I won't start with the default rage sentence, so let me say I'm not a founder, neither will I cancel my subscription, I just wanna share my main complaint on post 4.0 game state.

 

I just came back after november, because after the new SW movie (and after reading the Deceived novel) I got in the Star Wars mood, so I started a new Jedi Knight charachter.

 

My complaint is simple. The game is so-so-so-so damn easy, if not for flashpoints/operations (well even flashpoints have solo mode), there is really no point in grouping, and even doing things in solo, everything is a faceroll designed to brain dead children and the game rewards you waaay too much.

The story missions and side missions were never hard, only some bosses required CC and using def cooldowns when you didn't play as a healing character. Not anymore. Now you only need to send in your companion and go for a cigarette while he/she facerolls anything in the way. Well, okay, I can live with it, I just put my companion on passive so this part of the game becomes at least a little challenging.

 

But now as I've seen, the main method of getting geared is doing 2+ heroics. Why is it 2+? And why the hell are they called heroic? I can easily do them alone, and I have never seen my T7 go below 90% health. So why? Why don't they need another player if they are called 2+? And why are they damn easy even while doing them solo? And why are you getting decent blue gear for doing these???

 

So as the title says, to get decently geared, all I have to do is bash my head against the keyboard..

Maybe it's intended and maybe for most players it's more fun this way, but let me ask thus most simple question, and any answer would be much appreciated:

Why do you like it this way?

Why? Because difficult MMOs fail. I just came back (today) from playing Wildstar for the last two years, and while I LOVE how hard the game is in general, it's practically dead because of it (among other things) . One "Light" NA server here has more people online than the entirety of Wildstars NA pop.

 

I gave up my dreams of hard MMO content a long time ago, the market just isn't there for it.

Edited January 4, 2016 by RiChess

Well, I don't want the game to be overly difficult, but I think the game would be more fun (for me), if the more difficult content such as heroics would need me to put at least some effort into the game, like grouping up with people, or needing me use def or CC skills in order to complete them.

 

But I see your point, thanks for the reply.

 

Edit: And for example the more difficult MMO-s, like WoW pre cata still has quite large population on private servers, I think many people like challenge, mainly old school players, and maybe WildStar isn't failing because it's difficult, but it's just a guess, I wouldn't know about that.

Edited January 4, 2016 by lilathrone

it's now pretty much designed to get easier as you make more Alts... the more presence bonuses you got on other characters, like Presence Datacrons and getting a Human to 50, all factor into how well your companions do on that next character you make... take the companions out of healing mode and you'll soon see your HP drop if you don't have maxed out Presence on your Legacy...

The thing is, BW did breed a playerbase for this game, that does not want the need to use more than 3 abilities to win a fight.

 

So my advice is: if you want any challenge in a game, leave swtor.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Neglience

Stop sending your companion in? Must they fight at all? Passive mode? Or set them to dps mode and in later heroics they will go down if you do nothing.

My complaint is simple. The game is so-so-so-so damn easy, if not for flashpoints/operations (well even flashpoints have solo mode), there is really no point in grouping, and even doing things in solo, everything is a faceroll designed to brain dead children and the game rewards you waaay too much.

Yes and yes. Game is so easy it's not rewarding/gratifying anymore since there's no challenge.

 

Disclaimer : I understand perfectly that some just want an easy mode to follow the story without really bothering with the fight. I'm not blaming people who want that. That's fine, good on them. I'm just saying that there should be a dedicated "easy mode" that you can toggle instead of forcing it to everyone.

 

Right now, leveling and questing is a joke. Sometime, you are literally able to pull a pack of mob and physically get up your chair, leave the room to answer a phone call and still manage to survive the fight because the companion are op as hell. Smashing a few key accelerate the process and guarantee you the victory, but that's about it.

 

I'm not even exaggerating that much, here. I understand the point of the solo mode for flashpoint, but quite frankly it's a bit useless, since normal mode can be done solo with a comp without any trouble. Well, it's a bit longer, I'll grant you that. Then again, I don't complain about the solo mode. As I said, I understand that some just want an easy mode for the story, so I'm fine with that.

 

But outside the flashpoint, during the PVE leveling, everybode have to cope with being an immortal god that can faceroll his way through the planet without challenge, and that's a bit sad. To be fair, it's not all Bioware's fault. They tried to nerf the companion and the backslash they received from the community was so huge they had to revert the nerf nearly entirely and make them OP again. Granted, they might have nerfed the comp too much in one patch. That might have been more progressive, but still.

 

So now, people tell you to find workaround like "restrict yourself, disable you companion or go around without gear". Well, it's kind of stupid, I want to enjoy the game as it's supposed to. Just give us an option (ON/OFF) that toogle an easy mode that boosting your health, damage and companion and that's it.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Jaedelyia

I've started sending my companion to go fight a strong/elite, while I go fight a separate group of mobs. Saves time, and keeps me actually having to press a couple of buttons

I guess there could be a middle ground, where everyone get what they want. Leave the companions as they are, but make an item that would be purchasable on the fleet, which would create a debuf on companions nerfing all their stats to half or more. The debuf could be renewed, or taken down anytime. This way everybody could play the game as they like best, and IMO it doesn't require that much effort from the developers, but this is just a guess. Like when you could turn off 12x exp.

So now, people tell you to find workaround like "restrict yourself, disable you companion or go around without gear". Well, it's kind of stupid, I want to enjoy the game as it's supposed to. Just give us an option (ON/OFF) that toogle an easy mode that boosting your health, damage and companion and that's it.

 

Agreed, exactly my thoughts.

 

I'm not even exaggerating that much, here. I understand the point of the solo mode for flashpoint, but quite frankly it's a bit useless, since normal mode can be done solo with a comp without any trouble. Well, it's a bit longer, I'll grant you that. Then again, I don't complain about the solo mode. As I said, I understand that some just want an easy mode for the story, so I'm fine with that.

 

Would you mind providing a youtube link of you soloing (with comp) the non solo version of, say, Blood Hunt.

Not that you have many valid points, just sayng.

I gave up and began to play other games. I still have (just checked) 63 days of paid sub left, totally wasted money. I stil try to log on now and then, do something, I literally forced myself to face-roll the last class-story I had left, my God it was painful experience. Never again. And I will never again pay any kind of sub to any gaming company, as they clearly can't be trusted to not blow a relatively good game to smithereens and turn it to a Hello Kitty meets Sims.

 

This weekend I installed Skyforge. I almost wept from joy when I realised I have to dash, dodge, know what skill to use...all this from the very start. I definitely know that Skyforge is a p2w in the end, but I don't have to care because I don't play to win. I'm not a competitive player so I leave the credit-card swiping to people who want that. I know I will be a happy grinder for some time. I have missed a good combat even more than I realised. I had forgotten how it feels to beat something WITH YOUR SKILLS. By knowing what you do with your fingers when you sit on the keyboard. To having to react to the game. If you don't, you die miserably. It is just awesome. I want to die if I suck. It is that simple.

Edited January 4, 2016 by tahol

I've started sending my companion to go fight a strong/elite, while I go fight a separate group of mobs. Saves time, and keeps me actually having to press a couple of buttons

 

I found myself doing the same.

 

Anyways IMO this is now boring. They could reduce the mob number -killing them is no adventure/excitement.

If you can't lose -this is just a chore

 

I see many people playing the game. My best guess: this is The Force Awakens effect.

Not many will stay though, as they'll get bored after they level their first character.

 

I'm no BW CEO, but they wasted a perfect occasion to get new people to try and stay in the game

Would you mind providing a youtube link of you soloing (with comp) the non solo version of, say, Blood Hunt.

Not that you have many valid points, just sayng.

I did it recently (4.0) with one of my Bounty Hunter (pretty sure it was my Powertech in Shield spec). Granted it felt loooong on both Shae Vizla and the two mandos because of the low DPS but unless I'm mistaken, it didn't strike me as particularly hard

 

I might record a run of Blood Hunt the next time I feel doing it if you want, but honestly I don't remember it as the hardest one out there.

 

The one I won't do again in tactical alone with my tank is Battle of Rishii, because of Marko Ka and the other one. After the first run I was simply sick of it already. Goddammit it takes FOREVER to kill these two because of the freaking healing droids. I cannot DPS the droid fast enough and cannot kill them before they heal the bosses. So you have to out-DPS their heals and believe me, it feel like an eternity because of the low DPS of my tank powertech. If I had to do it again with this character would switch my build to DPS, like pyrotech or something because otherwise that's long as hell.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Jaedelyia

I can agree. A lot of the content is easy. But I've been playing since beta. I reached legacy 50 within 6 months after launch. I have all the meaningful datacrons. I have all of the legacy companion boosts. Something new players don't have. So what's easy for some, may not be easy for others. That's something that can't be balanced without completely removing the legacy boosts.

 

If, and that's a big IF, they could implement a system like NCSoft did with CoX, where players could adjust the mission difficulty (from -1 level to +2 levels) that could make a lot of people happy.

 

All of those saying "It's too hard" could lower their mission difficulty, which would give lesser rewards, while those who are saying "It's too easy" could raise their mission difficulty up to 2 levels higher, and earn greater rewards.

 

For groups, the group leader would determine the difficulty level.

My complaint is simple. The game is so-so-so-so damn easy, if not for flashpoints/operations (well even flashpoints have solo mode), there is really no point in grouping, and even doing things in solo, everything is a faceroll designed to brain dead children and the game rewards you waaay too much.

The story missions and side missions were never hard

 

Just a few points:

 

1) Flashpoints and Operations, by your own admission, are not easy. Therefore, this game still has difficult content. It's just not going to be in the open world.

 

2) By your own admission, the story missions and side missions were never hard. Therefore, there's little difference except time, now. If you don't wander away from the game and let your companion do everything, mobs fall very quickly. Sure, you don't have to use your defensive cooldowns as much. The last time I was leveling a character through the story pre-4.0, I had to use them maybe three times. It doesn't make that much of a difference.

 

3) Therefore, I enjoy this because there is a relaxed mode for playing the game, where you can just enjoy pretending you're a Jedi and cutting bad guys in two with your lightsaber. If I want tension, I can queue for PvP, and if I want a long, boring slog where I have to press the same keys repeatedly and move around, I can run FP/OPs.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Morthion

I actually agree on the Heroics thing... those are *meant* to be difficult and now they are easily done with a companion. Grouping for them is completely unnecessary because it would take less time to just solo them. The game doesn't have to be uber difficult but group content should be very hard to do solo (if at all) and solo content should at least require you to play the character with more than 3 buttons. I.e. got a younger sibling who doesn't quite grasp the concept of various keybinds as well as a GCD, and spams 1 & 2 constantly on the juggernaut. He is now on Tatooine and is yet to die because Vette and Quinn have healed him like crazy (completely new player as well little to no presence bonuses). I don't about anyone else but that's just ridiculous for any game....

Just a few points:

 

1) Flashpoints and Operations, by your own admission, are not easy. Therefore, this game still has difficult content. It's just not going to be in the open world.

 

2) By your own admission, the story missions and side missions were never hard. Therefore, there's little difference except time, now. If you don't wander away from the game and let your companion do everything, mobs fall very quickly. Sure, you don't have to use your defensive cooldowns as much. The last time I was leveling a character through the story pre-4.0, I had to use them maybe three times. It doesn't make that much of a difference.

 

3) Therefore, I enjoy this because there is a relaxed mode for playing the game, where you can just enjoy pretending you're a Jedi and cutting bad guys in two with your lightsaber. If I want tension, I can queue for PvP, and if I want a long, boring slog where I have to press the same keys repeatedly and move around, I can run FP/OPs.

 

1) You are right.

 

2) There is a big difference between something not being hard or you being invincible. For me, the current state of the story mode difficulty breaks immersion for me. I like RPG-s, I like role playing, so when I face a supposedly strong big huge a** Sith Lord, I expect him to be somewhat of a challenge. So then after the battle I could really feel that this was a battle between a strong Jedi and a powerful member of the dark side. But as it is, it's just a random npc after another in order to get through the story content. At least have me avoid AoE-s, interrupt once in a while, you know.. Just to feel a little accomplishment after defeating a boss.

And maybe you didn't have to use def cooldowns in pre 4.0, but that was because you had yourself and your companion properly geared. That's not a problem if there is a progression, that you need to put some effort into your character so he becomes stronger and so the enemies become easier to defeat. Now you have everything handed to you and it doesn't matter what gear you use, you're invincible either way.

 

3) Yea I hear you, though it seems we play for different reasons.

They downscaled everything but exp rewards have been increased. That means that it's fairly easy and fast to reach the end game levels and, like it or not, it's intended.

I've been preferred status for few weeks because both Origin and SWTOR.com refused to renew my subscription (God bless bugs with using Paypal as a billing method), while waiting I made a new sniper and leveled with it for the past couple of days (2x exp was already not in place anymore when I started). The result is that I left Alderaan last night at level 50. By doing nothing but main quests and heroics. I have not even reached the end of chapter 1 of agent story and I am already level 50.

 

It feels weird and wrong to be that "strong" that early in the game, but the average mmo player nowadays is not interested into leveling stuff anymore, all they care about is steamrolling through the content as fast as they can.

Why? Because difficult MMOs fail.

 

And games with no challenge fail too. Try again.

So now, people tell you to find workaround like "restrict yourself, disable you companion or go around without gear". Well, it's kind of stupid, I want to enjoy the game as it's supposed to. Just give us an option (ON/OFF) that toogle an easy mode that boosting your health, damage and companion and that's it.

 

 

They did give you a switch, it's actually a single pole, quad throw switch. It's positions are Healing/Tank/DPS/Passive on your companion. Thats four different levels of difficulty to play with. If you really want to have fun, just dismiss your companion completely.

Agreed. The game became a zone for 12 year old girls who can get to level 50 without even seriously fighting. That way they learn nothing... We can see that in PvP now. No one guarding.. no orbs.. no passes, ... even at level 65 PvP.

 

I liked the game where you died a few times on gold stars until you were able to make it with some stims and skills Well that was some time ago now, after four years of playing I learned how to fight properly^^

 

But in general it is true what you are saying. I wrote so many threads on the forums, where I rage upon that things that happen... Because it is simply annoying how people forgot the purpose of that game... and just want the easy path, not a difficult one. Not only in this game, also in other games. Sad.

So now, people tell you to find workaround like "restrict yourself, disable you companion or go around without gear".

 

At level 65, even naked with only 2 empty shell of blasters on my gunslinger. I'm still able to do all the heroics and the star fortress heroic solo using the bolster station. I could probably do the heroics using my punching abilities, but it would take a really long time to do it.

 

While leveling, I just need to gear up 1 time after DK/Coruscant and I can faceroll all the rest for leveling. There is way too much XP so you've got to really work hard to avoid being overleveled and level sync/bolster make gear irrevelant outside of PvP and HM/NiM ops. If you know your role and how to play the class, you can easily do HM FP and SM ops with level 11 gear.

Edited January 4, 2016 by ludoviccb

They did give you a switch, it's actually a single pole, quad throw switch. It's positions are Healing/Tank/DPS/Passive on your companion. Thats four different levels of difficulty to play with. If you really want to have fun, just dismiss your companion completely.

 

You and the person you're responding too must both share the same comprehension problem. He doesn't want to have to restrict himself so he wants a switch to... restrict himself, and your solution it to tell him the same advice he says he doesn't want to hear, which is to restrict himself.

 

When did the entire concept of a game actually challenging players become such a dirty concept?

I want to see you do HM FP with lvl 11 gear, video proof or you are full of it