Can TOR become a real persistent online world?

[FadeLei]

In my opinion and from reading these forums since beta (and I think a lot of others players have the same feelings) one of the main problems with TOR is it doesn’t exactly feel like an MMORPG.

It’s too instanced, too many loading screens, the lack of a single area that actually feels like an online persistent world.

 

The game can’t (and shouldn’t) be redesigned from the ground up but there are simple solutions to change the way the game feels, to turn it into a true MMORPG and an amazing one at that.

Bioware, you have the basics in there already, the stories, great animations etc, we already has a good levelling system in place, fully voice acted quests – great! But that doesn’t make it an MMORPG, currently the game play is too disjointed and instanced.

In other games to get to a ‘dungeon’ you have to traverse a world, you get the feeling of going on an adventure…in TOR you simply go through the purple doorway on the fleet (if by some miracle all your group are on the same mission steps)

I’m all for convenience but instancing has to be balanced with creating a believable universe for your players to inhabit.

 

Anyway, here is how I would change things

 

To get the feeling of a single persistent world when you have multiple planets sounds impossible but it isn’t. The answer is simple … SPACE (ie the Galaxy)

Use space (even if it has to be a game expansion) as your persistent world and think of each planet as a giant ‘dungeon’

(and by the way change loading screens into relevant cut scenes instead so as to make switching down to planets less of a immersion jolting experience- something like intercom chatter about landing codes…Whatever)

 

How you actually do ‘space’ in TOR is up to you, but it has to be the thing that ties everything else together, even if you separate space into sectors as they are now on the galaxy map with hyperspace jumps needed to get from one sector to the other. It has to be the part of the game that is totally explorable by any level – No false level restrictions (oh don’t go into this sector you have to be level 50 pilot!) leave that to the planets. Let space flight be the travel time, the exploration, the discovery part of TOR and let the planets be the levelling process, the questing etc.

 

Here are some ideas of what space could contain:

Add old favourites like asteroid mining for rare crafting materials which will help solve the problem of crafters feeling like they aren’t actually crafting and the companions are doing all the work (some people enjoy crafting believe it or not)

 

Add explorable ‘space hulks’ in random locations, capital ships, boarding parties, space pirates, asteroid belts, mini games like the Kessel Run, smuggling, bounty hunting…

 

Make planets places you have to actually FLY to and land on, then add new areas to existing planets that aren’t based on character level or are quest related, just open, cross faction areas with things like rare spawn mobs, Pvp objectives, new operations and flashpoints – places worth returning to time and time again not just when you’re the appropriate level or because you have to grind a daily quest there.

 

In short, make space your persistent world, a huge explorable jumping block that leads to the content you already have in place.

 

Other ideas;

PVP Warzones – Does PVP have to mean players killing each other? NO! The Starwars universe is so rich with ideas you could draw from that don’t have to just be faction vs faction killing one another over and over.

Pod-racing, Swoop bike Racing and casino games could all be played with the same faction and might appeal more to those that don’t want to do ‘regular’ PVP.

 

Speaking of regular PVP, here are some warzone ideas, Novare Coast is great but a little too much like Civil War, there so much more you could do FOR EXAMPLE:

 

Capture the ‘flag’ but Starwars style – Rescue/capture a scientist from a space station who has key information about (X) - escort him to your factions launch hangar and protect him there until your shuttle arrives.

 

Last man standing – Rakghoul Plague style – Your team infiltrates a secret lab and fights off wave after wave of Rakghouls. When someone on your team is infected, they change into a Rakghoul and attack your team until one remains (medals awarded for amount of healing/rakghouls killed/infected killed etc)

 

PVE /PVP Hybrid warzones - where you fight alongside NPC’s of your faction, man vehicles like AT/ATs, gun turrets, Snow Speeders…your objective to storm the enemy back and plant explosives WHATEVER!

 

There’s so so much that could be done in TOR with the resources at Bioware’s disposal if they’d only stop thinking inside the (WOW) box

[Cerion]

In my opinion and from reading these forums since beta (and I think a lot of others players have the same feelings) one of the main problems with TOR is it doesn’t exactly feel like an MMORPG.

 

Well, that's your problem right there...reading these forums is like being stuck inside a brainwashing clean room having your Thetans measured by some Scientologist.

 

When I read the fourms for an extended period of time without being able to play the actual game, I start to believe half the pessimistic crap spewed on this forums. But as soon as I actually play the game, I'm having a blast and I'm left wondering why I ever started to believe these doom and gloomers to begin with.

[Jandi]

I didn't read your post, but the answer is no. Everything resets once a week. The only persistent thing in the entire game is your character.

[FadeLei]

Well, that's your problem right there...reading these forums is like being stuck inside a brainwashing clean room having your Thetans measured by some Scientologist.

 

When I read the fourms for an extended period of time without being able to play the actual game, I start to believe half the pessimistic crap spewed on this forums. But as soon as I actually play the game, I'm having a blast and I'm left wondering why I ever started to believe these doom and gloomers to begin with.

 

Actually my problem isn't reading the forums and becoming disheartened with the game, i play the game plenty (legacy 30 last time i looked)

No the problem i find with the forums is usually people replying to other peoples posts with thing like 'i didn't read your post BUT here is my take on it' Or people presuming that everyone just reads the forums all day and whines about the game without actually playing it. I also enjoy the game which is why i take time to think about concerns people have with the game and post my ideas on possible solutions.

[Jandi]

You want the game to be something it cannot be with the current systems in any feasible way without completely redoing the core of the game. It's not going to happen. Also, stating your legacy level in an effort to make your point any more valid is dumb. I'm at 46, so I'm right and you're wrong!!

[Listerman]

But you have to admit, the tone a lot of people carry doesn't help their argument...

There's an old saying, "What you are is so loud, I can't hear what you are saying".

 

So naturally when you see thread after thread of people stamping their feet, and threatening to hold their breath like children, the message they want to convey, even though legit as hell in some rare instances, tends to get lost in their own hubris and failure to approach it civilly. Especially when their first reaction to criticism, constructive or otherwise, is to verbally attack, a sign of immaturity that doesn't really lend itself to me wanting to really care about their opinion, all credibility lost.

 

And your idea has merit, by the way.

[Master-Nala]

The game is already a persistent online world.

[mattgyver]

The game is already a persistent online world.

 

persistent in its unchanging, static nature. Nothing you or the other players does will have any impact on anything. It's a museum you can look at but not touch.