Solo4114
Master Member
Well, I'm still playing and I find it enjoyable much of the time. That said, there are three big issues facing the game right now:
- Ongoing bug fixing. The latest unbalancing bug is the bug relating to "Explosive Shot" not properly overheating or having a slow rate of fire for several guns. But this is par for the course with DICE games, so I knew to expect it going in.
- The same old maps are getting stale, and several of them are really, really bad. Unfortunately, most of the sequel-era maps are not that good. Jakku is hot garbage in any mode. Maz's Castle is pretty unbalanced in Galactic Assault. The two Starfighter Assault maps are really boring. Overall, I'd say only Crait is genuinely good, and Starkiller Base is so-so. They need to add some new stuff to keep things interesting beyond mere cosmetics.
- Teambalancing is a HUGE problem. Most games are pretty clear blowouts these days. Either you're getting steamrolled, or your team is steamrolling. It's decidedly not fun. In some games, you get really close rounds and that's a lot of fun, but the blowouts suck. They have to get this solved fast.
The progression thing and associated microtransactions were barrier issues for the game's future development. Without an ongoing revenue stream, the game would die off from lack of development. Progression was so tied to the old microtransation model that it was an incredible slog and an unsatisfying one at that, due to how heavily dependent it was upon randomness. Slow progression also made this game the kind of game that people wouldn't buy because the folks who've been playing for ages have maxed out this or that, and nobody wants to be the fish in someone else's shootin' barrel.
Adding back microtransactions focused on cosmetics makes sense, because it creates an ongoing revenue stream. Removing the barriers to fast, logical progression makes it easier for newbies to get access to the game. The next step, therefore, is adding content to keep things fresh and keep servers populated, and to gradually ratchet up a matchmaking system that pits people of equal skill against each other. Without that latter part, the game will turn off newbies, word will spread, and the server population will gradually dwindle as oldsters move on to other games.
- Ongoing bug fixing. The latest unbalancing bug is the bug relating to "Explosive Shot" not properly overheating or having a slow rate of fire for several guns. But this is par for the course with DICE games, so I knew to expect it going in.
- The same old maps are getting stale, and several of them are really, really bad. Unfortunately, most of the sequel-era maps are not that good. Jakku is hot garbage in any mode. Maz's Castle is pretty unbalanced in Galactic Assault. The two Starfighter Assault maps are really boring. Overall, I'd say only Crait is genuinely good, and Starkiller Base is so-so. They need to add some new stuff to keep things interesting beyond mere cosmetics.
- Teambalancing is a HUGE problem. Most games are pretty clear blowouts these days. Either you're getting steamrolled, or your team is steamrolling. It's decidedly not fun. In some games, you get really close rounds and that's a lot of fun, but the blowouts suck. They have to get this solved fast.
The progression thing and associated microtransactions were barrier issues for the game's future development. Without an ongoing revenue stream, the game would die off from lack of development. Progression was so tied to the old microtransation model that it was an incredible slog and an unsatisfying one at that, due to how heavily dependent it was upon randomness. Slow progression also made this game the kind of game that people wouldn't buy because the folks who've been playing for ages have maxed out this or that, and nobody wants to be the fish in someone else's shootin' barrel.
Adding back microtransactions focused on cosmetics makes sense, because it creates an ongoing revenue stream. Removing the barriers to fast, logical progression makes it easier for newbies to get access to the game. The next step, therefore, is adding content to keep things fresh and keep servers populated, and to gradually ratchet up a matchmaking system that pits people of equal skill against each other. Without that latter part, the game will turn off newbies, word will spread, and the server population will gradually dwindle as oldsters move on to other games.