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SOE Applies Mouse-Only SWG Patch

Sony Online Entertainment has patched in a mouse-only control scheme for Star Wars Galaxies, reports Chris Kohler's Game|Life Blog. We reported this weekend on the complaints of Nick Dupree, a disabled player who was unable to play after the NGE changes. From Chris' post: "Our new fast-action combat control scheme inadvertently presented a hardship for some without the use of both hands; for this reason we are introducing mouse-only play which allows all movements and abilities to be controlled through the mouse exclusively. This is live in the game right now and can be accessed through the options menu. "

11 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. I'll hold out for more updates by aztektum · · Score: 3, Funny

    When are they going to put in patches to make the game worth playing?

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    1. Re:I'll hold out for more updates by SB5 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, I have been waiting for this game to come out of beta for like a several years now....

      --
      If what you are reading sounds funny, or sarcastic, lame, or stupid
      it is because it is supposed to be. just laugh
    2. Re:I'll hold out for more updates by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unfortunately, it looks like it's gone back to alpha...again...

      Chris Mattern

  2. You know it sucks by aztektum · · Score: 2, Funny

    This could cause people to actually return to the game. It's unfortunate, because in reality the mismanaged mess that is SWG needs to die.

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    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  3. Attaboy's by terpl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good for them, Whatever you may think about their products or SOE in general this is a positive response to a legitimate complaints of a small subset of the SWG universe. They could've ignored it, but they didn't and for that I think they deserve a congratulations.

  4. Why not change your keyboard? by voxel · · Score: 2, Funny

    Put a optical sensor under your keyboard and slide your keyboard around...

    Now you're playing with "Mouse Only", only your mouse has 104 buttons.

    --
    Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
  5. That confirms it by mabu · · Score: 2, Funny

    I always suspected that SWG's player base consisted primarily of disabled or mentally-handicapped people. This undoubtedly confirms it. No sense pandering to those of us with full, unrestricted control of our facilities. We're undoubtedly the troublemakers who can post to the web forums complaining about how totally crappy the game has become.

    My guess is that all game functions are now exclusively under mouse control except "EXIT", which may bode well for future announcements of an "increase in SWGs player base."

  6. Re:They faced an ADA lawsuit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    As has been stated countless times now, the ADA has no bearing on video game accessibility. It pertains to access to public facilities like bathrooms or buildings. That would be what those handicapped spaces and ramps up to places are for.

    The ADA was not created to ensure disabled people can play a video game. There was no threat of any lawsuit, just some pissed off players who've dedicated years of playtime to the game, only to find themselves suddenly unable to play because the SWG Developers are asses and didn't think about them.

    It's not a legal matter, it's a PR matter. And, the fact that they didn't consider what is probably a decent little niche of their playerbase at all in the NGE design process speaks volumes about the nightmare that is SWG development. They don't think of doing anything unless it's immediately urgent to them, and even then it usually takes months.

    Now, if only they would overhaul their crappy combat system, and actually get the stupid game out of a beta state, then maybe people would actually play it. Even then, the graphics system is really outdated and capped at 30 fps for God knows what reason. Terrain alone in the game is all laggy and loads slow, with a 256MB GeForce 6800GT. Don't get me started on group PvP.

    The game just deserves to die. SWG is just a testbed for whatever Smedley and Co. have planned for this coming year to compete with WoW. But, be assured - it will likely be a perpetual beta bugfest just like SWG has been all these years.

    So, play with one hand, fine. It's still a crappy game.

  7. I have a disability. by hal2814 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have a disability that prevents me from enjoying the new SWG system. If you could just change it back to the old system then people with the same disability as I have (dontlikecrapism) would be much better accomodated.

  8. Well I been posting lengthy posts so far about SWG by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Well I been posting lengthy posts so far about SWG so why should this story be an exception eh?

    Well I tried the trial and was less then impressed with the "tutorial" level. I since spotted you can skip it wich is great since it at least allows you to go down to where the action is.

    I then found out that for some reason my account is active until the 3rd of jan, no Idon't see any payments to sony on my bankstatements, perhaps as part of a free trial for old players?

    I had of course to check it out. The game has changed. And yet it is the same. It is not nearly as dead as some claim BUT it is being deserted. Oh and don't count subscription figures to much. One guy in my guild seems to have 11 alts. 11 accounts being played by one person. Coupled with people who simply stopped playing but whose account is still running this means the game has far fewer players then subscription numbers would have you believe.

    So is it as bad as everyone claims.

    Well yes. The engine just isn't up to the changes. It never been designed like this. One of the problems? Well enemies can be inside each other, there is no proper collision detection but this makes it very hard to target in the new combat mode that critter wich you want. Usually you target 1 kill then do the next in a group. Now you find yourselve attacking two critters at random meaning it takes longer and you take more damage.

    No they took a bugged game and forced it into a new outfit that doesn't fit and stuffed it with new bugs. There is still a hint of what SWG could have become in more capable hands but the NGE just shows that SOE isn't capable.

    There really is something fundamentally wrong at SOE were each design decission just doesn't seem to be properly analyzed. It is weird but SOE with SWG seems to have had a nice idea at the beginning and then somehow managed to screw EVEYTHING up. Not big not majorily.

    Imagine it like this. Say that for each decision you had four choices. A perfect choice, a totally crap one, a middle of the road one. Well sony then always picks the fourth, the not crap and not middle of the road one. The one choice that is yuck.

    Sony would stock their soda dispensers with Pepsi. That says it all really. SWG is pepsi. Nobody drinks pepsi by choice, only because coca-cola isn't sold in some places.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  9. Re:Well that was quick... by PoderOmega · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nice. People complain at the length of time it takes to fix bugs in SWG, and now we have criticism about how quick an issue was addressed.