I'd rather they spent their time making the bulk of the game with a degree of quality and space combat an afterthought to be improved later than have split their time and failed with both.
There's only so many hours in a day.
That being said I would have liked it to have been a little more open and feel a bit more like "my ship" but the rails make it feel like star wars.
What people are asking for here is a game within a game, I see a lot of comparisons between TOR space combat and SWG/JTL, but yet people are failing to mention that JTL was a full on expansion. A whole new box dedicated to space combat not a content patch, but a whole freaking box. People need to get over themselves and except it for what it is, just be lucky it's not like the space mini game in KoTOR, or better yet that there is space combat at all.
Look STO it has a fully fledged space experience and yet it is lacking in the ground combat department. ST revolves mostly around space and space exploration yet people complain about the lack of a ground game. When devs do these types of games it's hard to build them on two fronts, because time and resources are limited. MMO players in today's games demand to much, they want everything all at one time.
You people need to realize that there will be patches and there will be expansions, this I want it now mentality needs to stop. Apparently space combat wasnt that big of deal for the general testers or the weekend testers, because I didn't see any complains in game or on the beta boards regarding it.
How fickle the memory is. SWG never released with fully fleshed space combat. It was an expansion. So why are people making comparisons with SWG? and who says Bioware won't flesh it out with an expansion or two in future?
The comparison would be more reasonable if SWG released with full fledged space content.
How many servers SWTOR will launch with on release?
ShredderSE - Umm how many do they need? Maybe 6. US, EU, Asian, France, German and Russian. Subs will be so low there is no need for more Snoocky-How many servers? The first 3 months a lot...after that 2 i guess, one for PVE and 1 for PVP...
Thorbrand - SWTOR doesn't have longevity at all. Might be one of the shortest lived MMOs.
I havent played the space and i wont play it untill im just bored out of my mind, but i do hope BW takes it off rails one day, but even then i dont really like the graphics of things like asteriods.
What's grinding people's gears, is that TOR's space experience feels slapped on; an afterthought.
Waiting to release space as an expansion like SWG did would have been fine with most of us.
At least then we'd know BW was focusing all of their attention on that particular feature and would (hopefully) deliver something a lot more fun and compelling than what we see now.
It boggles the mind that BW thinks what they created is fun, and that people would enjoy it.
I would have preferred them to be honest and just say "Look, we want to create a fully fleshed out space experience, but right now, we just don't have the time or resources to deliver that, so we're going to wait post-launch."
How fickle the memory is. SWG never released with fully fleshed space combat. It was an expansion. So why are people making comparisons with SWG? and who says Bioware won't flesh it out with an expansion or two in future?
The comparison would be more reasonable if SWG released with full fledged space content.
Not my memory. First off Star Wars Galaxies launched lacking MANY promised at launch features, mounts, player cities, CLASSES THAT FREAKING WORKED. In contrast, Bioware seems to have delivered on every promise they made. And I agree space combat was not a promised launch feature. And as much as I like to bash the quality of SWG, even I have to admit that when they did roll out the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, they did a pretty damn good job. If SOE could do that, imigine what a company like Bioware could do with a full fleged space expansion.
Anyone here who says that Bioware failed on their promise to bring a full fledged space game at launch is an idiot as they never promised that. We all know that. None of that has anything to do with most of people's complaints about SWTORs mini game, on rails, space shooter. We are simply criticising what feature they did add. It is entirely possible to hold a negative opinion of the space on rails game without it only being sour grapes because Bioware didn't add an entire space game. Please stop trying to confuse the issue.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
I really don't understand why they basically ingored such a vital part of the Star Wars universe. I mean Star Wars is all about space. I was expecting to actually be able to travel in space to different planets and things like that. Actually have PvP in space too and it feels like they only remembered it at the last second and gave us a crappy version of something that could have been amazing.
It took me a few times messing around with it to see everything it is and isn't. For what it's worth, I really like it as it is although my interest in it will heavily depend upon how often they add new missions to it. The original 3 missions that I saw are going to get old real quick.
I definitely wouldn't mind if they scrapped the whole thing and eventually came out with a full space expansion like SWG's Jump to Lightspeed, or the X-wing vs. Tie Fighter series of old. I just don't think they should have made that their focus or delay the game until they did have a working model like that. Bioware has frequently designed little mini games in their RPGs as a nice break from story and questing, and this fits perfect in to that design. I just hope this isn't how they leave it for the next year or more. It really needs more to it, either with more missions or more depth and relatively soon like within a couple months to keep it worth playing. Even if this is their first MMO, they are veterans in the gaming industry and I have to believe they know this already, but we shall see.
I found it appalling, how it survived past Alpha Testing is a mystery to me, SWTOR would be better off with this mini game just removed. BioWare should feel embarrassed that they included something this poor.
I've always believed that their deafening silence on space combat for so long during development meant that they didn't plan to include it and then had a last minute change of mind. Features bolted on at the last minute have always turned out to be terrible in every MMO and this one is no exception.
Despite all that, and after having already tested SWTOR for a month and four days I still intend to be there as soon as early access opens for me.
What's grinding people's gears, is that TOR's space experience feels slapped on; an afterthought.
Waiting to release space as an expansion like SWG did would have been fine with most of us.
At least then we'd know BW was focusing all of their attention on that particular feature and would (hopefully) deliver something a lot more fun and compelling than what we see now.
It boggles the mind that BW thinks what they created is fun, and that people would enjoy it.
I would have preferred them to be honest and just say "Look, we want to create a fully fleshed out space experience, but right now, we just don't have the time or resources to deliver that, so we're going to wait post-launch."
Whether someone enjoys it or not is pure personal preference, so it shouldn't be all that hard to understand that some players will like it and some won't. If you like on-rails shooters like Starfox, or other minigame distractions from the main content as BW typically has in all their RPGs, then it works. For everyone else, they should be considering a revamp in an expansion that will make space combat more appealing. With all the people clamoring for it, I'm sure it's under consideration.
I think this needs to be the first major overhaul or addition to the game post release. No waiting 2 years or more like SWG did with JTL. Space is a very important part of Star Wars and should reflect that in an mmorpg. Keep the on rails game for mini game purposes, but add a whole new open "world" space game in the next year with visual progression on ships, pilot classes, loot, story, etc. So much potential, don't waste it Bioware.
I actually LIKE the idea of minigames in my MMOs, when they thematically align (which this does). It would be great to ALSO have a separate full-featured space exploration/trade/combat system in the future, but I don't see having the current iteration as a negative at all. In fact, offering an alternate way to play the game for periods of time, earning XP and credits, makes me EXTREMELY happy when you want to play your MMO but don't want to do the "usual grind" of kill quests and comparable.
Just because BW did not deliver what YOU (directed to reader who is bitter over this) wanted it to be doesn't mean it isn't a positive addition to the game (especially on launch).
That said, ability to customize the ship model/appearance is critical in the future, and a social aspect (multiplayer - competitive or co-operative) would go a long way here.
I was upset about space on rails when i first heard about it ,but noww, i dont really care. the rest of the game is enough for me right now and wouldnt care if they removed it completley.
not everything is going to be the way you like it. do you like the game? yes or no? then play or not but useless complaining does nothing but get high post counts.
Reminds me of a couple , one is going back to school and the other is trying to hold the other down so they can be as unhappy as them with them.
Space combat is treated like KOTOR. It is a side game. Not much to see, or talk about.
I hope they add a real space combat game as Jump to Lightspeed was. JTL was the only reason I went back to SWG in the later years. A real space game will draw crowds of it's own to TOR. Pilot communities were strong in SWG.
Ship interior is nice. More player ship options are needed. I do like the fact you have a "home".
Don't cry the sky is falling though with this minor side game space combat. Look at other Bioware games like Mass Effect, and Knights of the Old Republic. Bioware has never been known for a space sim game designer.
If enough request a real space side, Bioware might listen.
I enjoyed the space combat when I played it. So I can't wait to play it some more.
I hated the JTL expansion for SWG. The combat AI only did 1 type of manuever. Space bombs in PvP? Really? Same mission over and over just in a different order. So annoying and boring. Even enemy AI's lasers tracked you down like they were heat seeking missiles. I'm sorry, but I don't want anything like JTL for SWTOR. I loved the XWing/TIE series, but JTL was bad.
"If you're going to act like a noob, I'll treat you like one." -Caskio
I agree that the space combat can definitely be expanded. I don't agree with people who say it was an afterthought. You don't design and spend the kind of money on mere afterthoughts. It clearly was designed not to be an indepth part of the game. I would imagine that it will make for a good expansion. For now, I will enjoy it for what it is. A simple break from the more indepth portions of the game.
1. It's a minigame, lol. This mmo is NOT intended to be "Xwing vs Tie Fighter". If someone thought that, they haven't been reading enough. The game is about STORY, just like the vast majority of Star Wars films. If you want sandboxy Star Wars space combat, here ya go:
2. Nothing says that this space combat is "locked" and this is how it remains forever. Since there are different missions already within the current Space combat, that shows they Bioware can easily either add more missions (to give more variety) or possibly tweak the combat so it is more free-flowing instead of rails.
People getting upset over a beta-launched feature that will probably be changed several times over in the coming years that wasn't even the main focus.. not surprising.
In case it hasn't been mentioned yet, after I completed a round of beta testing earlier in the year, one of the follow-up questionnaires specifically addressed space combat. The jist of the survey was to determine if, after testing the game for a month and playing the space combat, was space combat adequate, did it need to be modified but left in at launch, or did it need to be removed for launch in order for a more substantial overhaul? I think this line of questioning gives some possible insight into what will happen with space combat. If BW ships a SW game without space combat, they will catch all kinds of trash. THerefore, it is quite possible that space combat, in its current launch state, will see considerable modification post launch, as it should.
Bioware needs to grab the SWG space team while they can. Even NGE haters will tell you that the space content in SWG is some of the best, if not the best, in the business.
Comments
I'd rather they spent their time making the bulk of the game with a degree of quality and space combat an afterthought to be improved later than have split their time and failed with both.
There's only so many hours in a day.
That being said I would have liked it to have been a little more open and feel a bit more like "my ship" but the rails make it feel like star wars.
Its not bad, ut it could be alot better.
1. the can give you a wider rail boundary
2. make the animation movements better.
3. Intergrate it with Flashpoints or operations.
What people are asking for here is a game within a game, I see a lot of comparisons between TOR space combat and SWG/JTL, but yet people are failing to mention that JTL was a full on expansion. A whole new box dedicated to space combat not a content patch, but a whole freaking box. People need to get over themselves and except it for what it is, just be lucky it's not like the space mini game in KoTOR, or better yet that there is space combat at all.
Look STO it has a fully fledged space experience and yet it is lacking in the ground combat department. ST revolves mostly around space and space exploration yet people complain about the lack of a ground game. When devs do these types of games it's hard to build them on two fronts, because time and resources are limited. MMO players in today's games demand to much, they want everything all at one time.
You people need to realize that there will be patches and there will be expansions, this I want it now mentality needs to stop. Apparently space combat wasnt that big of deal for the general testers or the weekend testers, because I didn't see any complains in game or on the beta boards regarding it.
How fickle the memory is. SWG never released with fully fleshed space combat. It was an expansion. So why are people making comparisons with SWG? and who says Bioware won't flesh it out with an expansion or two in future?
The comparison would be more reasonable if SWG released with full fledged space content.
How many servers SWTOR will launch with on release?
ShredderSE - Umm how many do they need? Maybe 6.
US, EU, Asian, France, German and Russian.
Subs will be so low there is no need for more
Snoocky-How many servers?
The first 3 months a lot...after that 2 i guess, one for PVE and 1 for PVP...
Thorbrand - SWTOR doesn't have longevity at all. Might be one of the shortest lived MMOs.
I havent played the space and i wont play it untill im just bored out of my mind, but i do hope BW takes it off rails one day, but even then i dont really like the graphics of things like asteriods.
What's grinding people's gears, is that TOR's space experience feels slapped on; an afterthought.
Waiting to release space as an expansion like SWG did would have been fine with most of us.
At least then we'd know BW was focusing all of their attention on that particular feature and would (hopefully) deliver something a lot more fun and compelling than what we see now.
It boggles the mind that BW thinks what they created is fun, and that people would enjoy it.
I would have preferred them to be honest and just say "Look, we want to create a fully fleshed out space experience, but right now, we just don't have the time or resources to deliver that, so we're going to wait post-launch."
Not my memory. First off Star Wars Galaxies launched lacking MANY promised at launch features, mounts, player cities, CLASSES THAT FREAKING WORKED. In contrast, Bioware seems to have delivered on every promise they made. And I agree space combat was not a promised launch feature. And as much as I like to bash the quality of SWG, even I have to admit that when they did roll out the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, they did a pretty damn good job. If SOE could do that, imigine what a company like Bioware could do with a full fleged space expansion.
Anyone here who says that Bioware failed on their promise to bring a full fledged space game at launch is an idiot as they never promised that. We all know that. None of that has anything to do with most of people's complaints about SWTORs mini game, on rails, space shooter. We are simply criticising what feature they did add. It is entirely possible to hold a negative opinion of the space on rails game without it only being sour grapes because Bioware didn't add an entire space game. Please stop trying to confuse the issue.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
I really don't understand why they basically ingored such a vital part of the Star Wars universe. I mean Star Wars is all about space. I was expecting to actually be able to travel in space to different planets and things like that. Actually have PvP in space too and it feels like they only remembered it at the last second and gave us a crappy version of something that could have been amazing.
Smile
It took me a few times messing around with it to see everything it is and isn't. For what it's worth, I really like it as it is although my interest in it will heavily depend upon how often they add new missions to it. The original 3 missions that I saw are going to get old real quick.
I definitely wouldn't mind if they scrapped the whole thing and eventually came out with a full space expansion like SWG's Jump to Lightspeed, or the X-wing vs. Tie Fighter series of old. I just don't think they should have made that their focus or delay the game until they did have a working model like that. Bioware has frequently designed little mini games in their RPGs as a nice break from story and questing, and this fits perfect in to that design. I just hope this isn't how they leave it for the next year or more. It really needs more to it, either with more missions or more depth and relatively soon like within a couple months to keep it worth playing. Even if this is their first MMO, they are veterans in the gaming industry and I have to believe they know this already, but we shall see.
I found it appalling, how it survived past Alpha Testing is a mystery to me, SWTOR would be better off with this mini game just removed. BioWare should feel embarrassed that they included something this poor.
I've always believed that their deafening silence on space combat for so long during development meant that they didn't plan to include it and then had a last minute change of mind. Features bolted on at the last minute have always turned out to be terrible in every MMO and this one is no exception.
Despite all that, and after having already tested SWTOR for a month and four days I still intend to be there as soon as early access opens for me.
Whether someone enjoys it or not is pure personal preference, so it shouldn't be all that hard to understand that some players will like it and some won't. If you like on-rails shooters like Starfox, or other minigame distractions from the main content as BW typically has in all their RPGs, then it works. For everyone else, they should be considering a revamp in an expansion that will make space combat more appealing. With all the people clamoring for it, I'm sure it's under consideration.
I think this needs to be the first major overhaul or addition to the game post release. No waiting 2 years or more like SWG did with JTL. Space is a very important part of Star Wars and should reflect that in an mmorpg. Keep the on rails game for mini game purposes, but add a whole new open "world" space game in the next year with visual progression on ships, pilot classes, loot, story, etc. So much potential, don't waste it Bioware.
I found it to be the perfect stepping stone into a larger world, a world that is just getting started. The future looks bright to me...
I actually LIKE the idea of minigames in my MMOs, when they thematically align (which this does). It would be great to ALSO have a separate full-featured space exploration/trade/combat system in the future, but I don't see having the current iteration as a negative at all. In fact, offering an alternate way to play the game for periods of time, earning XP and credits, makes me EXTREMELY happy when you want to play your MMO but don't want to do the "usual grind" of kill quests and comparable.
Just because BW did not deliver what YOU (directed to reader who is bitter over this) wanted it to be doesn't mean it isn't a positive addition to the game (especially on launch).
That said, ability to customize the ship model/appearance is critical in the future, and a social aspect (multiplayer - competitive or co-operative) would go a long way here.
I was upset about space on rails when i first heard about it ,but noww, i dont really care. the rest of the game is enough for me right now and wouldnt care if they removed it completley.
not everything is going to be the way you like it. do you like the game? yes or no? then play or not but useless complaining does nothing but get high post counts.
Reminds me of a couple , one is going back to school and the other is trying to hold the other down so they can be as unhappy as them with them.
Space combat is treated like KOTOR. It is a side game. Not much to see, or talk about.
I hope they add a real space combat game as Jump to Lightspeed was. JTL was the only reason I went back to SWG in the later years. A real space game will draw crowds of it's own to TOR. Pilot communities were strong in SWG.
Ship interior is nice. More player ship options are needed. I do like the fact you have a "home".
Don't cry the sky is falling though with this minor side game space combat. Look at other Bioware games like Mass Effect, and Knights of the Old Republic. Bioware has never been known for a space sim game designer.
If enough request a real space side, Bioware might listen.
I enjoyed the space combat when I played it. So I can't wait to play it some more.
I hated the JTL expansion for SWG. The combat AI only did 1 type of manuever. Space bombs in PvP? Really? Same mission over and over just in a different order. So annoying and boring. Even enemy AI's lasers tracked you down like they were heat seeking missiles. I'm sorry, but I don't want anything like JTL for SWTOR. I loved the XWing/TIE series, but JTL was bad.
"If you're going to act like a noob, I'll treat you like one." -Caskio
Adventurers wear fancy pants!!!
I agree that the space combat can definitely be expanded. I don't agree with people who say it was an afterthought. You don't design and spend the kind of money on mere afterthoughts. It clearly was designed not to be an indepth part of the game. I would imagine that it will make for a good expansion. For now, I will enjoy it for what it is. A simple break from the more indepth portions of the game.
I self identify as a monkey.
The game is fantastic, the space part is a complete let down though, SWG had it right.
People, lol.
1. It's a minigame, lol. This mmo is NOT intended to be "Xwing vs Tie Fighter". If someone thought that, they haven't been reading enough. The game is about STORY, just like the vast majority of Star Wars films. If you want sandboxy Star Wars space combat, here ya go:
2. Nothing says that this space combat is "locked" and this is how it remains forever. Since there are different missions already within the current Space combat, that shows they Bioware can easily either add more missions (to give more variety) or possibly tweak the combat so it is more free-flowing instead of rails.
People getting upset over a beta-launched feature that will probably be changed several times over in the coming years that wasn't even the main focus.. not surprising.
"TO MICHAEL!"
Did you have to go and post a picture of X-Wing vs TIE Fighter and rub it in?
Ah, good times.
In case it hasn't been mentioned yet, after I completed a round of beta testing earlier in the year, one of the follow-up questionnaires specifically addressed space combat. The jist of the survey was to determine if, after testing the game for a month and playing the space combat, was space combat adequate, did it need to be modified but left in at launch, or did it need to be removed for launch in order for a more substantial overhaul? I think this line of questioning gives some possible insight into what will happen with space combat. If BW ships a SW game without space combat, they will catch all kinds of trash. THerefore, it is quite possible that space combat, in its current launch state, will see considerable modification post launch, as it should.
Hate it all you want, I thought it was a lot of fun and a nice break from normal MMOing.
Bioware needs to grab the SWG space team while they can. Even NGE haters will tell you that the space content in SWG is some of the best, if not the best, in the business.