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My mini review / thoughts on SWTOR



Hello Everyone,

I have played quite a few mmorpg's over the years (everything from DAOC, WOW and SWG) and coming into SWTOR I kinda had an idea about what I would be running into, this being a bioware rpg wrapped in a mmo shell. What I got was what I expected, a great bioware rpg combined with mmo lite features. These are both the best and worst aspects of SWTOR. On one hand you have a quality (could say 8 with one for each class) story that encourages the player to engage in the star wars universe either through the main class quests or the codex entries you find along the way. On the other hand you have the mmo lite features that, while polished, do nothing to advance the genre and instead just tries to mimic the success of its competitors (nothing wrong with this but many looking for a new mmo to hold them over for the coming months or years may not find the content to fulfill this wish present).

 

When I look at everyone thoughts and opinions on this game I find exactly one thing in common, that being the story. This story aspect will be the defining longevity for SWTOR (if you are looking for a story that is) and bioware leads you through this with either rolling new alternate characters to experience the other aspects of the old republic universe or advancing your own character through updates to the class story lines. This is the major problem I see with SWTOR... why continue to pay a monthly fee for essential a quality rpg with mmo lite features(if you can handle the side quests that you will definitely encounter again with alternate characters than I could see subing for 2-3months to complete 1 class story line per faction as an optimal experience but beyond that I couldn't see myself playing for longer).

In conclusion I see the quality and polish that bioware has placed into this game and I will definitely play casually through 1 to 2 classes to max level and decide where to go from there but in the current state of where I see swtor going I don't see anything that will make me wish to stay longer than I already have outlined (I did not even touch on the simplistic pvp, and same old same old mmo endgame). What are your guys thoughts on swtor and the question of longevity in addition to paying a monthly fee?

Comments

  • MindTriggerMindTrigger Member Posts: 2,596

    I cancelled today because this game does not deserve a $15/month sub.  I don't even think it's fair to compare it to modern offline RPG games, because it fails there too.  The side-quest story content is thinly veiled "kill 10 rats" fare and time sink.  Actually I think it's pretty hilariouse becuse themepark players always complain about time sinks in their games, and here you have 8 million side-quests that basically do just that.

    A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.

  • KuinnKuinn Member UncommonPosts: 2,072

    I wouldnt say there's 8 stories. Sure there are 8 main story lines, but then again it's more like 2 stories since you have to level up pretty much according to the same path on every char. That's propably my biggest issue with the game currently, considering future alts after doing the opposite faction story on one of the classes. Mostly I'm having great time, most fun in years for a mmorpg and finally something to play past the free month.

  • Ghost12Ghost12 Member Posts: 684

    Originally posted by MindTrigger

    I cancelled today because this game does not deserve a $15/month sub.  I don't even think it's fair to compare it to modern offline RPG games, because it fails there too.  The side-quest story content is thinly veiled "kill 10 rats" fare and time sink.  Actually I think it's pretty hilariouse becuse themepark players always complain about time sinks in their games, and here you have 8 million side-quests that basically do just that.

    I've been reading some of your posts MindTrigger, and I find myself agreeing with every one of them.

    I know another poster said that this game feels as if Bioware was forced to create an MMO, but didnt want to, and this is the result; a single player RPG with multiplayer features, pretending to be an MMORPG.

    After 30 minutes of playing on my friends' account, this game feels like a souless money grab. And the shocking part about it? This is coming from a LOVER of Bioware and their games.

    Unfortunately I feel like these sentiments will be drowned out by the massive hype sorrounding TOR. Not only does TOR not advance the genre, but if anything its trying to send it backwards.

    Like I said before - TOR is essentially a multiplayer lobby game. Its like Diablo 2 Battle.net, except youre paying for it.

    Jokes on you guys.

  • sanosukexsanosukex Member Posts: 1,836

    Originally posted by Ghost12

    Originally posted by MindTrigger

    I cancelled today because this game does not deserve a $15/month sub.  I don't even think it's fair to compare it to modern offline RPG games, because it fails there too.  The side-quest story content is thinly veiled "kill 10 rats" fare and time sink.  Actually I think it's pretty hilariouse becuse themepark players always complain about time sinks in their games, and here you have 8 million side-quests that basically do just that.

    I've been reading some of your posts MindTrigger, and I find myself agreeing with every one of them.

    I know another poster said that this game feels as if Bioware was forced to create an MMO, but didnt want to, and this is the result; a single player RPG with multiplayer features, pretending to be an MMORPG.

    After 30 minutes of playing on my friends' account, this game feels like a souless money grab. And the shocking part about it? This is coming from a LOVER of Bioware and their games.

    Unfortunately I feel like these sentiments will be drowned out by the massive hype sorrounding TOR. Not only does TOR not advance the genre, but if anything its trying to send it backwards.

    Like I said before - TOR is essentially a multiplayer lobby game. Its like Diablo 2 Battle.net, except youre paying for it.

    Jokes on you guys.

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

  • fundayzfundayz Member Posts: 463

    Originally posted by sanosukex

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

    Then you deserve to waste your money on sub-par entertainment.

    I already can't justify a WoW subscription since they barely put out any content (2 real content patches in a year? Seriously?) or a Rift one (I just find it boring). I absolutely can't justify a subscription to a game that plays EXACTLY like those two yet is more restrictive and has less features.

  • sanosukexsanosukex Member Posts: 1,836

    Originally posted by fundayz

    Originally posted by sanosukex

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

    Then you deserve to waste your money on sub-par entertainment.

    I already can't justify a WoW subscription since they barely put out any content (2 real content patches in a year? Seriously?) or a Rift one (I just find it boring). I absolutely can't justify a subscription to a game that plays EXACTLY like those two yet is more restrictive and has less features.

    i agree but as a MMO addict who is tired of rift after playing since launch I need something to fill the void till something better comes and this will suffice since I love star wars.. i know its sad I fell for the evil corporation propaganda but what can I say I'm just another brick in the wall

  • dubyahitedubyahite Member UncommonPosts: 2,483
    Hey ghost, if this is a multiplayer lobby game, then where is the lobby? I can't did it anywhere. I looked almoner the open worlds and couldn't find it. I must really suck at this game if I can't even find the "lobby"

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  • fundayzfundayz Member Posts: 463

    Originally posted by sanosukex

    Originally posted by fundayz


    Originally posted by sanosukex

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

    Then you deserve to waste your money on sub-par entertainment.

    I already can't justify a WoW subscription since they barely put out any content (2 real content patches in a year? Seriously?) or a Rift one (I just find it boring). I absolutely can't justify a subscription to a game that plays EXACTLY like those two yet is more restrictive and has less features.

    i agree but as a MMO addict who is tired of rift after playing since launch I need something to fill the void till something better comes and this will suffice since I love star wars.. i know its sad I fell for the evil corporation propaganda but what can I say I'm just another brick in the wall

    Hey man, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. If you got the money, time and can enjoy the game, more power to you.

     


    Originally posted by dubyahite

    Hey ghost, if this is a multiplayer lobby game, then where is the lobby? I can't did it anywhere. I looked almoner the open worlds and couldn't find it. I must really suck at this game if I can't even find the "lobby"

    It's called the Imperial/Republic Fleet, ha.


  • sanosukexsanosukex Member Posts: 1,836

    Originally posted by fundayz

    Originally posted by sanosukex


    Originally posted by fundayz


    Originally posted by sanosukex

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

    Then you deserve to waste your money on sub-par entertainment.

    I already can't justify a WoW subscription since they barely put out any content (2 real content patches in a year? Seriously?) or a Rift one (I just find it boring). I absolutely can't justify a subscription to a game that plays EXACTLY like those two yet is more restrictive and has less features.

    i agree but as a MMO addict who is tired of rift after playing since launch I need something to fill the void till something better comes and this will suffice since I love star wars.. i know its sad I fell for the evil corporation propaganda but what can I say I'm just another brick in the wall

    Hey man, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. If you got the money, time and can enjoy the game, more power to you.

     


    Originally posted by dubyahite

    Hey ghost, if this is a multiplayer lobby game, then where is the lobby? I can't did it anywhere. I looked almoner the open worlds and couldn't find it. I must really suck at this game if I can't even find the "lobby"

    It's called the Imperial/Republic Fleet, ha.


    no worrys I do have the time and money so no biggie.. i agree though this game feels more  like guild wars in the instanced lobby sense than games like rift...

  • teakboisteakbois Member Posts: 2,154

    I don't get the 'mmo lite' argument.

    Its a theme park.  

    It has dungeons (flashpoints).  They are as good, if not better, than most of the competition.

    It has Battlegrounds (Warzones).  They are as good, if not better, than most of the competition.

    It has raids (Operations).  I cant comment on them because I havent run any.  But AFAIK there are two of them, which is on par with any other MMO at launch

    It has crafting.  More effort was put into it than WoW, Rift, or LOTRO even if the system is still somewhat similar.

    It has tons of group quests.  More than any other MMORPG released in a very long time.

    It has max level dailies.  It has world PvP at max level.  

     

     

    I get it doesnt advance the genre, but neither did Rift or LOTRO.  its a standard MMORPG with very good storytelling.

  • GwendalGwendal Member Posts: 14

    Yes teak, I agree that it has many aspects that are in many mainstream mmo's but I am probably just being disgruntled that Bioware didnt put as much effort into the mmo specific features than they put into the rpg/story side (Voice Acting is also very top notch and is something I forgot to mention in my OP) but that is ok as they game would never have came out this year if bioware had tried to polisht he mmo features to the current shine that the rpg/story side has.

  • itgrowlsitgrowls Member Posts: 2,951

    Originally posted by Gwendal



    [snipet]

    Completely agree, played the beta for a brief weekend and although it had a solid story and you had a group choice rolling system and the companions went out to farm the mats for crafting this game is simply more of the same questing style. Why are so many companies going with only a few tiny new features and not enough to make the game keep longevity? why are they going with "unless-you-are-blizzard" fail subscription model? Even now blizz is starting to feel the pinch of the sub model dieing a slow agonizing death, not because WoW is old but because people are just not interested or simply CAN'T spend a sub every month. And then there's they whole "we'll force you to grind to get good stuff" aspect of every sub model out there. I think that unless they wake up suddenly and realize what they have done by limiting features they will be another fail mmo company that tried to match the mmo model of Blizzard to get the same numbers but only added a tiny few new features like Rift did but keep the slow agonizing wait times between new content like Blizzard and will be remembered as the Sith/Jedi game because people really weren't as interested in playing the other classes as they thought they would be.

     

    Sad really. Oh and since i am a fan of everything i've read and watched thus far i have to say it. GW2 will be the game choice for me simply because they did/are innovating in EVERY aspect of the mmo and not just a few tiny pieces of gameplay experience. The Anet devs deserve our dollars because they ARE thinking of the player when they make their game.

  • grunt187grunt187 Member CommonPosts: 956

    Originally posted by fundayz

    Originally posted by sanosukex

    but but you get lightsabers.. i mean cmon LIGHTSABERS this is why I will pay 15 a month and so will thousands of others.. and honestly I'm not be sarcastic at all

    Then you deserve to waste your money on sub-par entertainment.

    I already can't justify a WoW subscription since they barely put out any content (2 real content patches in a year? Seriously?) or a Rift one (I just find it boring). I absolutely can't justify a subscription to a game that plays EXACTLY like those two yet is more restrictive and has less features.

    You see there are people out there (myself included) that like mmo's, we play them, stop playing them, go back to playing them.

    We even try new mmo's with an open mind and enjoy them for what they are not what they are not. You see we love mmo's.

    All kinds of mmo's be it they sandbox, themepark or a hybrid of the two. Its one of the main reasons whay i care to spend my off time here on MMORPG.COM.  You sir are not even close to a mmo fan.

    The following statement is false
    The previous statement is true

  • ropeniceropenice Member UncommonPosts: 588

    Originally posted by itgrowls

    Originally posted by Gwendal



    [snipet]

    Completely agree, played the beta for a brief weekend and although it had a solid story and you had a group choice rolling system and the companions went out to farm the mats for crafting this game is simply more of the same questing style. Why are so many companies going with only a few tiny new features and not enough to make the game keep longevity? why are they going with "unless-you-are-blizzard" fail subscription model? Even now blizz is starting to feel the pinch of the sub model dieing a slow agonizing death, not because WoW is old but because people are just not interested or simply CAN'T spend a sub every month. And then there's they whole "we'll force you to grind to get good stuff" aspect of every sub model out there. I think that unless they wake up suddenly and realize what they have done by limiting features they will be another fail mmo company that tried to match the mmo model of Blizzard to get the same numbers but only added a tiny few new features like Rift did but keep the slow agonizing wait times between new content like Blizzard and will be remembered as the Sith/Jedi game because people really weren't as interested in playing the other classes as they thought they would be.

     

    Sad really. Oh and since i am a fan of everything i've read and watched thus far i have to say it. GW2 will be the game choice for me simply because they did/are innovating in EVERY aspect of the mmo and not just a few tiny pieces of gameplay experience. The Anet devs deserve our dollars because they ARE thinking of the player when they make their game.



    Your point about sub model is not very accurate. Most people on forum posts about sub model are completely happy with and can afford a $15 dollar per month sub. The problem over the last so many years is games being released too early, buggy, lite on content, etc, not having to pay a sub-thats why so many have gone f2p. Rift had a good launch and have retained good sub numbers, and TOR is polished and should do well at retaining subs-because they put out a quality product, even if it is not what you like.

     

  • PukeBucketPukeBucket Member Posts: 867


    Originally posted by teakbois
    I don't get the 'mmo lite' argument.
    Its a theme park.  
    It has dungeons (flashpoints).  They are as good, if not better, than most of the competition.
    It has Battlegrounds (Warzones).  They are as good, if not better, than most of the competition.
    It has raids (Operations).  I cant comment on them because I havent run any.  But AFAIK there are two of them, which is on par with any other MMO at launch
    It has crafting.  More effort was put into it than WoW, Rift, or LOTRO even if the system is still somewhat similar.
    It has tons of group quests.  More than any other MMORPG released in a very long time.
    It has max level dailies.  It has world PvP at max level.  
     
     
    I get it doesnt advance the genre, but neither did Rift or LOTRO.  its a standard MMORPG with very good storytelling.

    Yeah so it'll go F2P in a year or hold out for 2 like the rest of that shit.

    RIFT is already a sub-only game on it's way to F2P.

    Because people are tired of this carbon copied crap.

    I used to play MMOs like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

  • RaoraRaora Member Posts: 243

    Why do people bash games they have no intention on playing? I'm not going to play GW2, and I'm not over there trolling on their board.

  • InFaVillaInFaVilla Member Posts: 592

    Originally posted by Raora

    Why do people bash games they have no intention on playing? I'm not going to play GW2, and I'm not over there trolling on their board.

     

    That, in itself, is a problem. Many people who were not sure about SWTOR at least gave it a chance and it didn't manage to entertain them well enough; that approach is far better than dismissing a game before even trying it.

  • ktanner3ktanner3 Member UncommonPosts: 4,063
    So who are you when you're not Gwendal?

    Currently Playing: World of Warcraft

  • KidonKidon Member UncommonPosts: 399

    I'm really having the fun of my life, this MMO is the best yet, for does who dont like it is fine, u have many games to play around, but comparing this to sub-par games like GW2 free games, SWTOR is huge you can see the work it took to create such an amazing game so immersive, GW2 will be as bland as GW.

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183

    Originally posted by sanosukex

     

    i agree but as a MMO addict who is tired of rift after playing since launch I need something to fill the void till something better comes and this will suffice since I love star wars.. i know its sad I fell for the evil corporation propaganda but what can I say I'm just another brick in the wall

    Why play games you don't like, just to play a certain genre? You'll only burn yourself out on the repetition before finding that one you might enjoy completely. Sounds like you forced your way through Rift and burned out as well.

     

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • dimmit77dimmit77 Member Posts: 294

    I fully expected this game to fail horribly. An MMO based on story instead of the "grind" will probably run out of steam fast. There is so much story you can release in a game and usually a hc player like me , that plays 30-40 hours a week , will run through it pretty fast. I think as an MMO SWTOR has nowhere near the level of options , content and polish as other MMO's like EQ2 or Rift or WoW have atm.

    Having said that SWTOR is the best game I have played in probably a decade. If you liked KOTOR or MASS EFFECT (like I did) then this game is a wet dream come true. A humongous KOTOR in an MMO wrap. It's the first time in an MMO I actually stop , pay attention to the story and the lore , instead of rushing through the wall of text  so I can follow the map to next quest update. The world is a theme park , but its a well made theme park . 

    I still have no idea how this game will manage to keep me invested after I run through most of the quests . I guess the ball is on Biowares hands . They managed to hook me up for the short term , it's up to them to impress me in the coming months and keeping me subscribed.

    For the time being I will rate this game as the best MMO to come out since EQ2/WOW released in 2004. It doesn't rediscover the wheel but it offers something that no other MMO has done before. A way to care about your character and world and lore , through a most impressive quest presentation. 

  • sanosukexsanosukex Member Posts: 1,836

    Originally posted by Raora

    Why do people bash games they have no intention on playing? I'm not going to play GW2, and I'm not over there trolling on their board.

    how about people who ARE playing are we not allowed to be critical of the game>?

  • sanosukexsanosukex Member Posts: 1,836

    Originally posted by Distopia

    Originally posted by sanosukex


     

    i agree but as a MMO addict who is tired of rift after playing since launch I need something to fill the void till something better comes and this will suffice since I love star wars.. i know its sad I fell for the evil corporation propaganda but what can I say I'm just another brick in the wall

    Why play games you don't like, just to play a certain genre? You'll only burn yourself out on the repetition before finding that one you might enjoy completely. Sounds like you forced your way through Rift and burned out as well.

     

    i dont think you understand what the word addiction means....

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