After spending most of the last 2 weeks playing SWTOR, I thought I would put in my two cents about the game. If you are planning to play this game, the best summary I can give is it is a basic wow clone in a Star Wars galaxy. Overall, I don't think this is totally a bad thing. First person shooters and mmo's both stick to a formula that works and there's nothing wrong with that.
The storyline so far is good, however the gameplay keeps me coming. I would like to see an mmo try to break from the basic mob / trash / boss system, and while Star Wars presented an excellent oppurtunity, I don't fault them for keeping it. Crafting / Skills are done really well. The quest actions do flow really well and there's little downtime, and unlike wow I don't find myself wondering when does it start to get fun...
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Opinions Class Gameplay (skip if you don't want to hear my rantings)
So far I've played a Operative, and a Juggernaut, so my opinion could sway wildy if I played another class, so keep that in mind.
I know this is going to get me in some hot water, but there is a fine line between skill and faceroll. IMO, anyone should be able to play a class easily to get to 50, it shouldn't be that hard. If my 11 year old nephew wants to play an mmo, he should be able to faceroll through the storyline. Since there isn't an easy mode in an mmo (ret pally amirite!) every class should be easy to play in a single player questing type mode without much difficulty.
That being said...
Classes should also be versatile enough though that a good player can maximize his abilities that would show a reward in end game (PVP / Raiding). I can't really judge this in SWTOR since I am not in end game, but it does seem like their intent.
I guess my point is, classes should have to only use 4 buttons to survive, but have 20 more relevant options available that would improve their situation somehow....
My experience is from WOW (up to WOTLK) with a Shammy, Warrior, and a Hunter on a pvp server. I played some arena, did bg's alot (admittedly my favorite aspect) and the weekly raids for an average guild. I've also played DAOC as a Scout. Overall, I'm your average mmo player. Of course, my opinion about mmo's is 60% of the playerbase is average, 38% is bad, and 2% are amazing.
On to the classes:
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Operative:
I didn't want to play an Op at first but rolled it because no one else was. Since the game is new I tend to go to the class that no one else is going to can fill any voids needed in end game. Since it heals, has ranged and stealth combat, the gameplay is different than what I'm used to (close to a druid in wow). I didn't want to like the class but its now my main. Its just not very Star Warsish...
The Operative / Sniper class can be a difficult or an easy class to play. Sadly, pew pewing my snipe is nearly as efficient as my 6 button stealth / backstab rotation. I can also take out elites fairly easily if I open up, then let my companion tank while I heal, and then finish off after my cd's reset. I'm not sure how hard this is with other classes, but I can take most heroic mob pulls. Healing seems like any other class, and seems to be more HoT based so far. I haven't speced in it so I will not put a definitive opinion on it.
The storyline flows very well and though its very petty, I'm pretty sure my character has nailed at least 3 chicks far (yeah...). I enjoy this line much more than the actual Sith Warrior story.
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Juggernaut:
After about 12 levels as an Op I thought, "Screw this, I bought this game to melt faces with a saber." So I rolled a Sith Warrior and went Juggernaut. After about 12 levels as a Jugg I went back to the Op.
The Juggernaut is just a frustrating class; you need a rotation just to get by. Not a difficult one but one that still forces you to work to hard for half what I can pew pew as an Op. Not only that but the rotation feels clumsy and worked at best. It plays almost identical to a Warrior in WOW except more rage starved and the abilities all seem lacking. Granted, I've only played this to 14 but reading the end game comments nothing seems to change.
Furthermore, the storyline of the Sith seems forced. Bioware seems to focus too much on the light and dark side; I realize these guys are supposed to be dicks, but many of the quest decisions made seem backwards; to get force points you have to make the opposite of the logical option.
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A small minor complaint is the battle flow. For both my classes, the animations don't seem to be well designed from a flow perspective.
The classes in SWTOR have actions that may work well for the overall playability but do not flow well. For example, with my Operative, I will open up with a backstab, then stop what I'm doing to shoot a dart, then I use a shocking device for a stun, and then finish off with my gun (Overload Shot). No one would ever do this in real life and while it doesn't affect the gameplay, it bothers me. The same seems to go for Saber classes that in the middle of slicing something up, stop everything to cast a spell, then go on slicing.
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Crafting / Gathering:
I really enjoy the crafting and gathering in this game. Okay, I havent made a single thing, but I like the concepts they put in there. Basic Gathering hasn't changed much from other mmo's, but the mission concept is awesome. At first I thought it was like cheating, but in the end sending a companion to do your work is alot funner than wandering around a zone doing it yourself. Plus, its something I can do while not playing the game (i.e. the laundry or dishes)
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Questing:
So far I enjoy the storylines very much, though I am tempted to skip through the scenes. After a few hours of playing you do grow tired of the scenes and just want to get to content, but in the end it makes the game more enjoyable. The bonus quests are a nice touch and the quest design seem to be designed fairly well....lets not kid ourselves, its just like wow (which isn't a bad thing)
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Space Combat:
Really, really, really, fun, but pretty much a faceroll. I don't know if it will tie in to end game or get harder, but so far it is like playing an 80's arcade game. Again, I have fun, and its a good way to relax outside the mmo itself, but I would have made it more complex and realistic (not that shooting down 70 fighters in 5 minutes isn't realistic....)
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Overall, I really like the game. It doesn't stand out as an MMO, but it doesn't suck either. Each class seems to play different, which is good. I don't know if I'll ever hit end game and if I do that would be a whole new review.
The storyline so far is good, however the gameplay keeps me coming. I would like to see an mmo try to break from the basic mob / trash / boss system, and while Star Wars presented an excellent oppurtunity, I don't fault them for keeping it. Crafting / Skills are done really well. The quest actions do flow really well and there's little downtime, and unlike wow I don't find myself wondering when does it start to get fun...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Opinions Class Gameplay (skip if you don't want to hear my rantings)
So far I've played a Operative, and a Juggernaut, so my opinion could sway wildy if I played another class, so keep that in mind.
I know this is going to get me in some hot water, but there is a fine line between skill and faceroll. IMO, anyone should be able to play a class easily to get to 50, it shouldn't be that hard. If my 11 year old nephew wants to play an mmo, he should be able to faceroll through the storyline. Since there isn't an easy mode in an mmo (ret pally amirite!) every class should be easy to play in a single player questing type mode without much difficulty.
That being said...
Classes should also be versatile enough though that a good player can maximize his abilities that would show a reward in end game (PVP / Raiding). I can't really judge this in SWTOR since I am not in end game, but it does seem like their intent.
I guess my point is, classes should have to only use 4 buttons to survive, but have 20 more relevant options available that would improve their situation somehow....
My experience is from WOW (up to WOTLK) with a Shammy, Warrior, and a Hunter on a pvp server. I played some arena, did bg's alot (admittedly my favorite aspect) and the weekly raids for an average guild. I've also played DAOC as a Scout. Overall, I'm your average mmo player. Of course, my opinion about mmo's is 60% of the playerbase is average, 38% is bad, and 2% are amazing.
On to the classes:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Operative:
I didn't want to play an Op at first but rolled it because no one else was. Since the game is new I tend to go to the class that no one else is going to can fill any voids needed in end game. Since it heals, has ranged and stealth combat, the gameplay is different than what I'm used to (close to a druid in wow). I didn't want to like the class but its now my main. Its just not very Star Warsish...
The Operative / Sniper class can be a difficult or an easy class to play. Sadly, pew pewing my snipe is nearly as efficient as my 6 button stealth / backstab rotation. I can also take out elites fairly easily if I open up, then let my companion tank while I heal, and then finish off after my cd's reset. I'm not sure how hard this is with other classes, but I can take most heroic mob pulls. Healing seems like any other class, and seems to be more HoT based so far. I haven't speced in it so I will not put a definitive opinion on it.
The storyline flows very well and though its very petty, I'm pretty sure my character has nailed at least 3 chicks far (yeah...). I enjoy this line much more than the actual Sith Warrior story.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Juggernaut:
After about 12 levels as an Op I thought, "Screw this, I bought this game to melt faces with a saber." So I rolled a Sith Warrior and went Juggernaut. After about 12 levels as a Jugg I went back to the Op.
The Juggernaut is just a frustrating class; you need a rotation just to get by. Not a difficult one but one that still forces you to work to hard for half what I can pew pew as an Op. Not only that but the rotation feels clumsy and worked at best. It plays almost identical to a Warrior in WOW except more rage starved and the abilities all seem lacking. Granted, I've only played this to 14 but reading the end game comments nothing seems to change.
Furthermore, the storyline of the Sith seems forced. Bioware seems to focus too much on the light and dark side; I realize these guys are supposed to be dicks, but many of the quest decisions made seem backwards; to get force points you have to make the opposite of the logical option.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A small minor complaint is the battle flow. For both my classes, the animations don't seem to be well designed from a flow perspective.
The classes in SWTOR have actions that may work well for the overall playability but do not flow well. For example, with my Operative, I will open up with a backstab, then stop what I'm doing to shoot a dart, then I use a shocking device for a stun, and then finish off with my gun (Overload Shot). No one would ever do this in real life and while it doesn't affect the gameplay, it bothers me. The same seems to go for Saber classes that in the middle of slicing something up, stop everything to cast a spell, then go on slicing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crafting / Gathering:
I really enjoy the crafting and gathering in this game. Okay, I havent made a single thing, but I like the concepts they put in there. Basic Gathering hasn't changed much from other mmo's, but the mission concept is awesome. At first I thought it was like cheating, but in the end sending a companion to do your work is alot funner than wandering around a zone doing it yourself. Plus, its something I can do while not playing the game (i.e. the laundry or dishes)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Questing:
So far I enjoy the storylines very much, though I am tempted to skip through the scenes. After a few hours of playing you do grow tired of the scenes and just want to get to content, but in the end it makes the game more enjoyable. The bonus quests are a nice touch and the quest design seem to be designed fairly well....lets not kid ourselves, its just like wow (which isn't a bad thing)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Space Combat:
Really, really, really, fun, but pretty much a faceroll. I don't know if it will tie in to end game or get harder, but so far it is like playing an 80's arcade game. Again, I have fun, and its a good way to relax outside the mmo itself, but I would have made it more complex and realistic (not that shooting down 70 fighters in 5 minutes isn't realistic....)
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Overall, I really like the game. It doesn't stand out as an MMO, but it doesn't suck either. Each class seems to play different, which is good. I don't know if I'll ever hit end game and if I do that would be a whole new review.