World Vs Universe

[Roose]

One reason that I think TOR is so appealing is the limitless setting. WoW is all based, for the most part, on a single planet. Everything they do is somewhat limited by the restraints of design inherent with choosing such a restrictive setting. It is not only limited by lore, but physical boundaries as well. TOR can really get away with anything because space is infinite. Which means possibilities are endless because lore's impact is also minimized with it being set so far back in the history of Star Wars. Creatively speaking, Bioware has a much bigger canvas to paint on and more colors to choose from.

The approach to world design and end-game content is quite different. I enjoyed pve for the first time in a very long time in flashpoints. I can't wait to see operations and I have not had any desire to raid in WoW since launch of Cata. It feels like I am so much more involved in what happens in the story. You are helping shape the future of the galaxy. There are no Titans or Old Gods messing with things. The Republic and Empire do it all. It is "humanity" (aliens and all that idk what the collective would be) that decides what happens. No Empire teaming up with the Republic to kill a mutual enemy(I sure hope not). The main enemy is the other faction, other palyers.

It is WoW in space, but that is a good thing. Last I checked, space is fucking huge and limitless! Spaceships > flying mounts. World of Warcraft is very fitting. Imagine how epic Universe of Warcraft would be An expansion where you find that there is a set of new worlds for the Horde and Alliance to fight over instead of just a new continent. WoW is just on a much smaller scale. In TOR you are not special as an individual, but rather because you are part of the the most elite defense organization in the galaxy. You are demigods, fueled by powerful micro-organisms instead of a deistic lineage. You shape the story, not dragons, demons or magical beings. That is kinda how I see TOR, as if it was UoW. It makes sense to me at least, lol.

[Forsedar]

Quite a great concept, actually. I never really thought of it like that except from a Lore standpoint. I always realized that Bioware can shape the lore to how they want (except for some restrictions set in place for all games dealing with Star Wars).

[Deleted]

Imagine how epic Universe of Warcraft would be An expansion where you find that there is a set of new worlds for the Horde and Alliance to fight over instead of just a new continent.

Outland

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[Shardik]

yeah, plus the setting for a particular world could be anything in star wars, a burnt out asteroid, an ancient temple world, a lava covered world or anything. WoW often does this too, but it can be a little jarring at times to go from a dark forest into a dense jungle, or an icy plain, across a small river and into a lush hilly forest. the transistions a space jump provides is infinite.

[Karteli]

Game devs get around this with other concepts:

EQ had it's moon Luclin, and other planes (plane of hate, plate of fear, plane of <elements, fire, etc>

WoW had Outlands, and uhh newly discovered continents, yeah

But of course this can't match the whole vastness of the Universe. I wonder how many planets there will be in a few years..

[Roose]

Outland

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Your so right. I forgot how important Outland is in WoW now. Really though, when has Outland mattered since BC? If anything, Outland shows us what could be possible with an expanded universe in WoW. I do not know about everyone else, but I much preferred Outland over Northrend and the new zones for Cata. At least it was a change of scenery. Many of my favorite zones to date, including my favorite ever, Nagrand.

[OhpUldum]

I don't even know how many planets there are now, if ToR succeeds we could see a game with potentially limitless expansions if you think a new planet could be an expansion itself.

[Roose]

yeah, plus the setting for a particular world could be anything in star wars, a burnt out asteroid, an ancient temple world, a lava covered world or anything. WoW often does this too, but it can be a little jarring at times to go from a dark forest into a dense jungle, or an icy plain, across a small river and into a lush hilly forest. the transistions a space jump provides is infinite.

This is a pretty big deal. It really helps with continuity and immersion. You brain picks up on the illogical shifts of environments and it detracts from the whole role-playing aspect. Not that I am big on RP, but it also helps make the story better and more believable.

The scale of zones and buildings is also a major difference. Cities in TOR feel as if there really are millions of people living there.

[Halicia]

Your so right. I forgot how important Outland is in WoW now. Really though, when has Outland mattered since BC? If anything, Outland shows us what could be possible with an expanded universe in WoW. I do not know about everyone else, but I much preferred Outland over Northrend and the new zones for Cata. At least it was a change of scenery. Many of my favorite zones to date, including my favorite ever, Nagrand.

Please tell me you're trolling, because I can't see how claiming that a certain place 'isn't important anymore, because its two expansions old' changes the fact that its another planet.

"Ice Planet #47" would likely be pretty unimportant in the longrun if randomly devised with some vague story attached to it.

WoW actually has great excuses to showcase 'completely alien worlds', the problem is I don't think their desired playerbase actually *wants* the BC sort of colortripping again. Whereas a Starwars playerbase may be happier seeing worlds of nothing but red ice simply BECAUSE its so alien. WoW players want a fantasy setting they are somewhat familiar with.

[Ladern]

I really hope they can handle it correctly, as they post in a review the beggining worlds are rich, full areas where u can feel the world alive, while some of the later ones are diminute zones dispersed on a huge non-interactive world that you can see while traveling between quest hubs.

Is not the size of the zones nor the "universe" that matters but how they handle them. They have the potential to make it rich, but i rather have less "more alive" worlds than to have tons of 50 quests zones with huge backgrounds.

LEts hope for the best.

[Vulpei]

Sci-fi in almost any setting has planets being a single set about 10x10. Played the Beta to level 20ish, didn't see any difference here. A planet in TOR=a zone in WoW, just with a little less freedom because it is completely sealed and you can't just accidently wander to the next zone.

[Roose]

Sci-fi in almost any setting has planets being a single set about 10x10. Played the Beta to level 20ish, didn't see any difference here. A planet in TOR=a zone in WoW, just with a little less freedom because it is completely sealed and you can't just accidently wander to the next zone.

I have yet to see Llum or anything past Taris, so I am just hoping the starter zones are similar to WoW's in that they are really only designed to get you up in level and not as a destination at max level.

I know there was some official discussion regarding planet size compared to WoW zones.





Dallas Dickinson said it would take roughly 30 mins to walk across Tatooine @ 39th minute.

[Loaf Lord]

Please tell me you're trolling, because I can't see how claiming that a certain place 'isn't important anymore, because its two expansions old' changes the fact that its another planet.

"Ice Planet #47" would likely be pretty unimportant in the longrun if randomly devised with some vague story attached to it.

WoW actually has great excuses to showcase 'completely alien worlds', the problem is I don't think their desired playerbase actually *wants* the BC sort of colortripping again. Whereas a Starwars playerbase may be happier seeing worlds of nothing but red ice simply BECAUSE its so alien. WoW players want a fantasy setting they are somewhat familiar with.

Idk, almost everyone who bitched and moaned about mop was like "graaaahh why they no do burning legion argus expansion gwaaarr!".

[Lathais]

Gotta admit, starter planet, 1-10 and Durotar/Barrens 1-10. Durotar/Barrens felt bigger and less linear. I admit, I enjoyed SWTOR more, but to say that it's planets not a single planet makes it bigger is untrue. Spreading things out in towns so that I have to walk further to do simple things does not make it better either. Also, WoW is not confined to a single world, Outlands was a great example, but really portals could open up to anywhere. At one point there was the rumor about an ex-pack being the Emerald Dream, that's a-whole-nother "world" in itself. Northrend may have been just a new continent, but it was bigger than some planets on SWTOR, and felt less limited/linear.

Again, not bashing SWTOR here. Loved the little leveling in it more than i did in WoW due to the immersion in the story and the more epic feeling battles taking on small groups right from the start instead of 1 scorpion or boar at a time 100 times in a row. But to say just because it's planets and a whole universe it's smaller, BS. Each planet that I have seen so far is only about as big as 2-3 zones in WoW. If each planet was as big as Azeroth you'd have a point, but that's not the case.