Returning player - feeling lost

Stayonboard

Hey all, like the title says... new player returning from about 5 months post launch and I'm a little overwhelmed. 

So many things have changed, including the F2P aspect. I'm not even sure what 'perks' I have from buying it at launch and having multiple months subbed but I did notice I had about 2500 coins/credits in my account. 

I had a few questions...

1) Is there a popular/healthy server that I should play on? I usually play on PVE servers (yay carebear) though I haven't even decided if I'm going to go Republic or Empire yet, nor do I know what class to play. Usually when server merges happen, a lot of people flock to 1-2 servers and at the login screen they're all listed as "standard".

2) Speaking of classes, I have multiple toons in the 20's (Trooper, Smuggler, JC, Agent) and I could even consider rolling a brand new character due to not remembering how to play these. But mainly I want to play for the class stories (and well, I've always loved Star Wars and heard there's been some real good changes here). Out of ALL the class stories, which was your favorite and most recommended to play? In addition, out of the 4 listed above, which would you play? I'll likely dabble in raids/flashpoints down the road but it's a secondary goal currently.

3) I heard they are introducing player housing? Has this been launched yet or is it apart of the new xpac?

4) What do you buy with the Cartel Coins? Is there something I should be picking up right away that I can't live without in game?

5) Any other tips/tricks that can help me I'd greatly appreciate it. It's very overwhelming to log in to characters with no concept of how to play or where to go (which is why I'm actually considering just rolling a new toon from scratch)

 

Sorry if this post is a bit scattered and unfocused, kinda how I felt when I started playing yesterday lol

Cheers!

funcon

1. Go to server forums and see which one has the most posts. that usually is an indicator of server population.

2. I would roll a new toon. I don't know which class has best story.

3. player housing will launch soon check the website.

4. I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.

5. Just roll a new toon. The tutorial is enough help. There is also a new space pvp game where you can hop right in.

Impacthound

Cartel Coins are for vanity & cosmetic items, unlocking features if you plan on being a preferred(free later) player later on, and account perks(also available for credits in-game). You don't need any of them, but you can significantly boost your in-game strength and speed of levelling with rocket boost on your character, leveling XP boosts from the store, and unlocking a bunch of Presence on your companion to do more damage/healing(or buying Treek the ewok early to steamroll content).

If you only leveled a few characters into the 20s, you shouldn't see anything different from the first 6 months when you played other than the Starfighter PVP. The first 50 levels of content and story is exactly the same as when you left.

Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Stayonboard

Hey all, like the title says... new player returning from about 5 months post launch and I'm a little overwhelmed. 

So many things have changed, including the F2P aspect. I'm not even sure what 'perks' I have from buying it at launch and having multiple months subbed but I did notice I had about 2500 coins/credits in my account. 

As a former subscriber you are automatically in preferred status. You get 4 hotbars instead of 2 etc. Make sure that you will check the interface editor, there are lots of things like bars that are initially not enabled. I would definitely enable target of target as well.

I had a few questions...

1) Is there a popular/healthy server that I should play on? I usually play on PVE servers (yay carebear) though I haven't even decided if I'm going to go Republic or Empire yet, nor do I know what class to play. Usually when server merges happen, a lot of people flock to 1-2 servers and at the login screen they're all listed as "standard".

The Ebon Hawk has plenty of people playing. Low planets ate packed, most of them have multiple instances.  But other PVE servers are OK too, PvP players are less populated.

2) Speaking of classes, I have multiple toons in the 20's (Trooper, Smuggler, JC, Agent) and I could even consider rolling a brand new character due to not remembering how to play these. But mainly I want to play for the class stories (and well, I've always loved Star Wars and heard there's been some real good changes here). Out of ALL the class stories, which was your favorite and most recommended to play? In addition, out of the 4 listed above, which would you play? I'll likely dabble in raids/flashpoints down the road but it's a secondary goal currently.

My advise would be to start a nee toon. My favorite classes are Imperial Agent, Sith Warrior, Jedi knight and Sith Inquisitor. You definitely want to try Imperial Agent, the story is just awesome.

3) I heard they are introducing player housing? Has this been launched yet or is it apart of the new xpac?

Housing is coming in august for subscribers, later on for preferred and F2P. Coruscant and Dromund Kaas apartment starter is pretty cheap - around 5k credits, Nar Shaddaa and Tatooine are more expensive. =. 

4) What do you buy with the Cartel Coins? Is there something I should be picking up right away that I can't live without in game?

If you plan on F2P get necessary unlocks. Definitely purple armor authorization, maybe additional hotbars. Up to you. Check on GTN for cheap unlocks and buy only ones that are expensive. If you play as sub... it's up to you what you get... I prsonally got all account-wide unlocks for inventory and cargo bays.

5) Any other tips/tricks that can help me I'd greatly appreciate it. It's very overwhelming to log in to characters with no concept of how to play or where to go (which is why I'm actually considering just rolling a new toon from scratch)

Make sure that you upgrade companion gear as you level and that you use proper stats for it. Do not spend your planet commendations early in game, and make sure that you get plenty of them (up to 100) around 50. At level 50 you can buy purple mods from Makeb modification vendor on the fleet. These mods will be much better than everything you have, but I would recommend to spend them on companion you will be playing with. Unless your armor is absolute crap... or if your companion wears the same stats... Then go to Makeb. In the next patch they are upgrading your armor to 156 so you do not need great armor there, you will start getting basic commendations. After you hit level 55 get a quest on fleet to Oricon and do all quests including Heroic 2+. Each quest will give you purple 156 armor. That way you will have yourself and your companion decently geared and you can worrk or hard mode FPs for better gear and elite and ultimate commendations. Leveling from 1 to 50 upgreade your armore every 10 or so levels. There is no need to do it more often unless you die a lot. Definitely finish HK-51 quest when you heat level 50. You can find it on daily area Section X (Belsavis). 

 

Sorry if this post is a bit scattered and unfocused, kinda how I felt when I started playing yesterday lol

Cheers!

 

Azaron_Nightblade

Welcome back!

My vote for best Class story goes to the Imperial Agent, though I'm quite fond of the Sith Warior, Bounty Hunter and Jedi Knight as well. (The rest is also good, but those are my favorites)

I usually use my Cartel Coins for convenience unlocks, like the Legacy quick travel time reductions and for stuff like unlocking the special power crystals in Collections so that all my alts can easily claim them. (running around with a level 50 purple crystal the moment you hit level 10 makes for a pretty awesome boost)

Collections is one of those new features that was added while you were gone, it allows you to unlock certain things so that every character on your account can use them. (So even across servers)

It's one of the best features ever added to the game IMO, and makes it very easy to get yourself some nice sets of moddable gear, compared to the old days where you had to collect it all one piece at a time by doing the planetary bonus series or by running flashpoints.

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Impacthound

If you only leveled a few characters into the 20s, you shouldn't see anything different from the first 6 months when you played other than the Starfighter PVP. The first 50 levels of content and story is exactly the same as when you left.

Pretty much, although the Kuat Drive Yards tactical flashpoint is a new feature in that range.

It's a flashpoint that's level independent (Well, sort of... you need to be level 15 at minimum if I'm not mistaken) and doesn't require the "holy trinity" to play, so it's incredibly easy to find a group for in the groupfinder. (Which may also be new to the OP)

Malacth

Originally posted by funcon
1. Go to server forums and see which one has the most posts. that usually is an indicator of server population.

2. I would roll a new toon. I don't know which class has best story.

3. player housing will launch soon check the website.

4. I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.

5. Just roll a new toon. The tutorial is enough help. There is also a new space pvp game where you can hop right in.

 

Off topic - I don't understand why you replied to the OP. You didn't help at all.

 

On topic - Other people here have answered better than I could. 

TarmacVirus

Originally posted by Malacth

Originally posted by funcon
1. Go to server forums and see which one has the most posts. that usually is an indicator of server population.

2. I would roll a new toon. I don't know which class has best story.

3. player housing will launch soon check the website.

4. I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.

5. Just roll a new toon. The tutorial is enough help. There is also a new space pvp game where you can hop right in.

 

Off topic - I don't understand why you replied to the OP. You didn't help at all.

 

On topic - Other people here have answered better than I could. 

No kidding, should have started and ended with, I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.  I guess people got to post.

I am thinking about returning myself.  Is there any kind of end game type raiding similar to EQ2 or WoW?

 

hallucigenocide

Originally posted by TarmacVirus

Originally posted by Malacth

Originally posted by funcon
1. Go to server forums and see which one has the most posts. that usually is an indicator of server population.

2. I would roll a new toon. I don't know which class has best story.

3. player housing will launch soon check the website.

4. I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.

5. Just roll a new toon. The tutorial is enough help. There is also a new space pvp game where you can hop right in.

 

Off topic - I don't understand why you replied to the OP. You didn't help at all.

 

On topic - Other people here have answered better than I could. 

No kidding, should have started and ended with, I don't play much swtor so I couldn't tell you.  I guess people got to post.

I am thinking about returning myself.  Is there any kind of end game type raiding similar to EQ2 or WoW?

 

raiding is pretty much the same deal as it is in WoW you got normal,hardmode and nightmare difficulty and now also the groupfinder alternative wich same as WoW is a nerfed version of the normal mode. only difference is that in SWTOR people most of the time form their group before and then sign up with the groupfinder.