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SWTOR in the Life of a Casual


ENVISIONocity

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As a part time subscriber and alt-loving casual, I certainly wish that we were treated better by this game.

 

The current CXP boost is great, my two mains got to Command Level 25 until now with me playing a few heroics every day for it. Please keep it forever!

 

Second, let us get unassembled components from doing any content. Flashpoints, Uprisings, Heroics, all of it!

 

I hear you on that! My skills are average at best (keyboard turning clicker too stuck in her ways to change), so for the rare occasion that I group up I like to have decent gear to compensate for my shortcomings. I don't have enough mats to craft full 230s, and I swear at least half of my gear drops have been duplicates. Even on command rank 4 alts I'm just as likely to get a duplicate as a needed piece. :(

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As a part time subscriber and alt-loving casual, I certainly wish that we were treated better by this game.

 

The current CXP boost is great, my two mains got to Command Level 25 until now with me playing a few heroics every day for it. Please keep it forever!

 

Second, let us get unassembled components from doing any content. Flashpoints, Uprisings, Heroics, all of it!

 

 

 

I hear you on that! My skills are average at best (keyboard turning clicker too stuck in her ways to change), so for the rare occasion that I group up I like to have decent gear to compensate for my shortcomings. I don't have enough mats to craft full 230s, and I swear at least half of my gear drops have been duplicates. Even on command rank 4 alts I'm just as likely to get a duplicate as a needed piece. :(

 

Yes I agree with this also, increase the rate you gain cxp all you like but for many casuals Galactic Command is the only system of gearing we get and the RNG element that kills the raiders and PvP players still kill us, casuals still need a viable way to aim for specific gear.

 

In fact I think you should be able to get unassembled components for disintegrating the duplicate gear in Galactic command crates. This would also benefit raiders and PvP players as they can gain unassembled components with GC as well.

Edited by Jedi_riches
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Yes I agree with this also, increase the rate you gain cxp all you like but for many casuals Galactic Command is the only system of gearing we get and the RNG element that kills the raiders and PvP players still kill us, casuals still need a viable way to aim for specific gear.

 

In fact I think you should be able to get unassembled components for disintegrating the duplicate gear in Galactic command crates. This would also benefit raiders and PvP players as they can gain unassembled components with GC as well.

 

I am at a disadvantage here, as my story experience doesn't or hasn't seemed impacted with the RNG aspects I see continuously raised. I'm not sure what "rank" I even am right now, beyond being level 70 class-wise. My current gear has been more than sufficient to see me through the primary storyline of GC to this point, although I did receive a better set of boots than I've had stats-wise since I was back in the 50s or late 40s, so I swapped it out. I also received a relic that offers the equivalent value as my current relic, but with Alacrity, so I'm just holding onto it. The parts and other miscellany I've disintegrated for the CXP all along because, well, I don't really "get" the GC ranking stuff. :sul_confused:

 

But then, I don't do Operations or PVP, I don't craft because I wouldn't even know how to begin (much less figure out what I'm doing!). I haven't done any Uprisings, and this first time through I'm focusing solely on the primary storyline of GC's expansions--and will be going back to the alerts or whatever they are called, even though it may throw continuity out the window. That's because I want to judge each aspect separately, and this first time especially. Later, I can mingle the two. :jawa_biggrin:

 

About all I understand, given my playing style and interests, is that the RNG element seems to be impacting others' enjoyment of the same game I try to play in my few spare down-times, and that's sad to hear since I've been thoroughly enjoying this noobish play-through.

 

And yes, although I don't really "get" the whole GC thing, it'd be nice if I could have more in-game time to enjoy this huge CXP increase! I've seen people complain that no matter how much they boost CXP, it's still RNG-- but to my way of thinking, it's the difference between someone giving you 100 lottery tickets and someone giving you 350 of them (oversimplification, but it's just an illustration). Every ticket might be a losing scratch-off, but at least I have better odds of landing a winning scratch-off! Or is that better probability of landing a winning scratch-off?

 

Did I mention it's all over my head? :rak_eek:

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I've been busy lately. My Jedi Guardian (I suppose she's my main now, since she's the most progressed through the content) has been doing crafting. Which was only mildly interesting until I realised the crafted gear looks different on Dark Side characters from Light Side ones, so now I can make some cool outfits for my Sorcerer!

 

Also been delving into Star Fortresses as her, at first just for the Legacy gear but the decorations drops are nice too, as I've been trying to make my Coruscant and Dromund Kass places look a bit less spartan compared to my Nar Shadda one. Unlocked all but the three living quarters upstairs for Coruscant I think. Put the two VIP lounge vendor statues outside with a Zakuul fountain on the landing pad. Kinda want the Makeb Gazebo but none on GTN. As my Jedi is an Alliance Commander I've kitted out the first big room as a command centre, with Republic troops, Rusk and Jorgan giving advice to the unnamed cannon fodder and some weapons racks. Funny yo think I'd initially dismissed the Stronghold stuff as pointless fluff, but am actually quite enjoying it now. I guess getting loads of Decorations in packs has helped encourage that. Well done Bioware!

 

Sold my Senya's Pike and Revan's Mask, which funded a lot of armour set purchases and a few of the more interesting cheaper (I.e. Non-creature) mounts. Got plenty of stuff to go around my alts to make them all feel distinct now.

 

With the bonus xp boost at the moment I'm wanting to get through some more of the class storylines. So I've started a Knight from scratch. Since my boosted one was full light side, I've decided the new guy will be Dark As Floop! There's no slow build in the DS choices is there? I'm snagging and murdering everyone and I've not even left Typhon yet!

 

Also worked my way through the Shadow Of Revan arc as my Sorcerer. Really liked Rishi. Gonna have to do that on my Smuggler once I get him through Makeb. Haven't touched Orion, I suppose that should be my next port of call for the Sith, but I'm tempted to go back and do Ilum as she's not been there yet. Kinda want to do it all as her now that she's 70 and sticking to vanilla. I'm earning the CXP but damned if I'm starting KOTFE and losing access to all the other stuff I've yet to do. Mostly levelled her with Class Story and FPs and Heroics. Did the Revanite story on DK and the Dread Masters arc on Belsavis but left a whole lot of stuff for her to go back to.

 

And I've a Trooper I've been neglecting, and an Agent I just started who's done nothing but the opening cutscenes and went to a Stronghold to try on outfits. And I have an exciting idea for a Bounty Hunter (based on an armour set that looks like the Predator film's titular character) and I kinda fancy using the Unstable Dualsaber I picked up on some character or another...jeez, altaholics anonymous meeting is when?

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With the bonus xp boost at the moment I'm wanting to get through some more of the class storylines. So I've started a Knight from scratch. Since my boosted one was full light side, I've decided the new guy will be Dark As Floop! There's no slow build in the DS choices is there? I'm snagging and murdering everyone and I've not even left Typhon yet!

 

Also worked my way through the Shadow Of Revan arc as my Sorcerer. Really liked Rishi. Gonna have to do that on my Smuggler once I get him through Makeb. Haven't touched Orion, I suppose that should be my next port of call for the Sith, but I'm tempted to go back and do Ilum as she's not been there yet. Kinda want to do it all as her now that she's 70 and sticking to vanilla. I'm earning the CXP but damned if I'm starting KOTFE and losing access to all the other stuff I've yet to do. Mostly levelled her with Class Story and FPs and Heroics. Did the Revanite story on DK and the Dread Masters arc on Belsavis but left a whole lot of stuff for her to go back to.

 

 

A Dark Jedi Knight has some of the funniest lines that I have seen in the game. I hope you enjoy it. The Smuggler is the only one I have played through Rishi with. While not long, it was an interesting little side story.

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I finished the main story of KOTET last evening and I look forward to replaying it next as a full light side Republic force user to come at the story from that perspective. I haven't decided what class to do this with yet, so I'm open to suggestions. :sy_title:

 

I haven't done any of the alliance alerts, I think they're called. Which is fine, because I will be letting Danarrah enjoy her time on the Eternal Throne before going into the side stories-- or I could run her alliance missions simultaneous with the LS Republic character to get a sense of what she was up to as my Repub awakens as the Outlander. What do you think? :sy_companion:

 

As for the story itself, I think it was one that I clearly played to the end and now want to play it from a different tangent, and that should stand on its own merits. :rak_tongue:

 

I'll admit to ESC'ing at certain choices I made that I felt didn't fit the journey I saw Danarrah on as she went from her arrival at the Sith Academy on to becoming Empress of the Eternal Empire, and those moments of choice that I have heard others talk about weren't among those moments I reset the conversation because she didn't hesitate on those or second-guess herself.

 

I think there were only two (at most) moments where she chose a light-side decision, but she is full Dark Side at this point, and I believe I just saw her at Command Rank 18.

 

Apart from a belt piece and a wrist piece that showed up in crates as I played, I stayed with my personalized look (gear) for Danarrah. I love her headpiece: it defines her personality especially. Not even sure what the headpiece is called, because I never keep track of that: if it looks like it goes with the alt, I pick it up for them.

 

I do wish that Bioware would offer a way to customize our companions of KOTFE/KOTET once we've ascended to the Throne. If they're concerned about people slapping a slave girl top on Lana, then why not handle it with the same setting that prevents us from putting one of those on a male character, problem solved.

 

There was a moment, a statement that was written into a conversation that was completely out-of-character for Danarrah and broke the immersion for me, and the only other matter was the bug-eyed look which to make Danarrah look shocked, I guess. Hopefully that animation improves over time, because it's too funny at times, making this dark story into a spontaneous comedy. :t_redface:

 

The battles were decently paced, but I now see what others mean when they talk about the skytroopers who think their the Zerg and keep showing up almost to parody levels. Just went on and on at times. It wasn't annoying for me, personally. Almost amusing and I used the fodder to hone up on my rotation— or at least what passed for my rotation as a button-masher who likes when the buttons light up so I know what to do next, lol! :t_tongue:

 

I learned how to think my way through the expansions as puzzles arose for the first time. I was pretty stumped on them, and there was one which I religiously used the Help button to see me through it. I would've never figured that one out except by accident. But I enjoyed them all!

 

The walker moments? You get to stomp on those little gnats biting at your legs— how cool is that?! And I was having so much fun mashing taters that I didn't even notice until the very last walker I would pilot in the main story that you could regen! Oh, I slay me sometimes! :jawa_confused: <I do NOT approve of my jawas being changed. Wahhh!> So I'll pay closer attention to that this next time through. :jawa_wink:

 

The "boss" fights went well for Danarrah. Only one felt that it went on a little too long, but none reached the eternal feel of the fight with Revan, in her pre-Outlander days. The timed segment got me the first two tries, and made me more resourceful by that third try, I have to admit.

 

I look forward to where Bioware goes next, if they can. I think they will stick with Uprisings until they have a better idea of how to continue the story for the Empress. Which is fine, because it's going to take me a while to catch up on all of the side stories as well play as a LS Republic character.

 

And even after that I want to see a non-force user play through neutrally, or near so as I can manage. I picture them as someone who has very little care for the politics of force users, Jedi and Sith alike, but sees no reason NOT to profit from the opportunity it presents, either. After all, as lucrative as things were with the fighting between the Empire and the Republic for "business," a few more creds isn't a bad thing, either.

 

How will he decide at the end, though? He'd been avoiding taking a side his entire life, and now there was no escape. His destiny stands in front of him in the Throne room, and what will he do, in that moment?

 

That's what I look forward to seeing when the time comes. :t_cool:

 

Like I said, though, I'm open to your suggestions on which Repub I should consider. :sy_companion:

Edited by ENVISIONocity
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I finished the main story of KOTET last evening and I look forward to replaying it next as a full light side Republic force user to come at the story from that perspective. I haven't decided what class to do this with yet, so I'm open to suggestions. :sy_title:

 

The entire story seems like it works best with the Jedi Knight imo.

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The entire story seems like it works best with the Jedi Knight imo.

 

It's the only story it works on. You could do it with any force user if you're willing to overlook some stuff, but JK is where it's at for the newer chapters.

 

BH, smugs, troopers, agents...it really doesn't add up, at least in my thinking anyways.

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But Luna....

 

"My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the different classes in SWTOR." :csw_yoda:

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  • 10 months later...

Does it count as necro when it's a thread like this one? Haven't been subscribing for quite a while, hence no forum posting!

Are you guys still here? Luna, I see you in other threads, but obviously haven't been able to say anything, yes, yes, I lurk when I can't write! But the rest of you , where are you?

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  • 1 year later...
Does it count as necro when it's a thread like this one? Haven't been subscribing for quite a while, hence no forum posting!

Are you guys still here? Luna, I see you in other threads, but obviously haven't been able to say anything, yes, yes, I lurk when I can't write! But the rest of you , where are you?

____________________________________________________

 

Good morning, everyone!

 

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I started this topic as my own small contribution to the online forum community here—

 

I still prefer to lurk and try keeping up with the posts of the handful of now-favorite posters I watch for on here, but it's been a while and with the recent release of Onslaught, I thought now is as good a time as any— especially since recent discussions on what system changes mean for solo players such as myself.

 

I'm still what I'll describe as a casual solo player who has only taken two or three of the characters from my horde of alts into KOTFE/ET even at this point. I'm quite satisfied with the Classic 8-story SWTOR and reside in a pre-Arcann galaxy. :)

 

This weekend, I picked up the story again for my Sith Inquisitor where I'd last left her, on Balmorra.

 

The visual changes to elements like vendors and Mailboxes were nice enough, and will be advantageous for new players, in my opinion. The color black seems to be more black now than I've seen (or noticed?) before. I haven't been to the fleet to see the new visual enhancements there but I know from videos what to expect and I am looking forward to the eye-candy.

 

I still can't speak to the gearing aspects, of course, since I still do not group (and have never belonged to a guild) for the same reasons I've read from other solo players here on the forum: social anxiety, wanting to simply enjoy the roses, and for the stories with their diverse options and decision-based outcomes. What I was wearing was entirely sufficient to meet the needs of the content I was engaged in on Balmorra.

 

Drops from combat and missions seemed like what I am used to seeing, though, and the up-arrow on pieces of gear was a nice touch— although I didn't always see a piece of gear or item as an upgrade for my own solo play and simply sold those to the vendors.

 

Combat itself was more challenging and felt like something I hadn't experienced in a long time, or at least since companions became better known as "healbots" who would keep one's character alive through some of the dumbest decisions and engagements, ;)

 

This change in difficulty was especially noticeable in the Heroics I went into this weekend, and apart from getting spanked three times by one particularly worthy group of Republic-backed forces in the one Heroic, I think I enjoyed the challenge, too. The three consecutive spankings forced me to re-think my approach and choice of rotation (who am I kidding, I don't have any rotations; I click on the ones that light up for me, and pick a few other buttons during cooldowns, LOL) and I finally figured out a better series of abilities that worked well in the next similarly-matched encounter.

 

But I sure noticed that going back to general enemies outside of Heroics felt easier after the tougher Heroics. ;)

 

I still need to return to my Imperial Agent who just finished her class story and experience the combat changes in a post-level 70 character, although she won't be entering the KOTFE/ET portion of the SWTOR saga; I do have 2 or 3 force-using characters who entered or went through the Eternal Empire plight that I hope to eventually return to and experience Onslaught, someday. No, she still has Makeb, Ilum, and other things to do besides get hibernated for a few years and wake up in a different galaxy. Plenty to see what happens as she levels from 70 (via Master Datacron and gear upon getting her ship during the class story) up into level 75. :)

 

So much to do, so little time available to do it all in.

 

Such is SWTOR in the Life of this old, casual solo player. :)

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