Star Wars: The Old Republic

[Major Robert Dump]

I have around 90 minutes of uninterrupted free time a day, assuming my convoys dont get into fights and I dont get rocketed in the hooch which means I have to go count heads. So I bought the digital download, which with my big 30k connection, should take me onlu 9 more days to download haha, been going for 4 now.

Since my connection is slow and my attention is limited, I will probably play a few toons up to level 10, since I dont have the time for more advanced stuff and I dont want to have to make important decisions. Plus, the specialites will be nerfed and tweeked and I am waiting to see what comes in the next couple of months.

I have a pretty good idea of what I would like to do and with what, but I am a little put off because from my research and trolling I am gleaning that there are no non-saber melee weapons to be used by non jedi. I was really hpoing to make a melee BH. I know there are melee attacks that can be used in conjunction with other weapons, but I was really wanting to hack stuff as default attack, and I dont want to play a jedi.

I like what I see with the crafting and talents, but I am not a huge fan of the 10 points in x to get skill y type trees. I know this is the norm, I just dont like it.

I also think the class skills that come automatically from leveling are too many, and would prefer if you had to spend points to get those instead.

I was also hoping for race specific traits.

@Veho Nex: I was wanting to play republic, and probably still will, but I will come to your server and join your guild as a sith because I owe you one for sending me MB POP. Just don't expect much out of me with this slow bandwidth, I won't be back in the states until summer, and my power gaming days are over

[econ21]

I was really hpoing to make a melee BH. I know there are melee attacks that can be used in conjunction with other weapons, but I was really wanting to hack stuff as default attack, and I dont want to play a jedi.

My son levelled a BH to 50. He was also initially frustrated with the restriction to pistols (he wanted a carbine). But he was very happy with the class in power, gameplay and story.

but I am not a huge fan of the 10 points in x to get skill y type trees. I know this is the norm, I just dont like it.

Yes, it works out as "pick almost all the talents in your tree to get the ultimate talent; choose 10 from another tree" and thus provides very little actual choice or customisation. On the plus side, levelling is rewarding, getting a talent every level.

I also think the class skills that come automatically from leveling are too many,

They come fast up to about level 20, but those levels also go quite fast. Thereafter, you don't get many skills. Playing a Jedi Guardian (L41 now), I don't feel I have too many skills. It's very close to a WoW warrior and one of the things I liked about WoW warriors is having a full tool box of abilities you can use when the moment is ripe. I am using almost 36 buttons on my naga mouse though (12 + shift/ctrl versions).

I was also hoping for race specific traits.

Races are very bland, but at least you aren't forced to play race X to maximise your power. The Sith are racists, so it might be fun to play a non-human/non-Sith if you go Empire. Most Republic players seem to be human, as I am, and race never seems to matter.

[Monk]

Races are very bland, but at least you aren't forced to play race X to maximise your power. The Sith are racists, so it might be fun to play a non-human/non-Sith if you go Empire. Most Republic players seem to be human, as I am, and race never seems to matter.

There's only one, maybe two parts in the game where race is ever mentioned in the dialogue. Class choice is mentioned constantly, people react a bit differently to you if you're a Jedi as opposed to a Smuggler, for instance. Feels like a deliberate design choice to make race matter very little other than the obvious aesthetics.

Yes, it works out as "pick almost all the talents in your tree to get the ultimate talent; choose 10 from another tree" and thus provides very little actual choice or customisation. On the plus side, levelling is rewarding, getting a talent every level.

Surprisingly there are a few classes that can hybridize effectively. There's a popular mercenary build making the rounds that splits 25 points in heals and the rest in Arsenal, which some pvpers are using to top healing AND damage meters of the same game. Its quite interesting. Unfortunately not every class has that freedom.

[Major Robert Dump]

A Zabrak should have aim and agility bonuses. A Trandoshan should have mad hitpoints and strength. A human and twi lek shlould get diplomacy bonuses.

I'm just saying.

speaking of, I cant deal with the forums, there are like 5 new threads every 10 minutes..... can someone please explain to me how stat point allocations work? do you pick stats to start or as you level? wassup?

[econ21]

A Zabrak should have aim and agility bonuses. A Trandoshan should have mad hitpoints and strength. A human and twi lek shlould get diplomacy bonuses.

I'm just saying.

That's very sensible from a "world simulation" point of view, but I am not sure it works for an MMO. Powergaming is quite important in an MMO, whether competitively in PvP or "cooperatively" in raiding (being the best tank/healer/dps you can etc). What you suggest would put pressure on, for example, all Sith Warrior tanks to be Trandoshans. Either you succumb to this pressure to play something other than you want, or you feel aggrieved for being gimped for playing the race you want. I've played MMOs where my chosen race (Elf in LOTOR, for example) is the worst suited for my chosen class (guardian ie tank) and it's not fun. TOR may have gone too far in making race just cosmetic, but any racial bonuses probably should just be "flavour" things rather than have a marked effect on your power.

speaking of, I cant deal with the forums, there are like 5 new threads every 10 minutes..... can someone please explain to me how stat point allocations work? do you pick stats to start or as you level? wassup?

You pick your talents as you level. You don't directly pick your stats. Those come from your class and, especially, from your gear. It's very much following the WOW model: your gear is everything. You can customise much of your gear to get the stats you want (e.g. a guardian can put might (strength heavy) mods or more defensive ones in their heavy armor depending on whether they are following a dps or tanking build).

GC: you can't be a Wookie or a Trandoshan (or a droid). You are limited to very human-like races: Twileks and Zabraks (Darth Maul types) are perhaps the most distinctive; many others seems merely blue/green/grey/blind ugly-looking humans. However, smugglers get a Wookie companion; BHs get a Jawa; JGs an R2-D2 type droid; JCs get a Trandoshan etc.

[Monk]

GC: you can't be a Wookie or a Trandoshan (or a droid). You are limited to very human-like races: Twileks and Zabraks (Darth Maul types) are perhaps the most distinctive; many others seems merely blue/green/grey/blind ugly-looking humans.

I'm still holding out hope that when the legacy system finally gets introduced we'll see extra race options being unlockables. Nothing ridiculous, but i'd love to have a bit more variety.

And don't knock Miraluka! Come on man.

[Beskar]

The game initial start-up cost is a big no for me. I don't simply have that money and it is almost twice the price I paid for Skyrim on release.

[Lemur]

this looks like an MMO that is favorable for casual players

That perked my ears up. I gave up on MMOs because I could not compete with people who did not have jobs, families, etc. If BioWare has cracked the code of offering a competitive experience for those of us who have lives, ergo limited gaming time ...

[johnhughthom]

Anybody any advice on how to find out if latency fluctuation is a problem on my end and how to fix it? I'm a bit of an MMO noob. Been playing since Wednesday and it was fine until yesterday, usually around 50 ms. Since yesterday it has starting jumping between 50 and around 600, with occasional jumps to silly numbers like 30,000. I'd like to check if it's a problem with my comp or connection before I bug customer service. Nobody else on the server seems to be having any problems.

Really enjoying the game, currently level 25 with a Jedi Consular. I've heard it's probably the weakest storyline, but I'm finding it okay as gaming storylines go. I'm playing it as a singleplayer RPG with multi-player elements, only done one 2 player heroic and one 4 player heroic, and to be honest I think it's more than value for money on that basis. Not sure I'll keep playiing (and paying) once I play through the storylines though.