Anyone else hate the world design?

[Insidion]

I quite like it. Its a theme-parked MMO - not a sandbox, so of course you are being guided around quite a bit. Some of the planets are better then others (my favorite so far is Taris - I like the whole ruin theme and the links to the first game).

 

So in short, no. I dont hate it.

 

This. The operative words are "story driven." So yes, you're going to be lead around a bit, it's part of the storytelling.

[MuratReis]

Probably the thing I dislike the most.

[Echriado]

I think the environments themselves are beautiful. The problem, however is the game doesn't keep you in a spot long enough.

 

When I first landed on Courscant and walked outside of the spaceport and looked to the sky, it was one of the most amazing MMO scenery sightings I have ever had.

[Arkerus]

I judge a game for what it is and not for what I wanted it to be.

 

For me, the world design is fine. I enjoy the themepark type ride the game provides. I also like the idea of the fleet. Loved it since day 1. Its a great meeting area. I don't need a reason to go back to planet whatever unless its a world event or daily.

[Goretzu]

We must visit different planets. Taris is open to fly around, though it has these wall puzzles to figure out as you go. I find it sort of fun to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Belsavis has the additional complexity of the ancient Rakata transportation system that actually teleports you around. I spent some hours navigating that place. Try to get to world bosses and datacrons, or explore the complete map, maybe?

 

Hoth and Tatooine are even more open. Just yesterday, I climbed a high Hoth mountain for fun. At the very top of it, there was a strong blizzard blowing sleet around. The visuals were gorgeous and unlike any other place.

 

EQ1 was arguably more "open" than Taris (I don't hate Taris btw, I usually quite enough levelling through it on both sides, but it's not really and example of "open" world design), Parts of Tattooine and Hoth are certainly better though.

 

 

 

That's also not so say all of the linear, tunnelled designed worlds are bad, certainly Tython and Korriban work very well as what they are supposed to be (linear starter worlds), but they game needs difference in world design and it doesn't really have it.

[Lord_Ravenhurst]

Most used key shortcuts in graphics dept.:

 

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V

[fourthx]

You can mock as much as you want, but even in ''LOL Pandas'', areas are incredibly wide open.

 

Every single zone in WoW (excepted Draenei and Blood Elves starting ones) is flyable. this is something we will never see in TOR.

 

Be glad for this, flying mounts caused many headaches in wow and killed whatever was left of open PVP.

[Goretzu]

Most used key shortcuts in graphics dept.:

 

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V

 

 

That's unfortunately been a staple since Shadows of Lucin for Everquest, that was the expansion hand crafted dungeons and environments died and were replaced by cut and paste jigsaw bit dungeons and worlds.

 

SWTOR has taken that further though, in many ways.

[Aramyth]

I'd be happy if they added day/night, weather and more roaming NPCs and animals and some more variety to the Ambient sounds. To me all that stuff is very important in an MMO. In a game where I'm going to be spending hours playing it, it's better if it's more dynamic.It was a bad design choice for them to use sky boxes.

 

Is love to see the suns set/rise on Tatoonie. Or see a bad sandstorm. Or see a blizzard on Hoth. Or see Taris at night.

 

It bugs me that I didn't notice it when I played the beta for a short time.

[Master_Reuben]

That's also not so say all of the linear, tunnelled designed worlds are bad, certainly Tython and Korriban work very well as what they are supposed to be (linear starter worlds), but they game needs difference in world design and it doesn't really have it.

 

Exactly. Tython and Korriban are actually 2 of my favourite maps I think because they feel like they just serve their purpose well - they look great and when I've just rolled a toon my wanderlust isn't as big in relation to levelling, the drive to get my story underway and adapt to a new play style.

 

Variety in world design which the game doesn't have as Goretzu said is so important! Other top MMOs have a noticeable visual change when moving between zones and what I think SWTOR could use most is the impact seen in MMOs like GW2 and even WoW where the sighting of say a capital city in the distance builds your suspense for arriving at it. In TOR, the lack of variety means you don't get to notice some impressive development from afar and there is no satisfaction of discovering say a dense, vibrant township or a dynamic change from the overused world layout. There really is little satisfaction of wanderlust compared to other supposed first-rate MMOs.

[AshlaBoga]

You better have a link to back that up. No where can you find there are only 679k subs left.

 

I'll believe that number. We were under a million subs at the start of June and we probably lost 100-200k since then.

 

So 679k makes sense giving that many of the players online right now aren't subbed. Let's be happy with that number, 679k subbed and +100k preferred and another +100k F2P means that SWTOR has more people than:

Lineage

Lineage II

FF XI

EVE

LotR

AoC

Ultima

EQ2

EQ

Warhammer

Champions Online

Rift

TERA

The Secret World

 

So the only mmos which have more people are WoW, Aion, Second Life and GW2.

 

SWTOR is the 5th most popular mmo in the world. It's hardly dead.

Edited November 27, 2012 by AshlaBoga

[Feztonio]

Give them time.. perhaps down the road it will open up more, or go 3-D or get more vertical. wow only got flying mounts with Wrath and they re-rendered the vertical buildings so you could land on them etc.. for cata. it wasn't in the game on day one, and TOR has really only been out for 11 months. we should give them time to make improvements and build on the foundation. i promise things can only get better

[ConradLionhart]

World design could be done better.

 

Due to the worlds being so big, the loading time increases. But most of the world has nothing or no purpose, resulting in wasted space. This is what Baldur's Gate 1 suffers from, big zones with "nothing interesting" in them. Baldur's Gate 2 changed that and filled zones with more things.

 

Their intention is good, worlds that are big and detailed. But their implementation is a bit off.

 

I think the worlds being smaller with less empty space but more detailed would be better.

Edited November 27, 2012 by ConradLionhart

[JimG]

I'll believe that number. We were under a million subs at the start of June and we probably lost 100-200k since then.

 

So 679k makes sense giving that many of the players online right now aren't subbed.

 

The number of subs isn't even all that relevant any longer. There are several people that have spent hundreds of dollars buying cartel coins....and a lot of others who have spent money, albeit a lot less. One person spending $240 on cartel coins (and there's posts in the forums about people spending at least that much) is the equivalent of 8 people each buying a 2 month sub.

[Goretzu]

Exactly. Tython and Korriban are actually 2 of my favourite maps I think because they feel like they just serve their purpose well - they look great and when I've just rolled a toon my wanderlust isn't as big in relation to levelling, the drive to get my story underway and adapt to a new play style.

 

Variety in world design which the game doesn't have as Goretzu said is so important! Other top MMOs have a noticeable visual change when moving between zones and what I think SWTOR could use most is the impact seen in MMOs like GW2 and even WoW where the sighting of say a capital city in the distance builds your suspense for arriving at it. In TOR, the lack of variety means you don't get to notice some impressive development from afar and there is no satisfaction of discovering say a dense, vibrant township or a dynamic change from the overused world layout. There really is little satisfaction of wanderlust compared to other supposed first-rate MMOs.

 

 

 

SWTOR definately lacks in views as well (compared to most MMORPGs - even ones as old as EQ1), I think this is largely a by-produce of it's corridorred nature, although it could be the engine too.

 

It is also difficult to explore, and they've made something of a mistake in not changing zones in worlds very much and homogenising them too much (admittedly on some worlds like Hoth and Tattooine it might be difficult not to, but other worlds it should be possible to have more difference in the zones of the worlds).

[Master_Reuben]

SWTOR definately lacks in views as well (compared to most MMORPGs - even ones as old as EQ1), I think this is largely a by-produce of it's corridorred nature, although it could be the engine too.

 

It is also difficult to explore, and they've made something of a mistake in not changing zones in worlds very much and homogenising them too much (admittedly on some worlds like Hoth and Tattooine it might be difficult not to, but other worlds it should be possible to have more difference in the zones of the worlds).

 

Yeah, exactly right. Planets like Hoth and Tatooine I accept, yeah. But for EVERY planet to be the same thing repeating itself in front of the player gives no satisfaction to wanderlust. Each area is the same feel and look in a planet.

 

Compared to other MMOs, for me in this game there have been so few "ooh, wow" moments from seeing some amazing world design as it's revealed as I walk over a hill or from out of some cave or tunnel, and I reckon it's one of the major things this game lacks that could really make it fulfill its potential.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Master_Reuben

[Icebergy]

No. Theres nothing wrong with it, the planets are great (some less great than others but all great), the story is great, the leveling is great.

[Blackavaar]

Um, necro much, guys?

 

[Excise]

Dang, Miffy, you hit it on the head. A few things I totally agree with you on and a few that I don't:

 

Repeated Planets

- I hear ya. Land on a planet, go through identical spaceport or identical orbital station. Meet first planet contact either on the station or right by the exit of the spaceport. First hub has the only cantina and all the vendors. All other hubs are just Yet Another Republic/Imperial Military Base Of Roughly Identical Size And Importance. Go through about five of those and then it's off to the next planet.

 

Too many planets follow the above formula!

 

Generic and lifeless

- Yep. Everyone just stands around doing nothing. Maaaaybe a couple guards walking but not much. The world is pretty deserted save for small clusters of mobs standing there randomly doing nothing.

 

No Sound

- Again I agree! Rarely do I even notice the music or sound. Sure the Star Warsy stuff sounds good (blasters, lightsabers) but that's the easy stuff you can just grab from LucasArts. Rarely do you hear a catchy tune upon entering a new area or when a tough fight starts.

 

Fleet Stations

- I don't mind 'em, just because it's rare that you're not on a planet. That said, getting to go to wherever the new hotness is (i.e. being stationed on Makeb?) would be sweet. I do like the idea of having the main hubs be close to the enemy's hub.

 

City Planets

- Other than how you're always stuck indoors and rarely get nice views, I don't mind the taxi requirement. Dunno how you'd walk real far on Coruscant, and the taxis provide the few good shots of the city as it is.