SWTOR

[Mosesandstick]

If this game really is Robot Moses, that'd be awesome.

[Draegan]

This thread has been nothing but doomsaying for pages now. And as far as I can see it's based on pretty much nothing at all. It's not like you're trying to offset the fanboys. They're noticeably absent.

It's funny watching people all trying to top each other with irrationally negative comments about a game none of you have played yet though.

No its everyone trying to predict the downfall of the game and why so they can come back later and say "look I was right". 

It's awesome going back and reading the old WOW threads for the direct opposite of that.

[Lantyssa]

"Get your hand off me, you damn, dirty, meatbag!"

[Shrike]

This thread has been nothing but doomsaying for pages now. And as far as I can see it's based on pretty much nothing at all. It's not like you're trying to offset the fanboys. They're noticeably absent.

It's funny watching people all trying to top each other with irrationally negative comments about a game none of you have played yet though.

Lot of that going around. My main issue with this game is--from what we've seen so far-- that it looks like shit. Dunno about gameplay. The (little) bit of dialog I've seen looks/sounds pretty damned good, but the visuals would gag a virtual maggot. I suppose (hah!) the visuals might grow on you similar to DA:O, but what I"m seeing so far isn't exactly filling me with enthusiasm.

[sam, an eggplant]

I was right about WAR and AoC, just sayin.

You and HRose should start a blog together.

[Sky]

It's not like you're trying to offset the fanboys. They're noticeably absent.

We're here. Just not much to say until we see how it plays out, and the thread is more humorous as a circle jerk of negativity and doom.

I game about ten hours a week. I have never 'finished' an mmo, at least since UO. Even in my 'main' mmo, EQ2, my main character is lvl 70 and there's a ton of content I haven't touched. I'm definitely cautious about my optimism, but they're saying good PR things for my playstyle, for the most part.

Fuck the people who burn through content, you'll never please them. You'll never please most of those naysaying in this thread, either. F13's regular MO: most will buy the box, bitch about how it sucks, and go back to WoW a month or two later.

[Malakili]

. F13's regular MO: most will buy the box, bitch about how it sucks, and go back to WoW a month or two later.

Thats pretty much the MO of all MMOG players.

[Ingmar]

At this point I think we're really in self-parody territory here.

[HaemishM]

Then we are a great reflection of the MMOG medium as a whole.

[Paelos]

I don't care about all the doom and gloom because I will buy the game most likely, barring a complete boycott by my 10 year MMO guild (unlikely). However, I feel they are really missing the boat with the release date. The time to stab at WoW and get plenty of subs would be in August/September when all the shiny has worn off of the Lich King, and the next expansion is 3/4 months away (I'm assuming a November/December Cataclysm release given previous expansions).

Instead, you're going to release the game after all the WoW players are full swing into the expansion content, possible during the second tier of raiding content being released in Cataclysm if the model of content release timing holds true.

[Sky]

Yeah, I know my schedule will be locked up tight with tier 2 raiding.

[Shatter]

Im pretty sure that with WOW having been out for over 6 years by the time this comes out that there are plenty of people ready to try something else. 

[Malakili]

Im pretty sure that with WOW having been out for over 6 years by the time this comes out that there are plenty of people ready to try something else. 

Of course there are, just like there were plenty of people to try AoC and WAR.  Boxes  sold != long term customers.  I fully expect this game to sell loads and loads of boxes.  How many people stick around, well, thats a different story.

[Paelos]

Im pretty sure that with WOW having been out for over 6 years by the time this comes out that there are plenty of people ready to try something else.  

Maybe, but we've been saying that since WAR was on the horizon. WAR also tried to release 2 months before the Lich King expansion was supposed to hit, giving people adequate time to try the game out. At that point in time, having played WoW fully to the nines, I was ready for something else. I was fully prepared to give WAR a try at release because I was bored as fuck, and if I had loved it I would have never touched WoW again. The problem was that it sucked and I hated the RvR they had no chance at actually working out.

The main point was that I was willing to give it a go at that time. I didn't wait for reviews, see what the testers said, or sit back and get friends opinions. I jumped in feet first, bought a box, and went for it. Would I have done that in April 2009? Fuck no, I was knee deep in the Ulduar release. I would have waited or not even bothered at all because the current game I was in hadn't stalled for content. April release just seems like enough time to get some bad reviews out there and have people not even try due to having current functional content to appease them.

[eldaec]

Im pretty sure that with WOW having been out for over 6 years by the time this comes out that there are plenty of people ready to try something else. 

You guys crack me up.

[kildorn]

Trying to rush a pre Cata launch date will wind up with less time for testing, and all Blizzard needs to do to completely fuck you is open a lot more of the Cata beta 2 weeks before your launch.

At this point you're going to be stuck launching against Blizzard in some way. I'd more suggest taking your time to make sure your game is polished and not try to rush a release date.

[Ingmar]

Trying to rush a pre Cata launch date will wind up with less time for testing, and all Blizzard needs to do to completely fuck you is open a lot more of the Cata beta 2 weeks before your launch.

At this point you're going to be stuck launching against Blizzard in some way. I'd more suggest taking your time to make sure your game is polished and not try to rush a release date.

Yeah the beta thing gives Blizzard a lot of leeway to fuck with people, and they've shown no shyness about doing that to pretty much every other game that's launched anywhere near one of their expansions.

[sam, an eggplant]

Trying to rush a pre Cata launch date will wind up with less time for testing

SWTOR isn't trying to beat cataclysm. It's a spring 2011 game at best, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up november 2011.

[Sjofn]

I don't care about all the doom and gloom because I will buy the game most likely, barring a complete boycott by my 10 year MMO guild (unlikely). However, I feel they are really missing the boat with the release date. The time to stab at WoW and get plenty of subs would be in August/September when all the shiny has worn off of the Lich King, and the next expansion is 3/4 months away (I'm assuming a November/December Cataclysm release given previous expansions).

Instead, you're going to release the game after all the WoW players are full swing into the expansion content, possible during the second tier of raiding content being released in Cataclysm if the model of content release timing holds true.

If they're not done, releasing it during the pre-expansion blah will not help their cause much, because people will go "ugh, this is terrible" and flee back to WoW once the 4.0 patch hits. Yes, timing is important, but so is having a product that isn't half finished assery.

[Lakov_Sanite]

SWTOR isn't trying to beat cataclysm.

If you think for even a second that the executives aren't being promised a wow killer you are delusional.

[Sjofn]

I think he means time-frame wise.

[caladein]

He means beat to release, but I'm sure they're saying that it'll be a WoW killer too.

[Margalis]

I don't think the timing for an MMO release really matters at all. MMOs are all about word of mouth and building and retaining a player base through positive intentions. I can't think of a single example of a game that was helped by rushing to meet a release date.

[Ingmar]

Rushing, no, that will always be bad because of the quality consequences - it might be possible to help yourself out a bit by *waiting* for a good window though.

[UnSub]

It's funny watching people all trying to top each other with irrationally negative comments about a game none of you have played yet though.

Historically this has proven to be a winning strategy.

[Paelos]

Rushing, no, that will always be bad because of the quality consequences - it might be possible to help yourself out a bit by *waiting* for a good window though.

That's pretty much what I meant. The opportunity to steal people away from WoW with little or no thought is right now when people are at the end of a cycle. Will such another window open up? Sure it will, but I think that releasing it in April would give Blizzard too much flexibility to prepare their super content patch just to fuck with you. Right now, they have nothing left to do.

I'm moreso lamenting the missed opportunity than saying they should bump it up. If anthing they should release it later in like September. Most people I know start taking breaks from their gameplaying on WoW in May and don't really start up again until the Fall. Real life tends to get in the way a lot during the summer months.

[LK]

Well FFXIV got it right then.

[Outlawedprod]

I don't think the timing for an MMO release really matters at all. MMOs are all about word of mouth and building and retaining a player base through positive intentions. I can't think of a single example of a game that was helped by rushing to meet a release date.

I think timing matters. Mind you rushing is never good for obvious reasons.  But if WoW is going to release an Xpac right after you launch it's probably a bad idea for you to launch a fantasy game so close before they do.   It certainly didn't help Warhammer that a lot of guilds were only around until Wotlk was on sale.  I recall several joke guilds with names like Two Months Tops and such.  And a lot of people bailed immediately once Wotlk launched.  That definitely poisons a server's community.

I think Blizz has less leeway this time.  Activision wants that dolla bill yo and we have to examine the issue that the early leveling process is definitely gimp compared to new titles so they need to get that rectified ASAP.  I don't see any way WoW can launch Cataclysm after SWTOR or close to it.  They need this revamp (oh excuse me expansion) now.  FF14 getting launched in September will probably benefit from the transients that are bored with WoW and those who are ready to bail on Aion.

[Rendakor]

I don't think the timing for an MMO release really matters at all. MMOs are all about word of mouth and building and retaining a player base through positive intentions. I can't think of a single example of a game that was helped by rushing to meet a release date.

I think timing matters. Mind you rushing is never good for obvious reasons.  But if WoW is going to release an Xpac right after you launch it's probably a bad idea for you to launch a fantasy game so close before they do.   It certainly didn't help Warhammer that a lot of guilds were only around until Wotlk was on sale.  I recall several joke guilds with names like Two Months Tops and such.  And a lot of people bailed immediately once Wotlk launched.  That definitely poisons a server's community.

I think Blizz has less leeway this time.  Activision wants that dolla bill yo and we have to examine the issue that the early leveling process is definitely gimp compared to new titles so they need to get that rectified ASAP.  I don't see any way WoW can launch Cataclysm after SWTOR or close to it.  They need this revamp (oh excuse me expansion) now.  FF14 getting launched in September will probably benefit from the transients that are bored with WoW and those who are ready to bail on Aion.

That's the biggest reason why I'm willing to give FFXIV a shot; I'll have at least a free month to dick around while I wait for Cata to launch. On the other hand, what's to stop Blizzard from releasing the first major content patch of Cataclysm (4.1) the same day as SWTOR? That's the sort of launch they can easily move a week or two to compete with Bioware.

[AutomaticZen]

Supposedly from the closed beta. Take with grain of salt.

EDIT: Images removed.  Totally forgot about the rules there. 

[Paelos]

Trooper Eric Cartman, reporting for duty. BEEEEEEFCAAAAAKE!!!

[Rendakor]

Um, isn't there an NDA?

[Sky]

Bounty hunter selected for class, something's fishy. But non-standard body types = cool.

[sam, an eggplant]

Um, isn't there an NDA?

Yes, I expect the image will be removed shortly. The ord mantell beta testers are breaking NDA left and right.

[Shatter]

Body type tough my ass, thats a fatty!