SW: The Old Republic Part 5

[Nepenthe]

Since, I've been playing it fairly consistently over the last year since it's release.. and I haven't been battling the end-game. Hell, I've done one operation in all that time.

What I have been doing is working my way through all of the different classes and seeing what all the storylines are like. I still haven't finished them all...

 

 

Indeed, the game's not supposed to be a rush to endgame. I think a fairly big part of the "wow clone, lol" crowd just played it that way...

[Hassat Hunter]

Yeah, I don't understand the rush to level 50. This game doesn't start then... IT ENDS.

I do have one lvl 50 doing endgame. I seriously doubt I add many more to that though, the FP's are nice, but the rest is just too damn dull.

 

Give me the storyline any time of day. And fortune has it the F2P system is fully aimed for 50+ anyway, so it's doesn't really bother me at all. Like paying $15 a month would bother me.

I can understand paying for good stuff... but to be bored out of your mind. Seriously? Also, why would that make a bad F2P system?

 

And yeah, the general gameplay is just... bad. Something you have to trudge through for the stories. All in all, if it was made truly SP this game would become 5000% better than the MMO it is now...

[Spider]

Endgame in this game (and I assume in a lot of MMO's) is entirely dependant on the people you run it with. I'm in a guild with a great group of people, and running operations is easily the most fun part of the game. But then I also don't hate the gameplay and find the stories to be vastly overrated, so tehre's that.

 

Don't get me wrong, a couple of the class stories are good, but most are average and some are truly awful. But if the gameplay wasn't fun and the social aspect wasn't there, I'd have stopped playing long ago

[Nepenthe]

Yeah, I'm not uptight enough to get into a guild that still has people playing, so endgame's been pretty "fail" to me.

[marelooke]

 

 

Since, I've been playing it fairly consistently over the last year since it's release.. and I haven't been battling the end-game. Hell, I've done one operation in all that time.

What I have been doing is working my way through all of the different classes and seeing what all the storylines are like. I still haven't finished them all...

Indeed, the game's not supposed to be a rush to endgame. I think a fairly big part of the "wow clone, lol" crowd just played it that way...

 

 

Whether or not it's a rush to endgame (what is "endgame" anyway?) doesn't change the fact that if the endgame falls short then there's not much reason to keep playing a MMO, everybody gets tot their endgame sooner or later, and the vast majority of players gets there sooner rather than later (especially if "later" is 6 months to a year after release).

 

While seeing all the class storylines is fun 80% of the content you go through while experiencing each one is shared for all classes of that faction. Also don't forget that classes are almost straight mirrors of the classes of the other faction, reducing diversity even further (iirc there are, or were, slight differences in the top tier ability, which won't matter before lvl40+ anyway and not at all if you aren't interested in ops/fps).

 

The gameplay (combat mechanics, skill point system etc) are pretty much the definition of a WoW-style MMOs (even though WoW itself has now done away with the skill system, for the wrong reasons imo, but that's another discussion).

 

On a personal note, I didn't skip a single quest and only one Flashpoint (Directive 7, which is a lvl45+ or so FP anyway) while levelling, if I levelled fast it wasn't because of rushing, it was because of playing a damn lot.

Yeah, I don't understand the rush to level 50. This game doesn't start then... IT ENDS.

I do have one lvl 50 doing endgame. I seriously doubt I add many more to that though, the FP's are nice, but the rest is just too damn dull.

Can't say I rushed to 50, at least I don't think so. I just spent a lot of time playing on release. "Rushing" to me means skipping things or going out of your way just to level faster. I never do that on my first playthrough, I'm a terrible completionist. While levelling my Sorcerer (my first character) I did every quest I could find and I've done all but one flashpoint while levelling.

Give me the storyline any time of day. And fortune has it the F2P system is fully aimed for 50+ anyway, so it's doesn't really bother me at all. Like paying $15 a month would bother me.

I can understand paying for good stuff... but to be bored out of your mind. Seriously? Also, why would that make a bad F2P system?

The inventory size limits are something I consider really severe, but I'm a terrible packrat, always have been and always will be. If you aren't and aren't a big fan of flashpoints or pvp then I guess it's a non-issue.

I can understand paying for good stuff... but to be bored out of your mind. Seriously? Also, why would that make a bad F2P system?

Assuming you were referring to my post when you said "bored out of your mind", I'm not. I actually have a fun guild to run operations with on a casual basis, the problem is there isn't exactly much to do outside that barring logging off and doing something else (or grinding flashpoints/dailies or starting a new character).

 

Maybe it's just me, but for example EverQuest 2, despite all its failings (one of them being trying to be more and more like WoW in the last few expansions) has so much content there pretty much always is something you can dig up and chase after. I've played that game for over a year and I wouldn't even dare claim I even *know* about all the dungeons (let alone, factions, quests etc) there are (and I'm a pretty avid wiki/lore digger on the side), some things are just so far off the beaten path, just out there to be (re)discovered.

 

If you compare SWToR to that, well, if you didn't skip things while levelling the only thing you can do once you finish up your class story is starting a new character really, because there's pretty much nothing you won't already have seen while levelling, there is close to zero room for exploration and discovery. Arguably I'm comparing a bloody old game with a bloody new one though.

 

@Nepenthe (but certainly not just directed at you)

Maybe your MMO experience has been limited to WoW and its clones (not surprising since pretty much every 'new' MMO is trying to "kill" WoW by copying it, an approach doomed to failure imo, but I digress), but there are still games out there where you can grab a bunch of guys/gals (or just go at it on your lonesome), pick an area and go explore stuff. *That* is what I want in a *good* MMO*RPG*, there is sadly even more of that in World of Warcraft than there is in SWToR.

 

The "endgame" doesn't have to just be raids (or whatever le nom du jour for them is), the fact that dailies (or some variant thereof) + raids are pretty much the de facto endgame nowadays is just sad. Give me back some sense of wonder, some "dude did you know about this"?

 

I realize this is probably hard to pull off in such high profile titles as every little thing will before long be mapped and turned into a guide, but really it doesn't seem like anybody is even trying. BioWare most certainly wasn't.

And yeah, the general gameplay is just... bad. Something you have to trudge through for the stories. All in all, if it was made truly SP this game would become 5000% better than the MMO it is now...

I will agree with you there. And yes the storylines I've seen are generally good.

 

And as usual my post only contains my humble opinion, ymmv and it probably will.

Edited March 26, 2013 by marelooke

[Hurlshort]

EQ2 was simply awesome to go back to a couple years after release, they put in so much content you didn't need to go anywhere near the same areas you had leveled in before.  GW2 was brilliant about that as well, you could go to any zone and get xp while doing quests.

 

That is a huge weakness in the whole design of TOR.  All those cutscenes and dialogue mean you are pretty much locked into a specific path through the levels.    

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, I wouldn't still be playing lvl 50 if I wasn't invited in a guild, I know that, so that's true.

 

As for limitations;

For inventory there's the GTN. Sure, more expensive, but if you already have one lvl 50 it's no trouble buying them all for an alt. True it might be a bit much for a first char, but using that same GTN you can just walk in money...

For Artifacts (purple items), again, GTN. But they're more than 350K so you need help with that.

For ops there's a weekpass. For pvp too (but I will never use it, 5's enough for me).

As for Flashpoints, they have a "limitation" but it's so horribly broken (no seriously, in 80% of the cases it just plainly doesn't work) that only those unknowing think it's limitating anything at all. Don't waste your credits/real money on that weekpass.

[Azure79]

I'm level 44 for vanguard trooper, mostly due to the double xp weekends that have been going on. The story is pretty boring and the companions are not very interesting. I've started other characters, but the completionist in me keeps me trudging towards level 50 and the class story ending. I heard some stories are better than others though, so I'll try Imperial Agent next. I heard it has the best story, but I'm game for suggestions from my fellow Obsidianites. The story modes are what I'm most interested in.

 

I've enjoyed playing with my friends on flashpoints and those warzones. I also like the space battle missions. Its on rails, but its relaxing and the environments are pretty. 

 

The gameplay is passable. I guess the strategy is knowing when to use certain skills and finding a good cycle to use them in. Once you find a good pattern though, its all you're ever doing. It gets tedious facing enemies with HP bloat. There's got to be another way to make enemies challenging without putting millions of HP on them. I know certain areas are made for groups, but sometimes I want to try it alone. 

 

Overall I am enjoying it. Its fun to play with friends, and random groups have all been friendly. The single player aspects are engaging enough that I can play alone and still have fun. I guess I don't have any problems with the endgame because I'm not too concerned with collecting items and gear or PvP. I expect once I finish a class story, I'll just play another class for another story.

[Humanoid]

Heard the same about IA, but have mechanical issues with the class (and its mirror), either shoehorning the notion of backstabbing as a ranged class, or the concept of cover-based shooting in a genre where it doesn't really fit.

 

I haven't played since my trial month ended almost a year ago, mind.

[Spider]

My ranking on story would be

 

Imperial Agent

Jedi Knight (for it's epicness alone)

Bounty Hunter = Smuggler = Trooper (but I hear it's worse if you have actual military knowledge or experience)

Sith Warrior

Sith Inquisitor (there's a story twist that makes this one a bit fun, would rank below sage otherwise)

Jedi Consular

 

Imperial Agent and Jedi Knight I was really engaged in, and JK starts slowly, but gets more fun after chapter 1. The second tier (Smuggler, BH, Trooper) were ok, but nothing special. The other three I found to be pretty bad, and Consular was super boring (I did play that one last though, so I could have been a little worn, but I played JK second to last and liked that one fine).

[Spider]

Humanoid, Operative and Scoundrel are not ranged classes in any stretch of the imagination. They're stealth melee classes. They have a couple of abilities with 30m range that they share with Snipers, but 90% of their attacks will have a range of 10 meters or less. For lethality (or dirty fighting) spec I suppose you have a few more attacks at range, but your main attacks are still 10 or 4 meters, which is melee.

 

As for sniper's being cover based, I don't know. It's true that they have to utilize cover to fire off their main attacks, but cover is just crouching since they have mobile cover. In other words, it's a mechanic designed to make them a more stationary class, not a way to mimic cover based shooting from other games.

[Humanoid]

Yeah, regrettably my primary character was a scoundrel, and the positioning felt so clunky for reasons I can't fully explain. Playing a WoW rogue with 400ms latency felt smoother than a scoundrel with 40ms latency. I guess only being able to sneak attack only 1/3 or so of enemies because of the grouped nature of spawns also detracted from the sneaky bastard gameplay experience.

 

Was in the low 40s when I quit, the story ran completely out of steam and the gameplay had died a fair way earlier. I got as far as patching and getting to the character select screen once the game went F2P, but haven't been able to muster any real desire to finish that playthrough.

[Spider]

Oh, I agree there. Scoundrel and Operative dps is very clunky. And in end games has been slightly to weak, especially considering their positional requirements.

 

Things will be better in the expansion, at least where damage numbers are concerned. Not sure about the clunkiness, think that's still there to a degree.

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, 2.0 goes live tuesday, a LOT of changes.

Really in wait and see approach on wheter it's improving stuff or making it worse.

 

Also, Hutt Cartel seems a re-hash of old stuff. It's entire strength hangs on Makeb. And why pre-order when the planet's story quality is completely unknown. No thank you.

Will look forward to hearing how it is from forum members if some here did buy it...

[Humanoid]

Hmm, tried to log in to catch up on recent months' patching. Unfortunately it looks like a new login system is in place, and it's a bit of a hassle. I have to use my "display name" instead of my email address as my ID, which happens to be a string of mostly random junk (as all my user credentials are made-up junk, being intended to be for a throwaway weekend trial account); then there's the two-factor verification change that means I have to get a one-time pass sent by email when logging on. Took three attempts for one email to even arrive. Is their email server running on the same hardware as the SimCity servers?

[Gorth]

Got back home to Queensland this weekend (after having been away for a while). Put in a lot of hours Sunday evening/night

 

Both my smuggler (who is now a gunslinger) and inquisitor (who is now a sorcerer) got their ships.

 

Tried my hand at one of the space combats. Rather simple (no substitute for a space sim), but a fun enough diversion.

 

Oh, decided since I was going to complete those stories and not getting pestered by constant "buy me!" reminders, I got a two months non-recurring subscription.

 

I just wish people would stop tapping my shoulder and invite me to their groups and guilds. I really don't want to play with other people

[Oerwinde]

I played a Sith Warrior at launch, quit around level 32. didn't want to play with people either but kept missing out on flashpoints and such, which IMO were the fun part. I really wish it had been a single player game. The gameplay by that point had gotten boring, and I wanted to bring more than one companion.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Oerwinde

[Nepenthe]

I've been gone for a couple of months, again. Too bad, I really could've used the double exp on my imp agent, who's hanging a bit behind the curve. Still have the active subscription, hopefully will get to do some gaming in two weeks after the bar exam.

[Guest Slinky]

I just wish people would stop tapping my shoulder and invite me to their groups and guilds. I really don't want to play with other people

IIRC, you can set to ignore all invites from somewhere in options.

[Gorth]

 

I just wish people would stop tapping my shoulder and invite me to their groups and guilds. I really don't want to play with other people

IIRC, you can set to ignore all invites from somewhere in options.

 

I'll have to look that up, thanks 

[Malcador]

I just wish people would stop tapping my shoulder and invite me to their groups and guilds. I really don't want to play with other people

More fun to reject them. I always get these huffy "Seriously? This is a multiplayer game!" type of responses when I do that. Of course they are right in that wanting to solo a MMORPG is kind of odd.

[Hurlshort]

I just don't understand why you would recruit someone without even talking to them first.  I mean if we are sharing a combat area and engaging in the same baddies, then it's fine to give a quick hello, but if I run by you on the space station, that isn't asking for an invite.

[Spider]

Some guilds seem to like having big numbers. When leveling alts (especially on the republic side on my server) if I left them unguilded, they'd get guild invites from a couple of guilds (one in particular) constantly.

[alanschu]

I got called a bitch once for rejecting a guild invite

[NOK222]

People are really touchy in the endgame. I was with two other guys doing a flash point to get one of the HK parts, I'm not a healer, but I did the spec for one for that mission. A tank came in, not part of group, and began being a bitch at how much we were sucking. Me, being the **** that I was, responded in kind. My first ignore list. We had to wait for another tank to show up.