State of the Game III (Barber Shop, Cathar and...200 other words)

[Deleted]

http://www.swtor.com/blog/state-game-3

Hi everyone,

With the launch of the Relics of the Gree event behind us, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the general state of the game and the launch of our Free-to-Play option.

Judging by the conversation in the forums and elsewhere, there appears to be a level of curiosity among many players to learn how things are going at the studio since the launch of the Free-to-Play option. Of course, that’s natural. We’re now about 120 days post-launch and more than 5 months into our new series of content updates, so we’re just starting to get a feel for it ourselves. In our commitment to improve the overall player experience, it’s important to reflect on all of the changes that we have made since last year.

Last spring, there was some uncertainty surrounding Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ as we were starting to lose subscribers and players were growing frustrated. In fairness, many of the complaints and worries were justified. In an effort to try to address everything, we just weren’t sufficiently focused on improving the core experience.

At the end of the summer, we announced that were going to make the game more enjoyable than ever before by working to improve three key aspects of the game: making it easier to find friends to play with (via Group Finder), increasing the cadence of our content updates (so players wouldn’t have to wait around for new stuff), and bringing back vitality to the game by reaching out to new players via a Free-to-Play option. In addition we introduced some cool new items for everyone to check out via the Cartel Market.

So how did it go? Well, you can see for yourself when you log in to the game. Our new, high capacity servers are teeming with people. Since launch of the Free-to-Play option we have had over 2 million new accounts created and have thousands of new players jumping in every single day. This means more people to play with, more growth for your guilds, more Warzone matches, and more ways for players to continue to advance their characters.

Even though there’s bound to be dissent about every aspect of MMOs on the internet these days, player feedback, in general, has been very positive about the new things in the game. We’re committed to continuing our 8-week new content cadence, and are looking forward to the launch of the first Digital Expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel this spring.

And I’m happy to announce that we’ll be introducing several new features along the way, like a new customization feature, which will allow you to change your character's hair style, eye color, body type, or even species (including the upcoming Cathar!) using Cartel Coins. Look for it in early summer.

We know that there are still a lot of things we need to do to make playing Star Wars: The Old Republic the best experience it can be. We hear you on features such as hood toggle (as one example of many), Asia Pacific server populations (we are actively looking into solutions that make the most sense given our current tech and should have an announcement soon), continued improvement to the Cartel Market pricing and content, and the need to keep working on performance improvements and bugs. In fact, our major focus after Rise of the Hutt Cartel launches is going to be on "quality of life" improvements. We will keep at it, I promise. We’ll keep listening to your feedback and continue to dedicate ourselves to making the game the best it can be. Nothing is more important to us than getting it right.

Thanks for your continued support and see you on Makeb!

-Jeff Hickman
Executive Producer, Star Wars: The Old Republic

[RoninaThorstone]

Wait, I made a joke about the barber shop costing cartel coins...

[Deleted]

Wait, I made a joke about the barber shop costing cartel coins...

Then may I suggest you refrain from making anymore jokes?!

[Parrin]

Dang! Stop giving them ideas, HK!

[RoninaThorstone]

Then may I suggest you refrain from making anymore jokes?!

barber shop! 1000 cartel coins per use! 500 cartel coins for subscribers! ITS A DEAL !!!

I'm sorry Jamos :X
What's really funny is that you started that other thread too lol

---------- Post added 2013-03-21 at 04:36 PM ----------

continued improvement to the Cartel Market pricing and content

I really hope they know that putting the ability to wear epics behind a 12 dollar pay wall isn't super smart. I mean, players can get around it by trading credits + mats but many people aren't going to go the extra mile to do that.
But hey. We shall see.

Also, they should keep makeb behind a pay wall but not the level cap. So f2pers can either slow grind their way up through fps, wzs, and dailies.
Makeb would obviously be faster, so you would be paying for both content and convenience

Or put the expansion on the cartel market and give people a way to earn CCs in game.

*adding CCs to weekly quests would literally solve everything.

[SirRobin]

If true, and it is a big if, its good to hear TOR is staying afloat. Its left enough wreckage in its wake. Nice to see its finally found a niche.

[Kelimbror]

If true, and it is a big if, its good to hear TOR is staying afloat. Its left enough wreckage in its wake. Nice to see its finally found a niche.

Screw that...does no one see the rampant BS and self congratulatory back patting in that post? It's almost like they have completely ignored every single complaint, especially the recent explosion of them with this new rep fiasco. It's like they live in an alternate reality.

Reading that garbage made me literally angry.

[RoninaThorstone]

Screw that...does no one see the rampant BS and self crongratulatory back patting in that post? It's almost like they have completely ignored every single complaint, especially the recent explosion of them with this new rep fiasco. It's like they live in an alternate reality.

Reading that garbage made me literally angry.

We may have done a terrible job... But that's nothing compared to how awesome we are!
-BiowarEA


It's sad cause it's such an easy thing for them to fix (f2p model wise).

[WarpedAcorn]

I'm still holding out that they will add the "expansion" to the Cartel Market. As such I haven't spent any of my Cartel Coins (except the complimentary coins on a bunch of packs to see what the fuss was all about). I'm not sure if I will buy it if I have to pay cash, and if I do that means I will probably have to downgrade from a subscriber to a F2P dude.

I'm not surprised about the Barber Shop though. I would also figure they would have certain "unique" hairstyles or body customizations only available on the cartel market. With all the "Energy" Custom armors, I would expect to see a few body tattoo's (especially Sith Tattoos).

---------- Post added 2013-03-21 at 01:22 PM ----------

We may have done a terrible job... But that's nothing compared to how awesome we are!
-BiowarEA

Reminds me of the Legion & Friends skit where Garrus goes, "Its not a plan, but its a perfect plan". =)

[Kelimbror]

In our commitment to improve the overall player experience,

Player experience = Cartel Market

At the end of the summer, we announced that were going to make the game more enjoyable than ever before by working to improve three key aspects of the game: *snip* the Cartel Market

Cartel market, cartel market, cartel market

So how did it go?
Well, you can see for yourself when you log in to the game.

soo...completely avoided answering their own question?

player feedback, in general, has been very positive about the new things in the game.

Flat out lie.

We’re committed to continuing our 8-week new content cadence

Of Cartel Market items?

We know that there are still a lot of things we need to do to make playing Star Wars: The Old Republic the best experience it can be. *snip* continued improvement to the Cartel Market pricing and content

In fact, our major focus after Rise of the Hutt Cartel launches is going to be on "quality of life" improvements.

"quality of life" = Cartel Market

Nothing is more important to us than

The Cartel Market

[notorious98]

Screw that...does no one see the rampant BS and self congratulatory back patting in that post? It's almost like they have completely ignored every single complaint, especially the recent explosion of them with this new rep fiasco. It's like they live in an alternate reality.

Reading that garbage made me literally angry.

There were two things I took away from this.

1.) 8 week cadence being 2 weeks longer than the previously promised 6 week cadence.
2.) One of their goals is to continue to improve the Cartel Market.

Way to go Bioware. You're certainly proving the naysayers right.

[ariakul]

I could see them charging cartel coins to change species, but to change hair style and eye color is idiotic. Even the unlimited trial in WOW can change their hair styles.

[Deleted]

Jeez whats the point in being a subscriber if more and more things are requiring cartel coins, i keep an eye on the game hoping wishing for something to make me want to resub, but its just Cartel Market this Cartel Market that, and getting no new content. I was willing to give them a few months, but they've proved the sceptics back last year, right(of which i wasnt one, so i was totally wrong) that they'd be all about the Cartel Market.

Oh well i enjoyed my 10-ish months playing live and 4 on beta, but im out.

[Slugfest]

My exact response in that thread was this:

"Likes - 2 million + accounts, I like.
Dislikes - now were are at an 8 week distribution vs. a 6 week distribution for new content? That was a rather 'subtle' change. Funneling the cathar through the cartel market and not giving it to subscribers is also pretty lame.

As far as people leaving the game, that's easy: no new endgame content (i.e Raids). I have seen several high-end guilds on my server go belly up recently and that's a real bummer. And no, running NiM EC for 4+ months is NOT new. Someone asked me a couple weeks ago: "Do you like running EC?" My honest answer was: "At first." So how do you make this "new" content (NiM EC) last? Simple: if you are EW/BW you deliberately over tune the instance to the point of absurdity so that once most guilds finally clear NiM Kephess they have zero desire to go back and do it again, even if the instance is now technically on 'farm' status.

Sadly, now that the cartel market is making that much more money for the company I doubt they will put any real effort into new and meaningful content. x 1000"

Going to go with the 'alternate reality' theory Kitty suggested where the same rules/laws simply don't exist.

[Kelimbror]

There were two things I took away from this.

1.) 8 week cadence being 2 weeks longer than the previously promised 6 week cadence.
2.) One of their goals is to continue to improve the Cartel Market.

Way to go Bioware. You're certainly proving the naysayers right.

From reading the official forums on the post, it seems the majority of players feel the same way. Can't believe they are openly lying that most of their feedback is positive. The subscriber community is practically reeling at this point and many of them have finally realized they are getting robbed.

The sad part is they could be making just as much money and more by doing the exact opposit of what they have done. Instead of punishing players and simply restricting existing creations, they could have rewarded susbcribers and created new things to sell.

It makes me even angrier that when discussing upcoming MMOs and trying to explain how having a B2P/F2P game with a sub option would be amazing, everyone points to this game as why all F2P games 'suck' and just want to take your money. FFS.

[RoninaThorstone]

It makes me even angrier that when discussing upcoming MMOs and trying to explain how having a B2P/F2P game with a sub option would be amazing, everyone points to this game as why all F2P games 'suck' and just want to take your money. FFS.

Ugh yes.

And when you point at warhammer and say that that's a subscription game that just sucks your money and gives you next to nothing in return for the subscription fee they just go "well yeah but wow is subscription" and it's like... So you are going to point to the worst example of F2P and the best example of subscription and compare the two? Well of fucking course you are going to end up thinking subscription is better. Never mind that aion us, lotro, tera, firefall, neverwinteronline, and so many other amazing games are f2p. JUST PRETEND THAT THEY DON'T EXIST. (also, pretend that B2p doesn't work. That too)

Why can't you just listen to us and fix your model swtor? Why won't you just fix it /cry

edit: You know what's really sad? It's too late for them to make me want to play. I've been infected by the mmoARPG / MMO3ps bug.

I wanted to love you so much swtor... But you went and killed the good aspects of your game (personal story lines) and didn't draw on the aspects that made the star wars franchise great (tie fighter, jedi knight dark forces, battlefront) other than kotor.

[Deleted]

I'm still holding out that they will add the "expansion" to the Cartel Market. As such I haven't spent any of my Cartel Coins (except the complimentary coins on a bunch of packs to see what the fuss was all about). I'm not sure if I will buy it if I have to pay cash, and if I do that means I will probably have to downgrade from a subscriber to a F2P dude.

It seems like they did think about making ROTHC a Cartel Market unlock at one point at least: http://db-ptr.darthhater.com/items/5...e_hutt_cartel/

Seems like they're gonna add a bunch of most requested features this summer - server transfer, character recustomization, probably character/guild/legacy name changes as well. Good, threads requesting these features on the official forums pop up all the time.

Not to bothered about cartel recustomization, I will just get it the same way I did all the other unlocks except for the original 2 ones I bought with CCs

[Kelimbror]

It seems like they did think about making ROTHC a Cartel Market unlock at one point at least: http://db-ptr.darthhater.com/items/5...e_hutt_cartel/

And then they realized they could make more money by charging subscribers a fee for it even though it was already stated that content would be included with a subscription. So the slap a new name on a patch, call it an expansion, and now they charge for it. If they put it on the Market then (here's a shocker) people would have saved their stipend to get it 'for free' which is still BS b/c they paid a sub for it, not to mention that they would have had to make it not sellable on the GTN otherwise no one would have paid real money for it. It was just a wool over the eyes cash grab, no matter how you look at it.

There's no defense for how this has played out at all.

[WoWGoneBad]

http://www.swtor.com/blog/state-game-3



And I’m happy to announce that we’ll be introducing several new features along the way, like a new customization feature, which will allow you to change your character's hair style, eye color, body type, or even species (including the upcoming Cathar!) using Cartel Coins. Look for it in early summer.

-Jeff Hickman
Executive Producer, Star Wars: The Old Republic

and yet ANOTHER game addition locked behind the paywall. WTF i mean does being a subscriber mean ANYTHING????? are they trying to make ALL players switch to F2P because it worked on me but .................................................

well......................*sigh* back to the daily grind to get those unlicks befor the end of april..............guess i uaghta finish up my sniper and sentinel after that i have all 50s and no neex for xp boost

[Edge-]

Nice to hear about 2 million new accounts, even if they have given 4 month period of time they've had to accrue that.

However the rest of the letter seems meh. I really hope subscribers get an option for character recustomizations for free, at least basic hair/makeup and whatnot. Other than that I can't believe they're still talking about the Cathar, and apparently the 6 week content cycle became an 8 week content cycle >.>

redit:

and yet ANOTHER game addition locked behind the paywall. WTF i mean does being a subscriber mean ANYTHING????? are they trying to make ALL players switch to F2P because it worked on me but .................................................

It means you get the same game you got at launch, and they won't constantly harass you because you're a freeloader who isn't subscriber.