It looks like SWTOR's direction with Galactic Command -- a system loaded with complaints from the get-go -- is basically this:
- Appease players by improving rewards.
- Appease players by making it easier to get Command Levels.
- Appease players by making it easier to get Command Levels across legacy toons.
All this is short-sighted.
The results will be:
- Pointless to continue playing once best-in-slot gear is obtained. Grind-frustration when they bring in the next tier of gear.
- Pointless to continue playing once maximum Command Level is reached for a toon.
- Continued appeasement when players frustrated with the grind keep complaining about all their legacy toons not reaching a satisfactory Command Level.
Since we are so entrenched into Galactic Command, the existing system will probably have to stay one way or another. However there is still time to stop the madness and introduce a test system aimed at end-game activities.
Sure we can keep Galactic Command. We can even keep the Galactic Command level. Hell, we can make that level unlimited. Just stop the existing rewards and introduce character improvements that actually last -- not just a gear chase that is good only until the next Tier comes out when people are bored.
By End Game this article means two things: Ranked Player-versus-Player, and Operations. The idea is to gently enhance these activities. The exact enhancement can be tweaked as playtest results come in.
Ranked Player-versus-Player
Your Command Level is used in a formula that reduces your respawn time.
Obviously the better players won't rely on this too much since getting killed is rarely a useful strategy, but it can mitigate bad luck.
Operations
The total Command Level of the team is used in a formula that gives the Team Leader the ability to immediately respawn to full health any team member, including themselves if they are defeated.
This may still not save a raid from wiping, but it does give a bit more leeway, especially when training newcomers.
Legacy Toons
It' a bit late to change Command Levelling from individual toons to something Legacy-wide without committing to a drastic change. However, the process can be halted by changing all direct Command Level rewards to stackable Legacy-bound CXP inventory items. This way, Command Level gain can be focussed on particular toons and away from unimportant ones.
Remember that under the aforementioned scheme we are also suggesting that gearing no longer be tied to Command Levels at all, so it is not important to open a bunch of crates looking for gear.
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