Fun comparison

[Rhaynne]

Not really trying to say ones better then the other or anything, or trying to stand on any side of any great issues, I'm just bored... So add to it if you remember anything.

 

Instanced PvP

SW:ToR: Shipped with 3 different types

WoW: Shipped with none. 7 months later 2 where released.

 

Queue Anywhere for PvP

SW:Tor shipped with this ability

WoW: Had to run to instance initially. Then warmasters were added later.

 

Raid Encounters:

SW:ToR: Shipped with 2

WoW: shipped with 2 (though 1 of those was a single boss encounter).

 

Dungeons:

SW:ToR: Shipped with 16 different dungeons.

WoW: Shipped with 14 different dungeons.

 

Outdoor PvP objectives:

SW:ToR Shipped with this feature

WoW: added 7 months after release.

 

Full Voice Acting:

SW:ToR: shipped with this feature

WoW: WotLK introduced cut-scenes but has never implemented voice acting

 

Class Specific Quests:

SW:ToR shipped with extensive class quests

WoW: Shipped with 5/6 class quests, but were so annoying, they have all been removed.

 

Quest/Map Locations:

SW:ToR: shipped with this feature

WoW: Was a third party mod (quest helper) that arrived 2 years after launch.

 

User Customization HUD:

SW:ToR - not implemented

WoW: shipped with this feature, along with third party customization

 

End Game Mounts:

SW:ToR: shipped with a wide array of mounts

WoW: Besides undead racial mount, end game mounts shared same model as level 40 mounts. Custom level 60 mounts where released 5 months after realease.

 

Level 60 Gear:

SW:ToR: Shipped with 3 Tiers of PvP gear, and 3 Teirs of Raid gear

WoW: Shipped with 1 Tier of Raid gear, and no PvP sets. Tier 2 raid gear was added 7 months after release, and PvP Tier 1 set was added 2 years after release.

 

Flipping DPS Meter:

SW:ToR doesn't have and its freaking annoying...

WoW: didn't ship with this feature, but 3rd party mods made it possible.

 

Achievements:

SW:ToR: shipped with this feature

WoW: added 4 years after launch

 

Classes/Races:

SW:ToR: 4 archetypes, 8 classes, 8 races

WoW: 9 classes (though each faction has 1 unique class) 8 races

 

Player Housing:

SW:ToR: shipped with a very limited player space (ships).

WoW: still not implemented

 

Crafting:

SW:ToR: 6 crafting 8 gathering

WoW: 8 crafting 4 gathering

 

Dual Spec'ing:

SW:ToR: not included at release

WoW: Added dual spec 4.5 years after release.

 

Looking For Group Tool:

SW:ToR: Didn't launch with this feature.

WoW: was added 2 years after launch.

 

Leveling to Max (AVERAGE):

SW:ToR: Level 50 in 6 IN-GAME days, or 144 hours, or 72 days as a casual gamer.

WoW: Level 60 in 17 IN-GAME days, or 408 hours, or 204 days as a casual player.

 

Ok, i got bored of making this list... Ill try and think of more game mechanics. But its interesting to see how certain systems we deem as NECESSARILY OMG we did without for so long. =) There is no going back i guess =)

Edited February 20, 2012 by Rhaynne

[Rorcus]

Now we just wait for all the posts about how this was 2004 and shouldn't be applicable to a 2011 game..

 

but for what it's worth I have to applaud the op as this is a excellent post and exactly how SWTOR should be viewed.

 

 

That and I've just drunk 10+ gins on a monday night..

[ccoolmint]

Now we just wait for all the posts about how this was 2004 and shouldn't be applicable to a 2011 game..

 

yeah those posts are really annoying.

[ccoolmint]

posting to rate

[Frostvein]

yeah those posts are really annoying.

 

Yea, I mean who uses logic when they make their arguments, what jerks.

[djsmileey]

Great post.

 

You mispelled a 'Were' a few times with "Where."

[ccoolmint]

Yea, I mean who uses logic when they make their arguments, what jerks.

 

exactly logic is not allowed on these forums

[Rhaynne]

I hope you live on the west coast. If your 10 gins back, and its only 2:00, your my hero =)

 

I think this short start to a comparison of features just gives us an idea of what a company CAN do as it develops a game today. WoW released with a decent sized world, impressive class array, average graphics, and not to many bells and whistles. But they still had to achieve all that on/close to budget. Then once they start earning some money back, they can breath, and start adding features (as is indicated with WoW when they released a large content pack 7 months in). And after a few years, their feature list is impressive.

 

But now we ask companies to do what WoW slowly did over the course of 8 years, in the short development cycle games have. So despite having the SAME budget, we require x2/x3 the content and features.

 

Id hate to be a developer now-a-days =P

 

edit:

were, where, ware, we're... baaaaahhh, i hate English...

Edited February 20, 2012 by Rhaynne

[BombzAway]

Sw:tor Got all my raid/pvp gear, maxxed companion affection, max crafting skills/ recipes in under 2 months

 

WoW: Kept working to improve myself, improve gear, improve crafting and generallly know more about the game hence enjoying my interaction with others more 2005-2008(when i stopped playing)

[Cmdluke]

I hope you live on the west coast. If your 10 gins back, and its only 2:00, your my hero =)

 

I think this short start to a comparison of features just gives us an idea of what a company CAN do as it develops a game today. WoW released with a decent sized world, impressive class array, average graphics, and not to many bells and whistles. But they still had to achieve all that on/close to budget. Then once they start earning some money back, they can breath, and start adding features (as is indicated with WoW when they released a large content pack 7 months in). And after a few years, their feature list is impressive.

 

But now we ask companies to do what WoW slowly did over the course of 8 years, in the short development cycle games have. So despite having the SAME budget, we require x2/x3 the content and features.

 

Id hate to be a developer now-a-days =P

 

edit:

were, where, ware, we're... baaaaahhh, i hate English...

 

While I agree, 5 years is not exactly a short dev cycle.

[Drewser]

Sw:tor Got all my raid/pvp gear, maxxed companion affection, max crafting skills/ recipes in under 2 months

 

WoW: Kept working to improve myself, improve gear, improve crafting and generallly know more about the game hence enjoying my interaction with others more 2005-2008(when i stopped playing)

 

What's funny about this is if they put in patch notes they were going to slow the leveling curve or make gear harder to get the forums would be flooded with outrage.

[Saiaku]

Now we just wait for all the posts about how this was 2004 and shouldn't be applicable to a 2011 game..

 

Yeah, because progression should be nonexistant, right?

 

Let's be honest and admit this is the truth. It was 2011 and it was lacking.

[Talsalus]

Achievements:

SW:ToR: shipped with this feature

WoW: added 4 years after launch

 

where?? If ur talking about the codex... those do not count

[Belogard]

So, this is how we're supposed to value fun? Has anyone considered when first playing WoW that was a new experience in "advanced" MMOs (if you will.) Further, having played WoW long enough to get tired of it, has it not leaped to mind one might just be tired of not WoW, but playing this sort of game at all. And, lastly, given this extended experience, isn't it possible people are expecting new games to give them the same thrill they had when they first began a game like WoW, which would now be impossible for anyone to do since the shine has worn off permanently?

 

I wouldn't insinuate people these days are in the habit of asking too much, and demanding a response...I'm just sayin'.

[chrisftw]

Sw:tor Got all my raid/pvp gear, maxxed companion affection, max crafting skills/ recipes in under 2 months

 

WoW: Kept working to improve myself, improve gear, improve crafting and generallly know more about the game hence enjoying my interaction with others more 2005-2008(when i stopped playing)

 

oh yeah i maxed everything out and also have 10 level 50's all maxed out everything

 

did that in 3 weeks.

 

woulda did it in a week but i had to eat/sleep sometime.

[chrisftw]

Achievements:

SW:ToR: shipped with this feature

WoW: added 4 years after launch

 

where?? If ur talking about the codex... those do not count

 

why "doesn't it count" friend?

 

because you don't glow white and get points you can never use?

[Rhaynne]

While I agree, 5 years is not exactly a short dev cycle.

 

WoW was announced 9-2-2001

WoW was released 11-24-2004

 

SWToR was announced 10-21-2008

SWToR was released 12-13-2011

 

Did they release somewhere the actual development times? I don't know, im just going off their announcements. We can surely assume they started development before they announced it, but as to how long i don't know. But each game from announcement to release, was about the same.

 

So technically, BW had to do what WoW did, and more, with the same time. Im not trying to get in BW's corner, im just looking at how the industry has changed.

[Cmdluke]

WoW was announced 9-2-2001

WoW was released 11-24-2004

 

SWToR was announced 10-21-2008

SWToR was released 12-13-2011

 

Did they release somewhere the actual development times? I don't know, im just going off their announcements. We can surely assume they started development before they announced it, but as to how long i don't know. But each game from announcement to release, was about the same.

 

So technically, BW had to do what WoW did, and more, with the same time. Im not trying to get in BW's corner, im just looking at how the industry has changed.

 

I believe they were working on it back in 06 (maybe earlier) when they started the new studio in austin. I remember being excited every time I heard a rumor of bioware working on a kotor mmo. They even gave an unofficial confirmation at one point.

[DrStiglit]

 

 

Looking For Group Tool:

SW:ToR: Didn't launch with this feature.

WoW: was added 2 years after launch.

 

 

 

Didn't this tool come out in Wrath?

 

Also, it's stupid that you think the that was 2004 and this was 2011 argument doesn't hold water...

 

This is 2011, SWTOR should have come out with those features that another MMO proved to be very valuable...

 

That being said, I still love this game.

[chrisftw]

Didn't this tool come out in Wrath?

 

Also, it's stupid that you think the that was 2004 and this was 2011 argument doesn't hold water...

 

This is 2011, SWTOR should have come out with those features that another MMO proved to be very valuable...

 

That being said, I still love this game.

 

according to your logic a game in development then can never be released to the public because each year the unreleased game is in development is another year the competition can pump out more content.

 

so you have this hamster wheel turning going nowhere until money dries up totally and the game gets canceled.

[Rhaynne]

@ComdLuke your right! I looked it up and SWToR began in 06. Also, interesting to note, blizzard spent around 100,000,000 on world of warcraft, and bw is rumored to have spent 200,000,000!...

 

Assuming BW didnt mismanage its time, or resources, then the cost and development times have nearly doubled to make a MMO today with the features (and still MANY lacking) we require.

 

It seams the cost/feature requirements needed for a "game of 2011/12" are exceeding what developers can spend/create.

 

Have we as a community become some insatiable beast? Thats an easy one =)

 

edit:

@drstiglit: i dont really understand your post. But the part i did understand: No, the LFD system came out earlier then WotLK, but didn't have the features (cross server queue, choose spec ect) that it was later released with.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Rhaynne

[Cmdluke]

@CmdLuke your right!

 

I never get tired of reading/hearing that. Can you please contact my wife and let her know?

[Palimow]

This game didn't ship with achievements.

[Sizzurps]

I believe Cosmos was out during Vanilla which aided quest helping. I just remember alt tabbing between Cosmos and Thottbot. Edited February 20, 2012 by Sizzurps

[Forsbacka]

Can we see your review of differences between original GTA and GTA5 when it gets released soon? How about differences between original Beetle and Beetle of 2012?