Leveling needs to be less important and less time consuming

[DanteBlizz]

It is impossible to just play the game for its main story line, when the expected level of each class quest is only capable of achieving by taking advantage of every single feature in the game. You are required to do every single side mission and more in order to be able to play a class quest at its recommended level. Either that or spend days grinding warzones in order to get enough xp to play it. I suppose this would be less of a problem if this story driven game didn't completely pull you out of the story to do something irrelevant. I just wish that there was a way to get to the level required to do the high point of the game, I don't have problems with doing side quests if they are good enough, but seriously having to do the ones that the game currently requires you to do is to much and I can't take the story seriously if makes me do all of it.

[aeterno]

If you do every single thing you're soon at a point when you outlevel whole planets before even going there. I know cos it happened to me when I got to Voss.

 

It's true that you cant only level through your class story and need to suplement XP gains with other things, the higher up you get, the more, obviously.

At low levels warzones and even space combat are a great source but later on I find it's best to simply do the class story and allong the way (and even after you've finished it) join every PUG doing heroic quests on that planet that you see in chat.

 

I do think you're exaggerating the issue a lot but I won't lie, I am a bit bummed that the unlockable "XP gain bonus from X" apparently won't be part of legacy in 1.2... That would make life a LOT more pleasant on alts.

Edited March 26, 2012 by aeterno

[Beziel]

Sorry to OP but I can't say I agree.

You do NOT need to do absolutely every side quests in order to be on-level for your class quests. You DO need to do some indeed, but that's (usually) not even half of what a planet has to offer.

In fact, this game's leveling progression is one of the fastest and easiest I've experienced. I am not talking about games getting old and choosing to make it easier to level as a means of player-retention. I'm talking games that launch and see their leveling being thoroughly tested by the player base.

Having a few toons at level-cap should not be possible (IMO) so early after launch, and it IS the case with this game.

[StormNaara]

xD I honestly laughed out loud at the title. You really expect an MMORPG to have less leveling and it not being important? I understand your point, after doing all the side quests I too often struggle to cohesively re-assemble the whole story that happened quite a while ago, but really, what you ask is kinda impossible.

 

The best thing you can do is whenever you arrive to a planet - do the story line first, and only then the rest of the quests so that it's less confusing. If you don't avoid clusters of mobs and do all the quests a planet has to offer along with the bonuses you shouldn't have any problem with being too low level to do the story line quest.

[Tamanous]

Past the second planet I ONLY do class story, planet story, Heroics, space missions, pvp and bonus series. I do NO side quests and I level so damn fast I have a hell of a time even trying to cap out my warzone commendations. This game levels too fast and pumps out way too much xp.

 

I seriously would like to understand how some players have so much issue leveling.

[Wobbles]

Completely disagree with OP. I'm leveling an Operative alt and only doing the Class quests and war zones / space missions to fill in the gaps for XP. War zones and space missions give a lot of XP for low level players. Valor rank is maxed out at every level after a few games.

 

My alt is level 22 and will be 23 when she finishes Nar Shaddaa. The suggested level for that planet is 20-24. If I did all the side quests, war zones, space dailies, etc. I woulld be 2-3 levels above each planet easily. On my Marauder alt, I was level 50 before I went to Voss. Don't really see your issue. Not hard to level at all; if anything, it's too fast.

[ejadavidson]

I apologize in advance for the caps but I want to make a point.

 

ALWAYS LOG OUT IN A CANTINA, YOUR SHIP OR ON THE IMPERIAL/REPUBLIC FLEET.

 

Getting those 'rested' double XP is invaluable to help your toon level up if you don't want to do all the side quests.

 

I have three toons that I always park in a 'safe' area when I'm done. I rotate between them so I'm always playing them with rested double XP.

[DustomaticGXC]

It is impossible to just play the game for its main story line, when the expected level of each class quest is only capable of achieving by taking advantage of every single feature in the game. You are required to do every single side mission and more in order to be able to play a class quest at its recommended level. Either that or spend days grinding warzones in order to get enough xp to play it. I suppose this would be less of a problem if this story driven game didn't completely pull you out of the story to do something irrelevant. I just wish that there was a way to get to the level required to do the high point of the game, I don't have problems with doing side quests if they are good enough, but seriously having to do the ones that the game currently requires you to do is to much and I can't take the story seriously if makes me do all of it.

 

You don't have to do "every single side quest", nor "spend days grinding warzones" to stay level-appropriate with your class quest. I realize people like to exaggerate to get their point across, but come on. It's a game. If it isn't what you like, play something else.

[CrunkShizzle]

i do agree with the less important part

 

but this games grind seems to be a joke,if anything.they need to make it more time consuming

[ninjashadowdark]

It is impossible to just play the game for its main story line, when the expected level of each class quest is only capable of achieving by taking advantage of every single feature in the game. You are required to do every single side mission and more in order to be able to play a class quest at its recommended level. Either that or spend days grinding warzones in order to get enough xp to play it. I suppose this would be less of a problem if this story driven game didn't completely pull you out of the story to do something irrelevant. I just wish that there was a way to get to the level required to do the high point of the game, I don't have problems with doing side quests if they are good enough, but seriously having to do the ones that the game currently requires you to do is to much and I can't take the story seriously if makes me do all of it.

 

really so you want everything to be handed to you like a pizza in a plate O_O.... dude thats just lazy man :/.. game would be boring .. i dont care about lvling i get a happy face everytime i lvl and i see glowing thing

[Gurpsmeister]

I completely disagree with you on this.

 

This game has the fastest, easiest ride to max level in pretty much every game I've ever played. I had to purposely slow down, just to avoid feeling like I rushed.

 

My first 50 I did ever quest, bonus, datacron, heroic and flashpoint that was given to me pretty much at the time it was given to me. I kid you not, when I left Nar Shadaa I could've skipped my next planet and still been 2 lvls up on the one after that. I hit lvl 50 before Voss, and that was slowing my roll a bit.

 

If anything this game needs a little bit more consumption of time while leveling. The more you do on the way to 50, the less you complain that there's nothing to do when you become 50. That's how I look at it.

[Erevan_Kindelar]

OP, let me be honest about this. MMORPG games are about leveling. Also, you are missing something I suspect, or perhaps you have a high level friend helping you with your quests? The vast majority of people who have issues with the leveling rate and xp gain are reporting the opposite problem to yours, namely that they are so over-leveled for the class quests that there is no challenge.

 

However, if you are looking for an online game where progress is not measured by the time you spend playing, EVE Online is the only option I can think of - all of the other online games are dependent on you playing the game and leveling. With EVE, the skills train while you are offline.

[Dalwhat]

Those that are complaining about the time it takes to level will be those that complain because there is nothing to do with their capped out characters. This is the downside of the "I want it all and I want it now" generation.

[swtonewbie]

I do agree with the OP to an extent...

 

The overall leveling time from 1-50 does not need to be shortened. However have some you guys noticed that when doing both side quests and your class quest, that the class quest only has 1 objective per zone?

 

What i mean for example is you're in Coruscant you go to Black Sun territory (the first quest hub) you do say 10 side quests, but your class mission only has you doing 1 thing. You go to the next quest hub and pick up another 8 side mission, and again you only have 1 thing to do for your class mission.

 

IMO the class missions should have had more then 1-2 things to do in each quest hub that you go to. It's probably too late to do anything about it now. Any changes to any of the class missions would probably require a major rework of all the class missions. I guess it wouldnt be so bad if there was no voice acting/or camera work that had to be re-done.

[Alric_Annondu]

It is impossible to just play the game for its main story line, when the expected level of each class quest is only capable of achieving by taking advantage of every single feature in the game. You are required to do every single side mission and more in order to be able to play a class quest at its recommended level. Either that or spend days grinding warzones in order to get enough xp to play it. I suppose this would be less of a problem if this story driven game didn't completely pull you out of the story to do something irrelevant. I just wish that there was a way to get to the level required to do the high point of the game, I don't have problems with doing side quests if they are good enough, but seriously having to do the ones that the game currently requires you to do is to much and I can't take the story seriously if makes me do all of it.

 

"WAAAH, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GRIND, THE BASIC TACTIC OF AN MMO"

 

Really? Your comment about "having to do all the sidequests" is completely wrong. You should (if you played right) be two levels above your current planet each time, (until the later levels, when you should be at the highest level (or really close to it) that the planet has to offer.

 

Take hoth for example. I was at lv 40 by the time I hit planetside, and by the end of it I was lv 45. as soon as I got to belsalvis, I was already above the maximum level difficulty it had (44).

 

Of course, this was only achieved by going to balmoora first instead of nar shadda.

 

In conclusion, I constantly maintained a level advantage over the NPCS (Except bosses) and didn't really have to do all the side quests, I just did them for fun.

 

You lack the ability to have fun.

[Rayla_Felana]

Apparently 99% of people here missed the BiOWare statement that they gave to general RPG fans:

 

"Fans of KotOR and our other series will be pleased to hear the entire levelling experience can be done through the class story, so people can be immersed into the game without suffering the grind effects."

 

But y'know, that doesn't mean no grind at all does it?

[Tadshackles]

How novel.... Someone QQing that there is TOO MUCH content in the game...

[AlienEyeTX]

One of the great things about SWTOR is that casual players, such as myself, can play for an hour or two a day and still make good progress and not be turned off by having to hunt for 10 hours just to level. I do the class story and some (not all) of the side quests and it makes for a great pace and keeps me at the appropriate level for the story. I don't do FPs or Heroics and can keep up just fine.

 

On the other hand, there's all that great content for people who DO have the time for it. It's basically the cherry on top. On the odd day when I do have a decent amount of time to play, exploring is a blast.

 

Bioware seems to have done a good job delivering a product that appeals and works for players on all levels.

[DustomaticGXC]

Apparently 99% of people here missed the BiOWare statement that they gave to general RPG fans:

 

"Fans of KotOR and our other series will be pleased to hear the entire levelling experience can be done through the class story, so people can be immersed into the game without suffering the grind effects."

 

But y'know, that doesn't mean no grind at all does it?

 

What they mean by "grind" is farming for xp. In EQ, for example, there was no quest xp. You leveled solely by killing things over and over and over. WoW was like this to a lesser extent when it was released. It had quests with xp rewards substantially better than EQ's, but you still had to grind out xp by farming mobs to supplement what was, at the time, not nearly enough quests.

 

If your definition of "grind" is "anything I don't like doing", then there will likely never be an MMO that isn't a grind to some faction of the playerbase, because everybody enjoys different things.

[Cancerianmoth]

Another player asking for handouts.

The first 50 I had was always 2 or 3 levels above each planet I went to. Even as I leveled up an alt- that one ended up a level or 2 even after skipping planets. So this time around- I don't do space missions, I skip most of the side missions and just do War Zones, Class quests, and the planet's main quest line. Now the game is actually a challenge (I've died so much more as an at level guardian than as the smuggler and sentinel combined).

[XLJedi]

Currently working toward my first 50 with very limited PvP activity (less than 5 valor).

 

I'll be lvl 47 before I leave Belsavis! ...and I know I've got at least 2 or 3 more planets ahead of me that I haven't even visited. In fact, I may take a break from grinding tonight and just go to the new planets and explore the maps for bind points to AVOID some grinding.

 

I'm leveling so fast I'm graying out active missions as I go; which means I'm at least 7 levels over these side missions. It seems impossible to do every side mission (at least with a Guardian) and not gray-out some stuff. I suspect it may have something to do with playstyle in the sense that Guardians and Sentinels are killing everything along the way and racking-up the xp, where a stealthy shade may be sneaking by everything and only taking xp from mission completions.

 

There seems to be more than enough leveling content; which is nice I think. I will almost certainly try a shade as my next toon just to see how the leveling differs when trying to sneak past everything. Wondering if sneaking around the Imperial sections and gaining the map discovery pts would equalize against missing the xp gains from avoided elite combat.

[ninjashadowdark]

I do agree with the OP to an extent...

 

The overall leveling time from 1-50 does not need to be shortened. However have some you guys noticed that when doing both side quests and your class quest, that the class quest only has 1 objective per zone?

 

What i mean for example is you're in Coruscant you go to Black Sun territory (the first quest hub) you do say 10 side quests, but your class mission only has you doing 1 thing. You go to the next quest hub and pick up another 8 side mission, and again you only have 1 thing to do for your class mission.

 

IMO the class missions should have had more then 1-2 things to do in each quest hub that you go to. It's probably too late to do anything about it now. Any changes to any of the class missions would probably require a major rework of all the class missions. I guess it wouldnt be so bad if there was no voice acting/or camera work that had to be re-done.

 

Dude if you want time game to to eve online see how long that takes to learn one skill.. Years sometimes months to learn one skill... try that see how it goes for you if you like no lvling It takes months to learn the big ship skills and alot more you be skilling for hours with out playing .I lvl 1-50 in 4 weeks time off schhool and everything so i dont see the problem. thats only if i am rushing i lvl that fast

Edited March 27, 2012 by ninjashadowdark

[Anrew]

I gotta disagree. I finished lvling my sage on voss. On my shadow I'm like 41 half way to 42 or so and I'm leaving hoth. And on my shadow I have spent alot of time just stealthing to avoid fighting and doing bonus missions. I have pvp'd a little bit just trying to learn the class in it, but not all that much, essentially only doing space missions when new ones pop up. I don't bother with the heroics just due to effort vs. reward. I do recommend doing bonus quests that have multiple parts just for the coms.

 

The time consuming part comes into play with how young the game is. The devs didn't want to make a game where everyone can get lvl 50 in a week (except for those hardcore players). My largest complaint with time consuming while lvling is traveling to so many camps per planet when in some situations you only get a lvl or 2.

 

Honestly with the bonus to exp coming in through legacy I'm actually against that. I mean yeah its nice if you want alts, but its not like its realy that hard to hit 50, just time consuming.

[Processj]

It's a monthly subscription game, leveling will not become easier or less time consuming. And compared to other mmo's, leveling swtor is a cake walk.

[Idejon]

I too have had the same experience as most people here. Getting my first character to 50 was straightforward. By the time I got to Corellia I just did class quests to get the last level. This was having done few heroics, no flashpoints and only 2 bonus series.

 

My second character, now 31, is on the high sore for Alderaan having skipped all of Nar Shadaa and half of Tattooine. For him my goal is to hit 50 before patch 1.2 as he is my Chiss BH and I would like my next character to be a Chiss smuggler.

 

From reading these posts I have actually been convinced to level one of my future characters as a completionist (datacrons, side quests, heroics, flashpoints, and bonus) which will take longer but provide my character with better gear, and an overall easier keveling experience. Personally I am shocked at how much content there is to level by ob this game and that is NOT a bad thing. Yes a completionist approach is going to take a long time (as it should) but there are other methods for getting to 50 faster. Choose a method to level and you can adjust it as needed or if you pick a new toon.

 

In a more direct relation to your original topic, leveling in a story bases game should not be important ans while this game does have story as a central facet it is primarily an MMO not a story based game. Leveling is important in an MMO and it is not something that should be achievable in a weekend. I will concede that there could be more class quests but really you can get a continuous story by doing the class quest and the planet quest (usually found near the spaceport) and the two combined should be close to enough to keep you at level. In this genre leveling IS important and it SHOULD consume time. This game just so happens to require less time than others in the genre, if it is taking too long feel free to go okay Tetris instead.