Clarification please:

 

Are all character appearance changes going to be offered only through Cartel Market? It makes a lot of sense for species changing to be in the Cartel Market, but very little for minor changes, such as "hair."

 

If all options are going to be offered only in Cartel Market Joan Rivers quote almost applies: "A woman went to a plastic surgeon and asked him to make her like Bo Derek. He gave her a lobotomy." Ok, its just a funny quote

Mr. Hickman,

 

Your team has been working on Makeb since summer of last year, if not longer. Is there another team devoted to content AFTER Makeb is released ? or are you working with a skeleton crew as many people have speculated with the "retirement" of the Doctors, the departure of George Lucas, the shift to Disney owning Star Wars, and the launch of the game ?

 

My concern is the longevity of this game, and it's struggle to keep a positive momentum since the events of last year.

 

Knowing that this game has a life after Makeb, and it's being worked on NOW, would help begin to restore faith in Bioware.

Edited March 22, 2013 by Darth__Carnal

Please stop ignoring PvP. That is all.

So read the post and all I can say is that I hope you've got lots of really good features, additions and content planned.

Because you allowing species change is an extremely large red cross as far as I'm concerned.

Very bad move.

Only my opinion of course, but honestly thought you'd be sensible and offer cosmetic changes (yer I know, all species are just cosmetic changes) but you know what I mean.

 

What difference does it make? 99% of every species is the exact same. The only difference is one social ability (Twi'lek dance, etc.). Every other characteristic is a carbon copy. I mean, why give different species different dances when they can just charge you for it in the CM, amirite?

Mr. Hickman,

 

Your team has been working on Makeb since summer of last year, if not longer. Is there another team devoted to content AFTER Makeb is released ? or are you working with a skeleton crew as many people have speculated with the "retirement" of the Doctors, the departure of George Lucas, the shift to Disney owning Star Wars, and the launch of the game ?

 

My concern is the longevity of this game, and it's struggle to keep a positive momentum since the events of last year.

 

Knowing that this game has a life after Makeb, and it's being worked on NOW, would help begin to restore faith in Bioware.

 

I doubt Disney has anything to do with what is going on at EA and Bioware. Same with Lucas. The guy just wants his cut of the money. As it is, Makeb is the very last of the content they had in their back pocket when they announced F2P. Like I said earlier, my guess is that team gets fired and replaced with artists to create more unique armor models, speeders, etc. for the Cartel Market. That's where the content will be from then on.

Seems like almost everything they're adding will cost cartel coins.

 

New customizations which many players want will also cost cartel coins? The success of the cartel market has gotten to their heads. I understand the business part but c'mon, now.

 

it's really getting ridiculous.

Amazing, and entire thread of people who didn't know you get free cartel coins with your subscription every month.

 

 

 

O'yeah. I can see players counting on a few coins thrown their way.

Edited March 22, 2013 by RikHar

STOP making content subscribers have to pay for ON TOP of their subscription fee. We are NOT getting our money's worth!

 

 

 

Sad isn't it?

Cartel coins to do something all Subscribers should be able to do.

 

He stated the "Sate of the Game was good". You must be living in a dream world buddy. The majority of people are NOT "happy" with the state of the game sir. You refuse to add the things people have requested since the game launched. Things like Armor Dye, Hood up or down, Guild Ship and Guild Tools for in game (Guild Calendar, Guild mail, etc), personal apartment on capital world, customizing your ship, furthering romance with your companion, etc. The way it looks now, you'll finally add it, but make it cartel garbage. Would it be a crime to give subscribers the things they deserve and not milk them? Make the FTP people do the cartel junk and milk them, let us who pay 15 bucks a month get the things we DESERVE.

 

And this is what you get when EA takes over.....

Edited March 22, 2013 by DarthVengeant

I've already offered positive feedback but the flaw here is server transfers. I know you guys said something about APAC news next week but idk if you guys also mean transfers which is why I'm still bugging about it.

 

 

Where art thou Server Transfers?

A couple things:

gotten to the point where you can just buy everything you need instead of earning it.

 

Why do you care if someone buys something instead of earning it? It's their game, not yours., You don't dictate how others play or earn in their game. If you want to take to time to earn it, go ahead. But don't get all elitist and think only YOUR way of doing things matters. Mentalities like that are what ruins gaming.

Why do you care if someone buys something instead of earning it? It's their game, not yours., You don't dictate how others play or earn in their game. If you want to take to time to earn it, go ahead. But don't get all elitist and think only YOUR way of doing things matters. Mentalities like that are what ruins gaming.

 

You mean mentalities like yours which lead to Pay 2 Win?

Barbershop sounds exciting and cathar!

 

second, I also hope they add in new hair styles (and other things to customize your look), I'd really love it if they added in longer hair too.

SWTOR is a great game, and a timeline for character transfers would be a nice additional touch.

 

Which would be a good distraction, given the timing of this "State of the Game" announcement.

 

 

Electronic Arts CEO to Resign

The Wall Street Journal

March 18, 2013

"More dramatic, however, has been the challenges it faced with its online game, "Star Wars: The Old Republic." The game, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make over the period of five years, was built to be a competitor to Activision Blizzard Inc.'s ATVI -1.12% popular "World of Warcraft" online subscription game. Activision has said that game, along with its "Call of Duty" war-simulation game series and its "Skylanders" toy game franchise, make up a significant portion of the company's revenue and profit.

 

But "Star Wars" didn't capture gamers fast enough. EA executives had said it needed 500,000 subscribers to be profitable and one million to make it a "good investment." The game attracted 1.7 million active players in its first month, but saw subscriber numbers shrink as months went on. EA stopped reporting the number of subscribers the game had and changed it from requiring a subscription to offering it as a "free-to-play" title, charging customers for items such as vehicles, boots and armor within the game."

 

John Riccitiello Steps Down As EA CEO - Why, And What Now?

Forbes

March 18, 2013

"Riccitiello’s time at EA, on a corporate level, involved significant acquisitions – notably Bioware and Pandemic Studios for $775 million"

"major, ambitious purchases intended to position EA as a leader in previously underexploited areas – mobile and social gaming, but also the MMO market"

"Along with BioWare’s role-playing games expertise, they were assigned the task of taking the money-spinning Star Wars IP and creating a successful MMORPG."

"The Old Republic, created at huge cost, launched to considerable fanfare in late 2011, but could not sustain its subscription-only model and, although profitable, is now largely free-to-play"

"a growing chorus of dissent was growing regarding EA’s relationship with its studios and business practices."

"Consumerist’s “Worst Company of 2012″ award – were possibly taken more seriously on Web Street than Wall Street. However, it certainly defined a narrative for criticism of Riccitiello and his company: that EA, despite his assertion when returning as CEO that it would respect studio autonomy, was pushing BioWare to simplify its game style, to work to the level of sophistication of games consoles rather than PCs, to build in multiplayer (which would become unusable if and when EA shut down the servers) and cash shops and to focus on DLC as a way to spread the work of recouping development costs."

"The hope that Riccitiello’s departure will usher in a golden age of studio independence and a return to the former glories of Maxis, BioWare et al may yet prove justified."

 

Electronic Arts stock falls after departure of CEO Riccitiello

The Los Angeles Times

March 19, 2013

"Riccitiello "never got enough credit" for cutting 25% of its development base. Despite restructurings, reorganizations and studio closures, EA still is in search of the one thing that will lift its margins -- new hits, he observed.

 

"That is what has given us low confidence," Wilson wrote. "Because it is hard to cut your way to better games.""

 

Electronic Arts Chief Resigns

The New York Times

March 18, 2013

"The chief executive of Electronic Arts resigned on Monday, a victim of a troubled environment for the big video game companies as well as of internal missteps."

 

4 moves Electronic Arts must make now

March 20, 2013

Fortune

"2. Get your act together."

"4. Spend less, innovate more."

"Instead of stuffing its release schedule with releases and rushing development, focus on product. Yes it's a tired adage, but quality over quantity."

They figure its important that it comes with customization because some people want to change their current character species to cathar.

 

Well, obviously. But what of existing species? I doubt it took over a year a piece to develop. And for the initial species, they had initial hurdles to overcome that shouldn't be present, now.

And I’m happy to announce that we’ll be introducing several new features along the way, like a new customization feature, which will allow you to change your character's hair style, eye color, body type, or even species (including the upcoming Cathar!) using Cartel Coins. Look for it in early summer.

 

For **** sake. The Barbershop thing is great, but using dam Cartel Coins? Why the hell am I subscribing if I can't get unlimited access to all options in the game? Can this just be a Legacy Unlock or something for subscribers? I understand that as a subscriber we get monthly cartel coin allowance - but if every little thing in the game gets turned into a Cartel Market only priority, then just can the subscription model and go full Pay-To-Win, rather than sitting somewhere in the middle. Just pisses me off.

 

To quote one Lando Calrissian "This deal is getting worse all the time"

Edited March 22, 2013 by Scorpiooooo

Character Transfers.

 

Please stay on topic, people. Discuss something important and stop catering to SWTOR's barbershop bull. Discussing and paying into this **** just promotes these useless updates.

 

Thank you!

hey guys, i support you, subscribe and have spent more money on cartel coins since free to play came out, one $20 pack and one $40, out of support. I still have the coins, don't know what to use them on.

 

 

it's one of my favorite games ever.

 

 

now for my feedback: why is this now another feature that i am sure we have asked for, just not too extremely, and nothing for transfers or legacy consolidation so we can play with who we want to play with?

Sorry if this was already addressed. Can anyone please PM me, or can a Yellow name please comment, on if this will include paid character name changes and gender changes of characters? I would be interested in changing the species, name, and gender of my Jedi Sage that I currently have.

Hey, cheers BadOrb. Not twisting anything. I'm trying to be realistic in my expectations. My "expectation" was 6-week targets (because that's what they said it would be), to which I'd assume some would slip a week or 2 (hence 8). Now I'm being told their target is 8-weeks...In an attempt to once again remain realistic, I'll assume most will slip a week or 2 to where 9-10 weeks becomes the new norm. Hopefully I'm wrong...but I doubt I am and I'll bet you in-game creds we never see 6 again.

 

Ah I get you now sorry for the late reply , I was on Quesh for 3 and a half hours. Yeah I guess it has gone from 4 weeks to 8 weeks , but that has been the case for a few months really. Still lets hope it doesn't slip more like you say 8-9 weeks between updates , sorry guys its now guaranteed every 10 weeks , i hope you are wrong , or your prediction is wrong.

 

Hmmmm , well I want a new planet every year at least or i will be bored , I'm not demanding just stating a fact

 

Cheers,

 

BadOrb.

We would all love to see a player planet where we could have houses like the old SWG days..../QUOTE]

 

Oh good grief no. Those ghost towns were the absolute worst thing to happen to SWG. It PROVED how deserted the game had become.

He said a whole lot of nothing. Playable content seems to be a secondary focus at this point. Post-Makeb production will focus on quality of life? Have you ever seen how quickly MMO players consume content? The production should focus on additional content AND quality of life.

 

You're adding a barbershop feature to the game, but gating it through the Cartel Market. Why shouldn't players be able to change their appearance using in-game credits? I understand charging for a racial change.

 

Pretty uninspired state of the game address. Take some passion in what you guys do, or has EA beaten the creativity out of you?

 

This.

 

Nickel-and-diming us for EVERY FEATURE ADDED TO THE GAME is a great way to lose subscribers and burn your already weak reputation to the ground.

*** M8

I really hope what I am reading is not true and that you are not actually going to make the "Barber shop" require CC...

The changing race thing, sure.

But hair and what not? That should just cost credits.. and not a lot.

 

Why does EVERYTHING you put in the game now have to be linked to the Friggin carte store. As a subscriber I feel like I'm being ignored.

Next thing you're going to do is put in chat bubbles (my #1 WANT in this game) But oh wait! to have the chat bubble feature you need to buy it for 300 CC!! or 1300 for all character!

*blows brains out and turns back into a sad mindless player*

Let me get this straight your main focus is Cartel and don't sit there say no. Bioware you don't know what hell you're doing admit it. I mean half KOTOR community had fix your bad coding back then just fix issues. Now instead making Barber Shop which in wow like some others said SWG its in game money. So your whole focus is Cartel Market, and you are not listening to us, and we are not happy. I am done and I am taking alot friends with me. Sick companies like you who make game easy mode and milk hard workers dry, who actually want feel like achieve something. Good luck with your whole Cartel garbage, I knew and was hoping you wouldn't go this way. My instinct was correct, its like who cares about subs and are real hardcore fan who stuck with us since launch. You sir are worse then Blizzard and that is not compliment. I will never by another Bioware or EA product. And I will make sure word gets out of your nonsense and how you treat your real subscribers. Sham on you, and again have fun with that Cartel nonsense and milking your subs dry. I hope someone sues yall dry you deserve it. I will just wait for company that care about community and its players Betheseda know how listen, yall do not. Good day lads and lassies enjoy new SWTOR's Cartel reign. Edited March 22, 2013 by AkidaBushido

I still really want a feature that let's me colour armour, that would be very awesome bioware