SOE loses Star Wars MMOG license and Chief Creative Officer. Allegedly.

[tomodachi]

Originally Posted by The Hiram Key

The only thing that SWG did better then any other game (and no other game has even come close to topping since) is in the realm of character customization.

Crafting, prior to NGE, is still the best implemented crafting I've seen yet... for the classes which worked. Also, SWG's player-view ships are still pretty much unmatched in MMORPGs. Have one friend flying the ship, another friend manning guns, and you can sit back next to the holo-chess board, look out the window and watch the action unfold outside in real time.

The implementation, and perhaps even the very presence of the Jedi class is what killed SWG. The game would have been so much better if it simply hadn't been Star Wars.

[leane]

Originally Posted by tomodachi

Crafting, prior to NGE, is still the best implemented crafting I've seen yet... for the classes which worked. Also, SWG's player-view ships are still pretty much unmatched in MMORPGs. Have one friend flying the ship, another friend manning guns, and you can sit back next to the holo-chess board, look out the window and watch the action unfold outside in real time.

The implementation, and perhaps even the very presence of the Jedi class is what killed SWG. The game would have been so much better if it simply hadn't been Star Wars.

That is a problem with star wars... SWG should not have had the license.

Star wars is flashy guns, sabers and blowing shit up. When you play star wars you want to be able to walk into the bar, shoot the bounty hunter, flip some credits to the bartender and go have a talk with the mob boss you owe money to before doing a suicide mission.
Not log on, farm some moisture, make a couple of bags, go to the bar to tip the dancer and go out to dig up some roots....

They had a lot of good ideas for a game but with all the rewrites and rebalances they lost the big picture and have never been able to regain the focus. Personally I would start up a new game and engine from the ground up and then once its up and running do a big release to pull in new people and move the people from SWG to a newer, flashier starwars and shut down the old system entirely. Screw trying to revamp it. rebuild it and shoot the old.

[Sylas]

If we take Smed's PR spin at face value, then it's Koster who's abandoning the sinking ship of SOE rather than SOE finally wising up and firing that no talent hack. How embarrassing must it be for Raph to walk out on you, shit must really be falling apart over at SOE.

[Soygen]

Yeah, they're going out of business very soon!

[...]

Originally Posted by Sylas

If we take Smed's PR spin at face value, then it's Koster who's abandoning the sinking ship of SOE rather than SOE finally wising up and firing that no talent hack. How embarrassing must it be for Raph to walk out on you, shit must really be falling apart over at SOE.

He most likely wanted to develop another sandbox, crafting, farming sort of mmo, and SOE doesn't want to because the market seems to be steering towards faster, more WoWish gameplay. And since he has so many development ideas, he probly didn't relish the idea of languishing away in the position he was in.

[Dyscord]

I have lots of developing ideas too, most involve never buying another game koster is associated with again!

[masteen]

Originally Posted by ...

He most likely wanted to develop another sandbox, crafting, farming sort of mmo, and SOE doesn't want to because the market seems to be steering towards faster, more WoWish gameplay. And since he has so many development ideas, he probly didn't relish the idea of languishing away in the position he was in.

Can't have enough ATITDs in the world. Massively Multiplayer Online Gardening is the future. Fuck WoW.

Seriously, I pray that Koster never gets his filthy paws on another decent license ever again. Players do not make content, we consume it. Say it again with me, Raph. PLAYERS DO NOT MAKE CONTENT.

[The Hiram Key]

Originally Posted by Sylas

If we take Smed's PR spin at face value, then it's Koster who's abandoning the sinking ship of SOE rather than SOE finally wising up and firing that no talent hack. How embarrassing must it be for Raph to walk out on you, shit must really be falling apart over at SOE.

I will probably regret this in the not too distant future, but my take on Smed was that he was actually (gasp) being honest and not spinning. If your spinning to protect SOE, why mention what you can or cannot do as a company in reference to what Raph wants to do?

You wouldn't, it would be irrelevant.

I doubt SOE is going anywhere.

[Dyscord]

A world with real player created meaninful content is a terrifying place. Kill 3 skeletons to get a sword with +100 stats. LOLOLOLOL

[Sylas]

And since he has so many development ideas, he probly didn't relish the idea of languishing away in the position he was in.

rofl. More like the free ride was coming to a stop. The sad thing about the industry is he'll more than likely be handed another project to run into the ground with his idiocy. I also bet he'll once again get a chance to pre-emptively bail to another coosh job right before the shit hits the fan so that he can absolve himself of all responsibility yet again.

[...]

Originally Posted by Sylas

rofl. More like the free ride was coming to a stop. The sad thing about the industry is he'll more than likely be handed another project to run into the ground with his idiocy. I also bet he'll once again get a chance to pre-emptively bail to another coosh job right before the shit hits the fan so that he can absolve himself of all responsibility yet again.

oh i'm not saying he was some kind of awesome mmo maker, its just that he's the kind of creative thinker that just wants to make stuff. not necessarily follow through with it, or insure it comes out high quality, or even fun for the majority. It's impossible to tell though how much of the rape of SWG was him, how much was other incompetent folk, how much was LA puppeteering, and how much of it was unrealistic time frames.

[Duppin]

Originally Posted by masteen

Can't have enough ATITDs in the world. Massively Multiplayer Online Gardening is the future. Fuck WoW.

You know, people bag on it (not sure whether you were intending to do so here or not, so don't jump down my throat if you weren't), but I actually enjoyed ATITD.

It's never anything I'd play as my primary MMO; but it was fun to build your own little outpost, and then slowly move out into being involved in the larger gameworld. I had a great little camp I set up on the side of a hill overlooking a lake, that was all my own, and a guild hall a little down the way when I wanted to work on guild stuff.

[Zorlac]

Originally Posted by Smed

2) No - in fact LucasArts isn't "pulling the Star Wars" license or anything of the kind. We have a very long term deal and things are fine between our companies. It's complete and utter fabrication. I feel like we need extra-special tin-foil hats in the shape of Darth Vader's mask or something. What happens is one website writes something - then 5 more link to it.. so it must all of a sudden be true. I wish it worked that way.

Smed

Of course no one is expecting you to say: Well you know, you guys are right, Lucasarts is cutting our licence. Saying this would be professional suicide.

However, I do recall Lucasarts cutting the SW licence from Decipher, the makers of the best collectible card game: Star Wars CCG. They promptly gave it to Wizards of the Coast. This was of course in the middle of the design of a new expansion.

Do not underestimate Lucas and his greed^H^H^H^Hartistic creativity.

[Kuro]

Originally Posted by Zorlac

Of course no one is expecting you to say: Well you know, you guys are right, Lucasarts is cutting our licence. Saying this would be professional suicide.

However, I do recall Lucasarts cutting the SW licence from Decipher, the makers of the best collectible card game: Star Wars CCG. They promptly gave it to Wizards of the Coast. This was of course in the middle of the design of a new expansion.

Do not underestimate Lucas and his greed^H^H^H^Hartistic creativity.

SW:CCG was the most horrifying pile of tangled rules in the universe. It still managed to be fun...if you could build a 400 dollar deck.

And yet, somehow, Wizards of the Coast managed to make a *worse* Star Wars CCG.

Star Wars license seems to invite pain and suffering unto its devotees (See Prequel movies).

[Luthair]

I believe licensed MMOs are doomed to fail miserably. Unless game worlds are drastically expanded to the point where there are thousands if not millions of NPCs per PC, you're left with the fact that everyone can't be the hero and save the princess.