I think the problem is you move through zones so linearly that you don't see others. People who got to the planet first are ahead of you, people starting later are behind you, and you never cross paths.

 

I think this is a big reasons why players don't intersect more often and the worlds feel empty. Bioware really needs to somehow design zones with more crossing over but without feeling like backtracking or wasteful travel time.

 

Not sure how to do that but I'm not a game designer.

its not just the zones.. its the entire world. The planets are like individual holes, and the trees are so think you cant even see the group playing on the hole behind you. When you finish hole 18,, you dont even ever have to drive around the course.. you just go sit in the clubhouse all day long talking about your awesome score/handicap Edited February 1, 2012 by Frammshamm

The majority of servers barely hit above standard populations during peak time. I have no idea what the actual pop caps are but the two servers I've been playing on are far too quiet and it's been detrimental to my gaming experience. Some people may really enjoy it, I have no idea. Edited February 1, 2012 by Xerda

I think the problem is you move through zones so linearly that you don't see others. People who got to the planet first are ahead of you, people starting later are behind you, and you never cross paths.

 

I think this is a big reasons why players don't intersect more often and the worlds feel empty. Bioware really needs to somehow design zones with more crossing over but without feeling like backtracking or wasteful travel time.

 

Not sure how to do that but I'm not a game designer.

 

 

 

Yeah it seems to be the way new MMOs are built.

 

One the one hand if done well it helps guide people, but on the other extreme if done badely it can feel just like playing golf.

Yeah it seems to be the way new MMOs are built.

 

One the one hand if done well it helps guide people, but on the other extreme if done badely it can feel just like playing golf.

 

negative sir. Playing golf is actually FUN, SWTOR is NOT

This is standard MMO Theme Park zone design. It's been like this for years with progressive quest hubs and quest dispensers aka NPCs.

I remember back in the times when i was playing WOW... travelling around is actually fun, like when you meet different ppl on the zepplin and such... why cant SWTOR provide a more social galaxy Edited February 1, 2012 by pewpewpewlaser

I agree that you don't seem to ever see someone more than once. Although I am hoping to be able to play golf in GTAV. Have you ever played Sim Golf? It's a very cool game even now.

 

I used to love the golf games that came with a course designer, before Tiger. Actua Golf was quite underated in it's day and now Tiger Woods XX has become the Taco Bell of golf games (Demolition Man). I would build my local golf courses, anyway they should make a Sim Golf 2.

 

Sorry to be off topic but you triggered something in my brain. I don't think it's the layout though. Is it not that you are in instance 86 and the person you met yesterday is in instance 56 and then tomorrow you are in 48 and they 92? Or does the game not work that way?

This is standard MMO Theme Park zone design.

 

Now that I think about it Cata was like this too. Going from hub to hub and because of the phasing, you didn't see as much people around you. People didn't really seem to notice. It just feels kinda extreme in this game.

 

I know there are other issues like the instances for group quests and class stories and sharding but I think this is something that is easier to change in upcoming content additions.

This is standard MMO Theme Park zone design. It's been like this for years with progressive quest hubs and quest dispensers aka NPCs.

 

Name a truly successful theme park MMO.

Now that I think about it Cata was like this too. Going from hub to hub and because of the phasing, you didn't see as much people around you. People didn't really seem to notice. It just feels kinda extreme in this game.

 

I know there are other issues like the instances for group quests and class stories and sharding but I think this is something that is easier to change in upcoming content additions.

 

Unless someone can come up with an idea how to make travelling back and forth fun. It is not possible.

 

Chances are, people would whine "why can't I just get it all done in one shot instead of having me coming back later on to quest in the same area? I want to move forward, not backward"

 

Oh wait...I have seen that already...

Name a truly successful theme park MMO.

 

Hmm... let me think about that for a minute. This is quite a hard question to answer...

 

Wait I think I found it!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_WarCraft

Now that I think about it Cata was like this too. Going from hub to hub and because of the phasing, you didn't see as much people around you. People didn't really seem to notice. It just feels kinda extreme in this game.

 

I know there are other issues like the instances for group quests and class stories and sharding but I think this is something that is easier to change in upcoming content additions.

 

There wasn't much phasing in the cata zones.

I'm just going to put this out there;

 

After almost 10 years of fighting people over mob spawns while questing, I actually find the lower population per shard to be refreshing.

 

Also, as someone with quest OCD (I must complete ALL QUESTS before leaving a zone) having them lined up in a nice straight line is kind of nice.

Edited February 1, 2012 by Yfelsung

This is standard MMO Theme Park zone design. It's been like this for years with progressive quest hubs and quest dispensers aka NPCs.

 

No, theme park does not = linear, necessarily. A guided experience can be helpful, but the golf course analogy was a good one. Even though the servers may have players, we're not apt to see many of them due to this design.

Name a truly successful theme park MMO.

 

Uh...World of Warcraft. Dur...

The problem with this complain is that many of the zones are not designed "like a golf course" and there is lot of going back in and forth and back again in relatively open spaces.

 

I'm sure that if we would have small, open zones with just one main hub, so to gather all people questing on the zone in close proximity, that would draw complains too.

No, theme park does not = linear, necessarily. A guided experience can be helpful, but the golf course analogy was a good one. Even though the servers may have players, we're not apt to see many of them due to this design.

 

So you basically want small planets like the origin planets, just the "corridors" removed?

This is standard MMO Theme Park zone design. It's been like this for years with progressive quest hubs and quest dispensers aka NPCs.

 

I find it sad that game designers in the MMO market don't think outside the box and actually innovate anymore.

 

There's a serious lack of creativity and innovation. I'm thinking this has something to do with the initial cost of the project. MMO's are generally very expensive to make and if you slap a subscription fee on it, it better be worth it.

 

I forsee MMO's being free to play in the near future. I sense that Blizzard and other shops are expecting Guild Wars 2 shake up the MMO market really hard.

No, theme park does not = linear, necessarily. A guided experience can be helpful, but the golf course analogy was a good one. Even though the servers may have players, we're not apt to see many of them due to this design.

 

I really do not understand this. I played WoW from launch until mid WotFailKing and Rift from launch until SWTOR started up and aside from the initial rush of new players in a new game, I rarely saw anyone out questing unless you count quest hubs.

I find it sad that game designers in the MMO market don't think outside the box and actually innovate anymore.

 

There's a serious lack of creativity and innovation. I'm thinking this has something to do with the initial cost of the project. MMO's are generally very expensive to make and if you slap a subscription fee on it, it better be worth it.

 

I forsee MMO's being free to play in the near future. I sense that Blizzard and other shops are expecting Guild Wars 2 shake up the MMO market really hard.

 

No, it has to do with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Theme park style works better at level cap. There you can mix and match as you see fit because the mobs are all the same level.

 

However, because the zones are story driven, they will always tend to be linearly driven.

Greetings everyone!

 

We recently had to remove some posts due to the thread going a bit off-topic. Please remember to keep your replies constructive and on-topic to the thread and while we understand golf was used as an analogy in this case, please try to keep the thread related to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.

 

Thank you!

I actualy dont have the same problem as most people have here. Might be the server might be the level. Although i have it more on my alts and on certain times.

 

Regulary i group people to avoid waiting for the questboss or run around and thinking hm this is to easy where are all the mobs only to find out that there is someone ahead of me killing said mobs.

It isnt as populated as wow zones where although some where also pretty empty but it isnt a ghosttown at all. But maby just make less instances i normaly only see 1 or 2 so that kinda helps.

negative sir. Playing golf is actually FUN, SWTOR is NOT

 

That's a bit harsh.