I'd like to start off by pointing out that I am by no means looking for 'instant gratification'. I believe nothing in life can be obtained without a little bit of work.
I played SWTOR in it's beta stages. Bought the game officially on Christmss, 5 days after it was released. As any 15 year old that grew up on Star Wars would be, I was really, really excited. I had been waiting in anticipation for the game for the past four years. Being 11, the only MMO I had ever played was SOE's Star Wars Galaxies, where I played the role of a human Jedi Knight. I levelled my character, partook in battles, etc. I eventually left though because it took up way too much of my time. I had school, soccer, and friends to pay attention to. Not an MMO that took up a quarter of my time.
I should also say I am by no means an advanced gamer. In fact, alongside SWTOR the only game I have really played to length in the past two years is KOTOR 1 & 2, which I LOVED.
I'm 18 now, I have a job, a strict workout regime, a group of friends and a girlfriend I need to pay attention to. I, like so many others out there really don't have time to 'grind'. I bought SWTOR in 2011 because I wanted to be a Jedi Knight, kill a few Sith, fly my own ship, and maybe lead a unit of Republic Troopers. You can imagine my disappointment when I found myself finding a woman's lost wedding ring for her on Taris while a Sith Lord terrorized millions.
But I truly believe that Bioware recognized this mistake, realized that not everyone has entire months off work or the patience to log on once or twice a week just to do a few more side quests so that MAYBE you might be able to do the next portion of your story.
I'm not lazy, I just, as I have stated already, have a lot of other things going on in my life that demand my attention. I'm not a patient person.
Features such as the Epic Story XP Boost, the GSI Air Support on Makeb and the ability to do solo flashpoints have all made me WANT to play this game. Already I've levelled a Jedi Guardian up to 57. The story was enjoyable because I was actually focused ON THE STORY. Makeb was worth it because I was travelling great lengths to further the story, not some side quests that had little more meaning to me than XP, and I genuinely found myself appreciating the obvious work that went into making the planet.
I've started on Shadow of Revan, the reminder of KOTOR makes me feel as if I'm playing KOTOR. The familiarity of Manaan and Rakata Prime are overwhelming. The best part? I didn't have to grind to get the gratification I was looking for in the game in the first place.
You might say, 'MMO's obviously aren't for you' or 'We all did it, why can't you.' But the latter I have already answered and to the first question, I agree completely. MMO's in fact AREN'T my thing. But Biowares purpose was to create a game that catered both to KOTOR's fans that enjoy a faster paced, single player RPG and MMO fans, who have no problem spending hours grinding alike.
And finally, Bioware's done just that in my opinion.
My suggestion? Continue catering to both audiences. Because at this rate, you've bought yourself another subscriber who is genuinely excited for the new expansion this October. And I bet I'm not the only one.
