Star Wars Galaxies: Holo Speaks out.. Part V?!

Leia_4loot:

Holocron recently wrote

I have to be honest and tell you that I see less and less point in having ZOC's in SWG. I believe we can actually have a more fun (albeit perhaps less "meaningful") PvP experience via other means.
I believe the immediate future of MMO's rests in microcommunities. Towns are more important than guilds are more important than factions. That's my personal ranking, and you may disagree.

and then

I don't think that PvP will be meaningless, particularly not with some of the stuff that we're planning that we are not discussing yet.
The real question being asked is whether PvP will have significant effects on non-Pvpers. That's what ZOCs are supposed to do.

Right now, those effects are not very significant. So it's a lot of work for something that probably doesn't get you what you think it does. Which makes me wonder whether they should be there at all.

That's all. It's just about "is this feature actually doing what it is supposed to?" Right now, I am not convinced that it is.

What would? I don't know. But discussion is welcomed on that front.

-Raph Koster
Creative Director

Holocron, I really don't understand where you are coming from. I never recall you saying that PvP was being put in the game solely for the purpose of "fun". I do recall you saying that PvP was MANDATORY in a Galactic Civil WAr where players can join both sides.

PvP isn't just about fun. PvP is a logical and natural consequence and an intergarl part of a GCW with players on both sides.

You cannot have microcommunities (towns especially) that insulate themselves from the affects of the Galactic Civil War. That is not Star Wars.

You cannot allow players to Wear Rebel Uniforms, Drive Rebel Vehicles, and Aid Rebel Forces without allowing Imperials and Mercenaries to STOP THEM FROM DOING SO. That is not Star Wars.

For as long as I can remember in discussion of this game, I have heard the same thing over and over again. Don't tell me how to play the game, PvP shouldn't negatively impact my playstyle. Guess what? Those people who say that are just dead wrong. PvP is MANDATORY and INTEGRAL to a Galactic Civil War where players are on both sides. The GCW and thus PVP are going to have to be part of this game, or its going to be a hollow EverQuest in Space.

I fully expect PvP to be fun. In fact, I demand that from a game. But "fun" PvP was NEVER what I believed the reason for PvP was in SWG. PvP is part of the GCW, its part of what has to happen in order to have a game than even barely resembles Star Wars.

If people want a Star Wars themed chat room and fat loot camping/crafting game, then they should look for one in which players cannot be Bounty Hunters, Mercenaries or Imperial Troops. A Rebel-Only MMORPG would work for those people. This one does not.

Please don't cave in on this issue. The PvP GCW and Zone Control is the one real hope for this game. All the other features are just window dressing for the heart of the story.

Help us Holocron, you're our only hope.

And by the way...

Holocron wrote

The real question being asked is whether PvP will have significant effects on non-Pvpers.

Of course it should. PvP is tied to the Galactic Civil War, which is what this story is all about. People who want to be hair-dressers and dress makers are going to have to accept that.

That's what ZOCs are supposed to do.
Right now, those effects are not very significant.

So make them more significant. They should be very significant. Zones of Control should affect EVERY PLOT/TOWN/ETC in which a player can live, unless that player is hanging out in an Imperial City deep within Imperial Territory.

You can't allow microcommunities to insulate themselves from the GCW. That's not Star Wars.

Holocron responded with:

I never recall you saying that PvP was being put in the game solely for the purpose of "fun". I do recall you saying that PvP was MANDATORY in a Galactic Civil WAr where players can join both sides.

I think both are true... presumably, the GCW is fun, else why bother putting it in a game?

You cannot have microcommunities (towns especially) that insulate themselves from the affects of the Galactic Civil War. That is not Star Wars.

I think you mean "shouldn't" not "can't." It's definitely feasible to have it.

Right now, the real question that I am not seeing much discussion of, is what the effects of the GCW are.

You cannot allow players to Wear Rebel Uniforms, Drive Rebel Vehicles, and Aid Rebel Forces without allowing Imperials and Mercenaries to STOP THEM FROM DOING SO. That is not Star Wars.

The ZOC stuff has no effect on this whatsoever. This is still true.

So make them more significant. They should be very significant. Zones of Control should affect EVERY PLOT/TOWN/ETC in which a player can live, unless that player is hanging out in an Imperial City deep within Imperial Territory.

The question, again, is "how, exactly?"

-Raph Koster
Creative Director

Oh jeez.. that was one post. Now for the other one.
Squirk said:

"We are not in the 'add features to the game' stage of development, we're in the "ship it" stage of development."

Hmmm......

Christmas doesn't seem so crazy after all.

Holocron responded with:

Heh, we've BEEN in the ship it stage for months. :P You try to get a feature lock WELL in advance of shipping.

-Raph Koster
Creative Director

Oh my god, thats the longest I have ever posted :p.