Where Were You...3 Years Ago!

[EricMusco]

Hey folks,

 

In case you don't recall, December 20th, this Saturday, will mark the 3-year anniversary of STAR WARS: The Old Republic. As part of that, we thought it would be fun to start a thread so all of you can share where you were 3 years ago when we launched. Or, share a happy memory of yours from the past 3 years! We will also have devs, other members of the community team, etc. swinging into the thread to share there memories!

 

I'll kick it off! Working at BioWare is actually my first job in the game industry so this was the first product I ever got to help launch. By far my favorite memory is the day of early access we all stood around the monitors in our "Live Pit" to watch what happened when the servers went up. We gave the go ahead and watched as the populations for each server began to go up! It was a surreal experience to see thousands of players swarming into the game within minutes, seconds even. I will never forget it.

 

Share yours!

 

-eric

[Darth_Wicked]

Probably waiting on queue. Peragus Mining Facility server.

 

Good times!

[Willcutt]

I never considered for a moment how surreal it must be for devs to watch players pour into their game for the first time. Makes me want to work for bioware lol.

[Dbohrius]

I remember I made an account, but gave up the game soon after because my computer wasn't exactly very good. Terrible video and processing lag. By the time I bought a new rig, I had all but forgotten about the game. Glad I came back :-)

[Raansu]

Sitting at my computer waiting for an e-mail feeling ripped off because BW decided to stagger their early access. Getting into the game seeing it being a buggy mess and thinking the game should have waited a few more months with more testing to launch, but for some reason kept playing it anyway and here I am. Guess I'm a masochist.

[Icebergy]

Sitting at my computer waiting for an e-mail feeling ripped off because BW decided to stagger their early access. Getting into the game seeing it being a buggy mess and thinking the game should have waited a few more months with more testing to launch, but for some reason kept playing it anyway and here I am. Guess I'm a masochist.

 

This is why we just can't have nice things.

[itsmymillertime]

Unemployed and depressed. I only knew about the game 2 months before release. It helped me out of my depression and I was able to get back on my feet.

[TUXs]

In-game!!! Early access, trying to scrape together the funds to start our guild...which was a lotta credits at the time. I was filled with hope and excitement...couldn't wait to get to Illum to see what the "PvP" planet was all about!

[Raansu]

This is why we just can't have nice things.

 

We have nice things? News to me.

[Jerba]

To be fair, I was a very casual player in the beginning; even though I had played in the beta and preordered, I waited until January before starting to play (on the Sith Triumvirate server) so that I had a new computer that could run the game smoothly and so that I was done with exams.

During leveling, I did every bonus quest and planetary side quest, even if it was already grey. By the time I got to level 50, which was around May, there were only 20 players on fleet at most, so it was hard finding groups, but "megaservers" came not long after, and since then there have always been plenty of people to play with.

 

SWTOR has been my first MMO. While I did play KotOR before, I was new to the whole genre of MMOs. So at the beginning, I was a pretty much a noob, but always willing to learn and now I always help others when they have a problem. Some of the highlights include:

• Not choosing an advanced class until around level 25 because I could not decide which one to take
  
• Always wearing Force gear on my smuggler until level 50 when someone explained to me how to gear up
  
• Insisting that you need two healers for the Black Hole Heroic since I could not heal it myself with my bad gear
  
• Carrying hundreds of players through Esseles just because I liked the story so much, always showing them the bonus boss, all the chests and codex entries. That was the only low-level group content where I found groups for on the empty server
  
• Going through Tatooine at level 20 without a speeder because I wanted to partake in the Rakghoul event, and dying multiple times without completing any quest
  
• Getting into the Top 3 of several player-run events like a galaxy-wide scavenger hunt and a speeder race on Tatooine
  
• Organizing multiple runs for the fleet datacron, always lasting many hours to get everyone to the top
  
• Getting my first operations loot drop ever from Kephess in Denova, and proudly wearing the chest piece for nearly a year without swapping the mods into a nicer looking chestpiece
  
• Collecting the Orokeet eggs and breeding them, as well as catching my Taunlet pet
  
• Checking out the old Ilum PvP area when it was completely deserted. Capturing all five points and wondering why nothing was happening.
  
• Writing a CSR ticket asking if I can stay on my old server since all my friends are there and I don't want to transfer. And getting a response that said "Yes you won't be forced to transfer" a few weeks before forced transfers were implemented. But by that time I had already transferred.
  

And that is just everything I did before the F2P transition. I really like this game a lot, will be playing it until the servers shut down and hope it will stay for years to come!

Edited December 19, 2014 by Jerba

[Joesixxpack]

Waiting in queue for a server some guildies identified as The One. After we all checked back in later one of us geniuses noticed it was a PVE server and we wanted to start on PVP.

 

So 3 years ago I was waiting in queues and helping fill our voip with lels and bad words.

 

Rest In Pieces, Gardens of Talla and Dreshdae Cantina

Edited December 18, 2014 by Joesixxpack

[Darth_Wicked]

We have nice things? News to me.

 

This is a happy topic.

 

Try to tone down your overall unhappiness with life, just for once.

[LtGeneralGezlin]

I had just finished my first semester of college, and I was refreshing my email hoping to get into Early Access. Also, I had downloaded all the trailers, and other assorted videos on the site (I miss being able to do that...) and had been watching them nonstop. Seriously, I loved watching "

" video and the "

" trailer. (We need Nico Okarr in the game now, btw! He is the reason my main is a Gunslinger after all!)

[Lifexless]

3 years ago I went to a big computer store in San Jose with my gf, bought a desktop and SWTOR, then went home and had to find a desk on craigslist to set everything up, and then finally I made my Guardian. I'm on a different server now and that toon is long gone. RIP Asvaldr Farlight

[Code_Airwolf]

Playing City of Heroes.

 

Got nagged by a good friend of mine about SWTOR and how awesome it is going to be and how the wife & I should try it when it comes out since we love Star Wars.

 

Was tough to have to start all over w/a new game when you're maxed out and completely knowledgeable about another. Tried it as a Founder. Loved it. Wife's computer Error Code 7'd. Built new rig so she could play it.

 

Split time with CoH until Nov 30, 2012. We've been playing SWTOR as our MMO (when time allows) ever since.

 

Class stories were the biggest thing to make the transition worth the effort.

 

Congratulations SWTOR Team & Happy Anniversary!

Edited December 18, 2014 by Code_Airwolf

[TheSupaCoopa]

I honestly have no idea. I think I was playing LEGO Universe or something. It wasn't until late 2012 that I started playing TOR. I think my first level 50 was in early 2013, iirc. I play this game way too much now.

 

-Duran'del

[Cotlu-Hunlon]

My sig.

[Technohic]

Hey folks,

 

In case you don't recall, December 20th, this Saturday, will mark the 3-year anniversary of STAR WARS: The Old Republic. As part of that, we thought it would be fun to start a thread so all of you can share where you were 3 years ago when we launched. Or, share a happy memory of yours from the past 3 years! We will also have devs, other members of the community team, etc. swinging into the thread to share there memories!

 

I'll kick it off! Working at BioWare is actually my first job in the game industry so this was the first product I ever got to help launch. By far my favorite memory is the day of early access we all stood around the monitors in our "Live Pit" to watch what happened when the servers went up. We gave the go ahead and watched as the populations for each server began to go up! It was a surreal experience to see thousands of players swarming into the game within minutes, seconds even. I will never forget it.

 

Share yours!

 

-eric

 

You know; I think it would be fascinating if a development team ever took footage of what it was like to see the empty game world launch and start filling up. Even cover the process as bugs prop up and those launch struggles. Maybe it would be a documentary for nerds, but I would watch it.

[Raansu]

This is a happy topic.

 

Try to tone down your overall unhappiness with life, just for once.

 

I'm not unhappy with life though, my life is pretty good

[Jerba]

You know; I think it would be fascinating if a development team ever took footage of what it was like to see the empty game world launch and start filling up. Even cover the process as bugs prop up and those launch struggles. Maybe it would be a documentary for nerds, but I would watch it.

Unfortunately, we never got any image of their Live Pit. I agree, it would be awesome to see it.

However, failing that, I'd recommend you to watch

. While WoW's server room and Live Pit are of course a little bit bigger, it must look somewhat similar. Maybe once we reach SWTOR's 10th anniversary, we'll get a similar documentary for SWTOR. Edited December 18, 2014 by Jerba

[Technohic]

Unfortunately, we never got any image of their Live Pit. I agree, it would be awesome to see it.

However, failing that, I'd recommend you to watch

. While WoW's server room and Live Pit are of course a little bit bigger, it must look somewhat similar.

 

Woah, thats a big one. I'll wait and watch it when I get home from work.

 

Thanks for the link.

[Valmyas]

Moved from WOW to SWTOR a week after launch.

I remember being very impressed with all the VA and class stories. I remember what my Jedi Sage went through even 3 years after. I cant say the same for any of my WOW characters.

 

One of the best memories from those beginning days was my very first 16 man operation.

Watching 8 Jedi flying in to attack and massive droid with troopers and gun slingers laying down massive fight power is something you don't get anywhere else.

[Reno_Tarshil]

I was mourning the loss of my brother who died close to a month ago 26 Nov 2011.

[TUXs]

I was mourning the loss of my brother who died close to a month ago 26 Nov 2011.

 

Geezus Reno...

[Herem]

I remember getting my early access email while I was at the airport. I was even thinking, while heading out from my hotel that day, how it would suck if they let me in that day, and sure enough that email was waiting for me in my inbox once I got my laptop connected. I think I might've gotten my main character set up before I had to get on the plane. The next few hours were agony, but the weekend was great!

 

Dreshdae Cantina 4eva.