Originally posted by Kyleran

Not really.  Between the fact I haven't enjoyed any of their titles since the 90's (no scripted, voice acted RPG content isn't what I'm looking for, even in single player titles) and that they've been absorbed by EA and it's heavy hand is clearly evident in the creation of SWTOR I think my viewpoint remains unchanged.

They built exactly the sort of MMORPG that I expected them to.

 

Pretty much this.

I do miss BG too. Even Better was Planescape Torment

I had to say yes and for the better as I'm enjoying SWTor and haven't played any of their other games.  I really like grouping with my friend and doing as much material as we can do as a group.  Haven't maxed out yet (lvl 42 highest) and don't see anything at the top end that will hold my interest long so far.  I will go through each story though so that will hold me for a year I'm thinking.  Wish companies would have end games better than dungeon crawling, Flashpoints/raids or meaningless PvP.  If I max out a character and thats all there is, I see no point in getting the best armour available as there really isn't anything I need it for!

I played Bolders gate and never witner nights and they were pretty good.

ME 1-2 not nearly as good as they hyped it to be.

ME 3 no better than 1or 2 with even more detractors than the first  2 in the series.

Bioware has deff been going downhill for the last several years.

I like to think they can turn in arround if the can break the bad habbits they have contracted latly.

Originally posted by Zlayer77

Im linking this here because it about the industry in general and what I also feel what is wrong with these games today..

Just roll past all the SWTOR Review part and read

Lots of Concluding Thoughts

http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/swtors-300-million-virtual-bridge-to-nowhere/#more-6023

It hits the nail about what has gone missing in this genre.. and why so many of us Refused to even buy SWTOR....

this is the best part.....

"No longer are MMOs are created with the expectation that anything can happen. Those days are long past. If players were left to forge their own destinies it would result in chaos and conflict which would be unacceptable to the story obsessed new breed of video game designer who insists that every aspect of what a player does should be tightly controlled and scripted. You see, you as a player can’t be trusted.

Instead MMOs have become virtual sausage factories where the spectator-like player sits back and enjoys the ride. Game design has been reduced to process of crafting every moment of the player experience — nothing is left to chance — a philosophy that would make amusement park tycoon Walt Disney proud."

The issue with delivering a cinematic experience the new BioWare way is the player isn't anymore an actor but a spectator.

=> The game is on rails.

Not really.

Saying most people hated Bioware pre-release is crazy talk.

Saying most people hated EA would be sane and possibly accurate.

What we may have currently is people not differentiating the two much anymore.

Originally posted by CujoSWAoA

SW:TOR is a massive failure... to me.

But Bioware's last straw for me as a company? Day 1 DLC for Mass Effect 3.

I'm done.  I can't take this shit anymore.

This is pretty much how I felt at about the hundred dollar mark on expenditures for DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.  And....because of that, I never played any of the Mass Effect series.  No more of that "shit" for me either.

Originally posted by Deewe

Originally posted by Zlayer77

Im linking this here because it about the industry in general and what I also feel what is wrong with these games today..

Just roll past all the SWTOR Review part and read

Lots of Concluding Thoughts

http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/swtors-300-million-virtual-bridge-to-nowhere/#more-6023

It hits the nail about what has gone missing in this genre.. and why so many of us Refused to even buy SWTOR....

this is the best part.....

"No longer are MMOs are created with the expectation that anything can happen. Those days are long past. If players were left to forge their own destinies it would result in chaos and conflict which would be unacceptable to the story obsessed new breed of video game designer who insists that every aspect of what a player does should be tightly controlled and scripted. You see, you as a player can’t be trusted.

Instead MMOs have become virtual sausage factories where the spectator-like player sits back and enjoys the ride. Game design has been reduced to process of crafting every moment of the player experience — nothing is left to chance — a philosophy that would make amusement park tycoon Walt Disney proud."

The issue with delivering a cinematic experience the new BioWare way is the player isn't anymore an actor but a spectator.

=> The game is on rails.

Actually in a Bioware game unlike really any other MMO, you get a choice of what do say.

In anyother MMO you are a spectatror....

You know what? Fuck it, it obvious you never paid attention to story or even the world of any other MMO you played. If you did you'd realize what you said applies more to every MMO out currently then it does TOR.

Originally posted by Deewe

Originally posted by Zlayer77

Im linking this here because it about the industry in general and what I also feel what is wrong with these games today..

Just roll past all the SWTOR Review part and read

Lots of Concluding Thoughts

http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/swtors-300-million-virtual-bridge-to-nowhere/#more-6023

It hits the nail about what has gone missing in this genre.. and why so many of us Refused to even buy SWTOR....

this is the best part.....

"No longer are MMOs are created with the expectation that anything can happen. Those days are long past. If players were left to forge their own destinies it would result in chaos and conflict which would be unacceptable to the story obsessed new breed of video game designer who insists that every aspect of what a player does should be tightly controlled and scripted. You see, you as a player can’t be trusted.

Instead MMOs have become virtual sausage factories where the spectator-like player sits back and enjoys the ride. Game design has been reduced to process of crafting every moment of the player experience — nothing is left to chance — a philosophy that would make amusement park tycoon Walt Disney proud."

The issue with delivering a cinematic experience the new BioWare way is the player isn't anymore an actor but a spectator.

=> The game is on rails.

I don't really agree as you get sometimes significant choices that do not exist at all in a game like WoW or LOTRO.  Going light side in Sith Inquisitor story makes it branch off a good bit.  For normal quests the answers you give are often fluff, but often can give companion approval or DS/LS points.  Whereas most other themepark games quest completion is a static sheet of text, end of story.

Bioware could have done alot more with this of course.  And your choices have no particularly real affect.

I would say many themepark games are far more restrictive in this aspect than SWTOR.

Where SWTOR is REALLY on rails is in the content itself there is one path basically unless you grind out things like instances/heroics/PvP (space doesn't count its not enough xp).

Originally posted by just1opinion

Originally posted by CujoSWAoA

SW:TOR is a massive failure... to me.

But Bioware's last straw for me as a company? Day 1 DLC for Mass Effect 3.

I'm done.  I can't take this shit anymore.

 

 

This is pretty much how I felt at about the hundred dollar mark on expenditures for DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.  And....because of that, I never played any of the Mass Effect series.  No more of that "shit" for me either.

Yeah when i saw this I seriously considered not buying ME3.

BG 1 & 2, NWN and KOTOR were all great game, after that I feel that Bioware dropped in quality, they still make decent games but not great anymore.

TOR really changed nothing, it was spot on what i expected it to be for good and bad.

After swtor eh? Well GW 1 was a pile of steaming shite but I am willing to give GW2 a go if it is worth playing. I don't have any reason to be any less forgiving of Bioware than A-net.

Originally posted by Deewe

Originally posted by Kyleran

Not really.  Between the fact I haven't enjoyed any of their titles since the 90's (no scripted, voice acted RPG content isn't what I'm looking for, even in single player titles) and that they've been absorbed by EA and it's heavy hand is clearly evident in the creation of SWTOR I think my viewpoint remains unchanged.

They built exactly the sort of MMORPG that I expected them to.

 

Pretty much this.

I do miss BG too. Even Better was Planescape Torment

Planescape was made by the people (mostly) who are at Obsidian; Black Isle.  They also made Fallout.

Black Isle was always better than Bioware in my opinion.

Its funny though, Planescape Torment is sometimes touted as the best story ever delivered in an RPG.  Yet it sold terribly.  When Bioware was selling this line as the future of MMOs I was thinking "Yeah didn't help Planescape".

It really had a singularly unqiue interestng and thought provoking premise whose story made sense even though you could make it turn out 10+ different ways.

Its funny about KOTOR as the whole "I lost my memory thing" was done so much better in Planescape: Torment nad your outcome was far far more than binary.

TOR didnt effect me as I havnt bought or played it. The DLC shortly after DA kept me away from that game as well. I did enjoy ME and ME2 and will take a wait and see on ME 3. BW isnt what they were during the BG, NWN days but still make a pretty good single player game and im always glad to see a good Sci Fi game release.

No change for me. Everything other than SWTOR has been great, which I put down to LA

Will have to see after ME3, but is not getting off to a great start as EA have pulled all Mass Effect 3 games from the GAME group. The GAME group were the only ones stocking the Collectors edition in the UK, and now have switched retailers in 1 day, resulting in people thinking they had their copies secured, and now lost, like myself, as all retailers became out of stock within 6 hours.

All happened in one day

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/4162568/Game-group-in-crisis-as-supplier-pulls-plug.html

Doing this at this stage, being close to release, is just stupid.

I hope Bioware can go solo again and extract themselves from EA. I am definately not buying any more EA games after this. This is the final straw

EAs business ethics show they do not care for their customers.

Same as I always viewed them.. overrated, but decent.

Tbh, you shouldnt be looking at Bioware, should be looking at EA. EA invested $860 into SWTOR, not Bioware.

Bioware/Pandemic devs were just the patsies(the Executives made money) in this deal.

same as always. everyone messes up so i don't see why so many haters!!! then again we'll see the same thing happen when GW2 and Tera is released. Haters will hate, fanboys will defend and I'll enjoy watching both sides go at it :p

When you make pact with someone like EA it is just matter of time before you end up on a short leash.