A/V The Old Republic MMO: The New Official Thread

That sounds really cool and sounds like LOTRO just stuck up a really big "Go away if you don't like it" sign to all the WoW min-maxers who have always objected to stuff like that as making it too "imbalanced" or whatever the usual complaint is from the people who want everyone to be clones.

 

Cosmetically, LOTRO characters are unique. Stat wise players aren't intentionally coming to different solutions they just can't get what they want or don't put much thought in. If you gave players complete choice of gear and an hour to think you'd probably see maybe 3 different choices for each class by the competent players if that. For most classes the Legendary weapons have a few must have's and maybe one or two choices.

 

I'll note I haven't played LOTRO in a couple years. I remember my small guild was so much fun because we each had stuff we did especially well, even people of the same class. When I played, legendary weapons weren't something that only had like three choices. Though there were a few were more desirable, I didn't see any legendaries that were exactly the same.

I getting all nostalgic...might have to start playing LOTRO again. I hear good things about the Rohan expansion.

 

For a second I thought LOTRO was something along the lines of LOLTOR until I caught up on the conversation.

The thing that I'll always find interesting about the subscription is that I've got this silly idea of playing all 8 storylines (so I'd need 8 slots), even if I haven't even finished one yet. I had a few good days of playtime when TOR went F2P, but now I think it's been... a week? And I'm not sure if I could really put enough time in per month to really say that it's worth spending money on. I think stuff like titles and legacy names do help keeping interest in the game, but again - money. Which is of course a clever business model, but still.

 

I've always said I'd like to play through all eight too, but I must admit I'm not exactly speeding through my first class either. It's fun, but I just don't really play video games that much anymore in general.

 

I think about getting into LotRO someday, its F2P, right? Although it depends on how big a gap there is between F2P and the subscriber model. Like with SWTOR's, if you have enough time you can play through all 8 storylines and not pay a cent, but... there are plenty of penalties and I've just gotten too used to some convenient features that would only come with subscriber status. Which is the point, to convince people to subscribe, and I'm still doing so, as I'm mainly still working on 8 characters (have only finished 4 storylines so far).

At least they've increased it up to 12 slots per server for subscribers, especially as they've really, really reduced the number of servers. Although 16 would be nice, but better than before at least. Its always hard to tell what will be subscriber only, and even for subscribers quite a bit might still be only on the cartel market (like a random box that might drop Revan's mask or clothes or something like that, luckily I don't care about cosmetic stuff like that too much to be too tempted). Oh well, I'll probably still be playing the expansion early when it launches, although it'll probably be full of bugs too (just as long as it doesn't somehow erase my character, hm, maybe better use something other than my main one for that planet first).

 

I'd definitely like to play all 8, assuming the game lasts awhile. I'm sure it will, but it sucks to think that almost all MMO's have an expiration date (maybe that practice has gone the way of the dodo, though).

 

I must admit that fear has crossed my mind too.

Sure, it'll keep going for a long time, but... I dunno, it hasn't exactly been the overnight success that BioWare and LFL were hoping, and they've just taken a gamble in the hope that F2P makes them more money, but if it doesn't...? Yes, they can just stop with regular updates and any further expansions if it loses money, but... they'll only keep servers up so long, and Final Fantasy XIV showed that MMOs don't always have as comfy existences as WoW, or even SWG.

 

At the same time, though, using the Final Fantasy example, that game is not only still running after a decade or so, but is still getting expansion packs (I know this because I have a friend who loves the game and keeps trying to get me to play it... I really can't get into it, and besides, I don't have time for it). I obviously don't have access to player numbers, but it can't be that huge (though it may get a large portion of its subscribers from Japan, for all I know), and I doubt it grows exponentially. I'd imagine they rely mostly on their longtime players.

So it could go either way. I think TOR is set for at least the next few years. Still, it sucks to know that, in ten years, the story of KOTOR will still be there, all of the EU will still be there, but the stories in TOR (some of which are very good) could be gone. In that case, I'd love for them to somehow be able to keep it up as a single player game, but I don't expect it. Perhaps it can keep going indefinitely, though.

 

No, no, not FF11, FF14, which my understanding is got taken offline practically as soon as it was launched, and is being re-released next year or something.

But yeah, I'd love if they released a single-player version of TOR in a few years time when it starts dying down and they stop with ongoing patches and development. It'd be easy enough for them to do: just a simple Xbox port (or whatever console it'll then be), basically, and it'd be guaranteed to net them some extra revenue even when the online game is on its last legs.

 

Yeah, that's what I meant; Final Fantasy 11 is still around, despite 14's release (though of course 14 didn't do nearly as well as they wanted it to).

 

FFXIV is kind of a special case though. The game was hugely messed up and had dramatic issues, so they're taking the highly unusual step of rebooting the whole thing because what they created really isn't salvageable. This is not a problem TOR has.

It doesn't really take a particularly large population of subscribers to sustain running the servers - Galaxies lingered on forever with a tiny group of regular subscribers, so TOR is probably safe from that fate.

The economic problems of TOR have more to do with unrealistic expectations than anything else. They tried to go head to head with WoW and lost, surprising hardly anyone. At the present the WoW juggernaught shapes the world of MMOs in weird ways, and until its broken, that influence will remain.[/QUOTE]

 

I myself hope that they release the content as a single player only game just so all that juicy story material is not lost in the future. But... anyway, guess this means I should play the FTP more often now as I got my trooper and inquisitor running around.

 

Heh, I remember when they were promising FFXIV would be on the Playstation 3. Now that just sounds like wishful thinking, not quite as impossible as say Final Fantasy XIII Versus being released someday, but still its probably a low priority compared to getting the PC version working again. The original FFXIV lasted for a while, but when they basically gave up on charging monthly subscriptions, or something like that (first it was a free month, then two free months then... well, as long as you bought the game, apparently it wasn't good enough to charge a subscription for so they just let it coast along until they took it down to almost entirely rebuild it or something like that).

From what I've heard, sounds like Guild Wars 2 is doing somewhat well, especially as they didn't try to to outdo WoW at its own game or something like that. That and the game looks gorgeous. I've got to try to get back into that game sometime.

Although Bioware has lot a lot of major people over the last year, but its hard to tell how many just stepped down because it was a convenient time (like the ME trilogy just concluded this year too, for better or worse) or due to SWTOR not performing as well as hoped (though that would be near impossible too). But when the Bioware founders have retired (possibly partially due to fan backlash over ME3's ending and SWTOR according to one rumor, so take that as you will).

There's always Youtube videos, but those aren't quite the same. Its one of the most annoying things about MMOs, since you don't really have any of the data, and while I haven't experienced it, I've heard tales of on other MMOs server rollbacks or just lost data or stuff like that, and its not like this game has been bug-free. It'd be nice if someday single-player versions of the character quests were available, I'd pay a lot of real money just to be able to skip having to do all those annoying sidequests over and over and over. Well, guess MMO or spaceship combat is available as other ways to level-up, but don't care much for those parts of the game either. Heck, I wouldn't mind an HD and less buggy version of KotOR I and II, but the way things are going, they'd probably sub-contract something like that out to some other company in about another... 5-10 years.

At least they're keeping up with their so-called faster update schedule, even if that means the updates aren't that impressive, but guess it lets them look more active, even though there are still plenty of bugs in the game (at least some dating back months). It is always particularly frustrating when you're near a major story boss fight and then the game has some major bug (but then levels on those big Imperial ships always seem really glitchy for some reason unfortunately).

 

i wold like to see more classes. I stay away from Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior because it is harder. Not good with the aggro system and the rage things is more difficult for beginner's. So that elaves me a Consular or Inquistitor for force users. not enough. I also feel like smuggler is to hard as well. Cover system is hard and yu get flanked alot maiing it rather pointless. My guess is that Imperial spy is not better. So that leaves me with BH, and Trooper and two jedi classes.

 

I have a 50 Shadow (Infiltration) and 2 knights 1 level 50 sent and 1 mid 20's Gaurdian. and i wont lie, Shadows especially past level 35 are probably easier for leveling. The Gaurdian is slightly more difficult because of no CC'a...well not like Mindmaze, because you will end up tangling with organics more that droids(almost every class has a droid cc except consulars/inqisitors), especially when they are clusterd in groups. The Sentinel my second character was the hardest so far, she had no tanking options/forms, and Medium armor just isnt all that good at absorbing punishment.

Gaurdian atleast gives you the tanking option, especially when you come up against a storyboss that outlevels you from 1 to 3.

I have a Scoundrel Smuggler, so she dosen't utilize cover to often, but a cloak which she attacks from.

May haps you are choosing specializations that don't fit your playstyle.

 

Harder is relative. With the exception of endgame content and a few tricky flashpoint bosses nothing in TOR is especially difficult, and if you're a subscriber it is very easy to overlevel and make everything simple by doing so. Melee DPS is the most difficult approach though, and the weakest setup overall. Playing the game alot you get the sense that the test group was: melee tank (knight/warrior) two ranged dps (trooper/bounty hunter and agent/smuggler) and ranged healer (consular/inquisitor), but ultimately the key is simply to learn and know your role and to use the appropriate companion for it when leveling.

As for the cover system, yes it can be tricky, but you don't have to use it hardly at all if you pick scoundrel or operative.

Now, by all accounts the game is more difficult for ftp players, because they wrote in that idiotic experience gain limit, but either grind out some levels by repeatedly fighting mobs (especially elites, always kill random elites) or find someone to group up with regularly - a two-player group annihilates everything that isn't a heroic.

 

see to me, Smugglers need the cover system because they can't take shots. I love my level 14 Bounty Hunter because he can take punishment. I always play PVE, and I stay away from Flashpoints and Heroics, because i always play solo. There is strategy to the game as well. Just randomly hitting weapon and power buttons is not the way to go. I am still figuring out what weapons and powers to lead with and what is the best chaser. I think i still have alot to learn about that.

 

You are not suppose to be taking shots bro'.

You have a personal sheild, and a dodge "sheild" you can activate if your companion losses aggro.

As you have to make sure your companion is appropriatly geard, and the right companion for the situation.

Alot of players fall into the trap of overuseing the "healing companion".

 

You're making things harder on yourself here, though I understand the appeal of solo play. Again, the majority of Heroic 2+ missions can be completed solo so long as you have decent gear and are 3-4 levels above the mission level. A healer character can even solo certain Heroic 4 missions (especially early in the game).

Seconded.

 

Seconded.[/quote]

What's the trap? I think it depends on the type of character. I find if playing a DPS character, then there's almost nothing better than a healing companion. Am I mistaken?

 

hmnn... well i would probably take on a heroic 2 once i get past level 30. My characters are not eleveled very far yet. Asar as gear, i have decent gear but am unwilling to spend money to make it great. i mean real money. I am doing free-to-play

 

I'm dissapointed that they never went anywhere with Sith spies or with Sadow's spirit still being "alive".

 

Hm, I found the 2+ missions to be manageable on the starting planet (having level 11 or 12 instead of 10, which is when you "officially" leave the planet), but on Coruscant, my Shadow ran against a brick wall. I guess you could always backtrace to the old planets when you're more than 5 levels ahead, but I'm not sure if the XP gained from the now weak foes and missions would be worth the effort.