official Star Wars: The Old Republic

[Kirkburn]

So, I understand there are mirror classes. They might play similarly, but honestly that doesn't really bother me: I'm not playing a new class solely to discover new gameplay. They don't have mirror storylines.

Plus, even if you do play a mirror class, they still have significant differences when you choose your specialization.

I can't say I'm concerned I'll run out of possibilities. (WoW doesn't even have variation beyond the starter zones for each side, and I've played WoW since launch).

[metal_dragen Veteran]

ahh, thats interesting, i would have thought the smuggler would be the bounty hunters mirror.

I think that makes more sense from a lore/story perspective, but it's not how they chose to implement it.

So, I understand there are mirror classes. They might play similarly, but honestly that doesn't really bother me: I'm not playing a new class solely to discover new gameplay. They don't have mirror storylines.

Plus, even if you do play a mirror class, they still have significant differences when you choose your specialization.

I can't say I'm concerned I'll run out of possibilities. (WoW doesn't even have variation beyond the starter zones for each side, and I've played WoW since launch).

The thing is, you can discover new gameplay also. Each of the 4 base classes are mirrored on either faction. However, they each have 2 advanced classes (ACs) with wildly different gameplay to each other.

For example, the only mirror class that I have 2 50s of is the Sith Warrior/Jedi Knight. I chose the Juggernaut AC on the Empire side (mirrors to the Jedi Knight's Guardian AC). This is the Darth Vader archetype class that uses a single lightsaber and can be a tank or a DPS. However, on the Republic side, I chose the Sentinel AC for my Jedi Knight (mirrors to the Sith Warrior Marauder AC). This is a dual lightsaber, strictly DPS class. Even if I chose to play DPS on my Juggernaut, the playstyle is completely different to a Sentinel/Marauder.

The same goes for all the other ACs - my main is an Imperial Agent Sniper (Smuggler Gunslinger mirror), ranged pure DPS, but I created a Smuggler Scoundrel (Imperial Agent Operative mirror) on the Republic side which can be heals or DPS, but the DPS style is closer to that of a Rogue (melee with stealth). I have a Bounty Hunter Mercenary (Trooper Commando mirror) that can be healing or ranged DPS (mine is heals) and I have a Trooper Vanguard (Bounty Hunter Powertech mirror) on the Republic side which can be a tank or short/melee range DPS. And lastly, I have a Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer (Jedi Consular Sage mirror) that can be heals or ranged DPS and I have a Jedi Consular Shadow (Sith Inquisitor Assassin mirror) that can be a tank or melee DPS with stealth and uses a double-bladed lightsaber (the Darth Maul archetype).

I played WoW from vanilla through TBC. I find that SWTOR has much more variation in playstyle between the various classes. And they all play very differently, especially so within the 2 ACs for the same base class. This really does make it more interesting and exciting for me to roll alts and try out these other classes.

I have 4 50s now - my main Sniper, a Juggernaut, a Mercenary and a Sentinel. I have 2 other characters (my Sorcerer and Vanguard) that are close (about 43 and 41 respectively now) while my others are all level 20 or under. And I enjoy playing each of them depending on the mood I'm in - if I want to stay at range and just burn stuff, I can play my Sniper, if I wanna get up close and just tear things up, I have my Sentinel. If I wanna solo some tough content or get a group to run a flashpoint or operation, I have my Juggernaut. And if I feel like a challenge, I have my Mercenary healer to run in a flashpoint or operation.

And of course, there's always PvP and the stories. Each base class has a unique story and while some are better than others (by far the best I've seen was also my first - the Imperial Agent), they are all rather enjoyable. And I also interweave playing Imperial and Republic characters so that I'm not seeing the same planetary stories over and over right after each other.

[tiagosilva29]

So, I made a free account and started playing with a mute* Chiss Sniper called Unix (I can't solo a champion but it kicks a lot of damage for sure) on The Red Eclipse server.

Everything is pretty straightforward MMORPG stuff. The camera confuses me a bit, as I am used to LOTRO.

From what I could tell, with a free account you *can't speak (just use the emotes/social stuff), send PMs or buy storage. I am not sure about messages (Send me monies!).

It's a pretty fun game. I just walk around giving that critical buff to everyone in the way and help out killing some mobs.

[Kirkburn]

From what I could tell, with a free account you *can't speak (just use the emotes/social stuff), send PMs or buy storage. I am not sure about messages (Send me monies!).

Talking to people worked fine for me in a party.

[spaceelf]

Meh. When Turbine changed the model of their games to F2P+μtransactions they had a 5x (DDO) and 3x (LOTRO) revenue increase. They release a paid expansion every year with several free updates. The players are ?ber-friendly/giving as well. Never had a problem there.

Now that SWTOR has this open experience I will spread my LOTRO friendliness there. Until I reach level 15 or they shift to F2P+μtransactions... whichever comes first.

LOTRO (and DDO somewhat) also had a sizable playerbase that was willing to come back and bring new players into it. Maybe TOR will, maybe it won't. I'm starting to think the Star Wars fanbase is finally dying off. (Interest-wise. I haven't been off picking you all off. Seriously. ;) )

[tiagosilva29]

Talking to people worked fine for me in a party.

Yeah, noticed that today!

I'm having a lot of trouble managing the Sniper's abilities' positions in the bars. They keep changing due to Cover mode and I can fix their position.

Now, about crew skills... since I'm not going above level 15, what skills should I be taking?

[metal_dragen Veteran]

Yeah, noticed that today!

I'm having a lot of trouble managing the Sniper's abilities' positions in the bars. They keep changing due to Cover mode and I can fix their position.

Now, about crew skills... since I'm not going above level 15, what skills should I be taking?

You can disable the cover bar in the preferences if you'd rather not use it. I just got used to it personally (been playing a sniper as my main toon since early access).

For crew skills it doesn't matter if you never plan to actually subscribe. Choose whichever one sounds the most interesting. If you ever plan on subscribing, there are a few that have distinct advantages at end-game.

Biochem - this is by default the most popular crew skill because it makes medpacs, stims and adrenals - the consumables you will be using. As a Biochem at end game, you'll be able to make the best of all 3 of those categories and this can be a good money maker as well. You can also make reusable versions of the stims and medpacs but only you will be able to use them and the stim is technically 1 step below the best in slot.

Cybertech - this is popular amongst competitive PvP players because of the grenades that can be crafted. These grenades have effects like AoE slows and AoE stuns (mezzes). Other than that, Cybertech is pretty much worthless at end-game. However, since Cybertech makes armoring and mods, this is a great profession to have on one toon so you can provide those mods to your alts (if you plan on and enjoy playing alts). Cybertech is also the only profession that can craft droid parts. This is a very small market since only one class on Empire and 2 on Republic gets a useful droid companion (everyone gets the ship droid, but almost no one actually puts any gear on him). However, once HK-51 is introduced into the game, there will probably be a small resurgence of popularity for these parts to outfit him. Also, Cybertech can make the best in slot ship upgrade parts - a small market, but pretty lucrative if you don't have much competition - could also see a resurgence when the new space mission is added later this year.

Synthweaving and Armormech - these are the 2 armor crafting skills (Synthweaving for Force users [creates gear with +strength and +willpower stats] and Armormech for non-Force users [creates gear with +aim and +cunning stats]). These will be useful at end-game only by virtue of the fact that you can get a leg up on your end-game PvE gearing because you'll be able to buy a pattern from your trainer to create purple belt and bracers. In addition, these professions can also also craft augment kits and augments, which are also useful at end-game and are still a fairly good market currently.

Armstech and Artifice - these are the 2 weapon crafting skills (Armstech crafts Blasters [pistols, rifles, sniper rifles], scatterguns and a few other miscellaneous types of non-Force user weapons as well as barrel mods and Artifice crafts lightsabers and lightsaber hilt mods, as well as color crystals and enhancement mods). These are basically worthless at end-game. Armstech can craft augment kits and augments, but the kits are more expensive to produce due to materials required as compared to Synthweaving and Armormech. Artifice can produce some unique colors of weapon crystals, but it's a small market.

If you just wanna make money - Slicing is very hot right now since it takes Sliced Tech Parts to make augment kits and augments. The grade 6 (highest tier) purple materials are selling on my server for between 18-20k credits each (it takes 4 of them to make one of the highest tier augments). Also, Scavenging (provides mats for Armormech, Armstech and Cybertech) and Bioanalysis (provides mats for Biochem) are pretty lucrative for selling the base materials.

[tiagosilva29]

Apparently there's a limit of 20000 credits and 40 individual crew skill points for a free account.

[metal_dragen Veteran]

Apparently there's a limit of 20000 credits and 40 individual crew skill points for a free account.

I suppose that makes sense - they don't want players muling on free trial accounts or being able to effectively play the end-game market in regards to crafting. The whole purpose is to encourage you to subscribe.

[tiagosilva29]

**** my life, free accounts can't leave with the ship.

[LOC Veteran]

Doesn't matter anymore, SWTOR is going Free2Play this fall:

Austin, Texas ? July 31, 2012 ? BioWare?, a Label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA), announced today that it will be expanding the story-driven, massively multiplayer online game Star Wars?: The Old Republic? by adding a new Free-to-Play option this fall. This option will give players access to each of the eight iconic Star Wars character class storylines, all the way up to level 50, with certain restrictions*. Unlimited game access, including new higher-level game content and new features will be made available through individual purchases or through a subscription option.

?Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic? universe,? said Matthew Bromberg, GM of BioWare Austin.

Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic added, ?Since launch we have been adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace based on the feedback from our fans. We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.?

Starting this fall, there will be two different ways to play Star Wars: The Old Republic:

• Subscription ? A premium level service designed for players who want unrestricted access to all the game features via ongoing subscription or by redeeming a Game Time Card. In addition to gaining access to all game content as our current subscribers do now, Premium Players will receive ongoing monthly grants of Cartel Coins**, the new virtual currency that will be introduced later this fall. Cartel Coins can be used to purchase valuable items including customizable gear and convenience features that will enhance the game play experience.
  
• Free-to-Play ?The first 50 levels will be free-to-play, with some restrictions on access to new content and advanced player features. Some restrictions can be ?unlocked? with Cartel Coins.
  

As the first step towards adding the new Free-to-Play option this fall, in August at retail Star Wars: The Old Republic will go on sale for $14.99 USD, including one-month of free subscription.

Current and former players will also find additional benefits as part of this program. BioWare will be increasing the frequency of game content updates, with the first of many new releases coming in August. In addition, current subscribers will receive Cartel Coin grants and qualify for access to special in-game items. Even former players who re-activate now will qualify for special benefits. To learn more about these rewards, please visit www.StarWarstheOldRepublic.com/FREE.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most critically acclaimed MMOs of all time, having won MSNBC?s ?Game of the Year? award in 2011, ?Editor?s Choice? awards from IGN, PC Gamer and ?Best MMO of 2011? awards from Game Informer, GameSpy, AOL Massively, Ten Ton Hammer and more. The game is set thousands of years before the classic Star Wars movies, with the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire locked in the middle of an epic, galactic war. Players choose one of eight iconic Star Wars character classes, including the Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent, becoming the hero or villain of their own personal Star Wars saga.

http://www.swtor.com/info/news/press-release/20120731

[Blackhearted]

They waited too long to go (partially)Free to Play for it to matter, in my opinion.

[Xilo]

So basically you get to play the entire game without restriction... That didn't take long.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

Did the math and should I cancel now I get 2050 coins. Wonder what that could get me.

[PGHammer]

Doesn't matter anymore, SWTOR is going Free2Play this fall:

http://www.swtor.com...elease/20120731

Oh yeah!

And like this is exactly news. Not because SWTOR is *bad* - I've seen worse (World of Warcraft, for example). What led to this are several recent statements having nothing to do with SWTOR at all.

1. EA's own statements about transitioning to an entirely digital model - and then backing that up by releasing Crysis 2 Maximum Edition as digital-only (Origin and Steam) - you can't buy it retail.

2. The sheer number and quality of F2P (from the jump) MMOs (of all sorts, including RTS, FPS, and MOBA) released this year alone - and the conversions (such as Global Agenda and DCUO) - and known upcoming titles in that same space.

3. All the various MMOs compete both in terms of money (traditional or microtransaction-based) and in terms of time. In a crappy economy, microtransction-based MMOs that are nominally F2P (whether they are actually P2W or not) are going to get their share of looks because of the lack of entry cost (except time); therefore, as long as the economy remains down, time - not money, is more important to those running an MMO on a daily basis (as in how long a player plays in a given time period).

While I am way WAY early in SWTOR (level 5 Jedi Counselor still trying to find out who's been stealth-training all the Flesh Hunters in Dark Side tactics), just unraveling THAT mystery is going to keep me quite busy for a while. And it certainly helps that the GPU upgrade I've had in mind for my current rig (I've been looking hard at any of the various HD7770 GPUs) would allow me to mostly max out SWTOR at either 1280x720 or 1680x1050 (which my HD5450 can't do at any resolution).

Why not 1920x1080? Q6600 and a mere 4GB of DDR2-800 (for now) reason enough?

[HawkMan]

your cpu and ram don't really affect output resolution. ram could affect the texture resolution, but that's "mostly" video ram.

[trag3dy]

I'm curious what the restrictions are after you hit level 50? I'm guessing longer instance cool downs if you can even get into those at all, no pvp, and restrictions on crafting/gear?

As someone who didn't buy the game I read that and think to myself why bother? There are so many more compelling games coming out within the next 4 or 5 months that aren't going to nickle and dime me to death to get full access to the game.

Edit: found the list restrictions: http://www.swtor.com/free/features

All in all doesn't seem worth it to play without paying a sub.

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

Did the math and should I cancel now I get 2050 coins. Wonder what that could get me.

a chair to put on your ship

[tiagosilva29]

(...)

Nice. The ******** are going to ban the taxi service for us (except when there is no way to dodge it, like in some initial planets).

Did the math and should I cancel now I get 2050 coins. Wonder what that could get me.

Ugnaught butler.

[metal_dragen Veteran]

So basically you get to play the entire game without restriction... That didn't take long.

Except you don't. The biggest restriction (depending on your preferred playstyle) is that free accounts won't get to do operations (raids). In addition, there are limits on the numbers of flashpoints and warzones they can do per week.

I like that they are doing a hybrid model and not going all free-to-play and making you buy access to the upper tiers of content.

Personally, based on what they've said so far and what the features page says, I have no problem with this and will still continue to pay for my subscription. I still have fun with the game, my guild is still active and running content regularly.

The stuff you can purchase with the new Cartel Coins is going to be "customization and convenience" according to the site. As long as they don't add "pay-to-win" stuff to the shop, I see no problem with this. In fact, I'm all for it if it gives us more customization options.

And besides, since the game is mostly geared toward the casual player, this will give those players more incentive to continue playing since they probably wouldn't hit the limit of warzones or flashpoints per week anyway, yet will still have access to that content without a subscription fee.

I will caveat all of the above and say they could royally screw the game with this, but based on what I've seen so far, I think this will be a good option in the long run.

[bjoswald]

F2P now. Who didn't see this coming? Yet another failure to dethrone WoW. Move along, nothing to see here. ;)

[HawkMan]

When was it ever announced to kill WoW, When is beating WoW the only measure of success for an MMO. hmm your post smell a lot like a troll.

Free or not, it's still the most successful non free MMO after WoW (and no it's still not free. it's just a very extended free trial)

If EA offered a reasonabely priced All Access ala the original SOE all access pass, then I'd still be paying for it. Since I really enjoy both SWTOR and TSW. but TSW wins out.

And no game can dethrone WoW. because people don't play it because it's a good game or because they "enjoy the game" they play it because their friends play it, because their friends play it because their friends play it, ad nasueum. Everyone plays it because everyone else plays it. and heck log into the damn game and you'll see that very few play it compared to the number subscribing as well.

[Jojo81]

When was it ever announced to kill WoW, When is beating WoW the only measure of success for an MMO. hmm your post smell a lot like a troll.

Free or not, it's still the most successful non free MMO after WoW (and no it's still not free. it's just a very extended free trial)

If EA offered a reasonabely priced All Access ala the original SOE all access pass, then I'd still be paying for it. Since I really enjoy both SWTOR and TSW. but TSW wins out.

Really? At least Aion lasted over 2 years before going f2p and now that they have it is a very good model It is also still massively popular overseas. The Old Republic sold a lot of copies because of the Star Wars name and that was it.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

When was it ever announced to kill WoW, When is beating WoW the only measure of success for an MMO. hmm your post smell a lot like a troll.

Free or not, it's still the most successful non free MMO after WoW (and no it's still not free. it's just a very extended free trial)

If EA offered a reasonabely priced All Access ala the original SOE all access pass, then I'd still be paying for it. Since I really enjoy both SWTOR and TSW. but TSW wins out.

And no game can dethrone WoW. because people don't play it because it's a good game or because they "enjoy the game" they play it because their friends play it, because their friends play it because their friends play it, ad nasueum. Everyone plays it because everyone else plays it. and heck log into the damn game and you'll see that very few play it compared to the number subscribing as well.

I play because it is fun and I enjoy it lol. I think a lot of people enjoy the challenge of raids before they get nerfed or the pvp that blizz has had the chance to work on for 7 years almost 8 years.

[HawkMan]

Really? At least Aion lasted over 2 years before going f2p and now that they have it is a very good model It is also still massively popular overseas. The Old Republic sold a lot of copies because of the Star Wars name and that was it.

SWTOR still has more paying subscribers than Aion ever did, so...