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Smed wrote:

I would like nothing more than to be reading stories about how amazing the NGE is and how we've turned the game around. I expect to read those stories someday.

Smed

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OK, Smed, here goes

The NGE is what I had hoped to see in SWG from before it even launched.  My buddies and I lost a lot of work hours going through all the concept art, forums, etc. when SWG was first announced.   And when it got pushed back from launching in September of 2002 to the summer of 2003, we were all heartbroken.  When we finally did get the game the first thing I noticed was that the visuals were AMAZING.  In fact, I can't play another MMO because they look so cheap in comparison.

However, from the getgo, I could see that balance was a serious problem.  In the early days it was the CHs and the Imps with 3 ATSTs each.   After that got nerfed, it was the nigh-invulnerable melee stackers.  Then it was doctor buff that could triple your health and action (and subsets), and 80%+ reists on Composite Armor, making mind-targeting stun weapons the only options  And because we could juice up like that, the new MOBs and dungeons were ridiculously scaled up.  And then there was the CM/Rifleman problem.  And then the Jedi... I never wanted to be a templae-of-the-month player... so I didn't PvP.

Plus, anyone who wanted to do anything relating to the GCW was opening themselves up to be ganked while their TEF was up.  People who wanted to do faction-based RP either had to expect it to be ruined by gankers or would have to exploit the cloning system to wear ST armor while covert.  So we took our RP and faction-based fun underground.

And then there was the grinding.  Progression came by killing the same MOBs again and again for hours and weeks.  It was more of a job than a game.  I didn't want to be the guild's weak link, but I also didn't want to leave work just to go back to work.  Where was the RPG in this MMORPG?  There were moments of good quest-based stories (like the themeparks), but mostly, things were just grind, grind, grind.

When JTL came out I was very impressed.  Here was a system that took real skills without being twitchy.  It was visually stunning, challenging, and customizable.  And it actually made grinding fun, as it was part of a larger story.  I often wondered why the ground couldn't be like that.

With the NGE, the majority of what irked me ingame was fixed.  And it feels like JTL on the ground to me.  Though professions still need work, there's more balance than there's ever been before.  Making Jedi a starting profession incorporated them without ruining balance or requiring a hellish grind.  Advancement is through quest-based stories and objectives rather than grinding.  Combat is engaging without being twitchy (those of you who think it's twitchy need to spend more time in a real FPS.  The hitboxes here are so large that calling NGE twitchy is silly).  Plus, the combatant/SF/on-leave system for the GCW allow folks to participate in the GCW in their own terms.  This is exactly what I wanted out of SWG.

I only have two complaints:

1. It's unfinished.  The stories/quests are not designed for mid-level folks.  But you've said you're working on that.  And I believe it.
2. There's no way to start a new profession without rerolling or using an old ADK.  The option to start from scratch while keeping the character would be very welcome.  Like it is in Pilot

I know that the professions (especially entertainer and trader) still need some work.  But for a start, I'm loving this new system.

Oh, and thanks for the blunt honesty, Smed.  We need more of that.  This has been a refreshing forum day

Message Edited by Obed on 03-24-200602:57 PM

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ChrisCao wrote:

Howdy all,

Just a heads up that we're here and reading to catch-up on the conversation in progress. 

KO

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See u in a couple of hours

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Virzo wrote:
I think we have really gotten their attention today.

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Kylrathin wrote:

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Smed wrote:

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Ausoshi wrote:

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Smed wrote:


Let me address your point head on. - SWG never attracted the size audience that the Star Wars license delivered in the first place. One of those reasons was combat wasn't exciting enough. We have done enough research on the people who quit or people that didn't purchase the game to know this is a hard, brutal cold fact. Could we have gone a different direction with the combat? Yes. Could we in the future change this direction? Yes. Do I think we will? No. Why? Because I don't believe that this will be an issue if we solve the other half of the equation - making the professions feel different... and making the content really exciting. If we asked you all to rank Combat vs. the loss of professions, I'm betting the loss of professions will "win" every time... I don't think the new combat style is the main thing that people are bothered by. It's the broad strokes changes to the rest of the game. What we've done is to get the game to a much more basic level that we can build on. I submit to you that if we achieve our other goals, this style of combat won't be an issue. The fact is the data we have suggest that for the people that DO sign up for the game they like the combat. For the people that don't, combat isn't the main issue we're losing them.

Smed

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Just a small point here. Games like WoW, are advertised everywhere, I see it in the newspapers, in magazines, on the net. When I first started playing SWG, it wasn't from an ad, it was from another game. Not even an MMO game. That leaves me to believe that you were asking your community to be your advertisers for free instead of actually getting out there and letting the world know you existed. If you had placed some of that extra funding into advertising SWG instead of constantly changing it, you might have had a larger player base, instead of what you have now...which is a lack of trust from your community, and even from the potential new players. You've created a galaxy that is filled with bitter people, and guess who your new players meet and talk to when they first log in? By failing your community, your failing your game, no matter how great it becomes. If we're going to save SWG, you really need to start by at least compromising with your customers. If you just worry about making the game the way YOU want it, then only the ones like YOU will play it. There really does need to be something for everyone. YOU may not want to be Uncle Owen, but maybe someone else does.

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Ok this isn't one of the areas we've fallen down in. We've even had TV commercials, something that most MMO's (including WoW btw) haven't ever done. In fact we were the first until DDO did it on Sci-Fi Friday a few weeks back for the BSG finale.

Smed

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I believe Ausoshi's point was the OLD game wasn't advertised well enough.  You have certainly advertised this game since the NGE.  But if the previous game (pre-CU) had been advertised more, you likely would have seen the subscriber numbers boost significantly.  All water under the bridge now.  Or is it over?  I can never remember.

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Helios_SOE wrote:

Going through the thread now to catch up with you guys.

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Smed wrote:

I should only answer the "this game is great.. keep up the good work posts"

Smed

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TOLMOCK BALOPY IS WATCHING.

Me = Sodapop

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Altyrell wrote:

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CeigeMaraj wrote:

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Smed wrote:

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Altyrell wrote:

Thank you to those who has reply saying that the whole thing with the "Secret Project" was from Swede... hopefully Smed will comment on the fact that Light has SHINED on the "Secret Project" subject...

(oh & Pres. Smed.... what about 2 - 6... any comments???)

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please link to this post you're talking about and I'll try and find out what it refers to.

Smed

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Swede bowed out of spearheading some issues, and speculations snowballed from there...

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=ngepilot&message.id=50139&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

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well, here is a Link to what Swede said... any response {Please don't fire Swede...}

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There is no secret project.  We are doing a really new cool event which we will be showing off at E3.

Grant "Rogue_5" McDaniel
SOE Producer, Star Wars Galaxies

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Ledford wrote:

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Smed wrote:

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Altyrell wrote:

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CeigeMaraj wrote:

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Smed wrote:

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Altyrell wrote:

Thank you to those who has reply saying that the whole thing with the "Secret Project" was from Swede... hopefully Smed will comment on the fact that Light has SHINED on the "Secret Project" subject...

(oh & Pres. Smed.... what about 2 - 6... any comments???)

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please link to this post you're talking about and I'll try and find out what it refers to.

Smed

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Swede bowed out of spearheading some issues, and speculations snowballed from there...

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=ngepilot&message.id=50139&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

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well, here is a Link to what Swede said... any response {Please don't fire Swede...}

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lol... just called and got the details. He's working 100% on SWG..just not on what he was working on. I'm not going to get into the habit of having everyone identify exactly what they are doing at any given time.

No "Secret Project".

We have two projects in Austin. SWG and DC Comics. They are totally different teams using completely different technology. That's all we're doing there. Nothing "Secret".

Smed

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Dont lie smedly.

I have your Secret Project right here.

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I prefer this one

http://coporatethief.ytmnd.com/

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Helios_SOE wrote:

Going through the thread now to catch up with you guys.

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ChrisCao wrote:

Howdy all,

Just a heads up that we're here and reading to catch-up on the conversation in progress. 

KO

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Smed wrote:
serious question - why do people do this with the large font things? I don't know about you guys but it just annoys the crap out of me. It doesn't make me read it (he says in response to a big font post)

Smed

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