Gambling In The Seedy Underbelly
Oh hey, Summer of SWTOR Update.
Let’s get out of the way the boring shit
Blah blah Galactic Starfighter
Don’t care.
Blah blah delayed strongholds
Old news, guys.
PvP and Galactic Starfighter blah blah rewards
Did I mention “don’t care”?
Nightmare Mode blah blah
Oh yes, content that I haven’t cleared in hard mode now has a nightmare mode. Be still my beating heart.
Now on to the good stuff.
Groupfinder Operations Overhaul. Story Mode Operations will be more accessible to endgame players (levels 50 – 55). The Operations section in the GroupFinder window will list available Operations on a pre-determined schedule, rotating in different Operations every few days. Players who meet the level requirement of the Operation will be Bolstered, removing the requirement for endgame gear. Rewards have also been improved, making this a great opportunity for players to earn Ultimate Commendations and experience new content. These operations will also be for 16-man mode to ensure faster queue times (both 8 and 16 man need 2 tanks and that is typically the gating factor). 16-man is also more forgiving to mistakes and should increase the chances of a successful group.
OK, pugging raids is annoying and I usually don’t have the patience for it. But ultimate comms are ultimate comms, and I really do need them. If a 16-man can be put together without spamming the fleet and otherwise cat herding, I’m in. As T-Rex says, the worst that can happen is adventures.
Next up is the biggest announcement, in my opinion: Nar Shaddaa has a functioning casino.
Nar Shaddaa Casino. For the first time, players are invited to the casinos on Nar Shaddaa to try their luck on the slot machines. Credits can be used to purchase tokens, which in turn can be used on slot machines. Lucky winners will receive certificates that can be traded in for unique rewards that will only be distributed during the Nar Shaddaa Nightlife event. This event will run from June 10th to August 19th.
On the subject of gambling in games, I’m torn because some people might have a problem taking things in moderation. I’m speaking primarily about those dumbass cartel gambling boxes (about which I’ve complained before). People spend ridiculous amounts of money on those things, and I just don’t get it (especially since it’s real money) – probably because I don’t have the personality trait that makes gambling fun. I have to believe that some of the people spending real cash on cartel boxes cannot afford it, should not be doing it, and would be better off in real life if bioware didn’t offer it. These new slot machines at least do not run on real money, but with a mechanism to turn real money into credits via cartel purchases, people could get themselves in hot water regardless. Having said that, it’s not bioware’s business to babysit us and make sure we don’t do something stupid. I shouldn’t buy oreos because my husband devours them like the sarlacc – but I won’t be writing an angry letter to my grocery store to stop stocking them.
In real life I don’t see the allure of gambling at all and tend to avoid it – it bores me. But I fully support the idea of having a thriving nightlife in Nar Shaddaa where people can socialize and create an “atmosphere.” Not so far as to say I’d roleplay because that’s another thing I find super-boring. But just having people in one spot doing something other than shopping the GTN? Good times.
Now, slot machines are the worst of the boring. I mean, seriously, you push a button and RNG tells you what to get. Yawn. However, if the Nar Shaddaa casino event starts now AND we’re getting Nar Shaddaa housing directly thereafter, I am crossing my fingers for more goodies coming to the Nar Shaddaa nightlife, such as slightly more complicated minigames. A girl can dream.