SW: The Old Republic Part 3

[ShadySands]

I know I'm a bit of an oddity in that I rarely hit the level caps in MMO's, but I really think some of you folks are overdoing it here. Slow down and enjoy the ride, hitting the level cap in a month is actually a bad thing.

 

We're playing 2-5 hours a day typically, perhaps more on the weekends. We're level 46-47. Don't feel like we're rushing, but we certainly are playing a lot. Most of our guildies (who are more experienced in these games) are starting to hit 50, som did after two or three weeks I think.

 

Hitting 50 now is fairly normal if you're devoted to one character, it is fast to level in the game. More so than other mmos, if I've been informed correctly.

 

I think the leveling pace in this game is a way too fast. I already go out of my way not to log out in a cantina or my ship and even my wife who has never played an MMO before is worried that we will run out of stuff to do in the near future.

Edited January 26, 2012 by ShadySands

[Guest Slinky]

I also joined a couple friends on an RP server. They decided that they didn't like the game, which was a bummer because I enjoy playing MMO's with them. The server itself is a bit odd, so far I've grouped with two people, one tried to cyber with me, and the other seemed to be roleplaying someone with a brain injury.

 

I'm lucky to be in a guild with friends, that's not a small reason why I like playing the game.

[Spider]

I know I'm a bit of an oddity in that I rarely hit the level caps in MMO's, but I really think some of you folks are overdoing it here. Slow down and enjoy the ride, hitting the level cap in a month is actually a bad thing.

 

We're playing 2-5 hours a day typically, perhaps more on the weekends. We're level 46-47. Don't feel like we're rushing, but we certainly are playing a lot. Most of our guildies (who are more experienced in these games) are starting to hit 50, som did after two or three weeks I think.

 

Hitting 50 now is fairly normal if you're devoted to one character, it is fast to level in the game. More so than other mmos, if I've been informed correctly.

 

I think the leveling pace in this game is a way too fast. I already go out of my way not to log out in a cantina or my ship and even my wife who has never played an MMO before is worried that we will run out of stuff to do in the near future.

 

I do the same on my main. We've been overleveleled on each world we come to and it's just recently (Belsavis, Voss) that we haven't been able to play Heroic 4 just the two of us. This is of course the reason we're overleveld, and we know that. But that's ok, we're both fairly noobish to MMOs, so the challenge level is about right. Well, I like the heroics more than my wife, because I enjoy the added challenge, but I wouldn't want that difficulty level all the time.

 

I wouldn't mind if it was slower to level, but I think I would mind if playing through the story took longer. It's a balance for sure. In the end, it mostly depends on how fun the game is at 50. If it's amazing there, then I guess how long it takes to get there doesn't really matter.

[Malcador]

By rushing, I mean putting in more hours than a full time job. It just leads to burnout eventually

 

7 days since the 20th, looking at it that way I guess I am overplaying though.

[Hurlshort]

By rushing, I mean putting in more hours than a full time job. It just leads to burnout eventually

 

7 days since the 20th, looking at it that way I guess I am overplaying though.

 

I don't mean to sound critical or anything. I'm just going to be bummed if a bunch of you guys drop this game like a hot potato in a month and I have nobody left to talk about it with.

 

I've also known a few folks that put in 8 hours a day for years in these games, leveling alts and running end game content, so that does work for some. I just know it is easier for me to enjoy MMO's long term when I only play a few times a week.

[Nepenthe]

By rushing, I mean putting in more hours than a full time job. It just leads to burnout eventually

 

7 days since the 20th, looking at it that way I guess I am overplaying though.

 

I don't mean to sound critical or anything. I'm just going to be bummed if a bunch of you guys drop this game like a hot potato in a month and I have nobody left to talk about it with.

 

I've also known a few folks that put in 8 hours a day for years in these games, leveling alts and running end game content, so that does work for some. I just know it is easier for me to enjoy MMO's long term when I only play a few times a week.

I'll still be here, I'm progressing really slowly.

 

 

Meh, Im hitting a mental wall in the game. Loitering at level 47 with no motivation to go to Voss, tired of sitting in the space station hoping to find a group for a flashpoint and have a sinking feeling that I chose crap professions (Archeology, Artifacing (sp) and Treasure Hunting).

 

 

I have the same set, and I understand that it's about as good as any, barring biotech. I have some artifact crystal recipes reverse engineered

[Raithe]

I don't mean to sound critical or anything. I'm just going to be bummed if a bunch of you guys drop this game like a hot potato in a month and I have nobody left to talk about it with.

 

I've also known a few folks that put in 8 hours a day for years in these games, leveling alts and running end game content, so that does work for some. I just know it is easier for me to enjoy MMO's long term when I only play a few times a week.

 

Don't worry, I'm going to be playing it on and off for at least 6 months...

 

Edit:

I went with Artifice, Archaeology and Treasure Hunting for my SI... and for some reason I just never developed Artifice any.. and now I'm 50th level, with about 23 ranks in Artifice, and about 8 basic schematics... and only about 2 of them are red crystal ones...

Edited January 26, 2012 by Raithe

[Spider]

Crafting is a bit of a mess right now. When it comes to end game content, crafting just doesn't match up with what you can get with commendations, apart from a few very specialized pieces. And biochem. Cybertech was great for levelling though, and I do make some money by selling starship upgrades on the GTN.

 

But if you're not satisfied with your crew skills, you can probably level a new one up to max in a matter of a couple of days, if you have the money.

[Malcador]

Armstech seems a bit of a bust on my server, no one's buying weapons all that much. Investigation is yielding nice results with the gifts.

[Gfted1]

TBH, I dont understand the commendation gear. For example, if you go over to the Starship Upgade vendor in the space station, right next to that vendor is a Starship Upgrade vendor that sells stuff for the comendations you get for completing Space missions. Under that vendor is a whole list of equipment for decking out your toon in "pilot" gear. Except this gear is like level six and has no base stats, although it does have mod slots. Ive noticed some of the gear under Dark Side vendor is like that too. Why would anyone waste commendations on gear like that? Just for the look of the gear? I feel like Im not understanding something.

[Malcador]

Cosmetics, pure and simple. If the gear looks better to you than your current one, rip out the mods and put them in the new one. I don't get the Social gear myself (since Social points don't come that easy - yay for 'story lite' instances, heh) but people spend their points how they like

 

Reminds me, I need to find armour with a hood.

[Calax]

Orange armor will "level" with the mods that are placed within it. So when you're using the dancers outfit as a woman on a consular, you can use that thing all the way up to level 50 if you keep the mods updated. And you can mix/match gear this way (so a jedi in armor isn't a big deal).

[Bos_hybrid]

Why would anyone waste commendations on gear like that? Just for the look of the gear? I feel like Im not understanding something.

 

It's cheaper in the long run, also how something looks has always been important to people. I like the idea, that you can find something you like and keep upgrading it to the highest level. Although they have no use in PVP.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Bos_hybrid

[Gfted1]

But my point is, they have no "base" stats, only mod slots, so dont you lose out on a ton of stats? For example, my chest piece may have the following base stats: End +35, Will + 50, etc... and then three slots for mods, commendation gear doesnt have any of that.

[Calax]

But my point is, they have no "base" stats, only mod slots, so dont you lose out on a ton of stats? For example, my chest piece may have the following base stats: End +35, Will + 50, etc... and then three slots for mods, commendation gear doesnt have any of that.

Nope.... the end and will you mentioned would make it so that the item you're wearing was only using 1-2 mods instead of three. The only objects that have 3 mods are those that are orange, and thus have all their stats built around the mods placed within. For kicks, some people use the starting weapons and dancers armor their entire leveling process because they can.

[Gromnir]

But my point is, they have no "base" stats, only mod slots, so dont you lose out on a ton of stats? For example, my chest piece may have the following base stats: End +35, Will + 50, etc... and then three slots for mods, commendation gear doesnt have any of that.

 

it doesnt have base stat boosts. is expensive to experiment, but take alll the mods out of your chest piece/lightsabre/blaster rifle/whatever and you is gonna see that save for some very rare exceptions, all the orange stuff is simply containers for mods. armour mod sets base armour rating. hilt mod sets base damage for lightsabres. etc. the armour we were using at level 50 were stuff we picked up 'round level 20. gots approx +80 will +75 end, and similar big boosts to critical and surge. were all based on mods.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited January 27, 2012 by Gromnir

[Nepenthe]

But my point is, they have no "base" stats, only mod slots, so dont you lose out on a ton of stats? For example, my chest piece may have the following base stats: End +35, Will + 50, etc... and then three slots for mods, commendation gear doesnt have any of that.

 

it doesnt have base stat boosts. is expensive to experiment, but take alll the mods out of your chest piece/lightsabre/blaster rifle/whatever and you is gonna see that save for some very rare exceptions, all the orange stuff is simply containers for mods. armour mod sets base armour rating. hilt mod sets base damage for lightsabres. etc. the armour we were using at level 50 were stuff we picked up 'round level 20. gots approx +80 will +75 end, and similar big boosts to critical and surge. were all based on mods.

 

HA! Good Fun!

I'm lvl 32 now and the esseles sentinel robes are still what I'm using (best-looking medium robes I've had the opportunity to use). Also my offhand weapon is the lightsaber I initially got... Kind of like the thought of using some very early items at end-game.

[Walsingham]

Funnily enough while go for staright practicality in normal life, in game I will cheerfully accept up to around 30% decrement in performance rather than look like a doofus.

[Hurlshort]

I'm holding onto all my orange gear for now just to be safe. It's hard to keep the mods up to date with my level.

[Malcador]

Well just beat the game (well ok my IA story). Ending was so so, I decided to take the Morgan Everett like ending, heh.

[Hurlshort]

I played through a couple flashpoints with Raithe last night, it was fun. Not as heavy on the dialogue and story as the first one, but still a pretty decent little adventure.

[Malcador]

There sure are a disappointingly few flashpoints that have "story" elements to them, I've found. Did Red Reaper with friends the other night, that had a lot of potential that was wasted (also the DS/LS choice with the frozen Sith was rather dumb)

[Raithe]

I think one of the minor disapointments I've found, is that once you get past that first flashpoint (the Esseles / Black Talon split) the flashpoints are exactly the same whether you're Republic or Empire.. I mean, okay, some of the dialogue within change, but even that's pretty much just switching a few references around more then anything else.

 

I know they've put a lot of resources in other things, and I'm glad the PvE side is so well done in general, but it does feel as if they've taken a bit of a shortcut with them by doing that. I mean, Esseles and Black Talon show just how well done they can be. They actually branch out slightly differently depending on choices you make, there's a lot of story to them, and you can get invested in whats going on. And those are the ones you get shown first. So to go from that, to pretty straight "dungeon slogs" - even if some do have great atmosphere - does seem a bit of a downer.

 

On another point, the smuggler does get an awful lot of amusing flirt options. And I have to say, I have a lot of appreciation for 'Sweeping Gunfire'....

[Nepenthe]

Yeah, did Taral V last night. Ok, we were only three guys (2 shadows and my sentinel) which could have contributed to the general feeling of it having been an unending slog. Also, I swear, my last interesting loot drop was from Hammer Station weeks ago. 've had to put the commendations to real use.

[Gfted1]

all the orange stuff is simply containers for mods.

 

I...did not realize that. For whatever reason I never put it together that the orange stuff was just a sum of the mods. Bummer, I sold some cool looking orange stuff long ago. One looked like a Gimp mask.

 

Anyway, I slew my nightmares, pushed through to 50 and am now working on the Voss Bonus questline.