The end of the arguement. Is SWTOR in decline? Can it be saved?

Absolutely agree. On all points.

That hasn't happened for me since Everquest beta March 1998. Most MMORPG forums have their share of rants, but they also have their share of quality constructive criticism. Bioware should be appreciating threads like these because it points out reasons for concern. If there were no negative posts, then the game will never improve. It's a good thing this isn't your company. lol

There's a big difference between constructive criticism and flat-out QQ negativity. Generally, constructive criticism can actually be viewed as a positive post.

The negative posts are neither constructive, nor conducive to a constructive conversation. Negative posts do not improve the game. Positive posts that include constructive criticisms do.

If Bioware had taken the time to incorporate the advances currently in other MMOs, we would still be waiting for release, and their current deadline would probably be 2015 or later. No one wants to wait 10 years for an MMO to develop, and by the time you released it, it would be an obsolete game engine with poor sales as a result, regardless of game features. The fans wouldn't wait, and the Shareholders certainly won't, they expect a profit from their inventments within a certain amount of time.

So, Bioware had no choice but to release what they already had done, because EA ultimately decides when release date is. They may listen to what Bioware has to say about it, but EA made the final decision about release date.

Many of the features you would have expected to see in this game have yet to be implemented, because they were working on them still when the game was released, and still are. It takes months to write the code and programming for many game features, such as a LFG tool.

Some are patient to wait, some are not, the rest hold their breath till they turn blue and blame Bioware for the lack of oxygen to their brains.

C'est la vie.

Buy an unfinished game for the good of a company's shareholders and then call it a virtuous act of patience. Maybe that makes somebody feel better about being sold a bill of goods. Too bad a huge portion of the subscribers aren't so virutous and are voting with their feet right out the door. Wonder what the shareholders will think of that?

hahaha you need to look some more on each server this game is almost dead sorry had to laugh at what you said

Just a note about the hating. I know a lot of it is trolling and hating for hating sake.

Personally, I won't say I hate the game, I'm just so terribly disappointed in it.

Now, I know BW wasn't thinking 'OK, how can we make this game good for Gee', but, I've been on these forums for a long time, I've been reading up about the game for ages, watching video clips, looking back at BW track record and man alive, I was excited about this game. I remember how excited I was to be asked to Beta test. How I yelled in an internet cafe while on holiday in Australia coz I couldn't pre-order from that location. I couldn't wait till Dec 2011 to finally play the game!

I decided to treat myself to the CE. I got home, sat my Darth Malgus on a shelf, listened to the new music while the game installed. Then, playing it, I didn't see my wife for a while, coz all I wanted to do was play! And play I did! The story was gripping, the graphics were amazing (I bought a new card just for it), getting a ship, space combat...all of it just seemed what I was waiting for.

Then, as time went on, I just started to realise that the game was just not that good! So many bugs, which I understand, it's a huge undertaking, some are bound to creep through, but then also other annoying things, C2 talking, the constant server (and forum) maintenance, the GTN wasn't a great system...all this little things.

Then I got excited about The Legacy System, it looked great. Then in hit and again, disappointment.

I have said this a few times before, but BW should have just made KOTOR 3 and not tried to make an MMO. Obviously, there's more money in an MMO, since there's a monthly sub, but it's a two edged sword. If the game is great and it works and you can please everyone...you win! If the game is bugged and doesn't work and you can't please everyone...you loose! And lets face it, you can't please everyone. Period!

After the years of hype, the years of waiting and anticipation...the game just didn't deliver for me. And I think a lot of the more intelligent haters are the same. They aren't wearing rose tinted glasses and just thinking 'This game is great, no matter what!', they are looking at it for what it is, a let down.

Yes, because nothing ever truly came out of one of GC's 'daily' blue responses. Only when they made an actual announcement was anything truly done about it.
These blogs Bioware keeps up give more information and answer questions more in depth than the blues ever did. And don't think blues do not ignore blatant problems for months or years without any response about them (Mage Blink bug anyone?)

Blue responses only gave a feeling of commitment and connection with the userbase, they were functionally useless as it came to solving issues quicker or defining them better.

Yes, the sub-numbers are dwindling.
But it is nothing new, if the numbers of ghost servers are growing.

The problem in SWTOR is not the problem of the MMO genre.
The current problems are custom made by the developing and publishing companies.
I know, that new ideas / mechanics or whole gaming systems cost money , are risky (because nobody knows how the customer will react) and take time to develop.
Now we can clearly see, that BW/EA went the "save" way too, and developed a game with little to 0 innovation.
They decided to keep to the standard and give the customerbase a game with already known mechanics.
(known mechanics =! WoW clone)

Problem is, that a gamer expects a genre to make an evolution.
AOC tried that once with an innvative combat system (but failed to deliver everything else)
Aion tried it with 3D fightting in the air (the same failure like AOC)
a.s.o.

So the lesson the big companies learned, is not, that they have to be innovative and deliver a finished product.
No, they learned, that new ideas are risky and it is the safer way to keep to the ol'good standards.

Problem is, that after one decade of little to 0 evolution in the MMO genre, the gamerbase is tired of the same ol'mechanics.
And I'm glad, that SWTOR will fail on the long run too, because the big companies have to learn it the hard way, that they have to take risks and develop new / fresh and innovative gaming mechanics to stay alive.

If you are one of the ol'generation of MMO players, who are happy with no evolution in the MMO genre, thats OK. But I'm relieved, that a good portion of the gamerbase is showing with their wallets, that the MMOs have to evolve, to be successful in the future.

Apologies if I'm being thick, but, why do the overall subscriber numbers affect whether or not one feels they should be resubscribing? I enjoy the game and so long as I continue to enjoy the game I will resubscribe. If I feel that the server I am on is too quiet, I'll roll on a different server - though this is unlikely as I'm in a guild of people that I've been gaming with for several years.

Enough of the doomsaying! Enjoy the game? Then play it!