Am i the only person who can't wrap his head around why so many people are excited about this tripe? I mean honestly, this shouldnt even be an MMO, its an overglorified single player game with some online aspects. Its like trying to call white knight chronicles an MMO because everybody logs into the same "server" and you can group up and run missions.
I honestly can't wait for this game to fail after 3-5 months when everyone has exhausted every waking second of "content" in the game and realize that Bioware took you all for a ride.
If I have fun for 3-5 months, why would I feel they took me for a ride? 3-5 months of fun would make me feel as though I've played the best MMO to release in the last five-six years to be quite honest.
Am I the only person who can't wrap his head around the point of posts such as this? Are you really surprised people look forward to things you do not? I mean is the fact that tastes can differ lost on you?
Malickie, you know i was thinking the same. Whats interesting isMMOs are such good value for money unlimited play for a month for the cost of one round of beers.... How can you loose out.
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
Am i the only person who can't wrap his head around why so many people are excited about this tripe? I mean honestly, this shouldnt even be an MMO, its an overglorified single player game with some online aspects. Its like trying to call white knight chronicles an MMO because everybody logs into the same "server" and you can group up and run missions.
I honestly can't wait for this game to fail after 3-5 months when everyone has exhausted every waking second of "content" in the game and realize that Bioware took you all for a ride.
But it's not an over glorified single player game. So your point is invalid. It is not like white knight chronicles either. In fact I expect this game to be more of an MMO than GW2 tbh....
What part of theme park MMO do you not get? It is OPEN massive multiplayer worlds. Stop going around spreading lies about the game. This same old rhetoric is getting really annoying out of the same few people.
I have been in love with Star wars since I first saw Empire Strikes Back in the movie theatre. I collected all the toys, my friends and I played Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker....and we even had a girl to play princess leia. I haven't played the other Star wars games. However, the more and more I see of this game the more and more I don't think I want to play it. I have to say at first I was really hyped up for it, but now I am less than excited. However, does that mean I will not buy the game and try it out...no. I will buy the game, and I will try it.
Currently Play: ? Occasionally Play: Champions, Pirates of the Burning Sea, WOW, EVE ONLINE
If story is the key selling point of this game and, as has been revealed, can only be decided and followed through by you, the player, then why put the game online?
Because what Bioware/LA/EA are producing is a story SRPG with some networking features but, because it's online, you won't just pay for this game once when you buy it, you'll have to rent to play it for the indefinite future.
If story is the key selling point of this game and, as has been revealed, can only be decided and followed through by you, the player, then why put the game online?
Because what Bioware/LA/EA are producing is a story SRPG with some networking features but, because it's online, you won't just pay for this game once when you buy it, you'll have to rent to play it for the indefinite future.
This is illogical and flawed reasoning.
Bioware is making a Star Wars MMO. The element they feel missing and are investing a lot in to make it work is the storytelling, the RPG part in a MMORPG. But it is still a MMORPG.
And they've already shown more material than other upcoming MMO's (besides GW2) that it's a true MMO.
I'm going to put it very bluntly:
players who skip quest text + find quests irrelevant to MMO's = players who don't care about story immersion or the RPG part in MMO's = players who don't like it in SWTOR + are the loudest preachers of SWTOR being a SRPG.
TL;DR
if you think that EA and Bioware are putting all that money and resources into a MMO that doesn't have all the regular features of a MMO, then you must be really stupid. In any case, EA and Bioware aren't stupid.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
If story is the key selling point of this game and, as has been revealed, can only be decided and followed through by you, the player, then why put the game online?
Because what Bioware/LA/EA are producing is a story SRPG with some networking features but, because it's online, you won't just pay for this game once when you buy it, you'll have to rent to play it for the indefinite future.
This is illogical and flawed reasoning.
Bioware is making a Star Wars MMO. The element they feel missing and are investing a lot in to make it work is the storytelling, the RPG part in a MMORPG. But it is still a MMORPG.
And they've already shown more material than other upcoming MMO's (besides GW2) that it's a true MMO.
I'm going to put it very bluntly:
players who skip quest text + find quests irrelevant to MMO's = players who don't care about story immersion or the RPG part in MMO's = players who don't like it in SWTOR + are the loudest preachers of SWTOR being a SRPG.
TL;DR
if you think that EA and Bioware are putting all that money and resources into a MMO that doesn't have all the regular features of a MMO, then you must be really stupid. In any case, EA and Bioware aren't stupid.
I'm sorry but whoever said that game design, production and management was governed by logical and pure reasoning?
We know very well from games as varied as SWG and AOC and APB that companies make business decision based on flawed premises - primarily, "do I want to make profit in month x even though it may endanger profit in month y?" In other words, companies make dumb decisions because, at the time, they seemed like a good idea.
Now the idea of voice-driven story for an MMO might seem like a good idea but if you analyse it, it has inherent flaws:
- It slows the game because it takes much longer to listen to a script than read it (I'm not even talking about 'skipping' dialogue, I'm talking about reading it over hearing it)
- It's dependent on the quality of a script which, as we have heard, is obvious and clunky
- It's dependent on the quality of the voice-acting which again, can only be poor, because the actors have to overemote since they are voicing a cartoon character who doesn't show normal human emotions
- It's dependent on the quality of the NPC animations which, as we have seen, are basic and wooden.
- It's dependent on the action going on around the player. Why stop the game to listen to some guy rabbit on when what you want to do is get to the next phase where you can engage once more - choose a dialogue option, come to a resolution, receive the next mission etc.
So, I am sorry, I am not 'stupid' as you put it. I am simply thinking about issues that to any player who is not an over-enthusiastic fan are obviously problematic.
As I said before, none of these other MMO companies made a MMO that didn't have the basic traits and features of a MMO, thinking that a major game company would suddenly act differently from all these other game companies and make a MMO that doesn't have the basic features of a MMO but is a multiplayer SRPG is sheer lunacy. Everyone using common sense can see that, the thought alone of a company that's investing heavily in a MMO that's missing the basic MMO features is ludicrous. That's the flawed reasoning.
MMO companies that went wrong either didn't have enough money of investors left and rushed their game's launch before it was fully fniished or polished, or they tried to make their MMO more like other MMO's, throwing away their own uniqueness: still, all their MMO's were still MMO's.
And as I said before, the people who think Bioware's investment in deepened questing and storytelling is foolish and a waste of resources, are the people who care little about quests or questing in a MMO. I'm sorry, but not every MMO gamer is in your camp, if you think that the bland and meaningless questing system as we've seen for years now is the way to keep doing things, then there's enough of the current MMO's and a number of the upcoming ones to satisfy your preferences.
But there's also a large group of MMO gamers who've grown tired and bored with that way of questing, and these are looking forward to Bioware's attempt to put more meaning and immersion to quests, and they're interested in how it'll work out.
A good example is AoC: people loved Tortage Island but were disillusioned that its deepened quest system didn't go on like that beyond Tortage. If Bioware has taken this deepened questing a step further, then it can only be encouraged.
Because not everybody thinks questing as it is done in WoW or Aion is the best way to do it, some MMO gamers think like Bioware and ANet teams did that current MMO questing system is flawed and lacking.
Does trying to do things differently bring its own problems and disadvantages? Sure, no doubt about it.
But it's better to try to do it differently than doing it the same bland way as it has been done now for years after years.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
As I said before, none of these other MMO companies made a MMO that didn't have the basic traits and features of a MMO, thinking that a major game company would suddenly act differently from all these other game companies and make a MMO that doesn't have the basic features of a MMO but is a multiplayer SRPG is sheer lunacy. Everyone using common sense can see that, the thought alone of a company that's investing heavily in a MMO that's missing the basic MMO features is ludicrous. That's the flawed reasoning.
MMO companies that went wrong either didn't have enough money of investors left and rushed their game's launch before it was fully fniished or polished, or they tried to make their MMO more like other MMO's, throwing away their own uniqueness: still, all their MMO's were still MMO's.
And as I said before, the people who think Bioware's investment in deepened questing and storytelling is foolish and a waste of resources, are the people who care little about quests or questing in a MMO. I'm sorry, but not every MMO gamer is in your camp, if you think that the bland and meaningless questing system as we've seen for years now is the way to keep doing things, then there's enough of the current MMO's and a number of the upcoming ones to satisfy your preferences.
But there's also a large group of MMO gamers who've grown tired and bored with that way of questing, and these are looking forward to Bioware's attempt to put more meaning and immersion to quests, and they're interested in how it'll work out.
A good example is AoC: people loved Tortage Island but were disillusioned that its deepened quest system didn't go on like that beyond Tortage. If Bioware has taken this deepened questing a step further, then it can only be encouraged.
Because not everybody thinks questing as it is done in WoW or Aion is the best way to do it, some MMO gamers think like Bioware and ANet teams did that current MMO questing system is flawed and lacking.
Does trying to do things differently bring its own problems and disadvantages? Sure, no doubt about it.
But it's better to try to do it differently than doing it the same bland way as it has been done now for years after years.
Well, that's the point isn't it? Are people going to regard these voiceovers as exciting, well-written, dramatically acted pieces that are essential to gameplay or as clunky, over-emoting, comic-strip dialogue for badly-animated, wooden-faced NPCs?
Yes, voice-over can also be bland as the voice-overs in Kotor I, Kotor II, ME and DA proved beyond a doubt.
As I said before, none of these other MMO companies made a MMO that didn't have the basic traits and features of a MMO, thinking that a major game company would suddenly act differently from all these other game companies and make a MMO that doesn't have the basic features of a MMO but is a multiplayer SRPG is sheer lunacy. Everyone using common sense can see that, the thought alone of a company that's investing heavily in a MMO that's missing the basic MMO features is ludicrous. That's the flawed reasoning.
MMO companies that went wrong either didn't have enough money of investors left and rushed their game's launch before it was fully fniished or polished, or they tried to make their MMO more like other MMO's, throwing away their own uniqueness: still, all their MMO's were still MMO's.
And as I said before, the people who think Bioware's investment in deepened questing and storytelling is foolish and a waste of resources, are the people who care little about quests or questing in a MMO. I'm sorry, but not every MMO gamer is in your camp, if you think that the bland and meaningless questing system as we've seen for years now is the way to keep doing things, then there's enough of the current MMO's and a number of the upcoming ones to satisfy your preferences.
But there's also a large group of MMO gamers who've grown tired and bored with that way of questing, and these are looking forward to Bioware's attempt to put more meaning and immersion to quests, and they're interested in how it'll work out.
A good example is AoC: people loved Tortage Island but were disillusioned that its deepened quest system didn't go on like that beyond Tortage. If Bioware has taken this deepened questing a step further, then it can only be encouraged.
Because not everybody thinks questing as it is done in WoW or Aion is the best way to do it, some MMO gamers think like Bioware and ANet teams did that current MMO questing system is flawed and lacking.
Does trying to do things differently bring its own problems and disadvantages? Sure, no doubt about it.
But it's better to try to do it differently than doing it the same bland way as it has been done now for years after years.
Well, that's the point isn't it? Are people going to regard these voiceovers as exciting, well-written, dramatically acted pieces that are essential to gameplay or as clunky, over-emoting, comic-strip dialogue for badly-animated, wooden-faced NPCs?
Yes, voice-over can also be bland as the voice-overs in Kotor I, Kotor II, ME and DA proved beyond a doubt.
I'm sorry you found the voice-overs in those games bland. I found them to be good and exciting, so what you are saying is nothing more then your opinion.
On topic, yes the story is a big selling point for me.
Story is going to definitely be a major part of the game, but unlike you, I would want the MMO part to be good if not great. As much as I enjoy BW stories, I would not by a game and pay per month for the story alone. So if the story is good and the MMO-esque part is missing, than the game is not worth it for me. But I have no doubt the game will do good.
Edit: You math is not entirely correct. If I play something like "Dragon Age," I can buy it once and play the story through. I can also go back a year or two later and play it again. And again.
With SW:TOR, it is not the same. Firstly, you mark it at three months, which is a horrible buy for $105. I don't think many people bought and played "good" games and only played three months, especially two games which is equivalent to 4-ish months of SW:TOR. Good games for me are games like... Dragon Age, Bad Company 2, Guild Wars, which lasts AT LEAST a year. That doesn't mean I played them nightly for a year, but I still play them a year later. SW:TOR NEEDS a good MMO part, else it should get rid of the monthly sub. You can't go back a year later to re-play the game unless you re-activate your account with $15.
This
I think I actually spent way more time reading and theorycrafting about MMOs than playing them
Story is going to definitely be a major part of the game, but unlike you, I would want the MMO part to be good if not great. As much as I enjoy BW stories, I would not by a game and pay per month for the story alone. So if the story is good and the MMO-esque part is missing, than the game is not worth it for me. But I have no doubt the game will do good.
Edit: You math is not entirely correct. If I play something like "Dragon Age," I can buy it once and play the story through. I can also go back a year or two later and play it again. And again.
With SW:TOR, it is not the same. Firstly, you mark it at three months, which is a horrible buy for $105. I don't think many people bought and played "good" games and only played three months, especially two games which is equivalent to 4-ish months of SW:TOR. Good games for me are games like... Dragon Age, Bad Company 2, Guild Wars, which lasts AT LEAST a year. That doesn't mean I played them nightly for a year, but I still play them a year later. SW:TOR NEEDS a good MMO part, else it should get rid of the monthly sub. You can't go back a year later to re-play the game unless you re-activate your account with $15.
This
Agree, it should have a good mmo part also, next to the story.
Well, that's the point isn't it? Are people going to regard these voiceovers as exciting, well-written, dramatically acted pieces that are essential to gameplay or as clunky, over-emoting, comic-strip dialogue for badly-animated, wooden-faced NPCs?
Yes, voice-over can also be bland as the voice-overs in Kotor I, Kotor II, ME and DA proved beyond a doubt.
This. I think that explains and says it all, if you didn't even like the VO quest structure as it was done in other Bioware games, then it's no wonder that you don't like it in SW:TOR, and since it's an essential part of SW:TOR there's already a large part of SW:TOR that you hate.
So no wonder that you're so passionate in your ranting against SW:TOR, you've already an antipathy towards the direction Bioware has chosen.
Well, many people enjoyed how Bioware handled their quest structure in their games, and also many MMO gamers prefer the deepened storytelling over the bland, same old same old quest system of the other current MMO's that you seem to like.
Well, to those who think that quests as done in WoW or Aion are as good as they can be, there's still the option to switch to text so that they can skip as much as they like, just as they do in other MMO's in their race towards level cap.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I usually do whatever it takes to get to the meat of a mission as fast as possible but as long as it doesn't get too boring I'll sit there and read quests for the story. As soon as I feel like it's a nuisance then I'll have a problem with it.
Am i the only person who can't wrap his head around why so many people are excited about this tripe? I mean honestly, this shouldnt even be an MMO, its an overglorified single player game with some online aspects. Its like trying to call white knight chronicles an MMO because everybody logs into the same "server" and you can group up and run missions.
I honestly can't wait for this game to fail after 3-5 months when everyone has exhausted every waking second of "content" in the game and realize that Bioware took you all for a ride.
You are not the only person, but honestly the people who are excited, don't give a flying fork if you can't understand why.
I personally have faith in BioWare but if you are indeed right; If the ride was fun, it was money well spent. If you don't want to play this game, theres the door, kaybai.
As a SWG vet and a big fan of both KotORs, I can't wait to get into Bioware's next installment of the KotOR series, and the story is the #1 reason why.
I usually do whatever it takes to get to the meat of a mission as fast as possible but as long as it doesn't get too boring I'll sit there and read quests for the story. As soon as I feel like it's a nuisance then I'll have a problem with it.
I agree that most if not all the current MMO's are this way. It gets to the point that you just want to click through the choices as fast as possible or just accept and move on to the kill x or collect y. But to have ME level dialoge, with no text unless you enable it, will change the way I want to play through the quests. It will add life to the game vs a speed to end game that today's MMO's have. Here is a quote from raul on the main site who played for 45 minutes at gamescon.
As cliché as it is the feature that really made the game standout from WoW was... yes... story. You still have the standard MMO go and kill X of Y. But I found that WoW had a total random nonsense story which covered 1 page and was about as interesting to look at as a turd. The quality voice over and a short to the point background story to even a mundane quest at least makes it feel more real and immersive. But what supported this even more is the fact that you have to make conversation choices. And even though these side quests might not have the most unique choices (yes ill help cause im nice, yes ill help but what do i get out of it, f- you ill just kill you) at least you got to spin the story your way and it made it feel like it was your character's game and not just a static game that's exactly the same for everyone. It made it feel less like a chore and much more a fun part of the game you were going through. I'm convinced that with the whole unique class story element leveling different alts (different classes) will be a lot more fun as well.
Besides normal kill quests there were also somewhat more interesting quests where your choices slightly matter more as well. For instance I was presented with a quest where this mother was asking for my help. Her son was to go to the Sith Academy to train to become a Sith but her husband took him away cause he didn't agree. She wants you to get him back to him. You can can basically just be a nice guy and accept the quest, get more credits out of her or you wont'do it, or not really bother with the quest. (Light Side / Dark Side points accordingly) When you find the dad he tells you he went to the Sith Academy himself but it was a horrible place to be at, where you either rise to power or you die trying and he wanted to shield his son from that. You get to either let him go and tell the mother that you pursued them but they got away to their starship and fled, you get to just let them go if they pay you credits, or you kill the dad and take the son back. Because it ties into the Sith mentality and the nature of the Sith Academy (world story) it's just a bit more interesting than the totally generic stuff you generally encounter.
You also have pretty generic quests but they tie into the overall story of the region you are questing in. Like conflicts with gangs you are introduced to, who the leaders are, what sort of problems they're having, the hutt gangsters that want to get rid of them and so on. So even though you're just killing X of Y you still do it in a larger context tying into what's happening in that particular area/region. And as you progress this story slowly expands and you start becoming part of it.
It's really a lot like KOTOR in that respect really.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
As a SWG vet and a big fan of both KotORs, I can't wait to get into Bioware's next installment of the KotOR series, and the story is the #1 reason why.
QFT! I am a fan of Kotor 1 & 2 as well. Without a solid story why would you want Bioware to develop a game. Bioware is known for their great stories.
Well, that's the point isn't it? Are people going to regard these voiceovers as exciting, well-written, dramatically acted pieces that are essential to gameplay or as clunky, over-emoting, comic-strip dialogue for badly-animated, wooden-faced NPCs?
Yes, voice-over can also be bland as the voice-overs in Kotor I, Kotor II, ME and DA proved beyond a doubt.
Criticism is one thing, I don't mind it, I encourage it actually. Baiting is something else entirely. Which seems to be your one and only objective here.
I'm not attacking you personaly, just your motivation(s), as well as your statements over the last few weeks. If you don't like BIoware, cool, If you don't want stories in the MMO you play, cool. What's not cool is baiting people into posts like I'm making right now.
Just so I don't go to far off topic i'll digress, why not show us a comparison on what is good Voice-acting, if it's not to be found in the games you listed above? What other designer offers stories, like the stories you find in those games? I can think of a few that offer decent narratives in their games, yet none that offer them to the degree Bioware does.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Comments
Malickie, you know i was thinking the same. Whats interesting isMMOs are such good value for money unlimited play for a month for the cost of one round of beers.... How can you loose out.
________________________________________________________
Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
But it's not an over glorified single player game. So your point is invalid. It is not like white knight chronicles either. In fact I expect this game to be more of an MMO than GW2 tbh....
What part of theme park MMO do you not get? It is OPEN massive multiplayer worlds. Stop going around spreading lies about the game. This same old rhetoric is getting really annoying out of the same few people.
"When it comes to GW2 any game is fair game"
I have been in love with Star wars since I first saw Empire Strikes Back in the movie theatre. I collected all the toys, my friends and I played Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker....and we even had a girl to play princess leia. I haven't played the other Star wars games. However, the more and more I see of this game the more and more I don't think I want to play it. I have to say at first I was really hyped up for it, but now I am less than excited. However, does that mean I will not buy the game and try it out...no. I will buy the game, and I will try it.
Currently Play: ?
Occasionally Play: Champions, Pirates of the Burning Sea, WOW, EVE ONLINE
The key paradox has always been this:
If story is the key selling point of this game and, as has been revealed, can only be decided and followed through by you, the player, then why put the game online?
Because what Bioware/LA/EA are producing is a story SRPG with some networking features but, because it's online, you won't just pay for this game once when you buy it, you'll have to rent to play it for the indefinite future.
This is illogical and flawed reasoning.
Bioware is making a Star Wars MMO. The element they feel missing and are investing a lot in to make it work is the storytelling, the RPG part in a MMORPG. But it is still a MMORPG.
And they've already shown more material than other upcoming MMO's (besides GW2) that it's a true MMO.
I'm going to put it very bluntly:
players who skip quest text + find quests irrelevant to MMO's = players who don't care about story immersion or the RPG part in MMO's = players who don't like it in SWTOR + are the loudest preachers of SWTOR being a SRPG.
TL;DR
if you think that EA and Bioware are putting all that money and resources into a MMO that doesn't have all the regular features of a MMO, then you must be really stupid. In any case, EA and Bioware aren't stupid.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I'm sorry but whoever said that game design, production and management was governed by logical and pure reasoning?
We know very well from games as varied as SWG and AOC and APB that companies make business decision based on flawed premises - primarily, "do I want to make profit in month x even though it may endanger profit in month y?" In other words, companies make dumb decisions because, at the time, they seemed like a good idea.
Now the idea of voice-driven story for an MMO might seem like a good idea but if you analyse it, it has inherent flaws:
- It slows the game because it takes much longer to listen to a script than read it (I'm not even talking about 'skipping' dialogue, I'm talking about reading it over hearing it)
- It's dependent on the quality of a script which, as we have heard, is obvious and clunky
- It's dependent on the quality of the voice-acting which again, can only be poor, because the actors have to overemote since they are voicing a cartoon character who doesn't show normal human emotions
- It's dependent on the quality of the NPC animations which, as we have seen, are basic and wooden.
- It's dependent on the action going on around the player. Why stop the game to listen to some guy rabbit on when what you want to do is get to the next phase where you can engage once more - choose a dialogue option, come to a resolution, receive the next mission etc.
So, I am sorry, I am not 'stupid' as you put it. I am simply thinking about issues that to any player who is not an over-enthusiastic fan are obviously problematic.
As I said before, none of these other MMO companies made a MMO that didn't have the basic traits and features of a MMO, thinking that a major game company would suddenly act differently from all these other game companies and make a MMO that doesn't have the basic features of a MMO but is a multiplayer SRPG is sheer lunacy. Everyone using common sense can see that, the thought alone of a company that's investing heavily in a MMO that's missing the basic MMO features is ludicrous. That's the flawed reasoning.
MMO companies that went wrong either didn't have enough money of investors left and rushed their game's launch before it was fully fniished or polished, or they tried to make their MMO more like other MMO's, throwing away their own uniqueness: still, all their MMO's were still MMO's.
And as I said before, the people who think Bioware's investment in deepened questing and storytelling is foolish and a waste of resources, are the people who care little about quests or questing in a MMO. I'm sorry, but not every MMO gamer is in your camp, if you think that the bland and meaningless questing system as we've seen for years now is the way to keep doing things, then there's enough of the current MMO's and a number of the upcoming ones to satisfy your preferences.
But there's also a large group of MMO gamers who've grown tired and bored with that way of questing, and these are looking forward to Bioware's attempt to put more meaning and immersion to quests, and they're interested in how it'll work out.
A good example is AoC: people loved Tortage Island but were disillusioned that its deepened quest system didn't go on like that beyond Tortage. If Bioware has taken this deepened questing a step further, then it can only be encouraged.
Because not everybody thinks questing as it is done in WoW or Aion is the best way to do it, some MMO gamers think like Bioware and ANet teams did that current MMO questing system is flawed and lacking.
Does trying to do things differently bring its own problems and disadvantages? Sure, no doubt about it.
But it's better to try to do it differently than doing it the same bland way as it has been done now for years after years.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Well, that's the point isn't it? Are people going to regard these voiceovers as exciting, well-written, dramatically acted pieces that are essential to gameplay or as clunky, over-emoting, comic-strip dialogue for badly-animated, wooden-faced NPCs?
Yes, voice-over can also be bland as the voice-overs in Kotor I, Kotor II, ME and DA proved beyond a doubt.
i can honestly say im looking forward to Side Missions more.
I'm sorry you found the voice-overs in those games bland. I found them to be good and exciting, so what you are saying is nothing more then your opinion.
On topic, yes the story is a big selling point for me.
This
I think I actually spent way more time reading and theorycrafting about MMOs than playing them
Agree, it should have a good mmo part also, next to the story.
The most? No I read a book when i want a gripping story.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
This. I think that explains and says it all, if you didn't even like the VO quest structure as it was done in other Bioware games, then it's no wonder that you don't like it in SW:TOR, and since it's an essential part of SW:TOR there's already a large part of SW:TOR that you hate.
So no wonder that you're so passionate in your ranting against SW:TOR, you've already an antipathy towards the direction Bioware has chosen.
Well, many people enjoyed how Bioware handled their quest structure in their games, and also many MMO gamers prefer the deepened storytelling over the bland, same old same old quest system of the other current MMO's that you seem to like.
Well, to those who think that quests as done in WoW or Aion are as good as they can be, there's still the option to switch to text so that they can skip as much as they like, just as they do in other MMO's in their race towards level cap.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I usually do whatever it takes to get to the meat of a mission as fast as possible but as long as it doesn't get too boring I'll sit there and read quests for the story. As soon as I feel like it's a nuisance then I'll have a problem with it.
You are not the only person, but honestly the people who are excited, don't give a flying fork if you can't understand why.
I personally have faith in BioWare but if you are indeed right; If the ride was fun, it was money well spent. If you don't want to play this game, theres the door, kaybai.
Total MMOs played: 274|Enjoyed: 9. >:|
As a SWG vet and a big fan of both KotORs, I can't wait to get into Bioware's next installment of the KotOR series, and the story is the #1 reason why.
I agree that most if not all the current MMO's are this way. It gets to the point that you just want to click through the choices as fast as possible or just accept and move on to the kill x or collect y. But to have ME level dialoge, with no text unless you enable it, will change the way I want to play through the quests. It will add life to the game vs a speed to end game that today's MMO's have. Here is a quote from raul on the main site who played for 45 minutes at gamescon.
As cliché as it is the feature that really made the game standout from WoW was... yes... story. You still have the standard MMO go and kill X of Y. But I found that WoW had a total random nonsense story which covered 1 page and was about as interesting to look at as a turd. The quality voice over and a short to the point background story to even a mundane quest at least makes it feel more real and immersive. But what supported this even more is the fact that you have to make conversation choices. And even though these side quests might not have the most unique choices (yes ill help cause im nice, yes ill help but what do i get out of it, f- you ill just kill you) at least you got to spin the story your way and it made it feel like it was your character's game and not just a static game that's exactly the same for everyone. It made it feel less like a chore and much more a fun part of the game you were going through. I'm convinced that with the whole unique class story element leveling different alts (different classes) will be a lot more fun as well.
Besides normal kill quests there were also somewhat more interesting quests where your choices slightly matter more as well. For instance I was presented with a quest where this mother was asking for my help. Her son was to go to the Sith Academy to train to become a Sith but her husband took him away cause he didn't agree. She wants you to get him back to him. You can can basically just be a nice guy and accept the quest, get more credits out of her or you wont'do it, or not really bother with the quest. (Light Side / Dark Side points accordingly) When you find the dad he tells you he went to the Sith Academy himself but it was a horrible place to be at, where you either rise to power or you die trying and he wanted to shield his son from that. You get to either let him go and tell the mother that you pursued them but they got away to their starship and fled, you get to just let them go if they pay you credits, or you kill the dad and take the son back. Because it ties into the Sith mentality and the nature of the Sith Academy (world story) it's just a bit more interesting than the totally generic stuff you generally encounter.
You also have pretty generic quests but they tie into the overall story of the region you are questing in. Like conflicts with gangs you are introduced to, who the leaders are, what sort of problems they're having, the hutt gangsters that want to get rid of them and so on. So even though you're just killing X of Y you still do it in a larger context tying into what's happening in that particular area/region. And as you progress this story slowly expands and you start becoming part of it.
It's really a lot like KOTOR in that respect really.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
QFT! I am a fan of Kotor 1 & 2 as well. Without a solid story why would you want Bioware to develop a game. Bioware is known for their great stories.
Criticism is one thing, I don't mind it, I encourage it actually. Baiting is something else entirely. Which seems to be your one and only objective here.
I'm not attacking you personaly, just your motivation(s), as well as your statements over the last few weeks. If you don't like BIoware, cool, If you don't want stories in the MMO you play, cool. What's not cool is baiting people into posts like I'm making right now.
Just so I don't go to far off topic i'll digress, why not show us a comparison on what is good Voice-acting, if it's not to be found in the games you listed above? What other designer offers stories, like the stories you find in those games? I can think of a few that offer decent narratives in their games, yet none that offer them to the degree Bioware does.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson