This system is going to be bad I think. How the hell is this an MMO again? Other than raids and warzones and crafting and flashpoints and open world pvp and group quests it seems like one of their single player games.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
This system is going to be bad I think. How the hell is this an MMO again? Other than raids and warzones and crafting and flashpoints and open world pvp and group quests it seems like one of their single player games.
companions are a really bad idea imo. it kinda kills the small niche that pets have in MMO's... in TOR everyone has a freaking pet.
It's ignorant based on current available information to call them pets because they do far more than pets when compared to any other game and they interact like 'companions', not pets. Second, did you not read Gaou's post? There are a different options available to play without a companion if you don't want to play with them. Why eliminate the choice for most who are going to disagree wtih you and enjoy having them around?
They are pets..period. No matter how the developers or players try to explain it any other way. Every single rl player will be required to have pets with them the entire time. Otherwise, you're just hurting yourself by not using them.
Is it OK if I remove your 'period', because again its not accurate? Please read Gaou's post above. If you choose to ignore the facts, I don't know how else to help you....exclamation point!! lol
You are right. They are not pets. They are companions, which are graphics on the screen that you are required to manage, kind of like pets in other games. But in this case, everyone will be required to use them.
Again my opinion. Most people playing if given the choice will solo with their lil companion all the way to cap. Not going to be a group centric game. WIth the option of a battleground type system, open world pvp will remain scarce. WoW sadly is a good example of what happens to open world stuff when those type of options are given. Group quests people will skip or do after they are high enough level. There is no reason currently to suspect that it will be any different. Granted I admit I am basing this on the cesspool of a forum community on the main forums so my opinion could greatly change with time just like yours could as well.
It's hard to predict how player behaviour will be for any MMORPG.
I've seen open world PvP in a large abundance and frequency in AoC even if there were PvP arenas around.
Group quests will give more xp than solo questing and make players level faster, plus there's additional bonuses like good loot and social points that provides you special stuff at some merchants.
It can go either way.
Originally posted by wrekognize
But in this case, everyone will be required to use them.
If you want to make things more challenging, then you don't have to.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
"The game is not designed to be played without companions especially when your not in groups" - Darth Hater
....a horrible idea for an MMO. Dragon Age 2's system was terrible, and that was a single player game. I can see Mos Eisley now, packed with NPCs. Raids and PVP..will be a huge mess. The companion feature alone has made up my mind not to buy this game.
Companions aren't usable in raids or PvP. And the only time they work in flashpoints is when you are short your 4-man teams(where they fill a party slot). Pretty much the only time you expected to have them out is when you are doing solo content.
This system is going to be bad I think. How the hell is this an MMO again? Other than raids and warzones it seems like one of their single player games. Poor design choice in my opinion although some will love this system.
Raids, Warzones, Flashpoints, Open World PvP, Group quests & dialogue, Auction Houses, Crafting, etc
This system is going to be bad I think. How the hell is this an MMO again? Other than raids and warzones it seems like one of their single player games. Poor design choice in my opinion although some will love this system.
Raids, Warzones, Flashpoints, Open World PvP, Group quests & dialogue, Auction Houses, Crafting, etc
I'm not really sure what more your expecting
Oh come on. Bioware should AT LEAST offer pony rides and free cases of Red Bull.
Raids, Warzones, Flashpoints, open world PvP, group quests, group dialogue auction houses, and Crafting? Pfft. You'd think they were making some kind of game that can accomodate a massive number of people on the same server at the same time.
Its pretty easy to tell in this thread who hasnt played BW games that have a CC system. Its not a pet system, its more like an RP system with the amount of dialogue and story driven interaction you do with them. On top of that, in ToR they will also serve as your employees which is a brilliant idea when implementing crafting and CCs.
Its pretty easy to tell in this thread who hasnt played BW games that have a CC system. Its not a pet system, its more like an RP system with the amount of dialogue and story driven interaction you do with them. On top of that, in ToR they will also serve as your employees which is a brilliant idea when implementing crafting and CCs.
Yes something I agree with sounds fine to me . I thonk companions will add a nice twist especially the presents that they bring when you log on.
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
There will be, at launch, five unique companion characters per class. Plus your resident butler/crafting/welcome home droid on the ship which is different per faction.
That means over forty CCs in the game with more than a dozen romances, intricate plotlines and hundreds of hours of development. Plus some surprises including a character with 100% different story content and skills depending on how you brought them into your party, one with drastically different forms, etc.
That’s as specific as I can be without spoilers but they’re deep, fun, and you can do a great deal with them. There is no limit to how many CCs you can possibly have in the long run and there is a reason you have far more slots than there are revealed CCs.
Hope that helps!
Daniel
How can anyone confuse that with pets from WoW is beyond me
Combat wise companions are just pets, norhing more nothing less. That's what people are speaking about.
They are shooting for the masses you are correct. Sadly thats also the problem but one would have to spell out in small words I guess why thats a bad thing to some. Very small words.
Going for too niche an audience would have its own problems, even if people in that niche would rejoice when that happens.
Bottomline, going for the masses is only a problem when your taste is radically different from the masses or if they had misinterpreted what the common denominator in the tastes and preferences of 'the masses' are.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
@Deewee in combat how are they suppose to be more then pets attacking? I agree in just combat situtations they are pets, nothing more nothing less, they attack defend heal, they are pets, how and this is a legit question how do you make them more then pets?
outside of combat is a given they walk they talk they have motives emotions yadda yadda i think we can pretty much all agree here on that.
But in combat, how do you make them not pets? is it even possible?
So in short if you restrict it to just combat and combat alone and look at the companions they are in fact pets. This i won't disagree with you on, i will always wonder how you make them not pets..when in combat, but as i don't know i'll leave that one in your court.
Note: i didn't quote you because theres some weird formating with the quote that kordac gave and i don't want to copy that to, just makes the thread a mess to look at.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
They are shooting for the masses you are correct. Sadly thats also the problem but one would have to spell out in small words I guess why thats a bad thing to some. Very small words.
Because Star Wars has never, ever been about shooting for the masses. Ever.
So basically the gripe is that without the companions the game gets harder except you cant use them in pvp and they take up the slot of a party member so you can exchange one for a real person.
I mean honestly if you dont want to play with one just dont. Guild Wars' heroes are the same exact thing and many just opt out of them in solo play not a big deal and barely rant worthy.
They are shooting for the masses you are correct. Sadly thats also the problem but one would have to spell out in small words I guess why thats a bad thing to some. Very small words.
Because Star Wars has never, ever been about shooting for the masses. Ever.
@Deewee in combat how are they suppose to be more then pets attacking? I agree in just combat situtations they are pets, nothing more nothing less, they attack defend heal, they are pets, how and this is a legit question how do you make them more then pets?
outside of combat is a given they walk they talk they have motives emotions yadda yadda i think we can pretty much all agree here on that.
But in combat, how do you make them not pets? is it even possible?
So in short if you restrict it to just combat and combat alone and look at the companions they are in fact pets. This i won't disagree with you on, i will always wonder how you make them not pets..when in combat, but as i don't know i'll leave that one in your court.
Note: i didn't quote you because theres some weird formating with the quote that kordac gave and i don't want to copy that to, just makes the thread a mess to look at.
Very good question, either you need a very deep AI that would take way too much CPU time on the cluster(s) to be affordable or you replace them with real humans
So my point was (combat wise), contrary to what's being said Bioware is making all classes pet classes.
They are shooting for the masses you are correct. Sadly thats also the problem but one would have to spell out in small words I guess why thats a bad thing to some. Very small words.
Because Star Wars has never, ever been about shooting for the masses. Ever.
I take it you havent watched Episodes 1-3.....
1. Those movies don't exist. They're just mass hallucinations. At least that's what I tell myself.
2. They were still George Lucas trying to shoot for the masses. That's what Star Wars has always been.
So basically the gripe is that without the companions the game gets harder except you cant use them in pvp and they take up the slot of a party member so you can exchange one for a real person.
I mean honestly if you dont want to play with one just dont. Guild Wars' heroes are the same exact thing and many just opt out of them in solo play not a big deal and barely rant worthy.
Thats whats kind of stupid about the whole discussion about being "forced" to use companions. Youre right, people could have said the same about GW, but like you said they are OPTIONAL. Using them brings the difficulty down closer to what it would be if you had a party full of people, though people tend to be better to have (in most cases) than an AI companion. But if youre finding it too easy and want mor eof a challenge its simple, dont take them with you and just run it solo or with less companions/henchman instead of a full party.
@Deewee in combat how are they suppose to be more then pets attacking? I agree in just combat situtations they are pets, nothing more nothing less, they attack defend heal, they are pets, how and this is a legit question how do you make them more then pets?
outside of combat is a given they walk they talk they have motives emotions yadda yadda i think we can pretty much all agree here on that.
But in combat, how do you make them not pets? is it even possible?
So in short if you restrict it to just combat and combat alone and look at the companions they are in fact pets. This i won't disagree with you on, i will always wonder how you make them not pets..when in combat, but as i don't know i'll leave that one in your court.
Note: i didn't quote you because theres some weird formating with the quote that kordac gave and i don't want to copy that to, just makes the thread a mess to look at.
Very good question, either you need a very deep AI that would take way too much CPU time on the cluster(s) to be affordable or you replace them with real humans
So my point was (combat wise), contrary to what it's being said Bioware is making all classes pet classes.
I'd like to call them super pets, if you will or more then pets. Pets in general are used just for combat and combat alone. They serve no other puprose then to defend you, heal you, and kill the enemy, they are a tool or an ability thats why they are givin generic names.. They can't be used in any other function, also and as i've not played every game they serve you and you alone. They will heal only you, defend only you, from the way the companions (super pets) are described in this game these tend to watch out for the party as a whole, not just the one the companion (super pet) is attached to.
At one point they said mako would heal whoever was hurt the most and throw a HOT(cookiies if you know what that means) on the person the companion was attached to (the one who summoned it) which meant that pet was looking out more for the tank type then it was the person who summoned it. It acted more like a 4th party member then a simple add on.
If people were refering to just the combat side of things i will agree there isn't much distinction beyond a simple better AI. This is i think where the miscommunication is coming in. One side says it's just pets and is thinking solely just on the combat end of things. While the other says i can't figure out how you can compare the two is thinking more of as a whole everything you can do.
Combat wise alone ToR's companions are pets
If you add in different tatics.
You can sway your pets motives and even their dark/light side slant
Get quests from
Interact with
Affect crafting with (can wow pets craft? dunno)
and a whole slew of other things including falling in love with you, betraying you or just outright leaving you all together, to crying on board the ship whenever they aren't with you.
I think people who say theirs a difference are refering to that these "pets" act closer to player/NPCs then they do to dumb animals...It's trying to seperate the two. But i agree in combat they are pets. pretty intellegent ones but pets none the less. The moment it steps out of combat though is when the distiniction seperates even further.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
"The game is not designed to be played without companions especially when your not in groups" - Darth Hater
....a horrible idea for an MMO. Dragon Age 2's system was terrible, and that was a single player game. I can see Mos Eisley now, packed with NPCs. Raids and PVP..will be a huge mess. The companion feature alone has made up my mind not to buy this game.
soloing with companions in this is exactly the same as soloing without them in other games, it makes no difference in practrice.
Companions are actually part of the game they have gotten right, there is no need to worry about them at all.
They actually add an extra story/ customisationation element and help player investment/ connection with the world a lot. In short they have no negative impact, only positive.
The presense of, doesn't exacly mean we'll be forced into using them. I also agree with the poster above that they really don't impact the game in many, if any negative ways. They add to the element of longevity and options IMO. As they include their own amount of game-play in and of themselves.
It may make the solo game a bit more difficult for those who opt out of companion play, but when did more challenging become a bad thing? Personally I tend to level up in areas that are a tad ahead of my level range, just to get a better sense of danger/challenge. If I don't die a few times a play period, I don't typically feel I was doing anything worth while.
To each their own I suppose, but I'm failing to see the negatives in having a companion system, options are options in the end. I don't think Bioware gets enough credit thus far in how much content they've (seemingly) been packing into this title. Nor the ways you can approach some of it, all to futher along the choices available to you.
The longer I have things to do the better IMO, especially in a Themepark.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Comments
Made a correction
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I want gabumon for my companion!:(
Star wars digimon ftw
You are right. They are not pets. They are companions, which are graphics on the screen that you are required to manage, kind of like pets in other games. But in this case, everyone will be required to use them.
It's hard to predict how player behaviour will be for any MMORPG.
I've seen open world PvP in a large abundance and frequency in AoC even if there were PvP arenas around.
Group quests will give more xp than solo questing and make players level faster, plus there's additional bonuses like good loot and social points that provides you special stuff at some merchants.
It can go either way.
If you want to make things more challenging, then you don't have to.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Love the choice of animation for your post!
Companions aren't usable in raids or PvP. And the only time they work in flashpoints is when you are short your 4-man teams(where they fill a party slot). Pretty much the only time you expected to have them out is when you are doing solo content.
Do a little more research next time.
Raids, Warzones, Flashpoints, Open World PvP, Group quests & dialogue, Auction Houses, Crafting, etc
I'm not really sure what more your expecting
Oh come on. Bioware should AT LEAST offer pony rides and free cases of Red Bull.
Raids, Warzones, Flashpoints, open world PvP, group quests, group dialogue auction houses, and Crafting? Pfft. You'd think they were making some kind of game that can accomodate a massive number of people on the same server at the same time.
Its pretty easy to tell in this thread who hasnt played BW games that have a CC system. Its not a pet system, its more like an RP system with the amount of dialogue and story driven interaction you do with them. On top of that, in ToR they will also serve as your employees which is a brilliant idea when implementing crafting and CCs.
Yes something I agree with sounds fine to me . I thonk companions will add a nice twist especially the presents that they bring when you log on.
________________________________________________________
Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
oh no compainons the fear I have! NPC's doing the things I dont wanna do and on top of that helping me! gahhh the pain!
Combat wise companions are just pets, norhing more nothing less. That's what people are speaking about.
Going for too niche an audience would have its own problems, even if people in that niche would rejoice when that happens.
Bottomline, going for the masses is only a problem when your taste is radically different from the masses or if they had misinterpreted what the common denominator in the tastes and preferences of 'the masses' are.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
@Deewee in combat how are they suppose to be more then pets attacking? I agree in just combat situtations they are pets, nothing more nothing less, they attack defend heal, they are pets, how and this is a legit question how do you make them more then pets?
outside of combat is a given they walk they talk they have motives emotions yadda yadda i think we can pretty much all agree here on that.
But in combat, how do you make them not pets? is it even possible?
So in short if you restrict it to just combat and combat alone and look at the companions they are in fact pets. This i won't disagree with you on, i will always wonder how you make them not pets..when in combat, but as i don't know i'll leave that one in your court.
Note: i didn't quote you because theres some weird formating with the quote that kordac gave and i don't want to copy that to, just makes the thread a mess to look at.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
Because Star Wars has never, ever been about shooting for the masses. Ever.
So basically the gripe is that without the companions the game gets harder except you cant use them in pvp and they take up the slot of a party member so you can exchange one for a real person.
I mean honestly if you dont want to play with one just dont. Guild Wars' heroes are the same exact thing and many just opt out of them in solo play not a big deal and barely rant worthy.
I take it you havent watched Episodes 1-3.....
Very good question, either you need a very deep AI that would take way too much CPU time on the cluster(s) to be affordable or you replace them with real humans
So my point was (combat wise), contrary to what's being said Bioware is making all classes pet classes.
1. Those movies don't exist. They're just mass hallucinations. At least that's what I tell myself.
2. They were still George Lucas trying to shoot for the masses. That's what Star Wars has always been.
Thats whats kind of stupid about the whole discussion about being "forced" to use companions. Youre right, people could have said the same about GW, but like you said they are OPTIONAL. Using them brings the difficulty down closer to what it would be if you had a party full of people, though people tend to be better to have (in most cases) than an AI companion. But if youre finding it too easy and want mor eof a challenge its simple, dont take them with you and just run it solo or with less companions/henchman instead of a full party.
I'd like to call them super pets, if you will or more then pets. Pets in general are used just for combat and combat alone. They serve no other puprose then to defend you, heal you, and kill the enemy, they are a tool or an ability thats why they are givin generic names.. They can't be used in any other function, also and as i've not played every game they serve you and you alone. They will heal only you, defend only you, from the way the companions (super pets) are described in this game these tend to watch out for the party as a whole, not just the one the companion (super pet) is attached to.
At one point they said mako would heal whoever was hurt the most and throw a HOT(cookiies if you know what that means) on the person the companion was attached to (the one who summoned it) which meant that pet was looking out more for the tank type then it was the person who summoned it. It acted more like a 4th party member then a simple add on.
If people were refering to just the combat side of things i will agree there isn't much distinction beyond a simple better AI. This is i think where the miscommunication is coming in. One side says it's just pets and is thinking solely just on the combat end of things. While the other says i can't figure out how you can compare the two is thinking more of as a whole everything you can do.
Combat wise alone ToR's companions are pets
If you add in different tatics.
You can sway your pets motives and even their dark/light side slant
Get quests from
Interact with
Affect crafting with (can wow pets craft? dunno)
and a whole slew of other things including falling in love with you, betraying you or just outright leaving you all together, to crying on board the ship whenever they aren't with you.
I think people who say theirs a difference are refering to that these "pets" act closer to player/NPCs then they do to dumb animals...It's trying to seperate the two. But i agree in combat they are pets. pretty intellegent ones but pets none the less. The moment it steps out of combat though is when the distiniction seperates even further.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
HOT = Heal Over Time
now wheres my cookie
soloing with companions in this is exactly the same as soloing without them in other games, it makes no difference in practrice.
Companions are actually part of the game they have gotten right, there is no need to worry about them at all.
They actually add an extra story/ customisationation element and help player investment/ connection with the world a lot. In short they have no negative impact, only positive.
The presense of, doesn't exacly mean we'll be forced into using them. I also agree with the poster above that they really don't impact the game in many, if any negative ways. They add to the element of longevity and options IMO. As they include their own amount of game-play in and of themselves.
It may make the solo game a bit more difficult for those who opt out of companion play, but when did more challenging become a bad thing? Personally I tend to level up in areas that are a tad ahead of my level range, just to get a better sense of danger/challenge. If I don't die a few times a play period, I don't typically feel I was doing anything worth while.
To each their own I suppose, but I'm failing to see the negatives in having a companion system, options are options in the end. I don't think Bioware gets enough credit thus far in how much content they've (seemingly) been packing into this title. Nor the ways you can approach some of it, all to futher along the choices available to you.
The longer I have things to do the better IMO, especially in a Themepark.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson