For those of you who either don't care about the story [cutscenes/voice overs] or believe that it is getting in the way of you enjoying the "MMO" experience, well, what did you expect exactly?

 

Starting off with their FIRST press release for the game, when they announced it, they made it perfectly clear multiple times that this is a STORY DRIVEN MMO and a FIRST OF ITS KIND meaning that it will be vastly different from other MMOs so what you experienced with past MMOs, expect different with SWTOR. Here are some excerpts from the press release that highlights multiple times, just how story focused SWTOR will be:

------------------------

 

OCTOBER 21, SAN FRANCISCO – LucasArts and BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.

 

"Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars - combat, exploration and character progression," said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., "In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a AAA massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe."

 

Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder and Vice President Development Operations, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts Inc., "Star Wars: The Old Republic is set roughly 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, a timeframe that is completely unexplored in the lore. BioWare has been able to add to the Star Wars history in developing the game’s story and has created an overarching narrative that players can enjoy, regardless of their play style. Our goal is to offer players an emotionally rewarding experience that combines the traditional elements of MMO gameplay with innovations in story and character development."

-----------------------------

 

So for all of you who is suprised or annoyed by how story heavy SWTOR is, well, what else did you expect? It was given from the very beginning that this won't be your older brother's MMO but rather a newer hybrid MMO that fuses MMO with the story driven approach of many single player games, such as KOTOR.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Majestic_Jazz

Some people have a problem with reading, I guess....

People want WoW with lightsabers. Bottom line. Personally, I welcome the changes, and I strongly disagree with anyone who has a viewpoint otherwise. This game is perfect the way it is, and I personally cannot wait for 2.0. By that time, this game will KICK ***.

It's fine that they don't care, they should play the game the way they want.

If they want to spacebar through the story, go for it.

 

Just don't ask me to, cause I'm gonna play the game the way I want too.

I expected a good MMO. I got a bad single player game that costs $15 a month.

People want WoW with lightsabers. Bottom line. Personally, I welcome the changes, and I strongly disagree with anyone who has a viewpoint otherwise. This game is perfect the way it is, and I personally cannot wait for 2.0. By that time, this game will KICK ***.

 

That is just the thing! If they wanted WoW with lightsabers, or Everquest with lightsabers....or EVE Online with lightsabers.....then why did they purchase SWTOR?

 

It sort of reminds me of when I was a little kid, my dad would go to the store to buy some stuff for the house such as cleaning supplies and food. I would want to tag along but once I do, he immediately informs me that he is NOT buying any toys or candy, I can come, but do NOT cry when you don't get any GI Joes or Candy because I am not there for that. Well, I could come anyways with this twisted hope that he might just change his mind and I'll get my toys and candy. When he sticks to what he said, instead of understanding it and moving on, I would act surprised and shocked when he told me from the beginning that he wasn't buying that stuff.

 

I just don't get it.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Majestic_Jazz

I expected a good MMO. I got a bad single player game that costs $15 a month.

 

This isn't about having hopes that a game would be good or not as your reply suggest. This thread is about people who seemed shocked by just how story focused this game is. Please stay on topic.

I got a game exactly as how I expected it. Very Story driven. Actually passed my expectations.

 

 

Now, after I've completed all the story for all the classes, if I stay or not, that's yet to be determined.

 

But for now, I'm enjoying the story.

For those of you who either don't care about the story [cutscenes/voice overs] or believe that it is getting in the way of you enjoying the "MMO" experience, well, what did you expect exactly?

 

Starting off with their FIRST press release for the game, when they announced it, they made it perfectly clear multiple times that this is a STORY DRIVEN MMO and a FIRST OF ITS KIND meaning that it will be vastly different from other MMOs so what you experienced with past MMOs, expect different with SWTOR. Here are some excerpts from the press release that highlights multiple times, just how story focused SWTOR will be:

------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----------------------------

 

So for all of you who is suprised or annoyed by how story heavy SWTOR is, well, what else did you expect? It was given from the very beginning that this won't be your older brother's MMO but rather a newer hybrid MMO that fuses MMO with the story driven approach of many single player games, such as KOTOR.

 

 

Perhaps they're missing this part:

 

At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a AAA massively multiplayer online game.

I expected a good MMO. I got a bad single player game that costs $15 a month.

 

This. At worse i expected WoW with voiced dialogue and story.

 

I didn't expect an ultra linear single player game experience.

This. At worse i expected WoW with voiced dialogue and story.

 

I didn't expect an ultra linear single player game experience.

 

Again, you are off the subject. This isn't the time to rant about how you don't like the game or it's approach. This thread is about those who came into this thinking that it will like <insert your favorite MMO>. It was never intended to do so, it was always clear from the beginning that this would be a hybrid MMO.

 

Whether or not you think the game is linear is a subjective opinion to the individual and not a general fact by all. That is a topic for another thread, not this one.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Majestic_Jazz

"adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story"

 

 

Some people can't read it seems like, they make it obvious their adding an story that is no excuse for them too allow the other aspects of an "MMO"!!!!!! to be lacking, this is not a single player game.

This. At worse i expected WoW with voiced dialogue and story.

 

I didn't expect an ultra linear single player game experience.

 

what game isn't ultra linear?

 

I challenge you to list any game that doesn't start you at point A, and end at point B. Good luck

what game isn't ultra linear?

 

I challenge you to list any game that doesn't start you at point A, and end at point B. Good luck

 

Elder Scroll and other sandbox types games are pretty non-linear.

 

P.S.: I have no issue with the linear nature of this game. Just replying to the question posed.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Spynnal

I wish all mmos were story driven like this one. I used to hate it when I played EQ2 and wanted to read every quest and my group mates hated to wait for me to read them all. Well now they will just have to. I now have my revenge, heh.

"adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story"

 

 

Some people can't read it seems like, they make it obvious their adding an story that is no excuse for them too allow the other aspects of an "MMO"!!!!!! to be lacking, this is not a single player game.

 

Again, making comments like this is a single player game is subjective.

 

But yeah, I'll bite.

 

What so called "MMO" aspects are lacking?

 

Let me go throught the list of things that SWTOR has:

 

- Community

- Economy

- Guilds

- Crafting

- Grouping

- Raids

- PvP Warzones

- Factions

- Questing

- Open World PvP

- Diverse servers [PvP, PvE, RP PvE, and RP PvP]

- and so on....

 

Other aspects like UI customization could be added later with patches.

 

So what exactly is SWTOR missing?

Edited January 11, 2012 by Majestic_Jazz

Elder Scroll and other sandbox types games are pretty non-linear.

 

P.S.: I have no issue with the linear nature of this game. Just replying to the question posed.

 

Those games are just as linear. You start out at Point A, at low level. You end up high level and the game ends. It's the definition of linear. Skyrim especially had a very linear skill system. A very linear world. You can't go kill a giant at level 1. You can't go to the hard dungeons without the right skills.

 

All these types of games are about progression. It doesn't matter how many choices you the end result is ALWAYS the same. Until advanced AI are developed and processing power increased you will never see a non-linear game. I will give you that some design choices feel "less" linear, but it's still linear at the core.

Yeah if you don't care about story, I honestly think you're playing the wrong game. Personally I could never get into WoW because I thought the story telling in the game was crap. I know, I know the end game stuff has much better story, but I have to slug through 100+ hours of **** to get to it. I have precisely ZERO interest in spending my precious free time on a game that MAY or MAY NOT get better at the end, especially when I could just play something like Mass Effect, which is fun and engaging from the moment I create my character. That's what TOR gives me that WoW doesn't. From level 1, the game is fun. I'm sorry if you bum rushed to the end game only to find that it isn't as good as WoW's end game is today (it's not like they have a 7 year head start or anything), but just go back to WoW. I won't miss you and neither will TOR.

Again, making comments like this is a single player game is subjective.

 

But yeah, I'll bite.

 

What so called "MMO" aspects are lacking?

 

Let me go throught the list of things that SWTOR has:

 

- Community

- Economy

- Guilds

- Crafting

- Grouping

- Raids

- PvP Warzones

- Factions

- Questing

- Open World PvP

- Diverse servers [PvP, PvE, RP PvE, and RP PvP]

- and so on....

 

Other aspects like UI customization could be added later with patches.

 

So what exactly is SWTOR missing?

 

Actually, you just created a very concise list of all the things that SWTOR does particularly poorly, with the exceptions of factions and questing. Not only has Bioware failed to innovate in each of these areas, they haven't even succeeded in learning from where OTHERS have innovated.

 

Bioware succeeded in making a wonderful story-driven game. However, they failed in making a wonderful MMO.

Edited January 11, 2012 by DannyInternets

At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a AAA massively multiplayer online game.

 

/thread

well I like the story but something I'm missing is a living universe.

 

Most of the time I'm alone or with just a couple of ppl around. For example this afternoon Main Fleet had around 7 ppl (myself included), I met only 1 other guy when I wandered through the markets, similar numbers on planets too.

 

Late night gets even worse, yesterday we were 2!!!! ppl on Nar Shadaa.

what game isn't ultra linear?

 

I challenge you to list any game that doesn't start you at point A, and end at point B. Good luck

 

WoW. Yes, I said it. You're absolutely right, even in WoW you start at point A and end at point B but at any given time, you can travel to point C or D and enjoy totally different content.

 

Here is a list of zones in WoW. Notice that a number of zones have similar level ranges. That means that should you get bored with one zone, you're free to travel to a different zone within the same level range and experience that content.

 

It is not the same in this game. If I get bored of DK, for example, I have no choice but to finish it as there is no alternate planet for me to level on.

Perhaps they're missing this part:

 

Except they're not.

Again, making comments like this is a single player game is subjective.

 

But yeah, I'll bite.

 

What so called "MMO" aspects are lacking?

 

Let me go throught the list of things that SWTOR has:

 

- Community

- Economy

- Guilds

- Crafting

- Grouping

- Raids

- PvP Warzones

- Factions

- Questing

- Open World PvP

- Diverse servers [PvP, PvE, RP PvE, and RP PvP]

- and so on....

 

Other aspects like UI customization could be added later with patches.

 

So what exactly is SWTOR missing?

 

Again since apparently we are supposed to read your post you should read mine, I never said they were missing I said they where LACKING aka unpolished, often times broken. Yes I understand it's an mmo release but also like its been said 100x times before its 2012 and many of these things are not working as they should. Their is a standard look at the horrible GTN interface, open world pvp? Should I post one of the 100x screenshot I have of factions trading points, Economy you say!! Well point me in the direction of a profession other than biochem that's not complete and utter ****, oh and what do I need to spend money on other than repairs, I'm a level 50 already running raid content, oh and raid content, end game in general lets talk about BUGS BUGS BUGS!!!. Warzones, oh please go check customer service forum oh that one, considering any one with a phenom processer and many others can't even play those with machines more than capable of running this game. Raids?

 

So yes I bought a super awesome single player one time play through RPG where I can chat with other people, its like using my connector cable in Pokemon, but what reason do I have to pay a monthly sub for? Where is my incentive to keep playing an MMO!!!

Actually, you just created a very concise list of all the things that SWTOR does particularly poorly, with the exceptions of factions and questing. Not only has Bioware failed to innovate in each of these areas, they haven't even succeeded in learning from where OTHERS have innovated.

 

Bioware succeeded in making a wonderful story-driven game. However, they failed in making a wonderful MMO.

 

Can you explain how what Bioware did was poor?

 

I mean this is what I am talking about, people making blank statements without actually backing them up.

 

A person running for public office believes she/he is the better candidate, but just because they say they are the better candidate doesn't mean they are, that is just in their opinion.

 

You say that Bioware has done a poor job, well, that is like your opinion, but please do not label it as FACT when it is not.