SWTOR

[Amaron]

Ah, since you said supehero i thought you were also including the system from that DC Universe Online thing or whatever it's called, which is basically LotRO-like with the appearance slots and items having their own looks.

Yea the DCUO system works well for a super hero game although the iconic epic costume pieces were poorly made in terms of fitting in with other pieces.    Frankly I think this SWTOR system is going to be more fun than an appearance tab for me.     Instead of pretending your favorite blaster is the blaster you're actually using this way it actually will be.  Of course that's just all in my head but sometimes that still matters.

[Sky]

If that's how it actually worked it would be great.

I have a feeling that's not how it works.

[Outlawedprod]

Saw a vid of the Q&A panel at comic con. I noticed they referred to the CE store DLC as a VIP in-game location that only CE people would have access to.  It was pretty amusing that 2 of the 4 devs said they liked playing the Agent.  Amusing that none of them said Jedi.  Superior Bounty Hunter and Empire gaming experience confirmed! =p

Sounds like they plan to do some heavy instancing on launch to alleviate zone problems.  I'm guessing the starter experiences are highly linear as they said they have the tech but don't plan to use it once populations normalize.  At least we won't have 200 people competing to kill the same 5 mob spawns.

[sam, an eggplant]

You guys talking about the possible lack of cosmetic-only options aren't thinking it through.

MMO players like to dress up their characters like little girls playing with dolls. Costumes and non-combat pets are highly valued by these budding fashionistas and being cosmetic-only are completely non-controversial to sell for real money.

Reducing the discussion down to its essentials, it reads as follows-- is EA going to leave money on the table?

[Amaron]

If that's how it actually worked it would be great.

I have a feeling that's not how it works.

What do you mean?  From what they've said the gear has slots and you put the things with the stats into the slots.   The gear itself has no stats.

[UnSub]

Just found out that Australia is on the not coming out at NA / EU launch list.

I'll think about getting a US copy, but I'm also happy to watch and laugh from the sidelines.

[Mosesandstick]

If you do want to play, there'll be no IP restrictions so you'll have no problems getting on.

[eldaec]

You guys talking about the possible lack of cosmetic-only options aren't thinking it through.

MMO players like to dress up their characters like little girls playing with dolls. Costumes and non-combat pets are highly valued by these budding fashionistas and being cosmetic-only are completely non-controversial to sell for real money.

Reducing the discussion down to its essentials, it reads as follows-- is EA going to leave money on the table?

EA is a company that insists on selling cheat mode gear, for money, at launch, on a single player rpg.

I'll be surprised if they aren't doing the same with swtor within a year - and this won't be limited to cosmetic. Best you can hope for is "equivalent" to items found in game.

[Amaron]

You guys are hilarious with the DLC stuff.   I'm not ruling it out but even Koprick doesn't seem to think he can get away with it on a major subscription MMO.

[kildorn]

If they're smart, they'll launch with a large pet system, and make premium DLC pets later. Because if there's one thing we learned over the years, it's that we'll pay shitloads of money for vanity pets.

[eldaec]

If I was EA, RMT companions would be my first move post launch.

You can justify it as a content expansion rather than RMT for game advantage, since it would include a few companion missions.

Then you move on to Warden's Keep style 'expansions' sold nominally as access to a 15 minute instance with a heavy undertone of 'LOOK AT THIS COOL ARMOUR THAT DROPS'.

[Ingmar]

If I was EA, RMT companions would be my first move post launch.

You can justify it as a content expansion rather than RMT for game advantage, since it would include a few companion missions.

Then you move on to Warden's Keep style 'expansions' sold nominally as access to a 15 minute instance with a heavy undertone of 'LOOK AT THIS COOL ARMOUR THAT DROPS'.

I think EQ2 called those "Adventure Packs".

[eldaec]

And I don't mean to single out EA here, Sony do exactly the same.

[Simond]

Their glorious pink manties. 


The RAEG is a little understandable, I take it to be bitterness that WoW still doesn't have this fucking awesome feature. I can only assume it's because the art department would cry if people elected NOT to wear some of their hideous creations.

IIRC, Blizzard all-but-admitted to this one of the previous times this came up. Mainly because it's true - most classes have at least one armour set that is head and shoulders above everything else (T2 paladin, T5 warlock, etc).

[Reg]

And I don't mean to single out EA here, Sony do exactly the same.

I can't imagine why EA would immediately jump to DLC of such a controversial kind right off that bat when they know perfectly well that they can sell lots of pets and cosmetic items for lots of money without potentially offending their playerbase.

[Evildrider]

I can't wait til they try to sell a new companion.   

[eldaec]

If you want to see why they would do this, compare the take up rate for Kasumi (companion + 1 mission + best submachine gun) with the takeup rate for the alternate appearance packs in mass effect.

[Merusk]

You guys are hilarious with the DLC stuff.   I'm not ruling it out but even Koprick doesn't seem to think he can get away with it on a major subscription MMO.

Kotick is, in all likelihood, being fought on the Blizzard side. Probably with arguments that the other games that do it are F2P, so they're different and trying it in their cash cow will drive players away in droves that make the Cataclysm dropoff look minor.

However, if any sub. game starts selling more than cosmetics and doesn't get huge backlash, ACTI-B will follow that lead. They'll have to, unless the shareholders vote and say, "no, it's really ok you didn't pursue that revenue stream, guys."

[Reg]

What with the complete lack of evidence (other than the usual EA fear and loathing) I think I'll just write off all his DLC speculation as the usual SWTOR panty twisting. EA has a huge opportunity here. I just don't see them taking unnecessary risks.

Now, I can see them charging 20 bucks a month for the subscription though.  If they weren't planning something like that I think they would have already told us it was going to be the standard 15 a month.

[Sky]

What do you mean?  From what they've said the gear has slots and you put the things with the stats into the slots.   The gear itself has no stats.

Ok, let's say the cool blaster that you love the look of only has 3 slots. Then you get the blaster that everyone and their wookiee is using...because it has 5 slots. (edit to add) There's also the angle of starting a new set of armor once you've gained a set. x slots times y pieces of armor before you'd even be able to wear it? I wonder how that works, especially at high levels.

On power-differential gear: they've already confirmed the CE shop has more than cosmetic gear, but that it's not more powerful than gear you can acquire through normal gameplay (I wonder how much of the comic con Q&A was making PR pull their hair).

[Malakili]

What with the complete lack of evidence (other than the usual EA fear and loathing) I think I'll just write off all his DLC speculation as the usual SWTOR panty twisting. EA has a huge opportunity here. I just don't see them taking unnecessary risks.

Now, I can see them charging 20 bucks a month for the subscription though.  If they weren't planning something like that I think they would have already told us it was going to be the standard 15 a month.

I dunno, I wouldn't be surprised if its still the standard 15.  I don't think they want the game to live or die on the game itself, not on something like a pricing structure people might not accept.  If its 20 bucks a month, it would have to be absolutely groundbreaking for me to consider playing it past the free month.

[Cyrrex]

If the game actually plays out as KOTORs part 3 through whatever, I could see myself paying 20 bucks a month.  It'd still be a bad move on their part, because I'm probably an outlier.

[Malakili]

If the game actually plays out as KOTORs part 3 through whatever, I could see myself paying 20 bucks a month.  It'd still be a bad move on their part, because I'm probably an outlier.

I won't say flat out that I wouldn't, but like I said, it would have to be really something special.  Its not that 20 bucks a month would break the bank, but its whether I'd like to put that much towards just this game, especially with things like steam sales meaning that you can get a lot of bang for your (20) buck(s).

[Abelian75]

What with the complete lack of evidence (other than the usual EA fear and loathing) I think I'll just write off all his DLC speculation as the usual SWTOR panty twisting. EA has a huge opportunity here. I just don't see them taking unnecessary risks.

Now, I can see them charging 20 bucks a month for the subscription though.  If they weren't planning something like that I think they would have already told us it was going to be the standard 15 a month.

I think pretty much every game has refused to say what they are charging until very shortly before release.  I assume this is just one of those obnoxious things the business/marketing side of things insists on.  Granted, this doesn't mean it won't be 20 dollars, as presumably the flexibility to raise the price is exactly why companies don't want to commit to the standard price before they have to.

[Lakov_Sanite]

On power-differential gear: they've already confirmed the CE shop has more than cosmetic gear, but that it's not more powerful than gear you can acquire through normal gameplay (I wonder how much of the comic con Q&A was making PR pull their hair).

Normal gameplay = You can try raiding with a guild for a 1 in 5 shot at that blaster when and if it drops OR you can pay us $10

[Hoax]

What with the complete lack of evidence (other than the usual EA fear and loathing) I think I'll just write off all his DLC speculation as the usual SWTOR panty twisting. EA has a huge opportunity here. I just don't see them taking unnecessary risks.

 

If you want to see why they would do this, compare the take up rate for Kasumi (companion + 1 mission + best submachine gun) with the takeup rate for the alternate appearance packs in mass effect.

What were the numbers?

[Sky]

On power-differential gear: they've already confirmed the CE shop has more than cosmetic gear, but that it's not more powerful than gear you can acquire through normal gameplay (I wonder how much of the comic con Q&A was making PR pull their hair).

Normal gameplay = You can try raiding with a guild for a 1 in 5 shot at that blaster when and if it drops OR you can pay us $10

I have been informed and my concerns more or less mollified. This game is really looking (and sounding!) amazing.

[SnakeCharmer]

On power-differential gear: they've already confirmed the CE shop has more than cosmetic gear, but that it's not more powerful than gear you can acquire through normal gameplay (I wonder how much of the comic con Q&A was making PR pull their hair).

Normal gameplay = You can try raiding with a guild for a 1 in 5 shot at that blaster when and if it drops OR you can pay us $10

That is assuming, of course, that it drops every time from that specific boss, yeah?

[LK]

I've got a large group of friends who are going apeshit over this game and can't wait to make their personal Star Wars character. I guess I'll have to join them. The way things are going, SWTOR could be the first real competitor against WoW and I blame that solely on it being Bioware + Star Wars.

[Velorath]

They made a couple interesting comments during this Q & A about the endgame.  In particular they mentioned that there is a planet devoted entirely to single player endgame content (in addition to the raids, PVP Warzones, and Space stuff).  Also that they are working on putting some sort of system in place to prevent endgame from being a "gear war" as the person asking the question put it, but they weren't going to talk about it yet.

[Amaron]

If I was EA, RMT companions would be my first move post launch.

They'd have to be things like droids which don't speak or have voice acting.  Any normal companion would require new voice acting for future content.  I'm sure they'll do things like vehicles first.

[eldaec]

Alll future content will have that issue, and as the players are all voiced by Bioware regulars I doubt it'll be a big issue, at least not in the short term.

Honestly I'll be surprised if they haven't held back a chunk of the original content and VO for post-launch, much like Shale/Kasumi/Exiled-Prince.

That's what I would have done, and I am not as evil as EA.

[sam, an eggplant]

What with the complete lack of evidence (other than the usual EA fear and loathing) I think I'll just write off all his DLC speculation as the usual SWTOR panty twisting. EA has a huge opportunity here. I just don't see them taking unnecessary risks.

Hmm, unnecessary risks. Have you watched this presentation yet? If not, you really should.

http://www.slideshare.net/bcousins/paying-to-win

He's talking about a F2P game, but the gates have been opened. I don't see EA leaving money on the table.

[Amaron]

I think you're missing the point.   Nobody bothers with MMO cash items which actually cost money to make.   Even in-house voice acting would bring the cost up to something 100's of times more expensive than creating sparkle ponies.   What you see in single player DLC where the potential customer base is far larger isn't going to apply here.

[UnSub]

You guys are hilarious with the DLC stuff.   I'm not ruling it out but even Koprick doesn't seem to think he can get away with it on a major subscription MMO.

This is EA's most expensive project ever. The internal demand will be for maximisation of all revenue streams.

Overall I think raising the sub fee to $16+ would probably do more damage to long-term sub rates than paid DLC. $20 a month is $20 a month; you don't have to buy DLC.

The big twist would be if SWOR launched sub-less, but with full paid DLC releases from day 1. Fixes come for free, but if you want more content from launch, you have to pay for it. (It won't - much more likely to be a sub fee AND paid DLC.)