Hey folks,

 

One of the things that we have talked about last week is our new Galactic Command system, only accessible to subscribers at Level 70. Galactic Command will serve as the single point of access for subscribers to earn rewards playing endgame content such as Operations and Warzones. As of the release of the Knights of the Eternal Throne, rewards from this gameplay is gained via Galactic Command, therefore passes are no longer viable. For example, a preferred player with a Weekly Pass: Operations would be able to play an Operation, but would not earn any rewards for doing so. Due to this change, we have removed all Passes from the Cartel Market.

 

The following passes have been removed:

• Weekly Pass: Flashpoints
  
• Weekly Pass: Operations
  
• Weekly Pass: Space Missions
  
• Weekly Pass: Warzones
  
• 180-Day Pass: Starfighter
  
• 30-Day Pass: Starfighter
  
• 7-Day Pass: Starfighter

 

Additionally, these passes will be converted to Bind on Legacy with Game Update 4.7.3 coming on Tuesday. On November 29th all passes will then be removed from the game when Knights of the Eternal Throne Early Access opens. We are still locking down exactly how we will compensate players who have unused passes as of November 29, and I will have more information to share regarding that next week. We recognize that players are interested in something similar to the Weekly Passes which would offer non-subscribers access to Galactic Command. We are exploring possible options and I will pass on updates as soon as we have them. As always, keep the feedback coming!

 

Thanks for your support.

 

-eric

 

Ok does that mean that in 5.0 pref won't be able to enter pvp and ops?

While this does not affect me or my raid group (everyone is subscribed), this was handled horribly. First, you stealth-remove them from the Cartel Market last thing on Friday so you can't respond on the forums until Monday, then you give less than a day's warning that the passes can no longer be traded/sold come tomorrow, and you can't even tell us what will happen to surplus passes yet.

There are many raiders who bought dozens of these passes so they can continue supporting their raid group even though they are no longer subscribed. I do hope you have good news for them.

 

Ok does that mean that in 5.0 pref won't be able to enter pvp and ops?

From my understanding, they will remove or convert all passes before 5.0, but in the off-chance that a player still has a pass with 5.0, apparently he can continue running operations etc. but won't receive any loot?

Edited October 24, 2016 by Jerba

what about ops passes currently stored in guild banks? to my knowledge bind to legacy items can't go in there but I'm sure we are not the only guild who kept a supply for our pref members.

Ok does that mean that in 5.0 pref won't be able to enter pvp and ops?

This means alot of people will just stop playing swtor and move on.

Bioware is loosing 80% of population if they don't allow perfs do pvp or ops.

 

 

In other words, game is dead.

Subs also want to sell ops passes so they can make some credits, i guess that will not happen anymore, so maybe even subs will not sub anymore.

 

There are many raiders who bought dozens of these passes so they can continue supporting their raid group even though they are no longer subscribed. I do hope you have good news for them.

Exactly, my guild has a ton of them, because some of us can't afford monthly subscriber status, that's why our guild provides them so we as a guild can have fun in operations, but now i guess game will just die.

Edited October 24, 2016 by -Spc

 

 

 

Edit: Scratch that. I misunderstood. This system just sucks more and more as more news is released about it.

The way I'm interpreting it is that as it stands now in 5.0 you must be a subbed to do operations, period.

Edited October 24, 2016 by kvandertulip

From my understanding, they will remove or convert all passes before 5.0, but in the off-chance that a player still has a pass with 5.0, apparently he can continue running operations etc. but won't receive any loot?

 

I wasn't asking about that. I was asking if by removing the passes they lift the restriction of no ops of prefs or just make it impossible for prefs to enter ops.

what about ops passes currently stored in guild banks? to my knowledge bind to legacy items can't go in there but I'm sure we are not the only guild who kept a supply for our pref members.

In the past, when they changed a BoE item to BoP, it would remain in the guild bank but the first player to take it out would have it bound to him.

To be on the safe side, you'll probably want to move it to an officer's bank slot before tomorrow so that the GM/officers have time to decide who is allowed to take out the passes, and you won't have members accidentally taking out passes with no way to give them back.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Jerba

I wasn't asking about that. I was asking if by removing the passes they lift the restriction of no ops of prefs or just make it impossible for prefs to enter ops.

They mentioned they want to give non-subs a way to participate in Galactic Command, so I'm assuming they will introduce a new Galactic Command Pass on the Cartel Market, then they could easily convert the existing passes into this new pass. However, given that with 5.0 Galactic Command will be the main reason to subscribe, it would seem strange to also offer it on the Cartel Market.

You know, I try and present the optimistic view of things; but stuff like this, this kind of lack of transparency and this post-hoc communications? It sells a lot of tin-foil hats.

 

Tell people beforehand this is going to happen, let them put their affairs in order!

I guess after reading the announcement, outside of a hundred different things you won't comment on until later, and other people have already started to ask above, I guess what I'm left wondering is what about the message couldn't have been posted by the end of the day on Friday?

 

Or even better, when talking about Galactic command and how Operations would no longer drop gear and War Zones would no longer drop gear, you couldn't have mentioned you'd have some sort of announcement about passes for both of them by the end of the week.

 

It feels like even when there are attempts made at communication things are being pushed back and left out.

Preferred players will fall under the existing restrictions they have now. They can only complete a limited number of Warzone and Flashpoints per week but they cannot access Operations.

 

-eric

That is not correct AFAIK, Preferred can run unlimited flashpoints but can only get loot from the first three, unless this was changed with 4.0.

Can F2P and Preferred continue running unlimited flashpoints come 5.0?

Edited October 24, 2016 by Jerba

I thought there was some plan, even a terribly mishandled new pass design but instead this... there are no words I care to use in public to quite describe the sheer lunacy of cutting off a revenue stream while simultaneously alienating players from the game. I don't buy passes and had no interest in them, if I wanted to do more than a few warzones and the like, I'm subbed or would- but you've effectively alienated the Preferred Access players and locked down access completely, made the passes subs have bought to sell absolutely worthless.

 

So Preferred, many of whom are alienated raiders, PvP and the like are denied access to Operations full stop and can't use anything? And these passes were bought, what harm does it do letting people keep them if you intend to sub gate the content? They'd eventually all get used up- what you did is taking what people often spend real money converted into CCs on, with less than a day's warning.

 

We have a population problem and you're dissuading the players, who while they don't have a sub, use passes and pay for unlocks and so on from staying active in the game... who the frell spiked the Juma juice and thought that was a good idea?

 

Firstly, I agree that the timing could have been better. BUT this was to be expected. With the changes to the reward system, anyone who did not expect this was deluding themselves.

 

Secondly, I want to make sure people in fact read this statement...

 

We recognize that players are interested in something similar to the Weekly Passes which would offer non-subscribers access to Galactic Command. We are exploring possible options and I will pass on updates as soon as we have them.

 

The point being that while individual passes are going away, they will probably be implementing a GC pass of some kind, they simply have not done so yet.

 

Do I wish that they had finalized the GC pass before this announcement? YES! But, let me pose this question: would you have preferred they made this announcement closer to release if there is no direct conversion of old passes to new? At least with the several weeks we have, those who have these passes can at least try to use some of them.

This means alot of people will just stop playing swtor and move on.

Bioware is loosing 80% of population if they don't allow perfs do pvp or ops.

 

 

Nice try. Try again.

I may have misspoke. Nothing is changing about how it works from right now, the exception is rewards. Once someone hits level 70, if they are not a subscriber they will not earn any Command Experience Points and therefore no rewards.

 

-eric

 

Now I've always been a subscriber when I've played, (as the F2P restrictions have always given me tremendous gout) but even I think non-subs are getting the shaft here.

 

Why not just stop pretending to be a F2P game at this point?

Lol so you have messed things up so badly even the community manager is getting confused, what a complete and utter shambles this expansion is turning out to be. Most companies have a clear plan before they announce things like this not Bioware they just make stuff up as they go along. Edited October 24, 2016 by WheresMyWhisky

Preferred players will fall under the existing restrictions they have now. They can only complete a limited number of Warzone and Flashpoints per week but they cannot access Operations.

 

-eric

This is not correct.

Currently prefered player can run as much flashpoints as he/she wants, only lockout is the last boss loot which is locked to 3 flashpoints, after 3 FP's perfered player can still complete a flashpoint but can't get the loot from the last boss.

I may have misspoke. Nothing is changing about how it works from right now, the exception is rewards. Once someone hits level 70, if they are not a subscriber they will not earn any Command Experience Points and therefore no rewards.

 

-eric

So this means perfs can still do unlimited pvp/ops/fp's but will not get any Command Experience Points ?

So we only need a weekly pass for Command Experience Points, not ops pass or wz pass.

 

So prefered players can still have fun with their guild mates / do any any ops/wz/FP's without a pass but, they will not get any points at all, it will be just for fun ?

Edited October 24, 2016 by -Spc

So this means perfs can still do unlimited pvp/ops/fp's but will not get any Command Experience Points ?

 

So we only need a weekly pass for Command Experience Points, not ops pass or wz pass.

 

Preferred can't do Operations, period without a pass. They can do five warzones per character, per week and with flashpoints, they can cast a die in three loot rolls I think for a week and then they're stuck. GSF I think is unlimited but with really bad fleet points to upgrade ships and so on.

 

They're basically up a creek- the passes (paddles) have been taken away to even purchase.

Additionally, these passes will be converted to Bind on Legacy with Game Update 4.7.3 coming on Tuesday. On November 29th all passes will then be removed from the game when Knights of the Eternal Throne Early Access opens. We are still locking down exactly how we will compensate players who have unused passes as of November 29, and I will have more information to share regarding that next week. We recognize that players are interested in something similar to the Weekly Passes which would offer non-subscribers access to Galactic Command. We are exploring possible options and I will pass on updates as soon as we have them. As always, keep the feedback coming!

 

Thanks for your support.

 

-eric

 

Eric, what exactly is there to lock down here? They were originally purchased for CCs... so compensation should be in the form of CCs.

 

Period.

 

And again.... notifying players after players see them gone from the CM is BAD communications. Giving players only 24 hours notice before they get locked to legacy is also BAD communications.

 

None of this personally affects me, but dang... you guys keep being terribad at your communications. This is not helpful in promoting any form of reasonable discussion in the forum. All this does is inflame and give people excuses to promote negative game narratives.

This change is really upsetting to my guild. We're mostly casuals and have a few people subbed all the time, while others are subs some times and preferred some times. We've been able to do guild ops runs when we feel like it by using a stack of Ops Passes to let our preferred players come along. For example, this week was Gree, a few people wanted to do Xeno, we used a stack of passes to let them in and we had fun. By removing this pass, this won't be possible anymore. That's going to make my guild unable to do runs.

 

What if I'm unsubbed because I'm focusing on school or work, but my guild is running Xeno and needs a spare tank. Right now I can burn a pass and do it. In 5.0, that won't be possible.

 

I understand wanting to keep gear rewards from ops for subs. That's considered endgame loot so it goes to paying endgame players. But I think it would be nice to let people come along and not get loot - just to come for the experience. Why can't I come along, not get loot, and just have a good time?

 

I really hope there's going to be Command XP passes we can buy to let in our preferred friends.