New Subscriber Rewards. What will it be?

[Svifnymr]

I think somewhere along the line they either misinterpreted players asking for "more companion stories/class stories" as "give me a boat load of companions with no story." They are, or seem to be, saving most of the more interesting companions to be part of the main story companion group, but I'm not sure we needed to be given access to so many through the alliance system.

I think they wanted to write some companions into the story, but they couldn't just focus on a companion that you don't have, so they decided to unlock all companions for each character. So they can have a story centered on Kaliyo without it being Imperial Agent only, because now everyone will have Kaliyo.

[Treeba]

I think they wanted to write some companions into the story, but they couldn't just focus on a companion that you don't have, so they decided to unlock all companions for each character. So they can have a story centered on Kaliyo without it being Imperial Agent only, because now everyone will have Kaliyo.

That's sort of my point. Most people have 1 or two characters they primarily focus on and connect with. They wanted more story with the companions on that particular character. If an agent wasn't one of those primary characters then having Kaliyo means little to those people. They either misunderstood what that feedback was asking for or (more likely) they thought this would be a good compromise.

Basically they wanted a continuation of their personal (read class) story, but it never going to happen. This way they can get all of the most popular companions into the main story, but there are so many it will take them forever to do it. There is also little guarantee that your preferred companion will have much of a role. We already know many of them won't even be in the first 16 chapters. If you really wanted more story with Mako you're going to be disappointed for a long time. If you wanted Kaliyo then hey... it will probably work out well for you. It's both good and bad, imo. You'll eventually see your favorite companion back in action, but eventually there are going to be so many main story companions they aren't going to be able to keep the story going with all of them.

Before the game went F2P they intended to take the class stories beyond chapter 3.

[Edge-]

Before the game went F2P they intended to take the class stories beyond chapter 3.

Honestly, I think they realized pretty quickly that it would be impossible to sustain 8 unique class stories as longterm content. Especially after how quickly people blew through the game to begin with and started clamoring for more content. It was never going to be a sustainable method of delivering content, it's simply too expensive and time consuming for minimal return in terms of player time spent engaging with it.

They were extremely arrogant, even more so than most MMO devs usually, shortly before and after launch. Very much drinking their own coolaid and not really taking a look at how feasible this kind of thing was.

[Treeba]

Honestly, I think they realized pretty quickly that it would be impossible to sustain 8 unique class stories as longterm content. Especially after how quickly people blew through the game to begin with and started clamoring for more content. It was never going to be a sustainable method of delivering content, it's simply too expensive and time consuming for minimal return in terms of player time spent engaging with it.

They were extremely arrogant, even more so than most MMO devs usually, shortly before and after launch. Very much drinking their own coolaid and not really taking a look at how feasible this kind of thing was.

I don't disagree. At best the class story extensions would've been paid expansions every 2 years or so and all the patches between each expansion would've been more on standard end-game content.

I'd be fairly happy with the story style we saw in Makeb/SoR if they had your companions offer commentary as the events unfolded. They wouldn't even need to continue 8 class stories, just throw in a handful of quests for the more popular companions every few updates. Sort of like how they did class stories on Rishi.

[lordbaldric]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...........

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[Fkiolaris]

I really do wonder why some of you are so surprised, especially if you've been playing for 4 years. I am not saying the rewards are not nonsense, but why expect anything better?

The sorry part is that so far, taking everything into account, it stills stands that the most reasonable thing to do with this "expansion" is to sub for one month when all the stories are out and see how you like the game/new content then. Which is what I will be doing.

[Treeba]

I really do wonder why some of you are so surprised, especially if you've been playing for 4 years. I am not saying the rewards are not nonsense, but why expect anything better?

The funny part is if they had said nothing at all leading up to the stream most people would've either been excited or just went "meh" and moved on. So many people are so angry just cause they let themselves get super hyped ahead of time. BW has rarely wowed since launch, so I don't know why anyone would take "biggest thing ever" at face value. I don't know what they pay, but most of their PR team isn't earning it. It's one thing when players take something small and hype into a mountain, but it's completely different when you announce "your biggest thing ever" and even have developers on twitter adding comments like "is the world ready for this? are we ready for this?" like they are about to revolutionize their game. I'm not wishing bad things on them, but they definitely should consider some personnel changes.

[Fkiolaris]

The funny part is if they had said nothing at all leading up to the stream most people would've either been excited or just went "meh" and moved on. So many people are so angry just cause they let themselves get super hyped ahead of time. BW has rarely wowed since launch, so I don't know why anyone would take "biggest thing ever" at face value. I don't know what they pay, but most of their PR team isn't earning it. It's one thing when players take something small and hype into a mountain, but it's completely different when you announce "your biggest thing ever" and even have developers on twitter adding comments like "is the world ready for this? are we ready for this?" like they are about to revolutionize their game. I'm not wishing bad things on them, but they definitely should consider some personnel changes.

I agree with you on everything other than the personnel changes. This kind of consistent (mis)behaviour from everybody, including various devs, has got be ordered from higher up. There is no way the "grunts" get so delusional in such a coordinated manner once they join BW and start working on SWTOR, I just can't believe it.

[WoWGoneBad]

You know....

With the whole HK-55 thing...... I think I will wait until I see how they play it out before getting hyped or disappointed. I mean we have all RAGED over how he died in the story. Fucking Self Sacrifice.........

BW is giving back.. Yea it does kinda break the story but he is a machine(albeit a awesome machine) and he can be rebuilt. Hell BW already proved this in the Trooper storyline that a droid can be rebuilt.

BW is giving us that option. And with the subbing well you can sub and have the "option" to rebuild him and get him as a comp or stay F2P and not get him at all. BTW the rebuild is a story opinion NOT what BW plans.

We have a deep love for this droid and they are giving us the option to get him back. In the story we even ask if it is possible. Maybe we go back to Ilum and plug in a new HK droid or he does during the storyline lol.

In the end this is classic BW and as always what THEY think is BIG and HUGE is always a letdown. Well except for this new story arc lol.

[Svifnymr]

The HK companion is nice enough, but the story requiring month after month subbed? seems silly.

[quras]

The HK companion is nice enough, but the story requiring month after month subbed? seems silly.

I think SWTOR is now being referred to as a single player game with a monthly subscription.

It kinda sucks in a way. If it was not for the free coins, I know many that would drop SWTOR rather easily. It just doesn't have the content unless you are brand new and willing to sub.

Long time gamers, supporters of SWTOR... They got a huge middle finger once the short but excellent story was done.

[Deleted]

All about the subs :P
If only one day they did something about giving f2p-players a better life

[Katchii]

I cancelled my sub.

KotFE was amazing and had me excited, but the chapters are WAY too short for me to sub every month over other games out there, and these ridiculous subscriber rewards are insulting.

I honestly believe BioWare has absolutely no idea what MMO players care about, or how to take care of their game.

I'll wait until next August to sub again, drop $15 on it and play through the new content in ~ a week or so.

Don't get me wrong, the game is great and fun.... until you're done with the story. End-game is a joke. I'm not about to spend countless hours grinding new high level gear just to see high level Operations I've already seen and beaten 20 times over.

[Edge-]

I cancelled my sub.

KotFE was amazing and had me excited, but the chapters are WAY too short for me to sub every month over other games out there, and these ridiculous subscriber rewards are insulting.

I honestly believe BioWare has absolutely no idea what MMO players care about, or how to take care of their game.

I'll wait until next August to sub again, drop $15 on it and play through the new content in ~ a week or so.

Don't get me wrong, the game is great and fun.... until you're done with the story. End-game is a joke. I'm not about to spend countless hours grinding new high level gear just to see high level Operations I've already seen and beaten 20 times over.

Ye, this was my biggest concern. If the story was going to be enough of a hook to keep players around between releases without the normal MMO elements (new FP/OP and gear grinds) to back it up. Doubly so since I was very much mistaken in thinking that class stories were coming back, and that thus far choice has had literally zero impact on the story.

Honestly, BioWare seems to be successful despite themselves, not because of themselves. If they didn't have the Star Wars IP backing this game, they'd definitely be hurting a lot more. The have a fantastic core game, they just keep making idiotic decisions with how to run it -_-

[quras]

I cancelled my sub.

KotFE was amazing and had me excited, but the chapters are WAY too short for me to sub every month over other games out there, and these ridiculous subscriber rewards are insulting.

I honestly believe BioWare has absolutely no idea what MMO players care about, or how to take care of their game.

I'll wait until next August to sub again, drop $15 on it and play through the new content in ~ a week or so.

Don't get me wrong, the game is great and fun.... until you're done with the story. End-game is a joke. I'm not about to spend countless hours grinding new high level gear just to see high level Operations I've already seen and beaten 20 times over.

I've heard a good number of people same a very similar thing.

What I hear more about though is just how it shows BW's disinterest in gamers that are already in SWTOR or have been in SWTOR a short of long while.

They are banking on getting new people from teh hype off the movie with a screw the current and long term subscribers. The new gamers will have a lot to do. If you have been playing, it's more of the same. Continue to grind out content that is 1 to 4 years old for OPS and over 4 years old for heroics.

There is just very little to hold someone in SWTOR if you have been playing a while. BW offered them nothing but a new massive grind of affection that you already grinded once to 10K. Now it's, just do it again but this time to 250K.

It's a bit shocking to think they don't see the problems with the decisions they are making in but player retention rewards and content.

[Treeba]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showp...34&postcount=1

Jesus... just wow.

Why did you need to remove nim EV/KP if you were going to get better loot from their hm? These guys just have no idea what's going on. How does it even make sense to get better gear from easier content?

[Edge-]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showp...34&postcount=1

Jesus... just wow.

Why did you need to remove nim EV/KP if you were going to get better loot from their hm? These guys just have no idea what's going on. How does it even make sense to get better gear from easier content?

I...what? Seriously? And they can't address a drop rate bug until February?

Uuuggghhhhh, they're making me feel worse and worse for throwing any money at them now. Oh well, at this point I'll probably just end up watching full playthroughs for the rest of the story. Don't even want to throw $15 at them to play the rest myself when it's all finished.

At least I have alts and I can work on totally for free.

Fucking gross, BioWare. But hey, at least they gave their community some information. So that's something : |

[Treeba]

Uuuggghhhhh, they're making me feel worse and worse for throwing any money at them now. Oh well, at this point I'll probably just end up watching full playthroughs for the rest of the story. Don't even want to throw $15 at them to play the rest myself when it's all finished.

I know exactly how you feel lol. I feel very conflicted at times, because I honestly do enjoy a lot of aspects of this game. I love SW, I like the strongholds, I love the original class stories, and I even enjoy some of the things to do in KotFE. That being said I feel stupid for continuing to reward a company with this level of incompetence. Usually its the persistent bugs that get to me, but every once in awhile they say things like this and I'm just like ugh... why am I giving you my money. Usually this goes on for a month or two and then I quit and go back to WoW.

[Fencers]

I have remained subbed to the game for close to 8 months now. Just because I like SWTOR and play it 2-3 times a week. I am not in it for 'sub rewards'.

Bioware just mishandled the sub rewards announcement. But if you like the game, it's still the same game you were subbed to last month or whatever.

[Katchii]

Bioware just mishandled the sub rewards announcement. But if you like the game, it's still the same game you were subbed to last month or whatever.

That's the problem though... it's the same damn game we've been subbing to for the last 4 years..... I've been there done that with this game and with the recent NiM announcement (wtf BW, seriously?) it just shows, again, they have no fucking clue how to make their existing/ long term players happy.

Again, I thoroughly enjoy this game when I have something to do. Rage Juggernaut is some of the most fun I've ever had playing an MMO... but there's only so many times I can take down Karagga, Dread Masters, weird giant space bugs, Trandoshan mercenaries or The Infernal One before you go... OK what's next?

And in the current MMO landscape where there's literally dozens of decent P2P, F2P or B2P games out there, there's just no (or very little) reason to stay subbed to this game once you're finished with the story.