Predictions: 1m+ players 3 days out; how about in January 2013?

[Sjofn]

We had things to do, Fordel.

I'll probably kick around in SWTOR again tomorrow.

[Sky]

ME3's release tanked my server/guild population. 

[Nebu]

ME3's release tanked my server/guild population. Even tanked my implant sales dammit!

Same happened with me.  Tank, dps, and 2 healers from the main 8 are all playing ME3.  I'm logging on less and less as a result.

[Ingmar]

This happens to our guild in every game, whenever a new Bioware RPG comes out.

[Numtini]

I wonder if a story heavy game like SWTOR is more susceptible to single player competition. I can't think of any single player games that ever affected the guilds I've been in.

[Sky]

Always has with BC, but we're special.

[amiable]

Are we going to place bets on when this goes to the Graveyard?  I'm guessing soon after the 1.2 patch, but maybe earlier, we've seen a pretty precipitous decline in activity in this subforum.

[murdoc]

It'll pick up a bit after 1.2 comes out i think.

[Rokal]

Skyrim had the same effect, I'm sure every MMO sees huge concurrency drops for the week following a really big western game release.

[Sky]

Are we going to place bets on when this goes to the Graveyard?

RIFT? Browser-based is almost dead, too. Other than a rabid Eve niche and the wowtards, it's a dead subforum in general.

[Reg]

The EVE niche has been dead for ages. I think they have their own forum they do their posting on nowadays.

[rattran]

I'll be playing again once I am back on the internets, but there is nothing where I am currently. Should have a night or two a week in April/May though to play.

[Rokal]

I wonder if the 'free weekend' is trying to capture new customers as they finish ME3. I was really craving more after finishing it and SWTOR hits some of the same notes. My duo-friend and I were planning on picking the game back up in a couple months, but I might just stay subbed and see if solo Repub holds any interest.

[Fordel]

If you have a duo ready to go, give it a shot. The ME style dialogue system is even better with a few people.

[Setanta]

TBH, they screwed me ever buying this game right over when:

a) they didn't let Aussies in on day one despite advertising start-up everywhere. Other games arrived and any chance of hooking me disappeared.
b) when I could finally buy it they wanted to charge me $20 more despite the fact that the Aussie $ is infinitely better than the US$.

Free weekend storylines or whatever still requires me to pay more than other countries if I decide I like it - screw that.

On the other hand, I'll be pre-ordering Guild Wars 2 because NCSoft has never screwed me over.

I jumped on a friends SW account and gave it a shot - it was "ok" but the excitement and impulse buy of a new MMO coupled with the blatant gouging made me decide to skip it.

I'm not the only one that I know that ended up this way sadly as I probably would have become a tragic over the game for at least a quarter.

[Cyrrex]

I am sorta deliberately taking it ultra slow with this game.  Partly due to competing priorites (tons of other good games I have yet to start/finish and general lack of time), but also, to my great surprise, I really, really want to play this game with other people.  I need some LFD tools, fucking pronto.  I don't think I can really group any other way.  I don't have the time to stand around some hub shouting for a group, nor do I play frequently enough to duo or group consistently with any of you people.  I really didn't think this was going to end up being an issue for me, but it is.

I am starting to think more and more that, without making soloing impossible, these MMOs really need to do better at incentivizing the shit out of group play.  Even (and maybe especially) when mixing higher and lower level players together.

[Rokal]

If you have a duo ready to go, give it a shot. The ME style dialogue system is even better with a few people.

Well I had a dedicated duo with a friend, Imperial side, but we decided to take a break from the game after finishing Act 1 and not really being excited about the start of act 2. I definitely agree that's the best way to play the game. With another person it's co-op KOTOR. Solo it's just another MMO with a voice acting for quests. Still, ME3 has me considering keeping my sub going and giving solo Republic a serious shot.

[Sky]

I am starting to think more and more that, without making soloing impossible, these MMOs really need to do better at incentivizing the shit out of group play.  Even (and maybe especially) when mixing higher and lower level players together.

While I completely agree about putting in mentor/sidekicking tools, I disagree with the other one. It's already very incentivized. All the good stuff is tied to group play already and the game itself is more fun when played in a group.

I'd prefer to lament not being able to group as much as I'd like while I enjoy the great solo game. It's a refreshing change from lamenting not being able to group as much as I like while enduring the scraps of content a solo player could manage. Honestly, in TOR the main issue is flashpoints, since finding groups for the heroic stuff has been pretty easy except maybe Quesh. Lots of people looking to do them on the quick.

[Nebu]

Quesh is such an obvious afterthought that it's almost humorous.  While I enjoyed the planet, it really struck me as "oh crap, we need more content to fill this gap. Someone make a new planet!!!"

[Paelos]

Quesh is such an obvious afterthought that it's almost humorous.  While I enjoyed the planet, it really struck me as "oh crap, we need more content to fill this gap. Someone make a new planet!!!"

"What color should it be?"
"BROWN, JUST MAKE IT BROWN!"
"Like all brown?"
"YES, ALL BROWN! HURRY!"
"What class story should we put there?"
"I DON'T FUCKING CARE, HAVE THEM CLEAR OUT A CAMP OR SOMETHING!"
"Just one class quest? That's it?"
"WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE!!!"

[Nebu]

"What color should it be?"
"BROWN, JUST MAKE IT BROWN!"
"Like all brown?"
"YES, ALL BROWN! HURRY!"
"What class story should we put there?"
"I DON'T FUCKING CARE, HAVE THEM CLEAR OUT A CAMP OR SOMETHING!"
"Just one class quest? That's it?"
"WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE!!!"

Pretty much exactly what I imagined.

[Mattemeo]

I liked Quesh. It was refreshing. In a toxic swamp you don't want to stay in too long or take many breaths from sort of way.

[Ingmar]

Yeah same with me. I like planets not all being the same length, personally. I wish there were a few more Quesh-like planets, that keeps the feeling of progress clipping along a lot faster than the really long planets do.

[Nebu]

While I enjoyed the planet...

I liked Quesh.  I really wish that SWTOR was more like Quesh (a planet every two to three levels) and less like Belsavis and Nar Shadda. 

[Lantyssa]

Yeah.  I like a large planet for exploratory purposes, but when you're trying to do most of the quests it really starts to drag.  Belsavis needs to be two planets.

Quesh could have stood to have two or three story bits to it, but it was otherwise about perfect.

[Tannhauser]

I liked Quesh too.  I also enjoyed the game in a duo.  But that wasn't too often and the solo story grind finally got me.  These games really are better with a friend or two.  I duo'ed from 25-50 in RIFT and had a great time, same with LOTRO.  My grouping partner is great, we've been grouping since UO and he is wildly unconcerned with his safety or the number of mobs he pulls.  Makes grouping with him, um, eventful. 

Sadly he only lasted to lvl 13 in SWTOR and wants us to go back to LOTRO.

[eldaec]

I don't have any issue with the number of quests on Belsavis, just with absurd amount if travel time you clock up.

I had no issue with the 47 minutes I spent on Quesh.

[Jherad]

 Quesh wasn't bad, but it's over so quickly that I didn't really get a chance to love or loathe it.

I'm going to briefly stick my neck out and say that I actually liked Belsavis 

Something about the brightness, the green and the snow.

Now, Taris I HATED with a passion. Brown and yellow miasmatic mess.

[Nevermore]

I liked the landscape of Belsavis, it's the story there that was beyond stupid.  By far the worst of any planet, imo.

[Fordel]

There are two halves to Belsavis.

The first half, with the various prison plots and whatnot, I enjoyed that. The Walls are annoying but nothing I couldn't manage.

The second half, the endless, endless, endless, endless, endless killing of the SpaceCowPeople... that entire area could be nuked from orbit and I wouldn't miss it a bit.

[Mattemeo]

...that entire area could be nuked from orbit and I wouldn't miss it a bit.

...nor would the nukes.

 

[eldaec]

The best thing about Belsavis is that it is not Voss.

Fuck Voss

[Nevermore]

You're crazy, Voss is awesome!

[Fordel]

Voss is WEIRD.

That's the proper word to describe it.

WEIRD.

[Sjofn]

And that makes it awesome.

Although admittedly it's not nearly as awesome as a trooper as it is as a consular.


Disclaimer: This only refers to Republic Voss. If there's one thing I have learned leveling up on the Empire side, it's that sometimes their version of a planet is about the same, or sometimes better, and then other times it is INFINITELY WORSE THAN I EVER COULD'VE IMAGINED FUCK YOU EMPIRE TARIS