Things in those packs are so ugly, I see why George Lucas has distanced himself from Life Day.

That cause you think something like prepared food and what cane happen if not prepared correctly and your lack of getting a digital item is equal. They are not.

Most raw spiders are fine to eat, never mind cooked ones.

Again the complaints are the same and about the same thing.

How many factors you want added to that question cause your going to have to get very specific and long winded.

Is it every 6 weeks?

Is it small patches?

Is it large?

What does each patch contain?

 

You get my point?

 

If you want a general answer and nothing to specific, I would pay for content above and beyond my $15 / month to a certain extent if need be as long as BW makes me feel my $15 a month is still worth what I can play plus the additional cost.

Yeah, there's not really an answer in there. You seem to basically be saying it depends on how much it would cost, which again goes right back to what I've been saying about cost.

 

Seeing as how I can not participate in said event. I'd wager a guess there is no event in game. Doesn't matter what you imagine it should be or want it to be. It's not happening in game as in game content.

 

You can go create it yourself and with your buddies but as a world in game holiday event. Not happening.

 

So, the gear in question is nothing more than some themed gear added to the store. Thats about all it is and it being sold so you can role play a little is OK with me.

Again though that is all any MMORPG Holiday gear is, it's just in most MMORPGs you get it for free by doing something in game, and in SWTOR you've got to pay extortionate amounts of cash over and above your subscription dollars.

I'm curious that if someone opened a BMW dealer on the road you drive to and from work....

 

Would you stop and complain that they are "dangling a car at you" that you can't afford?

 

You know, there are people that "can" afford said things... and these are who the target customer is.

 

Sorry, but you can demand they give you a BMW all you want... But just because you drive by their dealer, doesn't entitle you to one.

 

But we have already bought the BMW with our sub....to frame your analogy would be we bought the BMW, but they want to charge for the steering wheel, lights, gas tank, heat and air.

Well effectively they haven't. They are just trying to SELL something holiday related which is an entirely different things.

 

I agree mostly with you. I think it kinda sucks that they didn't do a Life Day World Event and I think they should've done an event alongside the CM stuff. But my assumption is that if there is any seasonal theme where they can sell special stuff in the CM they will because that's how EA's EASY runs their F2P games. EASY runs it where IF there is a free event or freebees you can bet there are also things being sold in the cash shop. Or EASY will just sell stuff in the cash shop and call it a day as a successful "celebration" of the seasons currently being marketed.

 

Like I said previously I'm new to MMOs but I've checked out EASY's games so I'm a bit jaded with how marketing in the F2P model works under EA. Sadly I'd say that, compared to how EASY runs cash shops, if this is the worst the CM does I'll be delighted and consider the CM very well done.

 

I never thougth they'd introduce limited time scams into the Cashshop, I probably should have known better.

Just to be clear you believe they are selling this as "limited time" so they can charge more for them? Not because they only want to sell them over the time period of Life Day? I guess you have a lower opinion of Bioware EA than I do.

 

You would be correct that I believe they tagged the limited time on so they could charge a very high price. That it coincides with Life Day provides a convenient excuse to have something holiday themed (and thus be like every other MMO that apparently does some holiday theme) without getting people ragging that it doesn't fit the lore. I'd argue that I have a lower opinion of EA, not BioWare but at this point we'd be arguing over technicalities.

 

I would've been amazed if they had charged less than 1.5X the cost of the most expensive complete non-limited time armor set being sold in the CM prior to the Life Day stuff. And I would've considered it evidence that the Mayan end of the world will occur if it had been priced the same price (or cheaper than) the most expensive non-limited time full armor set.

 

Because is it insanely expensive. Compared to normal cartel gear and compared to Holiday event gear in any other MMORPG.

 

Like I said I'm new to MMOs so I don't have anything to compare it to in that regard. That being said I'm very cynical with pricing and held no expectation that anything that had "limited time" tacked on would come at less than 1.5X the price of the most expensive non-limited time item.

 

Er..... your point was you claimed could buy a pack in 2 month (with saved cartel coins), this is totally impossbile in under 4 months, so I didn't miss your point it was just totally and utterly incorrect.

 

Perhaps we're misunderstanding things. I meant that things like the Outlaw's Armor Set (1,200 CC or thereabouts last I saw) could be bought with roughly 2 months worth of stipends (3 months if your stipend is less than 600 CC/month). I didn't mean that the Life Day packs could be bought with 2 months of stipends so I apologize if I implied that. In that regard my point was that if something like the Outlaw's set takes a minimum of 2 months of stipend saving for 1 toon why should we expect limited time items like the Life Day pack not be priced so they would require at least 1-2 months longer (minimum) of stipend saving. As you've rightly observed limited time means you won't have the time to save up that amount though I would cynically say it's intentional pricing to force people to either 1) save stipends in anticipation of the next limited time item release or 2) shell out cash because they spent their stipend.

 

Again my pricing assumption of Life Day items naturally being more expensive is influenced by my cynicism that you noted earlier.

Edited December 11, 2012 by Gavin_Kelvar

Also included in this Game Update is the Blockade Runner Cartel Pack, a new pack with more than 25 exclusive items available in the Cartel Market. Fans in particular will appreciate new weapons, new Droid minipets, the Light side’s answer to the Domination Throne, and a very cool mask that first made its appearance in the original Knights of the Old Republic. We plan to release these packs more frequently in the future, so you can always look for cool new in-game items.

From the promo post just up today.

 

Translation: Nothing comes into the game from here on out except through the Cartel Shop.

 

Happy Life Day!

Its a game...deal with it. Oh BOO HOO your poor pixelated items aren't free or easy to get...go tell that to people starving on this planet or getting killed every day in some civil war or something. You people make me sick sometimes with all your whining and crying and not having a CLUE about all the pain outside in the world that you are lucky enough to avoid.

 

I have tons of disposable income, so I can buy what i want...but if I didn't I sure as heck would not be crying here on the forums knowing that somewhere some 90 pound under nourished kid is going to be wracked with hunger while I cry about a 2400 cartel coin pixel pack.

I've been generally happy with what BW has done with the game and haven't had much to complain about up until now. I don't post much and mostly just lurk these forums but I feel I have to come here and post my agreement with most people here. I am one of those people who love the special events in these games and getting all the unique items associated with them. I don't mind that they put armor sets, crystals, pets, etc. on the cartel market but the putting the "event" items on there, without an alternate way to earn them by questing or whatever, is just wrong. I feel that subscribers should have the option to earn these items some other way. My limited stipend of CC coins for this month is not going to allow me to get all the limited time "event" items without paying out the *** to get them on the GTN. This will prevent me from enjoying this "event" as much as I have the others.

From the promo post just up today.

 

Translation: Nothing comes into the game from here on out except through the Cartel Shop.

 

Happy Life Day!

 

Translation No2: Nothing comes into the game from here on out except through the Cartel Shop. However, everything sold on the Cartel Shop can be purchased for in-game credits from the GTN or through trading with other players.

 

yes...that's more accurate....

Its a game...deal with it. Oh BOO HOO your poor pixelated items aren't free or easy to get...go tell that to people starving on this planet or getting killed every day in some civil war or something. You people make me sick sometimes with all your whining and crying and not having a CLUE about all the pain outside in the world that you are lucky enough to avoid.

 

I have tons of disposable income, so I can buy what i want...but if I didn't I sure as heck would not be crying here on the forums knowing that somewhere some 90 pound under nourished kid is going to be wracked with hunger while I cry about a 2400 cartel coin pixel pack.

 

Well the items are actually very easy to get you click a button and your done but hey that counts as content right??

 

Seen as tho you have tons of disposable income maybe you should donate some to that under nourished kid like alot of us do then maybe your "tons" for disposible income wouldnt be so much and you would get the warm fuzzy feeling knowing you had helped someone instead of buying pixelated items with real world cash.

See those sort of cartel packs with brand new items for people to get are exactly what they should be focusing on with the Cartel Market. You could argue the random nature of them are a bit dirty but from a business sense, it's very clever. Stuff like over-priced festive stuff including re-skinned lawnmowers with x-mas lights on them and p2w spaceship upgrades are taking it too imho and EA's greed showing less than a month since f2p/cartel market was introduced to the game.

 

O and response to the topic title.. SHUP UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

Translation No2: Nothing comes into the game from here on out except through the Cartel Shop. However, everything sold on the Cartel Shop can be purchased for in-game credits from the GTN or through trading with other players.

 

yes...that's more accurate....

 

Except everything from the GTN and trade still ultimately comes from, you guessed it, the Cartel Shop. I once looked at that little tidbit as a positive, but I've grown cynical with this patch. They're just going to use that little asterisk as an excuse for adding anything and everything to the shop. It has become the focus of the game, and that's a very bad thing.

Except everything from the GTN and trade still ultimately comes from, you guessed it, the Cartel Shop. I once looked at that little tidbit as a positive, but I've grown cynical with this patch. They're just going to use that little asterisk as an excuse for adding anything and everything to the shop. It has become the focus of the game, and that's a very bad thing.

 

And you care if someone chooses to spend his real life money to get things from the cartel shop just to sell them on the GTN because...?

And you care if someone chooses to spend his real life money to get things from the cartel shop just to sell them on the GTN because...?

 

I don't care, at all.

Never implied that I did.

 

I am simply distressed by the fact that virtually all developed content is being connected to the shop in some way. And instead of being invested back into the game to bring us more of the things that made SW:TOR great, we're getting tired, rehashed and repetitive content that is phoned in merely to get people to stick around until the next round of shinies. The Cartel Shop has become the purpose of this game for BioWare. And that's not a good thing.

I don't care, at all.

Never implied that I did.

 

I am simply distressed by the fact that virtually all developed content is being connected to the shop in some way. And instead of being invested back into the game to bring us more of the things that made SW:TOR great, we're getting tired, rehashed and repetitive content that is phoned in merely to get people to stick around until the next round of shinies. The Cartel Shop has become the purpose of this game for BioWare. And that's not a good thing.

 

It's not like the more cynical users didn't warn you about how to EA treats games on life support. They are going to milk players for as much as they are willing to pay. We danced with the devil, and the devil doesn't change.

I don't care, at all.

Never implied that I did.

 

I am simply distressed by the fact that virtually all developed content is being connected to the shop in some way. And instead of being invested back into the game to bring us more of the things that made SW:TOR great, we're getting tired, rehashed and repetitive content that is phoned in merely to get people to stick around until the next round of shinies. The Cartel Shop has become the purpose of this game for BioWare. And that's not a good thing.

 

I wouldn't say that.

They did give a new PVP set (just like they gave a new PVE set with one of the patch), a new WZ, Section X and HK-51, none of which have any connection to the Cartel Shop, with the exception of purchasing the right to use them for F2P players, which really doesn't affect subs at all.

 

Of course the Cartel Shop is going to be a major focus for them to make up for all the lost revenue from going F2P and there is always room for improvement and more content, but until now I have not seen any unreasonable focus on the CS. Granted, I would have liked more content and more vanity gear added to the game without having to buy it one way or another from the Cartel Shop and without it being a shameless recoloring of a previous set, but still...

I'm happy that BioWare/EA found a new way to make Money but honestly keeping most of the Items only obtainable on the Cartel Market unless someone else buys them and puts them up on GTN for a dumb amount of Money is just stupid, i personally feel like im getting punished for staying subscribed to the Game with the little new Content they do add that we don't have to pay Extra for if we want it. Make it so those Cartel Items are more Obtainable for those that are Subscribed and keep it the way it is for those F2P's, even giving Subscribed a 33% off on all Cartel Item's would be a Major Improvements for us.

I wouldn't say that.

They did give a new PVP set (just like they gave a new PVE set with one of the patch), a new WZ, Section X and HK-51, none of which have any connection to the Cartel Shop, with the exception of purchasing the right to use them for F2P players, which really doesn't affect subs at all.

 

Of course the Cartel Shop is going to be a major focus for them to make up for all the lost revenue from going F2P and there is always room for improvement and more content, but until now I have not seen any unreasonable focus on the CS. Granted, I would have liked more content and more vanity gear added to the game without having to buy it one way or another from the Cartel Shop and without it being a shameless recoloring of a previous set, but still...

 

They're giving us the tried and tired tropes of the genre. HK-51 was the greatest thing to grace the game post-release but, as much as I love him, that isn't saying much. People didn't pick up SW:TOR for the dailies or the warzones. With a few welcome exceptions (extensive modding, Legacy, HK-51), everything BioWare has added since I was invited to the beta has been a rehash of things that have been done before, and usually better, elsewhere. Even today's patch is simply Khaine's Embrace - I was burned out on this warzone before I even entered it.

 

The few unique aspects of SW:TOR are what kept me around and hoping for so long. It's just very sad to me that nearly all post-release development has been dedicated to a playerbase that isn't interested in SW:TOR as they're already playing the games that SW:TOR is attempting to poach players from by (often clumsily) aping their content.

 

And there is now little hope that we will see uniquely SW:TOR content from here on out.

 

And again, I find that sad.

Well i love swtor but I have to say this makes me mad. This is the first mmo that I have ever played that makes you pay to enjoy holiday fun. There should really be quests to get these items at least for subs. This is a big fat fail imo bioware.

 

Hm, I'll concede that some quests would have been nice.

I'm just tickled they even touched on Life Day.

They're giving us the tried and tired tropes of the genre. HK-51 was the greatest thing to grace the game post-release but, as much as I love him, that isn't saying much. People didn't pick up SW:TOR for the dailies or the warzones. With a few welcome exceptions (extensive modding, Legacy, HK-51), everything BioWare has added since I was invited to the beta has been a rehash of things that have been done before, and usually better, elsewhere. Even today's patch is simply Khaine's Embrace - I was burned out on this warzone before I even entered it.

 

The few unique aspects of SW:TOR are what kept me around and hoping for so long. It's just very sad to me that nearly all post-release development has been dedicated to a playerbase that isn't interested in SW:TOR as they're already playing the games that SW:TOR is attempting to poach players from by (often clumsily) aping their content.

 

And there is now little hope that we will see uniquely SW:TOR content from here on out.

 

And again, I find that sad.

 

You're definitely right.

The part that bugs me the most is that the one way to send the message (i.e. - "With your wallet") would probably only serve to kill the game; given it's EA we're dealing with they'd probably cut their losses and run.

 

They need to learn to listen to their customers more and read posts like these, instead of just ignoring it and counting their money. It would also help if big companies like EA and Activision just stepped back, and went to more a role of providing money to BioWare and Blizzard so long as they're still intending to make a good and interesting product. Let the developers develop, y'know?

 

Now, hey, I accept that I could be completely 100% wrong but... That's just how I feel on it. Maybe we'll get lucky and the industry will finally learn it's not just about always meeting that deadline on the EXACT date; sometimes waiting helps (ME3), sometimes it's not about throwing as much money about something as possible at the risk of low profit (SWTOR).

 

And it's not always just the short run. Does catering more to the Cartel Shop help their business model and make more money in the short run? Yes. But with the current trend, in the long run you're going to alienate all but the select few who will put up with it (as a poster in this thread previously stated).

 

And don't think I'm trying to say that money isn't important because people need to eat, bills need to get paid, etc. But money shouldn't be the sole focus, y'know?

 

EA, ActiVision, Capcom... Square Enix, even.

Do us all a favor and start caring about the games again.

 

NOTE: Not meant to be a melodrama post. XD Just a bit o' frustration vent.

Edited December 11, 2012 by shadowspyre

So you'd pay up to 5500 CC per character? Wow fair enough, you must be one of those mythical "whales" they talk about.

 

They are not mythical, and I am indeed a whale when it comes to games that I am having a wonderful time playing. That being said, 5500 coins per character? No. My estimates were based on purchase for a single character, as all pricing should be, otherwise it would be completely unreasonable. I have over 20 characters between the Live Servers and the PTS, so even if I could afford the coinage per character, I would not spend it anyway. It would be unfair to hold BW responsible for the number of characters I choose to create and play with, so basing pricing off of just one is acceptable.

 

Otherwise, where would we draw the line? The two characters that F2Pers get? That would still piss off the people with 8 characters (one of each base class). So we draw the line at 8 toons. What happens then to the players who have 12 toons (the current default for subs on a single server). So we allow the pricing to encompass those players. That still leaves out the players who have 16 characters - 8 on a PvE server and 8 on a PvP server. What about 24 toons - 12 on each? And so on, until either the pricing has to be raised enough to not make it worth purchasing at all, or the cost of the items is so diluted as to not make it worth selling to begin with.

 

Would it be nice if the Armor was bound to accounts so that all toons could use it? Yeah, but again, the way the game was designed, that would be unreasonable, imo, not to mention useless for many of my toons anyway. It seems to me most of the CM items are not bound to a single character outside of the armor (which makes sense to me), so I would only need to purchase one item anyway and transfer it between characters as I play, if I wanted to.

 

BJ

I agree with you. You know what i got being here for 1 year since game was released as a gift for this holiday? 25 fireworks - consumable. Rest i have to buy from cartel shop myself on top of my subscription. That is biggest dissapointment for this holiday and its 1 YEAR anniversary for this game in next week.

 

Really? I have been here almost as long and must have 5 or 6 mails in each of my toons' inboxes that contained free stuff BW gave me just for being a sub in game. Did you just delete them thinking they were spam? What about all those free coins you got for being a sub? I know I got enough to afford a bunch of stuff without having to open up my wallet at this point in time.

 

I care since they enable EA to mess with the people who cant afford to spend real life money on this game.

If they see a profit from these kind of shenanigans then they will think its ok to do it. Ive seen this happen with games and in the end the only people that kept playing the game were the people who could afford to buy it all, everyone else left. The games all died a silent death, like a fart

 

How can one not afford a game that costs nothing to play up to the current level cap?

 

BJ

Edited December 11, 2012 by BJWyler

I'm happy that BioWare/EA found a new way to make Money but honestly keeping most of the Items only obtainable on the Cartel Market unless someone else buys them and puts them up on GTN for a dumb amount of Money is just stupid, i personally feel like im getting punished for staying subscribed to the Game with the little new Content they do add that we don't have to pay Extra for if we want it. Make it so those Cartel Items are more Obtainable for those that are Subscribed and keep it the way it is for those F2P's, even giving Subscribed a 33% off on all Cartel Item's would be a Major Improvements for us.

 

Cartel market discount for subbed players is a brilliant idea, but i still think there should be some event added also

Really? I have been here almost as long and must have 5 or 6 mails in each of my toons' inboxes that contained free stuff BW gave me just for being a sub in game. Did you just delete them thinking they were spam? What about all those free coins you got for being a sub? I know I got enough to afford a bunch of stuff without having to open up my wallet at this point in time.

 

 

 

How can one not afford a game that costs nothing to play up to the current level cap?

 

BJ

 

Ok a few questions,

 

what free things? are you talking about the Tauntaun we got for 1.2 to keep the players sweet for waiting so long for something that should of been in at launch??

 

Or the pet and black hole comms we got for when they did server merges again to keep the players sweet after waiting so long on dead servers and then some losing there names??

 

Next question....

 

you said earlier that you would spend money on things that kept u entertained, so whats entertaining about say the speeder (for example) that you click 1 button to get, dont do any quests or any content, just wondering how that keeps you entertained in the game

Pretty much in line with the amount I spent on gems in GW2 to buy the halloween outfits. Nothing new to be seen here honestly.

 

Except a lot of people here are paying a subscription fee. Charging for fluff items like holiday fireworks is a little underhanded.

BioWare... which I really think this is probably EAs fault but whoever...

 

I have not found anything good enough to post about or something that made me mad enough til now. If you really think your gonna make us pay real money for your stupid life day items without even giving us quests or anything then screw you!!! We deserve that crap for free.