Star Wars: The Old Republic

[Moff]

hm, ha ghofft viel früener, jänu

[Moff]

es erschient iets doch weltwit am 20.12.2011 übrigen, bis eus aso au.

da na es usfüehrlichs review vomene MMO veteran vode aktuelel beta version, falls es na lüt sött geh wo nanig de meinig sind, dasses sbeschte fucking game aller ziite wird

A Complete Review of Star Wars The Old Republic


Hi Beta Cake followers:

I figured that since I've been an avid follower of Beta Cake from the beginning, and because I was lucky enough to be selected for Beta Testing a couple weeks ago (still ongoing), I decided that I would dedicate a thread exclusively on this forum in regards to my experience thus far in the Beta.


Disclaimers:

1. It's important to note that I am a veteran of Everquest (the original), EQ2, Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft and (played it for a short while) SWG. I feel that I understand MMO's very well, the target audience and the psychology behind them. I'm using my previous experience and enjoyment of these games if and when I compare The Old Republic to the rest of the MMO industry.

2. I am not a fan of PVP and did not test this portion of the game (even as I am on a PVP test server). And I can state for a fact that though our test group is on a PVP server, a sliver (and I mean barely anyone) actually utilizes the PVP aspects of the game. Even when players of opposite factions occupy the same place, never once have I seen anyone attack each other when able. In my opinion this is due to the overwhelming majority of players who are interested in PVE exclusively, which is reflected in the average population selected for testing. This will change when people can actually choose their servers in the live game. Please note that though I don't consider this to be an integral part of the game for the vast majority of players, I may test it in the future and add a section to this thread. For those who would whine that the review is not complete without PVP . . . get over it. There are plenty of other reviews that focus on PVP.

3. This is a spoiler free review in regards to Story in the game. However, I will be voicing my opinion in regards to game features.

4. In the critical portion of this review, note that I do not hand out scores lightly. If the score is 9.5 out of 10, the feature deserves that score. Each score has been thought out and pondered significantly, weighing various factors - many of which I will not have time to post in the explanation. As always, everyone should take reviews with a grain of salt. It's up to you whether to trust my judgment based on my gaming credentials and experience.


Basic Information

Some basic information to start for people who might be curious. The game itself is 30GB at the moment. When selected for testing, I downloaded the client from the "tester" page on the website and the client itself initialized the bigger download. I also logged in to my swtor.com account from the client prior to the game launching.

As for my system, I'm currently running a tri-core processor with windows 7 and 4GB DDR3 RAM. I'm using a 1GB Nvidia graphics card (leaving exact model out as to not be too specific for the Bioware hunters). My system is not top of the line - I'd put it above average for the typical consumer. The game runs fine relative to everyone else - there are lag issues to be expected in Beta.


Getting Started

Currently, when I log in and start the game I am presented with the trailer showing the attack on the space station (featuring the smuggler and pair of Jedi). I can skip the trailer and go straight to Character Creation.

As it stands now in Character Creation, the races that have been revealed are the only ones available. It's possible that more may be added, but highly unlikely. The customization is decent, as many of you have seen from the various leaks out there, but it is definitely not what it could be. And considering how much effort has gone into the world art, it seems quite ridiculous not to have (at the minimum) an age slider. Regardless, the customization is sufficient. In addition, it seems likely to me that more customization of the current race selection may be added closer to launch.

In regards to my character, I chose to play the Smuggler Class. As I hadn't seen many reviews on it, I figured it would be a rare sight to see a Smuggler in the live game. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was wrong. In fact, there is a thread on the Beta forum for my "squadron" (testing group) that surveyed the classes that each member will be playing in the Beta. The Smuggler was smack dab in the middle in regards to population density, with the Inquisitor, Jedi Consular and Imperial Agent bringing up the rear. Of course the Jedi Knight, Sith Warrior and Bounty Hunter were at the top of the list. The population differences, however, are not that significant - I'm pleased to see that Bioware has done a nice job at seemingly evening out the class populations with different allures.


Entering the Game World

After selecting my class and race (human cyborg), the first thing that popped up was another trailer (the Alderaan trailer). I presume this was because I chose a light-side class. After that, a somewhat long loading screen with "KOTOResque" music.

When entering the game world of Ord Mantell I was presented with an in-game cut scene. The introduction to my class and story was very well done. In addition, there were tool-tips that popped for me that helped me along in regards to figuring out the UI and how to perform certain tasks (i.e. use the Tab key to cycle through nearby enemy targets). The voice acting was excellent and each line was clearly performed by a professional voice actor.



Reviewing the game

I will be reviewing the game on a 10 point scale and elaborating on various aspects that are good and bad. I will be breaking the features of the game into 21 different sections (yes this will be a complete review of the game with the exception of PvP ). I will be very critical and precise with my review of each feature and I will be concluding with my overarching opinion of the game in the end. The sections are not broken into any particular order.

Index of Features Reviewed

1. Graphics and Art
2. User Interface
3. Animations
4. Character Creation
5. Voice Acting
6. Sounds and Music
7. Story
8. The Smuggler Class
9. Quests and Content
10. Combat Mechanics
11. The Grind
12. Planets
13. AI
14. Companion Characters
15. Economy and The Galactic Market
16.Crafting and Gathering System
17. The Starship
18. Space Combat and Missions
19. Itemization and Gear
20. Social Aspects and Community
21. Grouping and Guilds



Graphics and Art

The game is stunningly beautiful. I remember the many doubts I had when I first began skulking around on the main site. I was worried about the realism and the "cartoonish" graphics that I'd seen in screenshots. Not to worry, they've done an excellent job with the art direction. There are hundreds and hundreds of unique graphics for individual pieces of gear and icons. Each world feels very unique and thematic. The art feels very much like Star Wars - very similar to Knights of the Old Republic in regards to style. The lightsaber hilts are not too big and character sizes are proportional. Things can always look prettier, and they may do some additional art passes. As it stands now, Graphics and Art in The Old Republic earn it a 9.4 out of 10.

9.4 Excellent



User Interface

The User interface is dynamic, compact and includes all the necessities.

The world map feature is constantly being toted by the developers and it has every right to be. It is very, very good. The geography on the map is very accurate and the fade-while-running option is an excellent addition that was above and beyond the minimum requirement. There is a magnifying glass that can be used on the map, but it is difficult and cumbersome. There have been requests to add a general zoom option on the map. This may or may not be included at launch.

The quests tab is very thorough and allows the player to toggle quests on or off at leisure. It separates out each quest by planet to help with organization. The active quests do show up on the top right of the screen and will overflow out of visual range if there are too many up at the same time. In addition, the plethora of quests that the typical player will want active (there are literally dozens per planet) may seem cluttered and overwhelming on the right hand side of the screen.

The combat and ability bar at the bottom is sufficient but has several issues. The First being that the button to lock and unlock abilities on the bar is (sadly) attached to the bar itself. In fact, it's directly next to the primary ability slot. The result? You guessed it: accidentally unlocking crucial abilities during combat and moving/losing them during a fight. In addition, with the recent build companions now have their own ability bar that can be mounted directly under the player bar. This is a unique and fun addition tthat separates SWTOR from the traditional MMO's that don't allow for the micromanagement of pet abilities. Due note, however, that I also found myself "losing" this bar when I unlocked it by accident

The chat panel is on the upper left hand corner is sufficient and allows for the changing of fonts and the customization of chat format. However, there are many options missing that currently exist in competing MMO's, including color, transparency options and font styles.

The other panels in the UI, including the Codex, Skill Tree, Inventory, Character Tab, Crew Skills Tab, Ability Tab and Options Tab are all of excellent quality and mimic other MMO's. It should be noted that at this time the only tab that can be physically moved on the basic interface is the Chat Tab. This is a serious problem and I fully expect it to be resolved before launch. However, based on the current build the rating for The Old Republics UI is 6.8 out of 10

6.8 Above Average



Animations

The animations in the game are absolutely stunning. Never before has a developer invested so much time and effort into the animations of an online game. Everything flows smoothly, there are hundreds and hundreds of unique animations. The realism is stunning.

It should be noted that though Bioware went above and beyond in their combat and general animation department, the current build is missing some basic social animations for player character such as sitting on a chair or leaning. Keep in mind that sitting on the ground IS in the game for player characters, and interacting with the environment is also in the game for NPC's (just not for player characters). Though this is a nitpick and will probably be in by launch, many Beta Testers are presently complaining about it. Basically, if you've ever wanted to see the fat on a Hutt jiggle then you'll be happy with the animations. 9.6 out of 10.

9.6 Unprecedented



Character Creation

Character creation is sufficient. There are all the races we've come to hear from Bioware and most of you have already seen the leaked videos. Character Creation feels somewhat unique, but is defintely lacking relative to the potential. We need an age bar, more body type options and more colorful hair options in my opinion. Even with these gripes, the customization still beats some current MMO's. The big question: why? Why with all the effort that's been put into World Art and Character Art did Bioware not add more diversity to the Character Creation screen? It's not that difficult and it may be adjusted by launch. In it's current state, The Old Republic receives of score of 6.5 out of 10 for Character Creation.

6.5 Above Average



Voice Acting

The voice acting in this game is one of the stand-apart features that we've been hearing about for a long time. Well, what is there to say about it? It's the first time, it's professional actors, it's every single line of dialogue in the game and even ambient dialogue from NPC's just hanging out around the spaceports. There simply is no comparison, literally. It's unprecedented and it's what allows Bioware to truly suck the player into the story. Every side quest - every conversation - everything is voiced. The score for Voice Acting is 9.9 out of 10.

9.9 Unprecedented



Sounds and Music

The sounds and music for the game are exactly what you would come to expect from the developer of Knights of the Old Republic. The music is distinctly Star Wars and will be enjoyed thoroughly by fans. In addition, the correct music queue's in at the appropriate times, especially during combat. I haven't experienced any groundbreaking music in my opinion, but everything that I've heard thus far I've enjoyed.

The sounds in the game are really top notch. The ambient crowd noise at a spaceport - the female speaking Huttese over the intercom at the Narshadda promenade - everything you'd want to feel immersed in the Star Wars universe. Music and Sound score 9.3 out of 10.

9.3 Excellent



Story

I have to say Bioware did an exceptional job at putting together the Story for this game. Never have I been so hooked into the primary class quest of a game before, not since Knights of the Old Republic (which is single player). I don't want to spoil the story, but I will say that it is immersive. It feels like I'm playing inside a rich Star Wars novel. Truly impressive. The voice acting compliments the story handsomely. I refuse to spoil the story by adding more details. Unprecedented score of 9.8 out of 10

9.8 Unprecedented



The Smuggler Class

I'm really enjoying the smuggler class thus far. It's a long ranged class - I chose the Gunslinger for my advanced class. The skill tree is fun to play with and the combat feels fluid and not boring. There are plenty of abilities - and finishing off opponents with "Dirty Kick" is an absolute blast. The cover mechanic is being tweaked constantly, but it is very unique and fun to use. I truly feel like Han Solo playing this class, and the dialogue options allow me to sway between (Star Wars Lore incoming) Niles Ferrier and Talon Karrde. One can really tailor their character to their liking simply by choosing the corresponding dialogue options. I'm giving the class a 9.1 out of 10 for enjoyability.

9.1 Excellent



Quests and Content

Let there be no doubt, this game is absolutely chalk full of content. And I mean FULL. There are dozens of quests on each planet, and everyone I've encountered (including me) is addicted to completing them. Yes, most of the quests revolve around "kill this or that mob to achieve or collect blank", but there are twists on many of them that are fun. And lets not forget that this is an MMO, not a single player game. The quests are far and above the best ever in any online game ever created.

Important to note that though the planets in the game are designed to be attended in a linear manner (though you can visit any planet within your faction or neutral at any time), some players found themselves so addicted to the quests that they didn't end up leaving their planets at the "developer intended level".

For example, the starting planet of Ord Mantell is designed for levels 1-10. The next planet, Coruscant is 10-15, followed by Taris 15-20 and Narshadda 20-25 etc. I met several players that ended up on Taris all the way to level 30 because they didn't want to leave any quests behind. And that is perfectly viable in the game (which is great). I on the other hand, was able to leave Taris comfortably at level 18 and continue on. Granted I skipped many quests, but there was no problem with content being too difficult for my level on the next planet.

The Datacrons in the game are a truly amazing feature. I can say with certainty that this feature is a game in itself. A very, very fun game. For the first time that I've seen, this is an MMO with complicated and difficult puzzles that have been seamlessly weaved into the dungeons and open world environments. I cannot emphasize enough how impressive this is. I've discovered several datacrons and I'm telling you, of the few that I've found most were teeth-grinding difficult and required a LOT of thought to find. Truly rewarding when I discovered them. Do note that they are at static locations and I implore you not to look up their whereabouts online. It's much more fun. As of right now I've discovered 5 Datacrons. Based on a thread in the Beta Forums I've missed dozens of others.

Let's not forget the Heroic quests which are +2 and +4 (players recommended). These quests typically number between 4-6 per planet and really drive the need for a group. That's not to say that these quests can't be completed solo, because they can. However I can say from experience, that though the gratification from completing a heroic quest solo after dying 9 times is immense, I'd rather do it with a group. Note that at higher levels I wouldn't even bother trying to solo Heroic's unless your character is many levels above the target level for the quest.

Let's bring out the people that doubt the End Game. Let there be no more doubt - the end game has plenty of content to keep players satisfied. In addition, there is no question in my mind that the developers will add more content as the game progresses (i.e. expansions / patches).

You will feel overwhelmed with content as you level in Star Wars the Old Republic. I've never given an MMO a score higher than 7 for content. This game deserves a 9.5.

9.5 Unprecedented



Combat Mechanics

The combat mechanics for the game were a huge focus on the public forums years before Beta. It's clear that Bioware listened to their player base, as the mechanics are blissful. The Smuggler is a blast to play - switching between different abilities such as crowd control, individual control (mesmerizing), one-shot snipes, long distance shootouts and physical melee combat is truly dynamic and does reward a player with superior skill. In addition to the traditional combat model, keep in mind that you will also be monitoring and controlling your companion characters during combat. This adds a whole new element of micromanagement to your combat encounters. The score is 8.9 out of 10 for this feature.

8.9 Very Good



The Grind (Leveling)

So the big question that most people are curious about (MMO vets and average consumers alike): what's with the level grind? How does it feel? How bad is it?

Wipe the slate clean on this one - Star Wars the Old Republic has no level grind. You heard it here first - it's unbelievable, ridiculous, unprecedented. The game is so interesting and addicting that most players will not notice a level grind. I've surveyed the guild that I belong to inside the game and not one player's perspective has differed. If you've reviewed my credentials playing MMO's religiously for over a decade you will already know that I consider myself an expert in the field of "grind". Again, there is no grind. Period. It's enjoyable - the time passes without realizing it. It's the superior quests and story that allow for the lack of grind. In addition, the phasing and flashpoint quests sprinkled about the game compliment the game perfectly. It is extremely unlikely that you will ever be required to "camp" anything. Understand that as a player, the experience points for leveling come mostly from quests and peripheral mobs. There is simply no need to go after specific critters unless you enjoy that aspect of the game. In addition, if you're skeptical and don't think you'll enjoy the quests (or if you're a Beta Tester who has or will complain about the quest lines) you're one of three things:

1. Wrong.

2. Lying

3. Not a candidate for MMO's. Period.

Based on a survey of guild-mates and other data, the time-frame to reach max (50) is relatively the same as World of Warcraft. Not as slow as the EverQuest series, but not faster than the newer games either. The score for the the Grind in The Old Republic is 10.

10.0 Impossible Achievement



Planets

Hold your breathe - the big debate over open-world vs. theme-park MMO is over. The game is a combination of both, though it leans heavily towards open-world. Why is it a combination? Fair enough - the game feels more confined on the first two planets visited. Ord Mantell, Tython, Korriban, Hutta are relatively small planets, roughly the size of two zones in World of Warcraft or EverQuest. And this is exactly what's needed to keep the player from feeling overwhelmed. As you progress to the next planet, Coruscant, you will feel the planet open significantly. And from there on out, the planets get very, very large. Massive even. Many players have commented that the planets are "too big" in the game chat. Here's a brief overview of a few of the planets.

Ord Mantell: Roughly the size of 2 "zones", open-world but somewhat linear due to the quest progression. A beautiful yet somewhat brooding art style.

Coruscant: Imagine a central hub that equals 1 "zone" with 5 medium sized "dungeon" zones spanning off of it. Players are able to taxi to the different dungeon zones. Beautiful art style - exactly what Star Wars fans would have imagined. The taxi rides are jaw-dropping.

Taris: Completely open-world - the size of 5 zones. Absolutely massive and beautifully done. I played on the planet for roughly 18-22 hours and was unable to explore more than 80%. There are still some dark spots on the map. You are required to explore in order to find additional taxi hubs. There is no "easy ride" to uncover the whole planet either, which will tickle the fancy of those SWG players and "open-worlders" alike. The art style on Taris is unique, wondrous and adventurous. It will feel truly alien.

Narshadda: Very similar to Coruscant - another central hub that equals 1 "zone" with 5 medium - large sized dungeon zones spanning off of it. Taxi's everywhere. Very good job on the planet - feels like the Casino-Brother of Coruscant. Somewhat dirty and run-down - don't worry there are plenty of Hutts. The developers took a page out of the Dark Empire comic book series.

Tatooine: Completely open-world like Taris - the size of 6 zones. Unbelievably massive and beautiful.

In the current build there is NOT too much walking/running. Anyone who states that there is "too much walking" in this build is pathetic and should go back to playing Counter Strike.

Keep in mind that more weather features could be added (weather is not noticeable), and there are no day and night cycles presently. I understand the reasons for this, but it is very possible to add these features if the effort is made. Some points are deducted for lacking these features. Score for the Planets in the game is 9.0

9.0 Excellent



Artificial Intelligence of Mobs

NPC, monsters and critters in the old republic have a high level of intelligence. If anyone remembers the horrors of AI in Star Wars Galaxies, discard you're nightmares as this game easily makes the cut. The Regular mobs tend to come in pairs or groups, and depending on the class of the mob they may or may not cooperate to take you down. If there is a healer in the NPC group watch out, as the intelligence and "power" of these guys is sometimes overwhelming. Mobs will follow you if you run and shoot at a distance, but they will give up and return to their original locations after about 10 seconds. The mobs that can use cover will use it (sometimes to great effect). The boss mobs in the game are constantly being improved by Bioware in regards to the AI. From what I've seen there's nothing ground-breaking here, but the AI is better than most other MMO's. SWTOR receives a score of 8.6.

8.6 Very Good



Companion Characters

There's been some griping on the forums regarding companion characters, and some negative Beta Tester reviews. Understandable considering the previous lack of customization and the fact that "everyone has the same companion". Bioware has gone to some length to resolve these issues, allowing for customization "kits" that change the look of your companion and also hiding the nameplates of the companions so other players can't see. Though this was a big concern of mine entering the Beta I can state comfortably that I never felt "not unique" with my companion character. In addition, companions in the game now have their own controllable ability bar (at this time you cannot customize advanced classes).

The companion characters are a lot of fun - they are a necessity when soloing. Being as essential as they are, equipping your companion makes the experience twice as fun (and expensive) as the traditional MMO. You will feel the need to get him/her a quality of gear similar to your own personal standards, so make sure to budget for it. The companions affection is rather buggy at the moment - i.e. they don't seem react or reward you much if you shower them with gifts. This is being worked out by the developers.

There is no issue with companions dying and/or getting stuck - you simply dismiss the companion (unless you're actively fighting) and re spawn him next to you. This cannot be done, however, if you are not in the same "zone" as your companion (note to self: don't leave the planet with your companions dead body sprawled out in the depths of Coruscant).

Note that the companion dialogue is somewhat limited. And the AI is still being worked on (stop getting in my face Corso Riggs!) continually. As it stands now companions receive a score of 8.8 in The Old Republic.

8.8 Very Good



Economy and Galactic Market

It's the economy stupid! Where to start.

Credits - there's a lot of them. I had 100k credits banked by level 18, after purchasing gear and abilities as well. Credits comes from mobs and selling junk to vendors. The majority of credits unrelated to trading come from quest rewards. In the current state of the game I can see many cash-junkies (economy driven players) easily making millions of credits very quickly. I feel that credits should be fewer and farther between. They are doing a good job with credit sinks however. For example, expanding the first inventory slot is 5k credits. The second slot is 20k credits, and so on. In addition, abilities at level 20+ begin to get really expensive. I'm talking 3k+ credits each ability. The developers have also increased the cost for speeders. Learning the ability itself is 40k credits. The first speeder is about 4k. This is a work in progress.

The Galactic Market is doing quite well. It is heavily utilized. It's similar to the bazaar system in World of Warcraft. There are quite a few options for narrowing choices. Selling is very easy. There is a 10% commission and a deposit required to sell items, which is very smart. In addition, items purchased arrive via the Mailbox system (which is very nicely implemented - i.e. you will actually use Mailboxes for once in an online game). Items purchased are available immediately, but to retrieve funds from items sold you will have to wait 1 hour. You are notified when a sale is made. You can sell items for up to 5 days. The longer you put the item up for sale, the more costly the deposit. If you take your item down prematurely, you lose the deposit entirely. I've sold hundreds items on the market thus far and made most of my money utilizing the Market to sell crafted goods.

The economy and the Galactic Market system are sufficient but have room to grow significantly. The score is 7.5.

7.5 Above Average



Crafting and Gathering System

The crafting and gathering system in the game is an absolute surprise and a delight.

The gathering system is very similar to World of Warcraft and EverQuest 2 in regards to resource "nodes" showing up in the world. The only issue thus far regarding the gathering system is that some of the nodes are rather static and quick to respawn. (i.e. if you see a bio-node in an area, you know it's going to pop back up in the same area again in under 10 minutes). This could allow for abuse, but could easily be tweaked before live. Note that though you can direct your companion to physically "gather" for you, it just won't happen. Why bother when you can gather yourself?

The crafting system really separates this game from the competition. Crafting is no longer a grind (again Bioware somehow eliminating grind from the game). When you have the materials and schematics necessary (some can be purchased, others have to be harvested from nodes or mobs or created by other players) you can "send" a companion to craft an item and queue up to 5 items in a row per companion. There are various "time frames" for your companion to finish crafting the item based on rarity/level. The more companions you get, the faster and more frequently you can craft items. If you want, you can make the decision to sacrifice your primary companion (the companion you're using for combat support) to give yourself a boost in the quantity and speed of items crafted.

Keep in mind that there are almost as many items available to craft in the game as there are unique items dropped from mobs. You'll have your options open regardless of which profession you choose.

In regards to Missions: it can seem confusing if you haven't used the system so I'll do my best to explain. There are gathering skills and there are crafting skills. You can learn any combination of 3 of these skills. However, the crafting skills can only be performed by a companion in the form of a timed "mission".

Gathering skills, on the other hand, are different as you can personally harvest from nodes when you're out in the game-world. The tricky part is that there's a second option for the gathering skills - that being: you can also send your companion(s) out on timed missions that will yield resources similar to those of a node (only more randomized). What's this mean? Simply put: if you're rich want to buy your way up the gathering skill level-chain, you can spend the cash and have your companions do it remotely. Note that sending companions out on missions rather than gathering the resource yourself is very expensive. You better have 500k+ if you want to max out a resource gathering skill using missions exclusively. The fun part is that it gives you multiple possibilities. In addition, when I've been on the verge of hitting a certain gathering skill level (and I'm sitting on a nice node that requires X skill level) I've spent the cash to send my companions out on a gathering mission or two so that I can quickly reach the required skill level and harvest the node. It just eases the grind - gives the player more options.

Overall impression of current crafting system - it's very unique and enjoyable. Very little to no grind at all. I grant a score of 9.3.

9.3 Excellent



The Starship

I was looking forward to my starship - and I don't mean just a little. This was a major source of hype on the forums and played directly into the culture surrounding Star Wars. Everyone wants a ship in the game. Bioware listened . . . somewhat. The ships certainly look nice - but at this time they are very, very limited. There are no options to customize the ships exterior, interact inside with the ship (in regards to minigames etc), or decorate the ship's interior. Fail. Bioware needs to make the effort to add these features into the game - and they should have been in for launch. At this point, it is doubtful that they will be. Regardless if you are the type of player who cares about this or not, having decorative items and more customization in the game is a huge boost to the economy, crafters and social / role players. At least the groundwork is there. At this point, the Starship in the game gets a score of 4.8

4.8 Below Average



Space Combat and Missions

Space combat and missions have been another source of controversy. I was a fan of Rebel Assault in the late 80's. But that was the late 80's. The Space Combat is a mini-game - and it has it's modestly fun moments, but not nearly enough of them. What makes this mini-game a serious flop for Bioware and the community is that it does not enhance the game. It doesn't add anything special to the MMO - in fact, it feels like it doesn't belong in the game at all. And for the time and resources that were put into the mini-game, it would have better to have focused on different areas. They should have added a more free-form space flight later on, in an expansion. It was just more than Bioware could chew in the development process to get "good space" into the game at launch. And I don't blame them for trying. It just didn't work out. This feature thus far is a failure and one of two large stains on the game. A majority of players in the game echo this sentiment. At this point it would be wise for Bioware to completely excise space combat and missions and start over (but they're far too stubborn to do that). Points for effort only. The score is 1.9.

1.9 It's a Trap! (Disaster)



Itemization and Gear

The items and gear in the game are definitely one of The Old Republic's strong points. There is a LOT of stuff you can get. I mean hundreds, if not thousands of gear choices. Not to mention crafting materials and junk loot. As I've leveled up my character, I've gone through dozens and dozens of different looks regarding gear.

There are also stims, adrenals, medpacs, other consumable items in addition to regular gear choices. I've never seen such a plethora of choices in regards to the itemization of a game. Keep in mind that the developers did an excellent job making crafted gear slightly better than most loot-gear. This has created a thriving crafting community in the game.

As of right now the only color dying option for gear is to match your chest piece. This may change - I can definitely imagine the developers putting in color dyes post-launch.

The only gripe that people have right now on the forums is the Darkside and Lightside alignment of gear. At this time there is very little neutral gear with the same quality of perks. They are fixing this, however - there is a large thread on it in the Beta Forums. As this is being actively resolved I am omitting the normal penalty for this gripe. The strong showing in regards Itemization and Gear earns The Old Republic a 9.7.

9.7 Unprecedented



Social Aspects and Community

Sadly, I have to be the bearer of bad news to the socialites and roleplayers. I mentioned space combat previously as being one of two large stains on the game - and yes, Social Aspects and Community are the second stain. There is literally nothing social about the game at this time other than the chat channels. There is very, very little reason to interact with other players unless grouping or asking questions. The cantina's are ghost towns, the central hubs are run-throughs - nobody stops to do anything. Bioware made a huge mistake by not investing in mini games such as Pazaak, Sabaac and Dejerik. In addition, what about swoop racing? Where are the social mini-games that everyone expected in the cantina's? Where are the social items like fireworks and other cool tidbits that players enjoy? There is a thread on the Beta forums complaining, and Bioware underestimated the vast majority of typical MMO players who want these features. If you're not a player who's interested in these features, no problem - but you are in the minority. Huge flop - the only points awarded are for the in-game chat channel. Score is 1.2.

1.2 Deathstar Explosion (Absolute Disaster)



Grouping and Guilds

Grouping in the game thus far has been a sub-par experience. I find that most players seem to only want to group to complete their quest - which is fine, but it regulates the possibility of building meaningful relationships with other players quite heavily.

The dynamics of grouping are somewhat basic. There are tanks, dps and healer classes. The healer classes are far and few between before advanced classes kick in. And even then, sometimes difficult to find. I feel that this is a major focus by the developers right now - improving group dynamics. Needless to say, grouping can be just as fun as other MMO's. It's just not anything special at this time - and it's far too "quest heavy". There need to be "more" reasons to group up with other players, and for longer periods of time.

As far as guilds are concerned, I'm currently involved in a guild that is active on the test server. The guild chat is quite good, but as of now there are no perks to being in a guild. There is no guild hall, no benefits that I've seen. It's just not there yet. I know they're working on these features, so I wouldn't panic quite yet if this is a concern. The score for Grouping and Guilds in the current state of the game is 5.4.

5.4 Mediocre



Total Point Score

Overall Critical Point Score: 8.25

Overall Quality (Weighted): Excellent



Conclusion and Tidbits

Is Star Wars the Old Republic the best MMO ever made? Absolutely. Don't even try to question it. Without any doubt the game is the best Massively Multiplier Game in history by a huge margin. Anyone who says otherwise has no clue what they're comparing it against and (again) should go back to playing CounterStrike. In addition, if you've had a nostalgic experience from another game and you feel that your experience makes that game "better" you are biased and wrong. This is the better game.

My guild-mates and I have discussed at length the experience at level 50 and it is still the same high quality gameplay and experience. The end content is there - and more will be added.

That's not to say the game is without it's problems. But thus far, the success stories from the game (Grind/Story/Voice/Graphics/Mechanics/Crafting) far, far outweigh the drawbacks. And don't forget either, that we still have 2 months until launch. Not to mention expansions.


Fun Assertions

Because I have a lot of experience with these types of games, and I was there for the transition from Ultima Online, Everquest and World of Warcraft, I feel more than comfortable making assertions about the SWTOR in regards to market share.


1. Will Star Wars the Old Republic kill World of Warcraft?

Yes. It will absorb most of World of Warcraft's player base. The game specifically targets a wide audience and is far more addicting and fun than WoW. The vast majority of players who enjoy World of Warcraft do so because of psychological factors relating to addiction. SWTOR is double the addiction, even less frustrating and far more enjoyable. The system requirements are low. Of guildmates surveyed, every player who has leveled 1-50 has stated that it was a more enjoyable and addicting experience than WoW 1-50. Everyone is still playing the game on their primary characters.

2. Will Star Wars the Old Republic break 2 million subscriptions?

8 million + minimum once the game is sufficiently exposed and most of Warcraft's players are absorbed. Note that this is my prediction for peak subscribers.

3. Will there be micro transactions?

Minimal if any will be needed. Very unlikely.

4. Will there be pets in the game?

There already are secret pets in the game

5. Will there be a legacy system?

Not yet implemented but based on tester feedback I'd say 95% chance.

6. Are space stations in the game? Are they fun?

Yes, space stations are in, as well as the Republic Fleet and Imperial Fleet. It definitely adds to the immersion, but they don't serve much purpose yet other than a launch point for flashpoints.


Hope you enjoyed the review. Feel free to ask further questions!

[Moff]

und na es paar chürzeri idrück gits da
http://www.betacake.net/2011/10/15/star ... pressions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Moff]

sehr vieli videos vode beta:
http://www.alterswtor.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.betafootage.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[h4xX0r]

es singleplayer mmo, chönnt für mich si

[ritschi]

huere dumms release datum. aber tönt geil.

[ritschi]

Yes. It will absorb most of World of Warcraft's player base. The game specifically targets a wide audience and is far more addicting and fun than WoW. The vast majority of players who enjoy World of Warcraft do so because of psychological factors relating to addiction. SWTOR is double the addiction, even less frustrating and far more enjoyable. The system requirements are low. Of guildmates surveyed, every player who has leveled 1-50 has stated that it was a more enjoyable and addicting experience than WoW 1-50. Everyone is still playing the game on their primary characters.

ziit wärs ja. nach 7 jahr oder so aber glaubes no nid so rächt.

[The Sheep]

gseht mer nachme zimliche Fanboy us. Späteschtens ab "Graphics and Art ... 9.4 Excellent" chanmer en eigentlich nüm ärnscht ne.

Und sini 8Mio+ User Prognose ..
Wenns mehr 1 Mio chaufet chönntmer bereits vomene guete Start rede. Mehr als 2 halt i für illusorisch. Und wenn nach 12 Mönet no mehr als en drittel da sind wo ihr Abo zahle, wär das au nid sälbschtverständlich.

Au wenn WoW zimlich agschlage isch imo und täglich mehr Abos verliert, d´Spieler warte no uf es paar anderi Titel:
zB Diablo 3, Guild Wars 2, Tera, Warhammer 40K

Ganz abgseh dervo sinds eh nid mehr als 3.5 Mio Spieler wo chönntet abspringe vo WoW. Solangs kei SWTOR Release in Asie git.

[Moff]

ich finde die neuscht beta version gseht würklich hübsch us, mer merkt scho, dasses wie WoW konzipiert isch, dasses uf ältere rechnet lauft, aber es sind halt die viele verschiedene objekt, details und animatione wos usmached, grad d'hauptstädt wie coruscant und nal hutta gsehnd würklich phänomenal us. aber ebe, wenn de text würshc läse statt nur de score aluege denn würsch au merke, dasses ihm me um art gaht statt um technischi aspekt bide grafik, was sowieso viel wichtiger isch und au WoW lang zum hübschischte mmo gmacht het.

[Moff]

es isch natürlich au nöd nur es singleplayer mmo, es git 15 dungeons (alli mit endgame heroic versione) und 2 endgame raids und 3 battlegrounds zum launch. ich denke dasses für singleplayer sehr interessant isch, isch einfach nur en bonus.

[ritschi]

me darf o nid vergässe, dass starwars e grossi fanbase het wo de eint oder ander sicher wird dri luege obwohl er no nie es MMO gspielt het. und lüüt wo no nie eis gspielt hei sie hüfig sogar die wo no süchtiger wärde. für mi si MMOs zum bispiel langsam usglutscht und früecher bini zimlech süchtig gsi. aber mal luege, viellech cha mi das spiel no überrasche.

[The Sheep]

Klar het Star Wars e grossi Fanbase. Aber das het Herr der Ringe und Star Trek au. Herr der Ringe händs chürzlich müesse uf "free to play" umstelle dermit sis nid müend abstelle und Star Trek Online isch scho bim Release gflopt wo no nid jedem bekannt gseh isch dass es en brunz isch und wird übrigens ebefalls free to play in de nächschte Tage.

Ich han einigi RL Kollege wo alli 3 Franchises liebe, aber chuum eine vo dene würd sich mehr als DVDs bzw BluRays chaufe.

Star Wars muess nid zwangsläufig flope. Aber mehr als 2 Millione Abos sind eifach nid realistisch bimene MMO wo in Amerika und Europa lauft. D'Konkuränz isch hüt eifach wesentlich grösser als no 2005, und der Märt isch begränzt. Herr der Ringe Online het in sine beschte Tage übrigens au nur 1.5 Millione Abonänte gha und gilt als eins vo de erfolgrichschte MMOs näbe WoW.

Derzue chunnt dass MMOs in de Medie en nid bsunders guete Ruef händ, was vieli wo no kei Erfahrig mit derige Spiel händ abschreckt inezluege.

[ritschi]

lotro macht eifach am afang kei spass - evtl wärs später besser worde - aber ds queste isch uf WoW classic niveau und wenn all die lüt wo das spiel am afang usprobiert hei wäre begeisteret gsi, hät sich das o umegsproche und no meh lüt ane glockt.

und so viel trekis gits jetzt o nid.

[Moff]

die zahle wo er meint sind wenns sich etabliert het, schribt er ja, ned vo afang a, zumal das ganze au unter sindere "fun" section isch, also ned würklich ernst zneh

trotzdem glaub ich au nöd, dasses annähernd so erfolgrich wird wie WoW, us miner sicht ischs gröscht problem, dass sie zwenig wiblichi spieler demit erreiched, bi dene zieht scifi eifach ned bsunders.
nedmal wills dur das weniger spieler het (die wibliche), aber au fürd community ischs halt scheisse wenns fasch kei fraue het, und dur das göhnd langfrischtig denn au d'männer wieder.

[Moff]

HOLY F*** SHIT

das wuchenend bini im beta stress weekend :typej:
natürlich das wo skyrim, skyward sword, mario 3D land und MW3 usechunnt :typej:

[ritschi]

betas suxxet. verlürsch när alles wieder.

[Moff]

Ja logisch. interessiert mi trotzdem meh als alls ander

[The Sheep]

fark, han ändlech au en beta invite becho. usgrächnet jetz woni skyrim möcht spiele

[Scarface]

ololololol i ou beta invite, i chönnt chotze! usgrächnet jetzt -.-

[Moff]

lueged das mail mal gnau au, ihr händ gar keine bzw. alli händ eine wo eine wänd
"later this month" macheds eifach eis wuchenend open beta als stress test

[The Sheep]

so ?

edit:
jetz weissi was gmeint hesch. Mini Gildies händ iladig becho für en Stress Tescht demnächscht.
Mini Iladig isch aber andersch gseh. Het eifach gheisse ich seg iglade zum Beta Tescht. Han nur muesse bestätige dass i will mitmache. De hani sofort chönne abelade und afange spiele.

[Trunks]

Und wie findet ihrs?

[Sylvara]

HOLY F*** SHIT

das wuchenend bini im beta stress weekend :typej:
natürlich das wo skyrim, skyward sword, mario 3D land und MW3 usechunnt :typej:

lol

[The Sheep]

Und wie findet ihrs?

min erschte overall idruck isch mittlemässig. grossi leeri rüüm und denn de clone wars stil bi de gsichter woni mi immer nonig han chönne afründe mit. wirkt alles bitz steril. jedi spielt sich guet. schmuggler womi eigentlich mehr interessiert het, gfallt mer bis jetzt nid so.

[Moff]

so ?

edit:
jetz weissi was gmeint hesch. Mini Gildies händ iladig becho für en Stress Tescht demnächscht.
Mini Iladig isch aber andersch gseh. Het eifach gheisse ich seg iglade zum Beta Tescht. Han nur muesse bestätige dass i will mitmache. De hani sofort chönne abelade und afange spiele.

ahscho? demfall hesch en richtige beta invite und nöd nur eine fürs wuchenend?
demfall ischs was anders, jo

ich bin leider fertig iets, han nur für das wuchenend gha und iets schissts mi a ga skyrim und de skyward schwer ga spiele, würd lieber min sorceror witermache
muess aber säge, dass während sich sorceror und warrior wie us anderne mmos gwohnt spiele grad bounty hunter und agent recht interessant spieled, spielerisch findis würklich sehr glunge, es spielt sich so flüssig wie WoW mit halt paar interessante neue sache.

het eigentlich alles mine erwartige entsproche, aber abgseh vom gameplay hani halt eh scho s'meischt vo videos und bricht kennt.