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A thoughtful response to SOE's new Dev profile
ArcAngel3
Member Posts: 2,931
I posted this in the general discussion forum because the profile news is linked to it, but I thought my SWG refuge friends might want to see it as well, so I'm copying it here:
A note to Sharon,
This quote really struck me from your profile:
"I love quests, missions and the story line! I can remember being 7 years old when the original Star Wars came out (I know, I’m showing my age)… and my mum took me to see it at the crotchety old movie theatre in our town of Bedford, England. I thought it was the most amazing movie ever, and I still don’t tire of watching it. So, interacting with those characters in the game is really fun for me and makes me feel like a kid again."
A lot of us who played SWG since it's beginning, or shortly thereafter in my case, can identify with these feelings. I was soo amazed to log into Tatooine and make my way into the infamous cantina. What a rush. It was busy with entertainers playing instruments and dancing. Hunters, smugglers and other rough looking characters were enjoying the shows. Some were getting inspired for an upcoming mission or hunt (via a mind buff), others were easing their minds in the aftermath of a battle (reducing their battle fatique). The "joint was jumpin" and I loved it.
I met the coolest looking Zabrak woman and was invited to join a guild. In this guild I learned about hunting parties, and how hunters could get important resources for the guild's crafters. We had people making armour and clothing, furniture, housing, swoops and weapons. This was too much. I had read about swoops in Star Wars novels, and now I had my very own ^_^. The shops in the guild city were amazing. I became a pistoleer and loved shopping for the sweetest pistol.
After I was all "geared up" we went dewback hunting. The chefs needed the meat for food buffs that would give us a boost in combat, and the tailor's needed the hides. It was exciting! We all had different abilities that worked together beautifully on the hunt. People with rifles would fire the opening shot and draw some dewbacks close to us. Then pistoleers and melee fighters would jump in. We'd get heals and buffs from our doctor. If someone was getting hurt, someone else would draw the attacking creature away with a taunt and the doctor would go to work. When we were tired we'd throw up a camp and chat and get renewed mind buffs from those of us who could dance or play an instrument.
The fun didn't stop there. Soon I'd learn about hunting Rancors and the fabled Krayt Dragon.
One day I heard about Fort Tusken and decided to check it out with some friends. Wow it was full of those Tusken Raiders just like I remember from the first Star Wars (I saw it at age 9 -_^). They even made the same crazy sound lol. Man they were mean too, and our little group was getting SMOKED. That was when I saw my first jedi. WOW, the lightsaber came out and Tusken Raider's started flyin. We also got some kind of freaky force heal from the guy that kept us alive. What a sight, and what a moment; it was truly amazing.
Shortly after that I started hearing rumours about the "path of the jedi." I hooked up with some people that were dedicated to pursuing that path, and helping others along the way. Along this journey I found myself in a massive, secret Rebel base getting missions from Princess Leia! Wow this was so cool. After completing a number of quests I remember the moment that this mysterious old man came to me and gave me my force crystal. This was tooooo much. What a trip. Now I was in some kind of battle with the dark side sith.
The sith came for me shortly after I got my crystal, and I wasn't ready for them. I was getting SMOKED again, and they were going to steal my crystal! That was one of the few other times I saw a jedi. Yup they always seemed to be around just at the right moment lol. Well he toasted the sith for me. I suppose I got a few shots in, but he really saved my butt. I looted one of the sith, and was on my way to the village of Aurillia beyond the mist on the planet Dathomir. I can't tell you how excited I was. I had seen the mist of Dathomir before, but I couldn't pass through it. A voice told me I wasn't ready??? Now I was ready and into the mist I went.
A nice lady jedi in training introduced me to all the jedi trainers and mission holders, and I began the quests and missions that would unlock my Padawan learner. Soon I would have my own lightsaber, and be a jedi knight. Like you Sharon, I felt like a kid living out a movie that I had loved since 1977.
I was on my very last quest to unlock my Padawan learner when the NGE was surprisingly introduced. My storybook experience ended when the NGE was launched. All of the quests I completed to gain force enhanced combat skills and unlock my Padawan were deleted. Just gone. My force enhanced skills? Also gone. My professions that I had worked for months on and enjoyed? All of them deleted. The guild and city that was devoted completely to helping people learn the path of the jedi? Rendered useless. Loot began to drop out of everything, and nothing ever wears out anymore. Crafters couldn't sell anything. Shops closed up and hunts were no longer necessary for many things. Even if we did hunt for old time's sake, we couldn't camp together out in the wilderness anymore. Why not you may wonder? Camps were deleted. Cantina's were empty. No one needed mind inspiration or healing anymore, so they didn't bother to go. I lost most of the abilities I enjoyed, along with their eye-catching animations. The abilities I had didn't function properly. Many of them shared the exact same icon, and I didn't understand. My friend list went from dozens of people actively playing to about 5 who played less often. Our city became deserted. There were only two of us left out of dozens that were there before. Sharon, my inner child was heart-broken.
This is the player community that you have now been asked to work with. I wanted you to understand. One of the saddest group of folks I've played with are those who spent their months or years in the game finding and befriending baby animals. They made them their pets and would get attached to them just like you or I might get attached to a "real" pet. These poor folks not only lost their profession, but now log in (if they can bring themselves to) and stare at a number of their pets locked in their datapads now for over a year. They can see them, but they can't call them or interact with them anymore. That just seems cruel.
You write in your profile that you work with caring and sensitive people. O.k., I'll believe you. Would you and these people please take a good look at my story here, and see if you can find a way to heal all the hurt, and turn this nightmare back into a childhood dream?
Thank you.
ArcAngel
Comments
I think there should be more stories like this on the SWG forums. I think it is alot better way for players that are not happy to get there points across without starting a flamefest or getting banned. I personally enjoy reading them and it brings back memories of my own progress in the game pre-nge
Athens
I read your comment in the other thread and almost posted there, but stories like this always sadden me because I never played the "original" SWG and looking back now I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.
Bad because I think I would've loved the game alot.... Good only because I didn't have to have my gaming heart broken like I've seen from some SWG vets. I've a couple of them in my guild in my current game, and hearing them describe their experience and what happened with the NGE made me wish I had played the original "sandbox" version.
Great post and story, and I agree with your sentiments totally.
Good read! I have periods I really miss the PreCU SWG.
TOP NOTCH POST.
If $oe or someone else get some preCU servers up, it would be an honor to share The Galaxy with you.
"Hurray, finally a game where I can fulfill my lifelong dream of taking emotionally dead women and finding the most financially viable means to exploit their bodies with the ultimate goal of making them Hugh Hefner's personal furniture."
Thats where im from
Whose profile is this?
Pre-CU NEED 2 COME BACK
Agreed..... BUT see the down side is that we all tried these too.
They still got deleted because they spoke the truth... and THE TRUTH on the SOE boards is forbidden. I have wrote these to Smedley and SOE as well.... they did get a reply, but they also NOW have been deemed the matter of fact.
See, the best thing about his story... and this is the catch.. IT'S TRUE... some people would try to say.. this is "Just this person" -- BUT it isn't it's all of us... even Obriak or the NGErs that are left.
Is it the new guys?? No.. in fact if there is that many new players, they just have no idea or can have a clue as to what was here.
SOE feels it though, I promise that.
______________________________
I usually picture the Career builder commercial with the room full of monkeys and upside down sales chart when thinking about the SOE/SWG decision making process.....
SOE's John Blakely and Todd Fiala issued a warning: "Don't make our mistakes." Ref NGE
Winner of the worst MMOS goes to.... the NGE and SWG..!!! http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm?loadFeature=1034&bhcp=1
I loved this post. Thank you for it.
A few of my Non-Ranger toons highlights:
I remember going to the small NPC base on naboo and attacking it - I was a pistoleer/smuggler with really bad gear (bone armor!)- there was 4 of us and one of us died. Later in the game, I learned it was the place where you could get a Vette ticket, it was a bad day for the NPCs in that place when a seasoned and fully armoured fencer with a top of the line stick showed up at thier door. I laughed at my younger self when I saw how easily they fell.
I remember my 1st player kill (still a pistoleer/smuggler) - a person was attacking a small rebel camp and winning, I switched to PvP and helped the NPCs protect themselves.
I remember killing a few STs up near the emporer's retreat, my TEF had just wore off and a Imp player showed up and asked if I was the guy killing all the troopers. "Not me" I said, but he knew better. "Duel me" he demanded. I knew he was a seasoned player, one of the duelists you saw fighting at the starports all the time. "What's in it for me?" I asked (hey, i was a smuggler after all) I explained that in order for me to agree he would need to make it interesting for me. After a few minutes we had made a deal - the fight was on and he didn't stand a chance - for all his leet skills he was lacking terrain negotiation and I won - walked away with 100,000 credits to boot. Tried to sell him some Muon Gold but he told me where to put it.
"The liberties and resulting economic prosperity that YOU take for granted were granted by those "dead guys"
I love this story
Classic stuff. Also, thanks for the support on this post guys ^_^
ArcAngel