SWG LQGaming interviews... Auraborn

This time we interviewed Auraborn, former GCW correspondent about the NGE and his opinion and thoughts about future changes to Star Wars Galaxies.

Star Wars Galaxies LQGaming: What did you think about the way the NGE announcement was done and the timing of that announcement?

Auraborn: I think it could have been handled a lot better. It’s a hard call though. From a player’s perspective, well, of course we want to know everything that’s going to happen, and we want it to happen immediately. From the Dev perspective though, it has clearly been under development for months. I imagine, even as far back as the Anaheim FanFest, based on some thing said there now looked at in retrospect. They may not have known it would ever go live. Personally, I don’t feel like they owed me anything, and I love the new changes.

SWGO: Did you think there was enough time to properly test the NGE before it went live?

Auraborn: There's never enough time…

SWGO: As an active PvPer and participant in the Galactic Civil War, what do you think of the NGE?

Auraborn: I love it. It is what I was hoping it would be when I bought this game. I always hated the auto-lock aspect of combat, where the ability to press the F1 macro was the demonstration of “skill” used to determine the winner. I was annoyed by balance issues all the way through the life of the game. Now, it is far more balanced than it’s ever been before, and far more fun.

SWGO: What do you think about the recent changes to the GCW (The point system based on actual killings while Special Forces)?

Auraborn: I think it's an interim solution while they figure out the base war. I'm not attached to it and not worrying about it much. We'll see how it all washes out. To be honest, my gut tells me there are some amazing things coming down the pipe in terms of the GCW.

SWGO: As a player, how do you foresee the future of SWG?

Auraborn: I think we'll have vehicle combat. I think the professions will get more attention. I think we'll see more development time spent on enhancing the game, rather than trying to fix design decisions that didn't actually work. In short, I think it's going to keep getting better and better.

SWGO: As a player and as a Correspondent, what's your opinion on the ending of the Correspondent Program?

Auraborn: As a player, I'm saddened by it, as the idea of specific people defending the player's voice to Devs regarding certain aspects of the game is fantastic. As an ex-correspondent, I don't think the program ever really functioned like it should have. I tend to think it was more of a show than anything else.

I couldn't even count all the times that Correspondents mentioned important things that really needed to be fixed, that were completely ignored. Countless times, that a Correspondent's opinion was ignored in favor of focus test groups. So, I'm going to wait and see how the Community Leaders new setup they have works before having a final opinion.

There were downsides of having every Correspondent think "their" corner of the game was most important, and most in need of fixes, no matter what. Having everyone work together as a team looking at changes needed as a whole will likely prove more beneficial as a whole in the long term.

SWGO: What do you think about the "Focus Groups" replacement for the Correspondent Program?

Auraborn: I think you misunderstand [the question]. While, Focus Groups will always be used, what they are replacing the Correspondent program with is something entirely different.

The Correspondent Program was discontinued. A new forum was created with special access privilege rights called "Community Leaders". So, the replacement program is a "Community Leaders" forum. Currently, the only known players who have access are the ones who were Correspondents when the NGE went live.

There is talk of letting some of Blue Glowies (previous Correspondents) have access as well, but nothing has been officially confirmed. Supposedly, it will be decided after the holidays. There was also talk of perhaps inviting Community Leaders in the overall SWG world that may not have been Correspondents ever, such as people running some of the SWG fan-sites.

This Community Leaders group, is the "Think Tank" I mentioned. It will still serve and function as the Correspondent program did I imagine... the only difference being that no one is assigned to a single profession class or aspect of the game

SWGO: While you were a Correspondent did you feel the Developers listened to you and to the other Correspondents?

Auraborn: I think they did sometimes. I also think many of us were fairly regularly ignored. I had thought the Developer/Correspondent dialogue would have been much greater than it turned out to be.

SWGO: What's your opinion on the Developers' job post-NGE? Have they been meeting your expectations regarding their work in fixing bugs creating new content?

Auraborn: Yes. Development time never happens fast enough for the people playing the game, but all told, I think they really are doing a kick ass job.

SWGO: Do you have a message you would like to send out to the community?

Auraborn: Keep your accounts active, even if you aren't playing. I think you'll be kicking yourself if you cancel, and then see what they have coming down the pipe get announced in a few months. Just a gut feeling.

Stay tuned to Star Wars Galaxies LQGaming for more interviews :)