Focus Group Report 3/5/2006

Issele · Post by **Issele** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:28 am

The discussion began with a round-robin introduction and telling what we felt the best and worst aspects of Galaxies are.

Then the real discussion began.

The moderator brought out three pamphlets. One, which I believe was entitled Paths To Power, outlined the implementation of a Dark Side/Light Side path a la KOTOR, for every profession. It also went into detail about re-doing missions as either side and seeing the different view on things, different abilities for each, etc. The group was very much interested.

The second was entitled "The Galactic Civil War" and I'm sure you can imagine what it outlined: bringing the GCW back to prominence. It discussed controlling Star Destroyers and Blockade Runners, but also seemed to deadlock players as either Imperial or Rebel.

The third outline basically discussed morphing Galaxies into Battlefront II, complete with having iconic characters not only immediately available during your mission, but for you to be able to -- yes, you're actually reading this -- play as movie characters. The group was not pleased.

Then he told us that these were possibilities for expansion packs, not publish updates.

The final question/topic was whether we'd choose any one of the pamphlet outlines to add to the game, or if we'd prefer for them to work on bringing things back that were taken out. As soon as he was done talking, the group said "Rollback" almost as one. The moderator seemed like he saw that coming, because he'd probably heard the term a dozen times already from the other groups.

So there you have it. They're either going to continue the trend of "Expansion Packs aren't necessary (nudge nudge wink wink)", or, if they go by what the focus group asked, we will see a rollback of some degree.

The number one issue brought to the moderator when he asked about the biggest negatives in Galaxies was the lack of diversity in professions and the overwhelming letdown that was the NGE for people like musicians, creature handlers, smugglers, etc. He was finishing sentences for us because he had obviously heard quite a bit about it in the previous groups.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

---end---

Post by **Lexx Yovel** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:53 pm

Very interesting indeed. And yes, I agree, whoever thought about letting you play as famous Star Wars characters is kinda insane.

The GCW pamphlet sounds interesting, but that is something that should be a publish.

I could care less about the dark side light side aspect. I dont think a KOTOR idea would work in SWG... maybe for quests though.

Rollback? Maybe to some extent. I'd like a rollback to the point where you can mix and match at least two proffesions. That'd be cool... plus the re-introduction of Creature Handlers and Bio-Engineers.

I do like the combat system in general... yes, it's kinda basic, but I sort of like it to be honest. I just think allowing you to mix at least two proffesions will make it more interesting. If they did that, I'd love to be an Officer Commando.

Leviathen · Post by **Leviathen** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:59 pm

...I swore I commented on this... I remember exactly what I said...

Kurke_Aumea · Post by **Kurke_Aumea** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:58 pm

Leviathen wrote:...I swore I commented on this... I remember exactly what I said...

That's not the first time the forum has eaten a post...

Anyways, that all sounds interesting and possibly promising. Seems like they should have did the focus group stuff a long, LONG time ago...

Leviathen · Post by **Leviathen** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:16 pm

I believe my comment was:

I am glad to see they are listening to the players, but they seem to have their pirorities mixed up.

I do not care to be fighting alongside Darth Vader, that is not what makes galaxies fun for me, I don't need to be playing with guys from the movie, the whole point is to live and breath in the Galaxy that is Star Wars... not to be reliving the movies.

Post by **Lexx Yovel** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:01 pm

That's good argument Lev. I dont see why people restrict Star Wars to just the movies themselves. There is a whole other world out there. All we need is people saying, "wow, Han Solo said I'm a great marksman! w00t, I'm uber." *shudders*

Szul · Post by **Szul** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:10 pm

KOTOR: Would be great as a different MMOG, not as part of this one. Actually, I'd love to see them remove Jedi from this game, and make an entirely different game based around KOTOR or the post-Palpatine Jedi EU.

I remember when I unlocked, man I danced. I thought I'd hit the freaking Lotto with as rare as they were "supposed" to be. heh but I'll write that out as its own story someday, its quite a tale with a sad ending.

Because my point here is that I fully believe that one of two types of players play SWG: Jedi Lovers and Jedi Haters. I think they need to split the concepts and go with two MMOGs, one for each type. I think that both will be colossal hits.

Kurke_Aumea · Post by **Kurke_Aumea** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:33 pm

I'm glad I'm not the only Jedi hater out there.

As far as a KOTOR MMO goes, I think it would be an interesting venture. Both games were smash hits and I think a MMO based off of them would do rather well if done right. Of course, if there was a KOTOR MMO, I would actually enjoy the possibility of Jedi then, since they belong in the KOTOR time line. In the current SWG timeline, Jedi are supposed to be rare and they don't belong.

As for a post-Palpatine era MMO, I think that's a mistake. The after the collapse of the Empire, what are you left with as far as factions? You have the New Republic and the random factions that pop over time throughout the EU. The only major force to rise to power over a sufficient matter of time to warrant a game in this timeline is the Vong. But, I don't think the Vong actually belong in the SW universe anyways. (I'll save that lecture for another day)

Personally, unless SWG is ever completely re-done the correct way in its current timeline, I think your best bet is a Clone Wars era or KOTOR era MMO. Both eras offer plenty of content to work with and Jedi fit in properly then. The nice thing is that a Clone Wars era MMO is closer to what the masses know as we see what happens from the movies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can whine all you want about the prequals, but they do offer a lot of material. Of course, I think everything would have to remain pre-Palpatine. As soon as you get to Order 66, you can no longer have playable Jedi. And let's face it, you're never going to sell a SW MMO without Jedi. It's sad, but true.

Szul · Post by **Szul** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:52 pm

heh well as far as Jedi haters go, I would not call myself that. I am not anti-Jedi. Sorry, but I actually dislike it when people get on an anti-Jedi rant. I just don't feel that they have earned that right, because I don't feel that these Jedi haters have actually been cheated out of anything. I feel that I am one of FEW people that have any right to be a Jedi hater.

Why? Because I was the one who was cheated.. the 12 that unlocked before me were the ones who were cheated. (plus maybe half that due to some afraid to announce they unlocked) Hell, everyone who unlocked prior to December 2003 were cheated especially once we found out it was nothing but profession grinding...

We worked our asses off to figure out the secrets needed to unlock the Special Prize Inside that we were promised would be rare, and oh so wonderful... and SOE/LA screwed us over because everyone else wanted one too. I had won my Lotto prize, and SOE/LA took that away so they could make more money and I hate them for wasting my time and taking away something special that I worked for and that I earned.

So yea, I hope they burn it all to the ground and start over, I pray for it. :twisted:

Bleh now I'm over my allowance for rants today, I'll have to tick one off of tomorrow's quota.

Post by **Lexx Yovel** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:41 pm

While I do not like the overpopulated jedi count, I do admire the effort jedi had to go through to begin with to become jedi, only to have it be shoved in their face as a simple starter proffesion.

I dont hate jedi, I just hate how the route to become one is.

Leviathen · Post by **Leviathen** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:12 pm

I honestly quite liked how Jedis were before the village and all that came out. I know they are not supposed to be around, but you have to look at Luke and how he was still around. So with that, i feel it valid to say that some few still existed, but just extreamly hidden and hunted. If they showed off their skills in public, they went on the terms and were hunted down by Bounty Hunters, what a perfect relationship between the two. I like it the way it was, extreamly rare, I rarely saw a lightsaber, and they worked hard to attain a higher status. In no way were they invincible either.

Kurke_Aumea · Post by **Kurke_Aumea** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:12 am

Yes, I hate Jedi and I'm damn proud of it. I have always felt that they do not belong in SWG. I agree with you Szul, you are really the only ones who have to true right to gripe. But, I'm a firm believer that if Jedi had been left on the cutting room floor, this game would have been better for it. If Jedi were just really cool NPCs, I think things would have panned out better for the game as a whole.

How many publishes have been focused on Jedi??? Imagine what those publishes could have been used for if Jedi weren't in the mix.

Szul · Post by **Szul** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:42 am

heh Jedi hate is a bad subject to get me started on. People just have no idea how bitter I am over the whole thing. I can't begin to put into words how it takes every fiber of my being not to get verbally violent over any discussion of it, nothing being directed at anyone here.

Now you know why I go off on rants about Raph Koster now and then, because I blame him for this whole mess and for bailing out on it for a "promotion"... but thats again, another rant. :evil:

On-topic... I'd love to have a few hours to sit down with the producers and designers, hell I'd be willing to even pay if I had the money.

Leviathen · Post by **Leviathen** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 7:05 am

Making Jedi a starting prof was just one of those GREAT decisions the designers had... /rolls eyes

You honestly think "what were they thinking?" on items like that.

Szul · Post by **Szul** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:52 am

Their mistake was making a game based on the movies. Even the fans of EU storylines try to avoid dabbling in movie timelines because Lucas can't keep his own scripts consistent and the movies weren't well written. :lol: