It's hard to tell how many players SWTOR really has. I wonder how many people have created multiple accounts in order to play additional characters. I have four.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Originally posted by Torvaldr The stuff they did right for the first 30 levels is starting to get repetitive. I mostly mean the story mechanics. I hope this is just a lull on Tatooine. The other thing that slightly annoys me is how easy it is to flag for pvp when level 55 griefers are hanging out in lowbie zones. The pvp flag spreads faster than the Rakghoul plague.
What class and faction were you playing? The story quality is wildly inconsistent from planet to planet, chapter to chapter, and class to class.
That said, even if you are a total story fanatic (as I am) if you play too much at once, you will probably burn out on the world stories before you finish, even if you are still enjoying the class stories. I have six characters who have finished their class stories, but I'm not sure any of them have done all the other Corellia quests, because I just couldn't take it any more at that point.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
I'm playing the Consular storyline and I'm on Tatooine. I'm taking it a little slower and also skipping some of the side stories. I like the megacorp discovers crazy ancient tech plot. It has me interested. I don't like the repeated, go to the cave and murder everything, click on some objects, watch a story, and go back to the quest guys.
I've been mixing it up by visiting some slightly higher level planets (like Alderaan) and getting discovery xp and farming mats. It's fun and scary. Death comes quick if I'm not careful.
In a way, I think skipping side quests can make the game more interesting. I tend to rotate planets to increase the challenge as well. You will easily out level the quests if you do them all. So I do Tatooine on one character and Alderaan on the next. That way the combat never gets too easy.
I'm playing the Consular storyline and I'm on Tatooine. I'm taking it a little slower and also skipping some of the side stories. I like the megacorp discovers crazy ancient tech plot. It has me interested. I don't like the repeated, go to the cave and murder everything, click on some objects, watch a story, and go back to the quest guys.
I've been mixing it up by visiting some slightly higher level planets (like Alderaan) and getting discovery xp and farming mats. It's fun and scary. Death comes quick if I'm not careful.
Consular is one of the two I haven't finished, so I can't comment on how well done it's second or third chapters are.
Tatooine is one planet where, in my opinion, the world story holds up the least well to repetition, mostly because both factions get essentially the same story, to the point where it isn't logically possible that both an Imperial player character and a Republic player character could be narratively present in the world quest line.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
This ^...because if it was not a Star Wars game, it would have been shut down a long time ago.
Yes, this
If this logic was accurate, SWG would still be running. BioWare is at least as important a part of the equation as Star Wars, if not more important.
SWG would still be running but the license was sold to SWTOR, so SWG people had to move.
No it wouldn't SOE even said they had no plans on renewing the contract with Lucas arts.
They didn't need to shut it down for SWTOR remember they are still running the Clone Wars MMO
If I knew my license was about to expire and was going to another company, I wouldn't have any plans to renew it either.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
It's hard to tell how many players SWTOR really has. I wonder how many people have created multiple accounts in order to play additional characters. I have four.
They must be playing a LOT of characters because on a sub account you get about twelve per server.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Any official posts to say the class stories are dead? If they are unofficially though reviving them will bring back player!
•Where does the development team stand with regards to individual class stories? Are these still a priority for upcoming content?
Great question. The way you choose to overcome your own personal villains is a crucial part of what defines your character, and once you’ve gotten closure on your personal story, you’re ready to be a key player in the larger conflicts that threaten the Empire and the Republic. Moving forward, we’re focusing on those stories – conflicts that decide the fate of the entire Galaxy and demand the attention of other living legends like yourself. You can still put your personal touch on these stories, and you’ll develop relationships just like before, but now the stakes are higher, and the experience can be shared with your friends.
When Makeb was first announced, we were told that it was not a continuation of the class story. Yet in a recent interview, Jeff Hickman said that Makeb is the continuation of your story. I think there might be a bit of confusion in semantics. Can you clarify and perhaps expound on what exactly Makeb is going to offer as far as the story is concerned?
Our goal when designing stories for The Old Republic is to ensure that they can be enjoyed both while playing alone or as part of a group, and Makeb is no exception. Players of all classes will discover that their previous adventures have made them bigger celebrities than ever before, with both enemies and allies recognizing the players' characters as some of the most important people in the galaxy. Players will be summoned to Makeb precisely because of who they are and what they've done in their class plots -- and their new adventures will place them squarely at the center of the Great War.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Any official posts to say the class stories are dead? If they are unofficially though reviving them will bring back player!
•Where does the development team stand with regards to individual class stories? Are these still a priority for upcoming content?
Great question. The way you choose to overcome your own personal villains is a crucial part of what defines your character, and once you’ve gotten closure on your personal story, you’re ready to be a key player in the larger conflicts that threaten the Empire and the Republic. Moving forward, we’re focusing on those stories – conflicts that decide the fate of the entire Galaxy and demand the attention of other living legends like yourself. You can still put your personal touch on these stories, and you’ll develop relationships just like before, but now the stakes are higher, and the experience can be shared with your friends.
When Makeb was first announced, we were told that it was not a continuation of the class story. Yet in a recent interview, Jeff Hickman said that Makeb is the continuation of your story. I think there might be a bit of confusion in semantics. Can you clarify and perhaps expound on what exactly Makeb is going to offer as far as the story is concerned?
Our goal when designing stories for The Old Republic is to ensure that they can be enjoyed both while playing alone or as part of a group, and Makeb is no exception. Players of all classes will discover that their previous adventures have made them bigger celebrities than ever before, with both enemies and allies recognizing the players' characters as some of the most important people in the galaxy. Players will be summoned to Makeb precisely because of who they are and what they've done in their class plots -- and their new adventures will place them squarely at the center of the Great War.
What that translates to is that the intro conversation for the Makeb missions refers to some of the things your character did in the past. That is pretty much it. After that it's all the same story.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Your post is long and honestly quite pointless.... Also repetitive of everything else you already said....
SWG died because of broken promises, shitty time sinks and players wanting a Star Wars game not a second life experience, and when SWG was alive there were more haters than lovers on that forum everyone seems to forget that and now looks back with Rose Colored glasses and say it was amazing.
Bioware succeeded in the game they wanted to make it's just not for everyone but apparently it's for more people than SWG ever was'
Bioware did not succeed in making the game they wanted, as the Doctors quit, and the vision they had for the game died with their departure. Now it just a nickel and diming cash cow, with no structure or focus.
SWTOR would have been so much better than it is now, if it did not tank.
The Doctors didn't quit they left the company which is fairly standard when companies get bought out keeping the old regime around is generally bad for business.
SWTOR may have launched a bit prematurely there is no doubt this is a online story driven Bioware game which is what they were primarily focusing on. It has not tanked it is still around and is successful not as envisioned but successful. If we want to hold MMOs up to your standards then every single MMO that has been released since World of Warcraft has tanked! Which is quite frankly not the case. They all wanted millions of players not one has succeeded long term.
Nickel and diming cash cow, you my as well call all fremium model MMO's that, while SWTOR is not very forgiviing you can unlock for mor things via cartel coins or purchase the unlocks via the GTN then any other game including some that are much heralded like LOTRO.
The game is definitely starting to build a direction and it has been improving since the introduction of Makeb, The Dread War, Galactic Starfight and we are seeing the new Kuat Drive Yards.
You come here arguing an opinion which is fine but you can't state an opinion as facts because they are not. SWTOR is still alive it has not tanked and it's around for reasons that may not make it a good game to you but make it a great game to their 500k subs and regular F2P players.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Any official posts to say the class stories are dead? If they are unofficially though reviving them will bring back player!
But would it bring back paying players? Enough to be worth the expense?
I think this is what happened.
Bioware tried to make a solid, quality mmo. They were hoping to get WoW numbers and used a huge budget to attempt to get it.
What happened was the people that did try it from Wow, treated it like a single player game. Once they finished they went back to Wow. They have such a huge investment and all their friends play it. Most of those people will never leave Wow for this reason.
That's when EA took over. They brought in all the min/max profit calculations. They decided they could make the game much more profitable by cutting costs and going F2P. They would sell cosmetic/convenience items.
I'm pretty sure they have come to the decision that a full expansion with class stories isn't worth it. They would still make money but it isn't nearly as cost efficient as selling mounts and skins.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Any official posts to say the class stories are dead? If they are unofficially though reviving them will bring back player!
•Where does the development team stand with regards to individual class stories? Are these still a priority for upcoming content?
Great question. The way you choose to overcome your own personal villains is a crucial part of what defines your character, and once you’ve gotten closure on your personal story, you’re ready to be a key player in the larger conflicts that threaten the Empire and the Republic. Moving forward, we’re focusing on those stories – conflicts that decide the fate of the entire Galaxy and demand the attention of other living legends like yourself. You can still put your personal touch on these stories, and you’ll develop relationships just like before, but now the stakes are higher, and the experience can be shared with your friends.
When Makeb was first announced, we were told that it was not a continuation of the class story. Yet in a recent interview, Jeff Hickman said that Makeb is the continuation of your story. I think there might be a bit of confusion in semantics. Can you clarify and perhaps expound on what exactly Makeb is going to offer as far as the story is concerned?
Our goal when designing stories for The Old Republic is to ensure that they can be enjoyed both while playing alone or as part of a group, and Makeb is no exception. Players of all classes will discover that their previous adventures have made them bigger celebrities than ever before, with both enemies and allies recognizing the players' characters as some of the most important people in the galaxy. Players will be summoned to Makeb precisely because of who they are and what they've done in their class plots -- and their new adventures will place them squarely at the center of the Great War.
What that translates to is that the intro conversation for the Makeb missions refers to some of the things your character did in the past. That is pretty much it. After that it's all the same story.
Thanks for the link I think that is more in direct response to how class stories are in Makeb it does not mean they can not change their mind in a future expansion which I hope will be the case even if it's only for one planet in a much larger expansion.
I also think the statement addresses the fact that future updates besides any major ones such as a full expansion will not expand the class story.
Hopefully we see some more class specific stories in future expansions.
Thanks for the link I think that is more in direct response to how class stories are in Makeb it does not mean they can not change their mind in a future expansion which I hope will be the case even if it's only for one planet in a much larger expansion.
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
SWTOR would have been so much better than it is now, if it did not tank.
Your argument would have more credibility if they weren't swimming in buckets of money.
That would have merit if they actually used that to make content it deserves, instead of lame events. What would you prefer - Rakhoul Plague / Life Day snowball throwing / Bounty Hunter for all events or a new string of class story quests with cut scenes and voice over. Either SWTOR is not making money, or EA is keeping the money to put towards their other games.
Originally posted by Fenrir767 Your post is long and honestly quite pointless.... Also repetitive of everything else you already said....
SWG died because of broken promises, shitty time sinks and players wanting a Star Wars game not a second life experience, and when SWG was alive there were more haters than lovers on that forum everyone seems to forget that and now looks back with Rose Colored glasses and say it was amazing.
Bioware succeeded in the game they wanted to make it's just not for everyone but apparently it's for more people than SWG ever was'
Bioware did not succeed in making the game they wanted, as the Doctors quit, and the vision they had for the game died with their departure. Now it just a nickel and diming cash cow, with no structure or focus.
SWTOR would have been so much better than it is now, if it did not tank.
The Doctors didn't quit they left the company which is fairly standard when companies get bought out keeping the old regime around is generally bad for business.
SWTOR may have launched a bit prematurely there is no doubt this is a online story driven Bioware game which is what they were primarily focusing on. It has not tanked it is still around and is successful not as envisioned but successful. If we want to hold MMOs up to your standards then every single MMO that has been released since World of Warcraft has tanked! Which is quite frankly not the case. They all wanted millions of players not one has succeeded long term.
Nickel and diming cash cow, you my as well call all fremium model MMO's that, while SWTOR is not very forgiviing you can unlock for mor things via cartel coins or purchase the unlocks via the GTN then any other game including some that are much heralded like LOTRO.
The game is definitely starting to build a direction and it has been improving since the introduction of Makeb, The Dread War, Galactic Starfight and we are seeing the new Kuat Drive Yards.
You come here arguing an opinion which is fine but you can't state an opinion as facts because they are not. SWTOR is still alive it has not tanked and it's around for reasons that may not make it a good game to you but make it a great game to their 500k subs and regular F2P players.
The Doctors left because they were ashamed of SWTOR, and the way it tanked. SWTOR tanked as it lost 1.5 million subs, and still has lost that many. It is not my standards, but the standards that EA had put on SWTOR.
The game has lost direction, the Kuat Drive Yards is just another Flash Point, not more class story. If it gets more class story then it will have proper direction as intended. Flashpoints are just extra missions to play with other people.
Thanks for the link I think that is more in direct response to how class stories are in Makeb it does not mean they can not change their mind in a future expansion which I hope will be the case even if it's only for one planet in a much larger expansion.
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
I really don't see where else you would go with the class stories. They all seemed to have wrapped themselves up pretty good by level 50. At that point it's all about the war.
The Doctors left because they were ashamed of SWTOR, and the way it tanked. - This is purely speculation or a personal belief, according to many sources they left on good terms. They also left in much the same way many founders do when their company is "bought out"
SWTOR tanked as it lost 1.5 million subs, and still has lost that many. It is not my standards, but the standards that EA had put on SWTOR. - and WoW is down roughly 1.3 mil as of may 2013 according to many sources. so they must be tanking also. The game is doing good without the need of a subs. In the era of F2P being the new wave, subs are not the standard measure of success.
Sorry superniceguy, please, this is not a "carry a torch against SWTOR" thread, this is a thread about what they did right.
What SWTOR did right?
Character acting, as in story. Sorry but this game is about story and that is that. You play the game because you want story not because you want PvP. This has been promoted as a story mmo since the beginning.
F2P - yes I think they did it right. a Measly single time investment of $5 gives you tons of unlocks. f2p is extremely limited, that is ok I want my gold farmers extremely limited. ANY, and yes I mean ANY unlock can be purchased from the GTN. - "but wait they are more expensive than my wallet can hold!!!!" ohh wait this is a MMO as is MASSIVELY MULTI-PLAYER, most of these games have guilds, and most guilds are all about promoting co-operation within the guild. Many people can and will help you purchase these "expensive unlocks" with their sub unlocked wallets.
Companions - This REALLY helped the Star Wars Feel.
All in all many people call SWTOR "WoW in space" well guess what, to people like me (and I'm not a SW fan) I CAN play SWTOR, but for some reason I cannot stand WoW. So in my book, WoW just simply sucks compared to SWTOR
Play what you Like. I like SWOTR, Have a referral to get you going! --> http://www.swtor.com/r/nBndbs <-- Several Unlocks and a few days game time to make the F2P considerably easier
That would have merit if they actually used that to make content it deserves, instead of lame events. What would you prefer - Rakhoul Plague / Life Day snowball throwing / Bounty Hunter for all events or a new string of class story quests with cut scenes and voice over. Either SWTOR is not making money, or EA is keeping the money to put towards their other games.
Or, they are making enough money to justify periodically expanding two stories (the factional ones) and add some events, but not enough to justify expanding *ten* stories (eight classes plus two factions). Pretty wide range of profitability before you reach the point of profitable enough to justify the latter.
Clearly, you either didn't play KotOR, or you are trolling. Does TOR have as much narrative content as seven KotORs? No. But it has far more than was in one. Probably in the 3-4 range.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
I really don't see where else you would go with the class stories. They all seemed to have wrapped themselves up pretty good by level 50. At that point it's all about the war.
They could go anywhere they wanted to. "They all seem wrapped up" isn't the reason they stopped doing them.
They stopped doing them because it was financially inefficient to continue doing them. They could put a truckload of money into creating more story and sell it as an expansion. However people coming back for the expansion would only stay for a month or two and they would have to rely on current players to pay off the costs.
So it makes more sense to just make 2 stories (which is just one story, told from either side) than 8. This way the money keeps rolling in and they don't have to reinvest so much money into creating content.
The Doctors left because they were ashamed of SWTOR, and the way it tanked. - This is purely speculation or a personal belief, according to many sources they left on good terms. They also left in much the same way many founders do when their company is "bought out"
SWTOR tanked as it lost 1.5 million subs, and still has lost that many. It is not my standards, but the standards that EA had put on SWTOR. - and WoW is down roughly 1.3 mil as of may 2013 according to many sources. so they must be tanking also. The game is doing good without the need of a subs. In the era of F2P being the new wave, subs are not the standard measure of success.
Sorry superniceguy, please, this is not a "carry a torch against SWTOR" thread, this is a thread about what they did right.
What SWTOR did right?
Character acting, as in story. Sorry but this game is about story and that is that. You play the game because you want story not because you want PvP. This has been promoted as a story mmo since the beginning.
F2P - yes I think they did it right. a Measly single time investment of $5 gives you tons of unlocks. f2p is extremely limited, that is ok I want my gold farmers extremely limited. ANY, and yes I mean ANY unlock can be purchased from the GTN. - "but wait they are more expensive than my wallet can hold!!!!" ohh wait this is a MMO as is MASSIVELY MULTI-PLAYER, most of these games have guilds, and most guilds are all about promoting co-operation within the guild. Many people can and will help you purchase these "expensive unlocks" with their sub unlocked wallets.
Companions - This REALLY helped the Star Wars Feel.
All in all many people call SWTOR "WoW in space" well guess what, to people like me (and I'm not a SW fan) I CAN play SWTOR, but for some reason I cannot stand WoW. So in my book, WoW just simply sucks compared to SWTOR
I am not "carrying torch against SWTOR" just responding to peoples posts, which is discussing what they did right.
Now to respond to your comments:
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
WOW is 10 years old now, so a loss is well over due. A game that tanks is one that loses lots of people very early from launch, and does not take off at all. that is not WOW. Not even SWG tanked, it had 3 major expansions, and full support from LA for over 2 years, no server merges / shutdowns for 6 years . SWTOR lost its support and server consolidations within 6 months
Story was done right but as the game tanked they have failed to keep it up, as they do not seem to be willing now to pour more money into the game on story, so the game is great as single player with multiplayer experience for short term enjoyment but not great as a MMO with a long term enjoyment, which it was meant to be
F2P did good for keeping the game alive, but it lost its soul. It is also a cheap way for EA to add extra content and get extra money from the game. This may be why the Doctors left because F2P was the only way to save the game from shutting down, but the game was never going to be what they visioned for it.
Originally posted by ktanner3 Originally posted by Damedius
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
I really don't see where else you would go with the class stories. They all seemed to have wrapped themselves up pretty good by level 50. At that point it's all about the war.
They could go anywhere they wanted to. "They all seem wrapped up" isn't the reason they stopped doing them.
They stopped doing them because it was financially inefficient to continue doing them. They could put a truckload of money into creating more story and sell it as an expansion. However people coming back for the expansion would only stay for a month or two and they would have to rely on current players to pay off the costs.
So it makes more sense to just make 2 stories (which is just one story, told from either side) than 8. This way the money keeps rolling in and they don't have to reinvest so much money into creating content.
SPOILER ALERT!
I'm well aware of why they stopped doing them. I just don't see the point in the class story past 50 with a huge war going on. At the end of the sith storylines you were either a part of the council or the emperors wrath. At the end of the jedi knight line you've killed the emperor.There's also the flashpoints that answer what happened to Revan and the killing of Darth Malgus. There seemed like a feeling of finality to your character's beginnings and now it was time to take on the other side in the war that was about to explode.Focusing on that makes sense.
SPOILER ALERT! I'm well aware of why they stopped doing them. I just don't see the point in the class story past 50 with a huge war going on. At the end of the sith storylines you were either a part of the council or the emperors wrath. At the end of the jedi knight line you've killed the emperor.There's also the flashpoints that answer what happened to Revan and the killing of Darth Malgus. There seemed like a feeling of finality to your character's beginnings and now it was time to take on the other side in the war that was about to explode.Focusing on that makes sense.
It really wouldn't be difficult, and it would be fun. The fact that it isn't necessary doesn't take away from that. Makeb could easily have had two or three specific missions tailored to each class which still meshed well with the overall plot on that planet. But I agree it isn't likely to happen, just pointing out that if not for financial reasons, it easily could. They didn't stop making Iron Man or Thor movies when the Avengers came out.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
They didn't need more money. They probably quit because they went from running the show to working for EA. Not many people can give up a company that everyone loves and be happy working for a company so many hate.
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
They didn't need more money. They probably quit because they went from running the show to working for EA. Not many people can give up a company that everyone loves and be happy working for a company so many hate.
True, but I bet more than anything it was down to all the gripes from the game plus ME3 with its ending too.
I bet if the subs went up instead of down, and the majority of people were saying "This game is awesome" to them then they would have been proud and wanted to stay and do more. BW chose to work for EA, as they thought that with EAs backing they would be able to produce much better games, and if SWTOR did well then their plan would have been achieved, but in the end they were not getting the success they had when they were running the show, and so decided to move on to other things.
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
They didn't need more money. They probably quit because they went from running the show to working for EA. Not many people can give up a company that everyone loves and be happy working for a company so many hate.
True, but I bet more than anything it was down to all the gripes from the game plus ME3 with its ending too.
I bet if the subs went up instead of down, and the majority of people were saying "This game is awesome" to them then they would have been proud and wanted to stay and do more. BW chose to work for EA, as they thought that with EAs backing they would be able to produce much better games, and if SWTOR did well then their plan would have been achieved, but in the end they were not getting the success they had when they were running the show, and so decided to move on to other things.
Yep, the ME3 ending fiasco - and not too long before that DA2 received a pretty poor response from Bioware fans as well.
It was blow after blow, and so they decided they wanted a change of pace.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
They didn't need more money. They probably quit because they went from running the show to working for EA. Not many people can give up a company that everyone loves and be happy working for a company so many hate.
True, but I bet more than anything it was down to all the gripes from the game plus ME3 with its ending too.
I bet if the subs went up instead of down, and the majority of people were saying "This game is awesome" to them then they would have been proud and wanted to stay and do more. BW chose to work for EA, as they thought that with EAs backing they would be able to produce much better games, and if SWTOR did well then their plan would have been achieved, but in the end they were not getting the success they had when they were running the show, and so decided to move on to other things.
First SNG I would like to say you really are not that bad compared to the ESO haters on this site.
See the issue is not the developers it's the angry entitled gamer. They are the ones ruining video games they are the problem.
Comments
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
What class and faction were you playing? The story quality is wildly inconsistent from planet to planet, chapter to chapter, and class to class.
That said, even if you are a total story fanatic (as I am) if you play too much at once, you will probably burn out on the world stories before you finish, even if you are still enjoying the class stories. I have six characters who have finished their class stories, but I'm not sure any of them have done all the other Corellia quests, because I just couldn't take it any more at that point.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
In a way, I think skipping side quests can make the game more interesting. I tend to rotate planets to increase the challenge as well. You will easily out level the quests if you do them all. So I do Tatooine on one character and Alderaan on the next. That way the combat never gets too easy.
Consular is one of the two I haven't finished, so I can't comment on how well done it's second or third chapters are.
Tatooine is one planet where, in my opinion, the world story holds up the least well to repetition, mostly because both factions get essentially the same story, to the point where it isn't logically possible that both an Imperial player character and a Republic player character could be narratively present in the world quest line.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
If I knew my license was about to expire and was going to another company, I wouldn't have any plans to renew it either.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
They must be playing a LOT of characters because on a sub account you get about twelve per server.Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=570875
•Where does the development team stand with regards to individual class stories? Are these still a priority for upcoming content?
Great question. The way you choose to overcome your own personal villains is a crucial part of what defines your character, and once you’ve gotten closure on your personal story, you’re ready to be a key player in the larger conflicts that threaten the Empire and the Republic. Moving forward, we’re focusing on those stories – conflicts that decide the fate of the entire Galaxy and demand the attention of other living legends like yourself. You can still put your personal touch on these stories, and you’ll develop relationships just like before, but now the stakes are higher, and the experience can be shared with your friends.
When Makeb was first announced, we were told that it was not a continuation of the class story. Yet in a recent interview, Jeff Hickman said that Makeb is the continuation of your story. I think there might be a bit of confusion in semantics. Can you clarify and perhaps expound on what exactly Makeb is going to offer as far as the story is concerned?
Our goal when designing stories for The Old Republic is to ensure that they can be enjoyed both while playing alone or as part of a group, and Makeb is no exception. Players of all classes will discover that their previous adventures have made them bigger celebrities than ever before, with both enemies and allies recognizing the players' characters as some of the most important people in the galaxy. Players will be summoned to Makeb precisely because of who they are and what they've done in their class plots -- and their new adventures will place them squarely at the center of the Great War.
What that translates to is that the intro conversation for the Makeb missions refers to some of the things your character did in the past. That is pretty much it. After that it's all the same story.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
The Doctors didn't quit they left the company which is fairly standard when companies get bought out keeping the old regime around is generally bad for business.
SWTOR may have launched a bit prematurely there is no doubt this is a online story driven Bioware game which is what they were primarily focusing on. It has not tanked it is still around and is successful not as envisioned but successful. If we want to hold MMOs up to your standards then every single MMO that has been released since World of Warcraft has tanked! Which is quite frankly not the case. They all wanted millions of players not one has succeeded long term.
Nickel and diming cash cow, you my as well call all fremium model MMO's that, while SWTOR is not very forgiviing you can unlock for mor things via cartel coins or purchase the unlocks via the GTN then any other game including some that are much heralded like LOTRO.
The game is definitely starting to build a direction and it has been improving since the introduction of Makeb, The Dread War, Galactic Starfight and we are seeing the new Kuat Drive Yards.
You come here arguing an opinion which is fine but you can't state an opinion as facts because they are not. SWTOR is still alive it has not tanked and it's around for reasons that may not make it a good game to you but make it a great game to their 500k subs and regular F2P players.
I think this is what happened.
Bioware tried to make a solid, quality mmo. They were hoping to get WoW numbers and used a huge budget to attempt to get it.
What happened was the people that did try it from Wow, treated it like a single player game. Once they finished they went back to Wow. They have such a huge investment and all their friends play it. Most of those people will never leave Wow for this reason.
That's when EA took over. They brought in all the min/max profit calculations. They decided they could make the game much more profitable by cutting costs and going F2P. They would sell cosmetic/convenience items.
I'm pretty sure they have come to the decision that a full expansion with class stories isn't worth it. They would still make money but it isn't nearly as cost efficient as selling mounts and skins.
Thanks for the link I think that is more in direct response to how class stories are in Makeb it does not mean they can not change their mind in a future expansion which I hope will be the case even if it's only for one planet in a much larger expansion.
I also think the statement addresses the fact that future updates besides any major ones such as a full expansion will not expand the class story.
Hopefully we see some more class specific stories in future expansions.
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
That would have merit if they actually used that to make content it deserves, instead of lame events. What would you prefer - Rakhoul Plague / Life Day snowball throwing / Bounty Hunter for all events or a new string of class story quests with cut scenes and voice over. Either SWTOR is not making money, or EA is keeping the money to put towards their other games.
Star Trek Online - Best Free MMORPG of 2012
The Doctors left because they were ashamed of SWTOR, and the way it tanked. SWTOR tanked as it lost 1.5 million subs, and still has lost that many. It is not my standards, but the standards that EA had put on SWTOR.
The game has lost direction, the Kuat Drive Yards is just another Flash Point, not more class story. If it gets more class story then it will have proper direction as intended. Flashpoints are just extra missions to play with other people.
BW claimed that it would get KOTOR 3,4,5,6,7,8,9, etc, but it is still only enough story content for KOTOR 3 currently, and looks like it will only be KOTOR 3
Star Trek Online - Best Free MMORPG of 2012
Thanks for the link I think that is more in direct response to how class stories are in Makeb it does not mean they can not change their mind in a future expansion which I hope will be the case even if it's only for one planet in a much larger expansion.
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
I really don't see where else you would go with the class stories. They all seemed to have wrapped themselves up pretty good by level 50. At that point it's all about the war.Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
Sorry superniceguy, please, this is not a "carry a torch against SWTOR" thread, this is a thread about what they did right.
What SWTOR did right?
Character acting, as in story. Sorry but this game is about story and that is that. You play the game because you want story not because you want PvP. This has been promoted as a story mmo since the beginning.
F2P - yes I think they did it right. a Measly single time investment of $5 gives you tons of unlocks. f2p is extremely limited, that is ok I want my gold farmers extremely limited. ANY, and yes I mean ANY unlock can be purchased from the GTN. - "but wait they are more expensive than my wallet can hold!!!!" ohh wait this is a MMO as is MASSIVELY MULTI-PLAYER, most of these games have guilds, and most guilds are all about promoting co-operation within the guild. Many people can and will help you purchase these "expensive unlocks" with their sub unlocked wallets.
Companions - This REALLY helped the Star Wars Feel.
All in all many people call SWTOR "WoW in space" well guess what, to people like me (and I'm not a SW fan) I CAN play SWTOR, but for some reason I cannot stand WoW. So in my book, WoW just simply sucks compared to SWTOR
--> http://www.swtor.com/r/nBndbs <--
Several Unlocks and a few days game time to make the F2P considerably easier
Clearly, you either didn't play KotOR, or you are trolling. Does TOR have as much narrative content as seven KotORs? No. But it has far more than was in one. Probably in the 3-4 range.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
They could go anywhere they wanted to. "They all seem wrapped up" isn't the reason they stopped doing them.
They stopped doing them because it was financially inefficient to continue doing them. They could put a truckload of money into creating more story and sell it as an expansion. However people coming back for the expansion would only stay for a month or two and they would have to rely on current players to pay off the costs.
So it makes more sense to just make 2 stories (which is just one story, told from either side) than 8. This way the money keeps rolling in and they don't have to reinvest so much money into creating content.
I am not "carrying torch against SWTOR" just responding to peoples posts, which is discussing what they did right.
Now to respond to your comments:
The Doctors no doubt did quit on good terms, but if the game did not tank, then they would not have quit, no one quits when your work is a success, and bringing in the moolah. Subs in SWTOR dropped so fast in the first year, that they had to dismiss loads staff and made the game F2P. SWTOR was in development a long time and no doubt the pressure of it all got to them, and when the game did not live up to expectations, they no doubt decided that it was time for a change and do something else. Had SWTOR been a success they most certainly would have stayed, and basked in more of their glory with yet another masterpiece.
WOW is 10 years old now, so a loss is well over due. A game that tanks is one that loses lots of people very early from launch, and does not take off at all. that is not WOW. Not even SWG tanked, it had 3 major expansions, and full support from LA for over 2 years, no server merges / shutdowns for 6 years . SWTOR lost its support and server consolidations within 6 months
Story was done right but as the game tanked they have failed to keep it up, as they do not seem to be willing now to pour more money into the game on story, so the game is great as single player with multiplayer experience for short term enjoyment but not great as a MMO with a long term enjoyment, which it was meant to be
F2P did good for keeping the game alive, but it lost its soul. It is also a cheap way for EA to add extra content and get extra money from the game. This may be why the Doctors left because F2P was the only way to save the game from shutting down, but the game was never going to be what they visioned for it.
Star Trek Online - Best Free MMORPG of 2012
There were no class stories in Makeb.
Supposedly they have been asked many times in dev chats about personal story. The devs have said that going forward it is about the empire vs republic.
Just google "swtor no more class stories" and go through the forum threads.
Everybody who is still playing swtor is under the impression that they are dead and they no have plans to revisit them.
I really don't see where else you would go with the class stories. They all seemed to have wrapped themselves up pretty good by level 50. At that point it's all about the war.They could go anywhere they wanted to. "They all seem wrapped up" isn't the reason they stopped doing them.
They stopped doing them because it was financially inefficient to continue doing them. They could put a truckload of money into creating more story and sell it as an expansion. However people coming back for the expansion would only stay for a month or two and they would have to rely on current players to pay off the costs.
So it makes more sense to just make 2 stories (which is just one story, told from either side) than 8. This way the money keeps rolling in and they don't have to reinvest so much money into creating content.
SPOILER ALERT!I'm well aware of why they stopped doing them. I just don't see the point in the class story past 50 with a huge war going on. At the end of the sith storylines you were either a part of the council or the emperors wrath. At the end of the jedi knight line you've killed the emperor.There's also the flashpoints that answer what happened to Revan and the killing of Darth Malgus. There seemed like a feeling of finality to your character's beginnings and now it was time to take on the other side in the war that was about to explode.Focusing on that makes sense.
Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
It really wouldn't be difficult, and it would be fun. The fact that it isn't necessary doesn't take away from that. Makeb could easily have had two or three specific missions tailored to each class which still meshed well with the overall plot on that planet. But I agree it isn't likely to happen, just pointing out that if not for financial reasons, it easily could. They didn't stop making Iron Man or Thor movies when the Avengers came out.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
They didn't need more money. They probably quit because they went from running the show to working for EA. Not many people can give up a company that everyone loves and be happy working for a company so many hate.
True, but I bet more than anything it was down to all the gripes from the game plus ME3 with its ending too.
I bet if the subs went up instead of down, and the majority of people were saying "This game is awesome" to them then they would have been proud and wanted to stay and do more. BW chose to work for EA, as they thought that with EAs backing they would be able to produce much better games, and if SWTOR did well then their plan would have been achieved, but in the end they were not getting the success they had when they were running the show, and so decided to move on to other things.
Star Trek Online - Best Free MMORPG of 2012
Yep, the ME3 ending fiasco - and not too long before that DA2 received a pretty poor response from Bioware fans as well.
It was blow after blow, and so they decided they wanted a change of pace.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
and, what job would those devs have , without the angry gamers? none? or the same, but for a smaller salary?
if a business is in trouble, the last thing you want to do, is to piss off the CUSTOMERS