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Reading Between the Lines

The following is tongue-in-cheek

The Birth of a Concept

 

When the leaders of our studio first sat down to talk about what needed to be part of our first BIG push into the stars about two years ago, the list became very long—there were just so many Star Wars™ fantasies to fulfill in such a rich universe: bounty hunters and smugglers, Kessel Runs and capital ships, discovery of never-before-seen-planets, as well as long-lost species, and of course, Starfighter combat. And that’s the short list of the things we came up with.  <I loved those guys!  They were nuts, throwing money all over the place!  I MISS THEM!>

 

Before we could even really define what this expansion was going to look like, we had to put it on hold. <Holy crap, 50% of the subs cancelled in the first month!This pause went on for almost a year as we planned and worked on content for the ground game, added a Free-to-Play option for our players, and created content for a number of other features that players expected and wanted. <Those were the Dark Days!  Empty offices, fewer people in the cafeteria everyday, and they took our Dew machine!  We learned to hide behind our monitors whenever anyone walked by...It wasn’t until August of 2012 that work started again on defining how we wanted to revisit space.  <Oops, did I just out the fact that all the "SSSP" hype during all that time was crap?  Oh well I'm sure someone in marketing will edit that out, I need to get to lunch before all the ramen's gone!>

 

After a great deal of deliberation  <We had a long lunch, the good stuff, McDonalds!  No ramen that day!>, it was clear we had to prioritize which features would be best received by you, the fans, as well as give the greatest amount of replayability.  <We had no money left, we had to find a way to reuse as much as possible!>  And at the same time, we knew we had to create a strong foundation to build on for the future, you know, in case we wanted to add onto it later on… possibly.  <Who am I kidding?  If this flops they're shutting us down!>

 

At that time, we knew two things were vital to the experience: free-flight space combat and ship customization.  <It's what all those nuts on the forums kept writing about, and it worked for SWG, right?  Right??  I honestly don't know, I've never played any of these games!>

 

The Evolution of a Concept

 

The very next question was how. <How do we keep our jobs as long as possible in hopes that the economy improves enough we can get a job somewhere else?>  How do you deliver on those two requirements and still appease such devout fans who, understandably, want the very best Star Wars experience possible?  <Oh yeah, and that too..>

 

It wasn’t easy, and every path had obstacles.  <We have like two programmers!>  Do you create a massive, open world to fly transports around, smuggling goods through enemy lines? Do you create capital ships, some so vast players feel they’re on another planet? Do you populate all of that with more quests and voice actors and opportunities for crafting and Star Destroyers and the Force™ and more? It was literally a whole new game, possibly larger than what we had already created.  <Yeah, it took like five minutes to shoot all those dreams down....did I mention one of the programmers is the nephew of the CEO?>

 

Wisely, we took a step back and looked at the broader picture. <If we said we couldn't do it they'd fire us all on the spot, and I need money to feed my children!>  We looked at the landscape of possibilities and where there were opportunities, when we quickly realized the answer was simple: PvP. <Do you have any idea how hard it is to program NPC AIs in a 3D environment?  I didn't, but we weren't even able to get simple scripting working right when we had dozens of programmers!>  Players had been clamoring for it since launch—the experience of customizing their own Starfighter and pitting your skills against other pilots in epic Star Wars environments <The same ones we used in the current space missions..>; the sound of that familiar music kicking in as you destroy an enemy’s objective <We can't afford to license more music so we're reusing that too..>; your Companions interrupting your focus to let you know an enemy is on your tail or your shields are down. <Yep, same sound clips we already have..NO MONEY!>

 

Momentum quickly grew as we imagined the possibilities. <They gave us 1 year, we didn't make it, but we begged and Bob threatened to commit hara-kiri on the conference room table if we didn't get more time...in the end they gave use 3 more months.  RIP Bob!What started as a feature for Star Wars: The Old Republic all of a sudden was becoming a game all by itself. So we embraced it. We focused on it. And we never looked back.  <For the love of God, please subscribe!  I need to feed my children!>

 

From there, it was just a matter of creating a strong vision for the player’s experience – the combat, the environments, the feel of it all – both as a pilot, but also in customizing your ships and how it’s all integrated together with the ground game.  <It's just as buggy and non-optimized too, but that's ok, right?  RIGHT??>

 

And while that’s all very interesting, you probably want to know more of the details about what to expect once Galactic Starfighter goes live. Let me tell you… in our next developer diary!  <The details are all still up in the air, they change everyday and it's almost launch, dear God someone help me!  My children....my poor children!>

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Comments

  • maxima29maxima29 Member Posts: 203

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

  • etlaretlar Member UncommonPosts: 855
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    prolly not a bitter swg vet, this is a letter from bioware/ea  about the sssp or galactic starfighter. and yes, they do mention some very cool things, just to end up saying, hey, lets just to some pvp only aka warzones in space, its not bad, just not ambitious, as they wuld have you think

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004

    image

     

    Hillarious!

    Funniest part is you can sort of imagine it being true, though i really hope it isn't image

  • FrostveinFrostvein Member UncommonPosts: 157
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    Why do you automatically assume everyone who doesn't like the game is a bitter SWG vet?

  • RebelScum99RebelScum99 Member Posts: 1,090
    Originally posted by Frostvein
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    Why do you automatically assume everyone who doesn't like the game is a bitter SWG vet?

    Pretty safe assumption, actually.  First of all, all SWG fans are bitter.  Second of all, since no game is good enough for them, they spend all their free time clogging up message boards and whining about that fact.   Now add in the fact that it's a SWTOR message board, and well...

     

     

     

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Originally posted by RebelScum99
    Originally posted by Frostvein
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    Why do you automatically assume everyone who doesn't like the game is a bitter SWG vet?

    Pretty safe assumption, actually.  First of all, all SWG fans are bitter.  Second of all, since no game is good enough for them, they spend all their free time clogging up message boards and whining about that fact.   Now add in the fact that it's a SWTOR message board, and well...

     

     

     

    Uh Pre-cu SWG was my Favorite MMO by far, but not even close to the only I have liked. I am in no way bitter over SWG I still know where to find those people I played with, we've played many MMO's together over the years and enjoyed every minute of it. Besides anyone who wants to play SWG can...

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • FrostveinFrostvein Member UncommonPosts: 157
    Originally posted by RebelScum99
    Originally posted by Frostvein
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    Why do you automatically assume everyone who doesn't like the game is a bitter SWG vet?

    Pretty safe assumption, actually.  First of all, all SWG fans are bitter.  Second of all, since no game is good enough for them, they spend all their free time clogging up message boards and whining about that fact.   Now add in the fact that it's a SWTOR message board, and well...

     

    Its a terrible assumption/myth, but feel free to keep perpetuating it

     

  • heider89heider89 Member UncommonPosts: 159

    hehe nice one

    any way am still going to play it :)

  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858

    Love it or hate it, SWTOR is still the 3rd (or 2nd, depending who u ask), most played MMO in the west after WoW and EVE.

    Of course, i'm basing that solely on officially announced numbers, seeing as those 3 are the only MMOs whos parent companies actually give active player data by way of subscription numbers, as opposed to smoke and mirrors "accounts" or "boxes sold".

  • KarahandrasKarahandras Member UncommonPosts: 1,703
    Originally posted by doodphace

    Love it or hate it, SWTOR is still the 3rd (or 2nd, depending who u ask), most played MMO in the west after WoW and EVE.

    Of course, i'm basing that solely on officially announced numbers, seeing as those 3 are the only MMOs whos parent companies actually give active player data by way of subscription numbers, as opposed to smoke and mirrors "accounts" or "boxes sold".

    I think there's a good amount of smoke and mirrors/massaging the numbers with wow and especially swtor's numbers.

  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by Karahandras
    Originally posted by doodphace

    Love it or hate it, SWTOR is still the 3rd (or 2nd, depending who u ask), most played MMO in the west after WoW and EVE.

    Of course, i'm basing that solely on officially announced numbers, seeing as those 3 are the only MMOs whos parent companies actually give active player data by way of subscription numbers, as opposed to smoke and mirrors "accounts" or "boxes sold".

    I think there's a good amount of smoke and mirrors/massaging the numbers with wow and especially swtor's numbers.

    And that somehow negates their numbers, in favor of "accounts created" or "boxes sold"? No matter how you spin it, their subscription numbers alone are nothing to sneez at. Now, add in all the F2Pers currently playing, and you are telling me its NOT top 3 in the west?

    Right on :/

  • goldtoofgoldtoof Member Posts: 337
    Well in sonys accounts back in April, planetside 2 had 3/4 million unique log ins per week. Gw2 must also have more players than swtor just based on how many servers it has. Then there's world of tanks. Then there's the conveniently forgotten Asian mmos like age of wushu.

    So really swtor is not the 2nd or 3rd most played mmo.

    It might be the mmo with the 3rd highest western subscriptions, but that's hardly something to crow about when mmos are moving east and towards non sub based payment models.
  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by goldtoof
    Well in sonys accounts back in April, planetside 2 had 3/4 million unique log ins per week. Gw2 must also have more players than swtor just based on how many servers it has. Then there's world of tanks. Then there's the conveniently forgotten Asian mmos like age of wushu.

    So really swtor is not the 2nd or 3rd most played mmo.

    It might be the mmo with the 3rd highest western subscriptions, but that's hardly something to crow about when mmos are moving east and towards non sub based payment models.

    Like I said, im going by officially announced numbers. "Must have" opinions do not = officially announced numbers. If GW2 had anything close to resembling a "top 3 active player base", they would announce that, instead of 1 year in bragging about how many copies they sold in their first 9 months. We can both speculate all day long, but I would rather discuss officially announced data.

    I know....im crazy like that......

    EDIT: And BTW, i can already see what this is getting turned into in order to deny the obvious raality....i didnt mention subs as "SEE IT THE MOST SUBS"...i said its the only real way of telling a game's active player base right now. I am fully aware of games moving away form a sub model (though that in and of itself is not really accurate, considering FF, TESO, and Wildstar). that doesnt stop F2P or B2P games form announcing unique logins per week.month like Blizzard did with Diablo 3...we are talking active player numbers here...not necessarily "subscriptions", and everybody seems afraid to announce their active players except Blizzard, CCP, and Bioware.

  • goldtoofgoldtoof Member Posts: 337
    And as I mentioned with Sony announcing ps2 unique logins per month.

    Does swtor have more than 3/4 million subs?
  • goldtoofgoldtoof Member Posts: 337
    Meant week not month, can't edit on the mobile site.
  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by goldtoof
    Meant week not month, can't edit on the mobile site.

    Please provide me with a current link, i cant find anything like that (and plz, dont link something from 8 months ago).

  • goldtoofgoldtoof Member Posts: 337
    Well it was the end of year accounts, so its old back in April.
  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by goldtoof
    Well it was the end of year accounts, so its old back in April.

    Considering it launched Nov 20th of 2012.....my comment is still accurate.

    You dont see me quoting SWTOR numbers a few months after its release, do you?

  • DocBrodyDocBrody Member UncommonPosts: 1,926

    well, when I read the original letter I thought this is a bad joke..

     

    "wait wait open worlds? smuggling? capital ships so big you can get lost in when walking around? trading, enemy lines??"

     

    "haha no, you'll get a queue, a space warzone and a time countdown. Have fun! And don't hit the invisible walls! aka exhaustion zones"

  • Masonic1Masonic1 Member Posts: 41
    just a great post and so on the money.
  • simpliussimplius Member UncommonPosts: 1,134
    Originally posted by RebelScum99
    Originally posted by Frostvein
    Originally posted by maxima29

    Through the eyes of SWG bitter fan...

     

    These arent the post we are looking for..move along...

    Why do you automatically assume everyone who doesn't like the game is a bitter SWG vet?

    Pretty safe assumption, actually.  First of all, all SWG fans are bitter.  Second of all, since no game is good enough for them, they spend all their free time clogging up message boards and whining about that fact.   Now add in the fact that it's a SWTOR message board, and well...

     

     

     

    swg had over 2 mio players?  then, why did they shut it Down?

    no, swg players only Count for max 500k...the rest of us never touched it

    so, youre still around 1.5 mio short

  • simpliussimplius Member UncommonPosts: 1,134
    Originally posted by Karahandras
    Originally posted by doodphace

    Love it or hate it, SWTOR is still the 3rd (or 2nd, depending who u ask), most played MMO in the west after WoW and EVE.

    Of course, i'm basing that solely on officially announced numbers, seeing as those 3 are the only MMOs whos parent companies actually give active player data by way of subscription numbers, as opposed to smoke and mirrors "accounts" or "boxes sold".

    I think there's a good amount of smoke and mirrors/massaging the numbers with wow and especially swtor's numbers.

    agree..they have every reason, to spin official numbers in their favor

    and its almost impossible to verify

    the only company, that i still have some faith in, in that regard..is CCP

    and i dont even play EVE

  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858
    Originally posted by simplius
    Originally posted by Karahandras
    Originally posted by doodphace

    Love it or hate it, SWTOR is still the 3rd (or 2nd, depending who u ask), most played MMO in the west after WoW and EVE.

    Of course, i'm basing that solely on officially announced numbers, seeing as those 3 are the only MMOs whos parent companies actually give active player data by way of subscription numbers, as opposed to smoke and mirrors "accounts" or "boxes sold".

    I think there's a good amount of smoke and mirrors/massaging the numbers with wow and especially swtor's numbers.

    agree..they have every reason, to spin official numbers in their favor

    and its almost impossible to verify

    the only company, that i still have some faith in, in that regard..is CCP

    and i dont even play EVE

    I don't care how much "faith" you have in their legally obligated not to f with numbers, they are the only companies releasing them lol.

    While im not discounting EVE's numbers, I find it quite funny that u choose the MMO where its more than likely many of those subscribers are the same person, to say THATS who you're putting your faith behind lmao.

  • HellidolHellidol Member UncommonPosts: 476
    That was pretty good, my guess would be they are having a lot of issues with in their staff and with the investors for sure.

    image
  • EriccomptonEriccompton Member UncommonPosts: 51

    Instead of arguing about who has the most subs, active or not, why not log in to said games and see for yourself?

    I stopped playing WoW at Panda release and around that time it was epic to see more than one other person in 10-60 lvl areas, most players just sit in Org and Stormwind waiting for dungeons or raids

    GW2 has a moderate amount of players in lower lvl areas

    I just recently resubbed SWTOR and find myself waiting for respawns to finish quests, even in starter areas

     

This discussion has been closed.