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Is this an MMO.
pmaura
Member UncommonPosts: 530
It almost to me sounds like this game is just going to be a COOP, rpg.
As it sounds like its not going to be that free form of a world with us being funneled down a specific story path. and I admit I am ok with this, for a ahwile anyway.
Maybe I am wrong with this. But I would prefer a world that you kind of forged for your self. more of a sandbox type.
Comments
It is an mmo.
The world is open and quite large, load times are minimal (no load times for instances even), there is group specific content and you can basically group up with other players whenever you want.
That's that.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
I'm going to play the game and I'm sure I'll love it.
It shaping up to be the most solo friendly theme park MMO in history and I think player interaction will be trivial at best until the end game. Its still an MMO IMO but like 90% of the folks on this site I had hoped for more of a sandbox game when SWTOR was first announced.
Personally i like Bioware games and would play SWTOR even if it wasnt a MMO game. It is true that looking at all the released info on the game a person could easily forget that this is an MMOG and not your standard fair from Bioware.
Hopefully Bioware can justify the MMO part atleast in their end game of which we have no information yet.
Bottom line though a solo game with other players in the game world is still an MMOG in the literal definition.
It is definately an MMO. While I too believe it is going to be a very solo friendly theme park style MMO there will also be open worlds to explore with others, Group missions, and PVP. It won't be a big sandbox though.
I don't care really. I am a fan of Bioware games and would play this regardless of being an MMO, Co-op, or sinlge player RPG.
Oh...you mean more like SWG? Here's what you seem to want. You can enjoy epic Star Wars content like Chronicles, Wookiee zombies, clever pink flying ewoks with purple hearts and of course the newly released fishing update as almost seen in Episode 1. If you're more of the "lone adventurer" type, there are more than 7 of the 12 servers dedicated specifically to that.
pmaura...relax!!!! Bioware does stories quite well. I have little doubt that CL1-CLXX will be an epic and unbelievably fun adventure that you'll WANT to complete, not RUSH to complete. Of course they'll be funneling you down a specific "path"...without that, there is no "story"...just random sh!t.
What you do AFTER the story is what I'm anxious to find out. To me, THAT is where the "sandbox" is important.
Duh, more pointless trolling. That's because troll this topic has been discussed already in countless threads and already been answered over and over again in q&a sessions both at gamescon and pax so it isn't even worth discussing or responding too over and over again.
There Is Always Hope!
I think TOR is not yet finished and therefore is not yet anything.
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
There is nothing to praise here, it's just fact.
There is group specific content, as stated by the devs and seen in the level 10 flashpoint.
The world is open, as seen in hands-on.
The instances so far are seamless, as seen in hands-on.
You can group at any time, as seen in hands-on.
Yes this game is an mmo, if it is not, then you can scrap 90% of all games on that list this site has.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
Does it matter one way or another?
If it’s a fun engaging experience then they could call it whatever they want and I’ll still play it.
It is an MMORPG, but more in the themepark-style of MMO's.
It has all the features that other MMO's have, raiding, dungeons (Flashpoints), crafting, an AH, guild features, Warzones, open world PvP, and added to that, more content than any other MMO had at launch and an emphasis on exploration with the huge, massive Planets that SW:TOR will contain.
There will be a personal story, that will be told via the Class Quests, but there will also be the story of the World you're on (World Arcs), and the stories of all kind of locations you can visit that are unrelated to your own personal story and that are told via World Quests. Your progression path is as much restricted as in other MMORPG's where there is a guided questing path with story like in WoW, LotrO and AoC, but where you also are free to follow your own path and do your own things.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
OP this question has been asked many times already...
Please refer to the following video for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqflV4zsTqQ
Additional information can be found on the SWTOR website: http://www.swtor.com
However, the game is NOT going to be a sandbox like SWG. If that is what you are hoping for, stop now. It will not be like that no matter how much you want it to be. Bioware has a very well-defined game concept and it is nothing like SWG was. Once you have a firm grasp on what the game is (and is not) going to be, please don't complain about the fact that it is not going in an entirely different direction. It is a dead-end debate that has been beaten to death on this forum... There is another forum on this site specifically dedicated to SWG-nostalgia.
Thanks.
By the definition used by the industry yes it is an mmorpg, I don't know of any game that was ever billed as a COOP rpg but the closest I can think of would be like playing Baldurs gate multiplayer mode and if that would constitute a coop rpg I wouldn't say these games are much alike then, in a game like Baldurs gate you had the choice to play with other's either in there game lobby or they in yours, in TOR you share a persistent world with the other players of the game.
While your post doesn't seem to show bias either way I think atleast in this term we the community should stick with what works for everyone and that is a universal meaning for what an mmorpg is, and the best way to do that is to stick with what the words literally stand for, if we do that then I would think we would find it easier to deal with what these games are classified as. I get the same sense when I play STO (that it is less than what an mmo feels like to me) but there really is no point in arguing over whether it is one or not if the devs have branded it that and have created within the paramaters of what a mmorpg is.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
The game will actually have two styles in one. It will be a co-op RPG set inside an MMO world like WoW or LOTRO. You can play it as a SPG with many other online players running around in the 90% open game world at the same time.
The co-op RPG will be filled with player choice that changes your story. It will have full VO dialog, seamless instances into areas with your quest NPC for full cinimatic cutseen dialog with choices that are final. If you kill someone, they are dead forever in yoiur story. You willl have companions that you can use one at a time and will have full dialog that will try to influence your story choices. It will have 200 hours of story per class, so you can play as a SPG up to 8 times with a completely unique story each time. It will also have the solo space combat mini-game on the side. But this is just the RPG class story arc and space game.
Most of the game will be open world game play as in WoW and LOTRO MMO's. There are thousands of open world quests for each planet. These have nothing to do with your class story, but the NPC's will react differently to each player depending on the choices you make and light/dark/grey alignement. There will be Flashpoints (dungeons) that are for groups and are repeatable for different outcomes based on group choice. There will be Warzone planets for PvP action in something probably like WAR senarios sense the WAR dev's are working on the PvP. There will be large group required world story quest chains that move the game worlds story along. This must be done as a group and could even have PvPvE per the PAX presentation. There will be crafting and auction house play, but no real info yet. You have player housing as your ship with some customization. There will be Raids in game, but no info yet. And there will be guilds and hints at guild ships in the future.
So yes, the game can be a co-op RPG, but it will be a MMO without a doubt. Dev's have said it will be a hybrid themepark/sandbox MMO with exploration that is rewarded on planets. But this is only from dev statements and we have no info to back it up. In the end, it will come down to the community and how gamers decide to play the game. But there will be features for many play styles. So it will end up being what you want it to be as a player.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
In other words : SWTOR could be a awesome single player game with 8 dvds , one for each class.
... next to being an awesome themepark MMO with buckets of content and other things to do, completely true.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I am quite sure SWTOR will be 'MMO-like', as in.. be massively multiplayer.. as in having lots and lots of players.
However, I doubt its going to be the same level of PLAYER INFLUENCE we see in other games.
In other words.. having other players around will be a 'bonus'.. not a necessary part of the game and even maybe more of a distraction in some cases.
The game is story-driven.. class-specific... consequence-based interactions with NPCs. Basically, TOR is giving you a # of possible interactions with NPCs including your companions.. and then building alternative story lines based on your decisions and altering the NPCs/Environement based on your 'chosen path'.
Its a very neat idea.. will all the flash of fully voiced, cinematic cutscenes.. and pre-determined companions to help fill in the story line.
In other words.. BIOWARE is very much making your story for you.. you ride along and see how you affect it.
End game.. is clearly about trying it again with other decisions or trying another 'story' path with another character class. BIOWARE has often said 'Try it again in another profession' perhaps not in those exact words.. but I've heard it said enough times that it seems to be the main focus of the end game.. at least for now.
Things like player driven economy.. crafting.. piloting.. (not 'driving' a ship).. exploration.. recreation.. will all exist but will at best be secondary systems.. add-ons.. and not part of the CORE of the game.
EvE and SwG are better examples of the players making content from other players. NPC interactions (outside of grinding) is really a secondary focus.. its more about making your company (EvE) or city (SWG) and shaping the world around you than playing a character in a 'story'.
Character development.. as in inviduals that have their own story... will probably not exist in the traditional roleplay method. We will look a LOT alike.. we will have the same companions.. we will fly the same ships.. we will do the same missions.. so a lack of true character-attachment will be something I am betting will suffer in long-term playability.
Some people don't want 2 or 5 characters.. they want 1 or 2 truely unique characters that they bond with and can still have fun playing with after the 'story' line ends (ie: is waiting for the next NPC content publication to get released)
I am pretty sure SWTOR could be called a MMO with a highly solo/NPC based focus.
I imagine TOR will continue to evolve around the storyline concept.. and perhpas add some PvP end-game that might hold some subscribers.
But will you feel UNIQUE as a player character in SWTOR... I wouldn't bet on it. Not to the same extent you can in other MMO games.
I am not saying that is bad or good.. I am saying its a different direction than the original RolePlay vision for MMO games. If it sells accounts.. then it works.. regardless of how much inter-player interaction is involved.
SWG/STO/(SWTOR)
FOUND IT!!! I knew it!!! I knew when it started out like it did it was going to be a SWG promo thread. /yay me
Hopefully they will shut that game down. I am tired of hearing about it. Yea, I played swg for years, but after so many years you just can't take it no more.
"When it comes to GW2 any game is fair game"
Its not a SwG (or EvE) promo thread.. I am just drawing comparisons for the sake of reference to something familiar to me and quite a few others.
Will you need other players to truely interact.. probably not for the majority of the content..
Housing systems in SWG is about player interaction.. which ties into crafting. Weapon systems also ties into crafting in SWG.. as does Spaceships. There is a larger investment in 'player to player' systems in some games than what I suspect will be done for TOR.
All this adds to character development.. being a vital part of the game world.
I suspect TOR will have less of that in exchange for a more personal experience in storyline.
Nothing wrong with that.. but certainly a different approach that what might appeal to some players.
SWG/STO/(SWTOR)
Correct. That's not what the thread is about. But that is what your reply appeared to be. It's ok Shelby...we all know you love SWG. Hopefully you stay with it.
It really will be a full MMORPG, there's enough information available that points towards it, for those that care to look up the info available.
And no, it won't be a 'full sandbox' MMORPG, but more themepark-styled.
Saying that SWTOR won't be an MMORPG is like saying WoW, LotrO, EQ2 and other MMO's aren't really MMORPG's, because SWTOR has all the features that those other MMO's have, and then some.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
If my reply seems to be favoring one form of MMO style over another, than thats what you are reading into it. The comparisons to other games is fair-play. I don't want TOR to be SWG II.. I don't need TOR to be SWG II.. and I am not expecting TOR be anything else besides what BIOWARE wants it to be.
TOR will have MMO aspects.. its not like everyone is completely isolated from each other.
One of the challenges with speculating like we've all done here in MMORPG is that, even if you viewed the demo read every publication on the game.. its still hard to get a sense of the overall feel of the game.
Even players who have been on the demo have very limited access to the entire gaming experience. So perhaps its unfair to lay any sort of judgement on the game as we simply cannot get a feel for it just yet.
Once the game comes out, I expect a lot of us to be impressed with the game quality... impressed with the storyline.. and utterly drawn into to find out 'what comes next' for a good, long while.
The discussion here is IF TOR is a MMO. Yes.. but not like other MMOs.. a different focus... a different method... but probably with the same 'fun potential' (if not more) than any other MMO out there.
Ultimately what matters is not what we describe as a MMO or not.. whats more important is: Is it fun to play?
The answer depends a lot on your expectations as well as what you experience when you actually log in the first few times.
I expect TOR to be entirely different than most MMOs in terms of delivery.. but I also expect to move around and interact like I do in any other MMO.. talking with other players.. grouping.. guilding.. trading.. doing high difficulty missions.
What I don't expect is very much sandbox tools for a virtual world... at least not to the extent of other MMORPG systems out there.
But so what.. so long as its fun.. and you personally enjoy it.. is all that matters when the game finally goes public.
SWG/STO/(SWTOR)
From a pure semantic point of view, it is a MMO. However, if one really analyzises the differences between a pre-WOW MMORPG, and what acutally passes for a MMO in this generation, then there is no comparison. It is not a MMO. And moreover, simply because a developer says it is a MMO, or markets it as such, doesn't make it so, nor does simply calling it an MMO make it so either.
My disagreement (not hatred) does not stem from anything related to SWG, but it is simply based on the information that has been released about the game (either legally or illegaly). The core of the disagreement is what some 'believe' a MMO is, and in comparison to what others 'believe' an MMO to be. Some refer to this as the Themepark Sandbox Argument (or War).
Now, these things are my opinions, and we (or at least I do) live in a country where everyone is entitled to them. Of course there are many who will disagree, perhaps even vehemntly disagree, and that's fine.
In my mind, SWTOR will never be anything more than a COG, or a CORPG, and even the RPG is a stretch. Any game that claims itself to be a MMORPG, but provides gameplay wherein a player can choose to totally avoid other people, is not an MMO, and futhermore, is missing the entire point of what a MMORPG is all about. Addtionally, while there may be a persistent world, nothing you will ever do in the game will effect it, whenever you encounter an entity or a situation, it will be exactly the same as the last person who encountered it. I am however, quite dissapointed in that this game could have been so much better that it is, especially with a 150 million dollar budget.
In the end though, its up to you. You will have to make the decision for yourself, and all that matters is what you find fun, and if SWTOR is fun for you, by all means, jump in.
"Saying that SWTOR won't be an MMORPG is like saying WoW, LotrO, EQ2 and other MMO's aren't really MMORPG's, because SWTOR has all the features that those other MMO's have, and then some." -cyphers
Actually, that is a very simplistic and somewhat misinformed statement. Originally MMOs were desgined around the first two letters of the acronomyn, and usually there were dependencies built into the game. Each class or profession was dependent on others, so grouping and community were bi-products of that interdependency. Items were mostly obtained through crafting, at least the best items. Conversly, the MMOs you've listed (SWTOR included) have very little if any interdependency, and thus steer far away from the original intention of MMOs, and as such the community suffers. Modern MMOs are about instant gratification and self, as opposed to the group and community of the older MMOs.
This thread and the points presented in it were so fascinating and new
30 threads ago that is.
These are getting as commonplace as complaints about GW not being an MMO. If its not an "MMO" to your standards, but you still enjoy playing it, who cares?
I think thats subjective in the sense that ANY "MMO" is, for lack of a better phrase, an "MMO but not like other MMOs, a different focus, a different method but ..."
The game has what every other MMO has , plus some things done to a degree that no MMO would, or probably even could do in the MMO genre. Does that mean that this is strictly a CO-OP RPG? Well, as much as any other solo friendly MMO is. The way the world system is implemented, it is the exact same thing otherwise.
We may not be seeing a complete sandbox style adventure here, but that doesn't start or stop with TOR, even the new games coming out will be lacking much of the sandbox style gameplay people are talking about. So while TOR won't only be catering to some classic MMO aspects, they're also progressing in line with future titles with or without these specific sandbox additions.
Pretty much this, this is what I expect as well.
The story mechanics in SWTOR will influence the questing gameplay and experience, but since questing plays a heavy role in leveling in most MMO's, this will have a large influence on someone's gameplay experience while leveling.
We still have to see what they've thought up for crafting, but I'm not expecting any sandbox-style elements as can be found in EVE or SWG. I do expect though a return of an 'old school' aspect, namely the sense of exploration. Considering the repeated dev statements about exploration, the large number of Planets and the indicated massiveness of the worlds, I foresee that SW:TOR will have enough to explore to bring back that old exploration feeling of earlier MMO's.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."