The sky has not fallen (yet)

[WayAbvPar]

I didn't like what it did to my lovely blue complexion, so I toned it down. Also helped that I was trying to bang Ensign Temple by then and she loved all my LS choices.

[cironian]

Random data point: I hit the unsubscribe button just now, because the server is just deserted during my core play time.

Yeah, it's my own damn fault for playing on a us server from europe, but it's not like it was a problem in the beginning. Now I have to wait forever to join any pvp and calls for FPs are also pretty damn rare.

I still have the full free month queued up in my account, so I'll keep logging in during that. But an MMO without any people to group with isn't worth putting any more money into. Too bad, because I really enjoyed the pvp when it happened, but if I wanted to sit around for hours waiting for fun stuff to happen, I'd play Eve.

(plus Diablo, but that was just the final push)

[Ingmar]

I can definitely see some effects of D3 in that since it released my GTN sales volume has dropped off a cliff. Obviously too soon to say if it will have any lasting effect on population long-term.

[Fordel]

Fleet pop has been ass as well.

[Trippy]

I read that as "poop"

[Fordel]

I'm sure that's ass also.

[Surlyboi]

Poop ass.

[Fordel]

Conversely, there are currently 22 people on Republic Taris. Normally there are maybe 2-4.


Maybe all the non-diablo folks have the same idea and are leveling their alts. 

[Minvaren]

I've noticed that Coruscant, DK, Taris (Lazy Reps) and Balmorra (Filthy Imps) generally always have notable populations.

Could definitely be an alt craze sort of thing...

[Falconeer]

When you realize the level 50 Warzones never start cause there's not enough level 50 willing to wait in a queue for hours, then you make an alt and enjoy 10-49 PvP. As a result, even less level 50 Warzones start. So depressing.

[Jherad]

Cross server warzones cannot come soon enough.

Warzones are pretty much all I do now - queues have become terrible even in primetime, and on my server, the Republic has gone from largely dominating lvl 50 warzones, to getting absolutely crushed as most of the better PvPers (and most of the healers) on this side have upped sticks and left. All in the last week or two.

I had no intention of leaving in the short term, but there may be nothing left for me soon.

[Koyasha]

For me, what's unfortunate is that they keep trying to improve the 'endgame' when there isn't one, as far as I'm concerned.  I finished my class story.  Great, I'm done with that character.  Switching to another one.  As far as I know, they have yet to add any actual new class story content, which is only one of two pieces of content that would keep me interested for more than a day (the other being if they finally put the same-sex romances in, cause several of the female romance interests are really neat but I'm not going to listen to my character having boring male voice for 50 levels to experience them).  And if to experience any of this new 'story' content I have to group?  No thanks.  So if any of these raids or flashpoints they've been adding have new story, I'm never going to see it.  I tried out the grouping system and the 'roll for dialogue'.  Gave it a real solid chance.  Hate it.  I can't stand having my character's decisions ignored - not overruled by an argument, just utterly ignored as she stands there without comment.  So I'm not grouping anymore.  At all.

So, pretty much the same problem I expected from the beginning - not adding story at a solid pace.  Good chance I'm cancelling soon, as soon as I finish up the remaining storylines I'm interested in - which I'll be rushing through, because I'm tired of planet quests.

[Fabricated]

My goon guild can field like two 8 mans now...the 8-man I'm in is #3 and on its last legs due to no-shows which I'm guilty of as of Tuesday since I actually got home real late and passed out without sending any messages. Whoops.

Denova is just a shitty, boring raid.

[Fordel]

When you realize the level 50 Warzones never start cause there's not enough level 50 willing to wait in a queue for hours, then you make an alt and enjoy 10-49 PvP. As a result, even less level 50 Warzones start. So depressing.

There's no gear grind in the 10-49 bracket and a few key abilities are missing which makes games more manageable.


Conversely a few key abilities still exist without any real counters which makes some matches really one sided, I'm looking at you Sage pull 

But yea, by 20 most specs are competitive and by 30 most specs have 95% of what they're about at 50 too.

[Falconeer]

I don't want to PvE, at all, I hate it in this game. I can't stomach one more second of it for the life of me. So I am leveling an alt through only PvP, just to participate in the 10-49 bracket, but it's very slow and in the meantime you get creamed badly. People even target you simply because you are low level. I do not play to win, but the fun of being a perennial lowbie with a limited set of skill that don't even complete a build wears off pretty quickly.

But yeah, that's all we have as of now (aside from Diablo 3  ). Funny to notice how they changed the daily from "win 3 matches" to "play 6 matches", considering that on some servers there's no way to win any of the very few matches that ever start. Goofiest bandaid ever.

[Sky]

For me, what's unfortunate is that they keep trying to improve the 'endgame' when there isn't one, as far as I'm concerned.  I finished my class story.  Great, I'm done with that character.  Switching to another one. 

Yeah, I don't really get it, either. The folks they are trying to please can't be, and will be the first to bail for TNBT. Their bread and butter are folks like us (and sjofn, but nobody can create content THAT fast). Chapter 4 should be coming at some point, and honestly even though my play time is down as I diversify a bit, I've got a ton of content left to go through.

[Riggswolfe]

I don't want to PvE, at all, I hate it in this game. I can't stomach one more second of it for the life of me. So I am leveling an alt through only PvP, just to participate in the 10-49 bracket, but it's very slow and in the meantime you get creamed badly. People even target you simply because you are low level. I do not play to win, but the fun of being a perennial lowbie with a limited set of skill that don't even complete a build wears off pretty quickly.

But yeah, that's all we have as of now (aside from Diablo 3   ). Funny to notice how they changed the daily from "win 3 matches" to "play 6 matches", considering that on some servers there's no way to win any of the very few matches that ever start. Goofiest bandaid ever.

May I humbly suggest you're in the wrong game? Not wanting to do PvE at all in TOR is sort of like playing ShadowBane (back when it existed) and not wanting anything to do with PvP. Just saying is all. Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy TOR's pvp when my side isn't getting facerolled because the other side has twice the number of Sages/Sorcerors than we do (seriously when one class determines who wins its time to take a good look at that class) but even I know it's an afterthought to the bread and butter of the game.

And yes, I noticed the daily change too but I think it's a good thing. I think it's a good change personally since frankly, if your side loses all the time people stopped queueing.

Edit: On rereading I realized my post may have come off a bit different than I meant it to. Falconeer can play however he wants I just am not sure playing TOR only for the PvP is worth it. That's all. :)

[Sky]

They put in raids and pvp so they could tick boxes on the 'fully featured mmo' list.

This game is about story and that's about it. Everything else is a diversion when you want a break.

[Falconeer]

Riggswolfe, I am totally in the wrong game. SWTOR is a filler while waiting for other things, that are sadly late. But as a filler its PvP action proved to be much more fun than I predicted and I was happy to stay in it for that. I know what you mean, something along the lines of "how can you be surprised they are not supporting the PvP aspect considering it's an afterthought in an otherwise story driven PvE game?", and I'd agree with you. I shouldn't be surprised. I am just pissed cause I found one thing worth salvaging in this pile of bland whatevereness, and they are letting it die (with my subscription, and a few others) in a sad sad way.

[Sjofn]

(and sjofn, but nobody can create content THAT fast)

Hey, I still have a couple of class quests to go (SW and BH have the bulk of theirs left, and I haven't quite finished the SI and smuggler).

Don't judge me.

[Surlyboi]

Poop. Ass.

[Evildrider]

Besides leveling and raiding maybe 1-2 times a week. 90% of my playtime is PvP.  I have 3 toons valor 70, 74, 83.

I really like the PvP in SWTOR, they just need to get the server transfers and junk going and add some more wz's and turn Ilum into a siege area.

[Fordel]

Ilum needs to be entirely reworked from the ground up. New Objectives, New Terrain, New Balancing, New off-hours activities.


I wouldn't even know where to start.

[Merusk]

Lum's posting on his Facebook that BW:A is currently going through "The Culling"  No official announcement yet, but he's hearing from folks he's personally in contact with.  Evidently it's not a small number of people.

[Fabricated]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=462269

Welp, let the bloodgates open.

Yeah, firing a bunch of people always helps a game that needs more content/polish to retain subs and pull more people in.

[MisterNoisy]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=462269

Welp, let the bloodgates open.

Yeah, firing a bunch of people always helps a game that needs more content/polish to retain subs and pull more people in.

This does seem a bit early for a game (particularly one of this size) to be hitting 'maintenance/subsistence' mode.

[Simond]

Counterpoint: EA probably expected better than "We managed to fiddle the subs numbers so we could just about hang onto 'one-tenth as successful as WoW' for the first quarter"

[LC]

How can this be? SWTOR was the best mmo ever made just a few months ago. I am completely shocked to hear this news.

[VainEldritch]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=462269

Welp, let the bloodgates open.

Yeah, firing a bunch of people always helps a game that needs more content/polish to retain subs and pull more people in.

 

That was eulogy I didn't expect for a few more years at least. Yet another blow to A³ MMO hopes. Now would be the time for Blizzard to stick the boot in with a killer expansion like...  ... 

Help us CCP, you're our only hope.   

[luckton]

So...is the sky falling now?   

[Nevermore]

I'm fairly sure even WoW has had their dev team reduced in the past.  The sky will have fallen when subs take a Conan/Warhammer dive. 

By the way, how many people have been laid off?  TOR had an enormous dev staff last I saw so I'm curious how bad the bloodletting is.

[Sky]

If the sky falling means they didn't hit their dreamy number that allowed them to keep an entire expensive dev team on the books, yeah. Chicken little wins! Good on ya.

[Montague]

Lum said he's hearing close to 200. No idea what percentage that is of BW Austin though.

[Lantyssa]

Did it finally include Paul Barnett?

[Kageru]

The SWTOR developers seemed pretty quiet. Which might have been them, having advertised they kept the whole development team into live, working on a massive additional content patch. The fact nothings been announced apart from deep cuts means that is less likely and their subscription decline will continue.