STAR WARS: the Old Republic...Anyone Playing? by HKCavalier

I just found out something interesting. While both Jedi and Sith have some objections to romance (Jedi view it as a passion to be avoided, and Sith view it as a potentially dangerous weakness) apparently they don't have any issues with procreation or marital unions?

Which means they aren't deliberately limiting the strength of their order or their members, and they aren't as dumb as I thought.

On the other hand, can you imagine how AWKWARD they'd both be if they're both supposed to be as unattached as possible? Yikes. The Jedi would be just plain boring and the Sith would be all I-don't-really-care-might-kill-you-while-you're-sleeping.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 5:32 PM

Well, yeah - one of the reasons I consider them nuts, and a major reason my non-SWTOR roleplay character offed his own master, not only did they in their robotic lack of passion side with something that was evil in his opinion, his master having several wives whom he OBVIOUSLY had feelings for, all the while lecturing the character on that whole lack of attatchment thing in a very condescending way lead rather quickly to getting chopped into bits as the character in question felt that the Jedi were displaying severe moral cowardice by hiding behind the code.
(Much in the same fashion the Federation does with that whole Prime Directive bit, but notice it never gets in the way when THEY feel some self-justification to interfere for their own benefit ?)

I just now, days behind planned schedule managed to finish Taris and get off that stinking pesthole of a planet with my Trooper - one thing I despise about MMO quests is this nasty little tendancy to KEEP MOVING THE GOALPOSTS... Kill X of this thing, oh no, not good enough, now kill X more, okay, now X more, FOR THE SAME REWARD, arrrghhh.
Or do this thing, which winds up being do this thing, that thing, and the other thing and while you're at it...while player frustration builds and the reward becomes less and less worth it, for if all that had been told up front they might have refused it out of hand.

On top of which, people have lives, things to do, so when you allocate playtime with a reasonable sense of how long this one thing is gonna take, and it turns into this, that and the other, you leave a very real sense of rage and frustration at being constantly baited with a carrot just out of reach, as I said, bad game design - if they wanted to play it that way they would make the addition stuff OPTIONAL, and WITH additional rewards, as some few quests do - not more and more work for the same reward.

Also, overuse of "Elite" mobs, that's downright ridiculous - make it five times stronger for a pittance of extra XP and put it RIGHT IN THE WAY, so you don't really get a choice, which defeats one of the major selling points of an MMO, getting to play HOW YOU WANT TO - now some MMOs are terrible for this (Eve Online comes to mind) when even the Devs start breaking the game to "force" a playstyle or favor one over the others, or bow to community pressure to load the game in favor of one faction or another (See Also: Nerfing vs Buffing) and all of that winds up pissing off some percentage of potential customers.
Don't even get me started on Heroics and forced-party systems and the exploitation and abuse that comes with em, not the least is being left waiting or hung out to dry over and over...

I am glad they haven't tried to ram PvP down my throat, since IMHO 95% of is ganking, griefing, exploits and hacks, lead by the whiny little e-peen strokers in their everlasting desperate search for an I-WIN! trick and all too often getting one... I hadn't thought to check, since it hasn't become a real problem (Yet!) but I hope there's an auto-ignore for duel requests, lest someday soon players finding themselves endlessly spam bombarded with duel requests by said strokers hoping for someone to accidently accept and give them an easy gank on an unprepared or underleveled opponent.

Anyhow, the Elite mobs thing rooks me cause of certain game theme and style differences, I hate, hate, HATED Final Fantasy XI cause of how you really felt (and were!) outmatched by even a cute fluffy bunny, and all but needed a private army (thus depriving other people of THEIR playtime for YOUR benefit) to get even the simplest thing done, something I hear is much mitigated after years and years of people bailing out in a desperate bid to save the game since FF14 bombed so hard - for many of the same reasons...

Conversely, I kind of liked Champions of Norrath cause while any mob wasn't worth a whole lot of XP, you could stack them in PILES, it really gave off that "Mighty Hero" rush which is what many folk look for in these games as a form of escapism from being crushed by real life pressures - so when you run across these "Elite" mobs so bloody often, it takes that away from you, breaks immersion and generally pisses me off cause the reward-vs-effort on them is terrible - and they COULD do better, since the placement of the Gold and Champion mobs is well done, you have to go looking for them rather than them being right smack in your way and unavoidable.

Believe me, the frustration of having quest goalposts moved further and further away on top of looking down that long path full of "Elite" mobs now in your way that you're going to HAVE to fight, and watching your allocated half-hour start looking like four, is a serious disincentive to many players.

Now, the Space Missions - okay yes they're very simplified, but that's okay, a nice diversion rather than a whole seperate game, just a dash of taste and flavor and something you can bang out on the side in a couple minutes, WITHOUT the constant goalpost moving, and they pay off pretty well, except there's not much to buy with the commendations but fluff - still the XP is handy for someone who despises Heroic missions and avoids them like the plague, yanno ?

Just got my second companion too, Maaannnn, and I thought *I* was straight-laced, Dorne soooo needs to relax a little, that's one chick who'd seriously benefit from a close encounter with a couple of Quaaludes, we're talkin major pole up the backside there - she makes JORGAN look laid back.

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 5:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
For me, it's flying up through a horizontal line of normal drivers and nearly missing a head on collision. While ACCELERATING.

No wonder you never have your companion in the taxi with you. The first one must have seen how you drive on the first world, and warned off all the others afterward. Or, if they're evil, the other characters became suspicious when they encouraged it.

Mehehehehehe

-F

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 6:11 PM

Ha, yes, exactly. Maybe that scene was a shout out.

As I think about it, though I don't like to be FAIR to the Jedi, the Jedi can kind of almost read people's minds or at least their emotions through the force. Perhaps it's unscrupulous to get involved in relationships because the Jedi always has an advantage over their would be partner that way. Then there might be concerns about intentionally or possibly even unintentionally or subconsciously using force persuasion on them...

And maybe the Sith just think it's boring to use their powers for that kind of gratification when they can be vivisecting and frying people.

I guess I forgive the goalpost moving, because after so long after chasing my ship, it was REALLY satisfying to finally have it.

I also look at the elites guarding quest objectives as a chance to test my abilities. If they wipe the floor with me, that means it's time to put some extra effort into upgrading my gear and turning in other quests and training any abilities I haven't gotten yet.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 7:42 PM

But, but, but...Frem. They ARE optional. You never have to kill 65 justicars, or whatever, to finish the quest. They're called "bonus" because they are not necessary. I skip 'em all the time. Unless I've completely misunderstood what you're talking about.

My one complaint about the game so far is that I level WAY too quickly. If I want to do everything on a planet, I will end up one, two, even three levels into the range of the next planet. And if I do a flashpoint, that's another level. So when I land on the next world, I'm stuck doing green quests and getting loot I would have loved to have gotten 3 levels ago. So, what I've learned is to ignore the bonus quests, straight up refuse quests at will, always sleep outdoors, and when I'm done with the story quests, leave.

I know MMO's up to this point have all been about getting to max level asap, 'cause "that's when it gets fun," but this game isn't like that. I wish the devs would commit to this new style of MMO they've created. The fun is all in the story and that's something you do while leveling. I would love it if I could exhaust a planet and still need to do a daily over again or a space mission or PvP to get that last level I need to prepare for the next planet. What would be the harm?

Oh, and if I could adjust the difficulty of story quest mobs, that would be heaven. I would love to do some of those Sith Academy fights on hard mode. It gets old being pushed around by half a dozen badasses in a cut scene only to decimate them all in a second or two when the movie's over. And if I'm traveling with a friend? Fight? What fight?

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 7:53 PM

I never do the heroics because by doing the bonus missions, I get more than enough commendations on a planet to get decent gear but still be pretty close to the right level for the next planet.

Or at least I hope so.

In any case, the bonus missions are often something I can knock out a stage in the thirty or so minutes I might have to play in a day. I don't worry too much about finishing things right away, I've played World of Warcraft for 7 years, gave up on "accomplishing" anything a LONG time ago.

Also, it is sometimes very satisfying to blame Corso for stuff he had absolutely nothing to do with. Kind of like a star wars version of "Summer!"

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 10:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HKCavalier:
And if I'm traveling with a friend? Fight? What fight?

LMAO, I'd say that depends on the friend, I only make it lOOK easy, bwahahaha.
(Those poor criminals...)

I only just today realized HOW you get the additional things you need for my crafting skill and now have to punt Diplomacy for Underworld Trading (I think), but on the plus side you got medical supply goods comin...

Oh, and be afraid, be VERY afraid - they just let me have a speeder!

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Thursday, February 9, 2012 4:42 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

After having some serious video card overheating problems, I have purchased a new video card and a new computer case with seven fans. I could install a stick on the unit and fly away.

So far, so good. I'm looking forward to stress-testing the system in game soon. Frem is getting way too far ahead of me in levels. ;-)

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Thursday, February 9, 2012 5:02 PM

My highest level character is only level 17.

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Thursday, February 9, 2012 5:59 PM

Level 26, and I have completely wrecked that speeder enough that I am reaaaally glad it's insured, lololol.

The story really pulls me in, moreso than the gameplay, and the space missions not only appeal to me, they make use of a particular talent for long-range mouse sniping - it says much that my battlecry during space combat is MALINOVA!
(I use a specialty mouse for this, a vertical ball-type made by Logitech)

-F

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Friday, February 10, 2012 4:01 PM

Posting this because it made me laugh.

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Friday, February 10, 2012 5:32 PM

Meh heh heh.

I notice they mined the Sith Warrior and Bounty Hunter storylines real heavy for this - cause they really are comedy gold if you have a nasty sense of humor, oh yes indeedy.

(My Bounty Hunter is pretty hard on receptionist types, scratch one protocol droid!)
It was the dancing Duros and his inept Rodian friend which did it for me though, that's hilarious in a stupid-silly kinda way.

Oh yes, and as for blaming Corso, wellllll....

Select to view spoiler:

At some point in there, if your character is female he kinda comes on to you while he's a couple sheets to the wind, good voice acting on that cause it starts off really out of the blue and uncomfortable and you have the options to shut him down, wind him up or play along, and I took the latter cause I am soooo gonna MESS with him about it later if the game lets me, bwahahahaha

Oh and speakin of bizarre and funny, I so miss this guy....

My Bounty Hunter would develop a droid fetish, just for him!

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Friday, February 10, 2012 5:54 PM

Quote:
It was the dancing Duros and his inept Rodian friend which did it for me though, that's hilarious in a stupid-silly kinda way.

^This. Oh pop culture parody and unexpectedly appropriate in game animations. Always a good combination.

HK is a classic. :)

I've been blundering around on the swtor smuggler forum and on tvtropes, I've seen story spoilers I probably shouldn't. I heard about that one, I'm hoping it'll be funny because otherwise sweet holy wookie no. I barely can take COMPLIMENTS, let alone people flirting with me. Blargh.

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Saturday, February 11, 2012 8:08 PM

Boy, you guys weren't kidding. Running around on Hutta as a bounty hunter, no matter what good you do on the sides, it all gets lost in how sucky the world is anyway.

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Saturday, April 21, 2012 5:37 PM

Hrm. Well. So, my enthusiasm for the game has hit a serious speed bump. I've gotten half a dozen characters into their mid-20's, enjoyed the story enough to create characters in almost every AC in the game, so maybe I've just been playing too many characters going through the same territory, but...

See, Nar Shadaa is a big, big problem. I can't get excited about being there. A.) visually, it's Corescant all over again and B.) in terms of story it's Corescant all over again. ENOUGH with the evil gangs trying to rule the planet crap. I'm sick of killing hundreds of human beings just to get from point A to point B. The sheer amount of killing of senscient life is staggering. The story is too realistic to support a game mechanic that has me racking up a body count in the thousands and still consider myself "light side." But why did they throw Nar Shadaa at us so early in the game? Give us a little variety.

Ord Mantell - trashy war zone
Corescant - trashy gangwar zone
Taris - best planet so far, mostly killing critters and rhakgouls and dealing with little mysteries and such

Hutta - trashy gangwar gang trash zone
Dromund Kaas - nice mix of environments and objectives
Balmorra - believable war zone, makes the most sense in terms of body count, but also hella depressing.

Nar Shadaa - quite possibly my undoing.

So, you sane folks who've played one or two characters and so are much further along in the story, a question: do the planets/quests bring us some variety after Nar Shadaa, or is it all "seperatists" and "gangsters" and "OMG, who knew there were Imps/Republic scum helping the locals! Kill, kill, kill!" forever?

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Saturday, April 21, 2012 5:43 PM

Oh, and what did they do to my hoodies??? And why can't my twi'lek characters where any headgear??? Grrr. Arg.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 8:32 AM

Dunno, I got up to Tatooine and prettymuch lost interest due to the repetativeness, goalpost moving, elite mob stuffing, and the tremendous feeling of needless padding to drag everything out, which when you have limited playtime can sour one pretty quick.

Not to mention being short of time lately and my current work shift falling smack into the exact block of time all my buddies have to play, sooo...

I did get the big robot companion for trooper, he was amusing - kind of like a psychotic robot captain america, he is, but then you have to go back and craft/buy all these freakin parts to even make him any kind of useful as backup, since when you get him his gear is so terrible he's ineffective, argh.

That's the thing, like I said, when you have maybe an hour max to play, and you log on, and next thing you know you're staring down the barrel of this meaningless, ridiculously padded, dragged out, goalpost moving quest/mission which is gonna take way longer than that for miniscule gain or entertainment, there's this incentive to just throw your hands up in the air and go do something else - which is prettymuch what I did, since I put my account inactive.

No, it doesn't get any better, Tatooine was in fact, kinda worse.

-Frem

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:07 AM

That's pretty much a joke in any MMORPG, the random indiscriminate killing and the adventurers all being murderous pillaging thugs. it's just more noticeable in SWTOR because of the light side dark side aspect.

I kind of explain it away by pretending I didn't really kill most of them because they can also use the medical probe droids to resurrect. The only ones who stay dead are the people killed for story reasons, probably because your character stole their beacon and/or broke it. Out of sheer karmic justice or spite.

And sometimes I manage to avoid killing a members of a specific group in general because I sympathize with them. Like the hostile renegade Evocii on Hutta.

Nothing personal guys + they don't actually die = no dark side points.

I don't know about your other question, none of my characters are past level twenty yet. I have a job and I spend most of my free time writing firefly fanfic, not playing games. >_>

My brother's finally got his evil lawyer credentials, though, and now that he can breathe easy he's insisting I level an Operative up to around 15 so I can help him do heroics. So I've been doing that. He wants to go dark side so I'm compromising by going more grey. Works pretty well on an Operative. Decided I'm going to RP as "River Tam if they ever actually finished their nefarious works on her." I even have MiB looking cyborg sunglasses and basically no personality to speak of... Until I find a good excuse for RPing traumatic crazy time.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:24 AM

Quote:
I would love it if I could exhaust a planet and still need to do a daily over again or a space mission or PvP to get that last level I need to prepare for the next planet. What would be the harm?

HK: I just noticed this. Some heroics are daily repeatable. there's a bunch like that on Hutta and Coruscant. By the time you've gotten through the planet and have some of the best gear available on the plant, you can breeze through heroics on your own without a group no problem.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 3:41 PM

Oh, hey, Byte,

What I was trying to say with the bit about heroics was in the context of leveling WAY too fast and out leveling content so easily. So, I was saying that I would love it if I could do all the normal stuff on a planet and STILL not quite be leveled enough to go to the next planet, so I'd be obliged to do a flashpoint or a heroic or pvp to get that last level or so to move on. I know I'm in the minority on this one.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 3:53 PM