Originally posted by Solude

All good and fine but at the end of the day... VISA put through the reversal, money is back in my account as of yesterday and that number is cancelled so Funcom can't bill me regardless of how they feel about it.

I didnt want to give them a card, so I changed the billing option to cash and got my 14 days that way.    After all the billing junk that used to happen I will not trust them not to bill me later.

Originally posted by Darth_Osor

EA just announced two more server merges for WAR.  It seems EA is more concerned about players having other people to play with than the negative PR hit, unlike Funcom.  I guess FC would rather keep their head in the sand and pretend everything is great  and milk an extra $20-50 from suckers wanting off dead servers.

I just came back to try it out and thiers hardly any servers left, what would they do make just one?     If so would my new title be Dagoth-Set.     Cause this would be the second merge for my toons.      Wait till the expansion, thier might be a few new players if they sell box sets.    

Originally posted by stinney

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Disclaimer: I do not work for SoE, nor have I ever, nor will I ever.  I once was part of a player volunteer program that SoE ran but that was about it, I have no say in what SoE does.

With that out of the way, I thought it would be interesting to discuss how SoE could go about Origin/Classic SWG Servers, if they ever had the time, resources and inclination to bring them up.

I discussed this with SWG Developers long ago and they seemed keen on the idea, but the live game always takes presedence so this was always a pipe-dream.

It's fun to talk about dreams though, so what would you like to see in the way of Origin/Classic SWG Servers?  They would likely be brought up as part of the Test Center servers and receive only maintenance updates, no additional content.

Which patch level would you want to play, if at all?

Patch Level

Pre-CU: Pre-publish 9

Pre-CU: (Literally just before the Combat Upgrade)

CU: Just before the NGE.

 

I usualy hate every SOE loving word you write, so much, that it makes me vomit a little bit into my mouth.

This was the first post of yours in 4 years that hasn't invoked that reaction.

I still don't believe that you are not, or have not been an employee of SOE. You really aren't fooling anyone.

 

However in answer, I'd want to play Pre-Pub 9 Pre-CU. And if you can have a word with some of your work colleagues :p and make that happen, I would be grateful.

 

 

Hehe, he doesnt work for SOE, and I would be extremely suprised if they could, do they have images of the old servers still?   I have never over the years ever heard a Dev admit thiers more than a publish to publish back up.       And if thier isnt, they dont have the resources, IE any Devs that could actually work on the coding.   The guy that made all the changes killed himself, so who would know how to reverse all the changes done to the live game?

Originally posted by shinkan

Even though I can't stand the current game, I would recommend you to try the free trial to make up your own mind, noting can replace that.

Ya new players will never know the differnce, in its current form its average for a mmo.     Thiers many things to do for a new player, much much more than we had back at start up.       What the biggest problem for games like this is their never finished until its to late.       If they started with this game it would have been a differnt story altogether.      But then again its all one big time waster if your not in it for more than the grind.      I would reccomend some Role Play, every proffesion I played I would add in a little RP.      And make some freinds in game, it always helps to have E freinds in mmo's.

Originally posted by Bob_Blawblaw

Originally posted by Suvroc

Just a small point but something that really irritates me is far to many prequel items and references.

 

I agree Suvroc, but I think it's actually (gulp) one of the smarter decisions they've made re:SWG. They scared off us old hats a long time ago. They now are stuck with the NGE audience which mostly grew up on he prequel stuff. As inferior as most of us older folks tend to believe it to be, that's the NGE target markets version of SW. It only makes sense.

Sux though.

Ya I agree they dumbed down the game for the kids that watched the last three movies.    Why would they think that moving from the sandbox to a generic mmo would bring in more?    They constantly point to the constant loss of players per month, something like 10,000 people were leaving each month during the CU.     So a big gamble like this might have been a ok idea, but the loss of 200k paying customers would be the end result, not a very wise gambler.

But then again why even bring this old stuff up?    Thiers no money left to fix the game, its been on life support for a very long time, how many Devs left?   And even they I think only work on the game once in a while, they more than likely are working on other games in developement.   

They killed grouping, which was a main point to the game, I loved groups, I probably met more people in groups than any other way in game.    

Thiers only ent groups, which Im suprised isnt like it once was.    Combat groups for pvp, and last the instance groups.     No one is grouping up to go out and level like they used to.     levelings become a boring solo grind.

Collections seem to be a good way also, go to the collectors codex and learn whats rare.    I used macros to speed kill and loot, it helps to have a Ent buff that affects action and action cost.     Depending on what I got to sell and market price, or if I am cornering the market, I can make about 7mill to 40mill a week selling collections.   

What I liked about dealing in collections is that you can usually complete some yourself while making some credits.     All my toons had most too all the housing limit increases, which made a pack rat like myself happy.     5 toons with about 1600 storage each added up to about 8000 items in my houses.     Then consider the stacking, and I think I got close to 10k items.    

Originally posted by Bob_Blawblaw

Originally posted by Vaedur

Do i read the part where you can swap professions at will pretty much? ack..!

 

You have to buy 'respecs' from an NPC.

You can find them near ports, easiest one is next to Theed port right by the bridge, their all a little Twilek, shes under a tent.   

Best way to find a server in any mmo is by connection speed to the server, thier not all geographically close to you.   Im in a strange spot everything is about the same distance away from me.     But I like west coast servers since the playerbase is playing around the same time as I do.    Thats the problem with some servers, I had freinds in Australia logging on at night and wondering why thiers no one on.     Each server seems to peak at differnt times.   To bad its not the good old days like start up, when you could find people on at all times.

 Oh found this on the main forums, now thier fighting over who has the deadest server.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?topic_id=1017449

Originally posted by hipiap

Speaking as a 2004 vet with an active SW:G account...

 

Move on.

Bet you thought this was a good idea too?

Originally posted by Fishermage

Originally posted by Obee

When Chris Cao had his meltdown a few years ago, he tossed out the 20% figure.  Helios chimed in at the tail end of the thread that Cao's numbers were off and the amount of SWG players that used the forums was much higher.  Raph Koster has mentioned a few times that SWG always had much greater forum participation among players than other MMOs.

The 65% number is likely accurate.

 

 

 

Now that an SWG rep made it public, I don't think I am violating any NDA I signed when I say that I heard Brenlo say personally that the percentage of SWG players who are active on the forums were MUCH higher than their other games. He gave no figures, however.

I think its about 20% play daily, but ehh thiers no science to guessing or stats.    1500 so 20% is playing daily that would make the pop around 7500
 

No, and the closest thing you can get to a good sandbox is EVE.    EVE has a good crafting system its is very complex.    And it is leveled.    You wont be making big ships for a long time.    And its more team based.    Crafting for the guild is where its at.    Pooled resources.      One guy is going to find it tuff to craft in EVE.     It plain isnt worth it.     

Everquest II has only a few populated servers but it has a good crafting system and economy close to what your thinking about.    It is very close to SWG, same company made it so youll see simularitys.      Id wait a while.    SOE is makeing a new flagship game, I think that will be the next good crafting game.     Dont expect it to be out for a while though.    And its still a secret whatever it is.  

Originally posted by Krilster

Thanks for posting dude.

Now I'm all emo... (Nerd inorite)

Hehe, go for his mind.   When more than two bars meant something.   I miss my purple bar.    

Too bad I got nothing to share, all my good pics went bye bye two rebuilds ago.     Nothing like your first mmo and SWG was my first.     Too bad they messed up a good thing, but hey nothing lasts forever and who knew its was only going to last a couple years.   

Anyway Im excited about the new V series coming out on Tuesday on ABC.   SyFi channel is playing the old V movies this sunday.     Hope its like the old one, that sure messed up my mind when I was 8.     Lizards coming to get you.....

Originally posted by ericlatrelle

LS Jedi or Commando.

Na Dark Jedi, the right set up and buffs you can mow down npcs.   If you are loot sifting its best to kill fast, back before they messed up fast spawns Id afk the Dark Jedi all night and usually end up with a few rare collections.  

Another thing youll need to know is that group sizes affects the loot drops.   I would run two accounts, have a Ent in a house near by with holos out and a pet,  doing it that way I could get a group size of about 7.    Which would let me sift alot of loot with bigger spawn sizes and with the group size better drops would happen.

Originally posted by Mathos

How many will that make for the game so fat i lost count?

Its got to be the Dev that draws the short straw, no one wants lead Dev on a game that isnt supported anymore.  

I played on that server from time to time, alot of them went over to Sunrunner.   They kill the empty servers yet?

Originally posted by acidosmosis

I highly doubt that Bioware is going to even consider any type of micro-transaction system for items that will benefit players in PVE or PVP (or even cosmetically). I don't mind the cosmetic stuff, but I do mind anything that benefits PVE/PVP. I don't see Bioware as the type of company to ever use this (at least in the next 10 years). Though it is a very profitable system and works very well for some titles.

I keep see'ng the same line, Bio-ware wouldnt do that, like they will have a choice.   LA already did thier homework over on SWG, they have been experimenting with how far you can push the envelope with micro transactions.    Thier is alot of money to be made with selling in game items.    They have already hidden one aspect, chapters.   You will be buying content in this game.  Its nothing new, buy the super duper box edition and get a in game toy.    LA and Bioware I expect will get creative with sucking $$$ out of you during release and thoughout the life time of this game.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by Anubisan

EVE is currently the best sandbox MMORPG on the market in my opinion...

However, I think SWG is second on the list. Regardless of everything that was done to the game and the deep seeded hatred that so many of you feel for it, the game as it is now STILL has more features that sanbox fans look for than nearly any other title.

Is SWG a great game? In my opinion, most definitely no. Is SWG a well-featured sandbox? Yes.

 

Level based gameplay, instanced dungeons, instanced pvp, pre defined character classes, scripted quest based advancement, NPC item loot based economy.  Those are not aspects of a sandbox game. 

Really, housing is the last real sandbox feature swg has left.

 

 

Im getting excited about STO looks like they will have skills.   Reading about it at the moment.   But definatly SWG crafting has gone solo, either its craft for yourself or freinds.    Thier are people that do craft but its on order, you must have the parts, and its gonna cost you at least 100mill for a good Armor set these days.     Haha and they cried for no decay, and look what happened.    If you ask me all the people that wanted the NGE got what they deserved, but it sucks everyone else had to take it from SOE.   Then again if you add up the loss from launch to CU and then to NGE, the game has gone through at least 1 million.  

1 million boxes sold, that says something too, 1 million tried the game and left.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by BullseyeArc1
 

You guys really should stop kidding yourselfs, SWG has a population of about 50k people, they are such diehards that even god could not make them give up thier accounts.    They will never leave the game, and 50k people can keep this game going for a long time with the 100k pluss accounts they are paying for each month.   

SWTOR looks like it will be a fun game, and its more RPG than MMO, its MMO light, and they even stated that.    SWTOR will be a single person game you mostly play by yourself, but it does have pvp.    PVP makes a MMO these days, I guess?    

What is suprising is that Star Trek has taken over the #1 slot for atticipated.   Guess alot of people are looking forward to a SciFi MMO.    Its been in production for a long time, hope its good.   

So swg must be the only mmo on the market that has (according to you) over 100,000 paid subscriptions, but has not received a paid expansion in over 4 years and had its development team cut down to a skeleton crew and has been in a slow agonizing process of closing servers for the last few years.

 

Lets see what other games share similar characteristics in the soe station pass.

Vanguard

MxO

Planetside

Potbs

 

Something tells me that your opinion that swg has a 6 digit subscriber number is about as well thought out as your notion that people are not sticking around due to it being the only star wars mmo on the market.  Again, something tells me they are more attracted to the star wars IP than they game play, especially considering the condition of the game the last several years. 

Na its more like a 15$ a month chat program these days.    Accounts and players are two differnt things, Thier is anywhere from 25k-50k people still playing.    SOE has come out with the 100k accounts.  I believe this to be true, I even had two accounts, the nutty ones have up to 10 accounts.     Anyone that has farmed solo keeps mulitple accounts, EVE I have two, people recommend more.   I really dont like doing that but it is a way to get around I got no buddys on at 3 am.    

Who knows what will happen, but my gut says the people still playing SWG are the most stubborn people in MMO's.    And thier shutting down 12 servers to keep the others going much longer than they would if they had only a skeleton population.     There are about 5 really active servers and about 5 so so servers left.    Not bad considering the game is what 6 years old.    Hell AOC only lasted 5 months before they merged.      I really dont see SWG closing with SWTOR release.     Besides I dont have much time to grind toons like I used to and I think thats where alot of them are.    

Im sure they will all try SWTOR but you must be dreaming they are going to close the accounts down.    What I do see happening is SWG surviving at least 5 more years.     By that time they will either decide to make SWG2 or close it, and it looks like SOE and LA are on working terms again, all the junk from the NGE has cooled down.     If thier is anything to learn about SOE is that they like to remake and resell titles.    

Originally posted by DaYon

haha funny. Stars wars ftw!

Thiers a few of those I think.   I read something about them a while ago, you can make those, I think the guy was using Gimp, might be wrong but you can do those on your computer.     Looked at whos made more money, Looks like SW has made about 14 Billion give or take and ST has made about 8 Billion.    Not bad, beat that WOW, lets see WOW's making 100mill a month, its going to take them 18 years to catch up to both.     If WOW last for 10 years Ill be suprised, thiers always something better on its way.

Originally posted by ktanner3

I'm suprised this topic hasn't come up sooner. I've been a fan of both IPs since I was a little kid so I'm not going to try and say which is better. Both games look interesting and different enough from each other that they should have appeal to the fans of them. So far (and this is subject to change)it looks like STO will have an advantage for those that like to spend time in space as I have seen very little from TOR in this regard.Both will have a story with the TOR looking to have an advantage here seeing what they have done so far. STO will have the "captain's log" and mission briefings along with a skill based system(no levels) so I think for some it will just come down to which world you like playing in the most. There have been numerous Star Wars games over the years and I think the market might be starting to get oversaturated. Just how many more times will people be interested in playing a jedi? As of late, Star Trek games have been few and far in between and with the latest success of the movie I think there will be a lot of attention paid to STO.

And for the record, I hope both succeed.

Hard to say, even the people over at WOW would tell you its a crap shoot.     STO does look interesting, I more than likely will try out both games next year.