Few questions, new player

[labonte43]

I just recently found out about this game from commercials, and i'm getting the starter kit for christmas. I'm new to this game but i've been playin online games for almost 4 years now. Anyways, I've been reading messages, reviews etc. about this game and theres some things that aren't making sense so it would be great if you could answer my questions

 

Whats the difference between The Starter Kit, and the 3 or 4 other games that have been released?

 

Why are people so upset and saying the game is ruined etc.?

 

What is NGE?

 

How many people are usually online at a time?

 

Thanks

[HUGOMAND]

hello!

 

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll do my best.

 

1. I don't really know actually.

 

2. Because the 15. nov. we got a big update/changing in the game that some do not like. The changing is called New Game Enhancement (NGE). Pre-NGE SWG was more RPG style, with waiting turns etc., But now you have to click and aim yourself. Before NGE we had 30 professions. Now we only have 9, because it's hard to balance 30 professions. Jedi is now a starter prof (it weren't before), but I would recommend you not to take it, because it sucks pretty much atm. (meelee vs. ranged is very unbalanced atm.)

 

3. Look above

 

4. It depends on what server. I'm on sunrunner, and there's probably a few houndreds online at the time. I dunno the exact number. (Tell me if I'm wrong !!!)

[JediConsularAD]

well the starter kit info is on another thread on this board but bassically to get the most out of this game you gotta like star wars, to persevere with the bugs

[Guest DarthMaulUK]

Hi welcome to the forums!

Let me try and answer some of your questions

 

Whats the difference between The Starter Kit, and the 3 or 4 other games that have been released?

The starter kit is a new all in one value pack. It gives you access to the game for 30 days free, you also get a starship, which allows you to fly between cities, without having to wait for a Shuttle in the starport.

 

You will have to pay for Rage Of The Wookiees, and Trials Of Obi Wan expansions, should you want them. Depending on where you live, The Total Experience should be about the same price, making it good value, as you also gete Rage of the wookiees with this and the Barc speeder as seen in Episode III (yep! technology that old is in the game)

 

Why are people so upset and saying the game is ruined etc.?

Galaxies has never been the game it should have been from day 1. The community are again angry because SOE (Sony who develope it) have enforced major changes to the game (NGE) - just 6 months after major changes again created outrage. When they brought in CU(Combat Upgrade) they said, it was essential etc etc then came NGE.

 

How do we know that they won't make more changes in 6 months time? All this has left a bitter taste in peoples mouths and server populations have dropped like a stone!

 

What is NGE?

New Game Enhancements. (NGE). Basically a totally new combat system, in addition to the massive changes made to make the game simple. Galaxies, was a big game with over 30 professions, each full of bugs that SOE just couldnt fix. So now we have just 9 bugged professions.

 

The old combat system (when the game launched back in 2003) was a case of you just pressing your buttons to stack up attack moves on your target. As Galaxies was an RPG, meant that you could do this and watch the battle in an RPG fashion. However, you could get Buffs from Doctors and you could become unstoppable. You could wipe out a nest of Rancors alone!

 

SOE didnt like that idea but the community did. The game is a huge grind feast (you need to kill everything to gain experience points XP) so along came SOEs bright idea of Combat Upgrade.

 

They tried to copy, and failed, the combat system from World Of Warcraft. Reducing the size of groups from around 15 to just 8 FORCING you to go out in groups to gain more XP than alone. Ok, nice touch of community there - but this left out the lower level players.

 

With all this going on, Jedi were everywhere. People spent a good year of their life logging on to gain the status of Jedi and work the boring missions to become a Jedi and the daily task of hunting Bols (creatures) by the thousands. Of course, they had to keep their eyes open incase a Bounty Hunter could try and kill them. As a Jedi once said to me 'if you strike me down, I shall lose more XP than you could possibly imagine' - made me laugh but I still killed him! lol

 

SOE then struck again - this time, they made it all but impossible for Bounty Hunters to kill Jedi. Just before the NGE came in, that made yet another change. This time to the way group hunting yielded XP - they REDUCED it. The community went mad - player protests on servers which all led to Galaxies losing over 2000 player accounts in just a single weekend!

 

They soon changed it back as at that time, we didnt know about NGE - which they basically stuck the group hunting changes in there.

 

NGE is a new FPS (first person shooter) styled combat system - very brave move and it would have been a good one, had SOE not launched it with so many problems and bugs (A tradition of theirs). Server lag is unbearable meanign that you cant focus on your target - who zooms off into the distant at warp speed!!!

 

Unlike the old combat system where you just pressed buttons and watched the action unfold, you now have to click your mouse button with the new confusing interface. You then select a special move with your free hand, right click mouse button and pray its not bugged. Then use free hand to select another one, whilst the timer counts your cool down.

 

Had they launched NGE correctly without so many key issues creating problems, it might have worked and leading onto your last question...

 

How many people are usually online at a time?

I cant speak for other servers but from what I have read, they are like ghost towns now. Once thriving communities have all been reduced down to the few as players cancel their accounts and others counting the days until theirs expires.

 

All i can say is, Galaxies is a pay-monthly game and compared to many other games out there, not value for money. They key point to remember is that this game is NOTHING like Star Wars - if thats what you are expecting.

 

DMUK

[HUGOMAND]

It's sad that people won't even give NGE a chance... But it's understandable, SOE doesn't treat their costumers very well.

[HUGOMAND]

It's sad that people won't even give NGE a chance... But it's understandable, SOE doesn't treat their costumers very well.

[labonte43]

hmm thats kind of disappointing, now im mad that i didnt know about this game back in 2003. The best thing about online play in any game is a large community. And I also didn't know of a monthly fee to play online, how much exaclty is it? I think that could be a problem, unless i get my own credit card. I'm so used to playing free online games, (NR2003, Socom, Americas Army) the thought never even crossed my mind.

 

Thanks alot for answering all my questions, I think i'll still get the game, and hopefully there will be a bunch other christmas noobs in the same situation as I will be. Maybe starting off fresh with the NGE's won't be so bad seeing as how I haven't experienced the old version. And i'm really hoping for the community to grow again, the idea of a good, online community Star Wars game, is just amazing, a dream for any Star Wars fan

[JediConsularAD]

well it will take a little while but the community will grow until soe's next big nerf up, and you can pay using a debit card, or credit card, i use debit myself, much easier.

[TronusNavigon]

One word when you join: Kettemoor server We're an official RolePlaying Server with less kewl l00t newbz and more interesting new players.

 

On the week of November 15th I watched a lot of veteren players in the Mos Eisley banks leave before helping me and other players by giving away money, weapons, and armor. There were a lot of us around then and all we were doing is saying thanks and waving goodbye as they cancelled their accounts.

 

As one of the vets said, "This isn't my game anymore. It's 6-year old Star Wars." One regular who I haven't seen since began cursing SOE and yelling, "I don't believe this, he's been on here for years and now he's gone just like that... this is such <censored>!" and promptly logged out extremely upset.

 

Another user who must've been oblivious began hounding me with questions "What's wrong with the interface? What the hell? Where are all my skills?" He stood idle for about five to ten minutes as he put in bug reports and read updates online. "This is incredibly destructive of them."

 

It was a really sad scene but we at Kettemoor are really trying to hold a community together. In RP fashion I usually mention these changes as, "The Great NGE Plague that wiped out all the traders and entertainers". You know those pivotal social classes that made the game *gasp* FUN!

 

So, the sadness amongst the servers has thinned and I think any new players may be able to find satisifaction in these changes. I just want to make sure that Kettemoor doesn't invite any kewl d00dz onto our server so they can make their 5'2 purple haired, Imperial Wookiee Jedi.

 

Anyway, that's my rant.