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Ign Interview with James Ohlen
http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1214438p1.html
a few of the answers
IGN: What's the plan for maybe three, six months outside of launch?
James Ohlen: We're careful not to promise a date for any of the features, but I can tell you what we're working on. Guild functionality is something that we're working on right now. The first piece of guild functionality that we want in the game is guild banks. We have a team that's essentially just going to be pumping out new guild functionality on a regular basis. The other thing we're working on, obviously we have multiple teams on Flashpoints and Operations so that's the high level content, some of our best content, the hardest content in the game where you have an epic story. We're continuing to work on those so we have multiple teams working on flashpoints and operations, we have new [player versus player] War Zones planned, we have new open world PvP planned, and we have a team on that as well.
IGN: I was also curious about space combat and how that might evolve. How are the later game missions different from the early game ones and will they ever become sort of a multiplayer experience?
James Ohlen: We're going to continue to add missions. That's another thing that actually surprised us. While we knew that because we weren't doing a freeform X-wing versus Tie Fighter-style space game that we were going to get backlash, that didn't surprise us and obviously we got that feedback a long time ago. We've been working really hard to continue to improve the space game that we have and it's definitely become more popular with our fans with each [beta] iteration. The very last test we had it scored higher than it's ever scored before. I don't think it's going to win over people who want X-wing versus Tie Fighter but I do think people are going to find that it's very evocative of Star Wars and it's a fun activity when you want to take a break from questing. You can go to your own starship and involve yourself in some very awesome Rogue Squadron-y space combat. I can say that we do have a special project going on right now in regards to the space game that will expand the space game in a significant way, but that's not something that's coming right away.
IGN: In terms of the actual strategy for bringing content out, I mean I know you can't discuss specific schedules but will fairly major content will be patched into the game for paying subscribers or might that be locked behind some sort of pricing wall? Are you holding most major content for some larger content release further down the line?
James Ohlen: No, we're going to be releasing major content to subscribers. They're not going to have to pay anything extra for the major content. We're going to be doing that regularly. It's going to be significant, you're going to be able to travel to entirely new worlds in the galaxy and you're not going to have to pay to have to do that. Now obviously we also have an expansion pack planned but that's, you know, much farther into the future.
I know there's been some talk about [user interface customization] amongst our fans and is something that they're very passionate about. That's another thing that we have a team working on, to players a lot more power to essentially adjust their UI so they can move UI elements around, they can change the size or the alignment of it, and essentially customize how they get to play the game.
Comments
You can't do that in TOR.
Rogue Squadron-y has more movement freeness than TOR
IMVHO more space content can really wait. There is a long list of other stuff higher on priority.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
James Ohlen: No, we're going to be releasing major content to subscribers. They're not going to have to pay anything extra for the major content. We're going to be doing that regularly. It's going to be significant, you're going to be able to travel to entirely new worlds in the galaxy and you're not going to have to pay to have to do that. Now obviously we also have an expansion pack planned but that's, you know, much farther into the future.
I know there's been some talk about [user interface customization] amongst our fans and is something that they're very passionate about. That's another thing that we have a team working on, to players a lot more power to essentially adjust their UI so they can move UI elements around, they can change the size or the alignment of it, and essentially customize how they get to play the game.
The above two paragraphs made me a very happy camper. Free content updates, new planets and zones, and UI improvement.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
UI improvements... yes, big deal.
I like how he said we are getting free content updates, like whole planets being added. We'll see if that really happens...
Also, it sounds like they have a dungeon finder ready to go once the majority of people start getting to level 50... in 4 or 5 months maybe?
It's just a tacked on part of the game. If you don't like it pretend it's not there. There is plenty of MMO left over.
Sadly it seems to perfectly illustrate BioWare/LA take on TOR: We know players don't like [insert feature name] but we're sticking with it.
If you've been following the game and the beta forums it's been the same for
UI
Character customization
Appearance tabs
PvP
Even better idea.. don't pay monthly sub and wait till space part gets in?Even in SWG it was added almsot a year later. I would rather have some space combat than have nothing at all.
And since they have already made clear that they are goign to expand and add more to space combat i will wait patiently.
How many servers SWTOR will launch with on release?
ShredderSE - Umm how many do they need? Maybe 6.
US, EU, Asian, France, German and Russian.
Subs will be so low there is no need for more
Snoocky-How many servers?
The first 3 months a lot...after that 2 i guess, one for PVE and 1 for PVP...
Thorbrand - SWTOR doesn't have longevity at all. Might be one of the shortest lived MMOs.
I like how he basically said "No we're not going to charge players for content in the future but obviously we're going to have paid expansions."
All those complaints. It's so simple, if you don't like it, don't play it, I mean imho it'd be really stupid to play and sub to an MMORPG you don't enjoy.
As for space combat, sorry, but SWG was completely lacking in the space combat department for the better part of its first year after launch, people coped with it and were still happy while playing and still felt in a Star Wars universe.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
As for space combat, sorry, but SWG was completely lacking in the space combat department for the better part of its first year after launch, people coped with it and were still happy while playing and still felt in a Star Wars universe.
Not trying to be a downer Maverick, but look at it this way:
As a whole, look at the whines, gripes, and complaints and the people who are making 'em. Would you honestly want to play an MMO with 'em? Personally, I think people I play a game with make a game, those folks? Really? Think they'd have lines of people waiting to play with 'em, or to find ways to get away from 'em?
To the article, we'll see what they've got in mind for space. I've always loved the X-Wing series, and JTL, but it was obvious it wasnt happening here. It's a mini-game, no more no less. I can live with it as it stands, and I'll enjoy it as a time waster, but I'm glad they are working on other aspects first because those are the core items or signature items to the game.
Usually MMOS these days charge for almsot anything, you can call it content update, booster, mini pack or whatever. I have no problem paying for full fledged expansion but i have big problem paying for small content updates which don't add considerable amount of content. Anyone who has played EQ and EQ2 would understand what i am trying to say. Age of Discoveyr is a perfect example how some content should be just for free.
How many servers SWTOR will launch with on release?
ShredderSE - Umm how many do they need? Maybe 6.
US, EU, Asian, France, German and Russian.
Subs will be so low there is no need for more
Snoocky-How many servers?
The first 3 months a lot...after that 2 i guess, one for PVE and 1 for PVP...
Thorbrand - SWTOR doesn't have longevity at all. Might be one of the shortest lived MMOs.