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Where's the exploration?
StinkyPits
Member Posts: 123
The one thing I really wanted was a lush game to explore without a bunch of loading zones. Each world feels like it's about the size of a large field (some larger than others), but not a large explorable world. Don't get me wrong, I'm still playing and enjoying the game, but I feel kind of disappointed in this department. Why is it so difficult to make a game that has more exploration. When I played WAR at launch, that even felt like it had more explorable areas than this does and the loading zones in that game were obnoxious.
I'm just not really sure why BioWare made the decision to chop the game into pieces with buildings that use elevators (one loading zone point) and smaller worlds that don't seem that big. I haven't played WoW in forever, but I was hoping we'd see something on the scale of that game where each zone was explorable without having to load to the next. Why is that so difficult to pull off in a game like this? I'm sure it was a conscious decision by the dev team, but still a poor choice to use load zones.
Just disappointed in the exploration part of this game. Was really looking forward to exploring the Star Wars universe a bit more freely. /rant
Comments
Actually, their reasoning was actually fairly good. If you looked at their maps, they followed exactly who went where and found almost NOT (as in next to zero) players were remotely interested in exploration. If I can find the article I'll repost it.
http://www.swtor.com/news/blog/20110506
http://mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
Those aren't the particular article but they follow the same idea.
After thinking about it, I'll answer with a question: When has any Bioware game had good exploration? Bioware environments are very small and linear.
Odd, what bioware games play like WoW in combat? What bioware games don't come out on consoles? What bioware games involve 30 different activated skills at max level? What bioware games are multiplayer?
This game is barely like a bioware game except in the ways it shouldn't be.
Yep, exactly like kotor, DA, ME you know those single player story driven games.
I did ask the same question some weeks ago and opened a thread:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/post/4591176#4591176
My assumptions were actaully right which I did expirience in the gameplay later on and you see clearly that some people have either a different understanding of exploring or just talk plain nonsens and overhyping swtor.
The game is not for explorers....
It's hard to make a good exploration game. It's even harder to make exploration important in a theme park game. And I'm not sure if the people who like theme park games (for the majority) are that interested in exploring vast worlds. There is some overlap though I'm sure.
Doesn't matter how well a game makes exploration, outside elements kill it.
What's the first thing that happens when people find explorable places in game? They record it and put it on youtube.
The datacron idea was a great ploy, except that just raid bosses, only the first people to find/kill reaps full rewards. Everyone else is just alt-tab copy cats.
No game can fix this...
not to mention char. creation
GOTY skyrim would beg to differ.. granted its different type of game but it's still an rpg... from my experience rpg gamers tend to enjoy some explorationhttp://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/339443/Video-FollowUp-Guide-For-Enhancing-Graphics-and-Performance-in-SWTORSorry-still-Nvidia-Only.html
Exploration, like so many MMO features some of us remember fondly from our days in games like EQ, is a thing of the past. Today's MMO player wants something different, something that gets him easily through the content and to max level so he can PVP, raid, chase gear or whatever. Hence the rise of the themepark. WoW is probably the last of its kind in offering anything more than a streamlined handheld journey to the top.
Plus, us older gamers just don't have the time to spend in MMOs that we used to, between work, family etc. Yes I look back at EQ with very happy memories, but the reality is I wouldn't be able to play it now with the couple of hours each day I can spend in game. BW is just following the modern trend and not wasting time and resources on giant, rich environments that only a very small number of players would take time to explore or even take notice of.
Any mmorpg with an open world and a lively world with content and not boxed in has something for an explorer.
When it comes to mmorpgs there are some major mmorpgs around who are enjoyable for exploring the game:
World of Warcraft, Vanguard, LotRo, Everquest 2, Asherons Call
When it comes to single player rpg games:
Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Morrowind, and so on....
These type of games offer exploring by a large amount....
I found exploring in SWTOR to be kinda like WoW but with more hidden goodies because of th datacrons. It was actually fun going around exploring the world n trying to find datacrons n stuff!
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You know exactly such answers are for me not understandable, how can someone say exploring in swtor is like in WoW. Wheras wow had a world to explore I cant see this in swtor that much. Well no offence, if you feel like that but I guess I have just a different understanding of exploring and the needed content for it.
I can think from the top of my head of 3 planets that exploration do not exist
Coruscant, Nar Shadda and Quesh
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
I did some exploration on Nar Shadda outside of the story line.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Yes, but it is so minimal that I don't count it, besides theres not much to see other than holoads and metal walls
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
Yes, but it is so minimal that I don't count it, theres not much to see other than holoads and metal walls
This is what I love* about threads like this. People bring up their experiences doing whatever it is that is being talked about (for instance, exploration) and the response isn't, "Oh really? You managed to do that? Do tell!" The response is always, "That doesn't count because of reason X." The list of reasons for discounting the personal experiences is endless.
* That's sarcasm.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
err...ok?
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
Actually Nar Shaddar is for me the most boring planet out of all and I was happy after finishing the quests to leave this planet asap.
Thre is nothing to explore. The planet offers only small maps where you have 2-3 main streets and a net of side roads, some almost empty halls with monuments and shops and around the world the lifeless npc standing around most in a group of 3.
What did you explore here ?
The maps are so tiny that you will see most with questing anyway. The side and class quests send you on quests to walk forth and back on such maps and reveal as good as everything on your ingame map.
I did some exploration on Nar Shadda outside of the story line.
Actually Nar Shaddar is for me the most boring planet out of all and I was happy after finishing the quests to leave this planet asap.
Thre is nothing to explore. The planet offers only small maps where you have 2-3 main streets and a net of side roads, some almost empty halls with monuments and shops and around the world the lifeless npc standing around most in a group of 3.
What did you explore here ?
The maps are so tiny that you will see most with questing anyway. The side and class quests send you on quests to walk forth and back on such maps and reveal as good as everything on your ingame map.
Exploration is where you find it. It's not tied to the size of the map. You can explore in a 10 foot by 10 foot room. But anyway...walking everywhere the quest lines take you does not fill in the entire map of Nar Shadaa (Shaddaa? Shadda?). You have to go out of your way to fill in the entire map.
I'm not saying that SWToR is an explorer's paradise. It's certainly not the main reason for playing the game. It's not an 'open world' game. The game's strong point is the directed story line so being an open world exploration game is counter to the game's strong point. I'm simply saying that the option to explore exists, and you'll have to explore some to find that option.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
I understand what you want to say.
Actually its similar with single player games.
Oblivion/Fallout3/Skyrim/Morrowind offers great exploring and a lot of content to discover in an open world
Now compare this to:
MassEffect I+II, Kotor I+II, Dragon Age I+II
They are totally different game types but you can clearly see the difference if you actually played them. This is not much difference with mmorpgs, where some games offer exploration with an open world and some not because they are boxed in and linear.
Yes you can also explore a 10x10, but this is not what gamers expect who actually love to explore a huge and immersive game world. Exploration is not just about "where to find it" but also about the offered game content and game design.
I agree 100%. BUT, this game was not designed for long time mmo players like me, or I am assuming yourself. they went after the wow type crowd, and from what I understand at least pertaining to initial sales, nailed it.
There is no exploration because there is nothing to explore. From the main path, I can see the edge (or wall) of the zone.
If they did this same "test" in SWG, you could bet your ass that almost all of them would walking to the four corners.