So... who's going to stick with the game? : Star Wars Galaxies Discussions

with the big change? This will either kill the game, or draw in a whole new crowd and thrive




CURRENT PLAYER TRANSITION INFORMATION



I. General Questions

Why are you making such dramatic changes to a live game?

Enhancements to a live game are never easy to introduce or implement. We have received feedback over the years through research, focus groups, community forums and anecdotal encounters that our game was very complex - many people never made it past the early levels. For that reason, we embarked on this significant redesign of our beginning game to make it more fun and more of a true Star Wars adventure. Once those changes were completed the results were so startlingly positive, in terms of the game play experience that we wanted to bring this level of fun to the rest of the game.

We want current players to stay with us and play through the new systems. To make this happen we are offering current players several exclusive loyalty rewards including the opportunity to try the new content paths, receive profession specific bonus items, explore 10 new advanced levels and an Elder Buff. This is a journey that we believe is necessary to grow the game and we want our community to understand why we feel that way and we want them to “try” the enhanced game before making any final decisions.

How will these changes affect the veteran players?



Research and focus group testing shows that these changes are exactly what players want – more Star Wars adventure – more fun! Players want to focus on the game play and not the game mechanics and interfaces. What we've heard from high level players is that they want fewer obstacles to advancement and more opportunities – the new special abilities, the introduction of 10 new levels to advance through and master, the inclusion of a more loot and item rewards, more directed, story-driven questing and the streamlined progression path all offer these types of improvements. The wide-range appeal will help us continue to grow our community which offers veteran players a more vibrant game world in which to play. The more players there are in the game, the more PvP opportunities, the larger your guild can be, the more players you can adventure with and the possibilities go on from there. We feel confident that if our current players try the new systems they will stay with us.

How will these changes affect my character's in-game items?



Your in-game items and collectibles that are non-combat related won't be affected at all. Player housing, vehicles, collectibles and other items will remain completely intact and transition with your character. Some of your combat related items may change with respect to the relative value of their stats based on your level and the profession path you choose to pursue. Most in-game items are being converted so that they fit with the new fast-action style of combat and overall gameplay and we have made our best effort to ensure these items' existing effectiveness is equivalent once you transition to a new path.

Are you going to host a server with the original rules set?



No.

Without Bio-Engineers how will players disable GCW bases?

Bio-Engineers are no longer required in order to disable GCW bases.



Will I still earn Faction points the same way?



Yes, you will earn faction points for engaging in combat with your enemies

Why don't we use skill trainers to buy skills anymore?



The primary goal of the new game enhancements is to increase the fun factor and bring the Star Wars adventure alive in-game. The Trainer experience is not one that maximizes either fun or Star Wars excitement and therefore we put the focus on questing, adventuring and socializing to help players advance and earn skills.

So then how do I gain a skill?

When you have earned enough experience points for a skill within your profession you are granted that skill. When you have earned enough experience points to gain a combat level, your combat level is increased. This is a departure from the existing system which was far more complex and forced you to acquire experience points, "spend" them on a chosen skill, and then the system calculated your combat level based on the experience point costs of all the skills you had acquired. Now combat level is based solely on experience points earned – simple, easy, fun and less time spent wandering around looking for trainers and more time living the Star Wars saga!

How will group XP work?

Groups will earn XP faster and so will solo adventurers. Groups hunting creatures and killing NPC's will get the sum total of experience points for the NPC's and creatures killed by the group. This experience total is then divided by the number of players in the group. All players in a group going on quests will earn the full amount of quest experience points available and advancement in the game will be based mostly on quest XP – which means more fun and faster advancement.

II. Combat Questions



Why is combat changing?



The existing game featured a turn-based style of combat that did not truly capture the spirit of Star Wars nor was it particularly engaging. The new action combat system more closely resembles the fast-paced action-packed combat depicted in the Star Wars movies.

What will happen to current armor, clothing, and skill modifiers?



Most, but not all of these items and modifiers are being converted to work within the new combat system.



Will there still be PvP combat?



Absolutely as it's one of our players' favorite features – and one of the most fun!

III. Character Classes and Professions Questions



Why would you eliminate any of the existing professions?



Today our player professions by percent of masters is significantly skewed to the core combat professions as a very small proportion of our player (less than 1% of players) choose to master the professions of Bio Engineer or Creature Handler. For this reason, we are putting the focus where the majority of our players are putting their game-play investment -- on the core profession paths. However, there are some elements of these professions incorporated into several of the new professions. Players who were Bio Engineers will be interested in the new Trader or Medic professions as these two both incorporate some crafting abilities. These changes will reinvigorate the game world, bring the excitement of the movies alive in-game and put the player into a more active role.



What is happening to my character if my class isn't listed on the 9 types of new iconic professions?



We recommend that you choose the new iconic profession type that most closely matches your existing skill set and interests. Remember, we have included elements of several professions in each of the “new” professions, so you may find overlap in skills from your current class with the new professions. That said, we encourage players to explore all of the professions during your free review/re-spec period (until your 9 re-spec opportunities have been used).

What are these new “iconic professions”?

The new character advancement paths are based on professions of 9 legendary Star Wars heroes:

* Bounty Hunter (Based on Boba Fett)
* Commando (Based on Commander Cody)
* Jedi (Based on Luke Skywalker)
* Medic (Based on 2-1B)
* Smuggler (Based on Han Solo)
* Officer (Based on Princess Leia)
* Spy (Based on Princess Leia as the Bounty Hunter Boussh)
* Entertainer (Based on Oola)
* Trader (Based on Lando Calrissian)

Will this new profession system help me make sense of the advancement system?

Definitely – that's the main reason we decided to enhance the profession development system. It is now much easier as you can view the steps you will need to take and skills you will need to learn in order to become a master of your chosen profession. Another addition with this new system is a single total experience point bar (XP bar) on your screen that fills-up as you earn XP from quests, defeating enemies and other NPC's, as well as other adventures. When the experience bar fills up, you will see that you have gained a combat level and earned the chance to learn some great new skills and abilities.

What if I have a fully developed character?



All current players will be given the chance to sample all the new professions before choosing one. Each veteran player (existing characters active in-game prior to the introduction of the enhancements) will receive a “re-spec” (change or revise a character's basic skills and abilities) token with ten uses/charges to provide the opportunity to try any and all of the professions once before making your final choice. Currently, there is no time limit for when to use the “re-spec” tokens – players will use of them until all of the opportunities have been used. As an additional bonus, all current active characters will be able to begin advancing through new levels as we are adding 10 levels to the combat advancement system, level 80 – 90.

What's happening to my Jedi character?



Jedi will be able to choose any of the nine iconic new professions, including the Jedi profession. Regardless of a veteran Jedi's (existing active Jedi characters prior to the introduction of the game enhancements) re-spec choice the character will gain items and abilities that will represent the original accomplishments achieved by that character. These include specifically, the ability to take on the transparent Blue form of an ascended Jedi, a special Robe that is endowed with protective properties, and an exclusive new lightsaber with a unique color that deals more damage. All of these new items are being given to existing Jedi characters in recognition for their past achievements.



Will crystals and pearls still be used in lightsabers?



Yes, you will still be able to use crystals and pearls to upgrade lightsabers.



Will I still have to go to the Force Sensitive Village to be Force Sensitive?

No. Being a Jedi character will no longer require you to complete the Force Sensitive Village series of quests. There will be quests and adventures created specifically for the Jedi path that you will need to pursue in order to progress on the Jedi path.



Do you still plan to have a Force Ranking System?



Not at this time.

What is the future of entertainers?



Entertainers are included as one of the nine iconic professions. However, we have rolled musician, dancer, and image designer all into this one new Entertainer template. A master entertainer will have the skills of all three.



How will these changes affect my Entertainer character?



Entertainer will be included as one of the new iconic professions, and should be relatively unchanged in terms of abilities.

Are crafters being phased out?



Absolutely not, especially considering Galaxies has one of the deepest and most engaging crafting systems of any game that offers one. We are still supporting crafting, but as a profession unto itself included in the nine iconic professions (Trader). What is really fantastic about crafting now is that we are allowing for skill branching within the crafting profession so that crafters can specialize in certain skills and thus help maintain the diverse Galaxies economy.



What is the future of crafters?



Crafters will continue to be the foundation of the diverse and extensive player-driven economy in Star Wars Galaxies.

If I have the politician skill set, which character should I choose?



All players get to keep their politician skills as they will remain unchanged. Any of the nine iconic professions can also learn the politician skills in addition to the skills of their chosen profession as there is no skill associated with the politician profession.

IV. Interface

Will there be a new manual so I know how to use the new controls?



Yes, we will be updating the online and in-game Knowledge Base as well as revamping all of the information on our website – along with a great new look! Since the new controls are so much more accessible and easier to pick-up than before, we are confident you will be able to familiarize yourself with the new controls very quickly.

Will the Quest Journal be changing?

Many new quests are being added into the game at all levels by profession. For current players, depending on your current level and what profession you chose to “re-spec” to you may find new quests to pursue along your new path. All players will find that quests now come to them via interaction with iconic Star Wars heroes and other NPC's, as well as by traveling to legendary Star Wars locations. The game is more quest focused offering players more of a designed path to follow while adventuring and advancing.



How will the existing titles on my character window be affected?



Veterans will maintain the ability to display any title they have earned over their SWG career. New characters that enter the galaxy will only have access to the titles supported by the nine new iconic professions.

Will Bounty Hunter missions and other missions still be located on my datapad?

Yes, you will still see mission terminal quests on your datapad. However, there will no longer be Bounty Hunter missions that target other players, they are only NPC based going forward, and these will appear in your Quest Journal.

I vote we move the whole game to the nerfed section :/

I am staying with the game. I have been thru worse. Who knows, it might be more fun now!

It better be more fun. All that money is down thw poop chute if they make it more boring then it already is.

I'll second that motion

I'm sticking with it, but we can nerf everything and hope that a whole new set of xploits come out and that we can give tons if new premiums with the new GU

I hear the combat is more of a first person shooter with the new CU. I am very good at those so this might be an upgrade. Not a downgrade.

I think they really dont know if they will gain or lose customers. They are losing them now, This is why they are changing it again. They are gambling the game. They either gain lots of customers or lose lots.

I really hated the combat system and the profession system, but the economy rocks. I am excited to see the new changes.

Ok , so how does it rock? with no item decay ? how are you suposed to make money.
I have not got all the files for the test center downloaded so I don't really know what it is like it just sounds like it will be worse then it the old one.
I have a terrible time selling any thing unless I sele for half to going prices.

I think it is funny for all the people who spent 100 million on ADK's lol

i third it i played CU with the maybe this could be better attitude too played for a week hated it quit even vets that i know in RL quit most that played like 24/7

I'm going to DnL. Just like most of SWG's population.


@ SOE for losing so many customers to a smaller, lesser known company.

im going to stay to what will happen in the future

Gosh the people of EQ2 and WoW must be laughing at us so hard.