AP in SWTOR and TSW

[Chrisax]

Edit: due to the global drop of interest in SWTOR after some months, we will only maintain a structure there "just in case", and we will, on the other hand, be present in TSW.


So it's time to speak about our future.



Athen Paladins belongs to Rubi-Ka and Anarchy Online and will always be there, as we have been in the past 9 years. We will never leave our planet, our birthplace.

But some of us want to also explore new universes, even if it's just the time to wait for AO's new engine and professions rebalance. Some have already started. And they almost all say they would like to feel at home, with AP, in those new universes, because AP is the greatest "guild" experience they ever had or still have.

So here we go: AP will be present in two games:

• SWTOR - Star Wars The Old Republic, starting in a few days (December 20 for public launch, and a bit earlier for pre-orders)
  
  TSW - The Secret Worldd; starting in April 20122 (to be confirmed) about which I told you a lot already on our private forums.

Here, in this forum (that will of course evolve and be improved), we will speak of these new universes and what we are going to do in each of them, and w'ell provide information, etc.

Already note that, theoretically, AP will be on the Shii-Cho server for SWTOR, as Jedis. (This will be confirmed as soon as possible.) We should meet there some friends of our Alliance too, like Venice Academy (under the name "Backyard 18) and La Hermandad.


Fell free to post already! But please stay tuned on our forums... MUCH MORE TO COME !

 
Band of Brothers

[Chrisax]

Some artwork, to begin with...







The" AP in TSW" banners are made with actual screenshots of the game (excpet the one with the creature with glowing eyes in the dark which is an artwok but likely close to the final result in-game)








(I know the letters edge is somewhat bugged here; will fix)

[noobas]

nice work chris!

Just to clarify:

The server that AP will be on in SWTOR is a PVE server (not a PVP server)?

And, from what's understood currently, the TSW server is a single server game?

[Chrisax]

Just to clarify:
The server that AP will be on in SWTOR is a PVE server (not a PVP server)?

The SWTOR is a PVE server BUT this doesn't mean there is no PvP. It just means that you can't be attacked anywhere. So it's relatively like in AO (or AoC).

You CAN PvP on the PvE server.

Hyde provided a good explanation during a discussion yesterday (I have'nt posted yet all the information):

To explain for folks who haven't played many other MMOs, AO has a hybrid between what is now the common PVP / PVE server.

PVP servers (WoW, Rift, War, AoC, SWTOR, etc) ... virtually everywhere is the equivalent to AO's 25% gas (open PVP between players of opposing factions). There -is- an area in most games that is significantly limited in this aspect that the player gains their first few levels in (usually due to high level guards in the area to protect the player or by making the area inaccessible to the other faction[s]).

PVE servers (same games) ... virtually everywhere is the equivalent to 100% gas (no open PVP). Exceptions to this might be faction cities. Some games have no exceptions.

Some points of detail:

1) BOTH types of servers participate in the same Battlegrounds (WoW) / Battlestations (AO) / Warzones (SWTOR). This is the primary place where PVP is held for BOTH server types. So someone can play on a PVE server for leveling and raiding, but still PVP.

2) Unlike AO, most of these games have many different Battlegrounds / Warzones. SWTOR is one of these. I believe there are 7 or 8 at launch. Interestingly, in SWTOR they have chosen to NOT have multiple Warzone "tiers" based on your level. A L10 player in a Warzone may be fighting L50 players. BUT they will have their stats buffed to bring them to L50 equivalent (however ... their gear will NOT be maxed out and they will not learn abilities that a L10 can't learn).

NOTE: Basically ... SWTOR is ANTI-twink. Not just not as twink-friendly (WoW and Rift for instance both have twink levels where you get the ABSOLUTE BEST GEAR you can and go kill people who are levelling up) ... but truly Anti-Twink. There is NO benefit to NOT being L50 with PVP gear when in a Warzone.

3) Unlike AO, MOST of these games have no world PVP objectives (in AO these would be Towers, in AoC they would be Keeps, etc) OR they have such a minimal effect on the overall game that they don't matter much to overall play (in WoW there are many -zones- with PVP objectives ... but their bonuses only affect you while you are in that zone).

NOTE: In my opinion, it is the advent of PVE-only servers that killed world-PVP objectives ... because there was no way to implement them on a PVE server and the PVE people would gripe if PVP servers got something that PVE servers did not.

3) Level range limitations for PVP do NOT exist in most of these games. I am unsure on SWTOR, but since I haven't heard anything about them, I'm assuming a L15 (the lowest level that you are likely to get off the starter planet) can probably be attacked by a L50 on a PVP server.

...

4) This all means something important ... rolling on a PVP server will NOT provide you with any Tower War experiences (good or bad). So what do you roll on a PVP server for? If you enjoy the idea of being able to kill other players in a free-for-all (or team-vs-team if you are smart and have an organized guild) environment AND will not get too hurt by someone else killing you in the same environment (again, L50 can go hunt down people FAR lower than them in the open world PVP).

If that idea gives you a rush (and ... remember that you likely have NEVER done this in AO, since almost all questing zones are 75% gas) then a PVP server is for you.

It [PvP server] CAN get bad, especially as the game tilts toward having more and more endgame players, to where certain areas may get you consistently ganked to the point where you will need to go do something else for awhile. Yes ... ganked ... that thing that offends many people in AO so badly ... is a common practice in almost all more recent MMOs and is likely here to stay on PVP servers. If you gripe about it too much, expect people FROM YOUR OWN SIDE to laugh at you. If you can take it and be calm about it ... you can usually rally other players to your defense after awhile.

If you absolutely do NOT want to be able to be killed while out questing / gathering / etc ... like AO ... then a PVE server is for you. And that is why my recommendation would be that AP rolls its "main" guild on a PVE server. Because ... otherwise ... you are going to see lots of AP guild mates who have never experienced a true ganktasm of a game throwing utter FITS about being killed ... and there is almost nothing that can be done about it. The best case scenario would be to band together with other guilds for self-defense and pro-active PVP raids ... but those rarely last for long due to people being too lazy to organize in these types of games.

And, from what's understood currently, the TSW server is a single server game?

It's too early to say but FC is currently working on a technology (soon starting to be experimented for part in AoC) that would allow everyone to play one one very large server. (Of course, a "server" is in fact a network of machines.)
This would be ideal for AP.
Anyhow, TSW should have a limited number of servers, in the worst case.

[Hyde]

And, from what's understood currently, the TSW server is a single server game?

It's too early to say but FC is currently working on a technology (soon starting to be experimented for part in AoC) that would allow everyone to play one one very large server. (Of course, a "server" is in fact a network of machines.)
This would be ideal for AP.
Anyhow, TSW should have a limited number of servers, in the worst case.

Assuming TSW has decent content and PVP world objectives (still too early to get an honest answer without someone breaking their NDA), that single server thing is likely to make it VERY attractive to me. A single server game can have a MUCH smaller overall player base and still feel more alive and communal than anything that the WoW-alikes can do.

[Chrisax]

Assuming TSW has decent content and PVP world objectives ... that single server thing is likely to make it VERY attractive to me. A single server game can have a MUCH smaller overall player base and still feel more alive and communal than anything that the WoW-alikes can do.

Can be disclosed as it's the very first steps I was speaking of, and just happened in AoC:

• Dreamworld Technology Improvements
  
  Update 3.1 includes many improvements and updates to the Dreamworld Technology which also should improve both server and client performance on various levels:
  
  - New server side PhysX that improves our infrastructure and server performance.
  - New Server Load Balancing, and system changes, to improve performance in Raids and Siege PVP (or indeed any situation with lots of players present).
  - Major database update that will allow us to expand player inventory and storage space in the updates that follow this one. In this update we already have expanded the quest log space by 15 slots for premium players.
  - Back end optimizations that help server performance and should reduce instances of 'server lag'.
  - Improved handling of Damage numbers that should help client performance for some users.
  - Improved handling of offline buff timers for better consistency.
  - Reworked the network traffic and system feedback used for the ‘tap’ system (health, stamina and mana gain from ‘tap’ spells/skills). This should improve performance in certain situations and also make sure the results appear more consistently.

[Glingal]

Did you decide for Jedi in SWTOR then? Sizi and I didn't buy it yet but we liked the beta and watch the prices on ebay. But I think we preferred Sith.

[Chrisax]

It would be nice to see you in SWTOR-AP, Gingal and Sizi.

Did you decide for Jedi in SWTOR then?

We are Republic. (Jedi knights and counselors, Smugglers, Troopers) BUT we won't put a restriction to the fact an AP can also have Sith characters even on the same server, because there is simply no global PvP objective (like side XP, towers, guilds ranking, etc.). If there was one in the future, we would see and adapt but it's definitely a cooler question than in AO.
If it was not too much work and if we were sure SWTOR is going to keep people interested on the long term, we could as well create an Empire version of AP.

Note nevertheless that the chat system is quite poor in SWTOR and we can't create bots like in AO or AoC or custom channels like in City of Heroes. So the only way to communicate directly with a guild is to be in that guild.

Playing Republic or Empire only changes the "skin" of the characters, if I can say, as professions are at 99% "mirrored". Playing a Jedi Counselor Sage or a Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer is having the same powers and roles. Your destiny quest changes, period.

Except the starting worlds and capital worlds, Republic and Empire can visit the same planets: for example, there is a Republic zone on Tatooine (North), and an Empire zone (South).

Personally, in the beta I played both sides and I have to admit the very beginning of the quest-line for Sith Inquisitor was funnier -more spicy- than the one for Jedi Counselor but when you get around level 8-9, things get balanced (and that's very very fast for an AO player to be 10 in SWTOR, a few days if you take your time). Smuggler's start is fine. Trooper too.

Let us know about you both and hope to see you soon!



Mirrored classes:

Jedi Knight = Sith Warrior (At start: Melee, some Force-based casting)

• Jedi Guardian = Sith Juggernaut (Tank, damage)
  Jedi Sentinel = Sith Marauder (Damage)

Jedi Consular = Sith Inquisitor (At start: Range Caster, melee)

• Jedi Sage* = Sith Sorcerer (Range damage, heal, some crowd control, possible secondary tanking)
  Jedi Shadow = Sith Assassin (Tank, damage, caster)
  * The Jedi sage was originally named "Jedi Wizard" but the name was changed due to very negative reactions during the beta

Smuggler = Imperial Agent (Range, can be sneaky)

• Scoundrel = Operative (Range damage, some heal)
  Gunslinger = Sniper (more Range damage)

Trooper = Bounty Hunter (Range fighter)

• Commando = Mercenary (Range damage, some heal)
  Vanguard = Powertech (Tank, range damage)

[Glingal]

Ok, thanks for the information.

I really enjoyed my bounty hunter with the wrist mounted missiles and stuff and later the bounty hunter gets a jetpack I read...

[wap]

So what? An old general can't get an invite to the new game or what?

[Chrisax]

OMG wap


What's your name? We'll invite you asap!

Fuze is there on Fuzenmei and Absumo BTW.

[Mud]

WAP!

[Chrisax]

Wao is in, invited last night: Wapbastige. Same name as his first one in AO.

[noobas]

good. we're growing.

[caveman]

Sup folks... what server you on ?