Originally posted by TUX426

Originally posted by Vulnero87

"Due to the overwhelming success of the recent Free Character Transfer Service"

This is part of what exactly the OP posted.  READ that and tell me that they are saying the state of their game being a success.  They're talking about their recent promotion of free character transfers that they can shut down 12 servers.

 

You can't take just PART of the statement. "Due to the overwhelming success of the Free Character Transfer Service..."...what? What is happening due to that success? What is the result of that success? Closing half the games servers is simply not something any reasonable company would view as a "success".

I remember handling a delicated case somewhere on earth.  A certain developer build a multi-storey apartment, they sold the units and were in the process of fitting in the escalators before completion of project.

Then they found that the foundation is at fault and they need to pull down the whole building.  But before that, they need to settle the purchase agreement with would be owners.

The take over company initiates talks with the buyers and after some struggles managed to liquidate all purchase claims, with undisclosed terms of compensation.  So they say, "after successfully settling all commercial disputes, they are now commencing demolition work".

Come on, guys.  Past is past.  SoE is doing what they should be doing now, given the current situation.  Consolidation is a natural part of life cycle of online games.  Come to think of it, I do not believe SWG will be just as successful by now as it once was, even if NGE and CU never happened.  DAoC faded, UO faded.  Even EQ faded.  What makes you think that SWG will be popular forever.

I must confess I love SWG to death.  It will always be my most fond memory, SWG and DAoC.  That said, I don't think I will be playing SWG now even if it is the same SWG I once loved.

Let the old memory go.  I hate SoE for ruining SWG back then, forcing me to play DAoC and trying out CoH and later WoW.  But that is history.  If we live forever in history, there is no tomorrow to embrace.

goodbye corbantis, and goodbye my BH.

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by Daffid011

There is no possible way you create 1 way transfers from servers that are dead and intend to keep them live. 

 

If the uptake on the Free CTS hadn't been so overwhelming, and lets say for instance one server managed to retain a large portion of its population then it would have likely stayed up.  This didn't happen due to the "success" of the FCTS.

I spent the last six months on Infinity working with the players there in order to ensure that everything possible was being done to rebuild the server community with an aim to avoiding closure.  We managed to go out as the busiest "Transfer from" server due to those efforts, but the server population was miniscule compared to the now current lowest population of Sunrunner.

SoE gave players a choice, the majority of them took the option of moving and therefore the promotion is considered a "success", they aren't talking about the NGE or the game in general, just the fact that the uptake on the FCTS was probably more than they were originally expecting.

I think you are missing the point Badger.  The FCTS was created to address the already existing problem of servers with population problems.  The FCTS wasn't something soe created to let some people leave servers and then make them low population.  

You are trying to paint this situation as if the free character transfers created a situation where server mergers suddenly became a possibility.  Just think about that for a moment.  Why on earth would any company work to create something that would kill servers... well I mean with a character transfer tool. 

What you are suggesting makes zero sense.  FCTS was created to address the population issues.  Just like the looking for group tools where.  Just like Smedly promising to fast track server mergers years ago.  Everything points to population problems being addressed, not created by some overwhelming success.

It is about the dumbest thing ever to claim that SUCCESS of a program RESULTED in forced server closures.  

See ya Crashbantis....it was fun.

Originally posted by Guillermo197 

 

For the existing subscribers it's a success, because they get more consolidated and have so more people to play with.

 

That's debatable mate. Having played on Flurry, the second most transferred TO server, I can tell ya, some of the players we got were OUTSTANDING additions. Others...well...there was a reason their old servers died. Some players DID drive away vets. Attitudes of some of the transfers are to blame, some Flurry attitudes were to blame. It isn't all roses mate. We ended up with more people (initially) sure, but there was more than enough trash that came along for the ride too.

My biggest gripe is with the asshats who sucked at PvP who reported everyone that was better than them. I KNEW these reported players, I had played with them, been in guilds with them for 5 years...I knew several who had their accounts logged into EACH DAY to verify they weren't cheating. They grew tired of it and many of the "old timers" quit. Along with them, guilds died, attitudes changed. It wasn't a success for all mate.

There weren't any real winners  IMO...just a change in players.

Originally posted by Daffid011

You are trying to paint this situation as if the free character transfers created a situation where server mergers suddenly became a possibility.  Just think about that for a moment.  Why on earth would any company work to create something that would kill servers... well I mean with a character transfer tool.  .  

Because it took less time to implement the FCTS than it would to implement a full Apprenticeship system, cross server play and other community tools to give players a reason to stay on their server.

The servers needed merging even before the NGE :\ I remember playing on Sunrunner back during the Pre CU and it was empty. Everyone already left the game with JTLS and Holocrons and all the other crap they broke before the CU and NGE.

GlaDOS must run SOE

"This was triumph.. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS!"

(...for the good of all of us... except the ones who are DEAD)

Originally posted by Varny

The servers needed merging even before the NGE :\ I remember playing on Sunrunner back during the Pre CU and it was empty. Everyone already left the game with JTLS and Holocrons and all the other crap they broke before the CU and NGE.

I agree, the initial holocron grind ended my sub.  I cannot believe I will go play some class randomly dictated to me by a stupid holocron, just to get to play a class I do not know I really want to play, a Jedi.  Perman death after working so hard to get to a Jedi?  Can they come up with even more meaningless grind?

I cancelled once the details of holocrons comes out.

Originally posted by lisubab

Originally posted by Varny

The servers needed merging even before the NGE :\ I remember playing on Sunrunner back during the Pre CU and it was empty. Everyone already left the game with JTLS and Holocrons and all the other crap they broke before the CU and NGE.

 

I agree, the initial holocron grind ended my sub.  I cannot believe I will go play some class randomly dictated to me by a stupid holocron, just to get to play a class I do not know I really want to play, a Jedi.  Perman death after working so hard to get to a Jedi?  Can they come up with even more meaningless grind?

I cancelled once the details of holocrons comes out.

The holocron grind was the beginning of the end imho.  Empty hollow knee jerk short term content that sent the game on a really bad path it never really recovered from.  

I harbor a special hatred for holocrons, because I was the only master chef on the server at the time and was under constant bombardment for "how do I grind master chef FAST!".

Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

Originally posted by Daffid011

You are trying to paint this situation as if the free character transfers created a situation where server mergers suddenly became a possibility.  Just think about that for a moment.  Why on earth would any company work to create something that would kill servers... well I mean with a character transfer tool.  .  

 

Because it took less time to implement the FCTS than it would to implement a full Apprenticeship system, cross server play and other community tools to give players a reason to stay on their server.

It is debatable if it is easier, but it is a moot point.  The condition of the servers already existed and the outcome was unavoidable.  Grouping tools or transfer tools, neither would have altered what was already going to happen and honestly should have happened years ago when soe acknowledged it at fan faire. 

agree to disagree?

if ur not playing anymore who cares. SW:TOR is coming out so let's look to the future and not the past.

This brings joy to my heart, all i can respond with is the immortal words of C3PO

"Shut them all down!"

Let's end this crap once and for all, SWG is as much Star wars as Kate Hudsons pinky toe!

We will be getting some Real SW action soon enough, in the form of TOR, thank the Eternal Force!

Yours in the Force,

Star*Dagger

---

Originally posted by Mizzoufan
agree to disagree?
if ur not playing anymore who cares. SW:TOR is coming out so let's look to the future and not the past.

---

Agree , But it was due to SOE's total mismanagement of this game is the reason for the reduction in servers , As I mentioned in my report below. SW:TOR will deliver hope for the future for as it appears with the shutdown of close to half of their servers, SWG is quickly becoming only fond memories of the past in Star Wars MMO gaming.

Originally posted by StarDagger

This brings joy to my heart, all i can respond with is the immortal words of C3PO

"Shut them all down!"

LOL :) That was clever!

If you're gonna necro a thread, at least add something meaningful to it?  Maybe? Yeah?

15 days is not necro, take a breath and deal with it.

Originally posted by Bribone

<Mod Edit>

Success for SOE now would mean closing down all the servers, giving people 3 months free on TOR, and writing a detailed apology for the pile of bantha poo-doo that SWG has been since they ruined it.

Since that will not happen we will have to deal with another 12 months or so of SWG limping along until they close the servers.

Yours in Successful Plasma,

Star*Dagger

Originally posted by Bribone

<Mod Edit>

It's just spin. People are continuing to pretend the game is going well, even though ALL signs now point at game closure. Server closings, Officer stats being at an all time low, the dwindling developer pool (down to 5 or 6 tops), no job openings, no Producer note beyond the GCW Update, no bug fixes, no Entertainer relics from 2 Updates ago, no TCG expansion, bugs aren't even acknowledged on the forums these days...sad, but...meh...lots of things in life are sadder.

The one thing I just don't understand is...what happened?

It's **edit**ing STAR WARS! How do you **edit** up an MMO based on STAR WARS? Bioware couldn't even do that with the KotoR series...that wasn't even "kinda like" SW IMO. Besides a glow bat and a few planets I've heard of in movies, KotoR was nothing but a worthless sci-fi game with far too much dialog, stupid looking droids, swords and whiny **edit**ing support characters. 

SoE can simply not be that poorly of a run company. There has to be more to this than we know. Do you think they have a deadline with LA to close SWG before/when ToR hits? LA would be fools to not promote the new multi-million dollar investment they have in ToR over the oft criticized SWG. Was the TCG just a way to finish squeezing SWG players of every conceivable cent? 

My guess is that the decision to close SWG, and when that is to be done, has already been made.