Star Wars Battlefront II

[cdj]

847172782832205826

[SmoothPancakes]

Now that's what I call a birthday present! Cake and a first look at Battlefront II!

[cdj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ_6KfmIoTA

[cdj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kae-JjbLsgA&feature=youtu.be

- Worldwide release on 11/17, available 11/14 if you pre-order the Deluxe Edition

- Single-player: Forge a new path as Iden Versio, commander of Inferno Squad—an Imperial special forces unit equally lethal on the ground and in space. Encounter many of Star Wars ' greatest characters in a story of revenge, betrayal, and redemption that spans 30 years.

- Expanded Multi-player: Join up to 40 players in massive multiplayer fights in authentic locations across all eras. Revel in deep class-based online gameplay, pilot a wide variety of land and air vehicles, and control iconic characters with distinct abilities that can turn the tide of battle.

- Space Battles: Wage war in spectacular space battle scenarios. Weave between asteroids, fly across Imperial Dock Yards, and take down massive capital ships. Pilot renown craft like the Millennium Falcon or Luke Skywalker’s X-wing in exciting dogfights with up to 24 players.

- Characters from Every Era: Play as—and against—Star Wars' most feared villains and cherished heroes from all three eras, including Kylo Ren, Rey, Darth Maul, Yoda, and many more. Unique, upgradable abilities ensure classic characters bring their distinct powers and personality to the battle.

- Split-screen Co-op: Team up with a friend in two-player offline split-screen play.* Earn rewards, customize troopers and heroes, then take your skills and upgrades to the online battleground. *split-screen co-op available only on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

- Customize and Progress: Tailor unique abilities for each hero, trooper, and starfighter to gain the upper hand in battle with Star Wars Battlefront II's diverse and powerful progression system. The path to victory is yours to decide.

- PRE-ORDER FOR STAR WARS : THE LAST JEDI™ HEROES: Get special in-game rewards and the chance to dive in before the game is released worldwide when you pre-order any edition of Star Wars Battlefront II.



Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition:

The Star Wars Battlefront II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition turns your troopers into the ultimate opponents. Every trooper class (Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist) is upgraded, delivering superior firepower, deadly weapon modifications, and epic combat abilities.

Pre-order the Star Wars Battlefront II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition and receive a range of bonuses, including:

Access to play Star Wars Battlefront II on November 14—a 3-day head start
Upgraded versions of all 4 trooper classes (Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist)
4 epic ability upgrades—one for each trooper class
Instant weapon unlocks and weapon modifications for each trooper class
Exclusive Kylo Ren- and Rey-themed looks, inspired by Star Wars™ : The Last Jedi™
Epic ability modifiers for Kylo Ren and Rey
An epic ability modifier for the Millennium Falcon

[SmoothPancakes]

I love that it's a more Imperial focused game, and that there's true single player mode.

Part of the reason I loved the first Force Unleashed game is due to the first part of it being you playing directly under the command of Vader/the Emperor. Also because you can make decisions that affect your standing of whether you're light side or dark side, and thus change the ending of the game depending on your choices.

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[Rudy]

I enjoyed the flying missions but I was awful at everything else. My kids loved a few of the missions, particularly hero hunt and the other 3v3 heroes mode. I'm sure we will end up getting this game.

[SmoothPancakes]

If I felt like spending the money right now, I would already have this pre-ordered. :D

It's a guaranteed pre-order for me, but I'll probably wait until closer to release, maybe pre-order it in October or something.

[Rudy]

If I want to die a million times and kill nobody you may find me online lol. I only played the flying board. I was beyond horrible when playing in the 20v20 modes. I gave up immediately.

[steelerfan]

I doubt I'll buy this. I quit playing after all the DLC came out because nobody else that I played with had it. Ended up being a huge waste.

Aside from that, I'm just not gaming much these days.

[Rudy]

I have gone through gaming ruts. You just need the right new game to come along. This is shaping up to be a really good year for me. Do you like RPGs at all? Did you try Mass Effect yet? Would you pick up Mordor 2 or Spiderman? Destiny 2? Lots of your annual shooters but it sounds like you are bored with those.

I know you liked the Show. Any of those indie baseball titles interest you?

[steelerfan]

I have gone through gaming ruts. You just need the right new game to come along. This is shaping up to be a really good year for me. Do you like RPGs at all? Did you try Mass Effect yet? Would you pick up Mordor 2 or Spiderman? Destiny 2? Lots of your annual shooters but it sounds like you are bored with those.

I know you liked the Show. Any of those indie baseball titles interest you?
I'm playing The Show. One game a day, trying to work on sliders while plodding through spring training.

The only games I'm looking forward to are Friday the 13th and RDR2. I know I'll get a ton of mileage out of F13 and I should do the same with RDR2 (assuming it's as good as the PS3 one).

I just haven't had much interest in any games (including FIFA 17) for a very long time (more than a year). I'm not sure if I'm just getting old (heck, I'm not all that interested in watching sports anymore though I do) or if it's a phase or if I have lost interest or what.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to Friday the 13th. ☺

[Rudy]

I don't watch sports as much either. It might be getting older but the over commercializations of sports doesn't help. Every stinking decision the NFL makes is about how to squeeze another dollar out of someone.

[steelerfan]

I don't watch sports as much either. It might be getting older but the over commercializations of sports doesn't help. Every stinking decision the NFL makes is about how to squeeze another dollar out of someone.
Yep.

Regardless of the sport, I rarely watch any games that don't involve my teams anymore. I'm just not interested. Maybe it's time to start knitting or playing dominoes or something. 😁

[Rudy]

Yep.

Regardless of the sport, I rarely watch any games that don't involve my teams anymore. I'm just not interested. Maybe it's time to start knitting or playing dominoes or something. ��



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABCOKRJ4VdY

[steelerfan]

:D:D:D

[cdj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjGQ8GrHyKc

[JBHuskers]

I was so impressed in the match I played at EA Play. This is going to be good.

[cdj]

EA's response to their character unlock & progression system is now the most downvoted comment in Reddit history (https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsBattlefront/comments/7cff0b/seriously_i_paid_80_to_have_vader_locked/dppum98/).


Basically, some characters (Darth Vader, for example) is believed to take 40+ hours of gameplay to unlock and/or (I believe) $80+ of microtransaction purchases for the possibility of doing so. I haven't followed the exact details the closest; only know the basics.

I understand why EA would lock some characters, but I think most people would differ on how long it should take to unlock. Part of the problem here is that in Star Wars virtually every character is iconic, making it easy to say 'why would you lock them?'

[steelerfan]

I had fun with the first game but I'm gonna pass on this. A quarter-million down votes is hilarious but if ram ever joined Reddit he'd crush that milestone in no time. [emoji16]

[Rudy]

So much negativity over the pay to win scheme by EA. Waiting on this one and the kids are cool with that.

[CLW]

So much negativity over the pay to win scheme by EA. Waiting on this one and the kids are cool with that.

Literally EVERY game EA pushes out now has a major pay to win scheme. Madden, FIFA, StarWars, etc.... They have gone all-in on the microtransactions craze and I don't know the official numbers but it wouldn't shock me if over 50% of their revenue at this point comes from microtransactions. LOTS of people are apparently willing to pay hundreds of dollars for their MUT/FUT team.

[cdj]

Yesterday EA announced they will lower the credits needed to unlock characters......but I'm also seeing they went and lowered the rewards earned after each match, which could make the changes a wash.

[CLW]

Yesterday EA announced they will lower the credits needed to unlock characters......but I'm also seeing they went and lowered the rewards earned after each match, which could make the changes a wash.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh............

[JBHuskers]

I think I'm still waiting on the install to finish :D and I started it around 8pm last night.

[Rudy]

Wow$ Reduce charge but also reduce earnings? Bush league!

[bdoughty]

The one thing I have noticed is many reviewers are starting to factor in these micro-transaction gouging in their reviews.

Then there was this guy who simply reviewed the microtransactions in NBA 2K18 and forgot to review the actual game.

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/09/21/nba-2k18-review/


Of course if you guys think what EA is doing with Battlefield is bad, just wait until Anthem comes out, EA's version of Destiny. They probably have more people working on micro-transactions than they had working on the Career mode in Madden. :D

[SmoothPancakes]

While the micro-transactions are stupid, since I don't bother with them, I'm still able to enjoy the game since I'm by and large playing the game for the game. Yeah the grind sucks, but oh well. The previous game had some grinding to it as well.

So far, looks like me, JB and psusnoop have the game. I've played through 8 of 12 campaign missions and have been rolling with JB and Snoop for a couple MP rounds.

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[bdoughty]

It is not just micro-transactions or loot crates. It is the fact that these purchases allow a player to be better in PVP. Pay to Win. This is where people are complaining. It's not like Rocket League or for the most part Destiny 2 where everything is cosmetic. Pay to Look Purdy. I have absolutely no issue with this. It does not effect the gameplay or competition online.

[Rudy]

I'm kind of surprised Destiny didn't try to implement more pay to win stuff. They could have made a killing but would they be killing the golden goose if people got pissed off.

[SmoothPancakes]

Other than enhanced grenades which are basically instant death if you're too close when they explode, the star cards don't really give you much of an advantage over others. It is still very much a stick skills game. If your stick skills suck, you're going to die regardless.

On the flip side, having every maxed out star card in the game won't make you God, if you can't shoot for shit, you're gonna die.

In the end, the game is still very fun and me, JB and Snoop had an absolute blast last night. Some games we didn't do great, other games me and JB were the top players on our team. Some games we won, others we lost.

If some people don't want to play solely because there are micro-transactions, hey, more power to them, meanwhile, I'm enjoying the hell out of this game and no paying a cent. I already unlocked Darth Vader last night before I got off, so in one evening, I racked up enough credits for one of the most expensive heroes to unlock. And I'm already a third of the way to unlocking Luke Skywalker.

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[CLW]

It is not just micro-transactions or loot crates. It is the fact that these purchases allow a player to be better in PVP. Pay to Win. This is where people are complaining. It's not like Rocket League or for the most part Destiny 2 where everything is cosmetic. Pay to Look Purdy. I have absolutely no issue with this. It does not effect the gameplay or competition online.

Yeah I think the big problem is that MUT/FUT/Loot Crate are basically gamble/pay to win. I have zero problem with it if they were only doing cosmetic or only single player items. Of course those microtransactions undoubtedly don't sell as well as the ones that are pay to win (it feeds off people's competitive need/nature). Honestly, its why I only rent Madden for a few weeks and then mail it back. MUT is nothing more than gambling/paying to win you would have to grind CONSTANTLY hundreds of hours to get a team even remotely competitive with other guys who are simply willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on their MUT team. No thanks - I'll keep saving for retirement and EA can prey off of the people without a dollar in savings.

The only question is - (1) is this a bubble that will pop or (2) will all AAA games going forward continue free-to-play/mobile game tactics to increase their profits/revenue.

[SmoothPancakes]

The only thing I give EA credit on, you don't need to buy loot boxes to get star cards. You can unlock literally every single star card in the game (and upgrade them to make them more powerful), using crafting parts. So you don't have to buy endless loot boxes to get that one star card you really want.

Just spend the credits you earn in MP matches to buy loot boxes for free, all loot boxes give you crafting parts, and use those crafting parts to unlock and upgrade the specific star cards you actually want.

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[bdoughty]

The only question is - (1) is this a bubble that will pop or (2) will all AAA games going forward continue free-to-play/mobile game tactics to increase their profits/revenue.

Unless it is found to be gambling and therefore illegal in many places, nothing will stop this from happening.

We have gone from DLC.
To DLC and Season Passes.
To DLC, Season Passes and Loot Boxes.
To DLC, Season Passes, Loot Boxes and the new low of selling Special Editions early, forcing standard edition owners to wait.

Even if Loot Boxes go away they will find something new to nickle and dime the consumer. Based on the sales figures from EA, 2K and others, people are spending more on micro-transactions than ever. So no amount of complaining will ever eliminate these things. It's when they go over the top the internet will get in an uproar, a small concession will be made and things will roll on.

[bdoughty]

The only thing I give EA credit on, you don't need to buy loot boxes to get star cards. You can unlock literally every single star card in the game (and upgrade them to make them more powerful), using crafting parts.

Yes and someone did the math to unlock all those star cards.

http://www.swtorstrategies.com/2017/11/it-will-take-4528-hours-of-gameplay-or-2100-to-unlock-all-base-game-content.html


Grand Total

There is a grand total of 324 cards. Upgrading these will require a total of 155,520 crafting parts. This requires opening a grand total of 3,111 loot crates which will require 4,528 hours of gameplay.

Final cost in crystals

The 600 credits received from a hero crate is worth 27% the cost of a hero crate. This is equivalent to 30 crystals. To account for this, I reduced the cost of a hero crate from 110 crystals to 80 crystals. 12,000 crystals can be bought for $100.

Opening the required 3,111 loot crates requires 248,880 crystals. If you only purchase $100 crystal packs, this will cost $2,100.


Don't know how accurate that is but "To EA's credit" is the last thing anyone should be saying in regards to EA and Micro-Transactions. Same goes for "To 2K's Credit or "To Activision's Credit."

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, but is anyone seriously going to buy and upgrade every single star card? I'm focusing on specific star cards for each hero, class and vehicle. Odds are, I won't even need more than 50 star cards total across all classes, heroes and vehicles since I prefer specific ones over others based on their descriptions.

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[SmoothPancakes]

As I said over on OS, people may as well accept micro-transactions and loot boxes.

Just like DLC and season passes, which were bashed by seemingly everyone online when they first started becoming popular with game companies, the genie is already out of the bottle, and no amount of bitching, moaning and complaining on Reddit or anywhere else is going to put that genie back in the bottle.

Just like DLC and season passes, more and more companies have seen just how massively profitable micro-transactions and loot boxes are and their shareholders would have their fucking heads if they pissed away those profits.

People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.

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[bdoughty]

People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



Well news organizations are now talking about it and Wall Street has shown concern. There is a point to where micro-transaction can go overboard. We are not talking about a F2P game. We are talking about a fully priced retail game.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41997252

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/15/wall-street-is-getting-worried-social-media-outrage-over-eas-star-wars-game-may-hurt-sales.html


"We see recent controversies as a potential risk for unit sales vs buyside expectations," Bank of America Merrill Lynch says in a note to clients.


Enjoy the game, if you can play it without spending a penny extra that is terrific. That is all I have on the subject in regards to this game.

[CLW]

Read somewhere that the "campaign" is like 4-5 hours? That's 1/3 as long as horizon's dlc.

Thought this might be a decent $30 pickup or at least a rental but now I'm just going to pass completely.

[CLW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwRIkRTvms

sitting at 75 on Metacritic right now and a 0.9 by user scores. :nod:

[bdoughty]

Well I said it would be the last comment on the game but it appears that EA is about to do a 180.

931318315095506944

931319476053721088

931303703662952448


More MSM coverage has to be putting pressure on EA and Disney has to feeling pressure with all the people discussing kids playing the game and loot boxes.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/16/technology/battlefront-ii-star-wars-game-gambling/index.html

http://fortune.com/2017/11/15/star-wars-battlefront-gambling-disney-electronic-arts-loot-box-crate/?iid=sr-link1

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, it's no longer possible to buy crystals in game. Sounds like a whole shake up of changes coming. I knew EA would make some sort of changes in response, but I wasn't expecting them to go as far as completely killing off micro-transactions in the game.

Now I wonder what that does for DLC. Do they still keep it free like they've said and planned all along or are they now going to go back to a paid DLC system since they just killed the micro-transactions cash flow?

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[cdj]

931332890717143040

[SmoothPancakes]

Basically the big announcement is they're turning off micro-transactions for now and they'll be turning them back on sometime in the future.

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[cdj]

Basically the big announcement is they're turning off micro-transactions for now and they'll be turning them back on sometime in the future.

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Once the heat dies down and they can retool it a bit would be my guess.

Over/under on it being on by Christmas?

[SmoothPancakes]

Once the heat dies down and they can retool it a bit would be my guess.

Over/under on it being on by Christmas?If it's not back on by Christmas, it'll definitely be back on shortly after the new year.

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[bdoughty]

People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.

Had to bump this one up, don't quit the day job Smooth. ;)

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/star-wars-battlefront-ii-microtransactions-go-offline-until-ea-can-make-changes/



Earlier today, Electronic Arts chief executive officer Andrew Wilson had a phone call with The Walt Disney Company chief executive Bob Iger about Star Wars: Battlefront II, according to sources familiar with the situation. A few hours after that call, and players are finding that the option to purchase the premium crystals currency is no longer working. EA has now confirmed that it is taking this feature down to address fan concerns just as the game is about to launch worldwide tomorrow. All of this comes after multiple days of outrage from fans who are upset that EA and developer DICE have implemented an online multiplayer system that gives an advantage to people who pay money.

I can imagine the call went something like, "Fuck em in the ass but at least offer lube." Are you really trying to get back on top of the worst companies in the US list?

[SmoothPancakes]

Had to bump this one up, don't quit the day job Smooth. ;)

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/star-wars-battlefront-ii-microtransactions-go-offline-until-ea-can-make-changes/



I can imagine the call went something like, "Fuck em in the ass but at least offer lube." Are you really trying to get back on top of the worst companies in the US list?Well, once the national news started picking it up, EA was fucked one way or the other.

However, while some people are celebrating their "win" over big bad EA, ultimately nothing changes. EA is turning off micro-transactions for the time being. They're not getting rid of them and even say themselves they'll be turning them back on at some point in the future. My guess is by Christmas, for sure not much later than just after the new year. They'll make a gesture now to get everyone to dial down the hate online, maybe make some more sales, then bring back micro-transactions in a month or two and go back to business as planned.

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[SmoothPancakes]

Regardless of the micro-transactions debate, it sounds like in the end, you really don't gain as much of an advantage as people seemed to think. Polygon spent $90 on crystals before they were disabled and while they got more star cards unlocked at their base level one card status, they didn't get anything that would make them amazing and unrivaled on the battlefield.

And from the jist of their article, whether you grind for free or pay, everyone will still slam into the same giant bottleneck in a frothy pink spray as you can't even upgrade your Star cards unless your overall account and your individual classes have met certain level requirements.

https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/16/16658476/star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-crate-costs-analysis

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[Rudy]

The power of the people!

[CLW]

"Temporarily" its kind of like a XBox1 "exclusive"

[Rudy]

It still annoys me when they say "We never intended..." BS! You fully intended to make it a big cash grab and you got trashed for it.

[bdoughty]

People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



People can cry boycott all they want online, just like every other boycott, it's going to have zero effect on EA's bottom line and ultimately end up being nothing than some feel good movement for people online and in the end achieve nothing.



https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/eas-day-of-reckoning-is-here-after-star-wars-game-uproar.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain

EA’s day of reckoning is here after ‘Star Wars’ game uproar, $3 billion in stock value wiped out

Electronic Arts' shareholders are running for the hills this month and for good reason.

The company's profitable business model is now at risk after angry gamers revolted over its aggressive in-game moneymaking strategy in "Star Wars Battlefront II."

EA's stock is down 8.5 percent month to date through Tuesday compared with the S&P 500's 2 percent gain, wiping out $3.1 billion of shareholder value. Its competitors Take-Two and Activision Blizzard shares are up 5 percent and 0.7 percent respectively during the same time period.


https://i.imgur.com/eEJNt9w.gif

[bdoughty]

Stock fluctuates but it has definitely had an impact over the past month. Thus making the "zero effect" comment, laughable and bringing a smile to my face. The crow on the other hand... It may be a drop in a bucket to EA but it signifies that the consumer can make a difference, even if it was a small difference. The thing we are going to see is every game under a microscope, from reviewers to the gamers. Someone steps out of hand as EA did here and things will eventually come to a head. The press and investment sites have picked up on this and it will not go quietly into the night.

Sadly this forum is all but dead, so I am going to find a new place to discuss things in regards to this hobby.

I hope Nebraska gets a hire that can make them relevant again. Enjoyed discussing CFB with you CDJ.
I hope Smooth does not have an aneurysm from being so angry.
I hope Steeler is happy once the Super Bowl hits, because we share the same team.
I hope Steeler is pissed when Man City wins the EPL.
To Rudy, I hope you can find some joy in a basketball game in the future.
CLW, outside of the annoying Snoy shtick, you were fun to discuss things with.
G, best of luck in the conference championship.
JB, I have destroyed the image of you and the sheep.
Soulja, here is hoping for a great future for So Miss.

[steelerfan]

Dunno why you'd think I'd be pissed if City wins the league. I wasn't the first 2 times they won. My attitude towards it is pretty simple: if not Chelsea, then anyone but United.

[cdj]

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/eas-day-of-reckoning-is-here-after-star-wars-game-uproar.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain

EA’s day of reckoning is here after ‘Star Wars’ game uproar, $3 billion in stock value wiped out

Electronic Arts' shareholders are running for the hills this month and for good reason.

The company's profitable business model is now at risk after angry gamers revolted over its aggressive in-game moneymaking strategy in "Star Wars Battlefront II."

EA's stock is down 8.5 percent month to date through Tuesday compared with the S&P 500's 2 percent gain, wiping out $3.1 billion of shareholder value. Its competitors Take-Two and Activision Blizzard shares are up 5 percent and 0.7 percent respectively during the same time period.

It definitely feels like the loot box controversy took a lot of wind out of the sails on this one.

I have yet to play it, but from reading quite a few articles it didn't seem that the character lock system and loot crate system were as gamebreaking as some feared, but rather were just a convoluted money grab. It's funny that it took Star Wars fans to get upset over this system when it feels like so many other games (by EA and others) are just as bad in terms of microtransactions, never ending DLC, etc.

[CLW]

Sadly this forum is all but dead, so I am going to find a new place to discuss things in regards to this hobby. CLW, outside of the annoying Snoy shtick, you were fun to discuss things with.

#1 Yeah with the death of the NCAA series the site basically lost its niche and thus almost everyone is gone now.

#2 I have no idea what you are talking about. :nod:

#3 I looked around but wasn't able to find any decent gaming forums so I really don't discuss my hobby much anymore. But if you find a new place hit me up on PSN and I'll bring my "shtick" with me.

[CLW]

It definitely feels like the loot box controversy took a lot of wind out of the sails on this one.

I have yet to play it, but from reading quite a few articles it didn't seem that the character lock system and loot crate system were as gamebreaking as some feared, but rather were just a convoluted money grab. It's funny that it took Star Wars fans to get upset over this system when it feels like so many other games (by EA and others) are just as bad in terms of microtransactions, never ending DLC, etc.

Yeah what EA did with this game is really ZERO different from FIFA/Madden etc... Apparently the sports gaming community is either dumber, willing to pay hundreds of additional $ to win or more willing to accept gambling into its favorite hobby. I'm not and unless/until EA takes the pay-to-win mechanics out of its games I'll never buy their products. I'll simply rent them from GameFLy whore out the easy :plat: and mail it back.

[SmoothPancakes]

It definitely feels like the loot box controversy took a lot of wind out of the sails on this one.

I have yet to play it, but from reading quite a few articles it didn't seem that the character lock system and loot crate system were as gamebreaking as some feared, but rather were just a convoluted money grab. It's funny that it took Star Wars fans to get upset over this system when it feels like so many other games (by EA and others) are just as bad in terms of microtransactions, never ending DLC, etc.Yeah, based on my first hand experience, the loot boxes and pay to win seemed really overblown. The star cards don't give you massive advantages, so you're not going to gain some massive advantage buying loot boxes. And even then, you have to upgrade your Star cards (and be leveled up to even upgrade them) to improve them, so it ultimately is a grind for everyone, whether you pay or not.
#1 Yeah with the death of the NCAA series the site basically lost its niche and thus almost everyone is gone now.

#2 I have no idea what you are talking about. :nod:

#3 I looked around but wasn't able to find any decent gaming forums so I really don't discuss my hobby much anymore. But if you find a new place hit me up on PSN and I'll bring my "shtick" with me.Yeah, unfortunately we never quite recovered once NCAA was killed off. I'm not going anywhere, as long as the lights are still on, I'm gonna hang around here, I have no plans on leaving, though I do find myself supplementing my game discussions and looking for people to team up with in games more with sites like OS and Reddit (as shitty and vitriolic as a lot the gaming communities are on that site) as the numbers here dwindle. But I'll always go take TGT teammates in multi-player games any day of the week over randoms or players from other sites.

And agree about any new sites that bdoughty may find. I'm always looking for new places to discuss and get opinions on games, so if bdoughty finds a good place, I'll happily add it to my rotation of gaming sites to visit alongside TGT and others.
Yeah what EA did with this game is really ZERO different from FIFA/Madden etc... Apparently the sports gaming community is either dumber, willing to pay hundreds of additional $ to win or more willing to accept gambling into its favorite hobby. I'm not and unless/until EA takes the pay-to-win mechanics out of its games I'll never buy their products. I'll simply rent them from GameFLy whore out the easy :plat: and mail it back.I still play EA and 2K sports games, I just tend to stick solely to Franchise modes, which by and large have thankfully not been infected by micro-transactions. If the day ever comes that micro-transactions infect single player offline franchise modes, I'll probably walk away from sports games for good.

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[cdj]

It's still a lot of copies, but given the Star Wars name it is surprising it's underachieving this much in the US compared to COD:

NPD is reporting (via WSJ) that Star Wars Battlefront 2 sales (in the US), were only 882,000 in its debut month. This is in sharp contrast to chief Activision rival Call of Duty: WWII, which instead sold 4.4 million copies during the month using the same metric.

That means that to date, Battlefront 2 has likely only sold about 20% the copies of COD: WWII, if digital sales estimates are accurate, though COD does have a two week head start on it.

Courtesy: Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/12/08/npd-shows-dismal-battlefront-2-sales-at-20-of-call-of-duty-wwii-sales/#1b340362b38c)

[jaymo76]

Yeah, based on my first hand experience, the loot boxes and pay to win seemed really overblown. The star cards don't give you massive advantages, so you're not going to gain some massive advantage buying loot boxes. And even then, you have to upgrade your Star cards (and be leveled up to even upgrade them) to improve them, so it ultimately is a grind for everyone, whether you pay or not.Yeah, unfortunately we never quite recovered once NCAA was killed off. I'm not going anywhere, as long as the lights are still on, I'm gonna hang around here, I have no plans on leaving, though I do find myself supplementing my game discussions and looking for people to team up with in games more with sites like OS and Reddit (as shitty and vitriolic as a lot the gaming communities are on that site) as the numbers here dwindle. But I'll always go take TGT teammates in multi-player games any day of the week over randoms or players from other sites.

And agree about any new sites that bdoughty may find. I'm always looking for new places to discuss and get opinions on games, so if bdoughty finds a good place, I'll happily add it to my rotation of gaming sites to visit alongside TGT and others.I still play EA and 2K sports games, I just tend to stick solely to Franchise modes, which by and large have thankfully not been infected by micro-transactions. If the day ever comes that micro-transactions infect single player offline franchise modes, I'll probably walk away from sports games for good.

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It's funny Smooth... I've gone the other way. In the past year I find I have gone back to the days of no longer discussing games with people. I'm just not willing to find another forum and start all over. I'll be here too as long as there is a "here." However, I only visit once or twice a week now where as it used to be 20+ times a day. I give thanks and credit to CDJ et al for trying to keep things going but I would totally understand if one day the plug gets pulled.

[jaymo76]

Just to stay on topic with the thread... I just cannot get into this game. I wonder how different the direction would be if it were a non EA game.

[SmoothPancakes]

It's funny Smooth... I've gone the other way. In the past year I find I have gone back to the days of no longer discussing games with people. I'm just not willing to find another forum and start all over. I'll be here too as long as there is a "here." However, I only visit once or twice a week now where as it used to be 20+ times a day. I give thanks and credit to CDJ et al for trying to keep things going but I would totally understand if one day the plug gets pulled.

Yeah, I mean overall, I've discussed games less and less. I'll pop over on OS maybe once or twice every couple weeks, maybe check out some specific game subs on Reddit (a huge help for finding mods and getting the load order correct for Fallout 4), but nothing like the amount of game discussion that I've partaked in here over the years. I still check in here at least once or twice a day, but sadly not as much as in the heyday, when I was checking in nearly every hour to see what was happening.

And same, my many thanks to CDJ, JB and gschwendt for keeping the light on here still. With declining numbers over the years since the NCAA series died, they easily could have shut this place down at basically any moment over the last couple years. I'll happily remain here as long as there is still a home to visit. I know the day this place closes is inevitable, just a matter of when. And while I may supplement some game discussion or strategies for certain games elsewhere, sadly there is no other site that matches this place. No other site just feels like home here. Here we all know each other both here on the site and elsewhere either in person or via social media like Facebook. I have zero connection like that to anyone else on any other site, so nothing will ever replace TGT for me.

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[Rudy]

I still check out this place every day. We have dwindled in numbers but if I'm honest I think some of the snarkiness of some former posters helped contribute to that. Bdoughty is informative but even his final post takes shots at Smooth and has him quoting Smooth 5 times to make a point and try to rub his face in it. It's that kind of stuff I don't like. We aren't always going to agree but especially with a small site we need to respect each other more and just laugh some difference of opinions off.

Even with CLW - yes he's a Sony shill but who cares? Let him praise Sony lol. He posts a lot of stuff and if you disagree just let it go. Everything doesn't have to be a battle with a winner and loser.

Discussing politics doesn't help anything either. I've never seen people more divided in the USA on politics before. It's ramped up to crazy levels. Believe it or not but I have voted for at least 4 different parties in Canada which include our conservative party but our parties aren't crazy different over here. People flip a lot from election to election depending on policies. It's just a complete crazy show in the US right now.

[SmoothPancakes]

I still check out this place every day. We have dwindled in numbers but if I'm honest I think some of the snarkiness of some former posters helped contribute to that. Bdoughty is informative but even his final post takes shots at Smooth and has him quoting Smooth 5 times to make a point and try to rub his face in it. It's that kind of stuff I don't like. We aren't always going to agree but especially with a small site we need to respect each other more and just laugh some difference of opinions off.

Even with CLW - yes he's a Sony shill but who cares? Let him praise Sony lol. He posts a lot of stuff and if you disagree just let it go. Everything doesn't have to be a battle with a winner and loser.

Discussing politics doesn't help anything either. I've never seen people more divided in the USA on politics before. It's ramped up to crazy levels. Believe it or not but I have voted for at least 4 different parties in Canada which include our conservative party but our parties aren't crazy different over here. People flip a lot from election to election depending on policies. It's just a complete crazy show in the US right now.

Yeah, we've always had some very passionate and outspoken people here, as well as high levels of snark and little hesitation to take some pot shots during disagreements. And that is something I too am guilty of. Just as many times as bdoughty or CLW or others would take persobal shots at me, I would just as often respond in kind. I've always immediately regretted it afterwards, but never could stop myself beforehand.

And sadly it has been the tangles and snarkiness between bdoughty, CLW, myself and others that have been mentioned as reasons for some who have left in the past. What I'd give to get some of the old guys like SCClassof93, Mors, psusnoop and psuexv, Skip, Beatn, baseballplyrmvp, etc. I miss seeing those guys around here.

And yeah, unfortunately politics is never going to work around here for a discussion. Everyone is so entrenched in their own sides that it's almost impossible to find a middle ground in this country these days. I definitely think we need more than two parties in this country. Even the two parties now are divided. You have the far liberal left, the middle left that used to be the old far left, the center left, the just plain center, the center right, the middle right that used to be the old conservative far right, and now the ultra far right. The two parties can't even agree with themselves half the time.

And with only two parties, Washington turns into a shit show. If Congress and/or the White House is divided, nothing gets done because both parties try to obstruct the other. And when one party is in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, it becomes open season for them to do or pass anything they want (that they have the votes to pass) without giving a damn about the other half of the country that didn't vote for their party.

Just like right now, I'm center left in the political spectrum. But I don't for one second believe or think that Trump, Ryan, McConnell or even my own state representatives or senators that are Republicans give a shit about me. All I've seen out of Washington this year is party over anything, everything, anyone and everyone else.

I hope for the day when there is a true three or four party system in this country, where a one party majority is no longer possible and politicians are actually forced to compromise and reach across the party aisle and work together to legislate the country. The system we have now is broken as shit and we have long passed any point of ever hoping to fix things when it comes to a two party system, not with the way Washington and politics in this country is today, which to me is the most toxic politics have ever been in the history of this country.

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[cdj]

940370638774026245

[SmoothPancakes]

940370638774026245May be for a limited time, but I'll take free new characters if I can get them. Still waiting to see where things go in the coming weeks/months in regards to changes to multiplayer.

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[Rudy]

I am still hoping for a digital deal before Christmas!

[JBHuskers]

I played quite a bit last night after taking some time off...was recording a video for it. Had some fun playing strike, but wish there was a better hit detection system. Like a sound or something. I think there is a visual red in the crosshairs, but compared to COD, it's not easy to tell.

[SmoothPancakes]

I played quite a bit last night after taking some time off...was recording a video for it. Had some fun playing strike, but wish there was a better hit detection system. Like a sound or something. I think there is a visual red in the crosshairs, but compared to COD, it's not easy to tell.

Yeah, the hit markers and detection in this game leaving something to be desired. Like you said, a distinctive hit detection sound like in COD would be great, something to let you know for sure you indeed hit them without having to search for a visual confirmation while still trying to kill the guy and avoid being killed yourself.

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[CLW]

Electronic Arts Needs the Force to Awaken Again
Disappointing ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’ sales leave videogame publisher in need of boost from new movie

https://www.wsj.com/articles/electronic-arts-needs-the-force-to-awaken-again-1513119951

Gamers are DONE with EA right now. The question is are there enough "moms and dads" out there waiting to buy a last minute Christmas present?

[cdj]

I can't fathom that the average Johnny Walmart gives a darn or even knows about the lootbox 'controversy' that surrounded this game pre-release, so why is it doing so poorly? Competing with CODWWII? Poor marketing? Lack of promotion/tie-in with The Last Jedi or other SW films? Perhaps the first Battlefront left them disappointed? Maybe they should have rebranded the title given how much it seems they added/changed so it didn't seem like a 'roster update' sequel.

In one sense, I'm sure EA isn't hurting for money but at the same time I don't think they've had a very good year - for various reasons. I never thought I'd feel the company was struggling at marketing, but there's several titles this year where I have felt that way this year.

CLW - I'm in that group that would like to get this one, but am waiting for a price drop. Not that the game ins't worth it, but I know I can wait long enough and the core game plus Season Pass will be at or below the standard price. I wonder if other Battlefront I fans feel the same way.

[Rudy]

I think the loot box controversy really hurt. the educated gamer that knew about it and formed a backlash that also impacted the casual fan. This game released in a very competitive window with tons of other options so gamers chose to stay away. And any mom or parent that went to buy the game on Amazon would see that the reviews are brutal as a result. Gamers hammered review scores over this. It’s getting 2-3 stars and also hurt a bit on Metacritic. With so much online shopping the average consumer leans heavily on reviews. Rotten Tomatoes is having a big impact with their scores too. Over 1/3 if consumers check that site before deciding on seeing a movie. Consumers are more educated than ever.

This movie will help but it’s still way behind the first game. Also, there were no good Black Friday deals. They need a nice sale before Christmas. I’m hoping for a digital sale.

[JBHuskers]

Yeah, the hit markers and detection in this game leaving something to be desired. Like you said, a distinctive hit detection sound like in COD would be great, something to let you know for sure you indeed hit them without having to search for a visual confirmation while still trying to kill the guy and avoid being killed yourself.

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Yeah I'm already trying to watch my back, front, side, up and down while I'm shooting :D

[JBHuskers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogjx_APWcxY

Put together this video for the Game Changers program and check out who's MVP in the final match ;)

[JBHuskers]

Good article on good loot boxes (Overwatch, NBA Live) and bad (Battlefront)

https://www.polygon.com/2017-best-games/2017/12/14/16772900/loot-boxes-loot-crates-2017

[cdj]

PSN has the standard version available for $34.79 and the Deluxe Version for $46.39 (https://store.playstation.com/en-us/search/star%20wars%20battlefront%20ii).

[Rudy]

Bought the standard for kids for Christmas. Will download on Christmas Eve.

[Coachdenz]

I like the game, but my son on the other hand (which he is 13 and friends) could careless... they like shooters and seem to get board really quick playing this game and go back to Call or Duty WW2. My take the loading screens take FOREVER to get into games or switch modes, and it does seem to get boring pretty quick ( playing HvV)

I pretty much gave up on video games once NCAA went belly up, so Battlefront 2 is my 1st game that I have played daily in a long time.

[Rudy]

My son was the same way last time with regards to the 20 v 20 online stuff. However the flight stuff and Heroes vs Villains went over very well. My son has been playing the campaign mode too and enjoying it. But he also has a bunch of other games he still loves. He’s never been a big COD guy but loves Rainbow 6, Fortnite, Overwatch and Destiny.

[Rudy]

What the heck happened with the star fighter stuff? I loved that mode in the first game but this game sucks. No turbo boost, evade, weapons different. I just shut off that garbage. Felt like a tutorial. Was I in the right mode? What happened?

[SmoothPancakes]

What the heck happened with the star fighter stuff? I loved that mode in the first game but this game sucks. No turbo boost, evade, weapons different. I just shut off that garbage. Felt like a tutorial. Was I in the right mode? What happened?Yeah, they really changed up starfighter assault from the first game. I only played it once, and did respectable, but it was way too different. I liked the way they had the old starfighter assault. I felt like I had more control over the vehicle and could make maneuvers in combat better than in BF2.

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[Rudy]

Exactly!

[CLW]

Apparently shipped (not sold to actual consumers) 7 million units which is below their "conservative" estimate they gave to investors and well below Battlefront I's #s.

[cdj]

Apparently shipped (not sold to actual consumers) 7 million units which is below their "conservative" estimate they gave to investors and well below Battlefront I's #s.

And in the article I skimmed, they will be adding back in the ability to purchase crystals in the next month or two IIRC.

Didn't it also state they hope to reach their goals (maybe it was the original's sales numbers) in the next few months as well? They are going to have to market it hard, add killer content, and maybe even a price drop as well to get there IMO. The Star Wars hype from the movie has faded, but maybe they will do something to coincide with the digital/Blu-Ray release.