So i never actually played SWG but everytime i hear it mentioned people talk about a specific patch that changed the game from being awesome into being crap. What was the change? Does anyone have any videos to show what it was like before and after the patch? I'm just curious really but have found it difficult to search for something that i know nothing about!
They simplified the classes and skill system. Made them more modern, in contrast to Pre-NGE. Before the change much of the game used the Verdant/SOE design from Everquest in which many elements of the game were rooted in player discovery/exploration/social aspects . Even more so in SWG as it was fully a sandbox MMO- unlike EQ, which had elements of sandbox design but with a structured spine.
The thing was SWG and the game type of the 1st era of MMOs were going out of fashion. SWG never really had the sub base of EQ/UO despite the license. The game used an arcane system of game design that while suited to relatively small & hardcore base of EQ/UO/AC of the early MMO era-- was very ill suited to a game with the STAR WARS NAME attached to it.
What post-NGE did was simply make the game more accessible to a broader audience. Or attempt to do so.
NGE was poorly received at the time as the players of that era of MMOs were, as stated, used to the genre being more predicated on discovery and social experience. When World of Warcraft hit, the greatest innovations and [literal] industry changing aspects of World of Warcraft were: speed of combat and streamlined gameplay systems.
It simply is unacceptable to design an MMO in the modern era where playing a class is not clear, direct in purpose and immediately accessible. Likewise, the internal systems follow suit from controls to sending in-game mail. Not to sound all, "In my day, you had to kill 10 orcs barefoot in the snow & if we died we lost everything! And loved it!"-- but you kinda did.
Simply, SWG was originally created for an era and audience that was fading from the genre. NGE tried to catch up SWG to the changing times but alienated the very small base that were attracted due to the latter. Everyone else kinda didn't give a shit... there was this new game made by Blizzard and characters moved at a pace that was shockingly novel at the time.
There were a lot of changes to classes and game systems pre/post NGE. Better to read about it all as there is way too much to summarize.
Ah thanks a lot that explained it pretty clear, i thought that they'd just made some sweeping changes to combat or w/e but it just sounds like they was trying to adjust to attract more players while forgetting about their current fans. I appreciate the info!
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