after playing post CURB for a little while it is a lateral move, no better but no worse than the old system.
However the implementation by SOE is without question the worst I have ever witnessed in an MMO. On top of their pattern of mistreatment of costomers it is not a good sign.
There are always the nonbelievers, and the SOE fanbois. Ignore them please. This is not the usual 'people crying because of change and threatening to leave'. People ARE leaving, lots of them.
I used to lead a large guild on Bloodfin galaxy. Before the CU, we had over 100 members (about 60% playing daily to weekly) and a thriving in-game town. Now, we are consolidating. A lot of people stopped logging in entirely, others have put their accounts on Ebay.
Just about all the crafters have left. Most heard comment is that they don't have the will to do anything anymore, because all they worked for in game has basically been destroyed. Resource requirements have changed, available craftable goods (schematics) have been drastically altered. Some professions, like doctor, saw their crafting skills removed and transferred to another profession (bio-engineer). What is left of the wealth of doc schematics (a pittance, really), is now mostly bugged: it does not even work
All craftable items have been capped to max achievable values, resulting in even the best being only a tiny bit better that average. No one is allowed to stand out anymore. For many people, crafting was their endgame, creating the best possible product what they enjoyed most in the game. This was taken from them, and they are cancelling in droves.
PVE combat has, as previous posts already stated, become agonisingly slow. Most of the planets have not even been 'balanced' yet for the level system, so regeneration rates and creature levels are WAY out of whack.
What SOE, and even a lot of players, failed to realise, is how many people actually LIKE being able to wander through a game world solo. There are a lot of people who, due to hours of play or personality, go things solo. Solo, however, has become impossible.
Looting, another aspect of the game many people enjoyed, has become pointless. Skill-enhancements are useless, as a diminishing return was implemented: the more you already have, the less enhancements do for you. Loot weapons and armor are all the same, no more exceptional stuff to be gotten.
PVP is just about the only thing that is still working at this point. Not having to buff before a battle has advantages. This, however, only works for those with double elite combat professions (level 80 fighters, with 3000 Health). Anyone who has less, will have less health, and will therefore be non-competitive. I also find there is an issue with the 3000 Health thing in guild wars: people can zerg straight from the cloner with full health, making battles tediously drawn out.
PVP, however, was always something that only 10% of the player base found enjoyable. That still means 90% of the players is suffering. The dust is settling, people are done with their CU evaluation, and for the most, they are bored. The expansion will be played out soon, and then I think most will leave. The base game is too broken and bugged to stand on its own now.
Will my guild survive? I don't know. I think I have 20 actives left at this point. And I am very much afraid this is the average for guilds right now. Entire guilds are moving on to WoW and GW. Most of my accounts are cancelled, all of my husband's accounts are gone. People are not saving their stuff, as in 'I may be back', they are actually giving everything away - to random strangers, even - or just deleting them.
I still have trouble believing how we went from a game that had all major and most minor bugs solved, and just needed some balancing and tweaking, to this hideous bugridden hybrid. As for the 'interviews' and 'reviews' SOE have been spouting: don't make me laugh. They must have hired Saddam Hussein's spin doctor for this. An IGN reviewer claimed 'this may have been exactly what SWG needed'. Almost a direct quote from John Smedley's letter to the community. I doubt this person ever even played the game.
Nobody likes change and SOEs CU to SWG was a change that altered the entire gameplay for established players. If you can suger coat it then I have some good news for you, Small air conditors are now on sale at Sears for folks swimming in hot, streaming Vats of Denial.
Comments
after playing post CURB for a little while it is a lateral move, no better but no worse than the old system.
However the implementation by SOE is without question the worst I have ever witnessed in an MMO. On top of their pattern of mistreatment of costomers it is not a good sign.
There are always the nonbelievers, and the SOE fanbois. Ignore them please. This is not the usual 'people crying because of change and threatening to leave'. People ARE leaving, lots of them.
I used to lead a large guild on Bloodfin galaxy. Before the CU, we had over 100 members (about 60% playing daily to weekly) and a thriving in-game town. Now, we are consolidating. A lot of people stopped logging in entirely, others have put their accounts on Ebay.
Just about all the crafters have left. Most heard comment is that they don't have the will to do anything anymore, because all they worked for in game has basically been destroyed. Resource requirements have changed, available craftable goods (schematics) have been drastically altered. Some professions, like doctor, saw their crafting skills removed and transferred to another profession (bio-engineer). What is left of the wealth of doc schematics (a pittance, really), is now mostly bugged: it does not even work
All craftable items have been capped to max achievable values, resulting in even the best being only a tiny bit better that average. No one is allowed to stand out anymore. For many people, crafting was their endgame, creating the best possible product what they enjoyed most in the game. This was taken from them, and they are cancelling in droves.
PVE combat has, as previous posts already stated, become agonisingly slow. Most of the planets have not even been 'balanced' yet for the level system, so regeneration rates and creature levels are WAY out of whack.
What SOE, and even a lot of players, failed to realise, is how many people actually LIKE being able to wander through a game world solo. There are a lot of people who, due to hours of play or personality, go things solo. Solo, however, has become impossible.
Looting, another aspect of the game many people enjoyed, has become pointless. Skill-enhancements are useless, as a diminishing return was implemented: the more you already have, the less enhancements do for you. Loot weapons and armor are all the same, no more exceptional stuff to be gotten.
PVP is just about the only thing that is still working at this point. Not having to buff before a battle has advantages. This, however, only works for those with double elite combat professions (level 80 fighters, with 3000 Health). Anyone who has less, will have less health, and will therefore be non-competitive. I also find there is an issue with the 3000 Health thing in guild wars: people can zerg straight from the cloner with full health, making battles tediously drawn out.
PVP, however, was always something that only 10% of the player base found enjoyable. That still means 90% of the players is suffering. The dust is settling, people are done with their CU evaluation, and for the most, they are bored. The expansion will be played out soon, and then I think most will leave. The base game is too broken and bugged to stand on its own now.
Will my guild survive? I don't know. I think I have 20 actives left at this point. And I am very much afraid this is the average for guilds right now. Entire guilds are moving on to WoW and GW. Most of my accounts are cancelled, all of my husband's accounts are gone. People are not saving their stuff, as in 'I may be back', they are actually giving everything away - to random strangers, even - or just deleting them.
I still have trouble believing how we went from a game that had all major and most minor bugs solved, and just needed some balancing and tweaking, to this hideous bugridden hybrid. As for the 'interviews' and 'reviews' SOE have been spouting: don't make me laugh. They must have hired Saddam Hussein's spin doctor for this. An IGN reviewer claimed 'this may have been exactly what SWG needed'. Almost a direct quote from John Smedley's letter to the community. I doubt this person ever even played the game.
Linna Baresi
Bloodfin Galaxy
Hi Linna,
Solo, however, has become impossible.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Nobody likes change and SOEs CU to SWG was a change that altered the entire gameplay for established players. If you can suger coat it then I have some good news for you, Small air conditors are now on sale at Sears for folks swimming in hot, streaming Vats of Denial.
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You bought one ?
Have fun
Erillion
Eril -
I have been chilling since 1/9/05 - I saved a snowball for you - stand still
btw I am posting in the rumors forum - I am sure you know the way
Unaware of the Jestor?
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Friends enjoy his classic Vblog - https://www.facebook.com/GoodOldReliableNathan