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Does SWTOR feel like "Your Story"?


Urael

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I like playing SWTOR. I do. Sure I have my complaints (we all do), but I still like playing. The subject of this post is:

 

Does SWTOR feel like "Your Story"?

 

Please discuss how you feel about the story and your personal reactions to the story. Intersted to know how you feel from your "main character's" perspective and from your "alt characters'" perspectives.

 

For me. I started with an Imperial Agent. Right from the git go it just didn't feel like "my story" and that has been the prevailing feeling thru all the alts I have played since.

 

There have been many times I have just wanted to scream because "I" wouldn't have reacted "that way" or "made that decision". This esepcially comes into play with LS and DS choices and "companion faction" choices.

 

Anyway how do you feel? Is SWTOR "Your Story"?

 

Discuss! :)

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My jedi sentinel story does feel like my story, i enjoy every moment of it. Especially since starting corellia where i meet old friends from earlier in the story :) Just that moment of "holy crap i saved you at level 3" or "i remember redeeming you much earlier on in the story" Things like this just give huge replay value. :)
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First off, you overestimate the control any of us have over events that happen in our real lives. It did not strike me as odd that the twists and turns in the story were happening without my being able to control them.

 

Most of the time, the responses I gave to options were close to what I would have done "in that position". Working for corporations my hold life trains you to react with 'the right" answer and not some emotional kneejerk, so it felt "real" to me.

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I like playing SWTOR. I do. Sure I have my complaints (we all do), but I still like playing. The subject of this post is:

 

Does SWTOR feel like "Your Story"?

 

Please discuss how you feel about the story and your personal reactions to the story. Intersted to know how you feel from your "main character's" perspective and from your "alt characters'" perspectives.

 

For me. I started with an Imperial Agent. Right from the git go it just didn't feel like "my story" and that has been the prevailing feeling thru all the alts I have played since.

 

There have been many times I have just wanted to scream because "I" wouldn't have reacted "that way" or "made that decision". This esepcially comes into play with LS and DS choices and "companion faction" choices.

 

Anyway how do you feel? Is SWTOR "Your Story"?

 

Discuss! :)

 

They all have felt like my story. I guess I don't understand why all of the sudden it's so important to have some kind of completely unique story line. This has never been what video games are.

 

Almost every video game ever made has been some kind of story that every player goes through. Sure there might be some opportunities here and there to make a choice or something, but for the most part, branching (and numerously branched) stories are very few and far between.

 

When I played GTA4, I didn't care that everyone else was playing Niko Bellic. When I played Deus Ex, I didn't care that everyone else was playing Adam Jenson.

 

Yes, every so often in SWTOR I run into a player that has the same outfit or parts of it that I have on. But this is no different than normal life. I've run into people before who were wearing the same shirt I was, or the same pants.

 

I can immerse myself in the story without worrying about what other players are doing.

 

And while I might agree that it would be great to have a completely unique story line with so many branches and options that we really could create a custom story all our own... the logistics and planning and writing of such a thing would be enormous, and probably prohibitive to even being produced at all.

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It does feel like my story, in the same way that Dragon Age: Origins* felt like my story. I wouldn't say that I feel like I'm living it, but I do feel like I'm writing it, if that distinction makes sense. And while there are going to be times where none of the choices I'm offered seem right to me, or when I feel shoehorned into doing something, those are outshined (for me) by the times I get to do something completely awesome and in-character.

 

This feeling is what quickly hooked me in the big beta weekend, and is why I think I'll be here for a while.

 

 

*I didn't get this experience from Dragon Age II. I wonder if it's because Hawke is, to a large extent, already defined for you before you start to play. And then, once your "personality" is established, further control is taken away from you. That's an interesting system, but it definitely removed some of the sense that I was creating a character.

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First off, you overestimate the control any of us have over events that happen in our real lives. It did not strike me as odd that the twists and turns in the story were happening without my being able to control them.

 

Most of the time, the responses I gave to options were close to what I would have done "in that position". Working for corporations my hold life trains you to react with 'the right" answer and not some emotional kneejerk, so it felt "real" to me.

 

Interesting view. In my opinion, I feel we all have a free will to do as we choose. I agree with you that what we "feel" may not always be the correct option. However, I don't condone a "going along to get along" method as one may have to do in a corporate situation if it contradicts the truth. The truth is the truth even if noone believes it. A lie is a lie even if everyone belives it.

 

There are times in many of the storylines where you may have someone you think is close to you betray you. And you don't always have the option to deal with the betrayal as you may react to it as it happens. There are times in the story where you choose an LS option that doesn't seem to be very "good" and an DS option that doesn't seem to be very "bad". There are many times where LS and DS options are basically a bit of grey moral relativism.

 

In the end for me, the story doesn't feel like mine and to be honest both sides of the conflict in this war are pretty reprehensable. The empire is machiavellian on steroids and the Republic is just out and out right corrupt. I don't feel for either side.

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... I guess I don't understand why all of the sudden it's so important to have some kind of completely unique story line. This has never been what video games are.

 

For me, in other MMOs where there is no story, I basically constructed my story as events unfolded and it was personal to me. I filled in the details or if I was RPing I was getting reactions in the moment from other participants and I used that to fill in my story. There were no "canned" responses.

 

For me, it's not "all of a sudden". For me it just doesn't feel like well me.

 

... I wouldn't say that I feel like I'm living it, but I do feel like I'm writing it, if that distinction makes sense.

 

For me, it doesn't feel like I am writing it. Thats what bugs me. I am given choices many of which I don't like, agree with, or wouldn't write for myself.

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No more or less than a book does. Just because the same story has been experienced by a million other readers doesn't lessen its visceral impact on me as a reader. The stories in TOR are engaging and immersive, which is plenty close enough to feeling like they are mine. Though I'm smart enough to understand that they actually aren't. :)
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The one that felt most like my story so far was the Sith Warrior. Just the fact that you can punch Sith tradition in the face and backtalk, heckle, and just plain troll Baras is a blast! Not to mention you can actively affect the story by deciding what alignment Jaesa will be, as well as numerous other decisions. I did it all. Killed corrupt Sith. Even befriended a Jedi Master on Belsavis. Light V by the end of the story, and loved every second of it. It's actually EASIER to play a completely LS Sith Warrior than a completely LS Jedi Knight, and much more rewarding.
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Interesting view. In my opinion, I feel we all have a free will to do as we choose. I agree with you that what we "feel" may not always be the correct option. However, I don't condone a "going along to get along" method as one may have to do in a corporate situation if it contradicts the truth. The truth is the truth even if noone believes it. A lie is a lie even if everyone belives it.

 

There are times in many of the storylines where you may have someone you think is close to you betray you. And you don't always have the option to deal with the betrayal as you may react to it as it happens. There are times in the story where you choose an LS option that doesn't seem to be very "good" and an DS option that doesn't seem to be very "bad". There are many times where LS and DS options are basically a bit of grey moral relativism.

 

In the end for me, the story doesn't feel like mine and to be honest both sides of the conflict in this war are pretty reprehensable. The empire is machiavellian on steroids and the Republic is just out and out right corrupt. I don't feel for either side.

 

You were responding to me. Don't get me wrong. I have principals and ethics. I don't "go along to get along". But I admit to weighing my options and choosing which I can use to my best advantage. Life seldom gives us the opportunity to choose what we are totally happy with.

 

My main is a "Light" Bounty Hunter. He has no love for the Empire and realizes the Republic isn't much better. I think of him as what it must have been like to be someone like Rommel or Schindler in Germany during WWII. Good people in tough situations.

 

Even today, I don't always agree with US policy. There is corruption and evil in every nation. There are mistakes, and just plain bad decisions. All any of us can do it hope that the majority of "us" are not the bad people.

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My main and first end game character was my Jedi Consular.

 

The story did feel like my character's personal story even though I know that every Jedi Consular has the same story.

 

The only place where it fell apart was on Corellia. I really feel that you need to do the last generic mission on the planet and then turn in the last storyline mission for the class for it to really fit together well.

 

Outside of this it was good.

 

The problem to me comes with leveling an alt. I skip thought the dialog for the planet's generic quests because they are even with the minor tweaks the same thing and pay attention to the class storyline. But even there since my first was a Jedi Shadow and one of my alts is a Jedi Sage, I find myself even skipping the class storyline dialog a lot.

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Does SWTOR feel like "Your Story"?

 

No, but I also don't demand that from it because I realize that it is an impossible goal for a CRPG to meet.

 

My problems with the single player side of the game stem more from the uneven writing, the patented Bioware method of making choice not extend beyond the next line of dialogue, the fact that the gameplay and the stories are at odds with each other and often sabotage one another, questionable design choices, and what I feel are some gross misallocations of resources on Biowares part.

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For me personally, not at all. I was RPing my first character (a smuggler) for about six months before the game came out and "The Smuggler" does quite a few things my smuggler wouldn't do. I suppose that's true in all MMO's to a certain extent but maybe because of your character being voiced it feels more in my face.

 

At first I tried to play the character and make the choices that my character would make but there were too many times there was no option my character would pick, so I gave up. Now I look at the class and planet storylines as something outside my character. Some parts I enjoy and some parts I don't but none of those things are actually happening to my character. At this point I'm rather ambivalent to the overall game storyline. Its a little sad because story is supposed to be such a big part of the game but at this point see it as no more than getting my levels.

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It felt like my story as soon as I got the jist of my characters personality when options where chosen as well as the general storyline I'd be following. As soon as I got ready for all of that, it was very enjoyable, much more enjoyable then trying to think of how my Character should be rather then focus on what they can be.
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I've only played Sith Warrior and Jedi Consular past the first chapter.

 

The Sith Warrior story was great, in my opinion, especially since I was leaning towards the light side. I honestly felt some moments pretty deeply.

 

Jedi Consular's first chapter... was pretty damn boring. I'm only hoping it gets better. The whole time I've felt like a tool.

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I've only played Sith Warrior and Jedi Consular past the first chapter.

 

The Sith Warrior story was great, in my opinion, especially since I was leaning towards the light side. I honestly felt some moments pretty deeply.

 

Jedi Consular's first chapter... was pretty damn boring. I'm only hoping it gets better. The whole time I've felt like a tool.

 

I credit the VAs with bringing the Sith Warriors to life. Both male and female actors do a great job. Confident without being cocky. I ran mine as "The Galaxy's most benevolent jerk", and had a blast. :D

 

Yeah, basically Vril Dox in Star Wars... with a lightsaber... and Force Choke. lol

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  • 4 months later...
I like playing SWTOR. I do. Sure I have my complaints (we all do), but I still like playing. The subject of this post is:

 

Does SWTOR feel like "Your Story"?

 

Please discuss how you feel about the story and your personal reactions to the story. Intersted to know how you feel from your "main character's" perspective and from your "alt characters'" perspectives.

 

For me. I started with an Imperial Agent. Right from the git go it just didn't feel like "my story" and that has been the prevailing feeling thru all the alts I have played since.

 

There have been many times I have just wanted to scream because "I" wouldn't have reacted "that way" or "made that decision". This esepcially comes into play with LS and DS choices and "companion faction" choices.

 

Anyway how do you feel? Is SWTOR "Your Story"?

 

Discuss! :)

 

In short, yes. Absolutely.

 

I think there's a definitely personal preference for an archetype character that will draw some people in to one story more than another.

 

For me personally, I am so in love with the Imperial Agent story that I rolled the same character 3 times. No joke. Everything about that character is totally the type of character I could role play as if I could create the environment. I never encountered any case where I felt I didn't have a choice that fit, and I felt like the final decision I made in the end was exactly the path I was heading down.

 

Now this is not true of all the classes I've played. My experience with the Consular was like the OP's. I didn't feel that I could play that character the way I wanted, and that I was being shoehorned into a role. I also played a Smuggler and Bounty Hunter. I didn't get into those quite as much as the agent either (BH was my second favorite). I don't blame the class story - it's just me. Some personalities click more than others.

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Playing a full LS JK, there were some points where I probably would have played differently if the option did not lead to DS points. That being said, I was seriously trying to hit LS5 by the end of the story and when I discovered that did not happen I was a little upset - I would made those DS choices. Live and learn though.

 

The smuggler, on the other hand, definitely has a "my story" feel to it. Playing it rather neutral I can make whatever choices I want depending on MY mood (even in FPs I've done multiple times I have made different choices based solely on my mood).

Do not know if it is a static thing or not, but in a conversation with Risha she actually says that I am unpredictable - just as likely to lend a helping hand as I am to just pull a blaster and put the poor soul out of his misery :D

 

Same thing goes for the BH I just started playing. I made a decision to play her personality a certain way and I am making conversation choices accordingly.

 

On the other hand, I just could not get into the SW because it felt like I had to always make the DS choices.

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Depends what you mean by "your story".

 

I think the approach they took was very good. The classic BioWare formula is of course to have a totally blank slate character that could be absolutely anything you want it to be, like in Dragon Age: Origins. SWTOR goes against this, and with very good reason - because it's set in the Star Wars universe.

 

What kid hasn't dreamed of being Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, or Boba Fett? That's exactly what you get to do in this game. Play as an iconic character but with your own touches of "me" in them. And it's spot on (for me) at least, even if it's not as flexible as some would have liked.

 

All I know is that I'm literally unable to enjoy any other game since picking up SWTOR. There are thousands of RPGs out there but none of them appeal to me as personally as these ones, being a Star Wars fan. And there's such an absurd amount of content that even 7 months after release I haven't finished all 8 class storylines, and even have plans to replay some of them once more character slots open up.

Edited by Jenzali
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