SWTOR: 2 months on, who's still playing

Calhoun

Nody wrote: »

From my MMO experience merges are ALWAYS later then the should (in some cases by years; more common to start up free or paid server transfers instead). I can only guess to why as I've not been given access to their thinking but a few reason stand out:

• Merges signify that the game is shrinking - never a message you want to send out
• They want to wait and see if it is not only a temporary dip in numbers (making more leave due to lack of population)
• Servers are in general bought and paid for - unused servers still cost money and raise ankward questions
• Self denial - they really think the numbers look ok/are above what they consider minimum for merge numbers

I read online that they put a cap of 1500 people per server and that is probably why they are in the situation they are now, they spread their numbers over a larger server base but messed up the launch so numbers are in decline and those playing are also declining as the place is dead .

Vicxas

Calhoun wrote: »

I read online that they put a cap of 1500 people per server and that is probably why they are in the situation they are now, they spread their numbers over a larger server base but messed up the launch so numbers are in decline and those playing are also declining as the place is dead .

The 1500 cap was to test the server load with all the influx of new customers. Now im not so sure but hopefully with the content addond of 1.2 the numbers will flow back in.

Dubhthamlacht

The game itself is still a lot of fun but the drop off in numbers is certainly a pain. I've noticed more so in the past week. I couldn't finish any of the group heroics on Balmorra due to lack of people and when I finished the quests on Quesh, often I was the only one on the planet from Republic side.

I hope 1.2 brings the population backup.

allanb49

I've dropped off for about a month,

logged in for once this month,

Mass Effect 3 roped me in and then i got football manager and the addiction started again,

Don't know what it is about that game,

Really need more time gaming and less working

Vicxas

Dubhthamlacht wrote: »

The game itself is still a lot of fun but the drop off in numbers is certainly a pain. I've noticed more so in the past week. I couldn't finish any of the group heroics on Balmorra due to lack of people and when I finished the quests on Quesh, often I was the only one on the planet from Republic side.

I hope 1.2 brings the population backup.

Both sides of Balmorra are like this. It was like pulling teeth trying to complete the heroics, even the 2+ ones were a pain to fill.

I hope 1.2 will revive this game somewhat. Id hate to see it go the way of Star Trek Online.

Cina

Sadly I may have to give up now. In the space of 3 weeks since ME3 and holidays the population on my server has gone down massively and it's very dull now. Unless they do a big merge then I don't see the point anymore.

luisspellcast

we started to go 16 man -- we've downed Soa Hardmode and moving tomorrow to try karaga's palace -- we're at the complete opposite of bored with the game

i think i know where most of the people's problem lies-- feel free to skip my insight after 12 years of online-gaming -- it goes like this:

people expect too much all the time-- it's very easy to say "won't settle for second best" or that "my money is not being worth it" but the fact is people create this fantasies on their heads of what they think the game will be and end up disappointed when it isn't...

then, they go on detaching themselves from the general public and forget that some massive game was programmed to be appealing to a huge age range, different cultures, different interests and on and on and on... they just think the game has to please them, and expressions have to make sense in their english, and characters have to make sense in their culture... plain fail understanding their own culture is not the only one around in the world and it's plain selfish, if you ask me...

they go on joining the wrong group-- by that i mean people without the same interest or motivation, be it role-play with their level 5 character or power level while skipping the story to raid end-content-- because they're not surrounded by the same focused likeminded people they end up losing interest and you don't need a rocket scientist to prove that theory...

my point is, people keep finding external reasons to justify their lack of interest but they never consider that they might have been looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place-- because the problem is never oneself, right ?

if there isn't a goal then what's the point in fighting ? if you're not having fun taking the journey then don't travel at all... i just think you guys either set an unrealistic goal or no goal at all... bottom line is that's what's costing you guys the fun in the game...

Calhoun

Lol nice response but lets agree to disagree , the dogs on the streets know there are problems with this game.

I actually don't have problem with the game it is seriously lacking for a game of this generation so I understand why people quit. One of our guys actually quit because his game crashed every 20 mins and the problem was on their side.

However if I can't find like minded people because populations are going to **** then I do feel I have a right to question money I spend on a monthly basis.

luisspellcast

I work with computers for far too long to believe in stories like that, apologise my scepticism-- I've worked in specialised gaming stores and laugh my ass off when people refused to put their "omg my gaming rig rox" into a decent case or supply it with proper energy or ventilation-- even more when we figure which malware was freking up the system

question(s): do you think your pinto would run fine with a Ferrari engine under the hood ? do you step into a gunfight with a knife ?

people start comparing games, because "this game was released yesterday and my rig runs it and this other game that was released 4 months ago doesn't" -- and that's how much they know about programming so excuse me for giggling

where most people get it wrong is when they think costumer service HAS to teach them how to use a computer-- plain fail, if you ask me

are you, also, going to blame costumer service for YOUR bad choice of server ? maybe disguise it with "I want char transfers RIGHT NOW"...

sorry guys but my opinion stands: you've set the bar too high and now your just disappointed they didn't reach it

Welease

luisspellcast wrote: »

if there isn't a goal then what's the point in fighting ? if you're not having fun taking the journey then don't travel at all... i just think you guys either set an unrealistic goal or no goal at all... bottom line is that's what's costing you guys the fun in the game...

While there is an element of truth in what you are saying, it has to be remembered that it's impossible for a customer to know pre-release if the game meets their expectations.. They have to play to understand the scope and direction of the game, and if that expectation isn't met then they will quit.. It happens with each and every game, SWTOR is nothing new.

It's not solely for the reasons you listed (grouping with the wrong people, wrong expectations etc.). While you may have found a game that holds your attention it sounds as your primary focus is pve. That's great, but for pvp focussed players there is no real end game.. Something that pvp players can only determine after getting to end game and interacting with the environment and sufficient players.. It's not that fault of players or the people that they group with that the pvp zones are very poorly designed and have no objectives, nor is it the fault of pvp players that designers have decided to move open pvp daily quests into instanced warzones which further removed open pvp populations. They are design decisions that one assumes are made for specific reasons, but players cannot be expected to know in advance..
Many people do have realistic expectations and goals for games which are billed as pvp games, and have pvp servers.. However, at time (across various games) the game fails to live up to basic expectations. It's not fanboi or hater to make a decision based on enjoyment levels, for the majority it's just an indication of the fun they derive from interacting with the game.. neither right nor wrong whatever they choose to do.
Personally i think elements of SWTOR are very highly polished, I particularily like the class levelling quests and the FMV for each.. but end game pvp for me was non existant so I cancelled. I think it's great that for some section of MMO players (pver's) this game seems to deliver.. the more successful games in existance, then the more companies will spend to create new ones.. but for me, it's pointless to pay for a game where I sit in an empty Ilum zone with noone to fight.. It's doesnt make me bitter though I cancel and try something else

Calhoun

luisspellcast wrote: »

I work with computers for far too long to believe in stories like that, apologise my scepticism-- I've worked in specialised gaming stores and laugh my ass off when people refused to put their "omg my gaming rig rox" into a decent case or supply it with proper energy or ventilation-- even more when we figure which malware was freking up the system

question(s): do you think your pinto would run fine with a Ferrari engine under the hood ? do you step into a gunfight with a knife ?

people start comparing games, because "this game was released yesterday and my rig runs it and this other game that was released 4 months ago doesn't" -- and that's how much they know about programming so excuse me for giggling

where most people get it wrong is when they think costumer service HAS to teach them how to use a computer-- plain fail, if you ask me

are you, also, going to blame costumer service for YOUR bad choice of server ? maybe disguise it with "I want char transfers RIGHT NOW"...

sorry guys but my opinion stands: you've set the bar too high and now your just disappointed they didn't reach it

I dont know if you mean it but can you come down off your horse please, the tone of condescending fanboy from your post is crazy. All of SWTORs problems are the users, yeah right :P

The group of people i generally play with are not run of the mill cabbages who have never played on PC before. Like you i have a tenure of playing online games, i would say i am into my 11-12th year so i can tell you that folks i know who have had problems understand the inner workings of computers. In fact one of the guys knows a few people working for bioware and they still couldnt solve his problem as it is fundamental flaw in the game code.

In my own case i used to only be able to log on after peak hours as the internet traffic for the game was coded a peer to peer and vodafone wanted to limit that at peak hours. Should i be blamed for that?

The server i joined was auto assigned by SWTOR when i joined a guild, i assume they would balance out server populations. However this point is actually mute because when i logged on yesterday during peak hours 6-7PM GMT, there were only 2-3 heavy to full servers for the whole of europe. Everything else was standard and from what i can tell standard is quite low but no one can really tell as EA arent giving decent population figures.

My personal feeling is that the game is very polished as a single player game and as i love RPG's i actually love it. The end game content is a problem for me is very basic (im a PVE player) but i am willing to give it a chance to grow. My concern however is that with the decline in populations and not attempt to rectify or merge servers more will leave and i will be left with chars in a dead game.

For now my sub is active, i will see how 1.2 goes but if an when i do cancel i will not be bitter at EA or Bioware as it has been worth it for when i have played. So please do not insult me because i see problems with the game, there are problems and anyone who cannot see this is in a dreamland.

luisspellcast

I wasn't insulting anyone but for what is worth, and for anyone with that many years under the belt, you should know that more times than people would like to admit the problem is between the chair and the computer

I'm not saying there aren't coding problems, I'm saying people aren't willing to work around (some of) them-- I'm not saying the game is perfect because it's far from it-- I'm not saying that the game should run perfectly in every single machine but most times it's because people can't (or won't) change hardware-- ex. soa's pylons (still) display awkward but i wont change my card(s) for the sake of finishing the boss without team's shouting where the pylon is about to fall

we could go on this forever but not worth it-- I'm unsubscribing... from this topic, of course...

Calhoun

luisspellcast wrote: »

I wasn't insulting anyone but for what is worth, and for anyone with that many years under the belt, you should know that more times than people would like to admit the problem is between the chair and the computer

I'm not saying there aren't coding problems, I'm saying people aren't willing to work around (some of) them-- I'm not saying the game is perfect because it's far from it-- I'm not saying that the game should run perfectly in every single machine but most times it's because people can't (or won't) change hardware-- ex. soa's pylons (still) display awkward but i wont change my card(s) for the sake of finishing the boss without team's shouting where the pylon is about to fall

we could go on this forever but not worth it-- I'm unsubscribing... from this topic, of course...

Ok I retract my last statement so, the tone of it was just off which is why i picked up on it.

I agree with what you are saying though to an extent, i am willing to give them a punt until they can get something that is a bit more pleasing for the mass community.

I wish more people would give it a chance and 1.2 looks to be the patch that allot of the masses have been waiting for but as i can also understand if they dont return or quit. With the market the way it is you get one good chance to make an impression, if you lose it you build a negative perception which grows legs and damages the games brand so much it takes allot to change.

Ivan

Deja vu. Warhammer 1.x was to be the patch that brought back the Warhammer crowd and satisfied the diehards. If Mass Effect 3 has taught me anything, it's that EA simply has too much creative control over Bioware for me to take them seriously as a developer anymore.

I haven't tried SWToR yet, still boycotting Origin. Will probably give it a try after my current Guild Wars phase ends, and Diablo 3... and Guild Wars 2, etc. It looks like a great game tbh but they keep making the same mistakes. It might be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.

Vicxas

Ivan wrote: »

Deja vu. Warhammer 1.x was to be the patch that brought back the Warhammer crowd and satisfied the diehards. If Mass Effect 3 has taught me anything, it's that EA simply has too much creative control over Bioware for me to take them seriously as a developer anymore.

I haven't tried SWToR yet, still boycotting Origin. Will probably give it a try after my current Guild Wars phase ends, and Diablo 3... and Guild Wars 2, etc. It looks like a great game tbh but they keep making the same mistakes. It might be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.

Luckily SWTOR doenst run off Origin (thank you jesus) But I agree, this patch needs to blow everyone out of the water or the game is in big trouble.

And ill be damned if im going back to World of Pandacraft.

Omphin

Vicxas wrote: »

Luckily SWTOR doenst run off Origin (thank you jesus) But I agree, this patch needs to blow everyone out of the water or the game is in big trouble.

And ill be damned if im going back to World of Pandacraft.

Amen brother

jeawan

Vicxas wrote: »

Luckily SWTOR doenst run off Origin (thank you jesus) But I agree, this patch needs to blow everyone out of the water or the game is in big trouble.

And ill be damned if im going back to World of Pandacraft.

I have faith this patch will be a good one i have not played in 3 weeks due to being busy but logged on last night i still enjoy the game .

Regarding pandacraft aye i have the same feeling about it never going back there again .

Kiith

I bet you'll all be playing Warcraft when the expansion comes out, if only for a while :P

Vicxas

Kiith wrote: »

I bet you'll all be playing Warcraft when the expansion comes out, if only for a while :P

Not a hope :P

Nody

Sorry for taking this on a slightly altered path here but has any game successfully pulled of a miracle patch and recovered? I know WHO tried it, as did the new FF game and several others but can anyone recall a successful one?

Vicxas

It all depends on if people just put it down until the patch came out or quit altogether

Calhoun

Kiith wrote: »

I bet you'll all be playing Warcraft when the expansion comes out, if only for a while :P

I still have a toe in both :P

jeawan

Kiith wrote: »

I bet you'll all be playing Warcraft when the expansion comes out, if only for a while :P

I won't be i have not looked at anything about the new expac but i will not be playing it the game is uninstalled and will not be installed ever again

Kiith

jeawan wrote: »

I won't be i have not looked at anything about the new expac but i will not be playing it the game is uninstalled and will not be installed ever again

The lady doth protest too much, methinks :pac:

Akarinn

I won't be i have not looked at anything about the new expac but i will not be playing it the game is uninstalled and will not be installed ever again

^^

Vicxas

Got sick of no-one on my server yesterday, so i logged off. Struggling to think why i should go back. Ill try it post patch and see if the numbers have improved

Gonzo

it's a shame the servers are almost empty, the game deserves better numbers than this as it is a very good game and a great alternative to wow.

Vicxas

Gonzo wrote: »

it's a shame the servers are almost empty, the game deserves better numbers than this as it is a very good game and a great alternative to wow.

Agreed, I think in their fight to eliminate grind they pushed the levelling up process to fast and that means alot of people arent on planets for too long

Eoin247

Basilisk droid is a wasteland. It's impossible to get groups for flashpoints while leveling. And I mean impossible, Haven't done a flashpoint in about a month!

Nody

Nody wrote: »

Sorry for taking this on a slightly altered path here but has any game successfully pulled of a miracle patch and recovered? I know WHO tried it, as did the new FF game and several others but can anyone recall a successful one?

None that come to mind. This raises a further problem also - heaps of 'wonder patches' made little impact on previous game decline making each subsequent launch failure more difficult to turn a
round.

Of the various groups I knew who got the game at launch - all have permaquit, would need to be a hell of a patch.

MMO saturation level 99.