Couldn't agree more with the OP about SWG's crafting.

Having played and crafted in all the games he listed (besides EVE) as well, I think the main difference between SWG and the others would be not only community interdependence, but the fact that what a crafter made was actually VALUABLE.

I wasted a heck of a lot of time and resources in other games learning to craft, only to find out that players could get better equipment from loot drops.  In Pre-CU SWG, not only did equipment degrade (necessitating either repairs from crafters or replacement from crafters), but crafters could make casual wear, better armor and weapons than players could pick up, and necessary (note, necessary) food and drink for fights.  What a crafter did really mattered--people actually depended on crafters to be able to play well.

I have not encountered that in any other game I have played.  I truly do hope some company out there picks up on that bright idea some day; it was one of the things that made the SWG community the great entity that it was.

Can't wait for the high quality vids but these will do for now :)

Loving what I've seen so far.  It's pretty much what I expected.

Roll on more vids!

No.  I didn't leave because of the cost.  The only way I would play SWG again is if someone invents a working time machine.  The community made that game and that has well and truly been shattered.  What's done is done, it cannot be undone - sadly.

Still hoping for a true sequel, as unlikely as that is.  One can dream though, one can dream...

Originally posted by Warmaker

Worst: The majority of MMOs since '04, or '05.  When I left SWG due to the NGE debacle and toyed around with more MMORPGs, I was actually disturbed by how frequently less grouping occured, and when they DO occur, they abruptly get disbanded or members leave without so much as a "Later dudes!"  MMORPG player communities are at a point where as soon as the quest is done and your back in a relatively safe area, the members disberse with out even a "Bye."  Quite oftenly, people don't say s**t the entire time.  That doesn't build a good community, IMO.

Best: Easily, hands down Pre-NGE SWG.  The playerbase was good in Pre-WoW standards and respectable numbers even in contrast for today (best it had I think was 200k I think).  The community in the differing servers in general were spectacular, partly because of the people and partly because of the game mechanics....

QFT

You've echoed my experience with ye olde SWG.  Easily the best community in any game I have ever played.

Best: Pre-NGE SWG - no contest.  Ryzom had a nice community.  LOTRO is a mix bag as is EQ2, but on the whole they are more mature than most.

Worst:  WoW is pretty bad.  There are good people there but they're drowning in a sea of turds.  Aion's community leaves a lot to be desired too.  I also have to mention the FFXIV Beta community.  Very hostile, rude and unfriendly.  I really hope it's not a glimps into the community's future.

He's talking about last week.  Read it again, he says you will have already enjoyed the bank Holiday by the time the article goes out;

"If you are over here in the UK it means that, like me, you are enjoying a bank holiday weekend or at least you will have done by the time this goes out."

Maybe you should have carried on reading it or at least read it properly before you "sprout crap".  If you would have checked you'd have known the whole UK had their BH on the same day - May 31st.  What was it you said?  Ignorance?  Oh and, "yeah... fucking moron".

Too little, too late.

No one could have reasonably assumed the NGE was the right step forward and that's nothing to say the way in which it was implemented.  Sorry but your apology is over shadowed by your incompetence, arrogance and complete disregard for your community.  That goes for anyone involved with creating and forcibly implementing the down right atrocious NGE.

Any other business and you all would be sued and jobless.

Originally posted by DrowNoble

Problem is SOE really angered many people so anything they do now will be criticized.  Not to mention how they treated Sigil employees didn't sit well with people who were aware.  Basically, Sigil (maker of Vanguard) for whatever reason came back to SOE for distribution.  SOE then fired a majority of Sigil employees in the parking lot.  Yep, way to get in good with the new people.

Plus we've seen how EA does business, by gobbling up smaller companies when they are either (1) too lazy or (2) not skilled enough to make new games themselves.  The "gut reaction" is that  SOE is now doing the same thing here with NCSoft.  

 

Also, I know exactly what it's like to be made redundant.  It's not a new concept in the games industry, unfortunately.  It comes with the territory.  Yeah it sucks, but that's what happens when your game is overdue and over budget.  Remember, it was Sigil employees that signed the deal (employees that probably didn't get the chop I might add).

SOE have angered a lot of people, myself included, but like I said, it's not entirely their fault.  Not that it's even relevant to this news article anyway.  SOE are not buying out NCsoft, they are not even in talks with NCsoft.  SOE will not be distributing their games, they will have absolutely zip to do with the whole thing.  SOE has about as much to do with SCE as Sony Pictures does.  OH NOES, SOE R MAKIN TEH GUILD WARS MOVIE!!!!!

Hmm I wonder if people will eventually get over their blind hatred of SOE and actually read the articles they post in.

What does SOE have to do with it?  Did the article say SOE have bought NCsoft?  This deal has absolutely nothing to do with SOE.

And on a general note:

I'm not happy about what happened to SWG either, but I'm also intelligent enough to know that it was not all SOE's fault.  In fact, LA had more to do with what we have now than SOE.  The constant moaning from the community didn't help either.  I'm not saying SOE are without blame but lets get a little perspective here i.e. grow up and use that mushy grey thing in your head.

Before we get a huge influx of "Oh Noes, SOE SUX" posts, I just thought I'd point out that this deal has nothing to do with SOE.  It's a deal between SCEI and NCsoft to bring games to the PS3.  This is not a new thing in the console world and will not affect any of you, unless of course you own a PS3 and want to play GW on the big screen.  Oh, and MMO's don't all have to have gimped controls to work on modern consoles.  The PS3 has USB ports and can also sync with bluetooth hardware, so most keyboards and mice should work without a problem.