I used to be an ardent follower of Bioware, but they burned me pretty bad with Dragon Age. I never liked DLC much, but Launch Day DLC? That was pitiful. And then the Awakening expansion was horribly imbalanced and full of bugs (complete with a few game breaking bugs) and yet, they had the gall to charge $40 for it?
I have owned or played a bunch of BioWare games and loved each and every one. Started with Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 and the expansions and moved right into Neverwinter Nights with all it it's expansions. More Recently Dragon Age and it's expansion was a LOT of fun, though I think that game was a little more personality dependant (most people either seem to love it or hate it, very little middle ground). What has always drawn me to BioWare was the strength they have as a story teller and for character creation. No other games ever made me feel so much a part of the game thanks to how detailed both of those were and how much they backed each other up.
Personally I am tired of most MMOs that have no plot, no story, no depth. It's like walking out of a movie theater and saying "Great Movie, did you see those special effects?" but then when someone asks what it was about, you draw a complete blank or you are asked what the bad guy was trying to do and all you can say is "Trying to kill people I guess". I personally WANT to be a part of a story being told and from everything I am reading, SWTOR is trying to give me just that. So yes, I have faith in BioWare, not blind faith mind you, but I still have faith in them.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
I have a few of their games. KOTOR gets the most usage, to this day. Though Mass Effect 1/2 were pretty sweet in my books. I have plenty of faith they can make a great game, but this doesn't blind me from being critical of TOR. It is a whole other playfield for BioWare to go into the MMO world. The logistics of simply running the game alone, will be new for a lot of BioWare employee's.
ANY time a studio is absorbed by EA its only a matter of a few years before its staff is "folded back into the group" after EA takes away all their operating capital. Hell they already did it once with Bioware. I almost forgot about that. When they bought the company, it was called "Bioware Pandemic" after they merged with Pandemic Studios.
although every time you bring it up, no matter what company you talk about that they have absorbed, somehow, that company is always the exception in the discussion.
TOR will suck as much as WAR did. It will just have better graphics.
WAR struggled because there was combat lag (and it still exists today) but it relied on combat since it was a realm PvP game. So of course it sucked lol. Even the story was weakly tied together. And there was a lack of content at the upper levels. The only things going for WAR were good graphics, good sound, easy questing, realm pvp, and public quests.
I don't see Bioware putting out a game with combat lag in the near future. You can probably bet that there will be more content than WAR had at launch lol. And that's not even TORs focus, it's story. Is Bioware going to completely screw up storytelling? I don't see that happening at all. So how will it "suck" like WAR did?
I own Baldur's Gate and Baldur's gate 2 plus expansions. I also own Neverwinter Nights plus all expansions, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect 1/2 (plus all DLC) and Dragon Age Origins (plus all DLC).
The Baldur's Gate games and KOTOR are perhaps my favorite RPGs of all time. The Mass Effect series is also one of my very favorites and I have played through both games many times. Neverwinter Nights was an amazing game I spent many many hours on. DAO was also an amazing game that I thoroughly enjoyed all the way through. My least favorite of Bioware's games was Jade Empire, but I still found that to be an entertaining game.
All in all, I have found Bioware to consistently deliver excellent products and I can thank them for some of my very favorite games of all time. They are my favorite game developer by far and I have a lot of faith in the quality of their products. That is why I have a hard time believing that they could screw up TOR. Bioware has really never let me down and I don't think they are about to start. Only time will tell...
If you want to know where SWTOR is going just look at this
Mass Effect (prior EA) -> MA2 (post EA)
DA:O(technically done before EA) -> DA2 (post EA)
If you like the direction , it might be good for you.
For me Bioware have fallen from best RPG developer to just another EA tentacle
IMO ME1 was more pure RPG, and ME2 was better gameplay. ME2 won RPG of the year at VGA awards, so it cant of been too bad in others eyes. I wish ME2 would of been more open ala ME1, but otherwise I liked it a lot more due to the gameplay.
Since this topic was started, BW won the beast studio award at VGA as well.
Asking Devs to make AAA sandbox titles is like trying to get fine dining on a McDonalds dollar menu budget.
A ton of faith in them. They could possibly be considered one of the best developers on the planet. They are far from perfect but they never epically fail at anything. Everythng they have made has been outstanding and they are far more innovative than most out there. The Old Republic is in good hands.
I own every single one of Bioware's published MMORPG's so I have great faith in their abilities.
Oh, wait, nm.
I do have fond memories of Bioware in the 90's and while I did recently purchase Dragon Age Orgins I'm going to say it hasn't really knocked my socks off, mostly for the same reasons I don't like modern MMO's, seems too much like a scripted story and less of an adventure, but that's just me.
I'll save my faith for church and just wait and see what Bioware delivers before getting my hopes up.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I have issues with the idea of "having Faith in a Company". But as many others here have expressed, I am familiar with many of BioWare's RPGs. And the one thing I really wanted to see added to recent Action/RPGs (like ME and DA:O) was the ability to play with my friends. Additionally I wasn't expecting SW:TOR to be much different from most MMORPGs. I did not expect it to be a sandbox game. I didn't expect it to have the graphical refinement of the Decieved, or Hope, trailers. And I didn't expect it to have Space Combat.
I was simply interested in a regular MMORPG with a Sci-Fi theme for a change. And because I like stories, and I like quest lines with stories. Its hard for me to imagine that I won't like SW:TOR.
Now maybe if the GMs, and Customer Support people, are jerks (like SOE)... And BioWare moves everyone to new projects right after launch, so there is no one who knows how to fix the bugs (like Cryptic)... Or if they (BioWare/EA) decide that they have to cave to pressure from disgruntled players and roll out a bunch of Massive Nerfs (too numerous to list)... Then I won't like SW:TOR. Otherwise, I have every reason to patiently wait for SW:TOR to be released. At which point I will see for myself, and "faith" won't be required.
I have issues with the idea of "having Faith in a Company". But as many others here have expressed, I am familiar with many of BioWare's RPGs. And the one thing I really wanted to see added to recent Action/RPGs (like ME and DA:O) was the ability to play with my friends. Additionally I wasn't expecting SW:TOR to be much different from most MMORPGs. I did not expect it to be a sandbox game. I didn't expect it to have the graphical refinement of the Decieved, or Hope, trailers. And I didn't expect it to have Space Combat.
I was simply interested in a regular MMORPG with a Sci-Fi theme for a change. And because I like stories, and I like quest lines with stories. Its hard for me to imagine that I won't like SW:TOR.
Now maybe if the GMs, and Customer Support people, are jerks (like SOE)... And BioWare moves everyone to new projects right after launch, so there is no one who knows how to fix the bugs (like Cryptic)... Or if they (BioWare/EA) decide that they have to cave to pressure from disgruntled players and roll out a bunch of Massive Nerfs (too numerous to list)... Then I won't like SW:TOR. Otherwise, I have every reason to patiently wait for SW:TOR to be released. At which point I will see for myself, and "faith" won't be required.
This is exactly the right frame of mind people should have!
I have plenty of faith in Bioware, they've never let me down. I have more faith in Bioware than I did/do Blizzard. The only gripe I have is that Bioware and both Blizzard sold. I loved how they were both independants who could stand up and beat the big boys. Sigh, I guess the age of great independants is over. Welcome to corporate America.
I have issues with the idea of "having Faith in a Company". But as many others here have expressed, I am familiar with many of BioWare's RPGs. And the one thing I really wanted to see added to recent Action/RPGs (like ME and DA:O) was the ability to play with my friends. Additionally I wasn't expecting SW:TOR to be much different from most MMORPGs. I did not expect it to be a sandbox game. I didn't expect it to have the graphical refinement of the Decieved, or Hope, trailers. And I didn't expect it to have Space Combat.
I was simply interested in a regular MMORPG with a Sci-Fi theme for a change. And because I like stories, and I like quest lines with stories. Its hard for me to imagine that I won't like SW:TOR.
Now maybe if the GMs, and Customer Support people, are jerks (like SOE)... And BioWare moves everyone to new projects right after launch, so there is no one who knows how to fix the bugs (like Cryptic)... Or if they (BioWare/EA) decide that they have to cave to pressure from disgruntled players and roll out a bunch of Massive Nerfs (too numerous to list)... Then I won't like SW:TOR. Otherwise, I have every reason to patiently wait for SW:TOR to be released. At which point I will see for myself, and "faith" won't be required.
This is exactly the right frame of mind people should have!
I agree, and well put too! My sentiments, to the "T"!
I have plenty of faith in Bioware, they've never let me down. I have more faith in Bioware than I did/do Blizzard. The only gripe I have is that Bioware and both Blizzard sold. I loved how they were both independants who could stand up and beat the big boys. Sigh, I guess the age of great independants is over. Welcome to corporate America.
Still, Bioware put out two great games while owned by EA (Mass Effect 2 / Dragon Age). I have faith that Bioware can hopefully maintain that great quality going forward.
Comments
I used to be an ardent follower of Bioware, but they burned me pretty bad with Dragon Age. I never liked DLC much, but Launch Day DLC? That was pitiful. And then the Awakening expansion was horribly imbalanced and full of bugs (complete with a few game breaking bugs) and yet, they had the gall to charge $40 for it?
I have owned or played a bunch of BioWare games and loved each and every one. Started with Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 and the expansions and moved right into Neverwinter Nights with all it it's expansions. More Recently Dragon Age and it's expansion was a LOT of fun, though I think that game was a little more personality dependant (most people either seem to love it or hate it, very little middle ground). What has always drawn me to BioWare was the strength they have as a story teller and for character creation. No other games ever made me feel so much a part of the game thanks to how detailed both of those were and how much they backed each other up.
Personally I am tired of most MMOs that have no plot, no story, no depth. It's like walking out of a movie theater and saying "Great Movie, did you see those special effects?" but then when someone asks what it was about, you draw a complete blank or you are asked what the bad guy was trying to do and all you can say is "Trying to kill people I guess". I personally WANT to be a part of a story being told and from everything I am reading, SWTOR is trying to give me just that. So yes, I have faith in BioWare, not blind faith mind you, but I still have faith in them.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
I have a few of their games. KOTOR gets the most usage, to this day. Though Mass Effect 1/2 were pretty sweet in my books. I have plenty of faith they can make a great game, but this doesn't blind me from being critical of TOR. It is a whole other playfield for BioWare to go into the MMO world. The logistics of simply running the game alone, will be new for a lot of BioWare employee's.
WAR struggled because there was combat lag (and it still exists today) but it relied on combat since it was a realm PvP game. So of course it sucked lol. Even the story was weakly tied together. And there was a lack of content at the upper levels. The only things going for WAR were good graphics, good sound, easy questing, realm pvp, and public quests.
I don't see Bioware putting out a game with combat lag in the near future. You can probably bet that there will be more content than WAR had at launch lol. And that's not even TORs focus, it's story. Is Bioware going to completely screw up storytelling? I don't see that happening at all. So how will it "suck" like WAR did?
If you want to know where SWTOR is going just look at this
Mass Effect (prior EA) -> MA2 (post EA)
DA:O(technically done before EA) -> DA2 (post EA)
If you like the direction , it might be good for you.
For me Bioware have fallen from best RPG developer to just another EA tentacle
The first Mass Effect was terrible and DAO wasn't great.
KotOR is the only game out of Bioware that I ever really loved, everything else they've put out has been a complete disappointment in comparison.
I've also never noticed a trend that a developer being paired with EA makes a series worse for the partnership with any of the titles I've played.
Gameplay wise, ME2 is leaps and bounds better than ME1.
ME1 had terrible mechanics, from its unbalanced OP biotics/shooting to the worthless inventory system. And the driving. the driving! ><
Its story and char however was the usual BW quality (IE best in the business) which extended to ME2.
DA:O was good (Closest to BG3 we'll ever get IMO)
DA2 also looks good.
I am curious if BW isn't the best RPG dev from your perspective, who is?
Obisidian? (Fallout:NV? aka 1001 bugs and counting?)
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
I own Baldur's Gate and Baldur's gate 2 plus expansions. I also own Neverwinter Nights plus all expansions, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect 1/2 (plus all DLC) and Dragon Age Origins (plus all DLC).
The Baldur's Gate games and KOTOR are perhaps my favorite RPGs of all time. The Mass Effect series is also one of my very favorites and I have played through both games many times. Neverwinter Nights was an amazing game I spent many many hours on. DAO was also an amazing game that I thoroughly enjoyed all the way through. My least favorite of Bioware's games was Jade Empire, but I still found that to be an entertaining game.
All in all, I have found Bioware to consistently deliver excellent products and I can thank them for some of my very favorite games of all time. They are my favorite game developer by far and I have a lot of faith in the quality of their products. That is why I have a hard time believing that they could screw up TOR. Bioware has really never let me down and I don't think they are about to start. Only time will tell...
IMO ME1 was more pure RPG, and ME2 was better gameplay. ME2 won RPG of the year at VGA awards, so it cant of been too bad in others eyes. I wish ME2 would of been more open ala ME1, but otherwise I liked it a lot more due to the gameplay.
Since this topic was started, BW won the beast studio award at VGA as well.
Asking Devs to make AAA sandbox titles is like trying to get fine dining on a McDonalds dollar menu budget.
A ton of faith in them. They could possibly be considered one of the best developers on the planet. They are far from perfect but they never epically fail at anything. Everythng they have made has been outstanding and they are far more innovative than most out there. The Old Republic is in good hands.
I own all of them except for the console only titles (MDK) and their first one, shattered steel, (I do have the demo for that!).
And I trust BioWare to nail the atmosphere of this game and make it like KOTOR in an MMO.
For the rest, just like with every game, I'll have to test these things out.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
I own every single one of Bioware's published MMORPG's so I have great faith in their abilities.
Oh, wait, nm.
I do have fond memories of Bioware in the 90's and while I did recently purchase Dragon Age Orgins I'm going to say it hasn't really knocked my socks off, mostly for the same reasons I don't like modern MMO's, seems too much like a scripted story and less of an adventure, but that's just me.
I'll save my faith for church and just wait and see what Bioware delivers before getting my hopes up.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I have issues with the idea of "having Faith in a Company". But as many others here have expressed, I am familiar with many of BioWare's RPGs. And the one thing I really wanted to see added to recent Action/RPGs (like ME and DA:O) was the ability to play with my friends. Additionally I wasn't expecting SW:TOR to be much different from most MMORPGs. I did not expect it to be a sandbox game. I didn't expect it to have the graphical refinement of the Decieved, or Hope, trailers. And I didn't expect it to have Space Combat.
I was simply interested in a regular MMORPG with a Sci-Fi theme for a change. And because I like stories, and I like quest lines with stories. Its hard for me to imagine that I won't like SW:TOR.
Now maybe if the GMs, and Customer Support people, are jerks (like SOE)... And BioWare moves everyone to new projects right after launch, so there is no one who knows how to fix the bugs (like Cryptic)... Or if they (BioWare/EA) decide that they have to cave to pressure from disgruntled players and roll out a bunch of Massive Nerfs (too numerous to list)... Then I won't like SW:TOR. Otherwise, I have every reason to patiently wait for SW:TOR to be released. At which point I will see for myself, and "faith" won't be required.
This is exactly the right frame of mind people should have!
[--------------------------------------------------------------THIIIIIIS MUCH!!!-------------------------------------------------------------------------]
EDITTED TO SHRINK DOWN THE TEXT.
THE Rooster Nash
I have plenty of faith in Bioware, they've never let me down. I have more faith in Bioware than I did/do Blizzard. The only gripe I have is that Bioware and both Blizzard sold. I loved how they were both independants who could stand up and beat the big boys. Sigh, I guess the age of great independants is over. Welcome to corporate America.
I agree, and well put too! My sentiments, to the "T"!
THE Rooster Nash
Still, Bioware put out two great games while owned by EA (Mass Effect 2 / Dragon Age). I have faith that Bioware can hopefully maintain that great quality going forward.