Publish Notes, May 13, 2009

PvP

Introducing Battlefields to Star Wars Galaxies!

There are four new PvP regions added to the game. Each is a battlefield complete with its own objectives.

To play on one of the battlefields you simply need to use the slash command "battlefield" (/battlefield).
This will bring up a user interface allowing you to view battlefield status or to queue up for one.
Players can queue up as a group, the group leader does this, or can queue individually. Groups are chosen at a higher priority than singles. Singles will be used to fill empty places in the battlefield teams.
Once a battlefield has enough members ready to participate, a gunship will arrive to take you to the battle!
Players have to be members of the Rebel or Imperial army, to join a battlefield. Each faction (team) can have up to 16 players, with a minimum of 4, on the battlefield at a time.
Participating in a Battlefield will award the player Battlefield tokens. You get 5 for winning, 3 for a tie, and 1 for losing. You can then spend these tokens at your factions vendor:
Imperials: Speak to Staff Sergeant Rothax in Talus' Imperial Outpost
Rebels: Speak to Staff Sergeant Levardio in Rori's Rebel Military Outpost
These Staff Sergeants will sell you all new weapons and armor.
Buffs that are normally removed during death, now simply lose 10% of their total duration from their remaining duration if the death was PvP related.
Covert opposite faction players that are dueling will now correctly death blow incapacitated players.
Attacking an incapacitated player in a guild war will now deliver a death blow.

Storyteller

Droid 8T88 and Mustafarian Costumes are now available for purchase from the storyteller vendor
Costumes you already know will be marked as such in the vendor list of a storyteller vendor. Note that you will have to refresh the window if you learn a costume while it is open.
When you examine Costume Instructions, it will show whether or not you already know that costume.
Costume instructions purchased from a storyteller vendor are no longer No Trade.
You may now specify how many holoshrouds you would like to purchase instead of having to purchase them one at a time.
Fixed some issues where special effects were visible to players who were not part of that storyteller's story.
Storyteller prop "Supply Palette 01" can now be properly deployed.
You may not use a costume while a Force Ghost.

Misc

Fixed an issue that caused various spawners stop spawning mobs.
Fixed abilities that determine action costs based on percentage, rather than flat amounts, not taking the general action cost reduction modifier into account when charging action. This effects the following abilitis:
Medic:
Bacta Corruption
Blood Cleansers
Cure Affliction
Electrolyte Drain
Rheumatic Calamity
Revive Player
Area Revive
Resuscitate Player
PVP Area Revive
PVP Resuscitate Player
Serotonin Boost
Serotonin Purge
Thyroid Rupture
Spy:
Smoke Bomb
Entertainer:
Void Dance
Unhealthy Comfort
Beast Master:
Heal Beast (Mark 1)
Heal Beast (Mark 2)
Heal Beast (Mark 3)
Revive Beast
Vendors in a structure that is re-deeded or destroyed will now move to their owners Datapad

CTS

Characters on free CTS source galaxies that do not qualify for free CTS are now available for paid CTS from the CTS web page.

Spy

Fixed Cooldown firing when you attempt to go into sneak while in diversion (from decoy)
Due to some of the changes to your expertise, you have had your expertise's reset upon logging in.
Without a Trace is now tied to Smoke Bomb
This means that if you have WaT, when you use Smoke Bomb, it will automatically call WaT.
The WaT command has been removed
Covert Mastery has now been tied to Without a Trace
This means your DoTs will only clear when you use WaT (now tied to Smoke Bomb)
There is now a five second recourse debuff on spies who attack from stealth
This means if you attack from stealth, you have to wait 5 seconds before you can go invisible again.
Without a Trace will still put you in stealth.

Game Play

A /rename command has been added to allow you to rename your character. A character must be at least 90 days old before he/she can be renamed. There is a 90 days wait before the character can be renamed again. Run the /rename command and follow the on screen instructions.
Community Requests

Introducing "Shared No-Trade"! this new feature allows for a no-trade item to be shared with other characters of the same account. Many no-trade items have already been converted to this new feature.
Medic

Reduced Serotonin Boost and Cure Afflictions Action cost by roughly 25%

User Interface

Build-A-Buff now displays the recipient's name while you are building the buff.
The Emperor has begun cracking down on illegal enhancement shops! All Entertainers must now register their enhancement packages with the Empire. This step is done for you automatically but requires a small amount of participation from the Entertainer applying the enhancement.
Build-a-Buff window now supports Double-Clicking to add/remove buffs to or from a buff package.

City House Packup Addition

When City House Packup activates (June 1st) newly created Cities must be at least 3 weeks old before Inactive Structures inside their City Limits will be flagged for City House Packup.
Newly Created Cities must be at least 3 weeks old before Inactive Structures inside their City Limits will be flagged for City House Packup.
 

rofl @ the battlegrounds

i knew the NGE wanted to be like WoW but come on...this is crazy.

Still quick question before the vets storm in and start flaming this to death, Any of those changes improve the game more so than others?  e.g The new battlegrounds allows for better PvP...ect

Originally posted by Death1942

Still quick question before the vets storm in and start flaming this to death, Any of those changes improve the game more so than others?  e.g The new battlegrounds allows for better PvP...ect

Feedback so far has been very positive indeed!

I liked this comment from forum user "JedKnightDasst" in reply to a Dev asking if he thought the battlefields were fun:

"theres no word to discribe how much fun this is. tbh most fun i had ina long time."

Please tell me theres a button to join them on the UI and it's not just a /battleground command.

may check it out on the next vet trial.

Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

Please tell me theres a button to join them on the UI and it's not just a /battleground command.

Its a command, but if you prefer you can always create a very simple macro that conatins just /battlegroud, choose from one of hundreds of available macro icons and then drag the icon to your toolbar where you can click it.

I can ask if a "Join Battlefield" command button can be created in the "Other" tab of the Command Browser if you'd prefer, however.  Do you think that would be good?

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

Please tell me theres a button to join them on the UI and it's not just a /battleground command.

 

Its a command, but if you prefer you can always create a very simple macro that conatins just /battlegroud, choose from one of hundreds of available macro icons and then drag the icon to your toolbar where you can click it.

I can ask if a "Join Battlefield" command button can be created in the "Other" tab of the Command Browser if you'd prefer, however.  Do you think that would be good?

Well I feel that for new players who are the people that will want to join the battlegrounds the /battleground command isn't the most obvious thing in the world. You'd expect the ability to join them to be built into the UI. It's like learning the Beast Master profession there was no help in game and I had to go onto the forums to see everything I will need and thats not good for new players.

I don't understand why you'd make such an effort with the NGE to try and make the game new player friendly and then not follow up on that plan.

Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

Well I feel that for new players who are the people that will want to join the battlegrounds the /battleground command isn't the most obvious thing in the world. You'd expect the ability to join them to be built into the UI. It's like learning the Beast Master profession there was no help in game and I had to go onto the forums to see everything I will need and thats not good for new players.

I don't understand why you'd make such an effort with the NGE to try and make the game new player friendly and then not follow up on that plan.

I'm trying to get the Devs to set up global chat channels by default where new, returning and active players can get help and assitance from each other.  I think something like that would address your concerns as information would be readily available in game from others with a system like this.

IMO battlefields are mini-games, and  they are turning the galactic civil war into small confined areas of controled PvP. Essentially it's becoming a game of TFC or Counter Strike inside an MMO. This might sound like a good idea now but the overall game will suffer as the sense of community diminishes as this game morphs into an arcade shooter.

There simply needs to be a greater purpose for a GCW then tokens and rewards, and a sense of lose to ensure people are driven to help their side win.

Originally posted by Suvroc

IMO battlefields are mini-games, and  they are turning the galactic civil war into small confined areas of controled PvP. Essentially it's becoming a game of TFC or Counter Strike inside an MMO. This might sound like a good idea now but the overall game will suffer as the sense of community diminishes as this game morphs into an arcade shooter.

There simply needs to be a greater purpose for a GCW then tokens and rewards, and a sense of lose to ensure people are driven to help their side win.

They could *(and probably should) have added rewards for the length of time a guild holds a GCW base, promote the base wars in a non exploitable manner and promote genuine "World pvp" and they'd have had a starting point that would have set them apart somewhat from their competitors... but no, once again they try to put out a tired, worn out immitation of something that's already been done, numerous times.

Originally posted by efefia

They could *(and probably should) have added rewards for the length of time a guild holds a GCW base, promote the base wars in a non exploitable manner and promote genuine "World pvp" and they'd have had a starting point that would have set them apart somewhat from their competitors...

Player placed bases are getting fixed in GU10 to remove the "baseclubbing" exploit.  There are currently rewards for holding a static GCW base for a certain length of time.

There will be a full GCW update later in the year, possibly a chapters worth of content.

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by efefia

They could *(and probably should) have added rewards for the length of time a guild holds a GCW base, promote the base wars in a non exploitable manner and promote genuine "World pvp" and they'd have had a starting point that would have set them apart somewhat from their competitors...

 

Player placed bases are getting fixed in GU10 to remove the "baseclubbing" exploit.  There are currently rewards for holding a static GCW base for a certain length of time.

There will be a full GCW update later in the year, possibly a chapters worth of content.

ok...to correct something..."baseclubbing" is not an exploit.  the GCW points players obtain for destroying bases is a designed mechanic.  i.e. it was specifically coded by SOE to work just as it does...the points are not gained via a bug or a require the use of a work around.

Certain players cry foul at the "baseclubbers" because players who do not engage in PVP are able to rank and get the current GCW rewards without PVPing.  Most PvPers feel those players should be "meat' for them to play with. 

Some players do not enjoy the PVPing part of the game.  Even if they remove the base points which is not exactly a certainty based upon the vague dev statement those players will still more than likely not engage in PvP.  Many people completely forget the RP portion in MMORPG.

This is the bed SOE made when they removed the temporary enemy flags.  SOE is still having issues with the definition of a Persitent World.

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

I'm trying to get the Devs to set up global chat channels by default where new, returning and active players can get help and assitance from each other.  I think something like that would address your concerns as information would be readily available in game from others with a system like this.

Both global and private chat channels where present in pre-cu.
And here we are, "trying to get the Devs to set up global chat channels by default" five years later.

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by efefia

They could *(and probably should) have added rewards for the length of time a guild holds a GCW base, promote the base wars in a non exploitable manner and promote genuine "World pvp" and they'd have had a starting point that would have set them apart somewhat from their competitors...

 

Player placed bases are getting fixed in GU10 to remove the "baseclubbing" exploit.  There are currently rewards for holding a static GCW base for a certain length of time.

There will be a full GCW update later in the year, possibly a chapters worth of content.

So in other words they are taking something that helped PvE players from gaining GCW, and they create a whole bunch of things for PvPers to do to get faction.

Once again, they take from one group of players and give to another group, thus angering customers, yet at the same time doing it in a way that sets one customer against another.

Once again, they show they have learned NOTHING from the NGE.

Once again they show it has nothing to do with what team is working on the game, they all suck, they are all unethical, they are all heartless, thoughtless, and incredibly immature in terms of business acumen. This is a corporate crack-up that stems from one man. Smedley.

They have yet to learn that one happy customer tells a friend, one unhappy customer tells 3,000.

Originally posted by Valeran

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by efefia

They could *(and probably should) have added rewards for the length of time a guild holds a GCW base, promote the base wars in a non exploitable manner and promote genuine "World pvp" and they'd have had a starting point that would have set them apart somewhat from their competitors...

 

Player placed bases are getting fixed in GU10 to remove the "baseclubbing" exploit.  There are currently rewards for holding a static GCW base for a certain length of time.

There will be a full GCW update later in the year, possibly a chapters worth of content.

ok...to correct something..."baseclubbing" is not an exploit.  the GCW points players obtain for destroying bases is a designed mechanic.  i.e. it was specifically coded by SOE to work just as it does...the points are not gained via a bug or a require the use of a work around.

Certain players cry foul at the "baseclubbers" because players who do not engage in PVP are able to rank and get the current GCW rewards without PVPing.  Most PvPers feel those players should be "meat' for them to play with. 

Some players do not enjoy the PVPing part of the game.  Even if they remove the base points which is not exactly a certainty based upon the vague dev statement those players will still more than likely not engage in PvP.  Many people completely forget the RP portion in MMORPG.

This is the bed SOE made when they removed the temporary enemy flags.  SOE is still having issues with the definition of a Persitent World.

But you don't understand bro, it is THEIR game, their ball, they can take it and go home if they want to, and screw the players. So what if they had a gameplay feature that was the only decent way for them to get GCW by PvE in this terrible system? They declare it an "exploit," and then they leave it in the game for long enough for people to lok at it as part of their game, part of their virtual world.

But they are the DEVs, they are like gods. Players, if you don't like it, screw you, no one forces you to play.

Amazing how they simply don't care about the consequences of any of their actions.

Talked to a friend of mine that still plays, he said the battlefield is buggy with really really really long wait times, and that GCW is going to be harder to obtain (no more ticks and no more base busting) and there's ugly new armor.

Yes the battlefield = WoW battleground, I wonder if it'll be cross server like WoW's but chances are they're not. Oh and expect full group of spies or officers to queue in, that'll be wonderful to fight against... right?

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Originally posted by Sandbox

Both global and private chat channels where present in pre-cu.
And here we are, "trying to get the Devs to set up global chat channels by default" five years later.

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Originally posted by sookster54

 

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Originally posted by Sandbox

Both global and private chat channels where present in pre-cu.
And here we are, "trying to get the Devs to set up global chat channels by default" five years later.

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That made me LOL so hard, we always used those global (and faction) channels pre-CU, there was even a bazaar/market one that was heavily used. Now there's practically zero communication across the galaxy.

 

That's because with the exception of about 5 servers there is practically zero population.  :)

Wasn't the global channels kind of hidden though? I might be wrong but were they not immediately accessable, and you had to modify the chat channels to access them?

and this is what i think

Battlefields

we had this back in pre-cu swg and it was much more fun oh wait the game was much more fun due to 32+ professions and unlockable jedi the new battlefields are a joke and so far no one outside the $OE fanbots and fanbois likes them

Storyteller

who wanted this or needs this? who cares really? the only people that use this are the lame rpers and they only make up .1 of the swg player pop if i was a role player i would be demanding a better system from the past be put back in or i would find another game like a irc channel to rp in

case in point no one wants this or rpers

more class fixes lol what a joke i remember 32+ professions that worked just great

cts again lol who cares now i can move my toon to a server that has 20 people rather then the 3 on my old server

spy fixes again who cares i would rather be a master scout/master ranger/master rifleman

/rename? what a waste of code

and shared no trade i remember back when we had items made by crafters that is how it should be now

all and all another $OE failure and it shows what a joke $OE is i think the vets say it best bring back pre-cu swg ftw