What's going right/wrong with launch...

[Sobelius]

So far what's gone right:

1. Servers running smooth as silk. (Except for Baron Deathmark, currently down).
2. Game client feels polished. Target of target option is in settings now.
3. Server status page correctly lists the servers on which you have characters and puts them at the top of the status list.
4. Early access "wave" emails seem to have gone out based on pre-order code entry date, for the most part, as advertised.

Wrong:
1. Possible pvp/warzone XP-gain bug or exploit.

chime in...

[Lakov_Sanite]

This isn't 'really' launch though or at least it's limited access. I'm not saying it 'won't' go smoothly but I'd like to see how things fare when the floodgates open.

[Sobelius]

I'd say this whole pre-order-early-access-invite-in-waves-because-we're-not-stress-testing-the-servers thing qualifies as part of the launch since it's clearly part of a launch strategy.

The hardest thing, clearly, has been managing community expectations but StephenReid is at least communicating BW's responses to the crush of inquiries/complaints/questions.

However, I don't think they communicated clearly enough at all in the week leading up to today. They did have a plan, but seemed terrified of being specific about anything until the absolutely last possible moment. ("They have a plan." Echoes of the Cylons in the Battlestar Galactica reboot.)

[Yegolev]

[Sjofn]

The only thing wrong with the launch as far as I'm concerned is that I was not allowed to start today. 

[Jherad]

It's starting to look like I might actually get in earlier than I had expected (I was originally thinking on day 3 of the 5 original days, and I might be in tomorrow now) - but I can't help but feel that generating all this drama at launch has been a bit pants-on-head silly.

Sure, kids at home are being asshats. What did they expect though? Poke an aggressive dog and it'll bite you. Sure, bad dog, but who's the retard?

[Ingmar]

All this drama?

Personally I am coming away feeling pretty good since I'm going to get in earlier than expected and everything is going smoothly by all reports.

[Teleku]

Think this is a pretty damn good idea for a launch.  String many of the people out over the course of a week as you can, then have official launch day within the week where everybody is usually off somewhere else unable to play anyways.  Doing the standard "All 10 million players log in now!" MMO launch would have been a very bad idea for this one.

[Jherad]

All this drama?

Personally I am coming away feeling pretty good since I'm going to get in earlier than expected and everything is going smoothly by all reports.

Just don't read the forums. Or people sending reeeally angry tweets to @SWTOR  


Edit: I can't fault the mechanics, I just think the psychology was ... predictable. Tell people they'll get in one day in the next 7, and most will secretly believe they will be getting in on day 1, then be disappointed when they aren't. Sure, stupid, but it could have been handled better - tell people in advance when their day is, then if you want to let people in earlier, give them a nice surprise.

[Threash]

What's gone wrong, at least for me, is that i continuously pick what i think is the darkside path and end up getting lightside points.  How the hell is poisoning the stupid hungry monster giving me lightside points? as far as i could tell the other option was trying to help him.

[Merusk]

Exactly, Jherad.  The best customer service happens from setting expectations up front.  Bioware failed at doing that well, so now you have angry customers.  They knew where the batches were going to fall, so they should have sent the emails last week with the assigned days.  To do otherwise is just mismanagement.

No panties in a twist, just a critique.

[Sjofn]

What's gone wrong, at least for me, is that i continuously pick what i think is the darkside path and end up getting lightside points.  How the hell is poisoning the stupid hungry monster giving me lightside points? as far as i could tell the other option was trying to help him.

Riiiiight, how is helping the hungry monster not darker than mercy killing it? Did you pay attention to what the guy said would happen if you helped him?


Also if you REALLY can't tell, mouse over the options, it will have a light side/dark side symbol to tell you straight up what that choice is going to do. A lot of the Empire choices come down to "kill them quick" versus "let them linger" or "fuck one person" versus "fuck a LOT of people" for their dark side/light side shit.

[luckton]

What's gone wrong, at least for me, is that i continuously pick what i think is the darkside path and end up getting lightside points.  How the hell is poisoning the stupid hungry monster giving me lightside points? as far as i could tell the other option was trying to help him.

Riiiiight, how is helping the hungry monster not darker than mercy killing it? Did you pay attention to what the guy said would happen if you helped him?


Also if you REALLY can't tell, mouse over the options, it will have a light side/dark side symbol to tell you straight up what that choice is going to do. A lot of the Empire choices come down to "kill them quick" versus "let them linger" or "fuck one person" versus "fuck a LOT of people" for their dark side/light side shit.

Agreed.  If you want to be even lazier, there's an option you can turn on that will flag the LS/DS options without even mousing over.  But still, yeah, had you actually been reading the story, these things would make sense.  This isn't Azeroth anymore.

[Threash]

Also if you REALLY can't tell, mouse over the options, it will have a light side/dark side symbol to tell you straight up what that choice is going to do. A lot of the Empire choices come down to "kill them quick" versus "let them linger" or "fuck one person" versus "fuck a LOT of people" for their dark side/light side shit.

That is quite helpful, thank you.

[Sjofn]

You're welcome! You're playing the side that has a lot more grey in the quests (well, sometimes), so it's actually sort of understandable. I had several quests where I was like "oh god, THAT'S my light side choice?  " Good times!


EDIT: Er, on topic, I do think it would've been better to give people set dates and then happily surprising people by letting them in earlier if it worked out that way. But that probably would've caused different nerd rage somehow, because if there's something nerds are good at, it's raging about stupid shit.

[tmp]

EDIT: Er, on topic, I do think it would've been better to give people set dates and then happily surprising people by letting them in earlier if it worked out that way. But that probably would've caused different nerd rage somehow, because if there's something nerds are good at, it's raging about stupid shit.

They'd totally bitch they scheduled their holidays wrong based on the misinformation, and aren't able to play during these extra days

[Sjofn]

Yep! Or if they wound up letting some people in early, but then needed to go back to people "only" getting in on their scheduled day for some reason, the shrieking would be glorious.

[Fordel]

There should also be an option in the settings that will put the light/dark symbols right next to the dialogue choices. There's also another option to turn every dark/light warning off, if you want MAXIMUM RRRRPEEEE.

[ghost]

The only thing wrong with the launch as far as I'm concerned is that I was not allowed to start today. 

Seriously.  I pre-order to get early access yet I don't get early access?   

[Sjofn]

There should also be an option in the settings that will put the light/dark symbols right next to the dialogue choices. There's also another option to turn every dark/light warning off, if you want MAXIMUM RRRRPEEEE.

Man the turning it off completely is sort of tempting, but I'm pretty good at not letting THE POINTS dictate what I do. Most of the time. It's mostly a tie breaker if both options are stupid/horrible/depressing/sensible. 

[Nevermore]

The only thing wrong with the launch as far as I'm concerned is that I was not allowed to start today. 

Seriously.  I pre-order to get early access yet I don't get early access?   

Yes.  You and you alone won't be let in until next Tuesday. 

[luckton]

There should also be an option in the settings that will put the light/dark symbols right next to the dialogue choices.

There is.

[Sobelius]

Doing the standard "All 10 million players log in now!" MMO launch would have been a very bad idea for this one.

This.

Even a "weekend" head start (letting everyone who pre-ordered in on, say, Friday the 16th through Monday the 19th) would have been asking for a weekend of misery all around.

[Kageru]

But that's also part of the fun.. Being able to say "I was there on day 1, it was crazy!" is a symbol of pride. Being able to crash a server being a bonus.

Man the turning it off completely is sort of tempting, but I'm pretty good at not letting THE POINTS dictate what I do.

And then conversely they should let you lock it on "Maximum whiteness" and you can watch all the dialog like the move it's trying to be.

[Miasma]

My lauch was worringly buggy actually, worse than beta.  My sound didn't work (except in cutscenes), my smuggler was stuck in a crouching position so he was sliding all over like that (I saw others having the same problem), there was loot lag and a couple other things I don't remember.  It's all sorted out now though.

Not sure why everyone is angry today, they should have been angry when they announced this hare brained scheme.  I saw some complaining then but nowhere near what's going on now.  Can't imagine what it's going to look like when the head start is over and the lack of grace period kicks in.

[Sobelius]

But that's also part of the fun.. Being able to say "I was there on day 1, it was crazy!" is a symbol of pride. Being able to crash a server being a bonus.

Really? Really?  When have you ever really enjoyed reminiscing about the last time you did this?

[Furiously]

You don't brag about your red badge of courage. You gather around a campfire with other veterans and compare them.

[Shatter]

I got in at 7:10 am, played all day without 1 crash or bug and leveled to 19

[Sjofn]

What, you couldn't push through to a nice, round number like 20? Slacker. 

[Numtini]

About the only thing I can fault them for is they should have said that everyone would get in early by at least X days. But it's hard not to just break out laughing on the 13th when people are raging that they aren't able to play a game that releases on the 20th and who's early release was set to start the 15th.

[ghost]

The only thing wrong with the launch as far as I'm concerned is that I was not allowed to start today. 

Seriously.  I pre-order to get early access yet I don't get early access?   

Yes.  You and you alone won't be let in until next Tuesday. 

The way my week has been going that wouldn't surprise me.   

[Xuri]

If they had announced the days you'd get in days (or weeks) ahead of time they would have lost pre-order sales. Lots of them.

On another note, could anyone tell me if there's an option to disable the auto-rotating camera yet? There wasn't any such option in the two weekend betas I were in, and I really dislike not having full control of the camera at all times.

[Kageru]

Really? Really?  When have you ever really enjoyed reminiscing about the last time you did this?

You can probably find threads on this forum where WoW launch veterans have told stories about the crazy crowds, energy and ability to surf around the landscape in "flower picking pose" for half an hour. I mean there's a reason people pre-order rather than wait to buy it once things have stablized.

[Nevermore]

The reason doesn't include any of those things you listed, though.

[Sky]

I think it's a great way to roll out the launch, it went quite well today. It's hard to overstate how hilarious the reactions of some folks have been, but that's humanity for you.

Remember, most of those people drive and have the right to vote!