated. I just transfered over a few weeks ago, and it is by far better then what I thought it would be. On my original server Radiant the player run cities were ghosttowns, Bria's seem much, much better.

I tried the game again recently, and it is certainly unfortunate that communities have dwindled a fair amount due to what happened.  However, whether the game has a strong community is dependant on ones own perspective.

I do commend the OP on two accounts though:  First having the determination to see past what happened (the MMO market has learned from these mistakes, they are now in the past) and secondly for contemplating trying the game again.

SWG is certainly an acquired taste.  If the player can see past comparing to todays MMO's, and considers it more like a typical grind game with starwars background and a quest line bolted on, then it can be quite enjoyable.

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

Originally posted by outlaw101

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

The game offer's less oppurtinities for social interactions so seems to me SWG in its current shape (NGE) is anti - social.

Offer social-interaction requires more then these chat tabs.

Pre-CU you could team up with 20 people as an litle example  plus shuttle waits, buff lines, visiting Player Cities for vendors etc., hence more other people lol.  NGE went more anti-social by reducing team size, impose teams with same lvl etc.

Originally posted by outlaw101

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

No reason to be rude. I assure you I'm definately not anti-social.

I was playing a spy (and no I wasn't cloaked :P  ). Regardless of what you say about spy, I've also noticed the same result when playing my level 88 Jedi, and level 80 commando (or maybe it was officer, I can't remember exactly what that toon was)

I've also had high level ents on other servers, as well as traders.

It's undeniable that without a need to communicate with others that communication is not nearly as likely to happen. It's not that I didn't want to communicate with others, I simply had no reason to. Particularily at very low levels when the missions are so simply that you do not need assistence.

Edit*

I just had a thought. I'm advocating for a greater interdependancy to encourage communication in the hope that it would develop a much stronger community....and I'm accused of being anti-social. If it wasn't so pitiful it would be funny.

Well for the last 3 or 4 months I played a BH that didnt have a ITV. I mostly hunted NPC's for the schems.  I hit every city on my server that had a shuttle port multiple times and when I was on vacation at all times of the day. In 3 or 4 months of doing this I saw one person in a player city.  He sent me a pm and we talked about how dead the server was for awhile. Pretty cool guy. I really wish this was a lie but its not. One person. Thats it.

It could be said that I only hit the cities with shuttle ports so maybe somewhere there was a city just full of people and no shuttle. Maybe. I guess it could happen but it is doubtful. People just dont hang out in the cities any more. At least that was my experience. The most you get on my server is people hanging out in restuss PvPing. To be honest there really are not a lot of those either.

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

 

No reason to be rude. I assure you I'm definately not anti-social.

I was playing a spy (and no I wasn't cloaked :P  ). Regardless of what you say about spy, I've also noticed the same result when playing my level 88 Jedi, and level 80 commando (or maybe it was officer, I can't remember exactly what that toon was)

I've also had high level ents on other servers, as well as traders.

It's undeniable that without a need to communicate with others that communication is not nearly as likely to happen. It's not that I didn't want to communicate with others, I simply had no reason to. Particularily at very low levels when the missions are so simply that you do not need assistence.

Edit*

I just had a thought. I'm advocating for a greater interdependancy to encourage communication in the hope that it would develop a much stronger community....and I'm accused of being anti-social. If it wasn't so pitiful it would be funny.

I'd advise interacting with other players for conversation, even if your not trying to buy or sell x items, saying hello and starting a conversation with a group of fellow jedi or bounty hunters is great fun.

I'm sure you can play any game without bothering talking to players, it's an option the player is given.

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

 

No reason to be rude. I assure you I'm definately not anti-social.

I was playing a spy (and no I wasn't cloaked :P  ). Regardless of what you say about spy, I've also noticed the same result when playing my level 88 Jedi, and level 80 commando (or maybe it was officer, I can't remember exactly what that toon was)

I've also had high level ents on other servers, as well as traders.

It's undeniable that without a need to communicate with others that communication is not nearly as likely to happen. It's not that I didn't want to communicate with others, I simply had no reason to. Particularily at very low levels when the missions are so simply that you do not need assistence.

Edit*

I just had a thought. I'm advocating for a greater interdependancy to encourage communication in the hope that it would develop a much stronger community....and I'm accused of being anti-social. If it wasn't so pitiful it would be funny.

I'm susprised with the level 80 Officer/Commando that you never needed to get intouch with at least an Armoursmith for armour/attachments/powerups.  Outside of that, I would have expected you to have had run ins with tailors, chefs, entertainers, medics and probably more that I'm forgetting.  The Jedi would have been about the same, minus the armour part, although you would have likely needed to find a weaponsmith for LS resources (if you didn't have your own stock).

Originally posted by Obraik

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Originally posted by Obraik

 

Originally posted by Suvroc

 

Originally posted by outlaw101

Absolutely, although some don't like to admit it - there is a very strong community.

Like you said, most whiners/haters played the game 2-3 years ago, and are still moaning about it today, they havn't even tried the changes, contrary to what they may say.

 

If there is a strong community I haven't seen it. As I've said recently I went through 16 levels on a trial account and not once did anyone speak to me for anything.

And what's worse is I had no reason to speak to anyone either.

Some will say that it's up to you to initiate interaction with others (and that may be true to some degree), but without a common reason to interact there is much less of it happening then in the past.

What profession were you playing?

 

Personally, I think you went in looking for reasons not to interact.

Seems to be hes anti-social, perhaps he didn't want to speak to anyone.

 

No reason to be rude. I assure you I'm definately not anti-social.

I was playing a spy (and no I wasn't cloaked :P  ). Regardless of what you say about spy, I've also noticed the same result when playing my level 88 Jedi, and level 80 commando (or maybe it was officer, I can't remember exactly what that toon was)

I've also had high level ents on other servers, as well as traders.

It's undeniable that without a need to communicate with others that communication is not nearly as likely to happen. It's not that I didn't want to communicate with others, I simply had no reason to. Particularily at very low levels when the missions are so simply that you do not need assistence.

Edit*

I just had a thought. I'm advocating for a greater interdependancy to encourage communication in the hope that it would develop a much stronger community....and I'm accused of being anti-social. If it wasn't so pitiful it would be funny.

I'm susprised with the level 80 Officer/Commando that you never needed to get intouch with at least an Armoursmith for armour/attachments/powerups.  Outside of that, I would have expected you to have had run ins with tailors, chefs, entertainers, medics and probably more that I'm forgetting.  The Jedi would have been about the same, minus the armour part, although you would have likely needed to find a weaponsmith for LS resources (if you didn't have your own stock).

As a vet I've got nothing but stuff stored away so I've not needed to buy anything. Particularily without decay.

I've also not felt the need to visit an entertainer. What grinding I have done I've done it without any buffs.

When you start hitting the elite mobs you very much will be needing an ent buff, they are very powerful and last for 5 1/2 hours. Another thing I was thinking about was when the game launched most people were not on a teamspeak or ventrillo server, which most people are now. So while alot of communication that goes on you would not see it as spatial chat. In the new instances you really need to communicate by voice, typing does not cut it.