Bioware and "the wall"

[RoninaThorstone]

So, if I'm reading this right, you're complaining that the game makes players think, which will turn them off of the game?

Yes.

WoW's leveling system boils down to "collect 4 goretusk snouts" and that is why people can level easily without burning out.

[Deleted]

Yes.

WoW's leveling system boils down to "collect 4 goretusk snouts" and that is why people can level easily without burning out.

And that is also why it is an entirely un-enjoyable and unimmersive experience.

[cFortyfive]

Mhh that somewhat sounds as if any decisions made were actually really meaningful.

[Selenti]

Don't really buy this. I've never had problems making decisions in video games--because the decisions don't matter. I don't think the ego depletion theory holds up if the decisions are so trivial we know they don't really matter in the long run.

The wall I hit with SWTOR was gameplay related (combat system ruined the game for me), not storyline or decision related. Besides, I'd imagine for most players the dark/light-side tags on conversation options make the choices for them, since people feel obligated to plump for one for item restrictions.

[RoninaThorstone]

Mhh that somewhat sounds as if any decisions made were actually really meaningful.

you have to keep your eye out for choices that will make your companion happy as well. Unless you don't like mastercraft epics.

[Koalachan]

you have to keep your eye out for choices that will make your companion happy as well. Unless you don't like mastercraft epics.

that's what companion gifts are for.

[Vongimi]

I just played through the "wall" lol cause im stubborn and wanted to hit 50. Hit 50... and hated the game for a few days lol. Im going back now and trying a little bit of end game, but there is not a very big 50 community on my server (im in the only "50s only" guild currently) on my faction, so all I really have is PvP. So the broken gear system and the 1 second lag times in warzones are driving me nuts. I imagine I wont even be able to do warzones after the 1.1 patch since there arent enough 50s.

But my wall had nothing to do with having to think... quite the opposite. Fighting the same enemies for hours (imperials) with the exact same storylines (defector, rogue droids, not enough troops, some random super weapon that will win the war) the whole way through was what did it.

[Morae]

I dont see how this is a problem.

So...... you don't want to think?

At least I personally see it good that you have to think.

[kaishi]

so all the people that don't want to run stuff through their brains will get tired and quit? OMG BIOWARE FOUND TEH HOLYGRAIL!

[RoninaThorstone]

so all the people that don't want to run stuff through their brains will get tired and quit? OMG BIOWARE FOUND TEH HOLYGRAIL!

You need them in the game to channel cash to bioware/ea so swtor can continue to be profitable and thus make more patches and fix ilum.

[KevyB]

Game's not for you, go play some "My Little Pony" instead.

[RoninaThorstone]

So...... you don't want to think?

At what point did I state that I, personally, do not enjoy the choice aspect of the game?

I am posing a question about biowares convo system and its effect on its player base.

---------- Post added 2012-01-17 at 08:53 PM ----------

Game's not for you, go play some "My Little Pony" instead.

Another person who didn't read.

[StationaryHawk]

I've never felt, seen, or heard of either of those. Players who don't care for story will simply spacebar through the dialogue and select whatever the closest option is. In the case of light side/dark side, they'll choose whatever they want the rewards from.

Players who do care for story probably won't mind having to choose which dialogue option. More likely than not they'll already have a general idea of their character, and that alone will eliminate one, or maybe two of the dialogue options. In fact, the dialogue is often what I look forward to most in a quest, as the rest is simply generic MMO questing.

Perhaps you simply played it too much?

[Korgoth]

I don't think its that. You could simply space bar through every choice clicking the top one, and not really make a choice or pay any attention to it. I think it's the combat and repetitiveness of it all that ends up putting up a wall.

Every zone is practically the same, as they have really just 4 mob types. 4 pack of weak, Silver, Silver with 2 weak, Gold. And for the most part there is practically 0 difference in how you fight those mobs, and how those mobs are positioned.

On my Trooper - Vanguard, it became a very scripted process. Go to new zone, grab quest, go to area, kill 4 pack of mobs with mortar volley, kill 4 pack of mobs with sticky grenade/pulse cannon, kill silver mob with 2-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1 (occasional 4,5) rotation, kill gold mob with same rotation but spend three times as long killing it. Turn in quests. Head to next zone.

At first I think its a lot better because you are new to the class mechanics and your power level compared to the mobs you fight is very high, where later on after you get the companion its much lower so it takes longer to kill mobs and move through areas, except with a healing or tank companion there is 0 challenge to it, everything dies the same way after you hit the same buttons, with no real thought involved in it. The faster leveling of 1-10 gives the story far better pacing as well, reducing the time between story points, and those story points for the most part seem to have more weight to them, maybe because that story is still new.

Maybe they hit the wall because they simply are not having fun doing the core game play, not watching the story or exploring the zone, but the meat of it, the combat. For myself, Mortar Volley is the most fun I can get out of playing SWTOR, just watching the rounds go off and blowing away a 4 pack of mobs, but then I go on to a silver mob and I dont blow it away, its slow, but its not challenging or unpredictable, just slow. And its just that 1 mob takes awhile, and the gold mobs a lot longer then that, yet I can't die from it with Elara healing me. In fact I even tried one time, just spammed Hammer shot, the no ammo cost right click attack, and I killed a gold mob just doing that and getting healed by my companion.

Which makes the combat pacing tedious and I think people unknowingly get fed up with that tedium and stop.

[RoninaThorstone]

Don't really buy this. I've never had problems making decisions in video games--because the decisions don't matter. I don't think the ego depletion theory holds up if the decisions are so trivial we know they don't really matter in the long run.

The wall I hit with SWTOR was gameplay related (combat system ruined the game for me), not storyline or decision related. Besides, I'd imagine for most players the dark/light-side tags on conversation options make the choices for them, since people feel obligated to plump for one for item restrictions.

This is what I am looking for. This post actually addresses the threads topic.

On top of this he makes a good point.


Most of you seem to think this is either an attack on bioware or a complaint about their system. I am simply curious about the RPG aspects of ME1/2 and Dragon age effect on the average MMO player who is use to being able to play for an extended period of time. So I am asking, in a theoretical sense, based off some research can one extrapolate and say that it can cause earlier burn outs/ unsubbing.

And as I stated. I think there is a possibility that it does.

[luccadeo]

Taxing?

....

I was unaware we have stooped to calling reading dialogue a terrible idea.

The younger generation doesn't have the mental capacity nor the attention span for this game I'm guessing.

[RoninaThorstone]

. Players who don't care for story will simply spacebar through the dialogue and select whatever the closest option is. In the case of light side/dark side, they'll choose whatever they want the rewards from

This is a better way of saying what Selenti was getting at.

And yes. I agree that it is very possible.

[rowley1001]

The wall has been brought on by the fact that you have done the same shit for the last 5+ years in wow or other MMO's and are starting to realize that your wasting a lot of time. The change of scenery was good for a bit for me but then I had the same feeling I had the last year when playing wow. There is nothing really new here besides new graphics. You have the same shit to look forward to at end game, which I am not looking forward to. As for the idea that all the choices you have to make is the cause you know you can just mash space bar and hit 1 to get thru each of the cut scenes. Unless its a class quest I have done so on most of my guys. So until there is some new shit brought to the table most long time MMO people will probably feel this way. I honestly believe my MMO career is coming to an end as I don't see anything new and initiative coming down the line.

[Glorious Leader]

Every zone is practically the same, as they have really just 4 mob types. 4 pack of weak, Silver, Silver with 2 weak, Gold. And for the most part there is practically 0 difference in how you fight those mobs, and how those mobs are positioned. .

2 silver mobs say what's up. Man I love that, have to click the john williams button for music and stun. Furthermore how is this different from the 3 biggest and most successful mmo games going atm? In fact in SWTOR your at least fighting always fighting more than one thing.

OT I thought about this a bit to over myh time with the game. It's alot more decisions and choices than you get to make in a game like mass effect or dragon age. I suspect future content will not over whelm people as much in this regard. This is something to I think can be tuned, if it becomes a real issue for people. Not convinced that it is personally because honestly it really boils down to how you play this game. If you play your face off for 8 hour sessions then yea its an issue. If you log on for a couple hours on the weekend probably not as much.

[Daswolfen]

Less fauxcores and 'l33ts playing this game, the better. I got sick of WoW constantly catering to those player and when they FINALLY started catering to the casual player (the biggest segment of their subscriber base) it was nothing but constant complaints from a vocal minority.