The game IS very good. Its all opinion. They made a bad decision with the NGE we ALL know that but its been close to 5 years now. If players could jump in and get involved with the end game content with ease a lot of people would realise it is a very enjoyable game.
We've all been back, again and again. And a long parade of people who never played in the good time, but just wanted to see if it was "really as bad as they'd heard" came by as well. We and most of them didn't stay because it isn't still a good game. How's that old cartoon go: "'I say, Vicar, I think you've got a bad egg there.' 'Oh no, I assure you, some parts are quite good.'" But not nearly good enough to compensate for the rest.
The game IS very good. Its all opinion. They made a bad decision with the NGE we ALL know that but its been close to 5 years now. If players could jump in and get involved with the end game content with ease a lot of people would realise it is a very enjoyable game.
Dude...how many people do you think haven't tried it since NGE hit? ALL of us have. Some of us (myself) didn't quit even when the NGE hit and some of the people posting here still have active accounts. Negativity (disappointment) isn't exclusive to people POd over NGE.
As Burntvet said...if the game were truly any good, it would be successful. It simply isn't. Between the lag, fairy wings, halols, flying pink ewoks, miniature RC tie fighters, zombies, TCG, bugs, double sockets and a slew of other total crap...there are MORE than enough reasons for people to walk away from the game laughing.
Both the OP and the other posters are right, because everyone is entitled to their opinion.
In my opinion, yes, a lot of things about SWG have improved, not only since the NGE went live, but since I quit actively playing almost two years ago. I did a vet trial when the GCW update went live and saw many improvements. During the same vet trial, I saw a lot of things that had me cringing and ./facepalming repeatedly.
So, yeah--I agree with both the OP in that the game has improved dramatically in some areas and I also agree with Tux and others in that the game has declined so far in other areas as to be unplayable for me personally. That does not mean, however, that I feel that I have the right to slam the OP, Badger, Tux, or anyone else for having an opinion that differs from my opinion any more than I believe I have the right to slam someone for thinking that STO - which I loathe - is the greatest game ever to be released. We all have differing opinions about what we want to play. Some people want to play SWG and good on 'em. Personally, I closed the door on the game a while back and don't regret the decision - but I still advise those who ask me about the game to download the trial and give it a spin, even if it's not a game I want to play because I recognize that what appeals to me may not appeal to others and vice-versa.
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
Stating SWG has inproved a great deal from the time the unwanted NGE was forced onto the playerbase isn't really saying much. It really had no where else to go short of being unplugged. What is noticable is that as the NGE has had content and 'shinies' bolted on to it over the last 4 1/2 years, but the playerbase has continued to decline and entire servers have bellied-up (half of them now closed). While many of the players left feel the game is the 'best ever', they are clearly the vocal minority today.
I agree with Bob_Blawblaw. Anyone interested in the game would do well to try the free game trial. Judge for yourself - just make sure you roll on the Starsider server to give the game a 'fair' chance.
While I think the game has too many problems as well as too much history to ever stabalize. I think it's doing okay for a 7 year old game. If you compare it to eve, it has a low pop. However compare it to DAOC, UO, AC etc.. It's probably doing fairly well. It seems as long as a game gets regular updates it simply does better. They do still add to the game, which is surprising to me in all honesty. Look at EVE if it had the skeleton crew other older games have, it wouldn't be doing nearly as well.
What I'd like to know (don't know why) is what's doing better VG, or SWG. VG hardly get's any new additions, especially in the form of game systems. While SWG has recieved quite a bit, just last year they added in all new pvp features, player made questing, content etc.. Which makes me wonder if the game is trully doing as bad as some seem to think it is. It would make no sense to me to keep adding if it was. Then again SOE has hardly ever made much sense to me.
The answer is: SWG is not doing as bad as so many people here post - they're adding more to the game now than a year ago and if the game was as DEAD as so many people say it is - why bother to add anything at all?
Some may complain about TCG being a cash shop but you do get 5 booster packs free each month per account and have the same chance to get the same great loot cards for free - although you can't trade them..so what? And - the game is run for one purpose only - to make money. All of these self righteous people on this forum no doubt don't understand business and if you want to see which games are raking in the money - look at the so called F2P games - they're bringing in billions. A company exists to make money - so don't bad mouth companies for trying to do just that.
I've asked this before: For those of you who are bashing SWG because you don't care for it...what is your favorite game?...I'd like to know.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
The answer is: SWG is not doing as bad as so many people here post - they're adding more to the game now than a year ago and if the game was as DEAD as so many people say it is - why bother to add anything at all?
Some may complain about TCG being a cash shop but you do get 5 booster packs free each month per account and have the same chance to get the same great loot cards for free - although you can't trade them..so what? And - the game is run for one purpose only - to make money. All of these self righteous people on this forum no doubt don't understand business and if you want to see which games are raking in the money - look at the so called F2P games - they're bringing in billions. A company exists to make money - so don't bad mouth companies for trying to do just that.
I've asked this before: For those of you who are bashing SWG because you don't care for it...what is your favorite game?...I'd like to know.
Adding more now than a year ago? A year ago they were developing GCW phase 1, PvP Update (Battlefields), Chronicles and zombies...please, tell me EXACTLY what they've added recently that you feel exceeds last year? ESB 30th anniversary was nothing more than a few ANH costumes. Was it the halos? 3 new fairy wings? Tiny tweaks being done by Hjal do not equal content IMO.
You have 2 Devs active in the community (and likely that's it for the game) and lost the best one to Bioware (Adept). A CRM who is best known for is drunken rants and the flipping Producer is posting Test Center notes...TEST CENTER NOTES! Remember when we'd only hear from the "Producer" for a quarterly "Producer Note"? Now he's posting update notes?! Wow. They don't even bother to read their own request for feedback threads either - evidenced by they're most recent "patch" to remove "NO TRADE" that flopped majorly because they didn't even read the comments from the TC/TCP players who told them the items were still UNIQUE!
Of course companies exist to make money - has anyone here suggested differently? But when a company is charging for a service, $15/mo per account on 8-12K accounts, I feel they deserve more than a skeleton crew of developers tossing them scraps. If you're content with that, good for you. But please don't call those of us who expect more from a company names like "self righteous" simply because we don't find that acceptable.
My "favorite" game is probably Rogue Squadron, X-Wing Alliance or Battlefront (I, not II)...but that was a long time ago.
While this game "may" have improved since Nov 15 2005 (a date which will live in MMO infamy), it is still far inferior to SWG on Nov 14, 2005. And the initial release of SWG-NGE was a load of crap code unrivaled since AO. Bugs, Benny Hill combat, everyone knows the list, and most of that is still there. That there have been some improvements in the last not quite 5 years proves what exactly? That someone was actually doing the work they were paid to do? Not enough.
If the game were any good, more people would play it. It isn't, and they don't.
Nothing need be said beyond that.
The blame sits squarely on SOE and LA for the NGE debacle, but I'm also placing a large part of the blame on posters like yourself who have damaged the game's reputation (and driving away potential subs) further by bashing it to no end just because they were pissed at SOE or THEY didn't like the game.
Since many many people come here to get info on which games to try - I wanted to put my voice into the mix to perhaps help those on the fence make a decision to at least try the game before letting ..excuse me..BurntVets...make up their minds for them.
When I went to my local game store to buy some additional SWG games right after NGE came out - the clerk started bad mouthing the game and telling me I shouldn't buy it cause it sucked. Imagine if I had listened to him and hadn't at least tried SWG and missed out on a game I love - just because HE didn't like it.
We all have opinions and we're all right - I'm just making sure mine is heard
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Both the OP and the other posters are right, because everyone is entitled to their opinion.
In my opinion, yes, a lot of things about SWG have improved, not only since the NGE went live, but since I quit actively playing almost two years ago. I did a vet trial when the GCW update went live and saw many improvements. During the same vet trial, I saw a lot of things that had me cringing and ./facepalming repeatedly.
So, yeah--I agree with both the OP in that the game has improved dramatically in some areas and I also agree with Tux and others in that the game has declined so far in other areas as to be unplayable for me personally. That does not mean, however, that I feel that I have the right to slam the OP, Badger, Tux, or anyone else for having an opinion that differs from my opinion any more than I believe I have the right to slam someone for thinking that STO - which I loathe - is the greatest game ever to be released. We all have differing opinions about what we want to play. Some people want to play SWG and good on 'em. Personally, I closed the door on the game a while back and don't regret the decision - but I still advise those who ask me about the game to download the trial and give it a spin, even if it's not a game I want to play because I recognize that what appeals to me may not appeal to others and vice-versa.
Very well said - thanks for supporting the right for some of us to have a GOOD opinion about the game even though it differs from yours
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
The game IS very good. Its all opinion. They made a bad decision with the NGE we ALL know that but its been close to 5 years now. If players could jump in and get involved with the end game content with ease a lot of people would realise it is a very enjoyable game.
Dude...how many people do you think haven't tried it since NGE hit? ALL of us have. Some of us (myself) didn't quit even when the NGE hit and some of the people posting here still have active accounts. Negativity (disappointment) isn't exclusive to people POd over NGE.
As Burntvet said...if the game were truly any good, it would be successful. It simply isn't. Between the lag, fairy wings, halols, flying pink ewoks, miniature RC tie fighters, zombies, TCG, bugs, double sockets and a slew of other total crap...there are MORE than enough reasons for people to walk away from the game laughing.
With this same logic - in contrast - you're saying that Wow is the very best MMO on the market then..right?
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
As Burntvet said...if the game were truly any good, it would be successful. It simply isn't. Between the lag, fairy wings, halols, flying pink ewoks, miniature RC tie fighters, zombies, TCG, bugs, double sockets and a slew of other total crap...there are MORE than enough reasons for people to walk away from the game laughing.
With this same logic - in contrast - you're saying that Wow is the very best MMO on the market then..right?
Without a doubt - hands down winner atm. There's no way they sell that many boxes without doing something (a lot) right. I've never played it and never will, as the genre simply doesn't appeal to me.
The game IS very good. Its all opinion. They made a bad decision with the NGE we ALL know that but its been close to 5 years now. If players could jump in and get involved with the end game content with ease a lot of people would realise it is a very enjoyable game.
Dude...how many people do you think haven't tried it since NGE hit? ALL of us have. Some of us (myself) didn't quit even when the NGE hit and some of the people posting here still have active accounts. Negativity (disappointment) isn't exclusive to people POd over NGE.
As Burntvet said...if the game were truly any good, it would be successful. It simply isn't. Between the lag, fairy wings, halols, flying pink ewoks, miniature RC tie fighters, zombies, TCG, bugs, double sockets and a slew of other total crap...there are MORE than enough reasons for people to walk away from the game laughing.
With this same logic - in contrast - you're saying that Wow is the very best MMO on the market then..right?
Then explain why its a top game if its not fun? advertisement, free trials and high reviewes can maybe help in buying the initial box but to stay subbed to it for months and years is whole different thing.
WoW is big because of the Asians, from warcraftrealms stats there's like 1.7 million in N America, 1.2 in EU and the rest of that supposedly 10 million subs are coming from Asia. Aion online is up there for the same reason, majority are Asians.
I have played the game before the NCU and find it to be a much better game now. Folks say its broken now but the game was even more broken before NCU. In fact pvp was broken pre-ncu and very one sided. I remember people having armor that protected a toon 100% plus having buffs to add to it made it no fun at all. Some folks were playing God mode... now that is broken. The ngu fixed that. How about... what was it 32 or so prof paths??? Good lord!, that was nuts too. spending all that time to be able to be a pro in only useing a blaster and no other type of weapon.
SWG has been around for over 6 years and for a MMO that is something to show. Most other MMO's don't even last that long.
Its a good game folks but SOE are just money suckers...
One reason people return is that they know that the game is fun. One has to get past how SOE handled the game and its many updates. I understand that and its cool but be fair and let people try for them self.
Armor cap was 90% and 40% stun, yes it was stupid but if you got a stun weapon (like the Jawa, Sonic blaster, stun baton, etc) it could take them down (fencer & carbineer had armor bypassing attacks which was also bugged). The game was better back then because there were more flexibility to the game, more freedom and more things to do and pvp was alot more fun than the current lagfest with the same thing happening over and over and over again.
Armor cap was 90% and 40% stun, yes it was stupid but if you got a stun weapon (like the Jawa, Sonic blaster, stun baton, etc) it could take them down (fencer & carbineer had armor bypassing attacks which was also bugged). The game was better back then because there were more flexibility to the game, more freedom and more things to do and pvp was alot more fun than the current lagfest with the same thing happening over and over and over again.
I would also like to add, that PvP back then was better, in many ways, because you never knew what skills someone else had... sometimes the title they wore or weapon they used could tell you, but not always, and plenty of times people would sometimes deceive people by putting up a "Novice Artisan" title when they were a full temp BH, for instance. And no, not everyone was a FOTM monkey either. I used to group up with a couple other guys and we ran the table on FOTM guys that only knew one or two builds, and not what countered them. A couple of times they were so ineffective, we were reported for exploiting. How did you beat a FOTM monkey? Bring another person.
For all its warts, and incompleteness, pre-CU was 10X the game SWG-NGE is now. Player interdependence, working economy, meaningful crafting, and on and on. Plus population, and don't think the current state of the game has nothing to do with the current very low and diminishing population. The game is not good, so the few people that do try/return do not stay.
Yes, more people played pre-CU because the game was new, but it was also much, much better than what is there now.
If it weren't, the game would have tanked out of the gate despite being new (see STO for all the evidence of that, and with a comparable IP), but it didn't, it hit a high water mark of 300-350k (even 200k or so at NGE time), which is very respectable and profitable, if you do not have WoW-envy and are not named Smedley.
The answer is: SWG is not doing as bad as so many people here post - they're adding more to the game now than a year ago and if the game was as DEAD as so many people say it is - why bother to add anything at all?
Some may complain about TCG being a cash shop but you do get 5 booster packs free each month per account and have the same chance to get the same great loot cards for free - although you can't trade them..so what? And - the game is run for one purpose only - to make money. All of these self righteous people on this forum no doubt don't understand business and if you want to see which games are raking in the money - look at the so called F2P games - they're bringing in billions. A company exists to make money - so don't bad mouth companies for trying to do just that.
I've asked this before: For those of you who are bashing SWG because you don't care for it...what is your favorite game?...I'd like to know.
I have been in search of the immersion that I first experienced when I logged into SWG back in 2005. But, I don't think I will ever feel that again. MMO's have gone away from worrying about game experience and are more worried about making item mall money and catering to the crying player communities. But, I will say that I am feeling more immersion in AoC than I have experienced in a long time. I was hoping for that when it launched, but Funcom failed big time. But, it is pretty nice now.
I would love nothing more than to go back to SWG someday, but I think I will just hang on to my memories. Besides, when I keep reading about flying ewoks and zombies, the urge to return soon passes.
If you enjoy the game now, I'm glad you find it fun. But as someone who played from day 2 till after the NGE, I don't care what improvements they make it's never going to be as good as prior to the NGE. It was hands down the best community I have ever been a part of. I loved the complexity of the 32 professions and the interdependency that people had with each other. I remember the huge groups where you would take out not only combat folks, but also entertainers and doctors so once the battle was over I'd pop a Ranger camp and docs and entertainers would heal people. Performing at weddings in the game, etc. Sorry but to me it will never be the same or better.
WoW is big because of the Asians, from warcraftrealms stats there's like 1.7 million in N America, 1.2 in EU and the rest of that supposedly 10 million subs are coming from Asia. Aion online is up there for the same reason, majority are Asians.
Take you totally BS numbers and look at it from the 1.7 million N Americans. Thats still more than 4x the size of the next P2P MMO.
Also, don't Asians count? Is there something wrong with them that makes them lesser as your post suggests? By pointing out that its Asians and not N. Americans or EU you are putting an implication that the subs count means less.
Either way, people forget that its not quality that determines everything. You can have the best quality item on the market and nobody will buy it if its not priced right. Its value thats what you are seeing. WoW has the best value for an MMO. SWG is priced way to high for people to find value in buying/spending time in it. At $10 I almost bought it from Steam but I passed because I wouldn't sub that $15/mo for the game. Not worth it.
Originally posted by NightCloak Originally posted by sookster54 WoW is big because of the Asians, from warcraftrealms stats there's like 1.7 million in N America, 1.2 in EU and the rest of that supposedly 10 million subs are coming from Asia. Aion online is up there for the same reason, majority are Asians.
Take you totally BS numbers and look at it from the 1.7 million N Americans. Thats still more than 4x the size of the next P2P MMO. Also, don't Asians count? Is there something wrong with them that makes them lesser as your post suggests? By pointing out that its Asians and not N. Americans or EU you are putting an implication that the subs count means less. Either way, people forget that its not quality that determines everything. You can have the best quality item on the market and nobody will buy it if its not priced right. Its value thats what you are seeing. WoW has the best value for an MMO. SWG is priced way to high for people to find value in buying/spending time in it. At $10 I almost bought it from Steam but I passed because I wouldn't sub that $15/mo for the game. Not worth it. I'm asian, my name should have given that away. Maybe you don't know about Asians and MMORPG games, the Chinese and Koreans plays MMORPG games like a religion.
The answer is: SWG is not doing as bad as so many people here post - they're adding more to the game now than a year ago and if the game was as DEAD as so many people say it is - why bother to add anything at all?
Some may complain about TCG being a cash shop but you do get 5 booster packs free each month per account and have the same chance to get the same great loot cards for free - although you can't trade them..so what? And - the game is run for one purpose only - to make money. All of these self righteous people on this forum no doubt don't understand business and if you want to see which games are raking in the money - look at the so called F2P games - they're bringing in billions. A company exists to make money - so don't bad mouth companies for trying to do just that.
I've asked this before: For those of you who are bashing SWG because you don't care for it...what is your favorite game?...I'd like to know.
I have been in search of the immersion that I first experienced when I logged into SWG back in 2005. But, I don't think I will ever feel that again. MMO's have gone away from worrying about game experience and are more worried about making item mall money and catering to the crying player communities. But, I will say that I am feeling more immersion in AoC than I have experienced in a long time. I was hoping for that when it launched, but Funcom failed big time. But, it is pretty nice now.
I would love nothing more than to go back to SWG someday, but I think I will just hang on to my memories. Besides, when I keep reading about flying ewoks and zombies, the urge to return soon passes.
What is it with these posts knocking SWG for flying Ewoks and Zombies? So what? I didn't stop watching Star Wars because Lucas introduced the most annoying character of all time in Episode I.
The Zombies are actually from a new Star Wars novel and SWG adapts this to their Death Troopers instance.
And - you're correct - you won't ever find another MMO like SWG for immersion. Lots of people are thinking that SWTOR is going to be the answer, but in the end will find out otherwise. There hasn't been a single MMO lately that has even come close to it's own hype, and I'm afraid SWTOR will be no exception.
I will close with this: If any company can break the MMO sucking curse - it's Bioware.
"Help us Obi-Ware - you're our only hope"
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Comments
We've all been back, again and again. And a long parade of people who never played in the good time, but just wanted to see if it was "really as bad as they'd heard" came by as well. We and most of them didn't stay because it isn't still a good game. How's that old cartoon go: "'I say, Vicar, I think you've got a bad egg there.' 'Oh no, I assure you, some parts are quite good.'" But not nearly good enough to compensate for the rest.
Dude...how many people do you think haven't tried it since NGE hit? ALL of us have. Some of us (myself) didn't quit even when the NGE hit and some of the people posting here still have active accounts. Negativity (disappointment) isn't exclusive to people POd over NGE.
As Burntvet said...if the game were truly any good, it would be successful. It simply isn't. Between the lag, fairy wings, halols, flying pink ewoks, miniature RC tie fighters, zombies, TCG, bugs, double sockets and a slew of other total crap...there are MORE than enough reasons for people to walk away from the game laughing.
Both the OP and the other posters are right, because everyone is entitled to their opinion.
In my opinion, yes, a lot of things about SWG have improved, not only since the NGE went live, but since I quit actively playing almost two years ago. I did a vet trial when the GCW update went live and saw many improvements. During the same vet trial, I saw a lot of things that had me cringing and ./facepalming repeatedly.
So, yeah--I agree with both the OP in that the game has improved dramatically in some areas and I also agree with Tux and others in that the game has declined so far in other areas as to be unplayable for me personally. That does not mean, however, that I feel that I have the right to slam the OP, Badger, Tux, or anyone else for having an opinion that differs from my opinion any more than I believe I have the right to slam someone for thinking that STO - which I loathe - is the greatest game ever to be released. We all have differing opinions about what we want to play. Some people want to play SWG and good on 'em. Personally, I closed the door on the game a while back and don't regret the decision - but I still advise those who ask me about the game to download the trial and give it a spin, even if it's not a game I want to play because I recognize that what appeals to me may not appeal to others and vice-versa.
Firebrand Art
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
The answer is: SWG is not doing as bad as so many people here post - they're adding more to the game now than a year ago and if the game was as DEAD as so many people say it is - why bother to add anything at all?
Some may complain about TCG being a cash shop but you do get 5 booster packs free each month per account and have the same chance to get the same great loot cards for free - although you can't trade them..so what? And - the game is run for one purpose only - to make money. All of these self righteous people on this forum no doubt don't understand business and if you want to see which games are raking in the money - look at the so called F2P games - they're bringing in billions. A company exists to make money - so don't bad mouth companies for trying to do just that.
I've asked this before: For those of you who are bashing SWG because you don't care for it...what is your favorite game?...I'd like to know.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Adding more now than a year ago? A year ago they were developing GCW phase 1, PvP Update (Battlefields), Chronicles and zombies...please, tell me EXACTLY what they've added recently that you feel exceeds last year? ESB 30th anniversary was nothing more than a few ANH costumes. Was it the halos? 3 new fairy wings? Tiny tweaks being done by Hjal do not equal content IMO.
You have 2 Devs active in the community (and likely that's it for the game) and lost the best one to Bioware (Adept). A CRM who is best known for is drunken rants and the flipping Producer is posting Test Center notes...TEST CENTER NOTES! Remember when we'd only hear from the "Producer" for a quarterly "Producer Note"? Now he's posting update notes?! Wow. They don't even bother to read their own request for feedback threads either - evidenced by they're most recent "patch" to remove "NO TRADE" that flopped majorly because they didn't even read the comments from the TC/TCP players who told them the items were still UNIQUE!
Of course companies exist to make money - has anyone here suggested differently? But when a company is charging for a service, $15/mo per account on 8-12K accounts, I feel they deserve more than a skeleton crew of developers tossing them scraps. If you're content with that, good for you. But please don't call those of us who expect more from a company names like "self righteous" simply because we don't find that acceptable.
My "favorite" game is probably Rogue Squadron, X-Wing Alliance or Battlefront (I, not II)...but that was a long time ago.
The blame sits squarely on SOE and LA for the NGE debacle, but I'm also placing a large part of the blame on posters like yourself who have damaged the game's reputation (and driving away potential subs) further by bashing it to no end just because they were pissed at SOE or THEY didn't like the game.
Since many many people come here to get info on which games to try - I wanted to put my voice into the mix to perhaps help those on the fence make a decision to at least try the game before letting ..excuse me..BurntVets...make up their minds for them.
When I went to my local game store to buy some additional SWG games right after NGE came out - the clerk started bad mouthing the game and telling me I shouldn't buy it cause it sucked. Imagine if I had listened to him and hadn't at least tried SWG and missed out on a game I love - just because HE didn't like it.
We all have opinions and we're all right - I'm just making sure mine is heard
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Very well said - thanks for supporting the right for some of us to have a GOOD opinion about the game even though it differs from yours
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
With this same logic - in contrast - you're saying that Wow is the very best MMO on the market then..right?
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Without a doubt - hands down winner atm. There's no way they sell that many boxes without doing something (a lot) right. I've never played it and never will, as the genre simply doesn't appeal to me.
Then explain why its a top game if its not fun? advertisement, free trials and high reviewes can maybe help in buying the initial box but to stay subbed to it for months and years is whole different thing.
WoW is big because of the Asians, from warcraftrealms stats there's like 1.7 million in N America, 1.2 in EU and the rest of that supposedly 10 million subs are coming from Asia. Aion online is up there for the same reason, majority are Asians.
I have played the game before the NCU and find it to be a much better game now. Folks say its broken now but the game was even more broken before NCU. In fact pvp was broken pre-ncu and very one sided. I remember people having armor that protected a toon 100% plus having buffs to add to it made it no fun at all. Some folks were playing God mode... now that is broken. The ngu fixed that. How about... what was it 32 or so prof paths??? Good lord!, that was nuts too. spending all that time to be able to be a pro in only useing a blaster and no other type of weapon.
SWG has been around for over 6 years and for a MMO that is something to show. Most other MMO's don't even last that long.
Its a good game folks but SOE are just money suckers...
One reason people return is that they know that the game is fun. One has to get past how SOE handled the game and its many updates. I understand that and its cool but be fair and let people try for them self.
Armor cap was 90% and 40% stun, yes it was stupid but if you got a stun weapon (like the Jawa, Sonic blaster, stun baton, etc) it could take them down (fencer & carbineer had armor bypassing attacks which was also bugged). The game was better back then because there were more flexibility to the game, more freedom and more things to do and pvp was alot more fun than the current lagfest with the same thing happening over and over and over again.
I would also like to add, that PvP back then was better, in many ways, because you never knew what skills someone else had... sometimes the title they wore or weapon they used could tell you, but not always, and plenty of times people would sometimes deceive people by putting up a "Novice Artisan" title when they were a full temp BH, for instance. And no, not everyone was a FOTM monkey either. I used to group up with a couple other guys and we ran the table on FOTM guys that only knew one or two builds, and not what countered them. A couple of times they were so ineffective, we were reported for exploiting. How did you beat a FOTM monkey? Bring another person.
For all its warts, and incompleteness, pre-CU was 10X the game SWG-NGE is now. Player interdependence, working economy, meaningful crafting, and on and on. Plus population, and don't think the current state of the game has nothing to do with the current very low and diminishing population. The game is not good, so the few people that do try/return do not stay.
Yes, more people played pre-CU because the game was new, but it was also much, much better than what is there now.
If it weren't, the game would have tanked out of the gate despite being new (see STO for all the evidence of that, and with a comparable IP), but it didn't, it hit a high water mark of 300-350k (even 200k or so at NGE time), which is very respectable and profitable, if you do not have WoW-envy and are not named Smedley.
I have been in search of the immersion that I first experienced when I logged into SWG back in 2005. But, I don't think I will ever feel that again. MMO's have gone away from worrying about game experience and are more worried about making item mall money and catering to the crying player communities. But, I will say that I am feeling more immersion in AoC than I have experienced in a long time. I was hoping for that when it launched, but Funcom failed big time. But, it is pretty nice now.
I would love nothing more than to go back to SWG someday, but I think I will just hang on to my memories. Besides, when I keep reading about flying ewoks and zombies, the urge to return soon passes.
If you enjoy the game now, I'm glad you find it fun. But as someone who played from day 2 till after the NGE, I don't care what improvements they make it's never going to be as good as prior to the NGE. It was hands down the best community I have ever been a part of. I loved the complexity of the 32 professions and the interdependency that people had with each other. I remember the huge groups where you would take out not only combat folks, but also entertainers and doctors so once the battle was over I'd pop a Ranger camp and docs and entertainers would heal people. Performing at weddings in the game, etc. Sorry but to me it will never be the same or better.
Just my 2 cents.
Take you totally BS numbers and look at it from the 1.7 million N Americans. Thats still more than 4x the size of the next P2P MMO.
Also, don't Asians count? Is there something wrong with them that makes them lesser as your post suggests? By pointing out that its Asians and not N. Americans or EU you are putting an implication that the subs count means less.
Either way, people forget that its not quality that determines everything. You can have the best quality item on the market and nobody will buy it if its not priced right. Its value thats what you are seeing. WoW has the best value for an MMO. SWG is priced way to high for people to find value in buying/spending time in it. At $10 I almost bought it from Steam but I passed because I wouldn't sub that $15/mo for the game. Not worth it.
"WOW.. This game has improved!"
Well something can only be a steaming pile for so long, eventually it dries out and gets cold.
gotta hand it to $OE, for a terrible gaming company they are doing a good job if you see people still throwing money in that dumpster called SWG.
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
Also, don't Asians count? Is there something wrong with them that makes them lesser as your post suggests? By pointing out that its Asians and not N. Americans or EU you are putting an implication that the subs count means less.
Either way, people forget that its not quality that determines everything. You can have the best quality item on the market and nobody will buy it if its not priced right. Its value thats what you are seeing. WoW has the best value for an MMO. SWG is priced way to high for people to find value in buying/spending time in it. At $10 I almost bought it from Steam but I passed because I wouldn't sub that $15/mo for the game. Not worth it.
I'm asian, my name should have given that away. Maybe you don't know about Asians and MMORPG games, the Chinese and Koreans plays MMORPG games like a religion.
What is it with these posts knocking SWG for flying Ewoks and Zombies? So what? I didn't stop watching Star Wars because Lucas introduced the most annoying character of all time in Episode I.
The Zombies are actually from a new Star Wars novel and SWG adapts this to their Death Troopers instance.
And - you're correct - you won't ever find another MMO like SWG for immersion. Lots of people are thinking that SWTOR is going to be the answer, but in the end will find out otherwise. There hasn't been a single MMO lately that has even come close to it's own hype, and I'm afraid SWTOR will be no exception.
I will close with this: If any company can break the MMO sucking curse - it's Bioware.
"Help us Obi-Ware - you're our only hope"
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.