FYI. It is and was always advertised as a mini game. It's our only one at that, and it's a pretty damn good one too. Would rather 1 mini game, or none? And these missions will always be here. Even if sssp comes to light these will always be available so get over it.

 

I don't understand the mentality of "I don't like, take it out of the game." I don't care for pvp, but I'm not in the pvp forum asking it to be removed.

 

Just an FYI: Even in Beta it was laughed at and demanded to be something else (Free roaming). Majority of Beta testers did NOT want the minigame. Yes I'd rather have that development time/cost that wentt towards that minigame that no one wanted put towards something useful. Unfortunately, we can't go back in time and shake some damn sense into the original stubborn development team. THe only time I said that it shouldn't be in the game//taken out WAS IN BETA WHEN FEEDBACK WAS REQUIRED. Hard concept to understand? Apparently it is. Again. That feedback was in BETA and should've been listened to then.

 

Continuing to tell the NEW development team that they are STILL going in the wrong direction is absolutely warranted. All of the hours put into making these new heroic space missions could've went towards a space design that players actually want and unfortunately, your desired mini game is NOT what the majority of players want.

Edited November 29, 2012 by veyl

Im very sorry about this i dont usually contribute to anything like this but i really think you should scrap your space stuff and start again.It is very reminisciant of the atari st back in the 90's and that is a slur on the atari st to be honest as most space games allowed you to fly freely even back in the 90's.Im sorry but your space section of the game just doesnt come close to cutting it.We want 3d space not some pathetic little sprite ship.We want the freedome to roam where we please encountering other pvp players and roaming for missions.Sorry but please delete space.

Im very sorry about this i dont usually contribute to anything like this but i really think you should scrap your space stuff and start again.It is very reminisciant of the atari st back in the 90's and that is a slur on the atari st to be honest as most space games allowed you to fly freely even back in the 90's

 

eh. You had more control over your ship in galaga.

Oh wow, really stretched the creative muscle there ha Bioware? Add more targets to existing space missions, and make the health of enemies larger.

 

So this will be the same 6 or so missions with jpeg background, but now with slightly harder enemies. Will you really blow us away next update and release REVERSE rail versions of these missions? Oh boy I can't wait!

All I can do is sigh, simply because from day one, and even now BioWare has yet to learn their lesson on why they are failing. LISTEN to your customers. Before launch, people complained about the space missions. The space mission are so redundant they are boring. You keep doing the SAME missions over and over again, maybe with a slightly different view, but its the SAME mission none the less.

 

You created Mass Effect 3 BioWare, and it has the ability to fly a ship from planet to planet, and even as cheesy as the graphics might be for that flight path; its much better than what we have here.

 

Lets have some UNIQUE missions. You tell us there is new space missions, but there is nothing new about them. They are the same old missions with a different difficulty. It feels like now, you are tossing what you can together as fast as you can so you don't break the six week deadline for new content.

 

Again, I doubt this will be read and simply ignored like every other person who has protested space missions.

I think you guys are forgetting the fact that the original KOTOR games both had space combat as a teeny-tiny minigame, and still, those turned out to be great, story-driven games. You shouldn't have been expecting anything more, this was supposed to be a KOTOR 3, except with other people playing. I agree, however, that they advertise space combat as something more than it really was, and perhaps that led people to become angry when it turned out that it wasn't actually a huge component in the overall game. Still, I am content with the, er, content of this little minigame, and little improvements are appreciated. Sure, they could be improving the main game, but it's not like these are extremely time-consuming changes. I'd be more upset if they were trying to add more features than what they are adding now, with the current problems that exist in the main game, but this is harmless.

Can you PLEASE change how Proton Torps work? Often I can't destroy targets because I can't fire missiles (even though I have 150 of them) because it wants to lock a torp. I either don't have time to establish a lock and/or I'm out of torps.

 

Can you make it a toggle? SOMETHING?

 

Thanks for the news though, I love the space battles and can't wait. My ONLY complaints are:

 

Torpedo/Missile on the same button (see above)

and

Reused missions. I hate that. I wish you'd have created unique ones. Its bad enough to have to repeat many on a daily basis for comms, but to do some twice is killer.

 

This ^

 

They need to be fireable via a different button than right click. It is just flat out poor game design and has been in since beta. This needs to change, especially if a greater emphasis is put on them in these newer missions.

I think you guys are forgetting the fact that the original KOTOR games both had space combat as a teeny-tiny minigame, and still, those turned out to be great, story-driven games. You shouldn't have been expecting anything more, this was supposed to be a KOTOR 3, except with other people playing..

 

It does not matter what Bioware intended for it to be, it matters what it will become. The customers who spend money on it every month and now even more with the cartel cash drive the game. They say they listen to us. If I was them I would look at what the majority of the players are asking for. For every positive comment in favor of the rail system I see five negative ones. And the positive ones or more or less "just ok" with the mini games and not exactly space fighting players. I am myself OK with the rail missions staying in by all means but I do not want the future of space to stay on a rail system. Keep the current and new missions coming out as a mini game as a way to earn commendations but use the suggestions I gave in my earlier post as a guide on how to make it even better, and the overall game a nice overall star wars balanced mmorpg that will continue to thrive in the future of its online life. Overall the game's direction is more focused on what we want as a customer. That is how you must approach this issue since they ask for feedback give it to them!

Heroic space missions? The same 4 different missions that already exist, or will there actually be some variation now?

I enjoyed the time I had getting the commendations to get full Imperial Pilot gear for myself and for my companion. If any devs get the chance, maybe now would be the time to implement the Imperial Ace Pilot set into these heroic missions. For those who do not know this set, it is worn by many of the pilot NPC's in-game. The files I believe were once apart of the game but were removed. Still, that would be a huge motivation for some people like me who love pilot gear!

 

PS: Also add "Ace-Pilot" title to a character after completing them!

Being an SWG veteran(Pre-CU, CU and the dreaded NGE) I can say that for a game of this magnitude, the space missions are so poorly done, if I wanted to play a linear space shooter I would go pop Super R-Type into my SNES. This is 2012, and look at what SOE did with Jump To Lightspeed years ago? I loved space in SWG... free roaming, mining for minerals, combat, ability to fly different ships with different pilot levels, PVP.

 

How could you guys not come up with something like that? Or even implement space missions into a characters story. Your space system needs an overhaul and I for one am not excited about this.

Below is a post I wrote. Rail space is a failure for a star wars universe. Now that being said what is currently in game can be used to create something similar to a Jump to light speed, but with what we already have. The ability to turn the way we want, move at the speed we want, stop when we want, go in the direction we choose is space. I do not need a damn computer to tell me how to fly my ship on a rail system. This of course would mean implementing a way point system in space. The time spent creating heroic space missions should have been spent looking into a hybrid solution like the one I posted below. Now I am not saying I am perfect but something even remotely close to what I said with cockpit view and full control would be perfect, and the ability to invite allot more people on to ones ship lol.

 

 

 

 

"Star wars Old republic Jump to Lightspeed

In a thread a player asked a question what three things would you like to add to swtor. One answer kept popping up JTL for swtor. This being said it was also clear that some would like to turn a JTL into nothing more then a skill less ability war, this is not why swg space was so loved. JTL in swg was primed perfectly. It relied on three things, a ships mass, a ships components, and most importantly the skill of the pilot. If there is someday to be a JTL in swtor. Then I hope that some of the devs see this post. Adding a JTL based on abilities and not skill of the pilot would be a pointless waste of time, as most pilots from swg would never stand for something like that. This includes me.

 

Now with that said I do not see how it is possible for a complete expansion to be added to this game in the form of what swg had, but maybe something close. With th eaddition of more space parts recently, the PLAYER ship modals already in game, the already built cockpit views, and npc ships. I think it might be possible to do something similar.

 

If I was the dev incharge of adding a JTL to swtor, which I am not, I would use the player ships. I would also add certain key things the first is a cockpit view. What this is you will see things as if you were sitting in the pilots chair. You wont have a magical look at whos behind you, or where incoming fire is coming. Instead you will have to home your senses. Yes even in a game you can learn sounds, and feel/known certain impacts to your ship. Like swg the complete view of your ship should be available because the other veiw is challenging and takes time to get used to. The second is the HUD or heads up display, I can not express how important that thing was in swg. It let you know where your enemies were and roughly how far away. More importantly it also told what enemies were attacking. Now if you were like me who always flew from the cockpit view, the HUD was essential to staying alive, because you did not have that magical view. Ammunition on the missiles is good, the weapon systems are good. Remember this something in between, something more practical. The third thing I would add is counter measures. This come in handy when you got a missle on your tail. SOP was launch cms then roll out. The fourth addition to player ships would be the booster, at times this can give you a bit more speed and chatch your enemy off guard. Other then that the rest should remain the way it is.Lastly for a JTL system to work you need a Zone map for space that relys on waypoints, so that a player can navigate to his objectives. Now I understand currently there are some abilities but these abilities are just right as they too are based on skill. To use one you weaken your shields for more firepower, to use the other you weaken you weapons to strengthen your shields. The emp was also in swg, that at times came in handy when being swarmed by 20+ imp fighters. It scrambles the enemy sensors so you have a few seconds to fly away or keep attacking.

 

The biggest change over and most time consuming would be making missions. Could the current rail system maps work, once the rail system was removed obviously, I think they could but they would require a great deal of overhaul work to make them work for a player controlled craft. Where a player controls the speed, the direction of the craft, and movement of the craft. A pvp zone. Simply put if you want people to say HOLY SHT when they see your space pvp zone. I would do something like about 5 to 6 massive imp ships with escorts on one side, and the Republics on the other side. Objective being destroy the enemy npc ships, that will fight back. Kill enemy players that get in your way or try to wipe out your fleet. On one final note implementing the system would be phase one, meaning the items I named above. Adding player flown fighters, bombers, faction squadrons, and a space storyline would be phase two.

 

Now all this is based on the assumption that Biowares, and EA lacks currently the resources to do a full upgrade of JTL in swtor."

Ahem,... dear BioWare execs,

 

In what language and with what very specific words do we, players, have to tell you that the current game design of the space content is bad?

 

For the record, last time I checked, you officially announced that 50% of the player base done one mission, or more, in the last month. To that ponder it with the fact that it was well known players could get the live event reward doing one single space mission.

 

Or said otherwise, not only half your players don't even play the space content, but also you have to go as low to 1 mission per month to get a fair percentage of players.

 

Then it was stated by yourselves, again, that you had a full team working for months on theses space missions.

 

So tell us: how do you intend to make the game successful in the long term, when you are devoting money into such a feature that, not only isn't that much enjoyed by the players, but is also too often pointed at by most as the biggest failure in SWTOR?

 

Before leaving, in the case you are thinking your data mining is telling you people stop doing space missions @50 because of the lack of content. You are wrong.

In fact people do stop because before 50 they where doing them for the easy XP, not because they were fun.

Now at 50 they don't "need" anymore to do them.

 

*As a reminder, before the huge poll on space combat was shut down, roundly 3% of the voters chose the tunnel shooter version among all others.

I mean: over 96% of the voters weren't in for your choice. And with over 1500 votes you had a really interesting trend.

 

 

In case you really don't get it: bring in on free roaming space combat ala X-Wing vs Tie Fighter or just stop wasting our subscribers and CC money.

 

Hint: "There is no try".

Edited November 29, 2012 by Deewe

Did the blog say that you can get better PvE gear for FPs and Operations, through these new space missions?

While I am overall pleased with the update, currently enjoying doing the space missions on the side.

 

However, just please tell me this is not the "Secret Space Project" that was teased about a few months back.

I don't like the combination of high difficulty and high cost of new space components. Even with full tier 6 and all current specials I will need to spend weeks grinding old space missions just to get the gear to do the new ones. What was the point of getting tier 6? It's like starting all over again w/ out any true progression.

 

I've been enjoying the rail shooter, but I would prefer if the time was spent to A) randomize the flight path B) create non-rail space combat or C) create other minigames, such as Sabaak

I don't like the combination of high difficulty and high cost of new space components. Even with full tier 6 and all current specials I will need to spend weeks grinding old space missions just to get the gear to do the new ones. What was the point of getting tier 6? It's like starting all over again w/ out any true progression.

 

Welcome to the gear grind aspect of MMO's, im assuming you havent been doing much raiding or PVP in swtor yet?

Star Wars has never been about space exploration.

what

 

 

you must be new here.

I may be in the minority, but I enjoy the space missions and look forward to pushing my Thunderclap to the limit! The Impossible Sector was getting far too possible anyway...

Here is an idea, why don't you take your now skeleton team/survivors of not getting laid off and make -NEW- Missions instead of tweak a few variables on existing missions. Oh wait you cant..

TOR has three pieces that are epic failures...

 

1) We were promised a game (from dev blogs) that was to be a mix of themepark and sandbox with enough sandbox elements where people could "explore" and "live" in the space. We got the purest themepark I have seen for a while. EPIC fail.

 

2) Endgame is a complete disaster for pvp. Raids are gear treadmills. So boring. Ilum was a disaster, removed, and not fixed. No endgame planets. No open worlds. No minigames in cantinas. No reason to be in a cantina. Nothing to build community. No pazaak, no swoop racing...so many missed opportunities to build community. No guild cities/ships. Fail fail fail.

 

3) And then there is space. Rail space. Single player rail space in an MMO. HUGE disappointment, and was thoroughly impuned by the community as such from the second it was introduced. Yet BW IGNORED the feedback and pushed ahead with total crap. In fact, the F2P kiddie star wars MMO, the clone wars from SOE, has better space. And it has multiplayer swoop racing with different tracks on different planets. It started F2P.

 

Space in this game, spending another SECOND on railspace is a slap in the face to every long time star wars gamer that loved the xwing/tie fighter series which was successfully added into an MMO in the form of JTL. Now, JTL wasnt perfect, but it is infinitely superior...LIGHT YEARS BEYOND...the crap in this game. How can you punt so bad on space in a STAR WARS game. It is the same poor planning that destroyed this game, and is another example of how BW failure resulted in F2P.

I don't like the combination of high difficulty and high cost of new space components. Even with full tier 6 and all current specials I will need to spend weeks grinding old space missions just to get the gear to do the new ones. What was the point of getting tier 6? It's like starting all over again w/ out any true progression.

 

I've been enjoying the rail shooter, but I would prefer if the time was spent to A) randomize the flight path B) create non-rail space combat or C) create other minigames, such as Sabaak

 

One reason why a certain grind is more boring than other forms of grinding, is because the space grind has no meaning.

 

My spaceship feels detached from the rest of the game. Why am I doing space missions? How does it further the story? How does it help the Republic? How does it benefit ME personally?

 

Right now space missions feel like xp bags or credit bags. They don't affect the world in any way.

 

I prefer if you could use your spaceship to mine some rare minerals which can then be used to make gear.

 

Or there be a sandbox space area where republic players and empire players compete for territory.

The more space missions republic players do, the more "space territory" they take, and the higher the bonuses they get on planets. The bonuses can be called "space buffs", and can increase your personal stats. Or give reduced vendor prices.

 

Just make space missions meaningful.

Edited November 29, 2012 by ConradLionhart

I do space missions every now and then. Just like I do a PvP WZ every now and them. For me both of them are mini-games that I touch upon a few times in between the things I usually do. PvE solo or with guildies.

 

Nice with a upgrade to them, been a while since I last took my ship out to play. Personally I would love to choose myself which companions that comes my character is flying. Never really came to like Kira that much and would love to be able to get someone else to speak during space missions.

I hardly post, but... MORE RAIL???? OMG.

 

Very disappointing. Really. This game had big potential, but... RAILS, REALLY?? That was low...

These missions will be repeatable (boring), incredibly challenging (still on rails but more baddies to shoot, boring), and reward players who enjoy the current Space Missions (no-one?). Our goal is to make these missions worthy of the most skilled players, and completing them, along with their Bonus Objectives, should test the greatest pilots (pilots fly, this is to test the best turret gunners). To help in this endeavor, players will also be able to get new upgrades for their ship, attainable through various means like trade skills and specialty vendors. The rewards for these missions will also be increased, and hopefully provide new motivations for players who want to improve their gear for use in Flashpoints and Operations (what does space have to do with these?).

 

As we’ve stated in the past, quality of life is always one of our focuses for dedicated players in Star Wars: The Old Republic (really? prove it), so there will also be a number of improvements players can look forward to. For instance, a number of our missions will perform better on lower-end machines. We’ll also be adding one of our favorite changes: a missile and torpedo counter that literally reflects how much ammunition you have remaining (wow, this is your facourite change? oh dear god). Oh, and did we mention it might be necessary to fire more than one proton torpedo in some of these missions? (oh noes...)

 

We look forward to getting all of your feedback and reactions to the new missions (really? you havent listened since BETA), and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do (no i wont even try them cos they are still on the rails for crying out loud).