So, I've been playing through the stories at 12x. Overall, they're awesome and a lot of fun (done the IA, Warrior, BH, Consular, and working through the JK), but you quickly realize that they're all basically set up the same way: there's a nice story, composed of cut scenes and nice fights, and lots of filler composed of:

 

 

• "We can't <insert objective> because of <insert obstacle>!"
  
• "Unless... someone were to <insert busy work, i.e. enable cameras, plant bombs, gather data!>"
  

 

It's basically the single reason that I don't think I'll get through any more storylines. I want to move forward (yes, I'm kind of getting tired of it) but every time someone says "OMG, they've kidnapped general Zin! We need to rescue him!" I know that my next task won't be rescuing general Zin - instead, I'm going to spend the next 30-45 minutes disabling shield generators before I'm allowed in the complex (if I'm lucky, and the shield generators aren't followed by data gathering or something).

 

I'm not really complaining (well, I am, but it's more a long, extended sigh), but man, I'm tired of that feeling of dread I get when I hear about the main objective... and then there's that pause, and I know I'm going to get a bunch of busy work before I can get to it.

Normally you don't notice this as much because you do a lot of side quests to level up. It's definitely more apparent when you're only doing class quests.

 

Still, leveling a character to 50 in a week is better than it taking a month. The 12x experience boost is the only thing allowing me to stomach leveling some of the classes.

It's just the way the get you to explore the entire map.

The 12x XP boost does help with a little less running around, but it still is obvious.

They just can't have only one mission on the planet, or it would take five minutes to get to 50.

Try grouping with someone, it makes it a lot more fun.

Yeah, I get that if they didn't have the repetition - even in the main storylines - it'd be over in about six hours. As it is, playing all the stories is a lot of fun. I feel that I'm really getting a feel for the world, and for which classes I enjoy playing.

 

Ultimately, the solution is to play something else and come back - I'm just rushing to finish all the storylines I can before the expiration of the 12x (though I'm sure it'll be back).

 

Thanks for the video, BTW - I'll have to watch it a little later, though.

At least you do not have to kill 20 of these, and then another 45 of that, blow up 5 random objects, sort out a mundane love triangle, deliver a package and investigate something the local militia can't get around to while getting to those generators you need to disable before freeing General Zin.... in order to get to the level that is Okay to get to the next planet. Edited August 28, 2015 by DomiSotto

At least you do not have to kill 20 of these, and then another 45 of that, blow up 5 random objects, sort out a mundane love triangle, deliver a package and investigate something the local militia can't get around to while getting to those generators you need to disable before freeing General Zin.... in order to get to the level that is Okay to get to the next planet.

 

That sums up about every bonus mission in the game though =P

As someone who’s played BioObsi games since 1998, I know that the only correct way of dealing with the imminent catastrophic events is pushing them to the bottom of the do-list until there is certifiably nothing else left to do.

 

Sure, you are the Chosen One, poppet, but it’s 99% sweat and only 1% genius. Go clean out the rats in the basement.

 

Hero’s Handbook: The timing of the End of the World is always negotiable.

Hero’s Handbook: The timing of the End of the World is always negotiable.

 

Did you make this up? It's awesome. It's always funny the way you get an assignment to save the galaxy, and then (in SWTOR, at least) decide to go buy some new mods, maybe take advantage of the Bounty Hunter event, etcetera. Oh, yeah - then the galaxy.

The first act of each [Republic] class story is especially awful. At least to me.

 

The Smuggler's story is not bad - overall - but is NOT about smuggling in any way ! For example, the Smuggler NEVER interacts with ANY smuggling organization out there ! Especially not with the Exchange ...

 

This is what bothered me most. Bioware's designers built up huge smuggling organisatzions - but let the original Smuggler class NEVER interact with them !

Click three glowing objects -> move to next area

 

Repeat until planet boss, move to next planet, repeat.

While I understand that "kill ten rats" is a staple of any MMO and why, it would be nice if just occasionally, it got subverted. Just the occasional cutscene that ran more like this:

 

LANA: We must press on to the Revanites' temple, but first we need to thin the herd. Someone needs to go out and wipe out all the Ginx in the caves before the joint strike force can move in.

 

INQUISITOR PC: Why is that so important?

 

LANA: Darth Marr has frog phobia.

 

INQUISITOR PC: ... I see, well, you're right, it is important, but I'm a Dark Councillor, so I get to delegate menial jobs. You deal with it, Lana. You can borrow Xalek. Off you go.

 

(Exit Lana, fade out. Fade in, enter Lana, sometime later)

 

LANA: Well, THAT was the most boring hour or my life...

Did you make this up? It's awesome. It's always funny the way you get an assignment to save the galaxy, and then (in SWTOR, at least) decide to go buy some new mods, maybe take advantage of the Bounty Hunter event, etcetera. Oh, yeah - then the galaxy.

 

 

Ah, thank you

 

Sending Lana to clear out the caves, that has to be in the next patch. It gotta be a daily too. Oh, and make it that eveyrone's Lanas have to fight to get the same small spawns of Ginx! BioWARE?!

 

On a serious note, timed quests, and the JK storyline quest where you actually need to let the NPCs to duke it out and go do something more urgent or you fail the quest is a step in the right direction. I have not seen it before (I have a sheltered gaming life) so I was impressed.

Edited September 1, 2015 by DomiSotto

On a serious note, timed quests, and the JK storyline quest where you actually need to let the NPCs to duke it out and go do something more urgent or you fail the quest is a step in the right direction. I have not seen it before (I have a sheltered gaming life) so I was impressed.

 

Any time you're given a choice that determines what you'll actually do next, and has some consequences, it's good. I'll even take times when the JK chooses, say (very mild spoilers), saving hostages over helping the army guy, and later, you hear about what happened to the people the JK didn't help - that happens several times in that thread.

 

I like choices where there may be a light side/dark side, but there really isn't a right and wrong, just consequences, either way. I'd like these aspects sharpened, even given that SWTOR is an MMO.

My personal favorite is... After you beat a section boss... And say things are exploding.

 

Your quest becomes: "Escape the Mine" or something similar...

 

Oh ok, but I think I will afk right here and go do some laundry in RL... (And then maybe watch some netflix)... (Ow I fergot i am logged in)... Return to computer----> logged off due to in-activity... Log in to find out i have been exited from quest instance and have succeeded in escaping the mine! Awesome!

Edited September 5, 2015 by DNGDangerous

My personal favorite is... After you beat a section boss... And say things are exploding.

 

Your quest becomes: "Escape the Mine" or something similar...

 

Oh ok, but I think I will afk right here and go do some laundry in RL... (And then maybe watch some netflix)... (Ow I fergot i am logged in)... Return to computer----> logged off due to in-activity... Log in to find out i have been exited from quest instance and have succeeded in escaping the mine! Awesome!

 

Yes, but your character's been trash talking about your gameplay to his or her companions all the time you were logged off, for not helping.

Return to computer----> logged off due to in-activity... Log in to find out i have been exited from quest instance and have succeeded in escaping the mine! Awesome!

 

That feature was likely brought to you by the same programmer that designed Word's spell-check and bullet-editing module.

 

Yes, but your character's been trash talking about your gameplay to his or her companions all the time you were logged off, for not helping.

 

You win Internet!

Edited September 5, 2015 by DomiSotto

Yes, but your character's been trash talking about your gameplay to his or her companions all the time you were logged off, for not helping.

 

But but~! How can i save the universe if in dirty laundry? I must be so fresh and so clean during my victor celebration!