Star Wars: The Old Republic

[Champman99]

I played final beta, and although I found myself putting in alot of hours, I couldnt work out whether I was actually enjoying it or not. That might sound strange, but after many year of WoW I think people can probably relate to a sort of sensation where you are playing it but its all a bit of a grind and you are only doing it as sort of a compulsion to improve your character.

I definitely think I would've given it a month (ie the free month) but I'm put off by a very high retail price. I would've thought that MMOs were more of a slow burner, ie the Gilette Razer model wherby the initial product is very attractively priced and they sting you after you lock in (ie replacement blades). For example I say I will just give in my free month, but after putting in many hours to my characters I can't bear to lose all that and subscribe. Perhaps they are concerned there isnt actually the longevity in it, and therefore want to monetize from the initial hype.

Some of the similarities to WoW felt jarring at times (talent trees, the fact that loot has the same colours for rarity). The positives really are the voice acting, even a minor "Kill 10 bad guys" quest has so much more relevence when you have actually listened and interacted with the npc. Companions also are a nice touch, for instance the idea that you can play as a healer without too much difficulty for solo content because your companion is a damage or tank and there are some interesting "Time saving" features, like area loot, sending companion to npcs to sell vendor junk etc, which is interesting when one usually talks of "Time sinks" in MMOs, ie ways to waste your time.

Most of all I think its a decent job. It really is WOW meets KOTOR, and I can see it being a success - but its definitely not revolutionary. Considering how much its had the opportunity to learn from other games, I feel it could have been a lot better. But theyve gone for trying to attract WoW players rather than attracting new players to the genre, which is fair enough, and they have certainly made making the transition easy, with even default hotkeys all working without issue.

[Geist]

I love the game so far. I have an Assassin at 21 now and I've had a great time with the guild and a few pugs.

My brief points would be...

Out of half a dozen pugs so far only was a total fail but I think this is down to only having the preorder people in game so far.

Game mechanics wise I've been impressed with how much skill is actually required. I've been able to tell more than a few times which people are bashing one power etc especially with all the stuns and crowd control that's used in fights.

Group conversations are a great point. They show off everyone’s characters close up and really gives the feel that everyone is a part of the whole.

*touch wood* I've not come across major bugs but guild members have. I think it's only been minor animation problems I've seen. There's lots of little things that are either bugs or things just not implemented that catch my attention. When you jump into a 'taxi ' speeder you leave your companion behind even though there is a second seat.


Overall I've been very impressed with the level of finish on the product but need to wait until the open release date and they stop capping the servers. I've not looked into end game content but the story so far is good and is meant to last till approx. lev 40 (max level is 50).

[vdbswong]

Got my Assassin to 30 and reserved my surname =].

Now going back through the Bonus Series quests (for completion) and also levelling up my Gathering/Crafting. However things are going to be a lot more relaxed from now on.

Started levelling up a few alts as well, have a Level 16 Operative and a Level 10 Warrior which shall end up as a Marauder.

As for bugs, all of the major ones i've encountered have been more to do with my PC... went home this weekend and started playing on the rather cluttered desktop... previously the laptop was handling the game perfectly.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Hi. What are the main unique/refreshing features that this MMO has to offer?

so far i have read that all quests and npc's have cut scenes and real dialogs. what else does this game offer?

[kalniel]

Hi. What are the main unique/refreshing features that this MMO has to offer?

so far i have read that all quests and npc's have cut scenes and real dialogs. what else does this game offer?

It's Bioware.

It's Star Wars.

[Spud1]

Hi. What are the main unique/refreshing features that this MMO has to offer?

so far i have read that all quests and npc's have cut scenes and real dialogs. what else does this game offer?

A great, immersive, and well told story. Something that other MMORPGs generally failed to do unless you put in a lot of effort..with swtor it's just natural, and much more compelling than most.

Plus yes this is Bioware and Star Wars..what's not to like

[kopite]

is jar jar in there?

[MasterFlash]

I've just started and its a grower for me. Nicely polished and much more interested quests / plot lines than others. The more I'm playing it the better it gets thats for sure.

[Spud1]

it's 3000 years before him..so thankfully no

[vdbswong]

so far i have read that all quests and npc's have cut scenes and real dialogs. what else does this game offer?

The Imperial Agent (Sniper) and Smuggler (Gunslinger) classes (specifically) uses a cover system (i can't think of any other game which has one) which gives them a rather unique feel in terms of gameplay.

[kopite]

it's 3000 years before him..so thankfully no

I`m sold then Wonder if its too late to tell santa...

[Allen]

Hi. What are the main unique/refreshing features that this MMO has to offer?

so far i have read that all quests and npc's have cut scenes and real dialogs. what else does this game offer?

Amazing story lines for each class, and following each story line doesn't feel like a grind at all as you are immersed in the voice acting and objectives. The side quests are the usual grindy type, but you pretty much do them on the side in the same areas as story lines missions, so it's not like "travel half way across the map to kill x mobs, then travel all the way over the other side to collect y items, then go back to the hub and get two more quests to those same areas you have just been". There is a nice flow to the quests.

Voice acting is amazing and really adds to the experience. In WoW or any other MMO I have barely ever read the quests and just figured out where to go and what to do once accepted.

Crafting and gathering are done by your companions so you don't spend ages going out of your way just to collect items.

It's Star Wars, and I don't think there is any better or more popular IP in the world than that!

The ability to chose between dark side and light side choices when questing which you can really get in to, for example my Sith Warrior is Dark Side II already, because every chance I get I shock and backhand my companion (she was a slave and I kept her shock collar on so she would obey me, plus as a Sith I can "punish" her by giving her a backhand, although it doesn't add Dark Side points as it's a social ability, but it fits my char) to keep her in place. She doesn't like it and sometimes cries, but my char takes every opportunity to kill and loves doing so. Several times I have killed people in dialogues just for the fun of it, and when questioned by my master I normally answer I did it for the lolz and he even congratulates me for it.

It's much more immersive than any other MMO I have played, and I have played quite a few.

But at the end of the day, it's still an MMO and some people will not get into them or want to pay a monthly fee to play them.

[Chanfron]

I love Star Wars and I like MMO's but I just cant get excited about TOR, I thought the two CGI videos where awesome but after watching some game videos I just don't find my self wanting it, no idea why as I should want it.

The last proper MMORPG I played was Aion and gave up after 4 months, also been playing Star Trek Online but am on a break from that for a while but I don't consider it an MMORPG.

I have never played wow so cant compare, if a trial version comes out I will defiantly try it.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Thanks. my favorite mmo is guild wars 2 as it wasnt about go here and kill x then go there and kill y. it had a great storyline too.

i played WOW and hated it. was a bore fest. Played Rift and was good for the first few months till i realized its the same old go here and kill x and y, rinse and repeat, plus the server population died big time making it more or a single player game!

the monthly fees is not what im worried about. i am worried about the standard MMO crap of not having a storyline, wall of text for quests that no one reads and quests where u do the same crap over and over and over and over again..

I am not a "massive" star wars fan though. the movies where cool. im more of a "star trek" fan if you ask me so just because its a star wars universe, doesnt tickle my fancy hench why i am asking what other unique/refreshing things this game has.

Now Guild wars 2 is a game i will get day 1 no question. why? because its doing a LOT of unique/refreshing things then any other MMO.

No more holding your hand telling u where to go to find quests(all dynamic, you just speak to some random person and they give u a quest, or see some sort of event occuring like someones house being attacked and you help out etc etc), a few voice acting as what i can see, dynamic combat, none of this click click click stuff u see in most MMO's and some sort of realm vs realm events as well.

Now, with this MMO, i have heard its mostly instance based? like Age of conan? aint that a bit pants? i mean say if you are in server A and so am i, because its instance based, we may not be in the same instance

That was one of the major grips i did not like in Guild wars 1. mostly instance based

What about combat? is it dynamic like mass effect/skyrim? or is it a bunch of click click type stuff? i imagine clicking some sort of auto attack skill to allow your player to auto attack using his lightsaber would become tedius for me. i rather much have control of when i attack using the lightsaber and also to block, just like in skyrim.

[danroyle]

Thanks. my favorite mmo is guild wars 2 as it wasnt about go here and kill x then go there and kill y. it had a great storyline too.

i played WOW and hated it. was a bore fest. Played Rift and was good for the first few months till i realized its the same old go here and kill x and y, rinse and repeat, plus the server population died big time making it more or a single player game!

the monthly fees is not what im worried about. i am worried about the standard MMO crap of not having a storyline, wall of text for quests that no one reads and quests where u do the same crap over and over and over and over again..

I am not a "massive" star wars fan though. the movies where cool. im more of a "star trek" fan if you ask me so just because its a star wars universe, doesnt tickle my fancy hench why i am asking what other unique/refreshing things this game has.

Now Guild wars 2 is a game i will get day 1 no question. why? because its doing a LOT of unique/refreshing things then any other MMO.

No more holding your hand telling u where to go to find quests(all dynamic, you just speak to some random person and they give u a quest, or see some sort of event occuring like someones house being attacked and you help out etc etc), a few voice acting as what i can see, dynamic combat, none of this click click click stuff u see in most MMO's and some sort of realm vs realm events as well.

Now, with this MMO, i have heard its mostly instance based? like Age of conan? aint that a bit pants? i mean say if you are in server A and so am i, because its instance based, we may not be in the same instance

That was one of the major grips i did not like in Guild wars 1. mostly instance based

What about combat? is it dynamic like mass effect/skyrim? or is it a bunch of click click type stuff? i imagine clicking some sort of auto attack skill to allow your player to auto attack using his lightsaber would become tedius for me. i rather much have control of when i attack using the lightsaber and also to block, just like in skyrim.

I loved guild wars 1 too and will buy the second on release for the same reasons as you so i'll give you my take on star wars TOR

firstly i tried the beta and got to level 10-12 with 3 different classes and i love star wars the cutscenes are awesome and the acting is good but after two full weekends of gaming i realised that it is just another go here kill x find y bring back to A, Because its wrapped in a star wars cloak its kinda fun but i cant think of anything other than lightsabers that made it any different from any other mmorpg.

Combat is basically click the mouse alot and press keys on the numpad on tougher fights to do more advanced attacks, i found myself just tapping the mouse early on as i never needed the special powers, companions etc look cool and the choices you can make seem fun and i was really excited about the game before the beta. Honestly though i am relieved i tried it as i probably would have bought it and then been disappointed at £40 for the game and the £8 a month its just not worth it to me if the game had been cheaper and the subs set at about £5 i probably would have jumped, But knowing guild wars will be out sometime soon and have no sub i'm saving my cash.

Shame really cos i love star wars and all the games too

[Allen]

Now, with this MMO, i have heard its mostly instance based? like Age of conan? aint that a bit pants? i mean say if you are in server A and so am i, because its instance based, we may not be in the same instance

That was one of the major grips i did not like in Guild wars 1. mostly instance based

It is instance based, but 2 clicks and you can change. It is actually a good idea for questing as areas don't get too crowded so you don't have to fight over quest objects and mobs. Chat is shared over all the instances so you will never feel "alone" or separated from the rest.

What about combat? is it dynamic like mass effect/skyrim? or is it a bunch of click click type stuff? i imagine clicking some sort of auto attack skill to allow your player to auto attack using his lightsaber would become tedius for me. i rather much have control of when i attack using the lightsaber and also to block, just like in skyrim.

Forgot to mention combat, there is no auto attack so it's all you, however blocking etc is still chance based.

As an example, my character a Sith Warrior, uses rage and like a Warrior in WoW, starts with none. You have several abilities that cost no rage and give you rage, plus a couple of buffs or passive abilities which allow you to generate rage when taking damage. Then your hard hitting moves cost rage when used. So you have to balance them out. Due to the lack of auto attack, it is much better than most other MMO's I have seen.