We lost our gaming time Keith. Devs FAILED US. This must be compensated by CC to EVERYONE who tried to log in but failed in that day. I came from my work late, had many plannes in swtor YET all theh failed because devs always have some stupid issues. This is not happening the first time, it happened many times ago (I mean different problems which prevented us from playing). Did you saw how other companies compansate such problems? MUCH better than swtor. If we wont get any CC or in other currency compensation, be sure players wil, start to leave.

The thing is the community is split on what the compensation should be. I do, however, believe that most players would be happy or at least okay with a CXP/XP extension. And indeed if we do not get any compensation in any shape or form, I'm as a result not renewing my subscription.

An idea for in-game compensation that I'm sure everybody would benefit from is to reduce the re-spawn timers of Valen Korik in the DK "Possessed Hunter" and the first room of mobs Coruscant's "The Face Merchants" heroics.

 

Maybe cut the re-spawn timer by 50%. Just a suggestion.

I wouldn't be so sure, don't think most players care about that particular issue. A little waiting is not a big deal. You can also change instance, and quite frankly the game doesn't have so many players anymore that that's a frequent issue.

Players lost time today, especially in the EU, is anything being done?

Just pointing out that the EU is a bureaucracy and not a country or a continent. There are a number of countries in Europe that are not members of the EU and another soon not to be.

So, its not just those in the EU that lost play time. Others in Europe did too.

Alright folks, I have some updates for you.

 

 

With that in mind, we have begun the process of taking the fixed patch and moving it to the live servers. This process will take around 2 hours. Then, we need to verify that everything remained stable and is still working as intended.

 

 

 

-eric

I appreciate you telling me what is going on. Bear in mind I am a 70 year old man so I do not pretend to be an expert. However, surely this could be avoided by testing it first on a test server first?

Not at all. You took issue with some supposed events that took place where I wanted the original CSM nerfed hence your posts in this thread.

Now if you read the vitriol in your posts here over this then it becomes rather obvious conclusion to make that you must therefore have really felt strongly about how the CSM originally was implemented (else why the vitriol?).

Thus you must have been fine with it and thought it should have stayed that way else you would not make posts such as you have.

 

Logic wins sorry.

 

 

 

No one dictated anything, the thing was overpowered and it got nerfed. No one told BWA how to nerf it or by how much, what nonsense.

 

Care to embarrass yourself with further today?

You seem completly incapable of understanding the basic fact that there's an entire middle/gray area or range when discussing any topic possible. That includes Slot Machine too, being opposed to an over-the-top nerf that makes the machine useless and benefits only you and other Cartel whales (for a time that is) doesn't automatically equal wanting the CSM to remain un-nerfed at all or thinking that the original drop ratios were perfectly fine and shouldn't be touched at all.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it fits your discussion style too, you only seem to understand the extremes and black & white perception. Going into any topic possible, fishing for arguments and throwing personal jabs any chance you get is your style after all, no discussion exists for you that's in the middle-zone. The only one who embarasses themselves daily on the forums is you and your posts

I wouldn't be so sure, don't think most players care about that particular issue. A little waiting is not a big deal. You can also change instance, and quite frankly the game doesn't have so many players anymore that that's a frequent issue.

Really? Explain why there's nearly always a que of at least 2 or 3 players in there then.

I've seen as many as 8 waiting in there before.

A wait of what 4 or 5 minutes for that jack*** to respawn is too much for one of the most used Heroics in the game.

Not really an infrequent issue from where I'm standing.

I wouldn't be so sure, don't think most players care about that particular issue. A little waiting is not a big deal. You can also change instance, and quite frankly the game doesn't have so many players anymore that that's a frequent issue.

Depends on your server. On Ebon Hawk there is almost always a wait for those two heroics so the wait can be a problem especially for people already in a group trying to do those and switching instances to a pvp instance, no thank you.

Depends on your server. On Ebon Hawk there is almost always a wait for those two heroics so the wait can be a problem especially for people already in a group trying to do those and switching instances to a pvp instance, no thank you.

agreed. i try to group up with everyone, but always one that wants the bonus and starts flailing about like a preschooler on their first trip to the restroom.

agreed. i try to group up with everyone, but always one that wants the bonus and starts flailing about like a preschooler on their first trip to the restroom.

I grouped up with one person and they asked me to perform an act of ******** on them, not very eloquently at that.

I politely declined.

Players lost time today, especially in the EU, is anything being done?

Losing playtime is always painful, especially when there is a “double” event running and Dailies awarding crazy high CXP. I’m kicking around a variety of options with the team, as we want to apologize and reward your patience. Some of you have asked to have our Double XP/CXP event extended and others have asked us to keep the current CXP amounts for the Daily Areas. Others have asked for different compensation, and we’re looking at all options as the last couple weeks have been tough on all of us. We’ll lock down what exactly we’re doing and let you know in the coming days.

 

Again, thank you all for your patience today.

 

--Keith-

First off, great post Keith. I truly appreciate the honesty and transparency you've provided with this very lengthy and very detailed update...the time it took you to write it all was well spent, well done!

Now...the part I left...the daily area CXP 'bug' has been the best thing to happen to this game since 5.0 was released. I realize it's a FAR greater gain than you (Bioware) had intended, but it's been nothing but GOOD for the game. SWTOR is a game about alts. I don't know any player who has only one toon...those who did, were new to the game.

This week, not only have people been playing their alts again, I've actually seen several of my friends create NEW toons to play. These are both new players to the game and 5 year vets doing this...these are the FIRST new toons I've seen these players create since 5.0 dropped.

I know you have some goals for what you want CXP to be and what you want it to accomplish...but PLEASE understand that as much as you want it as a slowdown mechanic to keep players here, it has also been a deterrent to many of us that has caused just the opposite effect. CXP isn't viewed by most as a reward for doing what you want, it's viewed as a new leveling once you reach 70...and it was a LONG *** grind...it turned players off to their alts...it deterred players from actually doing what they wanted to do and forced many to do what they had to do to gain CXP.

CXP/GC isn't a bad idea Keith...in fact, I think it's a pretty damn good one that does give players that constant sense of progression and reward (even when boxes contain junk)...but the rates at which players could progress was bad. That has been fixed with this 'bug'...players are playing toons that were shelved and never would have been seen again because of the endless grind. When there's nothing else to do, THIS is what players can do. When nobody else in the guild is on, or everyone is running something else, THIS is the downtime activity they can take their alts on. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make GC/CXP more like this. We're willing to grind it out, but you need to account for the sheer number of alts players have...THIS does that. THIS allows alts to be 'fun' again.

I only have my own experience to go by, but I bet you that your metrics reflect exactly what I'm telling you...a tremendous number of toons being played that haven't been touched since 5.0 dropped.

PLEASE Keith...this is what the game needed more than anything else right now.

You seem completly incapable of understanding the basic fact that there's an entire middle/gray area or range when discussing any topic possible. That includes Slot Machine too, being opposed to an over-the-top nerf that makes the machine useless and benefits only you and other Cartel whales (for a time that is) doesn't automatically equal wanting the CSM to remain un-nerfed at all or thinking that the original drop ratios were perfectly fine and shouldn't be touched at all.

 

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it fits your discussion style too, you only seem to understand the extremes and black & white perception. Going into any topic possible, fishing for arguments and throwing personal jabs any chance you get is your style after all, no discussion exists for you that's in the middle-zone. The only one who embarasses themselves daily on the forums is you and your posts

Given my nature, I would like to add something, but I'm mature enough to admit simply: Agree in full. Nothing else to add.

Dasty

Compensation is the wrong word and not what is required.

Rather there needs to be something to show that the game has a future, as it stands:

• Class Balance Seems to be an awful mess of hitting a target dps on a dummy, ignoring game mechanics, mobility, utility, off specs or anything other than dps.
  
• Story has gone off the rails, your in charge of an unstopable force, everyone everywhere is looking to betray you and nothing is ever concluded, who even knows what the conclusion of 5.2 was.
  
• Content is far too little and while I though the Umbra flashpoint was well done is often not of great quality, while the end game is just painful its forced grouping for unassembled components or its rng lock boxes for solo play. Neither of which feels like its getting anywhere cause all the gear will just become worse than blue when the next tier is released.
  
• The state of the servers appears awful while nearly every week their is an apology about something not working and it not being good enough, at this point what is good enough?
  

All this seems to run to the conclusion the development team is tiny and either no longer care or just don't know how to produce decent content. This does not built confidence in bothering to stay invested in the game, and as revenue falls things can only get worse.

So rather than compensation for a few hours of downtime, there needs to be something to say that the last 6 months have been bad, everyone on the team knows this and here is what we are going to do to improve it. Cause can anyone really say they would recommend 'Getting to play the one size fits all story of a chump who constantly gets betrayed, impotently rages about it and then forgives the betrayer over maybe 3 hours of content a year, plagued with bugs and server disruptions, exploits, unbalanced content with a rng or forced grouping (of 3 to 5 year old content) based end game grind' to their friends.

So here is hoping that something big is inbound to show that the current state isn't as good as it will get.

Really? Explain why there's nearly always a que of at least 2 or 3 players in there then.

 

I've seen as many as 8 waiting in there before.

 

A wait of what 4 or 5 minutes for that jack*** to respawn is too much for one of the most used Heroics in the game.

 

Not really an infrequent issue from where I'm standing.

You literally have so many Heroics you can run in this game that your demand is absurd.

Impatient? Then simply skip those that you find too time consuming (due to mechanics or lines, or whatever). That is what I do, and I never run out of heroics to run.

You are mistaken to think that your particular pet peeve = the universal salve to soothe the angry and the upset from yesterday.

Now.. have you put a thread in the suggestion forum to solve your pet peeves? If not.. please do so and stop spamming up this thread with something so out of context to what actually happened yesterday.

Compensation is the wrong word and not what is required.

 

Rather there needs to be something to show that the game has a future, as it stands:

 

• Class Balance Seems to be an awful mess of hitting a target dps on a dummy, ignoring game mechanics, mobility, utility, off specs or anything other than dps.
  
• Story has gone off the rails, your in charge of an unstopable force, everyone everywhere is looking to betray you and nothing is ever concluded, who even knows what the conclusion of 5.2 was.
  
• Content is far too little and while I though the Umbra flashpoint was well done is often not of great quality, while the end game is just painful its forced grouping for unassembled components or its rng lock boxes for solo play. Neither of which feels like its getting anywhere cause all the gear will just become worse than blue when the next tier is released.
  
• The state of the servers appears awful while nearly every week their is an apology about something not working and it not being good enough, at this point what is good enough?
  

 

All this seems to run to the conclusion the development team is tiny and either no longer care or just don't know how to produce decent content. This does not built confidence in bothering to stay invested in the game, and as revenue falls things can only get worse.

 

So rather than compensation for a few hours of downtime, there needs to be something to say that the last 6 months have been bad, everyone on the team knows this and here is what we are going to do to improve it. Cause can anyone really say they would recommend 'Getting to play the one size fits all story of a chump who constantly gets betrayed, impotently rages about it and then forgives the betrayer over maybe 3 hours of content a year, plagued with bugs and server disruptions, exploits, unbalanced content with a rng or forced grouping (of 3 to 5 year old content) based end game grind' to their friends.

 

So here is hoping that something big is inbound to show that the current state isn't as good as it will get.

Completely out of context to the discussion here. What happened yesterday has absolutely nothing to do with the state of the game looking forward.

Sorry.. but you are running a classic drive by non sequitur here.

No one is saying the hurricane had anything to do with the issue, cut the strawman nonsense.

 

The point is people are happy to neglect real life and the issues the team here may face because they need "free CC due to travesty!", it's easy attitude to adopt when you have your internet shield.

I think the very reason people play these types of games is to step away from reality for a little while.

As I said earlier IF Bioware knew it had employes suffering extra/excess stress because of H-Harvey then EXTRA testing should have been done just to make double sure all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed.

All The Best

I can see that this thread has now devolved into a "pet peeve chew toy" for those that love to chew up the studio and the devs over things that have absolutely nothing to do with yesterdays server outage.

Look.. they had a server crisis yesterday. It sucked for everyone, including the studio I am sure. It took a good number of hours to resolve it. They resolved it. They communicated status as they had it throughout the day as well as Keith coming in to apologize for what happened. Keith said they were exploring what they want to do to compensate players for this unplanned outage.

Grow up people.

Absurd? Why do you think people do that particular heroic?

Is it perhaps because it's time efficient? Is quick and efficient grinding in a game full of long winded grinding popular?

People like fast, not go here do this thing three times, now go all the way over there do this thing and now fight this thing.

I'm still fairly new and I can't stand nearly 3 1/4 of the heroics due to how long winded they are.

Why are people always asking for people to do them with? Because they're long winded and boring.

I wouldn't be so sure, don't think most players care about that particular issue. A little waiting is not a big deal. You can also change instance, and quite frankly the game doesn't have so many players anymore that that's a frequent issue.

At busy times on TRE Face Merchants can take 20+ minutes.

All The Best

I think the very reason people play these types of games is to step away from reality for a little while.

 

As I said earlier IF Bioware knew it had employes suffering extra/excess stress because of H-Harvey then EXTRA testing should have been done just to make double sure all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed.

 

All The Best

"I have been programed by the media to scurry from drama to drama"

Modern Self Improvement: Delete all the news apps from your phone

Absurd? Why do you think people do that particular heroic?

 

Is it perhaps because it's time efficient? Is quick and efficient grinding in a game full of long winded grinding popular?

 

People like fast, not go here do this thing three times, now go all the way over there do this thing and now fight this thing.

 

I'm still fairly new and I can't stand nearly 3 1/4 of the heroics due to how long winded they are.

 

Why are people always asking for people to do them with? Because they're long winded and boring.

There are actually a rather large number of heroics that are at least as time efficient and some are more so. So please... stop doubling down on absurd. There are even guides on the internet that map them out in order of time efficiency... so maybe make use of information rather they playing victim to a game mechanic.

This is simple really... if you find something in an MMO not to your liking, you make a suggestion or a change in the suggestion forum, and then you decide how you will cope with what displeases you. I encourage you to work to your own interests (which very much appear to be time efficiency in heroics) and stop demanding something that is so off topic to this thread as to be absurd.

Look.. they had a server crisis yesterday. .

No they didn't.

A "server crisis" would be an issue with an external cause, because Bioware pay a third party to host the servers.

They had programming crisis - and that has an internal cause - Bioware incompetence.

4/10 for the White Knight effort.

0/10 for effectiveness though.

All The Best

Hey everyone,

...

--Keith-

I haven't read the thread (because 200 pages), but I just felt a need to stop in and say "Thank you" to Keith for a well written and open post about what happened. THIS is exactly the communication that makes users/players/fans want to participate in the discussion. This is how you make people believe that you really are working to make the game as good as it can be. So, thank you.

First off, great post Keith.

...

Now...the part I left...the daily area CXP 'bug' has been the best thing to happen to this game since 5.0 was released. I realize it's a FAR greater gain than you (Bioware) had intended, but it's been nothing but GOOD for the game. SWTOR is a game about alts.

...

CXP/GC isn't a bad idea Keith...in fact, I think it's a pretty damn good one that does give players that constant sense of progression and reward (even when boxes contain junk)...but the rates at which players could progress was bad. That has been fixed with this 'bug'...players are playing toons that were shelved and never would have been seen again because of the endless grind. When there's nothing else to do, THIS is what players can do. When nobody else in the guild is on, or everyone is running something else, THIS is the downtime activity they can take their alts on. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make GC/CXP more like this. We're willing to grind it out, but you need to account for the sheer number of alts players have...THIS does that. THIS allows alts to be 'fun' again.

 

PLEASE Keith...this is what the game needed more than anything else right now.

Also, TUX's response about CXP just a couple of posts above...PERFECT! No sarcasm, that post explains exactly how I've felt about CXP without me even realizing I did. I haven't touched alts for months, just because the grind to 300 takes soooo long. Thanks TUX for putting it into words.

Now to try out some dailies...

__________________

No they didn't.

 

A "server crisis" would be an issue with an external cause, because Bioware pay a third party to host the servers.

 

They had programming crisis - and that has an internal cause - Bioware incompetence.

 

4/10 for the White Knight effort.

0/10 for effectiveness though.

 

 

All The Best

Yeah.. there was no server downtime yesterday.. for hours. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Sorry pal.. but it was a server crisis. The servers were down for hours, with no clear etas for a number of hours as to when they would be back up.

Root cause (which is where your pejorative drive by is currently focused) is a different discussion.. and none of us (most especially YOU) have the facts to chase that root cause exercise.

0/10 for troll effort on the studio.

They communicated status as they had it throughout the day as well as Keith coming in to apologize for what happened. .

Just for the record "apologising" for something only means anything if you then commit not to do it again.

Under Keith's stewardship we've already had several server issues and "unexpected down times" that he apologised for.

And yesterday we had YET ANOTHER unexpected downtime, for which we got what is in effect an empty, meaningless apology; because Bioware have clearly made no effort whatsoever to improve things.

All The Best