Star Wars The Old Republic is a different type of mmo

 

It's the type of mmos built for the people who love story. For the people who love choices that affect them and their decision making processes. For the people that like to get immersed in a universe that is Star Wars. For the people that just want to adventure.

 

It's the type of game that you must like story in your games to enjoy and....get. You must like story and get immersed in the story line and think of everything going on in your head at every moment. You must really think and get into it to enjoy it. Every time you start a new adventure, even though it's the same amount of choices each time, you get immersed in it. I do anyway, and know a lot of people that do also. Everytime it's different, not just because you can choose different choices each time to see the people's responses, but because you can immerse yourself in different ways throughout the story. You get attached to your character via your choices and dark/light alignment. Pertaining to what you have just chosen.

 

Just like Knights of the Old Republic. That's what the replayability is with BioWare's game. The story and responses. The type of responses you get from people depending on what you choose. The type of ways you can manipulate people or help them that you didn't before. I think it's even better knowing the story and say to yourself "hey..I didn't help this guy before, I'm going to help him now with the power stations" then you decide to help him and later on he sends some guy to someone else and you meet up with his dad or something on another planet. That's the cool thing about this game. Choice

 

BioWare has set a new standard I believe for ...this type of mmos. It's not the same mmo as wow, aion, rift or anything like that. BioWare came out with THEIR OWN type of mmo. Yes, the interface and tools are the same as those games because that's the type of UI and stuff people are used to and like a lot. Just the more customizable, the better. Every mmo has their own types of things in it that innovates in areas. TOR innovated in story, voice acting, decisions and companions. It was advertised as a story based mmorpg with voice acting set in the Star Wars universe. That's EXACTLY what we got.

 

All other things were just built on hype by the people. Yes, BioWare made themselves look better in some areas, but what company doesn't try to sell it? People wanted something different but...not TOO different. That is what I believe this game is. It is being it's OWN thing. Yes, it has things based off World of Warcraft but also other mmos because that's what mmos do. Build off the previous things that were successful and put their own spin on them to make them unique in their own way. It is then up to the players to decide whether they like them or not. It doesn't matter how subscriptions a game has. It matters the quality of the player base, the quality of the content, the quality of the customer service along with the quality of replayability along with the loyalty of the fan base and the IP.

 

BioWare, I believe is on the right track now. They don't seem to be slipping anymore because all these things that people want are coming to TOR in a good amount of time. The LFG tool which A LOT want..is going to be well done in 1.3 I think and be more defined in it's image than in other mmos. The game is just going get update after update after update and just keep growing and getting everything people want. We can only look to the future. It looks as though BioWare is delivering on a great many things.

 

I can't wait to see what the next months and years brings for this game. I can't wait to see guild ship battles. Standing on my ship and looking out the window at another who is close and choose whether to hail them and fire, or settle it peacefully. I can see it just how it happens like the Black Talon or Esseles. Standing looking at the enemy ship firing at you and the guild can board your ship and you board theirs. First one to destroy the other ship wins. Or you can run. That would be COOL. I believe that is all coming along with open space pvp . There will many planets in this game in the future with smuggling paths that smugglers can actually smuggle and being able to put bounties on people's heads. THAT would be fun. I think everyone would play a Bounty Hunter then I know I would. Make it like the EVE system! just...more refined.

 

Just keep taking your time BioWare. Lots of us have patience. Those who are playing this game know it's not a rush to level cap game to get a bunch of gear and do raid after raid after raid after raid to get...more gear. This is a game of story, immersion, no matter HOW LONG it takes to reach level cap, don't worry about it. I know it's hard because every mmo before this has been a rush to level cap to prove to everyone how awesome you are. You even like proving to yourself "ahhh..made it to level cap, this is cool" instead of just doing that say to yourself, "i wonder how I can change this up" or anything like that in the moment, in your story I love having my choices in mmos so I can choose to say something or not and have people like or hate me. Having IN MY HEAD a different set of decisions EACH TIME and have the story be different FOR ME each time.

 

It is all in your head to everyone. Don't think of how many levels you just gained. Turn off your xp bar and just...enjoy the story. Now..I KNOW it's hard to not press the spacebar sometimes because ...something is there...just telling you PRESS ME!! DON'T. Trust me on this! You will thank me later. You will find the game MUCH MORE appealing than you ever did before. It is hard, but if you challenge yourself on this level. You will continue to want to challenge yourself on others within this game. (pst..why do you think they gave you the option to disable the xp bar in interface editor ) It is hard to for some, but just sit down, crack your knuckles, crank your sound up and just....let go. Don't think about anything else except TOR when you are in TOR. Just go with the flow. Zone out in the game.

 

That is what SWTOR is. A game ...not for your average mmo player. I believe it's for a unique breed of people who enjoy well written stories who want to select what they can say to see other people's reactions. It is for people who love single player games but still want that...feeling...of meeting new people in an mmo world. It is for people who like BioWare games and ESPECIALLY kotor people. I can play this game for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours locked in a room and it be a different experience each time I start a different character. SWTOR is it's own game. Just like every other game is. Look past what this game has from others, and see what it offers for itself, and for the future.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Sarfux

so a story-driven massively-multiplayer online game is a lie?

sorry bud...you posted in the wrong thread. Do you even KNOW what I wrote about?

Star Wars The Old Republic is a different type of mmo

 

It's the type of mmos built for the people who love story. For the people who love choices that affect them and their decision making processes. For the people that like to get immersed in a universe that is Star Wars. For the people that just want to adventure.

 

It's the type of game that you must like story in your games to enjoy and....get. You must like story and get immersed in the story line and think of everything going on in your head at every moment. You must really think and get into it to enjoy it. Every time you start a new adventure, even though it's the same amount of choices each time, you get immersed in it. I do anyway, and know a lot of people that do also. Everytime it's different, not just because you can choose different choices each time to see the people's responses, but because you can immerse yourself in different ways throughout the story.

 

Just like Knights of the Old Republic. That's what the replayability is with BioWare's game. The story and responses. The type of responses you get from people depending on what you choose. The type of ways you can manipulate people or help them that you didn't before. I think it's even better knowing the story and say to yourself "hey..I didn't help this guy before, I'm going to help him now with the power stations" then you decide to help him and later on he sends some guy to someone else and you meet up with his dad or something on another planet. That's the cool thing about this game. Choice

 

BioWare has set a new standard I believe for ...this type of mmos. It's not the same mmo as wow, aion, rift or anything like that. BioWare came out with THEIR OWN type of mmo. Yes, the interface and tools are the same as those games because that's the type of UI and stuff people are used to and like a lot. Just the more customizable, the better. Every mmo has their own types of things in it that innovates in areas. TOR innovated in story, voice acting, decisions and companions. It was advertised as a story based mmorpg with voice acting set in the Star Wars universe. That's EXACTLY what we got.

 

All other things were just built on hype by the people. Yes, BioWare made themselves look better in some areas, but what company doesn't try to sell it? People wanted something different but...not TOO different. That is what I believe this game is. It is being it's OWN thing. Yes, it has things based off World of Warcraft but also other mmos because that's what mmos do. Build off the previous things that were successful and put their own spin on them to make them unique in their own way. It is then up to the players to decide whether they like them or not. It doesn't matter how subscriptions a game has. It matters the quality of the player base, the quality of the content, the quality of the customer service along with the quality of replayability along with the loyalty of the fan base and the IP.

 

BioWare, I believe is on the right track now. They don't seem to be slipping anymore because all these things that people want are coming to TOR in a good amount of time. The LFG tool which A LOT want..is going to be well done in 1.3 I think and be more defined in it's image than in other mmos. The game is just going get update after update after update and just keep growing and getting everything people want. We can only look to the future. It looks as though BioWare is delivering on a great many things.

 

I can't wait to see what the next months and years brings for this game. I can't wait to see guild ship battles. Standing on my ship and looking out the window at another who is close and choose whether to hail them and fire, or settle it peacefully. I can see it just how it happens like the Black Talon or Esseles. Standing looking at the enemy ship firing at you and the guild can board your ship and you board theirs. First one to destroy the other ship wins. Or you can run. That would be COOL. I believe that is all coming along with open space pvp . There will many planets in this game in the future with smuggling paths that smugglers can actually smuggle and being able to put bounties on people's heads. THAT would be fun. I think everyone would play a Bounty Hunter then I know I would. Make it like the EVE system! just...more refined.

 

Just keep taking your time BioWare. Lots of us have patience. Those who are playing this game know it's not a rush to level cap game to get a bunch of gear and do raid after raid after raid after raid to get...more gear. This is a game of story, immersion, no matter HOW LONG it takes to reach level cap, don't worry about it. I know it's hard because every mmo before this has been a rush to level cap to prove to everyone how awesome you are. You even like proving to yourself "ahhh..made it to level cap, this is cool" instead of just doing that say to yourself, "i wonder how I can change this up" or anything like that in the moment, in your story I love having my choices in mmos so I can choose to say something or not and have people like or hate me. Having IN MY HEAD a different set of decisions EACH TIME and have the story be different FOR ME each time.

 

It is all in your head to everyone. Don't think of how many levels you just gained. Turn off your xp bar and just...enjoy the story. Now..I KNOW it's hard to not press the spacebar sometimes because ...something is there...just telling you PRESS ME!! DON'T. Trust me on this! You will thank me later. You will find the game MUCH MORE appealing than you ever did before. It is hard, but if you challenge yourself on this level. You will continue to want to challenge yourself on others within this game. (pst..why do you think they gave you the option to disable the xp bar in interface editor ) It is hard to for some, but just sit down, crack your knuckles, crank your sound up and just....let go. Don't think about anything else except TOR when you are in TOR. Just go with the flow. Zone out in the game.

 

That is what SWTOR is. A game ...not for your average mmo player. I believe it's for a unique breed of people who enjoy well written stories who want to select what they can say to see other people's reactions. It is for people who love single player games but still want that...feeling...of meeting new people in an mmo world. It is for people who like BioWare games and ESPECIALLY kotor people. I can play this game for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours locked in a room and it be a different experience each time I start a different character. SWTOR is it's own game. Just like every other game is. Look past what this game has from others, and see what it offers for itself, and for the future.

 

The shame lies in the fact that some people need to be told this, because they refuse to figure it out and just admit, this is not their type of MMO, meaning the game is not 'bad', it is simply not to their tastes.

I love story in my games, and it's one of the things I look for most... in a single player game where these types of choices actually have vastly different implications on the storyline from that point on.

 

That is not what you get with SWTOR. You get the same story and the same ending as every other person playing the same class as you, and none of your dialogue choices mean anything to gameplay, character development, or the state of the world in the game.

 

It is inferior compared to other BioWare storytelling.

 

Your whole spiel about "a new type of MMO" is complete nonsense. This game is not an MMO. It's a cooperative RPG like Guild Wars at best... an online RPG at worst, and doesn't deserve to charge a monthly subscription fee. If this was a buy the box, then pay for new flashpoints, story quest packs, PVP map packs and operations "a la carte" for $5 bucks each, it would be a perfectly justifiable business model.

 

The fact that I can't play the group content I want because nobody groups due to alt-itis, and servers are ghost towns is a valid complaint, and they should not be charging monthly if their game cannot support a community for the focused multiplayer content that they promised. Not only that, but they can't seem to make anything in this game good except for the story, which is still gimped compared to Mass Effect and other BioWare titles because they cannot allow a single player to be a standout personality in the world.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Gungan

The shame lies in the fact that some people need to be told this, because they refuse to figure it out and just admit, this is not their type of MMO, meaning the game is not 'bad', it is simply not to their tastes.

 

Quoted For Truth

While I do enjoy the class stories and never use the spacebar -- you do realize you need to kill a felt number of half a million mobs until you finish your story? Otherwise I could watch Clone Wars instead if I want to see animated characters in Star Wars stories. Edited May 13, 2012 by Lord_Ravenhurst

Hi OP:

 

I think your post is sorta correct in what SWTOR is, but unfortunately, few people want what you are describing.

 

I feel very little re-playability for this game, and from what is happening, lots of people feel the same way.

 

If you really enjoy it, good for you. But, eh, we don't all enjoy it that much.

 

TLDR.... I doubt this game'll be charging folks to play, before the end of this year.

I love story in my games, and it's one of the things I look for most... in a single player game where these types of choices actually have vastly different implications on the storyline from that point on.

 

That is not what you get with SWTOR. You get the same story and the same ending as every other person playing the same class as you, and none of your dialogue choices mean anything to gameplay, character development, or the state of the world in the game.

 

It is inferior compared to other BioWare storytelling.

 

How is it inferior? Of course you are going to get the same ending as other's playing the story. It's an mmo. Which hosts a BUNCH of players. But YOU don't have to make it the same for YOURSELF. Nobody says you have to choose what other people choose. Don't say things like it doesn't matter what you say, because it does sometimes. On Nar Shaddaa, I chose to slaughter the Justicar and make them the people's enemies to the leader of them, than to just walk away peacefully and tell them not to do it. I could have chosen differently and walked right out of there. That's what I did. Along with lots of other examples I could give you. This is a perfect example of BioWare storytelling just in an mmo setting. What do you want? Your own brain sensor implanted in your thought lobe so you can put a wireless sensor into your usb drive and make the ending that YOU WANT? lol

 

That's what BioWare does. Make the stories. YOU just choose the decisions along the way that are different to others so you see in real time, what happens when you do it. Then, if it's the type of game that you like, you can replay it, and see. "What would my character be like if I chose one of the other decisions? How would I FEEL about my character?" If you say there is no replayability with this game, why did so many replay kotor 103847 times even though it was the EXACT SAME endings all the time? Why? BECAUSE IT'S ALL BASED UPON THE WAY THAT FEELS A DEEP CONNECTION TO YOU! That's why one of my threads said 1.3 mil kotor fans. Because those are mainly the type of people that LOVE this game. The hardcore mmo'ers will ...go out. They get bored because they feel there is nothing to do. It's not their type of thing. That's fine. Move along. But for the rest, this is what they craved in an mmorpg and with me...so did I!

Edited May 13, 2012 by Sarfux

Other MMOs also have story, they just don't come with voiceover and decisions to make, but still there is story. And many do not read that story in other MMOs, so they skip it here too, nothing wrong with that, after all SWTOR feels just like WoW in space, so I can't blame anyone who just play it that way. Edited May 13, 2012 by Drudenfusz

Hi OP:

 

I think your post is sorta correct in what SWTOR is, but unfortunately, few people want what you are describing.

 

I feel very little re-playability for this game, and from what is happening, lots of people feel the same way.

 

If you really enjoy it, good for you. But, eh, we don't all enjoy it that much.

 

TLDR.... I doubt this game'll be charging folks to play, before the end of this year.

 

Who is we? I still see a very big chunk of players that LOVE this game and won't be leaving anytime soon. TOR appeals to...a different crowd than the crazy raid type of player. No..it won't go free to play. Sorry bout that

Other MMOs also have story, they just don't come with voiceover and decisions to make, but still there is story. And many do nor read that story in other MMOs, so they skip it here too, nothing wrong with that, after all SWTOR feels just like WoW in space, so I can't blame anyone who just play it that way.

 

and United States is just a Republic on a different land

and Burger King is just another McDonalds

and adidas is just another Nike

and fries are just another type of potato

and every chevy truck is another ford truck

and every car has a motor, gas pedal, steering wheel, radio, carpets, windshield

 

get my point? If you MAKE yourself look at everything is the same as the thing before it of COURSE your mind is going to see everything being the same and it's not going to allow you to see the cool things the newer thing has. Be positive, not negative. Like I said...this is a game for a different breed.

I have a bunch of characters. Several of the same class. What's different you ask?

One's female.

One's male.

One's light side.

Ones dark side.

One is a flirt.

One is wholeheartedly going after the one girl.

One is one AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

One is the other AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

 

The amount of variation possible with only one class is immense. If people are getting bored then they are playing this game wrong.

How is it inferior? Of course you are going to get the same ending as other's playing the story. It's an mmo. Which hosts a BUNCH of players. But YOU don't have to make it the same for YOURSELF. Nobody says you have to choose what other people choose. Don't say things like it doesn't matter what you say, because it does sometimes. On Nar Shaddaa, I chose to slaughter the Justicar and make them the people's enemies to the leader of them, than to just walk away peacefully and tell them not to do it. I could have chosen differently and walked right out of there. That's what I did. Along with lots of other examples I could give you. This is a perfect example of BioWare storytelling just in an mmo setting. What do you want? Your own brain sensor implanted in your thought lobe so you can put a wireless sensor into your usb drive and make the ending that YOU WANT? lol

 

That's what BioWare does. Make the stories. YOU just choose the decisions along the way that are different to others so you see in real time, what happens when you do it. Then, if it's the type of game that you like, you can replay it, and see. "What would my character be like if I chose one of the other decisions? How would I FEEL about my character?" If you say there is no replayability with this game, why did so many replay kotor 103847 times even though it was the EXACT SAME endings all the time? Why? BECAUSE IT'S ALL BASED UPON THE WAY THAT FEELS A DEEP CONNECTION TO YOU! That's why one of my threads said 1.3 mil kotor fans. Because those are mainly the type of people that LOVE this game. The hardcore mmo'ers will ...go out. They get bored because they feel there is nothing to do. It's not their type of thing. That's fine. Move along. But for the rest, this is what they craved in an mmorpg and with me...so did I!

 

I want branching story arcs with consequences that affect the persistent world.

 

I want there to be the possibility of screwing up and actually losing a companion.

 

I want the companions to be fully fleshed out characters I care about, not uninteresting generic archetypes with high school problems.

 

I want a story with emotional highs and lows, not a flat monotonous experience.

 

I want companion side missions to be actual side missions, not fading to black while they go solo their mission.

 

I want to be able to choose my crew. I hate that every one of my companions is also a trooper.

 

I want fewer instanced events so the world doesn't feel like you're just travelling form green portal to green portal to do something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2012 by Zilrota
Added tags

I want branching story arcs with consequences that affect the persistent world.

 

I want there to be the possibility of screwing up and actually losing a companion.

 

I want the companions to be fully fleshed out characters I care about, not uninteresting generic archetypes with high school problems.

 

I want a story with emotional highs and lows, not a flat monotonous experience.

 

 

Every Sith Warrior joins the Dark Council... not an option.

 

 

 

Every Trooper liberates Corellia... not an option.

 

 

 

Every Jedi Knight kills the Emperor... not an option.

 

you DO know that they have plans in the near future, possibly this year, to make more branches within story arches ... right? They have also said in first major expansion there are going to be new story arches and chances to lose your companion. Don't worry. It's all coming!

Edited May 13, 2012 by Zilrota
added spoiler tags

you DO know that they have plans in the near future, possibly this year, to make more branches within story arches ... right? They have also said in first major expansion there are going to be new story arches and chances to lose your companion. Don't worry. It's all coming!

 

Good, now make the rest of the game not suck. I'm paying a sub for a multiplayer experience. If they can't deliver a satisfying one with meaningful coop or pvp, they shouldn't be charging a sub for an MMO.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Gungan

It sure isnt an MMO, Massive Multilayer Online game. At least, not on my sever. Edited May 13, 2012 by GreatGarth

I have a bunch of characters. Several of the same class. What's different you ask?

One's female.

One's male.

One's light side.

Ones dark side.

One is a flirt.

One is wholeheartedly going after the one girl.

One is one AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

One is the other AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

 

The amount of variation possible with only one class is immense. If people are getting bored then they are playing this game wrong.

 

I wish there were more people like you my friend. That is EXACTLY how I play the game to.

get my point? If you MAKE yourself look at everything is the same as the thing before it of COURSE your mind is going to see everything being the same and it's not going to allow you to see the cool things the newer thing has. Be positive, not negative. Like I said...this is a game for a different breed.

Sure, still I think BioWare could have changed more. In the end people will rush through the content, because it's the elder game that is the important part of most MMOs, so all the story along the way can be ignored... and then when you hit 50 you find that no decisions you made make now any difference, it's now all about operations and/or PvP and mostly about gear grind, which has nothing to do with story.

 

BioWare should have made there story decision where we get the most important gear from (or at least the most awesome looking stuff), but instead they did not even let us change how the world appear to our characters and give us just green gear that we soon enough trade away. Game mechanics should support the game style you are after, and SWTOR just don't do that.

I have a bunch of characters. Several of the same class. What's different you ask?

One's female.

One's male.

One's light side.

Ones dark side.

One is a flirt.

One is wholeheartedly going after the one girl.

One is one AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

One is the other AC.

One is that same AC but a different spec.

 

The amount of variation possible with only one class is immense. If people are getting bored then they are playing this game wrong.

 

You know you can respec right?

"For the people that just want to adventure."

I think your definition of adventure, and my definition of adventure are different.

Going along a straight line isn't my sense of adventure. Many of the maps are designed so they are LITERALLY a straight line.

I stopped reading after that. I'll admit, I browsed it. You basically say that it's for people who like stories. I LOVE stories. Example, I love Final fantasy because of its stories.

This IS a bad game. There are so many flaws, I'm not going to begin to list them here. It's not a matter of opinion. This game is flawed, and it's a bad game. Look, I had fun while leveling and thought the story was the best part. But looking at it from an objective stance, it's a bad game.

Just because you have fun playing something, doesn't mean it can't still be a bad game.

Good, now make the rest of the game not suck. I'm paying a sub for a multiplayer experience. If they can't deliver a satisfying one with meaningful coop or pvp, they shouldn't be charging a sub.

 

looks like you have nothing bad to say. If this isn't your type of game and you say it sucks. Leave You don't NEED to say because you feel like you need to be faithful to Star Wars or BioWare. Just play what you love, love what you play

"For the people that just want to adventure."

I think your definition of adventure, and my definition of adventure are different.

Going along a straight line isn't my sense of adventure. Many of the maps are designed so they are LITERALLY a straight line.

I stopped reading after that. I'll admit, I browsed it. You basically say that it's for people who like stories. I LOVE stories. Example, I love Final fantasy because of its stories.

This IS a bad game. There are so many flaws, I'm not going to begin to list them here. It's not a matter of opinion. This game is flawed, and it's a bad game. Look, I had fun while leveling and thought the story was the best part. But looking at it from an objective stance, it's a bad game.

Just because you have fun playing something, doesn't mean it can't still be a bad game.

 

Ah your opinion is fact then, good to know.

looks like you have nothing bad to say. If this isn't your type of game and you say it sucks. Leave You don't NEED to say because you feel like you need to be faithful to Star Wars or BioWare. Just play what you love, love what you play

 

That comment didn't address what you quoted. I want what was promised: a satisfying MMO. They have not delivered because the game doesn't encourage group play through either enjoyable gameplay, or compelling story.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Gungan

Hi OP:

 

I would direct you to a small-ish game, known as DCUO, for an example of a big game going F2P.

 

Can't happen to SWTOR?

 

My money's on yes...