SWTOR

[PalmTrees]

The walk-through was decent. Didn't like those 24 hotkeys, that's too many for my tastes. I'll never use those hotkeys that I have to alt+# to access.

And though its too late to do anything about it, standing there hitting something over and over... if it was anything but a lightsaber. (It's thousands of years ago and lightsabers were worse, there now I feel better.)

[Sky]

I'll never use those hotkeys that I have to alt+# to access.

Good for a lot of things, buffs, ports, rarely used abilities. I had five hotbars in Rift and used em all. More in EQ2.

[caladein]

As for free server transfers in Rift, it's not completely unfettered, right? Like you and your friends can agree to all transfer to Backwater Server A, but can't go to Super Populated Server B? Or did I dream that?

No, that's about how it works.  In North America you can transfer TO over half the servers.

[Amaron]

No, that's about how it works.  In North America you can transfer TO over half the servers.

Has that caused any servers to effectively empty out?

[Morfiend]

I watched the video for Huttball or whatever it was called. Really the more I see of this game the less enthusiastic I become. The combat and animations really look very 2007.

[caladein]

No, that's about how it works.  In North America you can transfer TO over half the servers.

Has that caused any servers to effectively empty out?

That's my understanding.  Well, unrestricted-source server transfers and Trion cannibalizing a handful of servers (like Bat Country's original one!) for use by trial accounts.

[koro]

I watched the video for Huttball or whatever it was called. Really the more I see of this game the less enthusiastic I become. The combat and animations really look very 2007.

And what, pray tell, would 2011 animations in an MMO look like?

[eldaec]

Didn't like those 24 hotkeys

I tend to agree. This was meant to be level 50. THIS IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH BUTTONS.

[eldaec]

Also, am I imagining it or have they dramatically throttled back on information release?

If so, looking less like 2011....

[koro]

Also, am I imagining it or have they dramatically throttled back on information release?

If so, looking less like 2011....

There's supposed to be a lot of new stuff revealed at PAX this weekend, and there's supposed to be some big thing in September.

[Merusk]

Yeah, seems like they're doing a lot more large info dumps instead of the small trickle they'd been doing. 

[Modern Angel]

And what, pray tell, would 2011 animations in an MMO look like?

Why is this the default answer? I don't fucking know what 2011 animations in an MMO look like. I know that they DON'T look like.

People keep saying, "Dudes, this isn't looking so hot. Why does it look like time stopped moving four years ago?" and everyone jumps in like time was *supposed* to stop four years ago.

[Reg]

Graphics are a matter of taste.  To me, they look fine.  I'm certainly not going to try to argue with  you about them though. If you hate them you hate them.

[Sjofn]

And where are the flying cars, for God's sake? This is 2011, goddammit!

[Modern Angel]

I don't think the art style is awful or anything. I just find the amount of extra slack given this game just because "Star Wars" is on it a little weird. Any time criticism is brought up the pat answer is, "well you can't expect them to actually INNOVATE, can you?"

I'll put down good money this game lasts less time than Rift has in the main boards.

[Paelos]

I'd take that bet. The main thing Rift never had going for it was story or a reason for me to care. If Bioware can pull off a solid story experience across a bunch of different classes and maintain a half-decent endgame with pvp and pve, it will be fine.

The only thing they need to succeed after that is to remember that absolutely must release content every quarter to keep pace.

[Kirth]

I don't think the art style is awful or anything. I just find the amount of extra slack given this game just because "Star Wars" is on it a little weird. Any time criticism is brought up the pat answer is, "well you can't expect them to actually INNOVATE, can you?"

I'll put down good money this game lasts less time than Rift has in the main boards.

Like I've mentioned, I think the client needs like a lighting and shader pass or something. as for how long this game will stay out of the GY...how long has wow board been there?

[Reg]

The story focus and full voice overs are the areas of innovation this game offers. I've known that from the beginning. And I don't seriously expect them to do it anywhere else given how inherently risky innovation is and how much money the company has invested.

If it's as polished as WoW was at release and has story as good as Kotor I'll count myself satisfied.  It'll be worth the 50 terabyte download.

[Ingmar]

I don't think the art style is awful or anything. I just find the amount of extra slack given this game just because "Star Wars" is on it a little weird. Any time criticism is brought up the pat answer is, "well you can't expect them to actually INNOVATE, can you?"

I'll put down good money this game lasts less time than Rift has in the main boards.

I'm giving it extra slack because of the Bioware, not because of the Star Wars. 

[Samprimary]

Like I've mentioned, I think the client needs like a lighting and shader pass or something. as for how long this game will stay out of the GY...how long has wow board been there?

I really wish I could see what the game looks like optimized (when the beta debuggers are turned off, etc). It's probably a massive improvement, there's just no way to know for sure because many games in this phase have the developers boasting that final optimization is going to make the game look awesome when the beta ends, and then it gets released looking pretty much the same.

[apocrypha]

It'll be worth the 50 terabyte download.

I've read it's so huge that they had to invent a new unit for it. The TORabyte.



I'll get my coat.

[Sjofn]

I'll get my coat too, because I totally laughed. 

[Ginaz]

I'll put down good money this game lasts less time than Rift has in the main boards.

Being "in the know", I'll take that bet.

[Mosesandstick]

I'm with MA on how he feels about the game, but I still think it'll last longer. Once you've plonked 150 bucks on a game you've got a pretty strong incentive to wring out the content.

[Sky]

The TORabyte.

Great Scott...1.21 TORabytes!

Maybe in 1985 they have TORabyte drives at the local convenience store, but in 2011 they're a bit hard to come by!

[Modern Angel]

I'm with MA on how he feels about the game, but I still think it'll last longer. Once you've plonked 150 bucks on a game you've got a pretty strong incentive to wring out the content.

Also means that the disappointment is going to bite that much more deeply.

[Surlyboi]

You'll only be disappointed if you have no goddamn soul.

[Lakov_Sanite]

I'm liking to voice acting a lot, as well as the story focus IN THE EARLY GAME but we already had that with age of conan.  I haven't seen any indication that it lasts for a substantial amount of time and that I won't be grinding foozles for %75 of my time

[Reg]

Do you have any actual evidence that the story based stuff ends later in the game the way it did in Conan?  I've been keeping track of various beta leak sources and I think if such were the case I'd have heard about it by now.

Bah, I should really have learned to not bother responding to trolls by now but oh well.  I think I'll go join in on the thread about the latest LOTRO expansion. I hear it's just awful. 

[Nebu]

I'll put down good money this game lasts less time than Rift has in the main boards.

Being "in the know", I'll take that bet.

I'll take that bet as well.  Rift is bleeding people pretty badly.  When SWTOR and GW2 release, Rift will be lucky to hold on to 200k subs.  The lack of solid PvP, 5 man content, and incredibly buggy T2 raiding instances are really going to hurt Rift in the coming months. 

[Lakov_Sanite]

it's not a troll and no i am not looking at leaked info.  im not even sure just how far they are even letting beta testers level. what i do know is EVERY game promises story driven content an what's i've hear in developer chats is a lt of doublespeak an hedging on just how much story there is in late level gameplay right now it sounds like you'll have one awesome quest that lasts you maybe a quarter of you level in playtime, then back to grinding.

I would LOVE to be wrong

[Nebu]

I find it interesting that game developers still sell their games using the "story_driven_content" mantra.  While that's fine and good for single player games, I don't think it's really what most MMO gamers want.  They want character advancement, e-sports, and a steady stream of ding gratz.  I'm wondering if the new, instant-gratification generation will rapidly tire of listening to dialogue and watching cutscenes.  Most MMO gamers don't even bother reading the quest text.  What makes developers think that they'll be patient enough to listen to dialogue?

[Reg]

Maybe because they're making the game for Bioware fans who have shown that they like cut scenes and dialogue?

[Nebu]

Maybe because they're making the game for Bioware fans who have shown that they like cut scenes and dialogue?

If they were doing that, they could accomplish the same goals by making KOTOR 3 for significantly less money.

I argue that they're after burned out WoW gamers.  Most of which could give two-shits about story and voice acting. 

[Paelos]

I find it interesting that game developers still sell their games using the "story_driven_content" mantra.  While that's fine and good for single player games, I don't think it's really what most MMO gamers want.  They want character advancement, e-sports, and a steady stream of ding gratz.  I'm wondering if the new, instant-gratification generation will rapidly tire of listening to dialogue and watching cutscenes.  Most MMO gamers don't even bother reading the quest text.  What makes developers think that they'll be patient enough to listen to dialogue?

Me for one. The fact that it's based on story and not driven by doing the same shit on different continents for new characters actually excites me about making alts. And I never make alts.