Social points....

You seem to have made the same odd mistake the Devs have made, in which you confuse group based PvE with being "social". Honestly, that's just kind of sad.

PvE doesn't = being social.

here we go again....

They are two diff things...
one is playing through the pve, just like you would but with others.. Dont have to do same quest twice EVER. just play the game and earn points along the way without grinding.

the other is doing the same flashpoint over and over and over till you get upset and write a thread like this.

Honest Question please answer:
If they were called group conversation points would you still be upset?

because right now you feel you are being social. Maybe you are, who am i to say. But you are not meeting the requirements of the game to give points. simple as that. no matter what they are called.

they want you to participate in group dialogs..
you do - points
you dont - no points

I dont expect to get anything without working at it. I may hate pvp but i dont expect to get valor unless i do wat the game wants me to do to get it.

also i made a thread in suggestions that i think can help relieve this a little.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=218136

Doesn't mean the way to get social points doesn't need work. A lot of the flashpoints have very little dialogue cut-scenes, not nearly as much as you have in Esseles and Black Talon, for example. A lot of the heroics don't even have much dialogue options where you can earn social points. So even if you run flashpoints and heroics, you don't get THAT many social points after the lower level stuff. Also, because the return contact for a heroic is often on the other end of the zone or even in another zone, I end up having a lot of people quit the group after we're done fighting but before we turn in the quest so I end up having to turn the quest in by myself and can't get any social points for the final convos. So just because people run flashpoints and group up for heroics and other content, doesn't mean they'll be swimming in social points.

I don't understand what you want. What is an "actual social way to earn points"? The game defines "social" as grouping with other players. Please provide examples of what besides grouping should earn you social points.

This is a pet peeve of mine as well. 'Mostly' because when I hit BT, I assumed the whole system was a clever 'hook' to get you to flashpoint more. Much like Wintergrasp hooked me into PvP and Darkness Falls hooked me into RvR.

After BT?

Wonk wonk wonk wonnnnnk.

Now, granted, I've only seen 4 of the flashpoints since then, but I think they each, 'maybe' have one chance for social points 'inside' them. Other than that, you either have to ask everyone to abandon the quest and pick it up again 'together', and/or convince them to stick around after the flashpoint during the turn in before the quick 'k thx bye', or you get nothing...and like it.

My idea is to spruce up the Flashpoints with more conversations. And I'm sure that'd make Timmy McGoNowHatzorsConvoBad angry, but he can just hit 'space'...and if everyone has seen it, 'everyone' can hit space to get to the choices, which everyone will do at some point, no harm, no foul.

But the conversations can be like the computer thing in HS, where's it's just a bracketed description.

[Everyone argues about how best to proceed]

(choices w/ your stock voices...there's plenty...and it's not like they already don't re-use those over and over and over again in the quests, and they don't already not match up to 'exactly' what you are saying, and we realize this, and have accepted it...so we're all good to go)

[Jimmy McNugget says it doesn't concern him...and you argue some more. Tina throws a chair at Mitch]

(a. You think a lot of yourself don't you.)
(b. This doesn't concern me.)
(c. etc)

The tools are there, just sneak in some more of those little cutscenes, add some flair to the story, why we're there, why there's a big ol' asteroid being flung at planets. Heck, put an NPC out on the thing the first time you come across it with a dark/light choice to let it plow over the guy and carry him out into space! They can be initiated with recorders on the ground, computers, other objects, dead bodies, or trip wires.

There. Mo' flashpoints; mo' social points.

everybody likes to think im starting a flame war or something but I am simply trying to state the facts...

I dont care if its called "social points" or "group dialog points" or "bioware troll you points"

its just a title what matters is the requirement and the requirements are participating in group dialogs. Fact / not arguable


Bioware put these points in not just to get to talk to each other. That happens naturally. They point these points in place to get people to play through the story and leveling experiance (which is considered the bread and butter of this game) with others in groups. It is an incentive to play the game in groups.

No trolling... what is not to get?

Sorry, but to me it's exactly the same thing. I consider group based PvE for points to be a grind, whether it's flashpoints of not doesn't change that.


Yes, but at least it wouldn't be as hypocritical.

Thus: this thread.

I don't expect to get anything without working at it either, but I expect the game to allow me to put work in such a way that I enjoy playing.

Again... Thus: This thread.

Your PvP analogy is bad because if you don't PvP you have no need for valor at all. It'a a purely PvP stat. Social gear can be used and enjoyed by anyone no matter how they play the game, and so they should have more than one way to earn it.


Don't see the connection really.

In my opinion, the cart is ahead of the horse.

If you introduced social points in, say, EQ or even early LotRO when 'most' of the great quest lines ended with group content. If there were social points to be earned in LotRO back then, it'd be kinda cool.

Now days, questing is largely a solo process. Something you do to level your character up, to get into different PvP war fronts and to advance to dungeons. You expect group content in dungeons and PvP. Questing? Honestly? I gave up on that a 'long' time ago. At the 'most', I maybe have a character that I play exclusively with a friend, but my main? I'm not going to sit around and keep LFG in chat to do quests. I'd be sitting there all day. And typing that without a response in chat for hours doesn't make me social. Demented and sad, but 'not' social'.

Now...Heriocs? You bet! That is content that is specifically designed for more people. Do I do it that much? No. Would I do it if there were 7-10 opportunities 'per daily heroic quest' to get social points for losing each roll, and double for winning? Yes, yes I would. But the ones I've seen, here again, have 'no' opportunity within the quest. Again, we're back to talking everyone into dropping it for 'maybe' 1-2 rolls to start, and 'maybe' a roll on turn-in. Woo-(choose your favorite explitive)-hoo!

I LOVE the system! I wish they'd use it properly. In my opinion, and yes, it's my opinion, I'm not going to stand here and defend it as truth, there are more opportunities to get it grouping for solo content, but not enough for content that is 'clearly' social content.

Social interaction.

Player run events, cantina mini games, visiting other player's in their ships, helping players with questions they might have etc. etc.

Anything would be better that PvE.

Bioware never inteded you to grind Flashpoints to get social points. At least not as the PRIMARY way to get them. Sure they there but its not the most efficient way of getting them.

Most people who play flashpoints arent interested as much in tons of dialog anyways. And putting more dialog in (repeatable) flashpoints that people skip after the first time anyways would be a move in the wrong direction. It wouldn't make people group any more then before. And getting people to group and experience STORY together is the goal.