SW:TOR Beta Weekend
- Thread starter Sixcess
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Thanks all the gaming "Gods" the NDA for this game was (mostly) lifted. I've been in general testing for about 3 months. There are a large amount of changes to the MMO formula in TOR, and there are quite a few things that are exactly the same as other MMO's.
The potential game changers are all subjective to each paticular person. For eg, companions add an interesting twist to combat, are generally decent as combatants and have some nice questlines of their own. Choosing the right companion for your AC can and will make or break the game experience. Choose the wrong one and you'll die, a lot. They also add interesting depth to doing flashpoints as well.
The story is fantastic. Incredible even. To be totally honest, I don't have the time, nor the inclination to "review" the game in this post. This is a game that you'll either like or won't. I will say these things. What ever your personal opinion of MMO's and TOR in general, people should, at least, check out one class storyline. Secondly, what will make or break this game is the people. If one has difficulty dealing with ppl that like trolling and generally acting rude etc then problems will arise.
The potential game changers are all subjective to each paticular person. For eg, companions add an interesting twist to combat, are generally decent as combatants and have some nice questlines of their own. Choosing the right companion for your AC can and will make or break the game experience. Choose the wrong one and you'll die, a lot. They also add interesting depth to doing flashpoints as well.
The story is fantastic. Incredible even. To be totally honest, I don't have the time, nor the inclination to "review" the game in this post. This is a game that you'll either like or won't. I will say these things. What ever your personal opinion of MMO's and TOR in general, people should, at least, check out one class storyline. Secondly, what will make or break this game is the people. If one has difficulty dealing with ppl that like trolling and generally acting rude etc then problems will arise.
Well I went into the beta expecting very little and I'm happy to say that I'm enjoying it far more than I thought I would. granted the game offers very litte in term of innovation of the genre but if you can ignore that then the game is pretty good.
Doing my usual thing of creating loads of characters at the start to see the different beginnings before settling on one to play so can't comment too much on the content so far. Though I'm enjoying it for free I'm still not sure its a game worth a monthly fee, its KOTOR with other people stealing my kills.
One huge point in TOR's favour is the music, oh man is the music suberb. Now they do have a huge advantage as its a star wars game so they can use the star wars score but they use the star music very well. One particualr sour note is that there is only one English speaking European server (as suppose to 4 german and 4 french) and that was full. So had to play on a US server, which is not ideal. Nothing against americans (I actually quite like americans), but I'd rather play on an English European server. Oh well beta is beta.
So overall, I'm pleasently suprised at the game but still have a long way to go to see if I'll buy it or not.
Doing my usual thing of creating loads of characters at the start to see the different beginnings before settling on one to play so can't comment too much on the content so far. Though I'm enjoying it for free I'm still not sure its a game worth a monthly fee, its KOTOR with other people stealing my kills.
One huge point in TOR's favour is the music, oh man is the music suberb. Now they do have a huge advantage as its a star wars game so they can use the star wars score but they use the star music very well. One particualr sour note is that there is only one English speaking European server (as suppose to 4 german and 4 french) and that was full. So had to play on a US server, which is not ideal. Nothing against americans (I actually quite like americans), but I'd rather play on an English European server. Oh well beta is beta.
So overall, I'm pleasently suprised at the game but still have a long way to go to see if I'll buy it or not.
Actually that's something I'd like to hear your stance on, TheCoolKid. You don't like the copy-pasting of MMO's (even though I doubt you can deny its sheer effectiveness in seperating us from our dosh) but do you think the same of all other franchises that do this? Do you decry Mario, LoZ, Sonic, MegaMan, Sierra's Quest games, Call of Duty, Medal of Honour, Battlefield, Serious Sam, and basically every game with any sort of repeated game template ever?
(Also Halo)
(Also Halo)
Was that a while ago? Looking at the euro server list now and there's 7 english speaking servers.Puddleknock said:
I'm finding myself slightly more impressed than I expected to be. The gear/loot system is a straight lift from WoW which is regrettable (mismatched outfits ahoy!) but the rest of it is pretty good.
Having tried two starter zones so far... Troopers are fun (and female troopers have femshep's voice actor, which is a bonus) but the Sith suck. Korriban looks like Orgrimmar should be right around the next corner, is very blatantly linear, and it's just full of Sith being pompous pricks.
Early days, but I was expecting to hate this game and I'm not... well, not yet anyway.
It's WoW With a KOTR skin and cinematics instead of quest text. The #1 thing they could have done to make this better would have been to remove the auto-attack and let you mash mouse buttons to attack other then specials. A combo system with basic "white hits" would have put this over the top. It wouldn't change the amount of damage done by the white hits, but, it would break the "11121112114114" over and over again monotony.
Don't get me wrong, the "wow formula" works but this game is something new, yet brings nothing new to the table. It doesn't give me a reason to play it when I've invested time elsewhere in games similar to it. This game feels like it was built for the die hard KOTR and SWG fans. It doesn't give me as a SWG player who played the first 6 months and quit because the game was HORRIBLE nothing. Not a carrot on a stick, not anything to make me interested in the story or the game, not any newer or repackaged game mechanics that draw me in, nothing.
Unless they completely re-skin everything, the graphics engine alone dates this game right out of the gate. The graphics are terrible. The art style they are using is very very unforgiving with the engine they are using. WoW has aged gracefully because of the art style they use. Everything looks great even though it's 7 years old.
TL
R - It's a mediocre MMO with bad graphics. Which, is pretty much all free to play MMO's except that they want money for this.
Don't get me wrong, the "wow formula" works but this game is something new, yet brings nothing new to the table. It doesn't give me a reason to play it when I've invested time elsewhere in games similar to it. This game feels like it was built for the die hard KOTR and SWG fans. It doesn't give me as a SWG player who played the first 6 months and quit because the game was HORRIBLE nothing. Not a carrot on a stick, not anything to make me interested in the story or the game, not any newer or repackaged game mechanics that draw me in, nothing.
Unless they completely re-skin everything, the graphics engine alone dates this game right out of the gate. The graphics are terrible. The art style they are using is very very unforgiving with the engine they are using. WoW has aged gracefully because of the art style they use. Everything looks great even though it's 7 years old.
TL
R - It's a mediocre MMO with bad graphics. Which, is pretty much all free to play MMO's except that they want money for this.I'll agree with you if you add "of this generation" to the end. The WoW style of MMO development is almost definitely coming to an end with TOR. After Rift and TOR, there's really nowhere else to go with it. Now it's up to games like GW2 to do something new (and The Secret World, ArcheAge, and Wildstar, though my hopes aren't high for any of them at the moment).urprobablyright said:
Anyway, I played it two weekends ago and am playing it again this weekend. Really not motivated to play, though, since I know none of it is going to carry over to launch. The gameplay is standard and the story is fairly boring at the low levels, but I'm still planning on playing at least one class through to the end of its storyline.
Was in the first hour of this weekend's testing going up. So guess the other english speaking servers were not listed at the start for whatever reason. Oh well if I do decided to buy the game I'll just have to make sure I end up in an English speaking European server.Sixcess said:
The only reason I am not going to play this game is I would have to quit my job and ignore my children.
I'm still wishing they had decided to make a prequel to KotoR or just another KotoR.
Though now I am wishing I had signed up for the beta. I was looking at some of the beta vids of youtube. I'm not feeling the overly cartoonish feel to the graphics. Like watching a slightly duller version of The Clone Wars on Teletoon.
I'm still wishing they had decided to make a prequel to KotoR or just another KotoR.
Though now I am wishing I had signed up for the beta. I was looking at some of the beta vids of youtube. I'm not feeling the overly cartoonish feel to the graphics. Like watching a slightly duller version of The Clone Wars on Teletoon.
I've yet to buy into the monthly subscription fee MMO. I've played many of the free to play ones and the introduction to WoW and don't see what makes them worth paying a monthly fee.
I've got little hope that The Old Republic will change my mind...but this beta weekend will be it's only chance to. As is I've no plans to buy the game despite KOTOR 1&2 being fantastic games, though if the beta changes my mind I'll be sure to post about it.
I've got little hope that The Old Republic will change my mind...but this beta weekend will be it's only chance to. As is I've no plans to buy the game despite KOTOR 1&2 being fantastic games, though if the beta changes my mind I'll be sure to post about it.
Level 11 and just leaving my starter planet. I'm still a bit conflicted, and I probably wouldn't be if I was only level 10.
It's a well made game. It feels very much like a Bioware game. The story is engaging, the voice acting is good, and the combat became surprisingly fun once I had a few different combat abilities. The graphics are not particularly impressive - clean and neat, but unremarkable.
But... I just got my first companion, and that feels weird. I don't like dragging NPCs around with me all the time, and I hope to god the game isn't entirely balanced around this. If I can just drag them out when I have a tougher 2 person quest to do - great. If all of the content from here on in depends on me having them with me... I don't like micromanaging NPCs. In Mass Effect I tended to just pick my squadmates and trust them to do their own thing for the most part. If I'm stuck being reliant on them in TOR that could be a deal breaker.
Which is a pity, because overall I've been enjoying this game much more than I expected to.
It's a well made game. It feels very much like a Bioware game. The story is engaging, the voice acting is good, and the combat became surprisingly fun once I had a few different combat abilities. The graphics are not particularly impressive - clean and neat, but unremarkable.
But... I just got my first companion, and that feels weird. I don't like dragging NPCs around with me all the time, and I hope to god the game isn't entirely balanced around this. If I can just drag them out when I have a tougher 2 person quest to do - great. If all of the content from here on in depends on me having them with me... I don't like micromanaging NPCs. In Mass Effect I tended to just pick my squadmates and trust them to do their own thing for the most part. If I'm stuck being reliant on them in TOR that could be a deal breaker.
Which is a pity, because overall I've been enjoying this game much more than I expected to.
Having put about 4 hours into the beta I can say it's a very good game that has exceeded my expectations. It feels like playing a Bioware RPG in terms of it's story elements and quality, but with typical MMO style combat (which is either good or bad depending on your views).
The end result is that I don't feel this is worth a subscription fee as it's just baby steps in the right direction making it only slightly better than something like DDO or WoW (free version).
I won't be buying TOR, but I'd recommend it to MMO subscription fans out there. Should it ever go free to play or standalone gaming model ala Guild Wars I'll be there.
The end result is that I don't feel this is worth a subscription fee as it's just baby steps in the right direction making it only slightly better than something like DDO or WoW (free version).
I won't be buying TOR, but I'd recommend it to MMO subscription fans out there. Should it ever go free to play or standalone gaming model ala Guild Wars I'll be there.
Lets it be noted, I am a WoW player.
Playing it for a long time now.
Let it also be noted I am a sucker for both Standard Fantasy settings as well as Science Fiction.
And yes, a SW fan as well
I started the game quite excited.
Cool opening cut-scene.
Even cooler Sith cut-scene.
Created my character, was nice to see the roles clearly marked.
This class is a Tank / DPS, This one heals, etc.
I liked the conversation parts, really Bioware-ish.
But then I got to the gameplay part, and I just felt disappointed.
I mean it's not just like WoW, it IS WoW.
I made a sith inquisitor and I had on my hotbar.
1: a melee strike.
2: A ranged lighting strike
3: A stronger melee strike
4: A channeled stun Lightning strike
5: A Hearthstone like Fast Travel
6: A buff
Keyboard hotkeys are the same, Gathering professions, while differently named, work the same way.
It's just too much like WoW for me.
And I don't mean that it's bad, but I already have WoW, I was hoping for something different.
Something new.
But what I got was a mix of WoW, with the linear corridors of KotOR and the conversation wheel of Mass Effect.
I'm not done with it yet, and I will try and give it a chance to see what end game it might have. As well as hoping I'll get a bit more quests then Go There and Kill X of Y.
WoW found a nice balance with new and fun quests varied with Get X of Y, but I haven't seen enough of SW: ToR to judge that part, yet.
Playing it for a long time now.
Let it also be noted I am a sucker for both Standard Fantasy settings as well as Science Fiction.
And yes, a SW fan as well
I started the game quite excited.
Cool opening cut-scene.
Even cooler Sith cut-scene.
Created my character, was nice to see the roles clearly marked.
This class is a Tank / DPS, This one heals, etc.
I liked the conversation parts, really Bioware-ish.
But then I got to the gameplay part, and I just felt disappointed.
I mean it's not just like WoW, it IS WoW.
I made a sith inquisitor and I had on my hotbar.
1: a melee strike.
2: A ranged lighting strike
3: A stronger melee strike
4: A channeled stun Lightning strike
5: A Hearthstone like Fast Travel
6: A buff
Keyboard hotkeys are the same, Gathering professions, while differently named, work the same way.
It's just too much like WoW for me.
And I don't mean that it's bad, but I already have WoW, I was hoping for something different.
Something new.
But what I got was a mix of WoW, with the linear corridors of KotOR and the conversation wheel of Mass Effect.
I'm not done with it yet, and I will try and give it a chance to see what end game it might have. As well as hoping I'll get a bit more quests then Go There and Kill X of Y.
WoW found a nice balance with new and fun quests varied with Get X of Y, but I haven't seen enough of SW: ToR to judge that part, yet.