Star Wars: The Old Republic - F2P?

[May90]

Hi guys.

I don't want to take much of your time. Just a simple question: in your opinion, is SWTOR worth playing at all in terms of storyline, characters and so on? Is it any match to KOTOR series? As far as I can tell from different sites, free-to-play mode doesn't pose any limitations on the storyline, and if the storyline in SWTOR is at least half as good as in KOTOR, I don't care about gameplay limitations and will download it right away.
Strangely, forums are pretty scarce on the topic. It looks like those who play SWTOR for its storyline don't care commenting it, and those who comment are usually MMO-addicts who go like, "This game is worse than WOW. You can get only 50 level for your hero, while in WOW you can reach 85. I won't play this s**t anymore".

Cheers.

 

[Edhel-dur]

It's an MMO, so the story can't be as good as the one from Kotor. I've seen lengthy play through of Sith Inquisitor, the story.... for an MMO is good. There are some plot twists, you get to interact with your crew, and depending on your answers... you gain or loose points to your crew. But it's no where near as good as KOTOR... and I've watched up to close of level max.

Anyway, yeah you can take a tour, should entertain you. Problem with SWTOR is the lack of endgame content.

 

[May90]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I also watched some plays. I watched a compilation of talks with a twi'lek companion (not sure what her name is though) and they pretty much resemble talks with Mission from KOTOR, so I was impressed.

By the way, are plots for different characters really different? Or is this difference only in some responses and special quests, like in Mass Effect where you can choose one of 9 backgrounds for Shepard but only 1 or 2 side quests really depend on it?

P.S. Katarina caused many headaches of my poor Ashe.

 

[Edhel-dur]

You just need to arrow her ultimate

Well, as far as I know, but I am not 100% sure. There are 4 classes, two warrior type, two force type. The force type share parts of the storyline together, with alternations... the warrior type share parts of the storyline together, with alternations... but warriors and force type don't share.

It's free to play, download it and try it out : P

 

[May90]

Well, I guess, I should at least try this game since it's basically free (yes, there are many limitations such as money cap, only 2 ability slots and so on, but the very story is still full, so it doesn't matter). As soon as I finish my current Mass Effect walkthrough (in a month maybe), I'll try it out.
;-)

 

[takakenji]

the story is pretty good, but just a word of advice stay away from sith inquisitor because it's story is really bad. i've also heard bounty hunter and jedi counsular suck but i havn't seen it myself. sith warrior and jedi knight are one of the best stories

 

[May90]

Thanks for the tip. But in which way is it bad? Just very unoriginal, or very non-starwars, or something else?

 

[takakenji]

it's bad in that it's very stupid and the writing is not good, at some times it looks like something from a bad anime

 

[Teelo]

I like it. Doesn't have all the features of WoW but its close. Preferred status accounts are pretty good too, even with the restrictions.

 

[May90]

By the way, as far as I know, there are 8 storylines totally (4 for the Empire and 4 for the Republic), plus each of them can be played either as light or dark side, efficiently giving 16 storylines in total. Is that right? Are light/dark side choices really influence the gameplay, or does it, like in KOTOR, result in simply different endings?

In KOTOR1, for example, regardless of your actions during the game, it becomes different only after meeting Bastila at the top of the Rakatan temple, where you have a choice either to team up with her for ruling the Galaxy together, or to stay with your companions to help Republic defeat Malak, and, still, the only difference after that was 2 or 3 short cinematic scenes and which companions survive till the last mission. You could play the entire game being a complete badass, killing everyone you can kill, but still you could finish the game as a light side hero by choosing appropriate answers during dialogues with Bastila in the temple and on Star Forge.

 

[Edhel-dur]

Tbh, It's Free-To-Play. Just play it and tell us how stuff works please.

 

[May90]

Hmm, I guess, it's reasonable. But I'm a bit tight on time now (5th year in university and so on), so I'd like to know as much as I can before (and if) I start...

Anyway, once I start the game (in a month or so, probably, after I finish my Mass Effect playthrough and then, probably, KOTOR1+KOTOR2), I surely will leave some feedback here.

 

[Vengeancekael]

I've been playing it since it's gone F2P.
For PvE, it's satisfying, but definitely not for PvP since you're horribly underpowered.

Been playing through the storyline as a Jedi Consular, at times it's just grinding, you get 10 new quests at a new area you've arrived and your storyline mission is at the end of that area, so you'll basically be doing those side-quests while trying to reach it. Note that the bonus objectives of the side-quests are absolutely absurd. (You have finished the quest. Bonus: Kill 150 troopers) ggwp
The storyline is satisfying, just the gameplay comes in at some points where it becomes really frustrating.

 

[May90]

Thanks for response!
Interesting. But, I guess, PvP is merely optional and not necessary at all if you are focused on the storyline rather than multiplayer?

Also, regarding the game's battle system (PvE), is the main character so overpowered the whole game as he is at the beginning? In all these "Let's play..." on Youtube character seems almost invincible, with HP never going below 50%.

 

[Gilles]

I found the restrictions too crippling. If you want to play it, I suggest paying the subscription fee. Otherwise you miss out on way too much.

 

[May90]

Well, I finally started playing SWTOR as light side trooper. So far I enjoy it very much. Conversations are short and naive (that line with "I just didn't expect you to be a woman, sergeant, sir, sorry" is like it was pulled of some cartoon for kids), not like in KOTOR or Mass Effect, though still good in terms of voice acting. Zones are really well built, many details such as ads on walls or half-poured glasses on tables. Game runs pretty smooth, though I had to lower settings significantly to have over 60 fps constantly (lowest shaders and minimal visibility distance did the trick). There are many different items and gear. The leveling system is too simplified though.
Also, hands up to Bioware, main character finally can be made to look pretty! I literally had to break my fingers while trying to make a woman from Mass Effect or Dragon Age look so that she wouldn't beat a "Miss Ugliness" contest, but here, in contrary, I couldn't make a really ugly girl, no matter how hard I tried. ;-)

The thing I feared most - other players running around, chatting, engaging in your fights and so on - even enhances gameplay. Opposite to WoW, players generally do not talk much and, if they do, talk almost exclusively about the game itself. Zones are very interesting to explore: in KOTOR you just run around the zone and clear everything alone which got boring often, while here zones are actually war zones and you feel like you are in a real war with large forces from both sides, not like a super-hero killing everything alone. I just keep off any guilds or friends or something, and it doesn't feel like MMO at all.

As for the F2P limitations... Well, I have nothing to compare to as I just started playing today, but, as a new player, I don't feel like I play a non-complete game. Sometimes it's annoying to see, say, in your inventory items with description saying "subscribe to use it", it just looks somewhat alien, but it's not crucial at all.

Generally, I would say that currently I enjoy the game as much as I enjoyed KOTOR 10 years ago. Will see how it goes on...

 

[Gilles]

Having played pre-f2p, the restrictions are crippling in my opinion. There's a few that are just awful, like not using purples, only a couple crafting slots, lack of spell bars, and more. It's a shame, I liked the game and would probably be playing it otherwise. Even if I had to drop $20 or so to get the game up to playable levels, unfortunately $20 doesn't do that.

 

[Steel_Stallion]

Having played pre-f2p, the restrictions are crippling in my opinion. There's a few that are just awful, like not using purples, only a couple crafting slots, lack of spell bars, and more. It's a shame, I liked the game and would probably be playing it otherwise. Even if I had to drop $20 or so to get the game up to playable levels, unfortunately $20 doesn't do that.

you can buy those privileges separately (and they're permanently unlocked for your account).

 

[May90]

Having played pre-f2p, the restrictions are crippling in my opinion. There's a few that are just awful, like not using purples, only a couple crafting slots, lack of spell bars, and more. It's a shame, I liked the game and would probably be playing it otherwise. Even if I had to drop $20 or so to get the game up to playable levels, unfortunately $20 doesn't do that.

It wouldn't be so annoying if they simply hid purples and other things for subscribers. Instead, playing a game claimed to be free, you keep reading: "This item is unusable for free players. Subscribe now for $15!". If they think they can earn more money by doing this, they're awfully mistaken.

 

[Steel_Stallion]

They have a rather broken business model, probably due to the hectic change when they realized that their subscription model alone was not working. But it's not that big of a deal, you can buy most of the essential "privileges". Even then, you're playing a game that had a budget of what, $200 million? For free. I don't see what you don't find fair here.

If you're PvP oriented, you'll want to pick up a subscription I suppose. But if you're PvE oriented, it's really not necessary. You level up a little slower and the game's a little harder because of some gear restrictions; think of it as playing on a harder difficulty. What does annoy me, is that they pick a lot of "convenience" features (like customizing your own UI or adding more hotkeys) and charge you for them if you're not a subscriber. It's a bit of a dirty thing to do... but beggars cant be choosers.

Anyway, worth playing through some of the stories if you're bored. It's like a grindier version of KOTOR, with some social interaction shoe horned in.

 

[May90]

Well, the game is surely great and ability to play it for free on harder difficulty, as you say (and which I generally agree with), is just awesome. Personally, I don't care about all these limitations and notifications at all, they fade away as compared to what the game has to offer in terms of story, characters and gameplay.

But I can understand those who complain. I'm afraid Bioware unintentionally failed to present the game properly: it could be considered by people out in the Internet to be impeccable game, one of the best ever, should Bioware have chosen the right way to promote it.

 

[Gilles]

you can buy those privileges separately (and they're permanently unlocked for your account).

I looked at it and to get everything I wanted it would cost too much for me. Obviously if you like the game it's probably the way to go, but I had already played it in Beta and payed for it for a few months so I'd had my fill I suppose.

 

[May90]

I looked at it and to get everything I wanted it would cost too much for me. Obviously if you like the game it's probably the way to go, but I had already played it in Beta and payed for it for a few months so I'd had my fill I suppose.

They would do really good if they offered some kind of Collector's Edition where you play once a big money, something like $70, and get all limitations stripped and don't have to pay subscription fee every month. I would certainly buy it and many people would. They would get much more profit as well than they get now, scaring people away due to all these limitations.

 

[Lordkoon]

I've been playing it since it's gone F2P.
For PvE, it's satisfying, but definitely not for PvP since you're horribly underpowered.

Been playing through the storyline as a Jedi Consular, at times it's just grinding, you get 10 new quests at a new area you've arrived and your storyline mission is at the end of that area, so you'll basically be doing those side-quests while trying to reach it. Note that the bonus objectives of the side-quests are absolutely absurd. (You have finished the quest. Bonus: Kill 150 troopers) ggwp
The storyline is satisfying, just the gameplay comes in at some points where it becomes really frustrating.

Hm I have been playing TOR since the beta days and I must say I have never seen an absurd side quest objective. It usually takes 5 more minutes but is rewarding, especially if you are in a group because you recieve a portion of experience every time each group member finishes a side quest.

Consulars are anything but underpowered tbh. It's my main character and I classify as the higher rank players ^^ It just takes time to learn every trick of the enemy to know how to counter it. Just like every other multiplayer hero based game.

The F2P option is horribly limited. Most of the features you have to unlock by using CartelCoins (Which require real money to obtain) and you cant do basic stuff like remove your helmet (lol). Also you cant join Operations (raids) and are limited to 3 battlegrounds and 3 dungeons a week... Hardly a F2P experience. I would call it free-to-test rather than play.


Lastly the change of the community AFTER the F2P launch.... Now you can see diffrent language spam on the zone chats, stupid typical crock-gamer nicknames like PewPewPedobear, Hottentacleslut and others. A community I was proud of been into turned bizzare for just one week. My guild consisting of over 100 players above 30 years vanished very quickly...and I really loved the friendly-family guys and girls there. SW:TOR went downhill.

 

[May90]

Well, now, as I purchased WoW and played it for 2 days of game time, I can say that, in my opinion, WoW is better in pretty much every aspect. SWTOR is still a great game, but WoW completely beats it.

1) In WoW we have 13 completely different playable races, while in SWTOR there are only human-like races not very different from each other (I guess it is just that Warcraft lore is much more diverse than Star Wars).
Same goes to factions. In SWTOR there are only Empire and Republic not divided in any significant way. In WoW, both Horde and Alliance consist of many races with often major contradictions between them. Worgen and Night Elf cities are very different from each other, while Republic cities look the same everywhere.
2) Wow offers incredible size of open space, while in SWTOR there are mostly enclosed areas like those on Nar-Shaddaa and Coruscant, and even such planets as Taris do not feel like a real open space.
3) Strangely, even story is more interesting for me in WoW than in SWTOR. In WoW, playing Undead, I felt like a part of something big; Forsaken really got into my mind and I tried my best to make their 'life' better. In SWTOR I didn't feel much compassion to Republic: Republic doesn't have any kind of a general idea worth fighting for and is just being generic 'good guys'.

Now, I think that the main problem is in the difference of the games' lores. Star Wars lore always felt kind of childish to me and, as I grow up to my late teens, I lost my interest to it. Warcraft, in contrary, has a real jaw-dropping lore (I could even compare it to Mass Effect lore), with each race having some core ideas, with thousands of well-written characters, historical events and so on. Star Wars is just a generic "good guys vs bad guys". Warcraft is completely different, even Undead are not an evil there and have their original motives (and Sylvanas is 100 times more charismatic than Palpatine or Vader).

SWTOR is made as a story-based MMO, so the story is the main element there. But, since the very Star Wars story is generic and boring, a game based on it also cannot be brilliant. Of course some people love Star Wars lore, but for those who does not I do not recommend to play SWTOR, you will be disappointed.

P.S. As far as I'm concerned, RP in SWTOR is dead. In WoW it's still possible to have some RP here and there.

 

[Lordkoon]

But, since the very Star Wars story is generic and boring.

LOL I almost fell of my chair. Over 1000 books (23 of which canon,else fan fiction), over 26 000 stories, total OVER 40 000 characters, 4 generations of storywriting revolving around the charismatic characters, 57 games in total, 54 published by lucasarts,lucast entertainment... If there is one thing star wars is not its the 'boring story' statement. Oh and all published books and comics sells are only beaten by.... The Bible - the number 1 sold book in the world.

You should state this as your opinion, because it's not true as I can provide endless facts.


Regardless SW:TOR is more oriented to people who were familiar with the star wars genre in general, before starting the game. Then you will know why the races are mostly humanoid. But I do agree the game story moved to a bad location - the Hutt Cartel. Nothing more boring and un-menacing than the Hutts. They should have continued the 6 fallen story or return Malgus.

Also you are wrong about being a generic 'good vs bad' game. You can always be a good bad guy or a bad good guy...if such thing existed. Each faction sees the others as conquerers unfit to rule, having diffrent beliefs. You said you played KOTOR. The most part of the KOTOR plot is to understand what a Grey Jedi is and how there is no bad or good but only a point of view...

Wow fell to the pit the moment the interesting characters got killed by plot holes and ...raids. Now you got pokemons , a mad red ork whose only appearance through the expansions untill now was as Thrall's pain-in-the-ass general always raging about something, a human king so emotionless he can be compared only to Christen Steward in her Twilight role, and a family-sick plot character that is already overused - Thrall. Lets not forget how each expansion is about a few bad guys willing to destroy ALL Azeroth. Some plot... like a superhero movie series.

 

[May90]

I wasn't going to start a religious quarry here. Let's just agree that there are people who like Warcraft lore and those who like Star Wars lore. If you like one of these lores, then respective game will be for you.

 

[Lordkoon]

Indeed. Lets agree to disagree.