SWTOR Deja Vu

I am not a fortune teller, but I can read the writing on the wall.  I can see SWTOR following the same launch as WAR did.  At least close enough that it reminds me of the nightmare launch a few years ago.

A few hours into the launch, and already over a hundred servers.  Most of the servers are currently at a medium population.  They are supposedly leaving room for all those who aren't playing early game access.  Does this sound familiar?  I can remember WAR saying the same thing.

Unfortunately WAR kept saying don't worry the populations will pick up as more, and more people pick up the game.  It never happened.  Most servers were ghost towns.  The same thing can happen with SWTOR by spreading the servers too thin.

I know they are trying to keep from having queues for the servers, but it could really backfire.  As a few days go by, and people leave for higher population servers it will leave some servers underpopulated. How long will it take SWTOR to take action?  WAR waited forever, and by that time it was too late.

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Kleenex Sales Will Skyrocket On SWTOR Launch

I am sure Kleenex is gearing up for the SWTOR launch. There are going to be so many tears shed on early game access up to the official launch of SWTOR they won't be able to keep it stocked on the shelves.  I am buying some Kleenex stock on the 12th because it is going to shoot to the sky.

Why am I thinking this?  Well I could mention many things, but today let's focus on one of their latest announcements.  Do they even know when early access is going to start?  It has been the 15th for weeks, and now it is announced as starting the 13th.

How many players are going to be pissed if they requested time off from work starting the 15th, and now it has been switched to the 13th?  It sounds like SWTOR is already hitting the panic button.  I got a good laugh at the official website today announcing the new date.  Check out the screenshot.  One part says 7 days, and another says 5 days for early access.

Another interesting part of this letter is that if you don't redeem your actual product code by the 20th you will be shut off from playing until you do.  I feel sorry for anyone who ordered a copy to be shipped.  This is the busiest shipping time of the year.  How pissed are you going to be if it gets delayed, and shows up on the 26th?

I bet you are thinking it will never happen.  I say think again.  All you have to do is look back at the Warhammer Online launch which did the same thing. Unfortunately Best Buy screwed it all up, and anyone who preordered from them couldn't play on launch day. I think it took a whole weekend, and a few days before players got access back.

It caused so many problems.  By the time they received their codes the servers were locked that their friends were on so either their friends had to reroll, or a week or two later they cloned several of the servers.  The problem is no one wanted to leave because they liked the high population.  It was a joke, and started the early demise of the Warhammer Launch.  If SWTOR sticks to this plan I am not a fortune teller, but I see similar things happening.

I also have to laugh at if you tested this last weekend you don't have to reinstall, but will have to patch on whenever you log in.  Who is going to do this when you can uninstall, and pre install the game client now?  You would have to be crazy to wait to try to download it, and possibly deal with corrupted files, and stuff if your beta client is all fubared. Why take the risk?

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SWTOR Launch Will Backfire

I just read this little tidbit of information that is going to cause some serious rage when SWTOR launches. I can't believe they think this is the way to solve the huge demand at the beginning.  I see a bad launch incoming, and I am going to sit back, crack open a beer, and laugh.

So what is this horrible launch idea?  Did you preorder so you can get a headstart?  Do you remember them saying that headstart is going to be more than just a weekend?  You want to know why it may be a week or longer?  You may want to cancel your preorder now while you have the chance.

Bioware has this brilliant idea to stagger the launch.  Yes that is right.  They are choosing who gets in day one, day two, day three, day four, and so on no matter if you preordered or not.  They say your friend may get a one week headstart, but you may only get one day even though you both preordered.

How bad is this going to be for friends wanting to play together from the start?  How about guilds?  I don't see how this idea is going to be better than just a massive zerg launch.

You are still going to create the same problems.  Guilds starting on a server, and it filling up the first few days while some guild members are still waiting for their turn to get approval to log in, and than people having to reroll a week later so they can all be together.

There will be a mass outcry for server transfers from week one as players refuse to reroll after putting in a week of hardcore leveling.  How much is it going to suck to take time off to play with friends, and your friends all get in on day two, but you aren't able to join until day eight.  How is this going to make the launch smoother?

I see this launch crashing, and burning so bad I can't wait for all the negativity, and ragequitting.  It is going to make blogging so much fun Christmas week.  Feel free to leave a comment on G+.