Star Wars Galaxies

its going to be hard as hell to make the game "better" if no one likes the combat system. Now only lag free computers can do well in pvp, which turned off many people. What is your take on this?

• this IS something I think that needs addressing. It also had an interesting side effect that I have to say we didn't think about (well at least not enough anyways) - this combat system got rid of a lot of multi-box players. That sucks.
  
  Smed

This is just a short excerpt from the long list of question that a poster has compilled. Get the full review by clicking this link:

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=swggpdiscussion&message.id=636858

"Does this mean for example that the first 2 professions will have this edge over all other professions and then 2 more approx 2 months later until all are completed? If so, which 2 professions are first to be elite?

* Yes. It's either that or no profession updates for the next 6 months (or whatever the time frame is).

Jedi & Bounty Hunter are on the books for first pass.

-Helios Titan"

You know they could call the game Jedi VS Bounty Hunter and nobody would notice.

Seriously they have spent way too much time on both of these professions.

You know, I like Smed and respect his answers on the forums yesterday. Smart guy, zippy answers.   I think if you read through all of his answers, and compare them with the developer answers, he understands and sides with the players on most of the issues brought forth.  Why the president can't make the developers create and maintain the game players want, I don't understand. 

Frankly, the developers come across as the ones responsible for what the game is now, where it is going, and they don't give a rats arse what players want or think.

So should the sheet hit the proverbial fan at any time, don't hire these guys, eh?

Athela

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Originally posted by Athela

You know, I like Smed and respect his answers on the forums yesterday. Smart guy, zippy answers.   I think if you read through all of his answers, and compare them with the developer answers, he understands and sides with the players on most of the issues brought forth.  Why the president can't make the developers create and maintain the game players want, I don't understand. 

Frankly, the developers come across as the ones responsible for what the game is now, where it is going, and they don't give a rats arse what players want or think.

So should the sheet hit the proverbial fan at any time, don't hire these guys, eh?

Athela

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If this is the case, then Smed was "not" doing his job and need to go anyway.

The more I read, the more I see how clueless he is about the entire game.

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Originally posted by Athela

You know, I like Smed and respect his answers on the forums yesterday. Smart guy, zippy answers.   I think if you read through all of his answers, and compare them with the developer answers, he understands and sides with the players on most of the issues brought forth.  Why the president can't make the developers create and maintain the game players want, I don't understand. 

Frankly, the developers come across as the ones responsible for what the game is now, where it is going, and they don't give a rats arse what players want or think.

So should the sheet hit the proverbial fan at any time, don't hire these guys, eh?

Athela

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     The devs are tools, they do what they're told. Don't think for a second that SOE has any renegade devs that say " We've discussed this and we're doing it our way!". The CU/NGE is a high-level coporate decision, the devs just implemented what they were told. Of course devs have their own chain of command and can give SOE brass feedback, but at the end of the day, they are merely tools.

     It's not an issue of Smedley not being able to control his devs. It's an issue of SOE giving orders. Do you think the average dev thinks about commercial success? ( only to the extent that it will ensure that he's on the payroll next month). No. The devs may be the bullits, but it sure as hell is SOE firing the guns!!!

Its a classic case of good cop vs. badcop - marketing versus reality. The devs know Smed is playing a show but can't exactly call his bluff, can they?

The reason behind most of the Dev's answers happens to be because of the man who is trying too play the good guy. Its easy to play the hero and mouthpiece for the masses when the people who can concretely like you to the crime are not allowed to speak. The man is modeling himself after Palpatine.

Who's on first?

From the interview with Raph Koster, CGW April issue, 1006 p. 37

CGW:  Successful or not, we've seen some drastic measures taken with both of these games in the name of improvement--specifically, the polarization of Ultima Online's population when the game's anti-PVP facet was introduced, and last year's fundamentally altered Star Wars Galaxies experience.  It would be (and has indeed been) argued by many that such changes cater more strongly toward incoming players rather than the exisiting population.  Do these types of core changes reflect the wishes of the game designers, or those of the corporate bean-counters who only see the bottom line?

RK:  Both of those changes were initiatives by the game designers on the team at the time.  I know for a fact, though I wasn't involved in either one.  Management usually isn't really interested in the specifics of the game systems--they're interested in results.

     (RK) Different designers have different takes on things.  They're still after the same goal, which is entertaining users.  Even the bean counters know that's what you have to do to keep player's coming back month after month.

So...read through the developer/designer comments from yesterday, and tell me where they are working towards a game to appeal to the player base rather than what they think is right.  Assassination of politicians...harmonic convergence of crafters and loot system, removal of schematics, factories, resource gathering, base all aspects of the game on the FPS playstyle...They really can remove the Star Wars "skin" from this game and make the game they want to create, no question.  There isn't much skin left on the bone, to tell the truth.

Athela

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Originally posted by Athela

You know, I like Smed and respect his answers on the forums yesterday. Smart guy, zippy answers.   I think if you read through all of his answers, and compare them with the developer answers, he understands and sides with the players on most of the issues brought forth.  Why the president can't make the developers create and maintain the game players want, I don't understand. 

Frankly, the developers come across as the ones responsible for what the game is now, where it is going, and they don't give a rats arse what players want or think.

So should the sheet hit the proverbial fan at any time, don't hire these guys, eh?

Athela

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This does not excuse the management from this mess. Nothing is sone in a corporate environment without their consent. If this rogue team of developers went as haywire as it seems - someone should have reigned them in. If the team was that anti-SWG - who brought them in and ignored this fact. I say they were chosen because they were antiSWG and because management at LA and SOE picked them to try and grab WoW numbers. Smed had his hand in this back alley facelift and no matter how smart and player friendly he may sound - he is a Sith and cannot be excused.