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Star Wars Galaxies: Tips for Returning Players
Our new Star Wars Galaxies Correspondent writes this short article giving a few play tips for players who may have left the game and are planning a return.
"Even though you played SWG, you are not a vet of the game you just joined"
I always said that if I wrote a guide for returning 'vets', that would be my first sentence. If you can't get past that point, then frankly, you should not even attempt to play again. This is not the SWG you knew. Sure there are remnants of the past; your city may still be there, heck, maybe even your old house. You'll probably even find some old acquaintances traipsing around the star ports if you're lucky. However, what you used to know, what you used to own, where you used to group, and more importantly your reputation is irrelevant now.
SWG is in its fourth iteration: Pre-CU, CU, NGE, & Post-NGE. There are specific milestones between NGE and post-NGE, namely chapter 6 and game update 4 - Ch. 6 increased NPC difficulty to promote grouping and GU4 marked the final balance pass and update of all profession expertise systems. So for those of you, and I know who you are, who complain and gripe about how terrible the NGE was, realize that like Pre-CU, the NGE does not exist as you knew it.
Choose your path. . .
Most of you were around for the NGE so have already chosen your profession, those that haven't will be greeted with a screen from which you choose your new profession. Forget hybrids - these nine choices represent the nine most iconic professions. Its arguable if these are the most iconic but they really do encompass many of the skills we were all familiar with in the Pre-NGE era.
How do you know what you want to play? Its pretty tough to judge a profession these days; the one thing that always remains the same is change. Balance is and always will be in flux, however, there is some conventional wisdom: (note, this is written from a pvp perspective):
- Commando is a tank
- Dark jedi will always be tough unless you stay out of range.
- Light jedi? Not many people play them in pvp but are fun in pve.
- If an officer doesn't kill you with his nuke damage, he's a glass canon.
- A spy better kill you or cloak if he doesn't
- Medics can heal all day but probably won't take you out.
- Bounty Hunters aren't as tough as they used to be but are essential to a group.
- Don't underestimate the smuggler - he's got unique specials that WILL kill you.
)
I often suggest that returning vets try Jedi first. They're easy to play and forgiving - making a mistake won't kill you. It can be fun too; however, most vets enjoyed SWG when it was more challenging to play. When they get tired of easy mode Jedi, I suggest they choose a profession more suitable to their play style. BH and Smuggler are more challenging to play and dare I say, require slightly more skill to play successfully. In another article, I'll argue that smuggler in the post-NGE is the most pre-cu like profession remaining - I always tell vets that "Elder Jedi make great smugglers!"
Out with the new, in with the old. . .
So while you're trying out Jedi and getting a feel for the game, your first task will be to reset the user interface to something more familiar. When the NGE hit we were all shocked by the "clunkiness" of the UI, especially targeting. At some point in my hiatus from SWG, between NGE and the 9 months following, they brought back the targeting and combat we knew - tab to a target and fire specials from the keyboard.
Auto-fire - auto-fire of default attack is not on by default. You must initiate autofire by hitting the default keymap (Z) or double clicking your target.
Fire specials from keyboard - this is one of the most important changes. When NGE first hit, you had to choose the special and then fire it with right mouse click. By enabling this feature, the special is fired when you hit the corresponding number key. If you have double toolbar enabled, your second toolbar corresponds to SHIFT+Number
Auto-Target - another terrible feature of NGE targeting was having to mouse over your target. Now you can enable auto-target by choosing default keymap (Y). It will change the reticule from an 'X' to a circle so you always know what targeting mode you're in. (insert target reticule screenshot). Now you can tab targets and fire. Tab targeting is still 'odd' in that there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to targeting. As you advance, you'll learn to create a macro that cycles targeting to the closest target.
Camera Offset - you may notice an odd "over the right shoulder' view. This is easily changed by disabling 'camera offset'.
Once these changes are made, there is little difference between pre-NGE and post-NGE targeting/combat; except for the lack of a combat queue which you'll find that you don't miss.
Where is everybody?
Bottlenecks abounded pre-NGE due to doc buffs and travel layovers. Coronet was always full of people traveling to other parts of the galaxy or getting buffs. With ITVs (instant travel vehicles) and medic / entertainer buffs bots, there really is no need for the old population centers. So when you log on, don't assume there is no one around. Travel to the new galaxy hotspots.
Mos Eisley
All new toons start in Mos Eisley. The first quest they're given (legacy quest) begins there. This is also where the entertainers choose to congregate and the spammers choose to spam. I suppose you could say that Mos Eisley is a more 'iconic' population center. You'll always find people here so for a returning player, it's a good place to hang out.
Restuss<[p>
Restuss is the new Theed. Restuss is an official 'pvp zone' where anyone within the zone is special forces (overt). Its got a beefier server and can supposedly handle more people with less lag (that's the theory at least). Kills made within the zone count towards the Galactic Civil War system (more on that in a later article) so many pvpers frequent this area. The starport may or may not be crowded since many pvpers have safe houses / buff houses around the outskirts of the zone. Watch the movements and follow your faction to find the hot spots around this area.
More Grinding?
When you left, you were probably a level 80 at the top of your game. Now, you're still level 80 but behind the pack of level 90's running around. Don't worry; as its always been in SWG, leveling is quick and easy. Don't underestimate mission terminals - go to any player city and pull a factional mission. You'll get three NPCs within your level and a camp. Quickly kill them off solo for a cool 20-30k in XP. You're limited to 10 of these missions a day due to the high XP payout but you'll get a least a level a day with these missions.
The next best XP is from quests. I recommend to all returning vets that you level with the Azure Cabal quest line that begins in Theed. (Insert Azure cabal screenshot). They are easily soloed and have a payout of about 120-150k each for the initial four missions. What's good about Azure Cabal is that you get repeatable quests for around 100k XP. Between city mission terminals and Azure Cabal, you can be up to level 90 within a few days
)
Now what?
So there you are. You've picked a new profession, reset your targeting UI, found the crowd, and got up to level 90 - what do you do now? Here's just some of the things you need to do:
- Get your rank to General in the GCW
- Get enough commendations in Restuss to 'buy' factional Spec Ops armor
- Complete the revamped Factional Theme parks
- Acquire the Meditate ability - its not just for JedI
- If you're Jedi, get the new cloak and the 5th generation saber
- Get your Heroic Jewellery sets by defeating Exar Kun, The Tuskan King, IG-88, Axkva Min, and the ISD Admiral - five times each.
Just remember, this is not the game you left; maybe 5% of what you knew still applies. Get your mind right and realize that you're as new as that level 5 toon that just spawned in Eisley. Be humble and ask questions - there's never been a guide to SWG. You either blaze your own path or follow the well tread path that thousands have trodden. Above all else, have fun.
What a bunch of lying hell that is.
SOE is not allowing me to play the game for free. Just because of the forum nazi move on their part which had me game banned for 22 months ,I was allow to return to the game on my dime . I tried the game for two months and found it to be the abomination as declared by over 200k other players.
I will not pay for another month of SWG-NGE post or whatever SOE wants to call it when other vets are getting the game for free.
Word has it that the game is on life support anyway. The game is unplayable and unwanted ...pull the plug and make way for the TOR.
Get back to Work on DCUO , SOE Austin. But make it good. Your Company best not screw up that franchise.
( I am amazed the DC took leap of faith of partnering with SOE after the EPIC FAIL with the Star Wars Franchise - We await the results of this union with a well earned critical eye)
I've been trying it out since they offered this free month, but I'm having quite some problems.
I made all UI changes to make it more friendly, and started my lagacy quests to lvl my BM pet. I'm lvl 85 and tried the Azura first quest. Requires me to kill azura members and leads me to a small compound with lvl 91 NPCs. I can't pass them, nor kill them. Inside there is ppl afk, so none to party with. Am I lost?
So I went to Kill beetles on Mustafar. Destroyed a nest and got about 4 beetles on me. POU, incap. Get up, use heal, they re-aggro. POU, dead.
I feel like a noob, and that's not bad, but I don't see what I can solo there anymore. My gear sucks, I respec to medic since BH BM wasn't getting me far alive, but I didn't gain much so far. Not on qhat concerns quests that seem are solo, but are not soloable. And my server is quite dead, plus my prime time in europe and me beeing on a USA server (there wasn't european ones when the game launched) aren't helping.
Any advices here would be welcome.
Seriously,
To me it seems you are THE All Time SOE hater! So why even posting here?
Appearently you got so mentally insane on the SOE forums to deserve a whole 22 months ban!
I have placed some constructive critism with an emotional string attached on the SOE forums before and never have been warned nor banned for it. Ever!
So to receive a 22 month ban means you went out of line BIG time!
So no one really cares about what you appearently have to say. Wich is basically nothing, then the usual RANT at SOE like so many of you Pro SOE haters!
It's becoming old really. So old that you guys are becoming so sad, you might want to start thinking about looking for a shrink and get some serious help!
Cheers
Trust me when I say, as a fellow Kauri player, going back will simply make you sad. I tried it again over the free month this last summer, and while finding the same old bugs and crappy systems that were in place when the NGE launched, what I didn't find was any sign of life. I searched the entire galaxy for life at prime time and found 5 people total, 4 of them afk.
Trust me, the best tip for a returning SWG vet is dont.
Seriously,
To me it seems you are THE All Time SOE hater! So why even posting here?
Appearently you got so mentally insane on the SOE forums to deserve a whole 22 months ban!
I have placed some constructive critism with an emotional string attached on the SOE forums before and never have been warned nor banned for it. Ever!
So to receive a 22 month ban means you went out of line BIG time!
So no one really cares about what you appearently have to say. Wich is basically nothing, then the usual RANT at SOE like so many of you Pro SOE haters!
It's becoming old really. So old that you guys are becoming so sad, you might want to start thinking about looking for a shrink and get some serious help!
Cheers
I think you are the one out of line here, not him. Unlike you, he has a reason for his aggression towards SOE. Saying he needs to get a shrink for bashing an MMO company he doesn't like on a MMO forum? That is what I would expect.
So, he has a reason. What explains your aggression towards him?
I think you are the one out of line here, not him. Unlike you, he has a reason for his aggression towards SOE. Saying he needs to get a shrink for bashing an MMO company he doesn't like on a MMO forum? That is what I would expect.
So, he has a reason. What explains your aggression towards him?
Thanks Dal.
As far as me going out of line Big time is truly debatable to the point that I can say that the decision has unjustly applied. In case you don't know of the roleplaying gems that got me banned , please read my blog here or on MySpace.
I have more right to take my position about SOE and SWG then you could ever have a postion against me for doing so as Dal has already explained.
I plan to be just as criticial of SOE as they were of me - all things being equal.
I'll stick with my resolution -- never giving SOE a dime. Nor the population number support they'd get from me coming back for a month. But enjoy! Each to his own.
Shava
I don't care who is right and who is wrong.
What I do care about is that I am getting fed up that litterly EVERY article or post about ANY of SOE games is constantly being hijacked and bashed by old SWG vets!
It's getting old and it's getting sad! As how long since the NGE hit the SWG live servers? Over 4 years ago already?
I am a SWG vet myself! I hate SOE just as much for what they have done to maybe the best sandbox MMORPG ever!
But you know what? After about a year after the NGE and actually enjoying EverQuest2 I gave up on hating and moved on.
I played so many MMO's since then... and I have seen so many MMO's with potential failing misserably and going down the drain! Hurting the MMO industry more then SOE ever did with the NGE...
... that I come to think that SOE isn't all that bad afterall. Even tho they royally fucked up with the NGE update on SWG!
Cheers
Still seeing no mention of bringing back Bio engineers or Doctors :(
For me, just the thought of returning to SWG just makes me sick! And I really mean it! After 3 years in that game, with hundreds of hours spent on it, I simply cant stand the game anymore, since my relationship to it levels the same you could have with a cheating ex-girlfriend! Not good!
Which is very sad!
SWG had everything! A good story, a good technical platform, immersion, possibility of going deep into the game with specializing, A very well made crafting system, a very well made combat system, Lots of characters/classes with depht, a working goal! Something different then just killing another high ranking mob! Posibillity of achieving something! JEDI! A thorougly done PvP system, A thoroughly done PvE system etc etc etc etc etc etc etc. To sum it up: the game had a bright future!
Until the NGE.
The technical platform changed. Including the combat system! Now it was all twitch/FPS. Crafting system went to hell. And with no decay no need to craft. Game and Class immersion and depth dissapeared. Jedi got a all-round standard! Classes got removed and simplified. There are so many other things too, most I have thankfully forgotten. Except for one thing: my hate towards SOE who had ruined my gaming experience! After 3 years with god know how many hours spend there - more hours then which is good for me...many days with 17 hours while getting my jedi - I simply cant return! I have done it a few times, but I stopped doing that when I was close to throwing up!
HOW CAN I RETURN TO SOMEONE WHO BETRAYED ME?? SOMEONE WHO DID NOT LISTEN TO ME , MY FRIENDS, AND FELLOW PLAYERS WHO SAID THAT THIS WAS REALLY BAD FOR THE GAME??? HECK! THEY EVEN BANNED US INSTEAD OF TAKING THE BLOODY DISCUSSION!!
They could throw a year free subscription my way, I would not even log in to the game! Its dead! Call it whatever you like NGE II; im permanently gone!
SWG is dead! However the wound is still there! And its deep! The money is not a object, but my investment in that game is! Or, should I say was! Thankfully I found solace in CCP's EVE ONLINE. At least those devs knows how to listen, and how to treat their fellow gamers! I have been there for three years now, and there are no NGE to be seen on the horizon in that game! :)
So thanks for me.
What I want to know is why MMORPG.com did this article in the first place? Was the post count getting low? Not enough anger in the forums lately? Seriously... talk about stirring the pot. An article on SWG with a title like this one was guaranteed to start a massive flame war.
I don't care who is right and who is wrong.
What I do care about is that I am getting fed up that litterly EVERY article or post about ANY of SOE games is constantly being hijacked and bashed by old SWG vets!
It's getting old and it's getting sad! As how long since the NGE hit the SWG live servers? Over 4 years ago already?
I am a SWG vet myself! I hate SOE just as much for what they have done to maybe the best sandbox MMORPG ever!
But you know what? After about a year after the NGE and actually enjoying EverQuest2 I gave up on hating and moved on.
I played so many MMO's since then... and I have seen so many MMO's with potential failing misserably and going down the drain! Hurting the MMO industry more then SOE ever did with the NGE...
... that I come to think that SOE isn't all that bad afterall. Even tho they royally fucked up with the NGE update on SWG!
Cheers
I know what your saying here I'm a vet myself. A lot of posts on articles about SWG are only placed there to do one thing and thats to undermine the article, but sometimes a flame post is warranted, as an example this very thread...of course its going to be slammed, it's aimed directly at the vet community.....which makes it an instant no holds barred flamathon.
*sits back with popcorn*
Great article! I'll pass it on to my sister who's returning in time for Hoth. Good times.
I agree to a point. I got angry when they destroyed the game I bought, but I found other places to play.
However - what they did was so wrong on so many levels, I don't begrudge people who're still angry. As far as I'm concerned, really, I'll quietly cheer them on when I see them bash SOE. They don't really deserve to have it neither forgotten, nor forgiven. Hopefully, it'll keep both them and other companies from even considering going so thoroughly against the wishes of their existing fan-base in some vague attempt at getting a new one.
And no, that's not another bash, I don't care about them, anymore. But I always worry that someone else might pull a stunt like it, and ruin a game I enjoy in the future - seeing as they proved beyond a doubt that we as gamers have no rights other than to pay and take what ever they see fit to give us. As long as the SWG vets bash SOE, I don't see that happening again :)
Whoa buddy !
Lots of comments but not many on target. Contrary to what some may think, vets ARE returning, even without the "free" incentive. I've been around long enough to have a rather huge friends list; All the guys I knew before often ping me and ask for assistance getting back into the 'groove'. There is so much to re-learn that even this article is just the tip of the iceberg. But, that's a good thing, right? More content is what we always wanted.
Its not the SWG you knew and frankly, its not the SOE you knew. Relatively speaking, they've been good about listening to the playerbase. . . just look at the new tweaks to BH and Medic currently on deck.
Anyway, for those that do choose to revisit SWG, I hope this article gets you started and oriented in the right direction. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention in that article is that there ARE dead servers - many have already transferred to the larger servers such as Starsider, Bria, Bloodfin, Chilastra, etc. Early 09 brings free server transfers . . .
I don't care who is right and who is wrong.
What I do care about is that I am getting fed up that litterly EVERY article or post about ANY of SOE games is constantly being hijacked and bashed by old SWG vets!
It's getting old and it's getting sad! As how long since the NGE hit the SWG live servers? Over 4 years ago already?
I am a SWG vet myself! I hate SOE just as much for what they have done to maybe the best sandbox MMORPG ever!
But you know what? After about a year after the NGE and actually enjoying EverQuest2 I gave up on hating and moved on.
I played so many MMO's since then... and I have seen so many MMO's with potential failing misserably and going down the drain! Hurting the MMO industry more then SOE ever did with the NGE...
... that I come to think that SOE isn't all that bad afterall. Even tho they royally fucked up with the NGE update on SWG!
Cheers
I am not here for a popularity contest but if you think that I am going to stop just because you or anyone else thinks it's getting "Old" then you are sorely mistaken.
My resolve is stronger then that . Deal with it and keep your Jestor hater thoughts to yourself or I will reply.
Cheers
Good first pass on a Returning Vet Guide,
For End Game content, I will expand:
"Now what?
So there you are. You've picked a new profession, reset your targeting UI, found the crowd, and got up to level 90 - what do you do now? Here's just some of the things you need to do:
-"Get your rank to General in the GCW" The benefit of GCW rank are many fold but each officer rank provides special self buffs that effect you and your local faction group.
-"Get enough commendations in Restuss to 'buy' factional Spec Ops armor" Unique looking but with the changes to Armor crafting makes it obsolete to crafted. Its not a total loss, however, because soon this armor should be Deconstructable to be made better based on that servers resources.
-"Complete the revamped Factional Theme parks" Again, the Armor reward is marginal but soon should be Deconstructable for improvment. Both faction themeparks have been expanded to End game level content. Mission also have you journey to distant location instead of run out x meters and kill.
-"Acquire the Meditate ability - its not just for JedI" Meditate only self buffs the Jedi Profession but the animation or stance becomes available to any owner. Getting the Collection is a super tough grind unless you can aford to buy them on the bazaar.
-"If you're Jedi, get the new cloak and the 5th generation saber" These cloaks are the NGE Jedi answer to the Elder Robe, different but on par. Elders like these robes also because it allows them some room to customize thier suits with the new RE mod system. Getting the 7 requirements is another story, however, Many can get the 5th gen sabers and Meditative state Collections. Many can easily conquor the 2 Jedi but getting the Sith Holo 4/5 for waist pack is the real test of patients. There is some small trick to looting this but no one will say. Some players have gone 6 months and still have not looted it with normal 3 hour average a day game play. I ain't got one, yet.
-"Get your Heroic Jewellery sets by defeating Exar Kun, The Tuskan King, IG-88, Axkva Min, and the ISD Admiral - five times each." Each profession has 3 different sets avaible to them. You pick the set best suits your Expertiese or build and collect towards that. I know many who run Heroic Encounters to get all 3 for that given toon so they can change builds in future. Many find these jewelery sets highly valuable for PVP. But there is the rub, many don't like they have to PVE to PVP effectively.
I will also add: If your returning vet, dont be in love with your server. Search out the forums for the most acitive servers and log in there. In 2009, we will have a house pack up and Free Character Transfer System event. If your main is on a dead server, move and find a new home. Bria, Bloodfin and Starsider have been noted as the highest pop servers in the game. Ahazi has fallen to about 5th in pop but is still very active with PVP in Restuss daily at peak hours.
. . .and there you are folks! A preview to some of my future articles!
1st tip for those who returning to SWG:
DO NOT RETURN!
rofl. Perhaps my first tip should have been "don't listen to jaded vets"
rofl. Perhaps my first tip should have been "don't listen to jaded vets"
Jaded? Thoroughly disgusted maybe. Sad too, the servers are so empty it is pathetic. Why return to an empty game. They still have do not have equipment degradation, so pretty meaningless to play a trade person.
You want to hear the absurd, my main was a creature handler, with a lot in rifle and healing skills, fully maxed out in skills. Do you know what he converts to? A level 40 something medic. So much for your level 80 nonsense. He can't even equip a rifle anymore nor any of the armor and I had all sorts of armor, light, medium, heavy. Not one item. You can spend eons searching the planets for an actual live vendor, they are extremely few and far between. There is little reason for anyone to make a trade person anymore.
SWG is so broken it is unfixable. The only people playing now are a few kids with their light sabers running around playing jedi.
The only thing they did not change was space, only reason I still log in occassionally and even on one of the most populous servers I don't always find others to play with.
So thanks for the laugh, that is about all your article was good for.
Thanks for the article. I would still like to see a precu server made by SOE or someone else, but in lieu of this I think the article is helpful.
I recently got the free month, but WOW expansion just launched and LOTRO expansion on the way. It's a busy time.
The game is tight, well programmed. Not as free as it used to be now that you're funneled into a profession - but they allow customization in the details of the profession. I used to like being able to train anything at all, but most people made templates the same anyway.
I agree with whoever said vets are returning - they are. Really old vets too. They prob burnt out of WoW and a few others and are looking up that old flame. It doesn't feel as full as it used too (by far on some servers)
I don't get the SOE haters. Even toddlers cry less about their toys.
Err, ok I am puzzled about two things.
One, what about this new cloak? Where does the quest start or who drops that thing?
Same to the 5th gen sabre, where does it come from?
Thx.
Things are looking better for this game. I'm looking forward to the Hoth content just to sample it with my free month. The improved crafting sounds good with more reliance on player crafted goods. And lastly the character tranfers(Improved) for free from the low to high pop servers will be a good thing. So we'll see if SOE can't revive this game.
See
forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m
or copy and paste the link.
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?topic_id=774659
One thing that the article really glosses over is the lack of population.
Yes, it is REALLY that low.
People aren't in Coronet, pleople aren't in Theed, but people aren't in Mos Eisley either, on most servers. People just aren't anywhere, period.
Last night, during US primetime, there were enough people to run exaclty ONE group of people doing heroics. That being eight people. And that was it, on a weekend day, during prime evening hours.
This is not happening on one or two servers, it is the one or two servers that have a "reasonable" population that are the exception.
Also not mentioned in the article, is that SOE refuses to have the devs spend time on fixing bugs. They won't. They simply say that in the time it would take to fix several long time and in some cases play breaking bugs, they can put out more "new" content. What does that say about SOEs long term plans?
The Hoth release and the just released TCG are a last attempt by SOE to grab a few more bucks.
Take the vet trial, see what's there, but don't bothering paying. Not worth it.
LOL... Good one.
This game is not going to be 'Saved' The writing on the tombstone is there. SW:TOR is going to put the final nails in the coffin. SOE is just doing what Lucas is telling them to do. Ride it out until TOR is done and then pull the plug. What choice do they have. They have contractual obligations. Once TOR comes out SWG is done and over with.
As for the so called healthy population of this game? Well again that will change once TOR is out. People are only playing this game and biding time until Bioware is done.
Discount my thoughts if you want as you may call me a Jaded Vet. I have tried over and over again to get back into this game but each time I just could not justify it. I will wait out the time it will take for Bioware to finish and welcome The Old Republic. It won't be SWG but thats fine with me. I am done with SWG.
This game is not going to be 'Saved' The writing on the tombstone is there. SW:TOR is going to put the final nails in the coffin. SOE is just doing what Lucas is telling them to do. Ride it out until TOR is done and then pull the plug. What choice do they have. They have contractual obligations. Once TOR comes out SWG is done and over with.
As for the so called healthy population of this game? Well again that will change once TOR is out. People are only playing this game and biding time until Bioware is done.
Discount my thoughts if you want as you may call me a Jaded Vet. I have tried over and over again to get back into this game but each time I just could not justify it. I will wait out the time it will take for Bioware to finish and welcome The Old Republic. It won't be SWG but thats fine with me. I am done with SWG.
Don't respond to the viral marketers.
You're right i didnt mention population - I play two servers which happen to be well populated. The players base is consolidating themselves and will furhter consolidate in 09 when they offer the free transfers. I can always find pvp and can always find a heroic instance group if needed. Its unfortunate that vets log on and find dead servers.
I don't care who is right and who is wrong.
What I do care about is that I am getting fed up that litterly EVERY article or post about ANY of SOE games is constantly being hijacked and bashed by old SWG vets!
It's getting old and it's getting sad! As how long since the NGE hit the SWG live servers? Over 4 years ago already?
I am a SWG vet myself! I hate SOE just as much for what they have done to maybe the best sandbox MMORPG ever!
But you know what? After about a year after the NGE and actually enjoying EverQuest2 I gave up on hating and moved on.
I played so many MMO's since then... and I have seen so many MMO's with potential failing misserably and going down the drain! Hurting the MMO industry more then SOE ever did with the NGE...
... that I come to think that SOE isn't all that bad afterall. Even tho they royally fucked up with the NGE update on SWG!
Cheers
And I don't care who you are either. This thread is about SWG. It is about "returning" vets. This isn't an article about another SOE game, this article is about SWG and is about Vets (which means Pre-NGE to most), so it implies a respose from the above.
And your first response to one of them was to suggest that they are mentally unstable and should seek help.
Sorry, you lost me there. I could not care less what your role was in the entire mess. This is not crashing any other game minus SWG.
The article states that the need for centers of interest are no longer viable, which is completely wrong since I played a ME just four months ago. There is a serious demand for Ent Buffs on top of the other three lines you need to fill to be viable.
Playing this ENT. On Chimeara (which still (did) has a decent pop), I encountered nothing near the lines I used to see (I am EST time) in Coronet for my former Doc buffs. Even WITH the new player search functions, I saw perhaps 1/5 the random tell for a buff I used to see. Of course, this is assuming you think Entertainer buffs are currently worth while. IMHO, they currently are the longest lasting, most configurable, easiest to obtain, and blatantly useful buffs in the game.
So, BH and Medic are being revisited, AGAIN. This is what? The third time for each since the NGE? How much work is going to be nerfed by SOE for current BH and Medics. How many people are going to flock to the professions as a result, and how many more times will the other professions be revisited as a result?
They may be doing "better" than the initial NGE. I mean, how couldn't they? What the "returning vets" may not realize is that the NGE was only the beginning of several mini-nge's to follow. They have built up, Jedi, Bounty Hunters, Medics, Commandos, Officers, Spies...only to turn right around with a "revamp" to nerf them, their equiptment, and moreover their TIME over and over again.
The player economy is out of control, it is currently at a status of Lineage 2 proportions. I used to be able to buy a suit of PvP worthy armor of 300K. And I wore it ONLY for PvP.
Conclusion: Here is my guide for returning vets: 50 Million credits for a decent set of PvP armor, which SOE will alter the system to make it useless in 2 months. When you left, you still remembered the day when you were proud as hell to make your first million. If you go back, and actually spend the time to reinvest, prepare yourself to be screwed all over again. (and again, and again).
The New Cloak is rewarded from finishing the Collection for it. There are 2 to choose from (Lightside Brown & Orange and Darkside Black & Red). You have to complete 7 sub collection for it. a) Complete the collection for the Jedi Waist Pack. b) Complete the collection for Meditative State, c) Colletion for 1-H 5th gen Lightsaber, d) Collection for 2-H 5th gen Lightsaber, e) Collection for Polearm 5th gen lightsaber, f) Defeat a Lightside Jedi [triggered spawn] g) Defeat a Darkside Jedi [triggered spawn]. The collection is started with talking to an Elder Jedi in a Tyrenna park. Talking to him starts all of these collections.
The requirements for the 5th gen sabers are varied but most call for kill quotas in the Heroic Encounters. Once earned you are rewarded with a perminent schamatic that allows you to make a 5th gen saber (holds 5 power crystals) in its unique image or any other hilt in the Jedi's schamatic list. This collection was published with the update that allows Anctient Krayts to drop Flawless Pearls, again.
Huh, I didn't know you were the new correspondent here Inat :p Grats on the position :)
Good guide overall, although I do recommend checking out some of the stickies in the SWG General forum here for those interested in checking out the game as is has some links to some useful guides on the official forums.
Also, although the armour is pretty cool looking, I question the recommendation to "Get enough commendations in Restuss to 'buy' factional Spec Ops armor." Armour from an AS would be a better recommendation as the resists and potential stats are far superior.
LOL... Good one.
I played both, I loved pre-NGE, but it's the truth - SWG is technically more reliable, better balanced and has tons more content. If you don't know then you don't know, but it is much better technically.
I don't currently play the game and not selling anyone on it - but it is better overall (just not as flexable).
[quote]
I often suggest that returning vets try Jedi first. They're easy to play and forgiving - making a mistake won't kill you. It can be fun too; however, most vets enjoyed SWG when it was more challenging to play. When they get tired of easy mode Jedi, I suggest they choose a profession more suitable to their play style. BH and Smuggler are more challenging to play and dare I say, require slightly more skill to play successfully.
[/quote]
LAWLZ
That's all I needed to read to know the game was still crap and not true to the Star Wars genre still. Smugglers require MORE skill to play than 'easy mode Jedi.' Yup... I'm sold... I'm comin' back!
hahahaha... right.
It may not seem it, but I actually appreciate this article. It saved me money. Thanks!
An aspect of pre-NGE that many miss is the complexity of playing. The NGE made it so simple - the post-NGE era has brought some complexity back. Aside from arguing about whether it should be a starting profession or not, there is no arguement that jedi is easy to play. Smuggler is much more challenging to play successfully - and more fun too! I play smuggler so I could be biased when I say that it the best designed profession in SWG currently. The balance of offense-defense-utility is perfect.
An aspect of pre-NGE that many miss is the complexity of playing. The NGE made it so simple - the post-NGE era has brought some complexity back. Aside from arguing about whether it should be a starting profession or not, there is no arguement that jedi is easy to play. Smuggler is much more challenging to play successfully - and more fun too! I play smuggler so I could be biased when I say that it the best designed profession in SWG currently. The balance of offense-defense-utility is perfect.
My main is a Elder Smuggler and I play often. The flaw with the profession is its meta-game of smuggling. I lacks depth as its simply pizza delivery missions with a single attack at times. Nothing inspiring with it. The revamp of weaponcrafting made the ultimate reward near useless. Mudflation as I see it. The one facet that would help is making the "contraband" had use beyond static delivery object.
I would never change professions on that toon, however. BEER and PIE for all.
To me, learning everything all over again is no content and no fun. It's just a hassle. Retrofitting the UI? Why should I? For the promise that I might have fun? It would be a whole lot more fun if I didn't have to research and mess with the thing I was enjoying successfully until SOE decided they weren't going to give me the thing I enjoyed anymore.
Maybe I'm old fashioned or this genre isn't for me anymore, but I like to have a rulebook and good support from CSRs in both the chatroom and ingame. I can't get that in this new, post-NGE way of running a game. The more time passes by, the more someone has to catch up on, until at some point, it's more trouble than it's worth. People shouldn't sort through three years of patch notes and forum posts just to learn the software they bought and paid for. I'd rather get into a new game without all that baggage.
SWG just changes too fast and too radically from patch to patch to make it worth my while. History shows that if you like something in this game, it will change into something you don't like. The author here says that the staff listens to the playerbase, and to me that's just as bad as not listening. Because the problem with SWG isn't that the devs do or do not listen. The problem with SWG is that the devs assume too much of a prerogative to change things like basic mechanics and rules, never allowing anyone to ever feel like they understand the thing they play.
Inat, you are only doing this to keep your post count above mine....like you do on all the other boards :(
Seriously though...grats on the position and that was a nice summary. Look forward to more...and I'm sure I'll see you back in game...one day :P
Hubbard, it's a great article! Thanks!
We got in on SWG right at the "end" back in the day, when things apparently were falling apart, though we didnt know it at the time. Frankly we were quite lost, and seemed to get more and more lost every time we returned to the game, no doubt as these changes were being made. Being SW fans, we held out hope that one day it would all fall into place. YAY for us, and for you!
Im with you.
SOE wont get any of my money ever again for any MMO until they can prove that another NGE wont happen.
The article fails on one serious issue....
MMO's are about investing time and money into your avatar. SOE blatently and purposely violated this cardinal rule of MMO's. Why should I ever play any of their MMO's again if theyre willing to take my subscription money and in essence steal it ? I and 200,000 other players had our money used to create the abomination of the NGE.
It still pisses me off that current NGE players are enjoying a game developed on my stolen dime. And I dont care how long it takes, SOE gets nothing until Smedley is gone and I see real changes in how they treat players
LOL - I never even thought of that... I was just unhappy they killed my game! But that they even did it with my money? They're really clever, they are!
They never cease to impress me ^^
And isn't there a rule against cursing in the forum conduct thingy or something? You said the Sm-word...
HAH
HAHAH
HAHAHAH
This is assuming that any % of true vets rly want to come back to the game.
NEVER
All true SWG vets are here:
www.swtor.com
anxiously awaiting a game of true quality. Don't believe me, look at the "SWG Server Reunion" threads. Hundreds if not thousands of people from each pre-CU server have checked in.
And a q: why would they need to consolidate the player base w/ free transfers? Because subscriptions are bare-minimum, and they're trying to shave overhead costs, because...
SWG = DEAD
You know what I don't understand? After 3-4 years people are still pissed about SOE......they still post and outnumber the current players......and not one company has tried to copy SWG!!!!!
I mean if people are STILL talking about a game they quit years ago wouldn't you think SOMEONE would say "Hey, everyone does a WOW clone....and we could be one of those people, but lets try and make ourselves the number 2 game by totally ripping off every good idea SWG had".
You would think at least one company would try
Follow Raph Koster work. He is helping a new startup and may impliment more of his ideas there.
Why hasn't another company made a Pre-CU like game? Because the market as a whole identified that world simulators "sandbox" MMORPG's appeal to a smaller market of mature achievers. The simpler Linear game MMO should appeal to the younger quick gratification Larger Market that is identfied with WOW's success. Look at the sub numbers on MMOChart.com and compare. SWG 275-300k subs at best to WOW's 11 Million. IP holders don't care to take risks on MMO experiments. They only want to capitalize on thier property with tried and succesful games systems. Its the selling " a box" mentality that is killing this market instead of realizing that MMO's are social organisms that can grow if properly developed and expanded within thier understandable limits. One of the biggest mistakes of all these companies is trying to make a game that appeals to "everyone" instead of the fans of that IP or genere.
To the SOE haters, remember that SOE developes and runs SWG. Lucas Arts approves, promotes and markets the game based on thier market research. LA even handles the Tech Support seperate from SOE's other games. "Hand-in-hand" these two companies made SWG what you despise today. Practices on both sides are at falt. SWTOR has a good start with a fresh company with learned lessons. It has the benefit of being a property spawned from a PC Game and a prior success to the company (KOTOR) just like Warcraft. The downfall, however, will be the lack of "sandbox" elements that prevails in the current market. The positive side of SWTOR is the introduction of story directed content by the top developer of the format which seems a natural step in MMO tech.
I think the main point that this article failed to consider, that there really is no game for a veteran to really return to. The changes made by SOE completely destroyed the player driven economy and they have completely failed to address that mistake in any patch since.
As to this SWTOR comment:
"The positive side of SWTOR is the introduction of story directed content by the top developer of the format which seems a natural step in MMO tech. "
If Lotro is not strong story driven content, I don't know what is. So I have to disagree that anything Bioware is doing is anything innovative, but we will have to wait and see what they come up with. I have reservations that the game will be just another jedi themepark, which will be fine with many people, just won't be much to reconcile the SWG vets.
Then this begs the question who are they replacing because It's been my experience that the server listings have not increased within the last year. In fact it looks to me that it's declined somewhat - especially since last May.
Is there a revolving door of subscriptions with SWG? If so this doesn't give a good impression of the status of this game.
I hear some people say that many vets are returning but my friends list is certainly empty. And so is my buddy's firends list that is quite long as he was the mayor of our city and kept an extensive list of citizens and ex-citizens. I don't think he ever removed a single name from his list from June'03 to Nov'05.
Then this begs the question who are they replacing because It's been my experience that the server listings have not increased within the last year. In fact it looks to me that it's declined somewhat - especially since last May.
Is there a revolving door of subscriptions with SWG? If so this doesn't give a good impression of the status of this game.
I hear some people say that many vets are returning but my friends list is certainly empty. And so is my buddy's firends list that is quite long as he was the mayor of our city and kept an extensive list of citizens and ex-citizens. I don't think he ever removed a single name from his list from June'03 to Nov'05.
they're not replacing anyone; they're joining the existing community made up of vets who never left, new players, and vets who have returned. The server listing has never been a good measure of population so its tough to pass judegement based on that 'metric'. The only way to know for sure is to check it out for yourself. There is certainly no denying that there are dead servers and that the community is taking it upon itself to consolidate on 5-10 core servers depending on their timezone and playstyle. Just last night, we had maybe 20v20 pvp that ended up breaking up into several instance groups. The community is there - its just not where you remember it being.
Can you explain how it is not a good measure?
And BTW I've had 1/4 of both last year and this year to play for free. I have checked it out myself.
Can you explain how it is not a good measure?
And BTW I've had 1/4 of both last year and this year to play for free. I have checked it out myself.
It may be because SOE keeps lowering the number the indicators represent
and fyi there aren't 5-10 core servers there are the 3 rp servers left that are the ones worth playing on
It may be because SOE keeps lowering the number the indicators represent
and fyi there aren't 5-10 core servers there are the 3 rp servers left that are the ones worth playing on
Well, if they are doing that then why wouldn't they change the status of the very many servers that are showing as "very light" - the absolute lowest it can show without being "offline"?
It may have happened shortly after the NGE but I really don't think it has changed since then, but the possibility is always there of course : )
It may be because SOE keeps lowering the number the indicators represent
and fyi there aren't 5-10 core servers there are the 3 rp servers left that are the ones worth playing on
yah those indicators have always been a very loose representation of the server population AT THAT EXACT MOMENT
chilastra, starsider, bloodfin, bria, euro-farstar, euro-chimaera, ahazi, and flurry are all considered decently populated servers
But if you look at the exact same moment over time, say over a year, does that not make it a much clearer indicator?
But if you look at the exact same moment over time, say over a year, does that not make it a much clearer indicator?
not really b/c you dont know the range for each. I think the only good way to do is to do a census on each server. Determing its 'prime time' and log in every day for 30-60 days and use the group finder to get a count of players on line at that time. Of course it will be slightly skewed b.c a lot of players choose to be anonymous
I do get your point though and admit that there are some dead servers. Even SOE knows that now and will be offering free servertransfers
not really b/c you dont know the range for each. I think the only good way to do is to do a census on each server. Determing its 'prime time' and log in every day for 30-60 days and use the group finder to get a count of players on line at that time. Of course it will be slightly skewed b.c a lot of players choose to be anonymous
I do get your point though and admit that there are some dead servers. Even SOE knows that now and will be offering free servertransfers
Damn, I think I hit cancel rather then submit when I finished writing a resonse. Let me try this again.
It's actually much more simple then that. First make an assumption of what the max server capacity is then divide by 6 for the different server rankings (i.e. very light, light, medium, heavy, very heavey, extremely heavey and full). That should be a very rudimentory (but accurate IMO) of the ranges for a server. Funny thing is some people have done exactly what you described and came out with the approximate number I specified in corespondance to the server status.
But then again it's not about ""some dead servers". Its about the 15 plus servers out of 25 that are showing up as "very light". And the handful appearing at medium, with 1 (sometimes possibly 2) servers showing up as heavy. This is not a good indication of health IMO.
not really b/c you dont know the range for each. I think the only good way to do is to do a census on each server. Determing its 'prime time' and log in every day for 30-60 days and use the group finder to get a count of players on line at that time. Of course it will be slightly skewed b.c a lot of players choose to be anonymous
I do get your point though and admit that there are some dead servers. Even SOE knows that now and will be offering free servertransfers
Damn, I think I hit cancel rather then submit when I finished writing a resonse. Let me try this again.
It's actually much more simple then that. First make an assumption of what the max server capacity is then divide by 6 for the different server rankings (i.e. very light, light, medium, heavy, very heavey, extremely heavey and full). That should be a very rudimentory (but accurate IMO) of the ranges for a server. Funny thing is some people have done exactly what you described and came out with the approximate number I specified in corespondance to the server status.
But then again it's not about ""some dead servers". Its about the 15 plus servers out of 25 that are showing up as "very light". And the handful appearing at medium, with 1 (sometimes possibly 2) servers showing up as heavy. This is not a good indication of health IMO.
I totally don't trust those screens. It's a better measure to load into Mos Eisley and see how many newbs are running around. Inat is correct on the servers he indicates, however. They do seem the most active. The new search features are helpful but are limited to 25-30 in a given search at random. Landing at popular spots like Restuus and Mos Eisley and talking with those you find is a better indication. Another good note is to see how much active drama is happening on that servers forum board. You can know then if someone is there.
Thank you for quoting me.
There is a game there but its just not as vets remember. Some measures have been made to correct the economy as of late. Both Weapons and Armor have been made avaible to "Deconstruct" (turn back into a schmatic) and be made by a Munitions crafter with the best resources of that server. Further, an additional level of Mods outside of the Reverse Engineering system can also be applied. This allows some looted and awarded gear to be viable as Master Level equipment. What the current Lead Developer "Loche" is hoping to achieve is awareded gear that is ready to use when gained but could be rebuilt for improvement.
As to your comment on the quote, what I understand is the story driven content is much more the Lotro. Your decisions guide the direction of what content you get. Further, your decisions guide how NPCs react to you.
Additionally, SWTOR is suppose to have a Pet System that is unique as well. How you talk to your pet, droid, troops will govern how they react and serve you.
For me, I am also sceptable about how good SWTOR will be. First strike for me is its just not the time period I want to play in. Im old school. Second strike is I just don't trust the market trend to make easy games. I like having to achieve a goal with hard work that is of equal value. I also have a dim view of IP MMO's now.
Damn, I think I hit cancel rather then submit when I finished writing a resonse. Let me try this again.
It's actually much more simple then that. First make an assumption of what the max server capacity is then divide by 6 for the different server rankings (i.e. very light, light, medium, heavy, very heavey, extremely heavey and full). That should be a very rudimentory (but accurate IMO) of the ranges for a server. Funny thing is some people have done exactly what you described and came out with the approximate number I specified in corespondance to the server status.
But then again it's not about ""some dead servers". Its about the 15 plus servers out of 25 that are showing up as "very light". And the handful appearing at medium, with 1 (sometimes possibly 2) servers showing up as heavy. This is not a good indication of health IMO.
I totally don't trust those screens. It's a better measure to load into Mos Eisley and see how many newbs are running around Sorry but that only indicates the number on free trials . Inat is correct on the servers he indicates, however. They do seem the most active. The new search features are helpful but are limited to 25-30 in a given search at random. Landing at popular spots like U need to look at the num of 90's in Restuus and Mos Eisley and talking with those you find is a better indication. Another good note is to see how much active drama is happening on that servers forum board. You can know then if someone is there.
I played on EU-Farstar (med server)and could regularly see the heady number of maybe 50 actual subs online at peak times when i left and this just doesn't leave enough ppl around to do the heroic grind properly
and would honestly put the pop of the med server i was on at under 500 from personal experience(it's hard to give an actual figure because of all those on free trial, free vet and with more than 1 account)
and before gutboy says it NO there wasn't anybody hidden in instances
Damn, I think I hit cancel rather then submit when I finished writing a resonse. Let me try this again.
It's actually much more simple then that. First make an assumption of what the max server capacity is then divide by 6 for the different server rankings (i.e. very light, light, medium, heavy, very heavey, extremely heavey and full). That should be a very rudimentory (but accurate IMO) of the ranges for a server. Funny thing is some people have done exactly what you described and came out with the approximate number I specified in corespondance to the server status.
But then again it's not about ""some dead servers". Its about the 15 plus servers out of 25 that are showing up as "very light". And the handful appearing at medium, with 1 (sometimes possibly 2) servers showing up as heavy. This is not a good indication of health IMO.
I totally don't trust those screens. It's a better measure to load into Mos Eisley and see how many newbs are running around Sorry but that only indicates the number on free trials . Inat is correct on the servers he indicates, however. They do seem the most active. The new search features are helpful but are limited to 25-30 in a given search at random. Landing at popular spots like U need to look at the num of 90's in Restuus and Mos Eisley and talking with those you find is a better indication. Another good note is to see how much active drama is happening on that servers forum board. You can know then if someone is there.
I played on EU-Farstar (med server)and could regularly see the heady number of maybe 50 actual subs online at peak times when i left and this just doesn't leave enough ppl around to do the heroic grind properly
and would honestly put the pop of the med server i was on at under 500 from personal experience(it's hard to give an actual figure because of all those on free trial, free vet and with more than 1 account)
and before gutboy says it NO there wasn't anybody hidden in instances
the only source of real data we have is activeframe's tracking of SWG GCW data (http://swg.activeframe.de/bb-std/tp-en/main.12.html)
this shows that euro-farstar is #3 in terms of weekly pvp kills. Is pvp kills indicative of population or activity? Not really 100% buts its what we have to go on. #2 is chilastra where my main is located... I know that chilastra is a well populated server so I would make an educated guess that the next server down, euro-farstar, is probably similar in size to chilastra
Quite honestly I have no reason to distrust those screens, and I've never heard anyone make any comments of such until post-NGE - when it didn't indicate a favorable situation for the post-NGE game.
If SoE was altering those rankings I'm sure they would have hidden the over 15 "very light" servers by now, as that speaks very clearly to me of the poor situation this game is in. The population you have now is essentially the best it's going to be. It's not going to have a sudden increase. That time is long gone.
There is quite a bit of uncertainty regarding SWG these days. Even Smed has admitted as much. To invest time into this game (and that is precisely what is expected of us as subscribers to MMO's - I even have a screenshot saved that someone posted of a PM Deadmeat sent him which encouraged him to consider his "investment" into SWG before quitting) is to set yourself up for a let down.
The measure of worth to your investment in an MMO is gauged by the community IMO. If a sudden collapse of that community occured then your investment becomes significantly less worthwhile.
Quite honestly I have no reason to distrust those screens, and I've never heard anyone make any comments of such until post-NGE - when it didn't indicate a favorable situation for the post-NGE game.
If SoE was altering those rankings I'm sure they would have hidden the over 15 "very light" servers by now, as that speaks very clearly to me of the poor situation this game is in. The population you have now is essentially the best it's going to be. It's not going to have a sudden increase. That time is long gone.
There is quite a bit of uncertainty regarding SWG these days. Even Smed has admitted as much. To invest time into this game (and that is precisely what is expected of us as subscribers to MMO's - I even have a screenshot saved that someone posted of a PM Deadmeat sent him which encouraged him to consider his "investment" into SWG before quitting) is to set yourself up for a let down.
The measure of worth to your investment in an MMO is gauged by the community IMO. If a sudden collapse of that community occured then your investment becomes significantly less worthwhile.
yeah, the future of SWG is unclear. SWTOR looks promising but I don't see anything from it yet that can compare to SWG's crafting, entertaining, and spacing features. Granted, we still know little about it so who can say?
SWTOR is still at least a year out so there is still time for players to enjoy SWG - especially when the community settles in after the free character transfers.
yeah, the future of SWG is unclear. SWTOR looks promising but I don't see anything from it yet that can compare to SWG's crafting, entertaining, and spacing features. Granted, we still know little about it so who can say?
SWTOR is still at least a year out so there is still time for players to enjoy SWG - especially when the community settles in after the free character transfers.
I hear ya but like I said even Deadmeat wants to encourage people to invest in an MMO. Why would I bother if I know that the community which makes my investment worth while can and likly would collapse?
And character transfers are far too late IMO to help SWG. This is something that should have been done 2 1/2 years ago when they understood that their target audience was nowhere in sight. Now, after so long, it's inevitable to upset and discourage more subscribers then it would have back then. So what this will do is leave SWG in a state of flux until TOR comes out (which I believe is sooner rather then later). And when TOR is out that'll further diminsh the server populations leaving those people fragmented even further.
This whole mess is a case study in poor management IMO.
I played (and loved) SWG from launch, beta-tested the CU, and walked away from the abomination that it unleashed on all of us. A few things are unmistakeable: 1) SOE so completely mangled the ongoing development of its flagship franchise that it has become an industry-wide cautionary tale. 2) A majority of subscribers warned SOE, in advance, of the mass exodus that would take place 3) However many CU's, NGE's, IV's, PCP's that they have tried, SOE has not scratched the numbers that they used to have 4) The fact that pre-CU still elicts great emotion from those who played it shows that there was nothing broken in the first place that warranted such a major overhaul, err gutting, that the CU and later updates provided. 5) If SOE wants subscribers, create a classic server. 6)At the very least, rename the game. It's not SWG, hasn't been SWG in years, and regardless of how many future "improvements" they release, it won't be SWG.
Basically gentlemen, you can pollish that turd all you want, it's still gonna be a turd.
chokehold74 wrote:
A few things are unmistakeable:
1) SOE so completely mangled the ongoing development of its flagship franchise that it has become an industry-wide cautionary tale. I love how the SOE haters identify that company as the soul culprit in the SWG downfall. SOE developes and run (servers) the game while Lucas Arts approves content, gathers market research and does the tech support for SWG. The relationship between SOE and Lucas Arts is most at fault for the changes that disrupt the direction of the game. This poor relationship is exemplified by every nerf, bug and incomplete coding of Pre-CU. This condition is why EA (Jap server company) dropped running the game in Japan. Instead of investing in the first "vision" of SWG, Lucas Arts was very unsatisfied with the games growth and demanded re-targeting the game to reflect the success of WOW. SOE responded with the CU (Which I Beta tested as well) without totally gutting core features of the profession system or player economy. These features were implimented on the still unstable engine and created as much trouble as it was suppose to replace. It failed to gain market share on WOW and infact continued to hemerage subs. At this point, a secret dev team was commissioned to find the secret formula to save the game. It was secret from the Live Dev Team because a week before the NGE announcement, work was going forward on professions removed from the game (squad leader, ranger and CH).
2) A majority of subscribers warned SOE, in advance, of the mass exodus that would take place The players that post to the forums are viewed as a nich minority in scope to the casual player market. Where you can make the biggest differance for game guideance is in LA's exit polls, test groups and market research. The "majority of the subscribers" represent a market of dedicated Star Wars fans savea to RPGMMO's who don't mind working towards game goals. Exit polls from early subscribers clearly identified that they didn't want to have a second job in thier nightly three-hour average gameplay, as one point. If MMOChart.com's numbers are close to the truth then SWG only got 275-300k in subs before hemorageing set in during the end of the Pre-CU. Lucas Arts wants a game that rivals Linage & Linage2 in subs because nothing else would be acceptable for its IP. This is where the "re-invent the game" remedy was born. With that the less than 275k subs was an easy trade for a Million subs when the game play changed to the NGE. Get rid of the World Simulator and make this game fun for kids. Yeah, right.
3) However many CU's, NGE's, IV's, PCP's that they have tried, SOE has not scratched the numbers that they used to have We have no true idea of the numbers SWG had/has. SOE and Lucas Arts are guarded on this point whether its a lion's share or embarrassing five digits. You are correct on the whatever the "phase" the game has been it may never "scratch" the 275-300k active subs it might have had. Its a five and half year old game with jaded history and poorly directed development. This is further hendered as there are much more choices in the market for MMO players. Why did this game never rise to the million sub mark even during its oh so glorious golden Pre-CU period?
At no time during the history of SWG has the game been dev directed, polished, complete, marketed, bug free or stable to the acceptable standards of the common MMO market.
I will say that SOE has made huge strides in gutting and fixing code that has made current targeted game play more possible. Gone are the days of fixing or nerfing one feature to break another as was common in the Pre-NGE.
4) The fact that pre-CU still elicts great emotion from those who played it shows that there was nothing broken in the first place that warranted such a major overhaul, err gutting, that the CU and later updates provided. LMAO, right. There were no FOTM professions like saaaaay... Rifleman/CM. No, every profession was viable to the next combat profession. Melee combat was in proper ration to range in performance. I never met a Base door I couldn't enter. There was never a one-shot kill in SWG with equal combatents. Slicing was a perfect game feature that never unbalanced combat. I never died from my mind being unprotected.
What is most wanted was the Pre-CU game fixed because mature players saw the potential the game could have. Where the trouble was is SOE's trend for launching a game incomplete and finishing with early sub money. This conflicted with Lucas Arts high demand for quick and high market performance. These standards were blown out of the water with Blizzards success.
5) If SOE wants subscribers, create a classic server.
John: "Please, let me do this."
Jim: "This is going to work. We can wait it out. Besides you don't want to change it back and piss off the new players."
John: "What about my companies rep?"
Jim: "Think about the money, dude. My boy, Juilo will cover your rep."
Juilo: "Hi there John."
John: "This deal's getting worse all the time."
If you want to play Pre-CU, keep track of the SWG EMU. Imagine Pre-CU without game breaking bugs. I commend both camps for all thier hard work on an almost impossible task. Looking back, some Pre-CU features just wouldn't go over very well with the current market. Think about those thirty minute shuttle waits or other "time sink" mechanics.
6)At the very least, rename the game. It's not SWG, hasn't been SWG in years, and regardless of how many future "improvements" they release, it won't be SWG. Debatable but many would see it as SWG as it will still be the same Game World(s) and look. The inherent bugs are SWG's legacy along with the history of those that have weathered what has happen so far. The phrase "putting lipstick on a pig..." comes to mind.
My responce in blue and is In My Honest Opinion. I have been reading, posting and playing SWG since launch. I have gathered many quotes and witnesses about the running of this game. When a change has come, I have always asked "Why?" I didn't always get an imediate answer but eventually the truth comes out. The principle philosphy to always observer is "follow the money" instead of the fun.