First off let me start off this little article with the props so due to SWTORCRAFTER and SERGE for the awesome interviews and hands-on reports from the fan summit.   I was as happy as a Sarlacc full of Boba when I got all those articles and reports.  Well done guys. Remind me to send you both a nice can of nuts, and a $50 space hooker for Festivus this year.

 

Today’s topic of whine:   Game systems.   That’s right. You read it right. I’m gonna go off on a tangent about something I have absolutely no clue about, have never heard about, and have never seen.   Why you ask in a perplexed and angry tone?  Simple: I have way to much time on my hands and very little to do.  I also enjoy bitching about crap for no good reason.

 

 

Guild Systems:

Do we have guild banks?  Do we have guild capital ships (no, not at launch damnit)?  Do I get a bonus in crafting from standing naked with mako at my crafting bench?   Last but not least: BioWare Social Points?  What the holy hell are these things?

 

Guild banks:

Now seeing as every major AAA mmo has guild banks to one extent or another, and some access options from multiple game points. I am wondering why BioWare has neglected to release any information on this, especially after the lovely “Guild Holonet” thingy they did.  Now I know everything is still in flux and if they haven’t talked about it, obviously it’s not done (likely f’in story Erickson. I’m watching you…). But good god throw us a bone.  Guild banks and storage are huge in WoW and since this is WoW in space with lightsabers (thanks for that quote official forums, you never cease to make me want to murder a baby Wookie) I think it’s only fair that we have them, They be free, and if we pre-order we get an extra guild bank slot free. And some money.  And a pet droid.  And a celestial Jawa.

Or you could simply give us a half-ass idea how they work before I go all Gollum on the forums and start calling rockjaw “my precious”.

 

Guild Ships:

Most likely: NO.

Player housing/guild halls?
JO: Guild capital ship highly requested. Maybe at release, if not soon after.
DE: Ships replace housing for us. No one hangs at Leia’s house. Probably won’t make it into release.

–Source – Darth Hater

Well, sithspit.  Erickson, you’re gonna make my list before the end of this article. I see it coming now.

 

Guild Crafting:

Now I know my buddy SWTORCRAFTER is psycho interested in this one as well. We don’t want to drive him to take his own life with a lightsaber, 2 womp rats, and a Trandoshan prostitute, so if I were you BioWare, I would release some info on this soon.   Details on guild craft systems (or any further info on crafting in general for that matter) would do MUCH to slate the crafting community and get them to collectively shut the fuck up for more than 15 seconds without starting another “Crafting in the Old Republic” official forum thread, version 69.  There have already been 12,000 posts, 4000 topics, and 70,000 trolls set loose on that, and frankly, if I read one more crafting thread on the official forums I am gonna stuff someone into a wood chipper and use them to line my cat box.

 

BioWare Social Points:

Ok, honestly, what the blessed blue fuck are these things? Why are people at the Demo’s getting them in-game? What are they spent on? Do they come in Hunter Green?

All valid questions.  Now let me point to the lovely BioWare/SWTOR terms of service:

8. Contributing Third Party Content to TOR Services.

BioWare and LucasArts respect the intellectual property rights of others. You must have the legal right to upload Content to TOR Services. You may not upload or post any Content on TOR Services that is protected by copyright, trademark or other intellectual property rights unless (i) you are the owner of all of those rights; or (ii) you have the prior written consent of the owner(s) of those rights to make such use of that Content. BioWare and LucasArts may, without prior notice to you and in its sole judgment, remove Content that may infringe the intellectual property rights of a third party. If BioWare determines that you infringe upon BioWare’s or LucasArts or a third party’s intellectual property rights, BioWare may terminate your Account without notice to you. If your Account is terminated, no refund will be granted for any fees you have paid, and you will lose access to entitlements and assets associated with your Account (such as game points, digital assets and tokens).

Game points. Oh good lord that makes me think of micro-transactions. But people were getting them for free during conversations and whatnot in the hands-on play.  A mystery wrapped in an enigma, rolled up in the Bacon of BioWare obscurity.  I will watch their future with GREAT interest.

(Editor’s Note: Social points are what you get for doing social things, like grouping or taking part in group conversations. You can use these points to buy Social related things. I am guessing this means you will be able to buy costumes for RP or something similar although nothing has been announced officially. Social points are NOT, I repeat, NOT related to any micro transactions. The author will be made to do 10 push ups as punishment and all of us are betting he can’t do more than 3 before he passes out)

 

And now for our last and most important topic of the day:

PLAYER BOUNTIES

So according to my limited, and somewhat retarded understanding. They will not be in-game.

WTF?!?!?!?

How could this happen… How the hell can you put bounty hunters in the game, and not give people the ability to place a bounty on someones head?????   That’s like giving me a coffee maker that makes toast instead. It’s called a fucking TOASTER.   Mark my words BioWare. Once the slew of future bounty hunters that infest to official forums get off the Valium, quit drinking, and learn to use the search button, you guys are gonna be in for more fallout than Vault 101.

 

Here are my suggestions for implementing player bounties:

1. A minimum amount for a bounty. For example, Minimum: 10,000 Maximum: 150,000
2. A trigger event.  Getting ganked 3 times in pvp (open world) or someone breaks into your ship and reprograms all the droids to sing “Day-O” every time a Sith walks through the room. They must happen and you have an X hours window to get to Hutta and place the bounty.
3. Bounties can only be placed directly with a Hutt.  Preferably Bilbo.  Oh wait… that’s a hobbit.
4. A conversational dialogue that must be completed precisely.
5. They must be at least lvl 45 (or 5 levels within max level) to place the bounty
6. Bounties may only be placed on players lvl 45 (or 5 levels within max level) or higher.
7. Once the bounty hunter engages the target he has X amount of time/lives to kill the target. Afterwords the bounty falls off and the 50% price paid refund to the contract holder, the rest is forfeit.

I think this would encourage more open world encounters and keep people from being the general camp-gank-asshats that they turn into on PVP servers. And yes, they should only be for BOUNTY HUNTERS.  Fuck Jedi, Screw agents. They have the force and can call in orbital strikes.  BOUNTY HUNTERS ONLY.   This is one mechanic that gamers and MMO’s have been SORELY lacking. The ability to throw a money fueled shit-fit and basically pay someone else to roast your nemesis over an open fire.  If they suck too, you just lost 5k or 75k depending on the bounty. Tough luck sucker, thanks for playing!

 

As bounty hunters PVP ranks increase they are allowed to pursue higher price bounties.  Set them in tiers:

A tier 1 BH can take contract from 10k – 50k

Tier 2 50k – 100k

Tier 3 100k -150k

This keeps the top players after the top players, and the nub-sausage after the nub-bacon.

 

Ok. I’ve annoyed you long enough.   Stay tuned for my next installment where I post naked pictures of Twilik’s and compare them to famous celebrity mug shots.  Until then my friends, Burn in hell Osama, and have a lovely day.

 

/Flagg.