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I played this game when it first came out. It was rubbish.

noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
But, two or three days ago, I tried it again and have never been so impressed at a game's turn-around.

On launch, it was a horrible, fly-by-numbers, rat-run with no chances or choices to make. The acting was appalling and the writing was the worst kind of cheaply-commissioned fan-fic (for example, all female Siths were referred to as 'Lord' and 'Master' not because, in the words of the then chief writer, DEaniel Ercison, now thankfully fired, it was 'modern and progressive' but because EA wouldn't have to pay twice for a voice actor to refer to a player Sith as 'My lord' or 'My lady).

However, someone in charge obviously realised that they were going to lose the hundreds of millions of dollars they'd invested in the game if they didn't invest in cleaning it up and making it richer - yet not changing it so much as would change the nature of the game itself.

While it is still, in many respects, a smallish themepark, they have enriched the experience of going through it by increasing XP gain so you you're not trapped in a space the size of an elevator killing the same things over and over again; they have allowed the player to customise their own experience through strongholds; they have dramatically increased the quality of the writing and the situational story telling; the game has options in that while you do have to do the main storyline quests, you can pick and choose which other quests you do to gain the XP necessary for levelling; they have made decoration, customisation and detail a large feature of the game and, for me anyway, this has paid off in much broader experience.

I can understand that many people are put off by the cash shop but I , speaking personally, found it not too intrusive.

I have to say, that the game is now a pleasurable experience and worth playing. I just wish that whoever made executive decisions to revamp and re-invest in SWTOR had been the same guiding genius behind its forerunner, SWG.
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Comments

  • sprousatmsprousatm Member UncommonPosts: 7
    The new story about the eternal emperor is actually really good. Still, in the end at max lvl it is the same experience at least for me as it was ages ago. I played the first 9 chapters I believe and don't think that anything has changed beyond that lately.
    The game was ok when it came out. Not more, not less. A juicy WoW clone in a star wars gown, but with tons of bugs, performance issues and so on. It has evolved since then in a lot of good ways but the endgame seems the same to me as it is in almost any themepark mmo.
    They tweaked a lot of things that look promising at first and it is a nice leveling experience if you like leveling, questing and the storytelling. The new storyline though feels like a real singleplayer game. Most of it you even have to do completely alone.

    I did tend to come back from time to time to check on new talenttrees and stuff but always lost interest after a couple of weeks. Its just not enough really new stuff. Maybe at some point theyll throw out a bunch of new instances, raids, craftingsystem and so on like other games normally do as an addon and by that time it might actually feel new and rewarding again like in the beginning.
  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,835
    I played it for a bit when it went F2p but stopped before my guy even got off the starter planet.  Came back to it last month and played again.

    On the whole I found it to be a pleasant shooter type game.  Something different from the normal sword and shield games I play.  

    Got tired of all the side quests real fast, but since the game now supports just playing the main quest line I found it enjoyable.  Had a Rep. Solider and liked the story.

    Got off the starter planet, did the Hutt one, but then for some reason it would crash when I tried to go onto Tat or Alderaan, the next set of planet's.  So it just became unplayable.  Didn't care to look into it (maybe like LotRO regions those planets require a purchase?) so I just unloaded it.  No great loss in my book.

    A nice enough game, but like STO with it's increased XP gain, you have to think there's something just not right if they want you to burn past the lower level stuff to get to max in a much shorter time.

    SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter

  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    The great dififculty they have, in my opinion, is that the game will always be linear and limited because of its engine and design. They can't open up the game. However, that said, I really think they are doing new things with what they have and have made some intelligent choices.

    So long as you recognise you are going into a themepark - those idiots tried to sell it as an open world game on launch - then you will be pleased to find it is a rich, interesting and visually dazzling themepark, unlike many of its competitors.
  • iFruitiFruit Member UncommonPosts: 98
    It wasn't rubbish, it was cool, challenging and it had a grand community. I'm liking what it has become now as well, I'm just saying your attention-seeking thread title is nothing more than it is.
  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    edited May 2016
    iFruit said:
    It wasn't rubbish, it was cool, challenging and it had a grand community. I'm liking what it has become now as well, I'm just saying your attention-seeking thread title is nothing more than it is.
    I am afraid it was. Either you weren't there or you don't remember. And if you don't believe me, why not flick back to the pages of this very forum at launch and read how angry and disappointed people were. It had to announce it was going F2P within six months of paid subscription launch - which is unheard of. You could also message @Michael Bitton and ask him how many people he had to ban and accounts to delete because people were so 'negative'. I'm sorry. 
  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 7,885
    I have always liked the game and people had issues with it when it launched but I was not one of those people.

  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,610
    noncley said:
    iFruit said:
    It wasn't rubbish, it was cool, challenging and it had a grand community. I'm liking what it has become now as well, I'm just saying your attention-seeking thread title is nothing more than it is.
    I am afraid it was. Either you weren't there or you don't remember. And if you don't believe me, why not flick back to the pages of this very forum at launch and read how angry and disappointed people were. It had to announce it was going F2P within six months of paid subscription launch - which is unheard of. You could also message @Michael Bitton and ask him how many people he had to ban and accounts to delete because people were so 'negative'. I'm sorry. 
    Was 11 months but what ever.
  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    edited May 2016
    Nanfoodle said:
    noncley said:
    iFruit said:
    It wasn't rubbish, it was cool, challenging and it had a grand community. I'm liking what it has become now as well, I'm just saying your attention-seeking thread title is nothing more than it is.
    I am afraid it was. Either you weren't there or you don't remember. And if you don't believe me, why not flick back to the pages of this very forum at launch and read how angry and disappointed people were. It had to announce it was going F2P within six months of paid subscription launch - which is unheard of. You could also message @Michael Bitton and ask him how many people he had to ban and accounts to delete because people were so 'negative'. I'm sorry. 
    Was 11 months but what ever.
    It was announced at the end of six months and then implemented some months after which is that I think you mean. Whatever.
  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,610
    noncley said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    noncley said:
    iFruit said:
    It wasn't rubbish, it was cool, challenging and it had a grand community. I'm liking what it has become now as well, I'm just saying your attention-seeking thread title is nothing more than it is.
    I am afraid it was. Either you weren't there or you don't remember. And if you don't believe me, why not flick back to the pages of this very forum at launch and read how angry and disappointed people were. It had to announce it was going F2P within six months of paid subscription launch - which is unheard of. You could also message @Michael Bitton and ask him how many people he had to ban and accounts to delete because people were so 'negative'. I'm sorry. 
    Was 11 months but what ever.
    It was announced at the end of six months and then implemented some months after which is that I think you mean. Whatever.
    Game never dropped the sub anyways. So much is behind pay walls its just easier to sub and most people do. F2P is more a trial from level 1-50. Want to get to endgame, you sub. 
  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    edited May 2016
    I have a different take.

    It was an "OK" game but a "rubbish / disappointing / poor / sub-par" mmo - that certainly didn't hack it as a subscription mmo. Hence they added f2p - although I agree with Nanfoodle it never really dropped the sub. (Although if anyone hasn't tried it and feels the need you can do the "trial" and decide whether you like it or not.) 
  • someforumguysomeforumguy Member RarePosts: 4,088
    edited May 2016
    The game is quite expensive for what it offers. As MMO it is quite poor. As storytelling RPG it offers a lot of content. So imo it is worth it to sub a few months to enjoy the story. Beyond that, it is just a very expensive MMO, because a lot of typical MMO stuff (gear sets, mounts, emotes, customisation) comes from the cartel shop in the form of random loot boxes. So you either pay millions of credits on their galactic trade or gamble with your few coins you get for free (or buy extra lol). It is pretty weak imo.

    As for F2P. A trial would be even better, even if it is a shorter duration. They have too many stupid restrictions in place.
  • AethaerynAethaeryn Member RarePosts: 3,149
    I didn't love it at launch.  I was looking forward to it and after beta decided not to purchase.  I did try it out just after F2P and thought it was okay.  I think it has improved since and I do enjoy it more now.  Not subbed currently because a lot of single player games and BDO have my attention but I will likely return.

    Wa min God! Se æx on min heafod is!

  • DajunkaDajunka Member UncommonPosts: 12
    I played it for a few months after release but got fed up with the grind.   Now I'm back but playing it for the story only and am having a lot of fun, so I can justify the sub.
  • H0urg1assH0urg1ass Member EpicPosts: 2,380
    If you thought it was rubbish at launch, then you still won't care for it.

    I tried to like this game, I really did.  Bought the collectors edition for both me and my wife.  We played for three months and decided it was trash.  Then I came back for the hutt cartel expansion and that pure crap.

    Then I came back for the starfighter expansion and that part was fun, but the rest of the game was still trash and now no one plays starfighter anymore.  Log in for a game and have to wait an hour for one to launch, so scrap that part if you liked it.

    They added housing and then made it the most grindy housing I've ever seen in my life.  You buy a house, but then you have to pay to literally unlock doors in the house, each door costing millions if you buy a nice house.  Then furnishing it with stuff is going to cost you five times that much.

    Then I came back for Shadows of Revan and that was, admittedly, the only fun content in the game.  I actually enjoyed that expansion.  Although, after about the fourth toon I was utterly done with it too.

    Then I came back for about two months after KOTFE and the trash has been taken to the dumpster, picked up by the garbage truck and hauled off to the landfill.  Any redeeming qualities this game had left were murdered by KOTFE.
  • cronius77cronius77 Member UncommonPosts: 1,652
    I remember how badly this game was received at release also to the point they were losing so many subs that they had no choice but to go free to play. The game still to this day just feels bad even for a themepark, and Ive tried to go back multiple times only to be bored to tears two or three planets in on any classes ive played. Plus man is it a grind to get to quest objectives in SWTOR, you have to either stealth or kill a zillion mobs on some planets to the point you just get impatient and bored. I personally do not agree with most here saying the game has gotten better. If you have to give out 12x experience so people avoid the side quests that literally tells you your game is bad to have to skip content. Plus the crafting and companion system has about ZERO depth at all to it.
  • ste2000ste2000 Member EpicPosts: 6,194
    I don't doubt that the game is decent, but the reason why I play MMORPGs is the opposite of yours, OP.
    I don't play MMOs for the Story, if I want a rich Story narrative, then  I play Single Player games with no Subscription, no Cash Shop and with the whole game that focuses on me.

    I play MMOs to play with other people not to lose myself in the rich storyline that alienates me from the multiplayer aspect of it and the other players.
    I also find cinematic rather annoying in MMOs and SWTOR has plenty, so deffo not the game for me, but I am sure it's not a bad game if you like a Solo friendly MMO and you are a fan of interactive Movies.

  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    UPDATE: I should say that I made this original post before I realised that I was playing during a special event in which XP gain was increased by 200% for a period of four days and before I got to the absolutely terrible Knights of the Fallen Republic Chapter which made the game even smaller, more limited and more repetitively boring than anything previously experienced.

    New Game Verdict: Do not touch SWTOR with electrified bargepole.
  • Sid_ViciousSid_Vicious Member RarePosts: 2,177
    hahaha luckily I never tried it because I didn't want to wait through the storyline.. just doesn't seem to belong in MMORPGs, but in Guildwars I must admit they did it okay, the first one I think the second one was trash.
    noncley said:
    UPDATE: I should say that I made this original post before I realised that I was playing during a special event in which XP gain was increased by 200% for a period of four days and before I got to the absolutely terrible Knights of the Fallen Republic Chapter which made the game even smaller, more limited and more repetitively boring than anything previously experienced.

    New Game Verdict: Do not touch SWTOR with electrified bargepole.

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  • H0urg1assH0urg1ass Member EpicPosts: 2,380
    The games that I tend to like seem to go about adding new features by saying "Hey, what new features could we add to this game to keep it interesting and keep people playing?"  Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong, but at least the conversation seems to start in the right place.

    EA/BioWare, in my opinion, start off the discussion with "We need to add another gear treadmill and item grind to the game to keep players subscribed, any ideas?"

    "Yeah, boss, I have an idea.  We could add housing to the game that players have to buy, then we only give them one room in the house with their purchase and make them buy all of the other rooms.  The best houses will have doors that cost millions to unlock and no way to preview the room first.  Screw it, we'll even make the hallways locked behind a money wall too!  That way they think they're getting a room, but it's just a hall to the room!  Then we'll add all the decorations that they'll actually want to all of the raids that way, they'll have to grind for gear and for decorations at the same time!  We'll make our raids pull double duty for those that don't even need gear anymore!  Brilliant!"

    If someone had told me in 1999 that I would absolutely hate BioWare and what they've become in 15 years, I would have laughed at their face.  It's depressing really.
  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    edited May 2016
    H0urg1ass said:
    The games that I tend to like seem to go about adding new features by saying "Hey, what new features could we add to this game to keep it interesting and keep people playing?"  Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong, but at least the conversation seems to start in the right place.

    EA/BioWare, in my opinion, start off the discussion with "We need to add another gear treadmill and item grind to the game to keep players subscribed, any ideas?"

    "Yeah, boss, I have an idea.  We could add housing to the game that players have to buy, then we only give them one room in the house with their purchase and make them buy all of the other rooms.  The best houses will have doors that cost millions to unlock and no way to preview the room first.  Screw it, we'll even make the hallways locked behind a money wall too!  That way they think they're getting a room, but it's just a hall to the room!  Then we'll add all the decorations that they'll actually want to all of the raids that way, they'll have to grind for gear and for decorations at the same time!  We'll make our raids pull double duty for those that don't even need gear anymore!  Brilliant!"

    If someone had told me in 1999 that I would absolutely hate BioWare and what they've become in 15 years, I would have laughed at their face.  It's depressing really.
    Yup, I realised the game was on the wrong track housing-wise when I spent a million creds on a staircase to a locked door I couldn't open except for another million creds
    Post edited by noncley on
  • reeereeereeereee Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    It started as a solo oriented MMO where the best part was story.  I fail to see what has changed.  Perhaps it's you that has changed?  Perhaps you let all the people complaining about the game at launch affect your opinion of it?
  • noncleynoncley Member UncommonPosts: 718
    reeereee said:
    It started as a solo oriented MMO where the best part was story.  I fail to see what has changed.  Perhaps it's you that has changed?  Perhaps you let all the people complaining about the game at launch affect your opinion of it?
    Not all of us are so easily lead.

    No, I liked it at first - having hated it four or five years ago - because of the beautifully rendered landscapes (not that you could actually enter them), because of the new ability that allowed you to customise the costumes of your toons and their companions, because of the idea of the housing and because of the XP acceleration scheme that allowed you to whizz through the repetitive and grinding aspects of the game just by concentrating on the character-story missions. Oh, and because I was playing Sith Assassin which allowed you to stealth past the 'group of mobs every ten yards'-trash which would otherwise have driven you mad.

    When you get to KotFE, almost all of these features are actually removed or else somehow ruined (for example because the 'bottle zones' of the KotFE missions are so small, the Devs have made it so that 'stealth' doesn't work any more, and all mobs can see you, because if you didn't, you would be able to sail through each zone in two minutes and then wonder why you were paying £10 a month in subscription. As it is, stealth characters now find themselves fighting every twenty seconds and it takes twenty minutes to get through one boring, mind-numbing zone only to get to another in which exactly the same thing happens.

    TL:DR - Thanks, but I'm not an idiot sheep.
  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    edited May 2016
    I see the OP has added a second post with a somewhat different view now.

    As others have said though basically an OK single player game (there are better, there are also worse) and they have added OK extra content (some better, some worse).

    As an mmo though it has been lacking.

    Sad really that (imo) SW BF - a game with no pretension of being an mmo - fulfills the role better. 
  • eddieg50eddieg50 Member UncommonPosts: 1,809
    I rated it as good but not great because it had a very bad space game, well guess what it still has a very bad space game and they should be working on that . Forget about the continuing chapters and work on something that should be in a  star wars game and that is space
  • ceratop001ceratop001 Member RarePosts: 1,594
    noncley said:
    But, two or three days ago, I tried it again and have never been so impressed at a game's turn-around.

    Glad somebody is having fun and not being overly negative.
     
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