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Why is the Esseles Model for Flashpoints unique to itself?


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Between 3 beta weekends and my current batch of characters, I've run the Esseles a bunch of times. On my main, I've run every flashpoint up through Manalorian Raiders.

 

In the Esseles, there were plenty of conversations. It was great. Not just a string of corridors full of mobs leading to bosses.

 

What I want to know is why was this model dropped after the first flashpoint? Every flashpoint I've done since is run run, kill mobs, run, kill boss, rinse and repeat. The same old same old instance model.

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Indeed, the same thing holds true for the Imperial side. The Black Talon is great, lots of conversations, and a quick choice in the begining determines the next 10-15 minutes.

 

Basicly, BW open up strong with the flashpoints, and then its kinda "Meeh". I dont know, maybe it gets better, but so far I am up to Boarding party, which is a level 32 I belive, and not one flashpoint so far has come close to the awesomeness of Black Talon.

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lol

we are lvl 50 and we are doing hard mode instances

 

they kill poeple if they don't press space

 

and you sit here and talk about more conversation

 

go and watch a movie if you like to listen conversations

 

I'm glad I'm not in your guild. You rushed to 50, rushed through normal mode content, and skip dialogue and cut scenes. Sounds like you're playing the wrong game.

Edited by TheLightningLord
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I'm glad I'm not in your guild. You rushed to 50, rushed through normal mode content, and skip dialogue and cut scenes. Sounds like you're playing the wrong game.

 

this arguement has become somewhat invalid now.

I have a level 42 sith warrior, a level 10 bounty hunter, and a lvl 31 trooper. and i have yet to skip a single dialogue line. i am taking my time with all my characters and switch between them regularly. but i might have more time on my hands right now since here in europe its the christmas vacation.

 

so just because he's 50 right now doesnt mean he rushed...

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lol

we are lvl 50 and we are doing hard mode instances

 

they kill poeple if they don't press space

 

and you sit here and talk about more conversation

 

go and watch a movie if you like to listen conversations

 

Congrats on rushing through the game.

Good luck in the hard mode instances

I am glad I am not in your guild.

I was in on day 1 of EGA and have just hit lvl 28. I am glad to enjoy the story and put the rush mentality of 7+ years of WoW behind me

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this arguement has become somewhat invalid now.

I have a level 42 sith warrior, a level 10 bounty hunter, and a lvl 31 trooper. and i have yet to skip a single dialogue line. i am taking my time with all my characters and switch between them regularly. but i might have more time on my hands right now since here in europe its the christmas vacation.

 

so just because he's 50 right now doesnt mean he rushed...

 

No, his level does not. His comments on spacebarring through conversations and his guild killing people who don't , does however

 

Either way, it irrelevant to my point.

 

I want to know whay the format from the first flashpoint for either side was dropped in favor of the less social and decision involved model we get in the later flashpoints.

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I want to know whay the format from the first flashpoint for either side was dropped in favor of the less social and decision involved model we get in the later flashpoints.

 

I think it might do with how the flashpoints are presented. On Esseles, you're onboard a passenger ship going to Courscant. I haven't done Athiss or Hammer, but I think they're more of places that have been attacked and you're pushing back the invaders. You don't get to them in a state that would seem to present much dialogue options.

 

I can be of course, entirely mistaken.

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I refuse to rush or skip a cutscene that I haven't seen yet. I honestly like to see the different responses of people in my group. If that means I can't join a hardcore guild than so be it. I really like the group of people that I've played with so far. I've met a lot of cool people running random groups of Esseles. If I start rushing to level instead of enjoying the game I know it won't take me long to cancel as I've done it for every other game out there. This game allows me to enjoy the story and everything the game has to offer at my own pace without making me feel like im being left behind or missing something. First time I've felt comfortable and not rushed in an MMO for a long time. Seems like finally the Journey is really worth it instead of just the Destination.
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I agree with the OP. The way bioware handled this is something of a bait and switch. After playing through Black Talon, I was very impressed and told all my friends how flashpoints really seperate SWTOR from other MMOs. But every flashpoint since then has been very lite on the story side. Quite a disappointment.
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I agree with the OP. The way bioware handled this is something of a bait and switch. After playing through Black Talon, I was very impressed and told all my friends how flashpoints really seperate SWTOR from other MMOs. But every flashpoint since then has been very lite on the story side. Quite a disappointment.

 

I think they ran out of money... or time... or both. BT/Esseles are actually fun *because* of the dialogue options, and seeing how the group reacts to these. The instances that follow are all terribly cut-and-dry by comparison. It really does feel like they pulled the ol' switcheroo.

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this arguement has become somewhat invalid now.

I have a level 42 sith warrior, a level 10 bounty hunter, and a lvl 31 trooper. and i have yet to skip a single dialogue line. i am taking my time with all my characters and switch between them regularly. but i might have more time on my hands right now since here in europe its the christmas vacation.

 

so just because he's 50 right now doesnt mean he rushed...

 

I think the other more important point is that this probably isn't the game to play if you're going to OMGWTFSPACEBAR your way through everything, nor should you expect anyone outside your circle of friends to skip through stuff just so you can grind heroics. In a game that tries to focus more on certain storytelling elements than others of this genre have been able to in the past, it's not very reasonable to expect people to play this game like they play, say, WoW for example. One is new, one is very very old. One is supposed to be more about the story (at least until more people have experienced it), the other is only about plowing through it over and over arcade game style until you have your purple pixels and then literally logging off until the weekly reset.

 

Some of these people should really remember to take their Ritalin, or perhaps play a game that caters to their ADHD style of play. Hint: a game calling itself a "MMORPG" shouldn't be that game.

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I think they ran out of money... or time... or both. BT/Esseles are actually fun *because* of the dialogue options, and seeing how the group reacts to these. The instances that follow are all terribly cut-and-dry by comparison. It really does feel like they pulled the ol' switcheroo.

 

Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks this.

 

The dialogue options make Esseles/BT unique, fun, and different.

 

The other flashpoints are fun, but, they're really just the same old stuff from other MMO's. Nothing spectacular. And, TBH, while I'm doing all of them on my main, Esseles and BT are the only ones I can see me not skipping on my alts. The others, I can do or not do, they're only instances after all.

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We ran Hammer/Athis last night - and it was very disappointing compared to Black Talon / Esseles.

 

There was only one light/dark choice in the entire instance on both of those - with pretty much the exact same choice (kill the neutrals / civies for being naughty collaborators or let them live). Once you got the initial quest from the quest giver outside the instance, there wasn't anything else interesting until afterwards.

 

It's so bland compared to Esseles / Black Talon. You don't get to "talk back" to the bosses before hand, or get much of a story except when you pickup the quest for the flash point.

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Good question, I was really hoping Esseles was at the very least setting a standard, if not being a low-water mark and everything getting better from there.

But to me it feels like the opposite so far. Emphasis on so far, since I haven't seen everything yet.

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I agree with the OP. After doing Esseles in beta/live and Black Talon in beta, I was super excited to see what other flashpoints were like. And although they've been mechanically well done for the most part, they've been a letdown from a story standpoint. There's some really good premises there, some great potential stories, but they just were not executed well.

 

The Hammer Station trailer, for example, makes it seem like it's an epic action movie in the making, but you have one choice (without any associated dialogue) in the middle and it's otherwise some guy berating you over a PA system as you clear packs of enemies and fight bosses that don't seem to have a great deal of purpose besides just being there for you to kill. Same for Cademimu. Athiss wasn't much better, nor was Mandalorian Raiders. Taral V is the first flashpoint I've done since the Esseles that actually felt close to what I'd expected from all flashpoints, based on what the Esseles and Black Talon were like.

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I agree with the OP. After doing Esseles in beta/live and Black Talon in beta, I was super excited to see what other flashpoints were like. And although they've been mechanically well done for the most part, they've been a letdown from a story standpoint. There's some really good premises there, some great potential stories, but they just were not executed well.

 

The Hammer Station trailer, for example, makes it seem like it's an epic action movie in the making, but you have one choice (without any associated dialogue) in the middle and it's otherwise some guy berating you over a PA system as you clear packs of enemies and fight bosses that don't seem to have a great deal of purpose besides just being there for you to kill. Same for Cademimu. Athiss wasn't much better, nor was Mandalorian Raiders. Taral V is the first flashpoint I've done since the Esseles that actually felt close to what I'd expected from all flashpoints, based on what the Esseles and Black Talon were like.

 

Have they been fun? Sure. But Esseles and BT were so much more enjoyable. Seeing the different outcomes form the conversations, the boss fights being relevant to the story rather than just them standing there, etc. And bland is the perfect description for every flashpoint after that I've done.

 

What lvl range is Taral V? Cuz if it is even close to Esseles style, I'm looking forward to it

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What lvl range is Taral V? Cuz if it is even close to Esseles style, I'm looking forward to it

 

Taral V is in the 32-34 range. 20 levels is a long time between good, story driven flashpoints, but it was really nice to do. It's still IMO not as good as the Esseles, but it's close and a huge step up from the others in between.

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Taral V is in the 32-34 range. 20 levels is a long time between good, story driven flashpoints, but it was really nice to do. It's still IMO not as good as the Esseles, but it's close and a huge step up from the others in between.

 

Thanks for the info. Gives me something to look forward to at least

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