All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

Look at this EA marketing survey leaked a couple weeks ago. It contains "packages" that can be purchase that include different content options. Every "package", includes three things announced today: level cap increase, new planet Makeb, and playable Cathar.

Under each package is written, "How much would you pay for this expansion?".

Here is a link to the surveys:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw6sp6dpJKRcaDdKTHFnQlp6Wjg/edit?pli=1

All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

 

And this is EA we are talking about. SWTOR hasnt exactly been doing well lately. For me, 12 months is too soon to raise the level cap. Seems like a cash grab.

hey who knows.. they gave away alot of free content in 1.2 i wouldtn be surprised if it was free. considering they didnt mention anything about expansion just new content

no mmo i can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

lotro.

All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

 

And this is EA we are talking about. SWTOR hasnt exactly been doing well lately. For me, 12 months is too soon to raise the level cap. Seems like a cash grab.

It seems very much like the 1.4 change in Warhammer Online to me.

Basically no expansion, but added grind (1.4 added effectively "levels" in WAR).

Hope I'm just being cynical, but SWTOR is just following WAR far too closely in most ways.

I'm fine with paying money for it if that is the case.

I don't need bribed.

I liked everything I saw, but the Cathars being the only new race is disappointing. That announcement did not include enough features to make me pay for it, so it either better have more or be free.

Overall I'm looking forward to what was announced. One day I may even make a Cathar. But until then.. I'm going to express my disappointment in that race by mercilessly murdering every Cathar I see until a new non-purring race is released.

Well, time to figure out which craft makes milk and tuna...

All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

 

And this is EA we are talking about. SWTOR hasnt exactly been doing well lately. For me, 12 months is too soon to raise the level cap. Seems like a cash grab.

Raising the level cap lets them add new stuff at a much higher item level so they can wipe the slate clean on all of the stuff in game that's a disaster, and they can completely rehash skills or the skill trees etc. to be much more functional if they feel they need to without wrecking how people do content right now.

That doesn't mean they won't charge for new levels, but there's a good argument for say giving away up to 55 for free, wipe out all the current level 50 gear/spec/itemization problems they do have, and work forward from there.

Also, this is a game that is supposed to largely be about your own story. Adding more levels certainly extends that story and gives you multiple reason to complete a new planet with a whole quest chain on it.

lotro.

Played LOTRO off and on for years. They never raised level cap without an xpac you had to pay for, ever.

And this is EA we are talking about. SWTOR hasnt exactly been doing well lately. For me, 12 months is too soon to raise the level cap. .

Agreed, I really don't want a level cap increase already... I mean come on. It better be doable in less than a day...

lotro.

First time they raised the level cap, was with Mines of Moria, an expansion that had to be bought. Second time they raised the level cap was with Mirkwood expansion, that once again had to be bought. Each time you needed the expansions if you wanted to go to the next level cap.

First time they raised the level cap, was with Mines of Moria, an expansion that had to be bought. Second time they raised the level cap was with Mirkwood expansion, that once again had to be bought. Each time you needed the expansions if you wanted to go to the next level cap.

You could 'buy' isengard with free earned turbine points for subscribing... he's probably referring to that.

No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

Star Wars Galaxies...I never got to level up to the new cap either cause I just messed around instead of grinding them up again.

All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

If Bio does a level cap increase, I'm gone. Increasing the level cap makes existing gear that we ground for obsolete and results in a new gear grind. Introducing another grind aint going to set well with a lot of players, especially the casual ones who may have finally gotten a good set that took them a looooong time to build up only to have to immediately go to grinding out more gear.

Say "no" to more grinds!

If Bio does a level cap increase, I'm gone. Increasing the level cap makes existing gear that we ground for obsolete and results in a new gear grind. Introducing another grind aint going to set well with a lot of players, especially the casual ones who may have finally gotten a good set that took them a looooong time to build up only to have to immediately go to grinding out more gear.

 

Say "no" to more grinds!

so done playing video games then? they are all grinding in their own right.. either for levels, or for equipment... either way you are grinding ...

Star Wars Galaxies...I never got to level up to the new cap either cause I just messed around instead of grinding them up again.

Let me rephrase--

No self-respecting AAA MMO raises level cap without a paid expansion.

so done playing video games then? they are all grinding in their own right.. either for levels, or for equipment... either way you are grinding ...

Not quite. I hate having to bring up Guild Wars 2, but thats an example of a game that you dont have to grind to be relevant in pvp. Currently in swtor they went too far with the ammount of grind required to get War Hero gear.

Introducing more grind in order to get people to stay subscribed could very well backfire and cause just the opposite.

Not quite. I hate having to bring up Guild Wars 2, but thats an example of a game that you dont have to grind to be relevant in pvp. Currently in swtor they went too far with the ammount of grind required to get War Hero gear.

 

Introducing more grind in order to get people to stay subscribed could very well backfire and cause just the opposite.

one unproven game in an industry of hundreds of games... i hope gw2 works out well.. but the majority of games are grinding...thats all

If Bio does a level cap increase, I'm gone. Increasing the level cap makes existing gear that we ground for obsolete and results in a new gear grind. Introducing another grind aint going to set well with a lot of players, especially the casual ones who may have finally gotten a good set that took them a looooong time to build up only to have to immediately go to grinding out more gear.

 

Say "no" to more grinds!

It is a gear progression grinding for the end game. Unless gear is going to be capped, and all you are going for is for a cosmetic look, a level cap needs to be increased, otherwise as stats increase with each new tier, with each tier needed in order to beat the content for the next tier, eventually you'll get to Tier 12, and if the player was not with the curve or is new, the chances of them getting raids for Tier 1-11 to catch is pretty slim. So they need level caps so they can reset everything.

Only other alternative is allow people to get the tier of gear needed for the newest raid very easily, so they don't have to go through all the raids before it.

Sheesh, having a game that is raid or die and gear progression for end game, makes it really messy. I can see why Arenanet isn't going for the gear +stat progression and no raid progression in Guild Wars 2.

All the new stuff announced today? Seems plausible to be free content updates... that is until you consider the level cap increase. No MMO I can think of raises level cap without it being part of an expansion.

 

And this is EA we are talking about. SWTOR hasnt exactly been doing well lately. For me, 12 months is too soon to raise the level cap. Seems like a cash grab.

you would lose your credits

http://www.torhead.com/guide/leaks

we know this is going to be patch updates.

Not quite. I hate having to bring up Guild Wars 2, but thats an example of a game that you dont have to grind to be relevant in pvp. Currently in swtor they went too far with the ammount of grind required to get War Hero gear.

 

Introducing more grind in order to get people to stay subscribed could very well backfire and cause just the opposite.

GW2 is a successful MMO because it hasnt been released yet. Every MMO that's not been released is always labeled as the best MMO ever made and a potential WoW-killer.

... and then they are released!!

Agreed, I really don't want a level cap increase already... I mean come on. It better be doable in less than a day...

I can understand that but they talked about it in the Guild Sumit they said they wanted to finish all the classes stories or at least add a lot more with in the next year.

You really can't continue everyones story if you don't increase the level cap otherwise everyone would just finish the story quests in 1 day.