What Does it Do Different?

[mjblowers]

My friends and I didn't really follow SWTOR as we had our fill of MMO's and did not expect SWTOR to be anything new. Regardless, we all caved last minute and have been enjoying the game ever since.

 

That being said, like many of you here, we see similarities and can guess what content will come, and, ultimately, what end game may be like. This is not my concern.

 

Since there are VERY few examples to compare to, I have to result to Galaxies, and I will use the original. I believe the launch version of Galaxies to be one of the best MMO's to date, and quite frankly, the Star Wars feel that game brought was amazing. My friends and I all agree that that "feel" is lacking here, but we recognize we are only about 20 and haven't seen hardly anything.

 

That being said - what does this game do better, and different, and innovative in comparison to its counterparts? Considering Galaxies came out in 2003(?) or around then, I would hope it could take the time to pull what's best out of Galaxies and mesh it with their own.

[Basiliscus]

Galaxies is an entirely different game type, It's a mmo, certainly but it belongs to the sandbox subgroup, a world building game.

 

TOR belongs to the themepark subgroup, consisting of a established world that the players move though, like a themepark, where the quests and dungeons are the 'rides'.

 

It's certainly hard to compare the two. TOR has far more in common with WoW and Rift than it does with SWG. So you cant really say is it 'better' or 'does X differently than SWG' since they belong to separate camps.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Basiliscus

[Valkirus]

Galaxies is an entirely different game type, It's a mmo, certainly but it belongs to the sandbox subgroup, a world building game.

 

TOR belongs to the themepark subgroup, consisting of a established world that the players move though, like a themepark, where the quests and dungeons are the 'rides'.

 

It's certainly hard to compare the two. TOR has far more in common with WoW and Rift than it does with SWG. So you cant really say is it 'better' or 'does X differently than SWG' since they belong to separate camps.

 

Exactly. It's like playing Mass Effect online. Which I am happy with.

[Granyala]

Not as cool as Mass Effect though.

 

Reapers > imperials

[KerinKor]

Take away the SW 'brand' and you're left with a generic solo-friendly MMO with a few innovative features (all-vocal quest interactions with cut-scenes is something I've not seen before), but mostly taking features from many MMOs: not saying that's bad, at all, but I've seen and read of nothing that is hugely new and frankly don't expect to see something so very new in a genre that's well established.

[Basiliscus]

Not as cool as Mass Effect though.

 

Reapers > imperials

 

eh, the imps have more personality, and are more visible.

[Yfelsung]

Basically, SWTOR is this:

 

Take all the really cool features of every MMO made in the last decade.

 

Make them better in every possible way and combine them into one game.

 

Nothing new, just all the old stuff done 100% better than it's ever been done.

[Kurnea]

That being said - what does this game do better, and different, and innovative in comparison to its counterparts? Considering Galaxies came out in 2003(?) or around then, I would hope it could take the time to pull what's best out of Galaxies and mesh it with their own.

 

Galaxies was a sandbox game unless I'm mistaken, while TOR is blatantly themepark. They're poor comparisons from the start. Wouldn't it be better to compare TOR to Rift, Aion, WoW, or any number of other themepark MMOs?

[supernickx]

I'm assuming Galaxies was your first MMO, thus it was your MMO-honeymoon period. You will always look back on it as the "best" thing and use it as your benchmark to some degree. To me: SWG became very mediocre and stale after a year and then just went downhill with that 'patch'.

 

Just as I look back on Asheron's Call as the daddy of MMOs (my first one) - I still to this day can see the similarities and compare against it.

 

I've played well over 15 MMOs now. Everything from EQ1, EQ2, DAOC, Aion, WoW, Warhammer, Eve, Guild Wars, SWG, COH, Champions, STO.. the list goes on lol. After so many years in the genre now I look for a few simple things: is it a good engine, is the content fun and is the game balanced/enjoyable.

 

Simply put: If I get a 'fun factor' from the game, i'm sold. I just view each new MMO as "new content" because the genre is so stabilized now it's like trying not to compare CoD with Battlefield.

 

Sure, there are games like Warhammer, Guild Wars, Eve and Aion that attempt the radical and different. Even the upcoming GW2 is promising such things - however i've seen so many 'radical new innovations' come and go now. It's the tried-and-tested fun factor MMOs (which SWTOR has accomplished in my opinion) that retain the biggest subscribers. (See: WoW. For a newbie I bet that game is really fun to them, for me it's overplayed and done with)

Edited December 19, 2011 by supernickx

[Kurnea]

Exactly. It's like playing Mass Effect online. Which I am happy with.

 

I've always said TOR seems like a generic themepark mmo with Mass Effect dialogue, the outcome of which is quite fun. Last night I noticed I was starting to out-level Dromund Kas and could probably just skip ahead with the class quest quests and try to get off the planet, but being snarky to Revanites is just too damn fun!

[lightumup]

I am so tired of people saying this game does not inovate. There are so many little aspects of the game that make me wonder " why the hell did nobody do this sooner?" Like the ability to have an item thats orange that you love the look of, and be able to keep it the whole game because you can just keep modding it. Never again do you have to throw away that sweet looking low level armor. Get orange stuff and keep it viable the whole game! Edited December 19, 2011 by lightumup

[Aralt]

Basically, SWTOR is this:

 

Take all the really cool features of every MMO made in the last decade.

 

Make them better in every possible way and combine them into one game.

 

Nothing new, just all the old stuff done 100% better than it's ever been done.

 

 

I wouldn't say that, there is still a lot they can do to improve the game, however it is one of the best MMO's out there.

[Yfelsung]

I wouldn't say that, there is still a lot they can do to improve the game, however it is one of the best MMO's out there.

 

There's tons they can do to improve the game, but those things are above and beyond the fact they already did everything better than other MMOs.

 

The PvE is like WoW, but better.

 

The PvP is like Warhammer, but better

 

The story is like the first 20 levels of AoC, but better.

 

Now they just need small stuff like addon and macro support, some more UI features. Little things mostly.

[mutharex]

Basically, SWTOR is this:

 

Take all the really cool features of every MMO made in the last decade.

 

Make them better in every possible way and combine them into one game.

 

Nothing new, just all the old stuff done 100% better than it's ever been done.

 

^This. Also they added/integrated fully voiced and 'acted' quests and morality choices.

 

After all, innovation doesn't always rhyme with quality and success...

 

Would you like to play a shooter where you don't shoot stuff?

[MrFisky]

For me, it's all the little things in this game that make it great. Aside from story and VO, it really hasn't made any big changes. (The story and VO is fantastic though!) But features like getting rid of grey items at any time, the improved "Hearthstone" (Quick Travel) etc. is just amazing.

 

I'm super interested to see what they'll do with the Legacy system in the future. It has potential to be absolutely amazing.

[Aralt]

There's tons they can do to improve the game, but those things are above and beyond the fact they already did everything better than other MMOs.

 

The PvE is like WoW, but better.

 

The PvP is like Warhammer, but better

 

The story is like the first 20 levels of AoC, but better.

 

Now they just need small stuff like addon and macro support, some more UI features. Little things mostly.

 

agreed! this is the most complete, however here are some others things I would love to see.

Cosmetics, I don't like looking like everyone else.

I would love to customize the color of my ship as well as the inside.

Big battles with npc's as allies and enemies.

[Kurnea]

I am so tired of people saying this game does not inovate. There are so many little aspects of the game that make me wonder " why the hell did nobody do this sooner?" Like the ability to have an item thats orange that you love the look of, and be able to keep it the whole game because you can just keep modding it. Never again do you have to throw away that sweet looking low level armor. Get orange stuff and keep it viable the whole game!

 

In terms of big stuff, it doesn't really innovate. We're still doing quests that amount to 'kill x of this' or 'make your way to y', we're still using the basic role systems, equipment, grouping, and leveling are all much the same as other themepark mmos.

 

Lack of innovation isn't really a bad thing, though, as constantly reinventing the wheel can usually be far more of a hindrance than beneficial. As others have said, players usually like an 'evolution' of genres. You take what's out there, and just keep rounding off the hard edges until you get things exactly right. The fps genre is a great example of this, where modern games are about spot on in regards to the engines and game mechanics.