But really, would you go back? A MMORPG-lover's dilemma

[AmirFett]

I will keep this brief. I have had my dark moments of wondering whether SWTOR would make it, whether it's too front-loaded with single-player quests and whether the end-game and/or many game bugs will get there. I remain patient and hopeful and try to keep believing it will happen.

 

In the interim, I couldn't take it anymore after my PvP-queue kicked me out to the loading screen for the eighth time so I decided to try going back to WoW for the last week of my subscription (I cancelled there).

 

I just couldn't do it. I COULDN'T do it. I saw myself in Stormwind again, the same setting, the same gear, the same city-sitting for queues to do the end game grind. Ugh. I tried, for literally an hour, to get myself psyched up again but after seven years I just couldn't.

 

I finally decided to just uninstall WoW. I thought, what else can I do. Sure, there is LoL, there are shorter-form games that don't require the same grind investment. There's Civ5. There's my Shogun 2 and my Tropico, not to mention Sins of a Solar Empire.

 

I don't know. Maybe I'm just older (Let's just say around the 30 mark for age). When I started my FIRST MMORPG, EQ, goodness, I was in high school.

 

I just feel like times have changed for MMORPGs. So many games pull on people's attention and there are so many options and I think the Wizard of Oz curtain has been pulled on people's eyes in terms of end game content and the endless city-sitting.

 

I really had big hopes for SWTOR. I still do. I feel excited in a way I haven't in years, although I know clearly many things about this game are NOT revolutionary, although for a mass-market MMORPG, these are slow-moving behemoths in which innovation is tricky.

 

I feel something exciting around the IP, some game concepts that can and do gel together. But there is a long way to go.

 

I just feel like the death knell of SWTOR would feel like the end of an era for the expansive, rich "mass-market" MMORPG for me. Sure, there will be stuff like GW2, LoL, pseudo MMOs...FTP arena games with paid components. It feels like the direction of things.

 

I guess I feel personally invested in this because the direction of the market and the attention span of kids for games is also changing. Market surveys indicate that the biggest growth (and it is getting bigger for young kids) is the easy to play, "fast" games and consoles.

 

I just feel like SWTOR is "A New Hope" and maybe the last (for me) and that if server condensing or FTP happens, I will smile, move on from the MMORPG as my leisure time and just try something else.

 

Heck, when I first played EQ, or when I first played WoW, everything felt pretty fresh and exciting. Now, I feel like most MMORPG players have become like hogs being led to the trough (myself included). "Where is my content?" "Where is my endgame?" "Where's my loot and my rendering?"

 

I think the magic is gone and the fox is in the henhouse. All that is left is expectations and game development firms not willing to put up the money or risk to meet them.

 

Sadly, I feel like this is the last hoorah and I hope Bioware keeps it going as long as possible, making it a happy and extended one.

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

Edited January 13, 2012 by AmirFett

[brokentelevision]

In my opinion try Rift, the faeblight server on rift is by far the best most friendly player environment I've ever seen in an MMO. Sure the game has it's faults, but the devs there communicate about a lot. They discuss plans they have and ideas that most other games don't say anything until it's near done.

 

They listen to community and give feedback. It's actually quite refreshing.

[AmirFett]

I tried Rift for about three months. It's fine and well made but it just didn't appeal. I didn't like the story and the graphics felt very bland and grainy, with everything very "dark". I don't know. I also thought being able to put in "any" talent tree was almost too much choice and overwhelming. Also, the Rifts were initially novel but I just found they got too repetitive and distracting.

 

Perfectly fine game but just didn't do it for me, but I appreciate the thought.

 

Also, I love the Star Wars IP. I loved Lord of the Rings IP too, but that just didn't get there either and was drastically unfunded.

 

I welcome other suggestions. I've tried almost every MMO to try to hit the bullseye (free and paid).

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

Edited January 13, 2012 by AmirFett

[lunabaguna]

Im right there with you. If FTP is the future, Im out. I really miss real mmorpgs, and I feel like SWTOR can be that if they stick to their guns. Here is to hoping, in the interm Im staying subscribed until I hit a wall, which I havent yet.

[brokentelevision]

I tried Rift for about three months. It's fine and well made but it just didn't appeal. I didn't like the story and the graphics felt very bland and grainy, with everything very "dark". I don't know. I also thought being able to put in "any" talent tree was almost too much choice and overwhelming. Also, the Rifts were initially novel but I just found they got too repetitive and distracting.

 

Perfectly fine game but just didn't do it for me, but I appreciate the thought.

 

Also, I love the Star Wars IP. I loved Lord of the Rings IP too, but that just didn't get there either and was drastically unfunded.

 

I welcome other suggestions. I've tried almost every MMO to try to hit the bullseye (free and paid).

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

 

Thats why I liked it to be honest. Only having 4 classes means I can switch almost my entire class whenever I want. I can go from ranged dps to melee dps, to a tank, to a buffer, to a pet class. All on the same character. It's great for an altoholic like myself.

 

Sure story line is kinda meh, but I get over it. Rifts are great to break up monotony and add some dynamic change to a server. Breaks things up. They're not on any set timer so you never know when they spawn up.

 

TOR just felt too linear and too monotonous to me. Theres no social interaction at all in TOR. The entire world feels empty all the time.

[mcfabulous]

I unsubbed yesterday because the sheer fact I can get bored with a SW game this fast is just too frightening to play out. Even if they change things and everything becomes great and awesome like so many seem to think it is, I have high doubts I even trust bioware to do anything right, ever.

[AmirFett]

Thats why I liked it to be honest. Only having 4 classes means I can switch almost my entire class whenever I want. I can go from ranged dps to melee dps, to a tank, to a buffer, to a pet class. All on the same character. It's great for an altoholic like myself.

 

Sure story line is kinda meh, but I get over it. Rifts are great to break up monotony and add some dynamic change to a server. Breaks things up. They're not on any set timer so you never know when they spawn up.

 

TOR just felt too linear and too monotonous to me. Theres no social interaction at all in TOR. The entire world feels empty all the time.

 

I definitely had a great time while I played it and the community is really super. That was really notable. Still, I don't know, I just couldn't get into it. But it's probably just me. It's definitely a great product and I know many enjoy it. A big part though, also, is people have different graphics preferences. I don't even necessarily need the sharpest graphics or anything, but it always looked very burnt and dark to me in Rift. I know this may sound silly but it wasn't my jam. And, again, all the classes made me a little crazy

 

I'm with you though - good product, no question.

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

[Twixted]

I think the OP is just realizing how dated the mechanics of traditional MMORPG are. Games with attributes tied to stats, and have the same Healer / tank / DPS roles you can only play so much before you realize its all the same thing jsut different textures.

 

SWTOR has an expansive lore to build upon, and the voice acting being new is a nice feature for awhile. It has potential to grow into a truly unique game with space combat mission depth, rework of the alignment system, and varied companions based on character decisions.

 

This is what has be giving bioware my last hopes for a traditional MMO for me. If it fails for me i will probably either go back to consoles or at worst go back to wow simply to develop addons, as i find it interesting, and it actually pertains to my job. ( NI training costs WAY to much)

 

 

OP you should Google MMOFPS. BF3 wasnt anything new massive FPS have been out for years ( planetside ) thats where real PVP with a mix of RPG elements comes into play.

[AmirFett]

This is what has be giving bioware my last hopes for a traditional MMO for me. If it fails for me i will probably either go back to consoles or at worst go back to wow simply to develop addons, as i find it interesting, and it actually pertains to my job. ( NI training costs WAY to much)

 

OP you should Google MMOFPS. BF3 wasnt anything new massive FPS have been out for years ( planetside ) thats where real PVP with a mix of RPG elements comes into play.

 

Very interesting. It is reassuring to know you are probably feeling many of the same things, but perhaps with more perspective on the development history. I will definitely google that!

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

[SnoggyMack]

I highly recommend you read Neal Stephenson's novel Reamde.

 

It'll certainly tickle your MMORPG fancy in ways you didn't even think possible and paints an interesting potential future for those kinds of games.

[AmirFett]

I highly recommend you read Neal Stephenson's novel Reamde.

 

It'll certainly tickle your MMORPG fancy in ways you didn't even think possible and paints an interesting potential future for those kinds of games.

 

Will do. Thanks for the great suggestion!

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

[mcfabulous]

I think the OP is just realizing how dated the mechanics of traditional MMORPG are. Games with attributes tied to stats, and have the same Healer / tank / DPS roles you can only play so much before you realize its all the same thing jsut different textures.

 

This is why GW2 will be superior.

 

SWTOR has an expansive lore to build upon, and the voice acting being new is a nice feature for awhile. It has potential to grow into a truly unique game with space combat mission depth, rework of the alignment system, and varied companions based on character decisions.

 

There is nothing new about characters having a voice, SWTOR just spent 100 million more than other people to do it

 

This is what has be giving bioware my last hopes for a traditional MMO for me. If it fails for me i will probably either go back to consoles or at worst go back to wow simply to develop addons, as i find it interesting, and it actually pertains to my job. ( NI training costs WAY to much)

 

I agree

 

OP you should Google MMOFPS. BF3 wasnt anything new massive FPS have been out for years ( planetside ) thats where real PVP with a mix of RPG elements comes into play.

 

5char

[Azzras]

I will keep this brief.

 

You call the wall of text after what I quoted brief?

 

[Rodolfulus]

OP: "I will keep this brief."

 

*wall of text ensues*

[Haeso]

Very interesting. It is reassuring to know you are probably feeling many of the same things, but perhaps with more perspective on the development history. I will definitely google that!

 

Planetside 2 is on the top of the list as far as MMOFPSes go.

[AmirFett]

OP: "I will keep this brief."

 

*wall of text ensues*

 

Ok, that's fair Relatively brief...as compared to The Dead Sea Scrolls

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

[Tyrandaa]

I hear ya. Endgame SWTOR is just like WoW's endgame with the raids and such. Get 8-16 people together. Smash your face into your keyboard. Don't stand in fire. Rinse + repeat for a few years.

 

The transition from EQ to WoW, for me, was fueled by the fact that WoW was astronomically more different than EQ. You have environmental affects you actually had to move out of rather than spending months farming resistance gear. First time I did Onyxia with a bunch of EQ vets, we all died because not standing in fire was such a novel concept. It actually added action game elements. Outside of Bards, all the EQ classes only used a couple abilities 90% of the time. It was amazing that a game could be programmed to require more from your raid than simply adjusting/dealing with a Comlete Heal rotation from your Clerics.

 

WoW to SW:TOR is a smooth transition because nothing changes. The leveling process is only different due to the voice acting. FPs/Ops/general game mechanics are just like WoW. While the storyline is interesting, it takes <100 hours to get to complete your class story. I'm not sure how they intend to appeal to people sick of WoW when the end game mechanics are mirror images. Sure, people may sub for a month or two to level up, but once they realize the end game is the same as something they were wanting to get away from, they're gone.

 

I'm dropping gaming and taking up knitting. Familiarity breeds contempt, they say.

[AmirFett]

I'm dropping gaming and taking up knitting. Familiarity breeds contempt, they say.

 

Your post is really well written and I agree. I guess even if I could get a stable version of WoW with Star Wars skins, that would make me happy for a few years, even at max level because gear stuff doesn't capture my imagination or worries too much.

 

Although I've never been a very high hour player (like 10-15 hours a week), I'll admit having the extra time for the Mrs., reading, movies and cooking has been nice. Maybe it's a mixed blessing.

 

...but I'd really like a WoW with Star Wars skins so I can keep the dream going a few more years Team Fortress 2 was fun too for a little while, especially as a mindless diversion.

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

[Lehanna]

OP, you seem to have hit the wall I've seen so many people hit before. I think everyone just eventually tires of the genre as a whole. For some it takes years, for others decades.

 

Personally I don't think anything will ever fix this, not even GW2.

[AmirFett]

I just read this and it was encouraging (on a PCGamer Redirect to a press release):

 

It’s been less than a month since the official launch of BioWare’s epic Star Wars: The Old Republic, and while the MMO has been well received, the developers have been busy preparing Game Update 1.1. The first influx of shiny new content is rolling out to servers on Tuesday the 17th, and along with the requisite bug fixes and retooling contains a new flashpoint, expanded operation, a level 50 PvP bracket, changes to open world PvP on Ilum and (finally) the option to enable anti-aliasing.

 

While a January update is certainly welcome, BioWare plans to release another, larger update in March, this one containing new Flashpoints, Operations, WarZones, Guild Banks, and the expansion of the Legacy System. Co-Founder of BioWare, Dr. Greg Zeschuk had the following to say regarding the aggressive content update strategy for SWTOR.

 

A month ago when we launched the Early Game Access program for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we promised our fans that this would just be the beginning of our journey together. Rise of the Rakghouls adds a lot of the things our community has been asking for – additional higher level group content, features like anti-aliasing, PvP bracketing and more. In the future, game updates will be even more substantial, as we promise to continue to not only add to The Old Republic, but to also improve and refine the experience with the full Legacy System and new Guild features.

 

 

This thread has been closed for being a threat to SWTOR, Bioware and maybe even America and for being exceedingly silly, including adult themes and partial nudity

Edited January 13, 2012 by AmirFett

[AmirFett]

I just find it frustrating to have a 7-week old top of the line computer, a solid state drive, 16gb of RAM, a 100MBPS cable modem connection and STILL 25% system utilization, major lag, ability lag and system choppiness, especially on the imperial ship and in PvP.

 

It makes me batty and disappointed, especially because I fronted the money to have my new PC for this game (and, sure, other things, but was excited for SWTOR).

 

As I mentioned in another thread, there must be a load problem. I imagine this is the engine and, while not impossible to fix, it can take a while. Months, not years. This gets down to RAM and CPU utilization, as well as the bits of the system and throughput. It takes a lot more work to split up the processing work throughout an individual's computer. You have to manually decide how many things will be allocated, on the development end of the software.

 

II think BioWare can and will fix it, and I hope they do. This is definitely game architecture. I don't buy any explanation for ANYTHING in-game except that it needs to be fixed on the architecture front. I have run a billion endurance tests to make sure it's not me, as it only happens here or in games I'm playing in beta with known architecture problems.

[ravenshaelo]

If TOR's servers were to die tonight, and the game remained offline, I wouldn't go back to WoW. I'd probably finish playing Alice: The Madness Returns and Assassin's Creed, which I bought a few months ago, but got distracted from by TOR.

That being said, TOR is going to have my sub for a long time. I'm an unrepentant altoholic - I had 7 85s in WoW, and I have a driving need to experience all the stories of each class/faction in TOR. I love the (sometimes) challenging leveling, the class quests, the space missions, the crafting, the companions (and romances!), even finding a group to go do flashpoints with on the fleet (as you may be able to tell, I started playing WoW in BC - I dislike LFD and LFR - a lot). I love it all, and I'm here to stay for some time to come.

[wessik]

I just find it frustrating to have a 7-week old top of the line computer, a solid state drive, 16gb of RAM, a 100MBPS cable modem connection and STILL 25% system utilization, major lag, ability lag and system choppiness, especially on the imperial ship and in PvP.

 

what kind of video card do you have?

 

because i bought my new pc in oct and have had zero issues... not saying you don't, but every part you listed there doesn't mean squat if you have a crappy vid card...