Adam_Nox Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Bioware could have done something really great. This game is already mostly a single player game with some social options. The strength of an mmo is in the community, the grouping, the guilds, the social interactions. SWTOR doesn't utilize those strengths. And at the same time, the questing, character development, and skillbar bloat follows the same formula of MMOs before it. Those aspects are WEAKNESSES of the mmo genre. So essentially SWTOR combines the bad parts of an MMO while neglecting the good. They could have made it more like an actual bioware game where you are on a journey, where you don't just kill x, loot x, click x, and return. Could have had a few skills and relied on tactics and choosing your battles wisely. Could have had more than one companion at a time when ungrouped. It reminds me of when I first got to try the FFXI beta back in I think 02 or 03. I thought back then that Square would take MMOs in another direction. Maybe have turn based battles and a good story, but it played just like EQ and to a lesser extent DAoC (without the good RvR aspect). Yes, I've been doing this a while, and I know many here have been at it even longer, but DAoC was my first and got me so hooked on the genre that I've litereally tried every major MMO release since. I played SWG just to become a jedi, it never happened. I got too burned out after mastering like 17 professions or some absurd number that I couldn't continue. I have waited for this game for a long time (even when people were just hoping and praying that bioware would do an old republic mmo), just so I could finally swing a lightsaber around. But after all this time and longing, I find I cannot stay logged in for more than 30 minutes at a time. On a half dozen other mmo forums there exists, buried under the sands of time, posts and topics where I've made suggestions, complained, etc. hoping for change. I know it never works, so I'll not bother here. I'm only posting this because people complain about pvp, they complain about skill delays, nerfs, and graphics. These things seem so minor when there are issues with just the general design of TOR. This game is nothing like a Bioware game, gameplay wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flunkorg Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) This game is nothing like a Bioware game, gameplay wise. I'm kinda happy in that respect. Kotor's combat was awful lol Edited January 4, 2012 by flunkorg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yodimaster Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Bioware could have done something really great. This game is already mostly a single player game with some social options. The strength of an mmo is in the community, the grouping, the guilds, the social interactions. SWTOR doesn't utilize those strengths. And at the same time, the questing, character development, and skillbar bloat follows the same formula of MMOs before it. Those aspects are WEAKNESSES of the mmo genre. So essentially SWTOR combines the bad parts of an MMO while neglecting the good. They could have made it more like an actual bioware game where you are on a journey, where you don't just kill x, loot x, click x, and return. Could have had a few skills and relied on tactics and choosing your battles wisely. Could have had more than one companion at a time when ungrouped. It reminds me of when I first got to try the FFXI beta back in I think 02 or 03. I thought back then that Square would take MMOs in another direction. Maybe have turn based battles and a good story, but it played just like EQ and to a lesser extent DAoC (without the good RvR aspect). Yes, I've been doing this a while, and I know many here have been at it even longer, but DAoC was my first and got me so hooked on the genre that I've litereally tried every major MMO release since. I played SWG just to become a jedi, it never happened. I got too burned out after mastering like 17 professions or some absurd number that I couldn't continue. I have waited for this game for a long time (even when people were just hoping and praying that bioware would do an old republic mmo), just so I could finally swing a lightsaber around. But after all this time and longing, I find I cannot stay logged in for more than 30 minutes at a time. On a half dozen other mmo forums there exists, buried under the sands of time, posts and topics where I've made suggestions, complained, etc. hoping for change. I know it never works, so I'll not bother here. I'm only posting this because people complain about pvp, they complain about skill delays, nerfs, and graphics. These things seem so minor when there are issues with just the general design of TOR. This game is nothing like a Bioware game, gameplay wise. SWTOR is nothing like FFXI! 1.) FFXI was extremely non-newb friendly! 2.) FFXI was very challenging 3.) FFXI was non soloable (unless you were a beastmaster) and until recently the 4 new content patches. 4.) FFXI Had a TRUE AUCTION HOUSE! 5.) FFXI you could wear lvl 5 boots that were better than lvl 75 Artifact 2 Gear! 6.) FFXI when you did something stupid and died you actually were penilized for it! 7.) FFXI well you get the picture that these 2 games are very different! Also I'm not bashing FFXI since i still have my account since 02 (JP). They both are great games just each are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excedrin Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I'm kinda happy in that respect. Kotor's combat was awful lol I'm with you on that. KOTOR was a pretty good game, but it surely wasn't because of the combat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HavenAE Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 SWTOR is nothing like FFXI! 1.) FFXI was extremely non-newb friendly! 2.) FFXI was very challenging 3.) FFXI was non soloable (unless you were a beastmaster) and until recently the 4 new content patches. 4.) FFXI Had a TRUE AUCTION HOUSE! 5.) FFXI you could wear lvl 5 boots that were better than lvl 75 Artifact 2 Gear! 6.) FFXI when you did something stupid and died you actually were penilized for it! 7.) FFXI well you get the picture that these 2 games are very different! Also I'm not bashing FFXI since i still have my account since 02 (JP). They both are great games just each are different. This is mostly true, though i absolutely LOATHED their auction house. Searching for stuff was worse than well almost any other MMO except for maybe FFXIV, lol. FFXI's UI was also very bad. But beyond that I have a lot of good memories from the game. The community was the absolute best community I've ever been a part of. When you accomplished something you truly felt like you earned it, mostly because you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrkLore Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) This game feels NOTHING like FFXI to me. FFXI was all about the mob grind and had a very very very basic UI. Not even an on screen hotbar. The combat was very different and a lot more slow paced. And grouping was absolutely necessary, it's not nearly as solo friendly as TOR. Which made the game have a fantastic community. The only similarity I can see is that FFXI focused more on story more than most other MMOs of that time. In that way it is comparative to how TOR has made story their focus now. And imo FFXI is one of the best quality MMOs ever because it didn't cater to the casuals. Sure their player base suffered for it, but for those who really dove into the game it was an amazing experience. It's the only MMO that actually hooked me beyond the initial free 30 days (or entirely free days for Guild Wars). Edited January 4, 2012 by DarrkLore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yodimaster Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 This is mostly true, though i absolutely LOATHED their auction house. Searching for stuff was worse than well almost any other MMO except for maybe FFXIV, lol. FFXI's UI was also very bad. But beyond that I have a lot of good memories from the game. The community was the absolute best community I've ever been a part of. When you accomplished something you truly felt like you earned it, mostly because you did. Yup still have my THF's Knife ( farmed for weeks to get it was worth 45 million gil on Fairy at 1 time). Had one the best communities out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qoojo Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 FFXI is about the last MMO that I would compare to SWTOR. The two are nothing alike in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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