Intellectual enjoyment violation gear prefarm (non legal terms).
June 11, 2016 6:10AM
edited June 2016
Note: this is but an excerpt of what has been posted elsewhere and may be viewed as redundant/poor choice of wording/explanation, for the familiar...
Here is the technical aspect of said Intellectual enjoyment violation(sorry if this wording is inappropriate or legally incorrect; the aims of this post pertains to gear prefarm accessibility post April 1st update).
This game is both free to play(F2P) and pay to play(P2P). Both categories have access to everything the game offers. P2P differs from F2P only in that in-game currency(crystals) is made available faster, through real money purchases. This (P2P) allows leveling up faster, and makes progression and specific characters procurement easier, but is not mandatory (P2P) to achieve high progression. Otherwise crystals are available through normal in-game achievements.
The major in-game specific currency is, again, crystals. Crystals can also be purchased through the Playstore and the Apple equivalent, and is the only in-game currency that can buy any other options/currency available in the game itself.
Crystals allows a player to purchase various in-game content, such as energy, credits, characters, levels etc, and and what have you other options, allowing one to level up characters or grant access to various "gears, abilities and other exclusive characters" that further enhances one's progress. These "gears" are crucial items necessary to enhance characters up to top most levels.
I have made regular such purchases of crystals since the game was released, and since I came to foresee the POTENTIAL FUTURE of the game, and although, like most products, the game is not perfect, I am more than happy with it overall, and am able to disregard the various bugs.
This game, like many respectable ones, receives regular updates, promotions and patches(fixes), and such is usually announced INSIDE the game, making the user aware of such implementations AND ADJUST TO, the moment the user logs into the game. They are also announced in the official website. Such comprise new content, new characters, in-game currency promotions, bug fixes and various options that allow the user to increase the power of his characters, or acquire new characters, and such as a key option: "gears", that allows a character to increase its overall powers and other leveling up options, and therefore, be on top of the game.
***Some of these gears also have requirement Levels in themselves that need to be reached before "High-Level gears" can be accessed. In order to keep up with top users, these High-level gears are mandatory.***
In short, the user is ALWAYS aware of EVERYTHING that is available to him/her, prior to, through in-game updates/promotions/community announcements, as well as from the forum. So far, EA and CG has adhered to this practice, until...
A key information related to my issue is as follows:
Most gears are single piece. A small amount of "high-level" gears have several components that need to be combined with regular items, in order to obtain a full "high-level gear". Those components are called "salvages". This practice of combining salvages with other regular items is called "gear crafting". And these salvages are not even available for purchase from the in-Game store, nor with crystals, nor with real money through Playstore or the Apple store equivalent. In short, a substantial amount of those "exclusive" gear components, are available only by playing a specific activity in the game, OR, were already available to prefarm, prior to April 1st update. Other, more advanced items, are only available later in future updates. (more on this below).
On March 31st, an update has been announced of a Level Cap increase(next update). In other words, the maximum Level reachable in the game will now be increased, in addition to unlocking new mid level gears at specific character levels. With this Level Cap increase came additional new- high-level "gear" I mentioned above, however not yet available for crafting until another different, future update will be implemented(after the Level Cap increase update announced March 31st).
Said update (Level Cap increase) took place April 1st, and at once terminated any and all prefarm of unobtainable gear salvages. Again, this is not the next major update that will make these unavailable High-Level gears obtainable. This update unlocks mid level gear items mandatory to game levels . As April 1st update mentions: Quote: "...new High-Level gear now appear in-game since April 1st update, but are not available". Quote : "Some of these items are currently unavailable, but will become available in the next major update.".
In short, the sequence of events is:
May 31st: announce of next update: Level Cap increase + mid level gears unlocked + new high-level gear appearing in-game, but unavailable yet;
April 1st: implementation of Level Cap increase AND mid level gear unlocked at specific levels AND new high-level gear appearing, but no longer available to prefarm, + announcement that said new high-level gear will be made available on a future update.
Now, here is the reason of my complaint:
What should have been a PSA (Public Service Announcement), in other words, a game update/promotion etc(as above) that should have shown INSIDE the game and within the official website, WAS NOT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED, within the game nor in the website, by EA/CG, but was announced by outside sources! Because of such, I have not been made aware of this "new" content through the game.
As well, I have been searching the official game website, and until now, have failed to see where this "content" was officially announced by EA/CG. Additionally, this "unknown" content was also announced from an outside source website. See [s
here[/s].
This "unofficial" content availability , posted by outside sources on March 31st, mentioned that a user could precraft" inside the game, otherwise unobtainable gear salvages and mid level gear, UNTIL the update takes place(April 1st). That means gear salvages that were supposed to be available ONLY on a subsequent update to April 1st update, as well as mid level gear, can be obtained NOW, giving but a few hours to "get ahead of everyone"(my words), before official update April 1st launches, and cancels any and all precraft of salvages.
Technically speaking, this "stealth cheat" (paragraph just above) of obtaining unavailable gear salvages and mid level gear for a limited time(literally hours, from May 31st to April 1st) will no longer work when April 1st update will launch/be forced on all devices, AND HAS BEEN UNNANOUNCED AS "TIME LIMITED to precraft".
So, in short, some "fortunate" users that were in the right place at the right time, or has been already prefarming "unknowably to the April 1st change cutoff" now had but a few hours to "precraft galore" so as to later benefit from a very substantial leap ahead from ALL other users whom have not been made aware of this "glitch", whether F2P or P2P, THROUGH THE GAME ANNOUNCMENTS. As well, they could also benefit from mid level gear, unlockable since update Level Cap increase, since those mid level gears unlock only from higher game levels(example Qui Gon Jinn Gear 9), and have no other requirements other than combining them with already available items, once a certain level is reached.
The next technical point is this:
The April 24th update, that implemented the ability to now acquire previously unavailable (but showing in-game) High-Level gear, through what is now called Guilds and Raids, or their specific Shipment (a variety of select items, including ONLY ONE OF FOUR full High-Level gears and other needed salvage pieces, and the selection changes periodically to display different items), now purchasable with Raids rewards currency or crystals. Since then, many such exclusive items and gears have been seen obtained from users(including myself). However, at a VERY high in-game currency price or Raid rewards(now made rather random, almost irrelevant to Raid rank). Again, not purchasable through Playstore (or Apple's), with real money.
So, before I contemplated the option to "complain" about the above "unannounced precraft swindle", I decided to sit my chance and allow time to adjust this "unfair inequity". I have been patient and tried real hard, every day, for the past 33 days(when I posted this elsewhere), and spent a LARGE amount of money to try and catch-up to at least the competitive level I was in Arena (which is the highest in-game, crystals reward activity) prior to update April 1st.
To no avail.
Although I have since "moderately" been rewarded or acquired said long awaited unavailable salvage and gear, I am still increasingly being faced by a mechanical fact: I cannot catch-up with those users that have benefited from the free, "stealth" precraft "+/- 24 hour window, or prior to" leak mentioned above, no matter how much money I put in the game! Those include F2P users, that are now FAR ahead of me and have never made a single purchase from Playstore (or equivalent) for this game! (no harm intended to them), and which users I have long ago surpassed. Better yet, the gap increases daily, to the point of extreme frustration and substantial expense!
I love the game. I am a fervent user of Google Apps and am more than satisfied with EA products and services. But this issue is unbearable.
I do not wish my Account banned; nor with Google, nor with EA or CG, nor with the game. I do not call for arms against Google, EA or CG: I only ask for fairness and honesty to be restored, AS WAS, PRIOR TO APRIL 1st UPDATE, and my deserved and payed for enjoyment given back.
Note: I have become a P2P solely because of the game's POTENTIAL FUTURE contents (and Star Wars ties), and therefore adjusted my budget...but my hand is being increasingly forced otherwise...(FYI). Therefore, why should I keep on buying crystals with real money??
Dear EA/CG(excuse the acronyms), for the benefit and continuation of our "relation"...
"Be mindful of your thoughts...", "...it surrounds us, BINDS us...". Quote Yoda.
Regards,
…
Here is the technical aspect of said Intellectual enjoyment violation(sorry if this wording is inappropriate or legally incorrect; the aims of this post pertains to gear prefarm accessibility post April 1st update).
This game is both free to play(F2P) and pay to play(P2P). Both categories have access to everything the game offers. P2P differs from F2P only in that in-game currency(crystals) is made available faster, through real money purchases. This (P2P) allows leveling up faster, and makes progression and specific characters procurement easier, but is not mandatory (P2P) to achieve high progression. Otherwise crystals are available through normal in-game achievements.
The major in-game specific currency is, again, crystals. Crystals can also be purchased through the Playstore and the Apple equivalent, and is the only in-game currency that can buy any other options/currency available in the game itself.
Crystals allows a player to purchase various in-game content, such as energy, credits, characters, levels etc, and and what have you other options, allowing one to level up characters or grant access to various "gears, abilities and other exclusive characters" that further enhances one's progress. These "gears" are crucial items necessary to enhance characters up to top most levels.
I have made regular such purchases of crystals since the game was released, and since I came to foresee the POTENTIAL FUTURE of the game, and although, like most products, the game is not perfect, I am more than happy with it overall, and am able to disregard the various bugs.
This game, like many respectable ones, receives regular updates, promotions and patches(fixes), and such is usually announced INSIDE the game, making the user aware of such implementations AND ADJUST TO, the moment the user logs into the game. They are also announced in the official website. Such comprise new content, new characters, in-game currency promotions, bug fixes and various options that allow the user to increase the power of his characters, or acquire new characters, and such as a key option: "gears", that allows a character to increase its overall powers and other leveling up options, and therefore, be on top of the game.
***Some of these gears also have requirement Levels in themselves that need to be reached before "High-Level gears" can be accessed. In order to keep up with top users, these High-level gears are mandatory.***
In short, the user is ALWAYS aware of EVERYTHING that is available to him/her, prior to, through in-game updates/promotions/community announcements, as well as from the forum. So far, EA and CG has adhered to this practice, until...
A key information related to my issue is as follows:
Most gears are single piece. A small amount of "high-level" gears have several components that need to be combined with regular items, in order to obtain a full "high-level gear". Those components are called "salvages". This practice of combining salvages with other regular items is called "gear crafting". And these salvages are not even available for purchase from the in-Game store, nor with crystals, nor with real money through Playstore or the Apple store equivalent. In short, a substantial amount of those "exclusive" gear components, are available only by playing a specific activity in the game, OR, were already available to prefarm, prior to April 1st update. Other, more advanced items, are only available later in future updates. (more on this below).
On March 31st, an update has been announced of a Level Cap increase(next update). In other words, the maximum Level reachable in the game will now be increased, in addition to unlocking new mid level gears at specific character levels. With this Level Cap increase came additional new- high-level "gear" I mentioned above, however not yet available for crafting until another different, future update will be implemented(after the Level Cap increase update announced March 31st).
Said update (Level Cap increase) took place April 1st, and at once terminated any and all prefarm of unobtainable gear salvages. Again, this is not the next major update that will make these unavailable High-Level gears obtainable. This update unlocks mid level gear items mandatory to game levels . As April 1st update mentions: Quote: "...new High-Level gear now appear in-game since April 1st update, but are not available". Quote : "Some of these items are currently unavailable, but will become available in the next major update.".
In short, the sequence of events is:
May 31st: announce of next update: Level Cap increase + mid level gears unlocked + new high-level gear appearing in-game, but unavailable yet;
April 1st: implementation of Level Cap increase AND mid level gear unlocked at specific levels AND new high-level gear appearing, but no longer available to prefarm, + announcement that said new high-level gear will be made available on a future update.
Now, here is the reason of my complaint:
What should have been a PSA (Public Service Announcement), in other words, a game update/promotion etc(as above) that should have shown INSIDE the game and within the official website, WAS NOT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED, within the game nor in the website, by EA/CG, but was announced by outside sources! Because of such, I have not been made aware of this "new" content through the game.
As well, I have been searching the official game website, and until now, have failed to see where this "content" was officially announced by EA/CG. Additionally, this "unknown" content was also announced from an outside source website. See [s
here[/s].This "unofficial" content availability , posted by outside sources on March 31st, mentioned that a user could precraft" inside the game, otherwise unobtainable gear salvages and mid level gear, UNTIL the update takes place(April 1st). That means gear salvages that were supposed to be available ONLY on a subsequent update to April 1st update, as well as mid level gear, can be obtained NOW, giving but a few hours to "get ahead of everyone"(my words), before official update April 1st launches, and cancels any and all precraft of salvages.
Technically speaking, this "stealth cheat" (paragraph just above) of obtaining unavailable gear salvages and mid level gear for a limited time(literally hours, from May 31st to April 1st) will no longer work when April 1st update will launch/be forced on all devices, AND HAS BEEN UNNANOUNCED AS "TIME LIMITED to precraft".
So, in short, some "fortunate" users that were in the right place at the right time, or has been already prefarming "unknowably to the April 1st change cutoff" now had but a few hours to "precraft galore" so as to later benefit from a very substantial leap ahead from ALL other users whom have not been made aware of this "glitch", whether F2P or P2P, THROUGH THE GAME ANNOUNCMENTS. As well, they could also benefit from mid level gear, unlockable since update Level Cap increase, since those mid level gears unlock only from higher game levels(example Qui Gon Jinn Gear 9), and have no other requirements other than combining them with already available items, once a certain level is reached.
The next technical point is this:
The April 24th update, that implemented the ability to now acquire previously unavailable (but showing in-game) High-Level gear, through what is now called Guilds and Raids, or their specific Shipment (a variety of select items, including ONLY ONE OF FOUR full High-Level gears and other needed salvage pieces, and the selection changes periodically to display different items), now purchasable with Raids rewards currency or crystals. Since then, many such exclusive items and gears have been seen obtained from users(including myself). However, at a VERY high in-game currency price or Raid rewards(now made rather random, almost irrelevant to Raid rank). Again, not purchasable through Playstore (or Apple's), with real money.
So, before I contemplated the option to "complain" about the above "unannounced precraft swindle", I decided to sit my chance and allow time to adjust this "unfair inequity". I have been patient and tried real hard, every day, for the past 33 days(when I posted this elsewhere), and spent a LARGE amount of money to try and catch-up to at least the competitive level I was in Arena (which is the highest in-game, crystals reward activity) prior to update April 1st.
To no avail.
Although I have since "moderately" been rewarded or acquired said long awaited unavailable salvage and gear, I am still increasingly being faced by a mechanical fact: I cannot catch-up with those users that have benefited from the free, "stealth" precraft "+/- 24 hour window, or prior to" leak mentioned above, no matter how much money I put in the game! Those include F2P users, that are now FAR ahead of me and have never made a single purchase from Playstore (or equivalent) for this game! (no harm intended to them), and which users I have long ago surpassed. Better yet, the gap increases daily, to the point of extreme frustration and substantial expense!
I love the game. I am a fervent user of Google Apps and am more than satisfied with EA products and services. But this issue is unbearable.
I do not wish my Account banned; nor with Google, nor with EA or CG, nor with the game. I do not call for arms against Google, EA or CG: I only ask for fairness and honesty to be restored, AS WAS, PRIOR TO APRIL 1st UPDATE, and my deserved and payed for enjoyment given back.
Note: I have become a P2P solely because of the game's POTENTIAL FUTURE contents (and Star Wars ties), and therefore adjusted my budget...but my hand is being increasingly forced otherwise...(FYI). Therefore, why should I keep on buying crystals with real money??
Dear EA/CG(excuse the acronyms), for the benefit and continuation of our "relation"...
"Be mindful of your thoughts...", "...it surrounds us, BINDS us...". Quote Yoda.
Regards,
…
BowTieJedi
Post edited by BowTieJedi on
0
Replies
As a spender I had some extra gear stuff laying around. I had literally 3 hours notice on this myself and I rushed to precraft, so my investment was saved. Update happened and I lost half my precraft to a glitch. Money shot.
I was lucky in that I needed no guild shop characters and I prefer gear as opposed to the new ones, though both look great. So by mass farming on dailies and buying at that obscene cost I've been able to stay well geared. I also bought furnaces like crazy.
I will say I thought this was a horrible thing. It was terrible business. It was the first of two atrocities I've felt in this game(Leia being the second)
While there is no fix for this realistically; I do hope they will make note of this and communicate better on matters that can change the landscape of the game.
One thing I think they can do is offer ALL gear in shipments too, not just furnaces.
1. Guild hopping issue.
2. Creation of dummy accounts.
3. Adjusting device time to increase guild payout.
4. Inequality of raid reward payouts. You can participate in as many raids as you want, but if you do not place well and/or get the necessary gear rhen you simply hit a wall while others continue to progress. No amount of money spent or effort "gear mining" will help you in this.
To be honest, they have taken so long to act on these issues, I am not sure what they can do to fix it. The damage has been done. I am happy to see some of the above issues addressed in the upcoming update, but again it has been over 6 weeks and much of the damage is already done.
I was one of the fortunate ones to have pre-crafted the gears for my most important arena squad characters. But because of the issue only about 30-40 players in my arena shard in the top 100-200 are continuously active now and the others have decided to either completely stop playing the game or rather not care anymore due to the increased gap between geared up squads and bottlenecked ones.
Also, what is the point of having one of the exclusive raid gears available in shipments if the rest of them are only available with guild raid rewards or guild currency? That is clearly not enough for most player squad rosters to live off of. As of now, only the heroic/T7 raid is relevant for players to do in order to get these more elusive gears at a fairer or faster pace and not all guilds can finish them (the gap between the t6 and t7 rewards is astonishingly wide).
This commotion has caused a shock wave of problems and is still reverberating throughout the entire player base and is probably the main cause of guild hopping. I don't know why this issue has never been addressed by you but it has been one of the major gripes for most of your consumers. It's good that the op is tackling this again because it is clearly being forgotten because of inaction. Please at least do something about it.
Thank you.
+1