Darth Hater

Star Wars: The Old Republic News, Interviews, Media & Podcast

Sean Dahlberg on This Week's Updates

BioWare's Sean Dahlberg soothed some community worries about class-restricted species, wrapped up the reveals of the week, and waxed poetic about the ups and downs of E3:

Hey guys,

I got up at 4am this morning to get back to Austin so I'll make this short and sweet instead of rambling on as I tend to.
We've talked about this before but it bears mentioning again; the updates we do are for the entire TOR Community. We have everything from people who read the site almost every minute to people who visit the site once a week; people who scour the web for data and people who like to be directed to what and where our updates are. So when we do our big broadcast messages, it is directed towards the entire TOR Community.

This week's Fan Friday was special. We've never had a Fan Friday that was updated every day of the week nor have we ever had a Fan Friday that announced any major systems. And from day one, last week, we called out very specifically that we would have an update every day (for this week) instead of just throwing it all out on a Friday.

Some of you knew about all of our updates come Monday. Some found out about the various updates all through the week. But some people won't find out about the War Zones and the Chiss Imperial Agent or Twi'lek Smuggler until today and some won't even see that info until we post it on our other social networks. Some won't even see it until next week.

SIDE NOTE: While we aren't talking about it yet (and I know many of you dislike this but there are various and valid reasons why we do this), we are not saying that you can ONLY be a Twi'lek as a Smuggler. What we are saying is that we are CONFIRMING that as a Smuggler, you can choose Twi'lek as a species. Will there be limitations? Yes, there will be. What are they? We aren't talking about that yet because we haven't come to a final conclusion on some things yet. When we do, you will definitely know but in the meanwhile we are only confirming what we know will not change between now and launch. Back to the point...

We all think it's awesome that we have so many dedicated fans. We really do. We only get to meet a fraction of them and the ones we do are amazing. Just this last week I got to personally meet a wide variety of people who participate in these forums on a consistent basis and it was great to see their excitement for TOR. And it's great to see everyone pull together and share all the information they gleamed from each and every interview they could find across the web (and sorry that my interview didn't really have any big reveals or anything in it).

But, like I said, our updates are crafted for the entire community and while a segment may learn everything before even the first day of E-3 (and some even before the Pre-E3 Press Event, ack!), a large portion of our community doesn't learn about things until later and usually when we are informing them of the updates by posting them on our website and the social networks we participate in.

Now, I know some of you will disagree with me (I have been reading the threads and posts between shifts when doing demos and at night), I personally believe we revealed a lot this week:

  • Hope - A new cinematic trailer.

  • Player Ships - Announcing a mobile base of operations and even showing two of them.

  • Armor Progression - Showed off a few new outfits and gave a small peek at how a character might progress.

  • Live Gameplay - We've never shown that yet and not only did we show a single-player experience we also showed a group experience. On live television where anything could happen.

  • Species reveals - Announced two more species; Chiss and Twi'lek.

  • War Zones - Talked a little about our PvP system; granted, we have a lot more details to give out on that but we have to refine and test things first to make sure we're giving out great and accurate information

  • Hands-On Demos - We let a lot of people come to our booths and play TOR; yes some were mainstream press and we had a few celebs come by, but we also had quite a few community members come through that work on various fan sites and podcasts (and many that aren't even TOR specific).


And that's not even counting all the information and things talked about during the various interviews. Granted, I'm seeing things from my point of view, but I think we did a lot over the last five days.

Hmm, and maybe I should go back and remove the part about me not rambling... because I think I ended up doing that after all

Quick Edit: And no, not asking for you guys to thank us or anything else. I am just trying to give a little more information on why things are they way they are based on some of the posts I have been reading over the last week.

Comments

Page 1 of 3
  • L1b3rta's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 26
    #24 L1b3rta Posted 6/19/2010 6:11:26 PM
    Just continue what you are doing and the way you are releasing your info. It is a bit less than a year away till the game is live, so people just have to learn to be patient. And with the age of the internet, patience is very hard to find, especially with the far majority of the online community.
    At least you guys are fkn more transparent, than Blizzard ever was with their WoW after several years of the first launch. So a bit of gratitude towards BioWare/Lucas Arts is at it's place, if you compare them with the rest.

    At the end of the day we all want the budged for SW:TOR to be huge, so we can live out that Star Wars fantasy in a digital universe that is actually large. Therefore, just do whatever is best for your marketing strategy, in matters of releasing data.

    It is said 1 year ago, and I'll say it once more, In BioWare/Lucas Arts we trust.
  • AdamantD's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #22 AdamantD Posted 6/19/2010 4:05:19 PM
    What's funny is that for those of us who have actually followed Bioware prior to TOR understand that this is how they go about their business. They never put all their cards on the table. Hell, a week before Mass Effect 2 launched we pretty much knew nothing of any game systems. Cryptic promised the world and the moon with STO and barely delivered the Hudson, the backlash was hilarious. Bioware won't make that mistake.
  • Deidare's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #31 Deidare Posted 6/20/2010 2:46:34 AM
    Yeah, I can remember all the way back to Mass Effect 1 and knowing nothing of the game until launch essentially. But MMOs are a little different because you have many more people to please, all and all I think BWs doing what they do, and pretty well too.
  • Lockehart's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 20
    #21 Lockehart Posted 6/19/2010 3:40:10 PM
    You think this is bad, DCU Online is supposedly launching in October and they don't have 1/20th of the information out there that SWTOR has. We should count ourselves lucky Bioware is even as open as they are. It's pretty obvious they are as enthusiastic for this game as the fan community is, and they're sharing what they can when they can.
  • Jamis's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #23 Jamis Posted 6/19/2010 4:21:57 PM
    I was thinking the same thing. There are a couple of MMOs coming out like DC and also FF XiV that don't seem to have released anywhere near the amount of info as TOR.
  • Deidare's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #30 Deidare Posted 6/20/2010 2:30:53 AM
    Or other MMOs such as warhammer 40k, but much of those are still a fair ways away from release day. Plus some don't care near as much about the fan base as BW does.
  • Sazuba's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #17 Sazuba Posted 6/19/2010 10:49:22 AM
    So a group of friends and I collaborated on the NerdRage that is TOR. We thought who, how and definitely why. And the sort of conculsion, that isn't the cure all answer, is that when we see the hesitant reply of every Bioware member as they say "We can't say that yet." or "We are unable to reveal that at this time." is said to us, we become a little unsure ourselves.

    Now this is when most people say, "Blah blah blah respect development, long time big game, NO RUSHY." Well excuse, but Bioware put it on themselves by releasing the ifnormation in the first place, and especially on a weekly basis. We all expect the new race, or planet every week now, and when we don't get it then we slap on our PvP gear and start raiding the walls of Bioware Studios. The problem is, can you blame a junkie who is fueled by a dealer. Even if a junkie wants to quit, the dealer slaps them in the wrist and the cycle continues. So can yuo blame the NerdRages with Bioware slapping us in the wrist every once in a while with an awesome update. (I use once in a while lightly for the most part.)

    So back to the hesitant replies. Well they have claimed this past year and a half that they won't release information that "Hasn't been completely confirmed and processed." Well when we look at a lot of the minor things still being unconfirmed then it's kinda like, "Well what are they doing over there, making Blood of the Empire Comics?" ;) So basically I want them to just release the game now with all of its bugs, so I can complain about that! :P No, but seriously we just want a more confident Bioware. This was theoretically the last E3 for Bioware, and to come out of with a fircracker when last year they came out of it with shotguns blazing, well it has left a lot of us fans wondering, "Is Bioware really going to live up to its Spring 2011 release?" and if not PLEASE just tell us, and while you're at it stop with the friday updates as well if you can't deliver in the estimated time period. It will save us fans the time, and energy spent complaining, and we can focus more on actually creating real friendships and finally getting a job and moving out of our parent's basement.

    Overall, I'm indifferent on the situation. Stop complaining about Bioware, but Bioware, deliver or step back just let us know. We will love you both the same.

    That's been my two cents.
    -Sazuba
  • Snuffy's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 74
    #26 Snuffy Posted 6/20/2010 12:04:00 AM
    Stop Friday updates if they can't deliver in the estimated time period? i don;t understand this. Do they have a set schedule on what info and when they release this stuff?

    Overall its good to be indifferent, becuase BW is damned if they do and damned if they don't.

    1. Release information when its not concrete and then retract? Suffer the fate of warhammer and be called liars and cheats.

    2. If they don't release any information. Speculations will run even wilder. They will be branded as a company who cannot develop the MMO. SWTOR will be called "vaporware".

    3. Or they can release information slowly and only info that is set in stone. Sure they will piss of the nerd ragers. But really who cares? Those people will buy the game in the end anyways

  • Sazuba's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #33 Sazuba Posted 6/23/2010 5:25:05 AM
    I meant the estimated time peroid for the game release. If they know they can't deliver on 2011 then I think they should stop with the friday updates so that people can't bitch anymore.

  • Korithian's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #13 Korithian Posted 6/19/2010 9:23:11 AM
    Dispite the fanboi's no doubt going into nerd rage about anything that suggest that Bioware could do anything wrong the reason for this post was due to the front page of the E3 info saying there would be a special Fan Friday. This lead to a lot of people that couldn't make it to E3 getting very excited that there would be more than 2 lines on battlezones or some info if Spaceships went into space or more info on the races. Instead it was just a rehash of what had already been said, so not that special.

    Where it becomes a little annoying is that if BW had simply put up the 3 game play trailer videoes over at MMORPG.COM then people would have been a lot happier. Sean makes comment that they have to cater to people that don't check the net for information and then still has fan sites like this one or MMO sites or gaming sites with far more information. And often the 'new' information is things that Darth Hater posted months before but sold as something really special. And perhaps worse of all there is almost no follow up to the information presented by the devs. They announce warzones, so what do warzones mean. 'We can't talk about that'. They mention Player housing in the form of space ships, so will these space ships be flyable in space. 'We can't talk about that.' We learn of two new races and they will be class specific so can they tell us more oh they can't talk about that.

    With less than a year to go it seems all the information we get is sound bites and what people can remember from the hands on tests they play. Which is the strangest part, they know the information about the gameplay footage will be reported on, yet for the 20 mins or so of each class the media gets to play the community at a whole at best gets to see a fraction of it and never shown on the SWTOR site. I'm sure it would make more of an impact if it was just shown and the community would be vastly impressed by the information released.
  • Khams's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #12 Khams Posted 6/19/2010 9:01:03 AM
    Problem with releasing information at this low pace is that... whenever they're ready to announce it, it might be too late and if the majority of the people see that system as flawed. it might a SERIOUS problem, they're not giving space for feedback, because there's nothing to be giving feedback about, they already went back from their heroic classes to the 'holy trinity'.. I don't know I am most likely buying the game, but they seem to be lacking... 'cojones', so to speak.
  • Keegan-Vol's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 120
    #19 Keegan-Vol Posted 6/19/2010 12:25:17 PM
    Remeber that the characters shown were low levels before the advanced class chioce. I believe that the characters where 6 to 8th level. I believe at 10th level is when you make your first class progression choice. And really, people are allowed to be critical of developers. That is how Bioware sees what the fans like and dislike and what will work or not as a mechanic. But. Bioware has gone to extreme measures to make sure that the material that is released will be in the game. And that is why it comes out in small reveals. If Bioware were to realease alot of information then recant most of that info, as unviable material or in order ensure a ship date, that would send the community into a fourm flame like nothing seen before and would loose a ton of customers. I know i would if they did that. Thankfully the bio boys and gals are doing it right. Building a comminity and place for the people to discuss, debate and celebrate all things that are Star Wars until the game is released next spring. I look forward to next fan friday.
  • LusipherPE's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #14 LusipherPE Posted 6/19/2010 10:03:01 AM
    How do you figure they went back from their heroic classes to the 'holy trinity'? Are there not Advanced Classes still that can be even further customized down the line? And how exactly would you run an mmo without the 'holy trinity' and still keep the game fun to a large amount of people? I can imagine ways it could be done, but they don't sound too fun to me.
  • Khams's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #15 Khams Posted 6/19/2010 10:20:18 AM
    I am not saying I am against 'the holy trinity', I am saying they claimed they were gonna avoid that and focus on heroic classes, so to speak. ( They confirmed this in one of their interviews during this E3, can't recall which though ) Advanced classes are, in my opinion, nothing special, every game has had something alike if not the same.. but I don't expect Bioware to re-invent the wheel. I just want them to have some... confidence boost and start telling what's, for instance, not gonna be in the game ( and this is something they could easily do )... because imagine people who wouldn't play the game if it didn't have a compelling space system, I doubt at this stage Bioware can't tell those people whether there's gonna be one or not.

    I foresee a nerd-rage, the like of which has never been seen before.
  • keroko's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 82
    #25 keroko Posted 6/19/2010 9:30:55 PM
    "but I don't expect Bioware to re-invent the wheel."

    That's... a funny coincidence, because Bioware said -exactly- that very early after the announcement of TOR. They weren't going to re-invent the wheel of MMO combat. To my knowledge, Bioware never claimed they were going to avoid the trinity itself, just avoid the need to force players to spec certain ways, or the need to wait for certain players specced certain ways. And they plan to use companions to take care of that.
  • To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Page 1 of 3

Most Commented Articles

Go to Articles

Tag Cloud

More