Fixed.

 

Some of us pointed out from the very beginning that it - was most likely - intentional and we weren't taken seriously, because... After all... Any criticism towards this game is never warranted I assume.

 

Again, some people around these parts actually deserve this, I take it.

 

And you need to read the entire post.

I was talking about the people who defended them...

 

This is a complete and utter PR failure. I doubt anyone has any faith in the future pricing of cartel market items now.

Some of your strongest proponents here have been utterly flabbergasted by this statement. Not for a second did any of us think this could be on purpose.

It just seemed very out of character for the company.

 

I guess we were proven wrong.

 

See?

Edited June 19, 2014 by OddballEasyEight

And you need to read the entire post.

I was talking about the people who defended them...

 

As I said, there are actually those who deserve it. Hard lesson learned hopefully.

As I said, there are actually those who deserve it. Hard lesson learned hopefully.

 

Someone who complains about everything will be right eventually.

Doesn't mean everyone should be cynic because of that.

So take your smugness and shove it.

Edited June 19, 2014 by OddballEasyEight

Someone who complains about everything will be wrong eventually.

 

Check a dictionary every so often.

 

Criticizing something is neither "complaining" nor is "complaining about everything".

 

Doesn't mean everyone should be cynic because of that.

So take your smugness and shove it.

 

I call it being "logical". Regardless, I'm not the one who needs to swallow it dry.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

Check a dictionary every so often.

 

Criticizing something is neither "complaining" nor is "complaining about everything".

 

 

 

I call it being "logical". Regardless, I'm not the one who needs to swallow it dry.

 

No, but you are the one sitting there smugly, poking at an open wound going "I told you so!" when someone gets hurt aren't you?

No, but you are the one sitting there smugly, poking at an open wound going "I told you so!" when someone gets hurt aren't you?

 

I'm not feeling smug last I checked.

 

Unlike some people, I've been proven wrong in the past and guess what? I was actually glad for that.

 

In this case though, my point remains: Some people actually had this one coming for a very, very long time. From now on, whenever they start spewing random BS concerning how BW runs this game so marvelously, I'll just pull from the archive this debacle.

Can't believe the first hypercrate I buy was this pack. What a load of ****. Well I can promise I won't be buying another hypercrate and probably another pack again. I will just wait for the gtn if I really want something that isn't another reskin. I'm usually very happy with the game but this a bloody joke.

While I understand everyone's point of view we need to remember that Bioware is only following EA's orders, and attacking Bioware itself and its employees is totally unwarranted. Situations like this are not their call, Bioware's staff are as much victims as us. I don't know why we as a gaming community attack the developers so much when they are not the ones in control. I apologize if I sound naive and I also apologize if I am totally wrong.

its an EVENT PACK therefore its gonna be the same sorta pricing as the EVENT ITEMS that are in collections.... seriously is this so hard to grasp.... guess for some people they just hop on the "THEY TREATING US LIKE TEST SUBJECTS RA RA RA!" bandwagon without thinking through calmly and logically

Hey folks,

 

I want to add some clarity around what was wrong, what is intended, and what is being changed. First off, the what is wrong. There was a little confusion around things when we last talked about this issue. It appears that the current rarities in the pack are correct, however, the tooltips and rarity icons for those items are not. Just to reiterate, the rarity of the items that you have been seeing in the packs is correct and is not being changed. What is being changed are the tooltips and rarity icons to make sure that this is accurately represented. Our current target is to get those adjusted in Game Update 2.8.1, it should be noted that the Star Cluster pack also becomes embargoed in that same update.

 

Another thing that I know was questioned was the collections unlock prices. Those prices are intended. Collections prices are something that is not completely static from one pack to another and can shift. Similarly, many of you might notice that in the Star Cluster pack there are different amounts of items at different rarities than normal (more rares, less commons, etc). With the Star Cluster pack, we were trying out some new things. I can tell you that the team has heard your feedback around both the rarities and the collections pricing and will adjust accordingly in future packs.

 

I apologize for the confusion around this and I hope this clears things up!

 

TLDR – Rarities and collection costs are right. Item rarity icons and collections tooltip rarity are not and are targeted to be fixed in 2.8.1.

 

-eric

 

You do realize it is idiotic things like this that is killing the game. Right? Whoever is doing the marketing should be fired. I have been with this game for a very long time and was even a full time tester for the closed beta. What you guys are doing to the game and the community is a crime.

I'm not feeling smug last I checked.

 

Unlike some people, I've been proven wrong in the past and guess what? I was actually glad for that.

 

In this case though, my point remains: Some people actually had this one coming for a very, very long time. From now on, whenever they start spewing random BS concerning how BW runs this game so marvelously, I'll just pull from the archive this debacle.

 

Instead of pulling from my previous criticizm of the game?

everyone paints me out to be this great zealot. But I have had plenty of complaints over the years.

So has Andryah and Reno, but they also get treated like I do becaue they have the gall to not cynically criticize every move bioware makes.

This move seemed so outrageous that we (at least I) didn't think it would be one made on purpose.

While I understand everyone's point of view we need to remember that Bioware is only following EA's orders, and attacking Bioware itself and its employees is totally unwarranted. Situations like this are not their call, Bioware's staff are as much victims as us. I don't know why we as a gaming community attack the developers so much when they are not the ones in control. I apologize if I sound naive and I also apologize if I am totally wrong.

 

Excuse me for saying this, but how the heck would you know?

You don't think there are greedy exectuives in any other company besides EA?

It could be either. And it doesn't matter. Because outrage is warranted and the only way to display said outrage is here on the forums (and by not buying any unlocks of course).

It's not like we can call up the execs at Bioware or EA and scold them over the phone.

its an EVENT PACK therefore its gonna be the same sorta pricing as the EVENT ITEMS that are in collections.... seriously is this so hard to grasp.... guess for some people they just hop on the "THEY TREATING US LIKE TEST SUBJECTS RA RA RA!" bandwagon without thinking through calmly and logically

 

A price hike of 5x is not warranted even in an event pack. Nor is pricing the unlock for a simple dance emote to 600CC.

Edited June 19, 2014 by OddballEasyEight

Well...

 

I wanted to write something about how disappointing this last update is, how depressingly arrogant BW/EA have just proven to be by ignoring complaints. Funnily enough I read yesterday on PCGamer statement form some EA boss saying how EA wants to change and be a "nice" developer.

I wanted to write that I most probably I will not be buying future packs (I was playing for some time before I started "gambling" with packs, and I quite enjoyed the game then), and so on... but others have done it already.

 

Instead I made this:

http://s29.postimg.org/azx0ostfb/TN_cartel_pack.jpg

Instead of pulling from my previous criticizm of the game?

everyone paints me out to be this great zealot. But I have had plenty of complaints over the years.

So has Andryah and Reno, but they also get treated like I do becaue they have the gall to not cynically criticize every move bioware makes.

 

For what is worth...

 

 

This move seemed so outrageous that we (at least I) didn't think it would be one made on purpose.

 

I'll just pull these from my memory banks; There are probably more but these are the ones I remember, the more fondly...

 

- The Korrealis vehicles were removed arbitrarily at some point. Since Bioware wanted to cash-in a bit more, they were reintroduced via-CM and no in-game lore explanation was given; They did provide one when they chose to remove them.

- The old shells were removed and no alternative was provided, only so that BW could - once again(!) - cash-in a bit more further down the road... And we're still experiencing that debacle.

- Remember the Shroud datacubes? Selling stuff such as that, regardless of its importance to the overarching storyline, on the CM? I lost all my faith on their artistic integrity there, right on the spot.

 

Again, this is just another - minor or major, depending on your opinion - debacle to add to our collective memories, nothing more.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Darth_Wicked

TLDR – Rarities and collection costs are right. Item rarity icons and collections tooltip rarity are not and are targeted to be fixed in 2.8.1.

 

-eric

Nothing to see here but classic EA doing what it does best. Squeezing as much money out their customers as possible. Not that big a change for me I'll just continue to not buy cartel packs or unlocks.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Bugattiboy

While I understand everyone's point of view we need to remember that Bioware is only following EA's orders, and attacking Bioware itself and its employees is totally unwarranted. Situations like this are not their call, Bioware's staff are as much victims as us. I don't know why we as a gaming community attack the developers so much when they are not the ones in control. I apologize if I sound naive and I also apologize if I am totally wrong.

 

There once was a time that Blizzard followed its parent Activision's orders in implementing something the players absolutely hated.

 

The players went ape-nuts on Blizzard.

 

Blizzard reversed direction.

 

Does anyone remember that fiasco? Real ID I think it was?

 

Anyway, I understand that SWTOR isn't WoW, BioWare isn't Blizzard, and EA isn't Activision, but the precedent is there.

 

Plus, this is the forum that both EA and BioWare have given us to provide feedback about the game, including their decisions about the game. The only better place to provide clear, constructive feedback about what we think about their actions is in the various places we can buy cartel coins... by not buying them.

So you're completely fine with emotes costing 600 CC to unlock? are you *********** serious?

 

LOL! They're testing it out to see if you buy it, or...they didn't really look into it and someone lazily told eric they were right. I swear, sometimes it really seems like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

I'll just pull these from my memory banks; There are probably more but these are the ones I remember, the more fondly...

 

- The Korrealis vehicles were removed arbitrarily at some point. Since Bioware wanted to cash-in a bit more, they were reintroduced via-CM and no in-game lore explanation was given; They did provide one when they chose to remove them.

- The old shells were removed and no alternative was provided, only so that BW could - once again(!) - cash-in a bit more further down the road... And we're still experiencing that debacle.

- Remember the Shroud datacubes? Selling stuff such as that, regardless of its importance to the overarching storyline, on the CM? I lost all my faith on their artistic integrity there, right on the spot.

 

Again, this is just another - minor or major, depending on your opinion - debacle to add to our collective memories, nothing more.

 

Those were minor. This was major.

For me at least.

That's why I still had faith in them. They tested the market a bit. They didn't do anything overly greedy, just what normal companies do (I mean, all companies try to sell more and make more money any way they can after all).

 

The Old shells were removed long before F2P tho, so that was done in the old spirit of "gear progression" that still happens in games like WoW where old gear is removed and new added.

They didn't do that to greedily sell them later. Even tho they did sell them later.

Ok,

 

Way I see it something happened here that has been very poorly handled..... so either:

 

1. The drop rate for the `stock' armor sets (not the named NPC ones) was screwed up somehow, but you cant admit it as that would mean defective goods liability and refunds to all customers who bought these packs.

 

in which case it was easily solved by saying sorry we tried something new, we didn't communicate it, were sorry,

well either add these items at a higher drop rate as bonus items in the next cartel pack that drops or make them available through a bazaar vendor at 1 credit each.

 

or more worryingly

 

2. What you have said is completely accurate in that this is the new business model for the cartel market, in that stock armor set pieces have grossly different drop rates and its virtually impossible to complete an armor set even by buying a hyper-crate.

 

In which case I hope you quickly communicate a change to this model, in advance of the next pack dropping or

your likely to see next to zero sales of the next, and future packs, as the vitriol evident on past posts in this thread

have made clear, people wont be buying packs or crates with this business model.

 

Hopefully corrective action will be taken, both in customer communication and approach. Else I fear your likely to turn the `Summer of SWTOR' into the `Summer of Wildstar'.

Edited June 19, 2014 by VelRathis

Those were minor. This was major.

For me at least.

That's why I still had faith in them. They tested the market a bit. They didn't do anything overly greedy, just what normal companies do (I mean, all companies try to sell more and make more money any way they can after all).

 

The Old shells were removed long before F2P tho, so that was done in the old spirit of "gear progression" that still happens in games like WoW where old gear is removed and new added. (...)

 

The Rakata shells were removed at the time RoTHC was released, back in April 2013. F2P was around for six months(!!!) or so I believe.

 

(...) They didn't do that to greedily sell them later. Even tho they did sell them later.

 

The veil has been pierced but still you refuse to see it. "Greedily" doesn't even begin to cover it, truth be told.

(...) Hopefully corrective action will be taken, both in customer communication and approach. Else I fear your likely to turn the `Summer of SWTOR' into the `Summer of Wildstar'.

 

Fairly sure that already happened.

 

This is pretty much the final nail in the coffin, concerning what 2.8 was supposed to be. As far as I can remember, it is by far the WORSE update in this game's history.

Ok,

 

Way I see it something happened here that has been very poorly handled..... so either:

 

1. The drop rate for the `stock' armor sets (not the named NPC ones) was screwed up somehow, but you cant admit it as that would mean defective goods liability and refunds to all customers who bought these packs.

 

in which case it was easily solved by saying sorry we tried something new, we didn't communicate it, were sorry,

well either add these items at a higher drop rate as bonus items in the next cartel pack that drops or make them available through a bazaar vendor at 1 credit each.

 

or more worryingly

 

2. What yor'.

 

Pretty sure you're #1 is correct. But I suspect they can't admit they screwed up because it would result in refunds and be very hard to solve by mailing out new packs. This strikes me as the stupid solution, announce everything is working as intended. There is just no way that the ratio of lowers to uppers is intended. How does that make sense in any world.

Amazing!

 

Even the SWTOR Defense Brigade has thrown down their shields with disgust over this announcement.

 

You know it must be serious when there is a consensus view within the forums on this fiasco.

 

I think in July, when the new Cartel Packs are released, I will be buying C.R.E.D.D. instead. Sure sounds like the wiser investment. That sound you hear is W* laughing all the way to the bank.

 

I suggest EA-Ware rethink this one.

So it was deliberate gating, after all. In a random drop pack. You cannot be serious. You cannot expect the player base to receive stuff like this as FAIR. If you release a set, like the Ceremonial Mystic, and then decide, on a whim, to skew the drop rates of the set in such a way that only a few can actually complete the set, because the upper crate will ALWAYS be super rare while the rest clutters around at common... that's a mistake. It dilutes the rest of the pack, along with those two emotes that now clutter the emotes section and those dyes that do the same.