Darth Hater

I think the biggest problem with this article is that it asks questions that can't really be answered.  Yes, they say they are releasing content every 6 weeks, but what kind of content?  Is it just going to be 1 Op or 1 FP or 1 WZ with a couple of bug fixes and class tweaks here and there?  Is it going to be more than that?  I mean, to be honest, it's an extremely difficult question to answer with as little information as BW has given.

Personally, I think a lot depends on what is included in the future release schedule. What would be nice to see, would be some type of general schedule on paper. Maybe there is one that I've completely missed, but creating a feeling of excitement over future content is always a good thing, because 1) it ties you to that promise and 2) people will get excited and come to look at it! 

I like the new schedule. I'll keep my subscription running even if they don't patch out what I was hoping for every six weeks, as long as there's enough substance in some patches to keep you occupied.

To me, the top priorities would be:
1) Secret Space Project
2) Progression of Character Storylines
3) More Flashpoints/areas on existing planets to explore

I agree with what ChaseHazard said as well, a big fear is that they're just chopping up content that was already baking into small patches and keeping the game running. Makeb, HK and new space missions feel like "old news" already, so what's next? The communication on the forums have improved, but it needs to be more forward looking!

if the update window only comes every 6 weeks and there are only 10 or so weeks until the 1 year mark, they'll have to release that "super secret space project" in the next update to keep their "whithin the year" promise.

There are a ton of quality of live improvements that I would still like to see:

1) Dual Spec (I know we have field respec, but I would like the ability to save two trees, and save my keybinding/placement of abilities)

2) UI Improvements including but not limited to   A) sizeable and moveable buffs and debuffs   B) More raid frame customization (moveable buff positions, hot indicators, dispell indicators, timers)    C)  Ability to change health bar and focus bar etc. to appear like raid frames    D)moveable DoT and HoT timers

3)  Would like some raid improvements including A) ready checks   B) Calendars for raid scheduling

4) I WOULD LOVE to see an arena/dueling system similar to WoW's 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5. I would even like to see a 1v1 type game similar to KOTOR on taris

I will be honest, the only thing I care about in TOR is how it lets me express my star wars story and gives us many chances to go down the light/dark side as not a single characte but eight unique on opposing factions instead of just one character arc.

With that in mind, what interests me most in a content patch is class story updates, which imo would equel either a larger patch to accomidate the extra vo or an expansion.

Now I remember a quote from daniel ericson long ago saying how expansion content and vo/story had been written well before the game launched and into the following weeks of launch by him and his staff. With daniel (rumored to be) gone, and several of the origional story authors gone, will we really see a new story chapter for our characters with bioware focusing on the six-week model?

As long as they keep the vo actors hired, I am game, otherwise I will continue to play and pray that the servers stay open (I believe the game is actually quire alive but i digress) untill I can finish the three rep stories I have yet to touch, after that, if there are no more story updates coming to the game, I would not find the six-week non-story patches sufficient, and I will unsub (but keep the ftp to relogin and take screens from time to time of my chars and/or scratch my old bioware MUSTREPLAYSTORYAGAINANDAGAIN persona. but all in all, I would lose complete interest in TOR.

Seconded!

I think their strategy is to try to release content fast enough to keep numbers up. 

However, the major flaw is not how much content but what kind of content.

They could release 10 new WZs as a priority over releasing some FPs, and raids, and they would still have the same game without the other content they need to consider more importantly with new features not yet implemented or more story also being released in a timely manner.

So I think they are not releasing the major content quick enough. And I am not sure their current strategy necessarily affects the game negatively more than releasing more of the same, and the other content slower considering the new influx of players coming to swtor as well in the future.

Its all calculated on several factors, but I personally beleive new content such as a large WZ with sieging, duel arenas, pazaak, swoop racing, tournament systems implemented, and 3d space combat is more important than more in between content (such as more WZs, FPs,, Raids, vanioty items : pets /cars / social gear) at this point. Thats just me, and I have been playing the game since early release. So I am not the same demographic as the new, but also the new players would be just as happy as I was a long time ago, and if they are like me, would be more interested in new features rather than more of the same.

Therefore the new F2P model should indicate that BW has a chance to shift thier development to major projects rather than small projects since F2P will be a new beginning for a lot of people, including myself who has taken a break from the game.

And it seems that is what they were doing, but what they are about to do seems like the wrong decision imo.

At this point, they should just add some events to the game, and also include player housing, and ship decoration  I think those are the extras they should fill up the wait until we see major things implemented into the game. Also Pazaak as a social thing to make waits better, and add a lot more gear, and customization and remove or lower mod costs... and add more races for character creation. I think they should add those easy things which still add a lot to the game, and then just work on the major other things including story of course.

However, story should come in timely fashion, not because too much is not good, but also because realistically development costs money, and they have to balance how they spend that time developing certain things, and releasing more story than other content means that swtor has less features being improved with more story in a game that already feels not enough to justify a $15 monthly subscription. Even if its F2P, its still an MMO, and needs to prioritize things better.

Quote from DarthSerious »

I think their strategy is to try to release content fast enough to keep numbers up. 

However, the major flaw is not how much content but what kind of content.

They could release 10 new WZs as a priority over releasing some FPs, and raids, and they would still have the same game without the other content they need to consider more importantly with new features not yet implemented or more story also being released in a timely manner.

So I think they are not releasing the major content quick enough. And I am not sure their current strategy necessarily affects the game negatively more than releasing more of the same, and the other content slower considering the new influx of players coming to swtor as well in the future.

Its all calculated on several factors, but I personally beleive new content such as a large WZ with sieging, duel arenas, pazaak, swoop racing, tournament systems implemented, and 3d space combat is more important than more in between content (such as more WZs, FPs,, Raids, vanioty items : pets /cars / social gear) at this point. Thats just me, and I have been playing the game since early release. So I am not the same demographic as the new, but also the new players would be just as happy as I was a long time ago, and if they are like me, would be more interested in new features rather than more of the same.

Therefore the new F2P model should indicate that BW has a chance to shift thier development to major projects rather than small projects since F2P will be a new beginning for a lot of people, including myself who has taken a break from the game.

And it seems that is what they were doing, but what they are about to do seems like the wrong decision imo.

At this point, they should just add some events to the game, and also include player housing, and ship decoration  I think those are the extras they should fill up the wait until we see major things implemented into the game. Also Pazaak as a social thing to make waits better, and add a lot more gear, and customization and remove or lower mod costs... and add more races for character creation. I think they should add those easy things which still add a lot to the game, and then just work on the major other things including story of course.

However, story should come in timely fashion, not because too much is not good, but also because realistically development costs money, and they have to balance how they spend that time developing certain things, and releasing more story than other content means that swtor has less features being improved with more story in a game that already feels not enough to justify a $15 monthly subscription. Even if its F2P, its still an MMO, and needs to prioritize things better.

Although I agree with your preferences for a more PVP orientated update scheme, the reality is most players that are still here seem to be the type that will leave if there isn't a steady dose of ops and flashpoints.  But that's just keeping the status quo.  The things you mentioned could reinvigorate another type of player base and possibly bring back the PVPers that have gone on to GW2 and the like.

Quote from Avinoam2 »

I will be honest, the only thing I care about in TOR is how it lets me express my star wars story.... (edited)... If there are no more story updates coming to the game, I would not find the six-week non-story patches sufficient, and I will unsub.

Well said, me too.

I think a 6 week schedule will be a good idea, if only because it will allow Bioware to focus on one area at a time and, hopefully, avoid releasing 2 bugs for every feature.  

I think that more players will try out the new content in its entirety, rather than spend their time playing the one portion they are most interested in and ignoring the rest.

If Bioware can actually stick to the 6-week content release schedule, I will be a happy camper.

Some caveats: For this to feel like quality updates, the content releases really need to feel distinct. As a casual PvEer, though I'm ready to be disappointed, as the thing I'd like to see most -- challenging, interesting flashpoints -- I probably won't be getting much of.

Content updates shouldn't be at the expense of miscellaneous fixes

Don't give me more dailies. I don't enjoy dailies. I don't think anyone does.

You know what would be better then dailies? (yes, yes, I know -- anything. But that's not what I was getting at) A randomized PvE instance ("dungeon"). Same type of content as dailies, but potentially more interesting.

The Mini release is fine as long as they realize they can give us good sized content with both adding new stuff and improving existing items without having to devise whole new systems. Examples as follows.

PvP: Bioware needs to learn that not every new map needs a new gameplay mode. A few different Huttball Arenas with different hazards/styles, or Alderaan-like guns where you're on a space station, etc. New gameplay modes are fine too, but if they come out with 1 or 2 of those a year, meanwhile 3-4 new maps a year, that would be awesome.

PvE Flashpoints: Nightmare flashpoints would serve both as new challenges, and ways for people to maybe get Rakata gear to try the newer Tier-2 Flashpoints and Raids. Also adding previous flashpoints to 50-level flashpoints would be great.

Raids: Weeklies, monthlies, etc. which involve COMPLETING raids (not just killing 2nd boss), or completing them in a specified amount of time, which grant Commendations, Pets, Companion skins, or other non-gameplay affecting items (think like the bike-quests that exist)

These simple ways to add more to the game also give them leeway to work on bigger items. New PvP modes, new Raids, new Flashpoints, new Species, World PvP zones. Then they aim for their big items that add new stuff that people hope for - new Planets, multi-player Space games (either Co-Op on-Rails or PvP Open-Space, or just Open-Space in general)

The fact is that a combination of F2P and constant content means that Bioware will be forced to continuously work on and release content players want - both big and small - because if people don't want it, people won't pay for it. F2P does have its upsides, this is undoubtedly one of them.

Playing as an Op in Huttball is tricky. Ops are basically shoehorned into a healer role, and obviously can't run balls well - they have low survivability. As a result, the Juggs/Guardians tend to get a lot of glory, but the Op can be used very tactically. Being a healer is a big deal for keeping the ball runner up obviously, but also their stealth is a major factor. You can sneak into the endzone area to catch the ball from other players, to run it in for that last part - or you can lead your foe into the pit, and hit your emergency stealth, resetting the ball. Either way, I agree maps that have more obstructions etc. would be nice to at least mix things up, as opposed to changing how it is.

I'm hoping beyond all hope that BW decides to embrace a fully randomized map making system for PvP - randomly built maps would help alleviate some of the stagnation of the current PvP matches.  If they don't do this, I'm with you 100% on new maps with the same mechanics - specifically Huttball ;)