I don't mind reading a well-thought-out review. This one's not bad, but people need to remember to be objective, rather than venting. And you should all remember that people complain the most about the things they WANT to love. I WANT to love this game too, because I like the genre and the style of SW, but ...a roleplaying game this ain't. Sorry Bioware. The voice-acting is a terrific innovation, and sets the bar higher for games to come, but the world immersion and the PvE, as well as PvP content is sorely lacking, and I'm not even complaining about "end game content". But I've had fun for a few weeks.

Excellent post, ActionPrinny. Arguably one of the most intelligent criticisms I've seen leveled at TOR in recent weeks. I happen to concur with you on the social aspect (lacking) in the game. I think a simple and immediate solution would be giving the players some social skills, and introducing certain elements into the cantinas, and thus give each planet a social hub. I've suggested it in another (and lengthy) thread of my own, that pazaak tables would be a good start.

The realization comes around level 30, doesn't it? I'm a level 44 Sage now, and I've been enjoying the storyline more or less, but back around 30, I noticed that I have no choice in HOW I play my character. For a sage, I've got a massively high murder count. There's simply no other way to play other than taking on each group of three or four and spamming my skill combos. Those groups of three or four mobs, standing idly around, make the game environments incredibly static and dull. In-fact, I'll go so far as to say that the fleet space stations are perfect representations of the game: - pretty - utilitarian - dull - static Mind you, we don't post threads like this because we hate the game, but rather that we love it, and want to ENJOY it for what it promises. What nerd doesn't love Star Wars? Dear Devs: Bring The Old Republic to LIFE.

The ideas I posted I imagined would be implementable without changing the existing mechanics of the game. Don't be afraid of a little bit of sand in your themepark. Encouraging creativity and interaction is akin to "stopping to smell the roses" on your run to maximum level. I DO like your point about the weather. I had completely forgotten issues like weather and the day/night cycle can grant a great deal of atmosphere and depth to a world. Good call.

In my humble opinion, cities need social hubs, and cantinas should be filling this need. Players should be going to planets not just to do their next mission-sequence, but to check in on the local scene. Cantinas should be full of players. Players should be eager to log in not just to level their character, but to interact with other players in a meaningful and social way. Let me also add, that if you can increase the social potential within a game, you will increase the number of female players. A greater balance of female/male players will lead to a positive change in in-game culture. Some ideas: - Turn the cantinas into meeting places where players can join-in for specific missions, possibly specific instances linked directly to the interior of the cantina itself. This would fit the lore of SW, and make "hanging out" in such places make perfect sense. On another level, would it be a good idea to turn cantinas into a sort of "dungeon-finder"? - While players are hanging-out, give them chairs in which to sit (in something other than the stiff captain's-chair posture please). Give a WIDE range of emotes for free expression. Give players the ability to acquire performance skills. - Put in games like pazaak, and let players sit and mini-game each other. Allow gambling. - Add random/rare NPC encounters within social areas, ones that may lead to new/rare missions and locations. "I was on Tatooine, and this Rodian walks up to me..."

I'm enjoying the game so far, but to address some concerns others have had with "this game is boring" and "planets are sterile" I'd like to put forward some ideas for making the planets seems complex, and deep and interesting and BIG; the ideal places in which adventure would take place. We all can see that the game has followed a well-established theme-park model on which to build its success. Good for EA, good for us. We're all having fun, BUT...the game is a treadmill of "get the next level of gear", isn't it? While we enjoy the storylines, we race to the top (and some race to the top too quickly and then complain about "end game content" don't they?) Here is where I'd like to see planet-based gaming go: - Get players off the planet-sequence career track. "I'm off to Tatooine next, then Alderaan". I'm not level 50 yet, but I wouldn't mind seeing my main plot line branching off, even backtracking. I wouldn't mind dead-ends if it makes for a little mystery. I don't mind complexity. This comes down to writing. Let players make some WRONG choices, and let those choices have consequences that take them off to other adventures. - Make the missions potential huge, even intimidating or exhausting. Right now, each planet is geared towards a certain level, with everyone completing almost every available mission, and then "moving on". Instead of dozens of missions, have even more. Hundreds. Make them of different levels. Make them so that a player can conceivably stay on one planet and level up to maximum if they wish. (with benefits for staying on planet like being granted housing, special relationships with NPCs, and special honors for their "commitment"). Let there be beasties and characters a player dare-not mess with, even to the point of having to go out-of-their-way to avoid. Obstacles can sometimes force adaptation. - In general, alter some missions so that stealth or a high-ethic, or an especially low-ethic is necessary to complete it, beyond taking out X number of groups of 3, and then the boss. For example, reward a Jedi for avoiding armed conflict with a faction, or an Agent for avoiding "stirring up the locals" while taking out the objective. This will help build respect for the local population, and its various groups and politics versus "ZOMG KILL EVERYONE IN OUR PATH!" - Add in huge wilderness areas with remote missions, locations and hidden treasures. Let these things change from time to time so players will not come to plan for them (as they do the datacrons). This isn't punishing the player, but making the potential for adventure unpredictable (and therefore interesting). Players will explore without any expectation or objective. Let the players' ship crash-land from time-to-time and let them explore their way out of the wilderness. - Add in faction ratings with different groups and populations on a planet, with subsequent mission potential. - Develop cantinas and other social venues into the social hubs they should be. When landing on a planet, I have a mission objective, BUT...there should be a half-dozen things to do.

Some good points raised in this thread, however I think too much of a big deal is being raised over travel times. We can't let our desire for instant-gratification ("got to keep moving!") rob the planets and the galaxy of its sense of BIGness. It SHOULD take some time to get from place-to-place, but (playing Devil's Advocate here) I do like the idea of your ship coming to pick you up. - Replace "a shuttle comes to pick you up" with "Your ship comes to pick you up" and make it only available outdoors, and only outside of cities.