Jump to content

Legacy system family tree---what is the benefit?


RolyartNala

Recommended Posts

Someone please help me understand this.

 

From what I can tell, the family tree does bupkiss.

 

Zero. Zilch. Nada. It appears to be a fancy UI for linking your characters together, the in-game benefit of which appears to be squat. I mean, correct me if I missed something, but it doesn't appear to be tied to any of the level/credit-based rewards for the Legacy system.

 

The family tree appears to be so useless that not even role-players benefit from it, since you can't SHOW your family tree to other role-players. What, then, is the difference in benefit to role-playing between the family tree system in 1.2 and simply writing down your characters' family connections on a piece of scratch paper and then just telling people what they are?

 

I mean, is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the system has no practical value (even to role-players)? If I am missing what the in-game benefit of the family tree is, someone please tell me. Thanks.

Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 175
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Someone please help me understand this.

 

From what I can tell, the family tree does bupkiss.

 

Zero. Zilch. Nada. It appears to be a fancy UI for linking your characters together, the in-game benefit of which appears to be squat. I mean, correct me if I missed something, but it doesn't appear to be tied to any of the level/credit-based rewards for the Legacy system.

 

The family tree appears to be so useless that not even role-players benefit from it, since you can't SHOW your family tree to other role-players. What, then, is the difference in benefit to role-playing between the family tree system in 1.2 and simply writing down your characters' family connections on a piece of scratch paper and then just telling people what they are?

 

I mean, is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the system has no practical value (even to role-players)? If I am missing what the in-game benefit of the family tree is, someone please tell me. Thanks.

 

Well, originally they said that the legacy class abilities (i.e. legacy force choke) would only be available to characters connected via the family tree to the unlocking character. It's unclear though if that is still true.

 

Wouldn't be the first time that a change to a small part of one design renders an entirely different design completely superfluous, and nobody thought to then get rid of the superfluous feature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wouldn't be the first time that a change to a small part of one design renders an entirely different design completely superfluous, and nobody thought to then get rid of the superfluous feature.
Sure, but it's more than that. This isn't a vestigal system, but a system that's been touted in the latest Developer Dispatch. I can't imagine why they would hype a system that has literally zero in-game benefit. Sooo....BioWare, what is the benefit of this system?

 

I mean, if the answer is "So you'll know how your characters are related," well big whoop. I can do that on my own with a pencil and a piece of paper. There has to be more to it than that, right?

 

Right? :p

Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The family tree adds a bit of extra fun for players who want that bit of immersion into their characters. It allows one to create a fun story in their head about their characters. Bob the jedi is the long lost brother stan the sith. Its obviously a feature that not every one will like, want, or use but for the other players it will be a lot of fun. Edited by Helishron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean, if the answer is "So you'll know how your characters are related," well big whoop. I can do that on my own with a pencil and a piece of paper. There has to be more to it than that, right?

 

Right? :p

 

It simply sets up the framework for future improvements. /shrug

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The family tree adds a bit of extra fun for players who want that bit of immersion into their characters. It allows one to create a fun story in their head about their characters. Bob the jedi is the long lost brother stan the sith. Its obviously a feature that not every one will like, want, or use but for the other players it will be a lot of fun.
But why do we need a system for that? Like you said, a player's imagination will suffice. If the system can't be viewed by other role-players, then what is the benefit over just writing down your story elsewhere? Either way you still have to explain it to people. If that is literally all it does, the family tree doesn't seem a smart use of development manhours.

 

Someone feel free to clarify if I've missed something.

Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It simply sets up the framework for future improvements. /shrug
Okay, but then why hype it? Heck, why even include it if isn't a thing that does something, but is the thing that will facilitate some future system that isn't in 1.2? Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It simply sets up the framework for future improvements. /shrug

 

In a way I hope so... Because that way it has meaning.

 

In a way I hope not because if it has functionnality in the future I would hate to set it up only to find out later that my decisions would have been different had I only known....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, but then why hype it? Heck, why even include it if isn't a thing that does something, but is the thing that will facilitate some future system that isn't in 1.2?

 

I think you know the answer to that question...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as benefit your right there is none. Just like there is no benefit, except aesthetic, to up grade from low level orange gear to high level orange gear. Sure if it has an augment slot its better in game but for all intensive purposes lv 1 orange gear is as good as lv 50 orange gear since you can put the same mods in either.
Actually, the word "aesthetic" means that there is a huge benefit to moddable orange gear in that (1) your character now looks awesome and (2) other people can see and appreciate the awesome. That is the definition of aesthetics. The family tree, on the other hand, has no aesthetic value. Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But why do we need a system for that? Like you said, a player's imagination will suffice. If the system can't be viewed by other role-players, then what is the benefit over just writing down your story elsewhere? Either way you still have to explain it to people. If that is literally all it does, the family tree doesn't seem a smart use of development manhours.

 

Someone feel free to clarify if I've missed something.

 

The Legacy system does give 50s something do to besides grinding endgame. And for support of Alts, to experience and make leveling a little bit easier than the grind it already is (doing all the quests a second/third time). Second, if you are a role-player nobody should be able to see your family tree anyways. Because, in roleplay wise you don't even know who's is his/her family until you asked, or get told, would be a mistake being able to see this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But why do we need a system for that? Like you said, a player's imagination will suffice. If the system can't be viewed by other role-players, then what is the benefit over just writing down your story elsewhere? Either way you still have to explain it to people. If that is literally all it does, the family tree doesn't seem a smart use of development manhours.

 

Someone feel free to clarify if I've missed something.

 

I've been saying this all along about things like spell and combat animations, sound effects, and the in game music. We don't NEED THEM. Just have everyone stand there and report everything that happens using numbers. The animations and sounds effects have NO IN GAME BENEFIT AT ALL and are completely unneeded. A players imagination will suffice. There is no reason to have anything more to create a mood.

 

Yes, you sound like that.

 

Some of us like cool things because they are cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, but then why hype it? Heck, why even include it if isn't a thing that does something...

 

There's no harm in including something, even if it doesn't have practical value to everyone. There are many players who will enjoy linking their characters together, even if there's a lot of room for future improvement.

 

I run a business. We keep a lot of metrics on the products we're shipping out, and lot of it is simply testing and quality control data. We've made the decision to make as much of this data available to the customer as possible, because we believe that customers appreciate it. The data itself lacks context, and isn't explicitly valuable to everyone, but we've heard nothing but positive feedback from customers who appreciate the transparency.

 

If Bioware has this cool little feature ready to go that 'does nothing', there's still no harm putting it in now. Lots of people will appreciate it for what it is, other people will ignore it. A few overly entitled players will whine about it. That's business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been saying this all along about things like spell and combat animations, sound effects, and the in game music. We don't NEED THEM. Just have everyone stand there and report everything that happens using numbers. The animations and sounds effects have NO IN GAME BENEFIT AT ALL and are completely unneeded. A players imagination will suffice. There is no reason to have anything more to create a mood.

 

Yes, you sound like that.

 

Some of us like cool things because they are cool.

I think you're making a valid point, but your examples are poor. Character animations have both practical and aesthetic value. Music in games has practical and aesthetic value. The family tree as I currently understand it is neither practical nor aesthetic.

Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no harm in including something, even if it doesn't have practical value to everyone. There are many players who will enjoy linking their characters together, even if there's a lot of room for future improvement.

 

I run a business. We keep a lot of metrics on the products we're shipping out, and lot of it is simply testing and quality control data. We've made the decision to make as much of this data available to the customer as possible, because we believe that customers appreciate it. The data itself lacks context, and isn't explicitly valuable to everyone, but we've heard nothing but positive feedback from customers who appreciate the transparency.

 

If Bioware has this cool little feature ready to go that 'does nothing', there's still no harm putting it in now. Lots of people will appreciate it for what it is, other people will ignore it. A few overly entitled players will whine about it. That's business.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're not calling me a whiner. I'm just asking a question here.

 

Point taken. That said, I was hoping for more responses along the lines of "Oh, dude. It does this thing---you just missed it" so I could say "Oh, cool. It does do something. Now I know."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But why do we need a system for that? Like you said, a player's imagination will suffice. If the system can't be viewed by other role-players, then what is the benefit over just writing down your story elsewhere? Either way you still have to explain it to people. If that is literally all it does, the family tree doesn't seem a smart use of development manhours.

 

Someone feel free to clarify if I've missed something.

 

No your right. It serves no purpose or benefit in game. Its similar to having low level orange gear or high level orange gear. If they both have the same mods they are essentially the same from a game stand point. What matters though is the aesthetics. People would not be happy with one brown/black outfit for jedi/sith they want options.

 

So bioware is giving people that like to get into their characters a bit more options to how they imagine their character. Its the same reason they are adding pets to the game, or have different color crystals for the weapons. Some people wont care but others will play for days trying to get the pet they want or to collect them all. Other people like me will just say Meh..and move on.

 

For me i come from a household that plays Sims a lot so all this makes sense to me. My family will spend countless hours doing things in the sims and then they talk about their characters at the dinner table like they were family. 'So rose just had a baby boy with jack. I had to build a room for the baby and ran out of money so jack started selling more of his art to pay for the things the baby will need. Its tough because rose is at home all day and so cant really go to her job at the lab, im afraid if she misses any more days she will get fired and have to look for another job..'

 

This kind of conversation goes on and on..you have no idea how much they can get into this pretend life they have created. I would say the family tree/pets cater to these types of people...:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is so typical humanity, not being happy about what is coming but having to complain about everything. xD
Why do so many people equate questioning to complaining? Who's complaining? I was asking for data (and I seem to have it now).

Edited by RolyartNala
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone please help me understand this.

 

From what I can tell, the family tree does bupkiss.

 

Zero. Zilch. Nada. It appears to be a fancy UI for linking your characters together, the in-game benefit of which appears to be squat. I mean, correct me if I missed something, but it doesn't appear to be tied to any of the level/credit-based rewards for the Legacy system.

 

The family tree appears to be so useless that not even role-players benefit from it, since you can't SHOW your family tree to other role-players. What, then, is the difference in benefit to role-playing between the family tree system in 1.2 and simply writing down your characters' family connections on a piece of scratch paper and then just telling people what they are?

 

I mean, is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the system has no practical value (even to role-players)? If I am missing what the in-game benefit of the family tree is, someone please tell me. Thanks.

 

they did say the planned on expanding on the legacy system alot. i believe it was also implied that it would affect things like your storyline at some point in the future

Link to comment
Share on other sites


×
×
  • Create New...