Considering Returning

[Gracin]

So youtube somehow lead me to the trailer for the newest expansion, which got me considering coming back and playing again. I'll admit I haven't played since a few months after the release of the game itself, and I believe the highest level character I had was likely in it's 30s. Before taking the time and wasting the bandwidth to update the game I figured I'd ask around here and see what your thoughts are.

Am I going to be looking down a long line of not being able to do the new expansion content because I left at such a low level? Hell I'm not even sure what level cap was then, or is now. Has the gameplay changed much since release? I seem to remember one of the reasons I quit, besides lack of time to play it and WoW, was it seemed like large amounts of travel time. Running all over the place, and not really getting much accomplished. I believe at the time I was okay with the combat mechanics, but hated the UI. How's the community? I'm mostly a solo player, but if I decided to come back and get into raiding(or whatever it was called) are there guilds(again whatever) that will be accepting of someone who has been gone this long?

[quras]

SNIP...
Am I going to be looking down a long line of not being able to do the new expansion content because I left at such a low level? Hell I'm not even sure what level cap was then, or is now. Has the gameplay changed much since release?

Game play has changed very little to be honest. Game engine has gotten updates and its much better than where it was. It's still got some issues but nothing like what you probably remember. It was fairly bad in the beginning as I remember it.

Class of course have changed a little but for me they play similar enough. More changes are coming with the new expansion so there is that to think about. Not really something one could list here. Overall though, not a lot has changed in game play that I can think of that you couldn't grasp rather quickly.

Like most online MMOS, there is content at max level for each expansion. SWTOR is no different. You would need to continue to level up your old toons and go through the class story. Then it would move into Rise of the Hutt Cartel (RotHC), then Shadows of Reven (SoR) then Knights of the Fallen Empire (KotFE) and hte new coming expansion Knights of the Eternal Throne (KotET). The story moves through all that if you stick with the toons you have.

The did create a token that you can buy that creates a level 60 toon. You level up to 65. Each toons has all the class story choices pre-chosen as well as professions that are ranked up to max IIRC. You can buy a token and start right in the NEW story of KotFE. Do those 16 chapters and move into the new expansion KotET.

If you want till the expansion, they are creating a level 65 token and you level up to the NEW MAX LEVEL OF 70. Skipping KotFE and doing the last 9 chapters in KotET. (skipping the previous 16 chapters)

I seem to remember one of the reasons I quit, besides lack of time to play it and WoW, was it seemed like large amounts of travel time. Running all over the place, and not really getting much accomplished.

If you sub, travel time is almost a thing of the past. I find it so much better than wow.
Doing a flash point? Most access to all of them is a quick teleport with only a hand full having a 20 sec or shorter ride.
Doing an OPS? Very similar ride time if not shorter.
Doing the max level heroics? (which you will be doing a lot of). Instance teleport to where you need to go. No down time at all.
Remember the quick travel? In legacy, you can now buy a reduce cool down perk so that it has no cool down at all. Get to a planet, instance QT to those locations. I think it also makes Fleet travel with no cool down as well.

IF you buy the Stronghold (Kinda like your house), you get a free instance teleport to them and back to exactly where you were on a planet. So you can put in a vendor, GTN, cargo hold, ETC... in your strong hold, just back to it to sell or repair, then transport instantly back to where you left off. (except maybe not inside an planet isntance IIRC)

Travel is get to where you want to go rather fast these days. Very little down time if any at all depending on what you're doing at the time.

I believe at the time I was okay with the combat mechanics, but hated the UI.

They now have a UI interface. You can adjust it all around and create your own setup. It was a nice addition. No addons still but their UI editor is pretty good.

How's the community? I'm mostly a solo player, but if I decided to come back and get into raiding(or whatever it was called) are there guilds(again whatever) that will be accepting of someone who has been gone this long?

I think SWTOR is no different that any other MMO when it comes to community. You run across some really good gamers, some really bad ones and everything in between. It's just the way it is. Take that for what you will.

Getting a guild right now should not be too much of a problem. Getting one that is right for you might be but there are recruitment for guilds everywhere these days as there is an expansion about to come out. Depending on the guild it might lean to OPS (raids) or more PVP but you would have to feel that out and see if it fits your play style. As far as being a new player I don't see that really being an issue. You're not going to be jumping right into a raid team that is probably already full but if you're a good player and you fill in and do a good job I'm sure a decent guild would try to work you in. You'll just have to look around for what fits you.

There are some big changes that are coming with the new expansion but I hope that info. helps a bit.