Thinking of trying SWTOR: best model?

[Adam Jensen]

Subscribe for a month to get preferred status. Here's the breakdown of features available. After the month, cancel to see if you still enjoy the game. You'll be able to resubscribe whenever you get sick of the restrictions. Just save up XP boosts when you receive them as rewards through your class story. They will allow you to mitigate the experience point penalty for non-subscribers.

The Jedi Knight story is considered the sequel to KOTOR and most players enjoyed it, but the Imperial Agent story is often ranked as the best overall (after the first chapter, which is kinda meh until the very end). On the other hand, the Bounty Hunter has some of the best fight animations and is super easy to play. I would recommend alternating factions as you play through different characters to see new quests and storylines. Otherwise, you're just going to repeat 75-80% of the content. And don't forget to play through all of the Flashpoints at least once. They add a lot to the story, and a few even reference KOTOR characters.

Agent so far has been the best, I'll agree with that, though Chapter 2 reminded me of BioShock. This story is the one that actually had me wondering what was going to happen next and giving a little suspense.

And yeah, Bounty Hunter is a lot of fun for gameplay. Death From Above is the best thing ever.

[Deleted]

As others have said, if you plan on checking it out, I'd subscribe for a month and make a decision during that time on whether to continue after that. I personally can't stand the F2P or preferred status penalties and restrictions, and being a subscriber with an authenticator gives you 600 coins a month which can be used to buy anything in the cartel market and full unlimited access to everything (except the expansion content, which is still only $10-20, and is an expansion...so the extra cost is understandable).

Just as a heads-up; the RotHC expansion is included in a subscription as well by now.

[Tekkommo]

F2P is more than fine for levelling.

[Terahertz]

F2P is more than fine for levelling.

I agree, although I have preferred status because I bought the game when it came out, I actually don't notice a difference between now and before it went F2P.

[Lovestar]

F2P is more than fine for levelling.

It's adequate, but very annoying. Preferred is a huge leap up in QoL for a very small investment.

If you're just seeing the stories, though, subbing isn't necessary. It's nice — like leather seating for your car — but it's not at all necessary for a comfortable experience.

[Razael]

Late to the party, but this thread caught my attention, with the planet talk. My favorite planets are Nar Shadda, Dromund Kaas and Empire Taris. I also seem fond of planets like Nar Shadda, the city like ones for some reason. While not being my favorites i still very much enjoy Coruscant and Corellia.
My least favorite ones are Alderaan and Tattoine. I feel that at that particular point in the game, any alt i make will test my will and determination to keep going. Both seem overly long, have you go all over the fuckin place , and i have many alts in the 30s where halfway through either those planets i just lose my will to keep going.

On topic: I'd echo what some people have said, preferred if just for the stories, if you want to actually do end game i'd recommend the sub.

[Adam Jensen]

Balmorra
Balmorra is fantastic. It starts off as what seems like a pointless chunk of nothing, but the pacing, design, and tight storytelling suck you in after awhile. Classic freedom-fighters vs. occupiers plot with a lot of subtlety & detail and very good use of the "cold war" mechanic still in place during Chapter 1 and the "open war" mechanic unleashed from Chapter 2 forward.

Also talking bugs.

One word on why I hate Balmorra:

Elevators.

[Bigbazz]

Sitting around these forums you would get the impression that the game is pretty good now and that it's doing pretty well. So taking a look at the official forums I couldn't get over the overwhelming negativity around the game, people talking about the game as if it is screwed and like the end is nigh. Hard to know what to believe, I played the game last night and enjoyed it personally and will probably sub for a month to pick up where I left off (I subbed for a month a last year around september ish).

How is the questing from 50-55? Is there a continuation of the class story? At some point I was gifted the expansion pack, I do have a level 50 from launch but don't play it, but might bump it up to 55 alongside my new character if it's worth it.

[Fhi]

So taking a look at the official forums I couldn't get over the overwhelming negativity around the game, people talking about the game as if it is screwed and like the end is nigh.

It's not exclusive to SWTOR though. Negativity is rampant in pretty much any online communities, notably the official forums of the games. SWTOR had a shaky start that fueled this negativity even more. From what I understand, the game is in its recovery phase, but the damage has been done. It's like glass. You can rebuild a shattered glass, but the cracks will always be there.

I'm a big Bioware fan, and I am glad I wasn't around when the game was launched. It seems that they fixed many of the critical issues that made people (rightfully) leave. I just got into the game and I'm finding a new level of enjoyment I haven't found in quite some time.

If you like it, you should play it. I find that while listening to opinions can be helpful, it takes experience to weed out the noise. Visit any class boards for any MMO and you'll see that every class sucks and every class is OP.

I hope this game finds more success after its humbling fall from grace. I bought Cartel Market items to support the developers, in addition to a couple of months of subscription. I probably won't get involved in endgame, but leveling and questing has never been more fun for me.

[damonskye]

How is the questing from 50-55? Is there a continuation of the class story? At some point I was gifted the expansion pack, I do have a level 50 from launch but don't play it, but might bump it up to 55 alongside my new character if it's worth it.

It's relatively painless. There's no individual class story, but a Republic and an Empire story. You can probably get through about 3 levels of the 5 on Makeb; it's suggested you might do a couple days of Corellia/Black Hole and Belsavis/Section X dailies which would get you through at least another level.

Some people have trouble with Makeb but I think it's just fine.

[Vizardlorde]

If you have money subscribe for a month and never ever EVER pay again. This game doesn't provide many benefits for subscribing, it just punishes you for not doing it.

[Bigbazz]

If you have money subscribe for a month and never ever EVER pay again. This game doesn't provide many benefits for subscribing, it just punishes you for not doing it.

The benefits are removing restrictions or "punishments". The game is barely worth playing without a subscription. You'd only "never EVER" pay again if you were not planning on playing again.

It's relatively painless. There's no individual class story, but a Republic and an Empire story. You can probably get through about 3 levels of the 5 on Makeb; it's suggested you might do a couple days of Corellia/Black Hole and Belsavis/Section X dailies which would get you through at least another level.

Some people have trouble with Makeb but I think it's just fine.

I decided to give Ilum a go as I'd not been there before, quickly got to 51 and plenty more left to do, I thought it was a PVP planet though and I've not seen any opposing faction players yet. I found it pretty tough in the gear I had(mostly crafted/greens with lvl 47-50 blue/epic mods) before going back to the fleet to upgrade. Noticed something strange, the best of best mods I can make from lvl400 artifice is still worse than the mods that come in the lvl400 artifice lightsabre builds (that require exotic materials from max level instances I think)... But the mods I can get for planetary comendations completely destroy even those.

Seems that having artifice is a complete waste of time as the best stuff I can make is considerably worse than vendor bought planetary rewards, it doesn't matter either way as I leveled it over 2 years ago but it seems a bit weird that the crafted stuff is so poorly balanced.

[plaits]

It's not exclusive to SWTOR though. Negativity is rampant in pretty much any online communities, notably the official forums of the games. SWTOR had a shaky start that fueled this negativity even more. From what I understand, the game is in its recovery phase, but the damage has been done. It's like glass. You can rebuild a shattered glass, but the cracks will always be there.

Exactly. Go to the Starcraft forums. You'd think Blizzard were about a day away from shutting SC2 down because the game was a colossal commercial and technical failure from the tone of posts there.

SWTOR isn't perfect but I know people IRL who play the game and really enjoy it. They're not forum goers though. I think the fact is most games have large numbers of players who just get on with it and don't bitch and moan in the forums, but they also don't go to the forums and say 'hey this is a cool game I like it', so the forums are skewed by all the negativity.

[Lovestar]

Exactly. Go to the Starcraft forums. You'd think Blizzard were about a day away from shutting SC2 down because the game was a colossal commercial and technical failure from the tone of posts there.

SWTOR isn't perfect but I know people IRL who play the game and really enjoy it. They're not forum goers though. I think the fact is most games have large numbers of players who just get on with it and don't bitch and moan in the forums, but they also don't go to the forums and say 'hey this is a cool game I like it', so the forums are skewed by all the negativity.

It's because happy people are too busy being happy to want to go spend time typing on a feedback forum.

Unhappy people like to share it, though.