We have been told that there will be changes to the crafting system. My big worry is that I am going to lose all of the rare schematics that I spent millions of credits getting. I like knowing that I can craft items that are no longer available in the game. Will we be losing those?

If history is any indication the answer is no. exhibit A is the crafted War Hero PvP gear. The schematics were removed from the game but those who had them already can still craft them.

Exhibit B: >2000 forum posts about contraband slot machine and crafting mats drop rates.

Lesson: Annoy crafters at your peril, BW!

If I have understood everything correctly, you choose if you want your toons to go through to the new story line. So your crafters don't need to be there for everything under 60.

Though they will be useless in some other way.. the new level cap will be 70. In other words new mats and schematics are to be expected and to craft for the end game you'll need to be apart of that. Though I don't know if they will **** things up (change) in the whole general game or just in the scope of 61-70. So lets pretend its just within those level, what they will changing to the crafting system with in within 61-70 you may be forced in there with them if the actuall crafter is needed to gather stuff. Otherwise its just to feed the crafters who stands out side at lv 60.

If I have understood everything correctly, you choose if you want your toons to go through to the new story line. So your crafters don't need to be there for everything under 60.

Though they will be useless in some other way.. the new level cap will be 70. In other words new mats and schematics are to be expected and to craft for the end game you'll need to be apart of that. Though I don't know if they will **** things up (change) in the whole general game or just in the scope of 61-70. So lets pretend its just within those level, what they will changing to the crafting system with in within 61-70 you may be forced in there with them if the actuall crafter is needed to gather stuff. Otherwise its just to feed the crafters who stands out side at lv 60.

Actually the new level cap will be 65 not 70.

If I have understood everything correctly, you choose if you want your toons to go through to the new story line. So your crafters don't need to be there for everything under 60.

Though they will be useless in some other way.. the new level cap will be 70. In other words new mats and schematics are to be expected and to craft for the end game you'll need to be apart of that. Though I don't know if they will **** things up (change) in the whole general game or just in the scope of 61-70. So lets pretend its just within those level, what they will changing to the crafting system with in within 61-70 you may be forced in there with them if the actuall crafter is needed to gather stuff. Otherwise its just to feed the crafters who stands out side at lv 60.

From the limited description, it sounds as if this "expansion" is more like a new version of the game, more like going from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. So, if you send your character five years into the future, there is no coming back or interacting or exchanging materials with other characters in your legacy. That would mean that your level 62 cybertech won't be able craft new mods for your level 53 character because you are effectively playing in an entirely new game. Or, your scavenger would not be able to get the metals and compounds your cybertech or armormech needs anymore.

If there is no coming back, then In order to replace the lost skills from your legacy, you would have to create another character, and go through all those expensive missions, acquire schematics, reverse engineer, etc. I don't know how many players who craft and who have been through it once will want to take the time to run a new character through that all over again just to get those high-ranking crew skillls back into the legacy.

The obvious difference between Mass Effect and SWTOR is that you played only one character in Mass Effect, while in SWTOR you play a legacy -- a team of characters that are mutually dependent based on the distribution of crew skills. With only five new levels to play, taking the Mass Effect route could be SWTOR''s version of the "New Coke" blunder.

I hope I am wrong.

From the limited description, it sounds as if this "expansion" is more like a new version of the game, more like going from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. So, if you send your character five years into the future, there is no coming back or interacting or exchanging materials with other characters in your legacy. That would mean that your level 62 cybertech won't be able craft new mods for your level 53 character because you are effectively playing in an entirely new game. Or, your scavenger would not be able to get the metals and compounds your cybertech or armormech needs anymore.

 

If there is no coming back, then In order to replace the lost skills from your legacy, you would have to create another character, and go through all those expensive missions, acquire schematics, reverse engineer, etc. I don't know how many players who craft and who have been through it once will want to take the time to run a new character through that all over again just to get those high-ranking crew skillls back into the legacy.

 

The obvious difference between Mass Effect and SWTOR is that you played only one character in Mass Effect, while in SWTOR you play a legacy -- a team of characters that are mutually dependent based on the distribution of crew skills. With only five new levels to play, taking the Mass Effect route could be SWTOR''s version of the "New Coke" blunder.

 

I hope I am wrong.

You are wrong...

All the stories in SWTOR start at relatively the same moment in time (shortly after the Treaty of Coruscant). So from a strict temporal standpoint, unless ALL your characters are level 60 and went through EVERY planet's main story (be it class or faction), then each character exists in a different point on the continuum between starter planets and Ziost. So even if KotFE jumps ahead several years the temporal paradox that is one's legacy remains the same.

That being said, I do have a small fear that progressing beyond 500 crew skills is going to require at least starting the KotFE story. Not saying I think it will happen, I am saying that it would not surprise me if it did.

You are wrong...

 

All the stories in SWTOR start at relatively the same moment in time (shortly after the Treaty of Coruscant). So from a strict temporal standpoint, unless ALL your characters are level 60 and went through EVERY planet's main story (be it class or faction), then each character exists in a different point on the continuum between starter planets and Ziost. So even if KotFE jumps ahead several years the temporal paradox that is one's legacy remains the same.

 

That being said, I do have a small fear that progressing beyond 500 crew skills is going to require at least starting the KotFE story. Not saying I think it will happen, I am saying that it would not surprise me if it did.

To clarify, my reference to "legacy" was not some imagined theorhetical temporal paradox that occurs within of a massively multiplayer game design, but as a practical reference to the specific set of characters in an account. These characters can use the same legacy storage or email to each other, enabling them to exchange both the materials and products of crafting. With previous expansions, characters did not forget how to make those items when they advanced into the expansions nor were they denied access to those materials or the ability to transfer their products to other characters in their legacy. The specific topic that I raised is the possibility that such conveniences that legacies now enjoy would be severed by the mechanics of this new "expansion."

The only way one could possibly know if I am wrong today is if one possessed inside information. Otherwise, until the developers make further disclosure, its seems fair to say that we are going to have to wait to see what is right and wrong.

To be more precise, I hope I will be wrong.

What I expect will happen, given the very sparse info we have from gamescom....

All stats game wide will be changed, which means any recipes with stats will have those recipes either removed or changed based on the new stats. Any recipes that were craftable modded armor (empty shells), will be converted to adaptable gear.

Adaptive planetary nodes will have a level on the node similar to how it is now. However if you are below that level, you will still be able to harvest the node, it will just scale down the resources in it to what you can use.

You will still be able to go back and visit old planets and gather mats from there. You will still be able to craft for alts. You will still be able to craft for conquest.

Think of the crafting system like the changes to the combat system with 3.0. While those were touted as part of the expansion, they were still part changed overall as part of the core game. Crafting should work exactly the same way in that regard.

To clarify, my reference to "legacy" was not some imagined theorhetical temporal paradox that occurs within of a massively multiplayer game design, but as a practical reference to the specific set of characters in an account. These characters can use the same legacy storage or email to each other, enabling them to exchange both the materials and products of crafting. With previous expansions, characters did not forget how to make those items when they advanced into the expansions nor were they denied access to those materials or the ability to transfer their products to other characters in their legacy. The specific topic that I raised is the possibility that such conveniences that legacies now enjoy would be severed by the mechanics of this new "expansion."

 

The only way one could possibly know if I am wrong today is if one possessed inside information. Otherwise, until the developers make further disclosure, its seems fair to say that we are going to have to wait to see what is right and wrong.

 

To be more precise, I hope I will be wrong.

You missed my point. Your fear is that because there will be several years of separation between those characters in KotFE and those not that there will be actual separation in that they will not be "allowed" to interact through legacy. I am saying that all your characters already are separated by time and therefore that additional separation is a non-factor. Furthermore it would TRULY SUCK if crafters in KotFE could not provide equipment to new characters who do have to level the traditional way.

You missed my point. Your fear is that because there will be several years of separation between those characters in KotFE and those not that there will be actual separation in that they will not be "allowed" to interact through legacy. I am saying that all your characters already are separated by time and therefore that additional separation is a non-factor. Furthermore it would TRULY SUCK if crafters in KotFE could not provide equipment to new characters who do have to level the traditional way.

I totally agree, though I think that it won't be that way though and here is why..

Charachters seperated in time are not allowed to interact with eachother.

If that statement would to be true then for example you would not be able to sell things in GTN to anyone besides those in your timeline. You wouldn't be able to trade, play FP nor operations with ppl outside your timeline.

I personally think that would take way too much coding and beta testing to bother with unless its like a whole new game and its just a character transfer. Then again, that is a huge risk since it would piss alot of players off unless they nail the **** of it which is a very small chance.

There will be no cut off stopping anyone interacting with anyone else. This is more or less proven by then already announcing we can go back to old planets with our 65s and they will still be the same planets back then.

They don't even need to explain this in story because it's always considered that "out of character" MMO aspects of MMOs.

Thus you can still go back to Korriban as a 65 and carry people through heroics if you so wish.

As to crafting and level requirement for 500+ though ... who knows at this stage. I think if they did make starting KoTFE a requirement for getting over 500 then you can expect something similar throughout the game in terms of character level restriction that you can reach certain crew skill stages at. e.g. if you had to 55+ to unlock the 450+ crafting. That would have a significant effect on the economy one would think.

When you then think they are selling level 60's to people this might be a viable course for them to take to make the selling of those 60's far more attractive to mass crafters.

You missed my point. Your fear is that because there will be several years of separation between those characters in KotFE and those not that there will be actual separation in that they will not be "allowed" to interact through legacy. I am saying that all your characters already are separated by time and therefore that additional separation is a non-factor. Furthermore it would TRULY SUCK if crafters in KotFE could not provide equipment to new characters who do have to level the traditional way.

Your point was understood previously. Yes, they are already separateted by "game time." That is much is plainly obvious. However, if the expansion's game mechanic was to "promote" characters to this new expansion, the specific concern is whether they would be separated by more than game time -- almost as if they are now on another server and can't go back again -- meaning that the ability to craft for lower level charcters who are not in the expansion would be severed.

There will be no cut off stopping anyone interacting with anyone else. This is more or less proven by then already announcing we can go back to old planets with our 65s and they will still be the same planets back then.

 

They don't even need to explain this in story because it's always considered that "out of character" MMO aspects of MMOs.

 

Thus you can still go back to Korriban as a 65 and carry people through heroics if you so wish.

 

QUOTE]

 

If what you say is true, then that's great! When and where was this announced? Would you please post a link to a specific quote from the developers where they have announced that the expansion will be similar to the previous expansions where a character has full interaction with the legacy (via email or legacy storage) to exchange materials and crafted items as well as to gather crafting materials from all the pre-expansion planets?

 

Building crafting skills is both labor intensive and expensive. It would consume a lot of time between now and the end of October to have to replace that skill within the legacy.

Your point was understood previously. Yes, they are already separateted by "game time." That is much is plainly obvious. However, if the expansion's game mechanic was to "promote" characters to this new expansion, the specific concern is whether they would be separated by more than game time -- almost as if they are now on another server and can't go back again -- meaning that the ability to craft for lower level charcters who are not in the expansion would be severed.

There is no reason to do that other than "story" and the "story" is not THAT important.

The story is the reason many play SWTOR.

Again, point = missed. To alter game mechanics solely for the sake of the story is STUPID.

Look at it this way, they want players to play KotFE. What is the likelihood of that happening in mass quantities if they severe legacies? NIL! Most players will simply stay away from KotFE because they do not want to HAVE to play EVERY character through that content to "reunite" their legacy.

I am reminded of the development of EverQuest 2. EQ1 had been around for a few years and a majority of players were eager to try EQ2, IF they could transfer characters. When it was discovered that characters would not be transferable because the two games were separated by hundreds of years the overwhelming majority of EQ1 players stuck with EQ1. Yes some tried EQ2, but invariably came back to EQ1 because they had well established characters and relationships (guilds and friends).

If BW does something similar with KotFE a LOT of players are going to be justifiably upset.

 

If BW does something similar with KotFE a LOT of players are going to be justifiably upset.

Yes! Thank you for making my point. I don't know anything about Everquest, but Bioware has a track record of coming out with sequels that "promote" the new characters into a new setting and then not letting them to return. They did this with the Neverwinter Nights series and again with the Mass Effect series. Granted these were not MMOs, but that has been their historical pattern with other games. That was my initial point: if they go down this road again with SWTOR and KOTFE, then KOTFE could be their New Coke.

There will be no cut off stopping anyone interacting with anyone else. This is more or less proven by then already announcing we can go back to old planets with our 65s and they will still be the same planets back then.

 

They don't even need to explain this in story because it's always considered that "out of character" MMO aspects of MMOs.

 

Thus you can still go back to Korriban as a 65 and carry people through heroics if you so wish.

 

QUOTE]

 

If what you say is true, then that's great! When and where was this announced? Would you please post a link to a specific quote from the developers where they have announced that the expansion will be similar to the previous expansions where a character has full interaction with the legacy (via email or legacy storage) to exchange materials and crafted items as well as to gather crafting materials from all the pre-expansion planets?

 

Building crafting skills is both labor intensive and expensive. It would consume a lot of time between now and the end of October to have to replace that skill within the legacy.

 

We stood up in a group and talked to Ben Scott. Not sure whether this was mentioned before, but he was asked whether the collection will get a search function. His answer was that he is not allowed to answer this now, but there will be changes. He hinted to the collection when getting asked for more cargo bay spaces.

In addition he said that you will be asked twice before starting the KotFE quest. Every unfinished class story, companion story and the other storylike quest lines (like Rishi/Yavin, Ziost) will disappear and cannot be finished anymore. Nevertheless he confirmed that you will still have access to all planets you could visit before as well as the fleet. The known planets will look as they ever did.

 

From: http://dulfy.net/2015/08/06/swtor-gamescom-cantina-tour-qa/ - take it for what it's worth as it's a user quoting Q&A but it seems rather minimalist thing to be making up.

 

As to the rest of your post I didn't say anything about legacy in the post you quoted? It would be pretty stupid for them to have legacy storage and not leave it as it's designed now ( or possibly even improve on it ). As for the time gap my characters are already seperated by several years so I don't see how KoTFE would be any different.

Yes! Thank you for making my point. I don't know anything about Everquest, but Bioware has a track record of coming out with sequels that "promote" the new characters into a new setting and then not letting them to return. They did this with the Neverwinter Nights series and again with the Mass Effect series. Granted these were not MMOs, but that has been their historical pattern with other games. That was my initial point: if they go down this road again with SWTOR and KOTFE, then KOTFE could be their New Coke.

Err doesn't pretty much every non MMO sequel do that? If anything Bioware could be praised with ME games for allowing some amount of "import" function between the games, most games don't have this.

Also if you play ME2 and want to return to ME1 parts of the game then you go play ME1 ... I kind of lost on your point here and how what Bioware does with it's single player games and sequels is any different to every other development house and their titles?

So basically as I understand it yes you can return to planets etc. but it would be out of character.

It sounds like any missions etc. you have are gone once you start KoTFE. You'll still have the dailies etc. but if it's class/companion story related then you won't be able to go back to it or start it once you start KoTFE.

HOPEFULLY they give some sort of exhaustive list of what this applies to ahead of time. For example someone who skipped Oricon story and is new to raiding and wanting to get into it might be interested in going back to do that before they attempt DF/DP - will the lock out apply to Oricon? I don't bother asking these questions until they make the official post for us all to see that announces the changes I quoted above - semi official I guess you could call it at this stage.

From: http://dulfy.net/2015/08/06/swtor-gamescom-cantina-tour-qa/ - take it for what it's worth as it's a user quoting Q&A but it seems rather minimalist thing to be making up.

Hmmm...does not look extraordinarily bad....which is good.