SWTOR: A Guide to Opinions

[KaynDarksbane]

Hello there folks.

There is a lot of controversy (and trolling) from lovers and haters of this game. I just thought I would make a summary of opinions about the game so that those interested in seeing what people enjoy and dislike about the game can do so in a single thread, without wading through each review.

Keep in mind I have purposefully avoided the BETA because I don't want to ruin the experience when (if) I try the game out. These aren't my personal opinions or evaluations, but the impressions I have gotten from the community (here, on the swtor site and on several other forums). If you have anything to add, please do, but lets avoid the hate and trolling if we can please.

From what I have gathered, you might like the game if you like the following:

Star Wars
Basic MMO layout (quests, group quests, dungeons, raids, battlegrounds)
Companions (pets) for leveling (not raids or pvp)
Linear, continuous storyline
Cartoony graphics (similar to WoW)
In depth sound
Full voice acting
Slower questing/level
Star Fox-esque Space Combat
Atypical Crafting
Casual PVP

You might not like the game if you expect the following:

In-depth character creation
Auto Attacks
Sandbox questing/leveling
All of WoW's little features
UI adjustments
A revolution in gameplay
Power leveling
E-Sport PVP System
Traditional Crafting System

Things that people have completely opposite opinions about, that you should decide for yourself:

Graphics
Engaging/immersive storyline
Combat fluidity
Overall polish
Grind-iness


TL;DR

What SW:ToR is - A story-driven MMORPG with similar layout to your generic MMORPG. If this is what you are expecting, you will probably not be disappointed by this game.

What SW:ToR is not - A game intended to revolutionize the genre in gameplay or general setup. A Sandbox experience. A PVP centered game. If these are what you are expecting, you will probably be disappointed.

[Tastyfish]

I think your post is fair but I would say that It has a meaningless grind by the very fact it is an mmo that is following what a typical mmo is.. You will have a quest in an area then get a bonus kill 15 of x for being out there questing, then after that you will get a larger Kill # of X which leads eventually to something like an elite.

[KaynDarksbane]

That's a good point. I've heard both sides of that, actually; some felt it was the same old grind while others felt the storyline made it feel less grindy. I'll move that to the decide for yourself section.

[Semihage]

Don't forget space combat!!

I have no idea why ppl bitch about no auto attack.. If you just want something that can do damage when you are not paying attention, your companion can do that extremely well.

What are people actually looking for in character creation anyway? A friggin Tauren?

Not so sure what you mean by meaningless grinding.. If you are talking about bonus objective.. They are bonus.. you don't need them and I don't finish them most of the times.

[KaynDarksbane]

Argg! Forgot Space Combat.

As to the grind, some say it feels just as grindy as your typical mmo, others say it doesn't. *shrug*

Can't speak to the other issues though.

[kenn9530]

quests will always be hard to make really fun in any mmo but SWTOR breaks it up with the awesome story line and the little sequences along with optional bonus quests to help level that little bit faster, i have played up to level 23 so far and the quests didnt bore me one bit the only thing that annoyed me was my comp being crap and needing more ram for it to be a little smoother.

[Deleted]

A nicely constructed post. Sadly it will probably just start another flame war :P

I didnt really feel a grind, I was enjoying the combat so it didnt matter too much. Also if you see a quest pop *kill 8 rats* or whatever, you dont need to do it, its just some extra exp. The main side quests are more objective based from what I saw.

[KaynDarksbane]

Personally I'm planning on giving the game a try. I actually like what they tried to do with it, but we'll see how it goes.

I haven't pre-ordered it, but my wife may have. I came home a week ago with origin on my comp...

I sure didn't put it there.

>.>
<.<

[Semihage]

I think it really depends on how people define the word "grind".. I never had to kill a monster just for the sake of xp.. I kill them because I need them for a quest (or I need to get past them to reach point B for a quest).

[Pool of the Dead]

You might not like the game if you expect the following:

In-depth character creation
Auto Attacks
Sandbox questing/leveling
All of WoW's little features
UI adjustments
A revolution in gameplay
Power leveling
PVP Oriented System
In-depth Crafting

[/B]

I disagree here, as the PvP is the most fun I have had in a MMO in the last 6 years, Fun Warzones, and Huge PvP world Events constantly flowing.. yeah totally not PvP orientated /sarcasm.

Also the Crafting system is leaps and Bounds beyond Most MMO's, and can go pretty in-depth with which mods suit your weapons better and crafting said mods in hopes to gain the "perfect" version Mod Etc. Fair better than 99% of MMO's

[ESeregon]

Nice post.
Yet ....
Does not matter what the product is, some will like it or hate it or just do not care.
No matter how you try to market your product for your target customer, people will be out to try to get you to rework it into their image.
Cannot please everyone. But if you are are at least getting good or bad reviews and opinions, at least beats not getting any.

[KaynDarksbane]

When it comes to the PVP, as far as I know, they aren't going for e-sport. That's what I consider PVP Oriented.

Tweaked my wording on the crafting.

Edit: As noted by Bob from Accounting, there are no ladders, rankings, etc. That isn't to say the PVP isn't fun (I have no idea) but that the game itself is not oriented around PVP.

[devidoll]

I got excited for a second because I read the title of the post as:

"SWTOR: A Guide to Operations"

I've looked a lot into the crafting system and it looks like it will require a ton of time to develop perfect items. I like this idea since in most games if you have a lot of currency you can just buy what ever patterns that you need. I'm excited to get to grind up to the best possible mods and items.

[KaynDarksbane]

I got excited for a second because I read the title of the post as:

"SWTOR: A Guide to Operations"

I've looked a lot into the crafting system and it looks like it will require a ton of time to develop perfect items. I like this idea since in most games if you have a lot of currency you can just buy what ever patterns that you need. I'm excited to get to grind up to the best possible mods and items.

I've not actually heard a whole lot on the crafting system. I know your companions are involved, but I've not seen an in-depth look at it.

[Wyrmrider]

Some people seem to think it's a "grind" simply because leveling is slower than what they're used to, and what they're used to is the steady, effortless "ding!" drip-feed of 2011 Azeroth with full heirlooms. Obviously I don't agree. Yes, it's a little slower. No, you won't have to grind mobs or otherwise scrape the plate for experience points. You will have to do some side quests in addition to the main storyline.

On PvP:
SW:TOR offers "standard MMO PvP," and that's precisely why it's not a very PvP-oriented game. In SW:TOR, just like in WoW and Rift, PvP is more of a side activity than a pervasive thing; gear-based progression dilutes the importance of skill; PvE concerns inevitably affect PvP balance; rolling a new class is a time-consuming process that affects players' ability to shape and adapt to the metagame...

EVE and Darkfall are PvP-oriented MMOs. PvP isn't confined to instances or designated zones, it happens anywhere at any time and it has a real impact on the game world: territories are won and lost, resources become plentiful or scarce.

DAoC and WAR were PvP-oriented MMOs. They introduced new systems for PvP that fit the "massively multiplayer" concept perfectly: RvR, keep sieges, etc.

Guild Wars was a PvP-oriented pseudo-MMO. This one took the "e-sports" route: jump right in on a PvP-only character, everyone is the same level with access to the same gear. Combat was also a bit more strategic than usual, with a lot of emphasis on movement & positioning (jukes/dodges, body blocking, high ground advantage).

That's the context for saying that SW:TOR isn't a PvP-oriented game. It's not an insult... it just isn't a PvP-oriented game. It's a story- and progression-oriented game.

[KaynDarksbane]

Some people seem to think it's a "grind" simply because leveling is slower than what they're used to, and what they're used to is the steady, effortless "ding!" drip-feed of 2011 Azeroth with full heirlooms. Obviously I don't agree. Yes, it's a little slower. No, you won't have to grind mobs or otherwise scrape the plate for experience points. You will have to do some side quests in addition to the main storyline.

On PvP:
SW:TOR offers "standard MMO PvP," and that's precisely why it's not a very PvP-oriented game. In SW:TOR, just like in WoW and Rift, PvP is more of a side activity than a pervasive thing; gear-based progression dilutes the importance of skill; PvE concerns inevitably affect PvP balance; rolling a new class is a time-consuming process that affects players' ability to shape and adapt to the metagame...

EVE and Darkfall are PvP-oriented MMOs. PvP isn't confined to instances or designated zones, it happens anywhere at any time and it has a real impact on the game world: territories are won and lost, resources become plentiful or scarce.

DAoC and WAR were PvP-oriented MMOs. They introduced new systems for PvP that fit the "massively multiplayer" concept perfectly: RvR, keep sieges, etc.

Guild Wars was a PvP-oriented pseudo-MMO. This one took the "e-sports" route: jump right in on a PvP-only character, everyone is the same level with access to the same gear. Combat was also a bit more strategic than usual, with a lot of emphasis on movement & positioning (jukes/dodges, body blocking, high ground advantage).

That's the context for saying that SW:TOR isn't a PvP-oriented game. It's not an insult... it just isn't a PvP-oriented game. It's a story- and progression-oriented game.

Yes, that is the impression I have been getting. Well put.

[StationaryHawk]

This seems like a fair guide; matches what I've been hearing around forums these days. A pretty good summary for people who haven't looked into the game yet.

I'll keep in mind that SWTOR is a new MMO and has plenty of time for improvement (such as more competitive PvP options) in the future, though.

[Littleshashi]

This is a silly, meaningless thread. I think the OP made it just for attention.

1) There is no such thing as a useful guide to opinions. By parsing them out, you've simply inserted your own bias, if unintentional. This is why people don't do this. It's more legit to just list other people's reviews and call that a guide. You don't add any value by distilling and interpreting other people's opinions into your own "guide."

2) By listing and categorizing things, you're acting like they are facts. If they were, that would be helpful, but half the stuff you listed are just subjective interpretations. "Good graphics?" What does that mean? It's just a meaningless opinion.

3) Your TLDR is basically just your little review of SWTOR, which is, in essence, your entire post. There is nothing special here.

This is not a "guide." Move along, people.

[KaynDarksbane]

This is a silly, meaningless thread. I think the OP made it just for attention.

I've been on mmo-champ for almost 3 years. With only 150 posts... yes, I'm just dying for attention... ROFL.

1) There is no such thing as a useful guide to opinions. By parsing them out, you've simply inserted your own bias, if unintentional. This is why people don't do this. It's more legit to just list other people's reviews and call that a guide. You don't add any value by distilling and interpreting other people's opinions into your own "guide."

The value is added by grouping these opinions together where they are easy to find. There is always bias...

Listing others reviews kind of removes the whole point of easy access to this information, where you DON'T have to read 50 walls of text... just one.

2) By listing and categorizing things, you're acting like they are facts. If they were, that would be helpful, but half the stuff you listed are just subjective interpretations.

It is a FACT that these are common opinions I have found. Note how the name of the thread mentions opinions? I don't know about you, but many who play games value the opinions of those in the gaming community... I certainly do. These are opinions that I have, by and large, found throughout all the reviews and discussions about the game.

"Good graphics?" What does that mean? It's just a meaningless opinion.

Good point, I meant to edit that out. Notice how "Graphics" is in the decide for yourself section?

3) Your TLDR is basically just your little review of SWTOR, which is, in essence, your entire post. There is nothing special here.

It is? I'm pretty sure I was just stating what the game IS and tries to do. A review would cover much more than a brief statement about the nature of the game. Furthermore, my only input was, as you said, categorizing these opinions. And absorbing them in the first place. I haven't even touched the game, so... yeah...

This is not a "guide." Move along, people.

You're more than welcome to move along. In fact, I'm not even certain WHY you posted this to begin with... kind of pointless. You found no useful information here, which is fine, but decided to waste time bashing the idea. Thanks, very considerate of you.

[Vexies]

This is a silly, meaningless thread. I think the OP made it just for attention.

I have to agree. I try to read this post and see some objectivity but it just seems that even the good points you raise or attempt to smack of and are worded negatively. Particularly "low-hassle" crafting system really? it is very rich and in depth and the added interaction of your companions makes it far and above what Ive experienced in say Aion, Warhammer or WoW. The moding system alone and its complexity rivals a simple enchant or gem system that you find in most other games.

PvP as well I have to disagree with as I have very much enjoyed what I have experienced in the game though I cant stand the pvp beta forums filled with supposed "pvp professionals" It takes some arbitrary ranking system to be good? really? PVE attracts tons of folks and yet has none of this to prop it up we are rewarded with gear and the accomplishment of clearing the dungeon. I have enjoyed what I have experienced so far in regards to PVP in SWTOR more than I have in years. It is fair to say its not based around PVP as it is not however I find that to be a good thing personally. Given over completely to pvp seems to strip the very soul from a game. As mentioned before many "hardcore" pvp'ers would like to see just about anything that isnt based around pvp " story, cut scenes, companions" stripped from the game entirely..

I think they have struck a good balance between the two and in my opinion offer a great range two both parties.