SWTOR General Discussion

[smiling bandit]

I have to say it does sound like an interesting game. I'd just prefer to play it as a single-player except for the Flashpoints, and even then wouldn't be interested in a monthly fee. It strikes me as hilarious as Blizzard seems to have once-again outmanuevered the competition. Not in WoW, however, but Diablo 3, which is essentially what I just described.

[Antinor01]

Originally Posted by Skammer

What class/level is that? I don't think that has happened to me yet, although I did have to take my Sorcerer back to Korriban (starting zone) for a boss fight. It was worth it though, because the reward was a kick-ass helmet.

I'll mostly be playing on my sorc tonight (his name is Xet) if anyone wants to group up or chat in /sdmb. If we get the minimum group we could even form the guild.

I'll be on about 5 pacific time.

[Skammer]

This is new... my trooper hit level 10 on Wednesday, my third toon to hit that milestone. But unlike with my inquisitor or smuggler, today I got an email from swtor saying "Congratulations on Reaching Level 10" with links to a trooper progression guide, advanced class information, an Esseles Flashpoint guide, a guide to crew skills, information about PvP warzones, and what I think is a mission guide but I can't connect to it from here at work.

That's a pretty nice resource for a new player, especially if this is their first MMO.

I'll be on about 5 pacific time.

Cool, I'll be on sometime after that, probably around 8 central.

[RickJay]

Up to level 25 on my Sentinel.

I have to say... I just love this game. As MMOs go it has nothing particularly new. Indeed, I wish more about it was new, that they'd taken more risks. There are the (inexplicable, to me) sops to gearflation and PvP-unique gear and all that shit.

But the story is so much stronger than with any other MMO it's simply not even a close call for me. I get in with my friend and we just go for hours. The immersiveness of it is unreal; it's a wonderfully realized game world with stories and quests that actually feel like stories and quests. I love the dialogue, the cutscenes, the companions. I feel like I'm playing a character that actually exists in this game world, rather than playing a toon in a game world and it being a character in my head.

For all its flaws it's the most intriguing game I've played in years and years. Bioware has me.

WoW is cancelled. I'm sticking with this game.

[wolfman]

Yeah, for me I agree. I have tried a lot of MMOs over the years. The only ones that really grabbed me over the years were everquest , because it was the only game in town back then, LOTRO because of the story which was great, and now SWTOR because the story is the main driving force(hehe).

It's far from perfect, which is understandable because other games have had years to develop bells and whistles. But There are at least 8 stories to experience now which should keep me occupied until the have a few releases to build it better.

Space fighting in particular. There is so much potential for fun things you can do with your own ship. Fleet battles, mini games for various stations, etc*. They pretty clearly made a functional, but repetitive system in so that they had some valid space content in the game, but clearly only the beginning of what could be possible.

* Is anybody old enough to remember ever play FASA's Levitation? it was the capital ship variation in the Centurion/ Interceptor world. I loved that game, and always imagined how much fun it would be in the Star Wars world. I have the ridiculous hope that they put in a PVP tactile strategy battle map game where you can play against a counterpart in massive fleet battles with fighter squadrons, Corvettes, Frigates, star Destroyers. I know it will never happen, 99% of the player base will hate an implementation of a board game, and call it a stupid waste of time

[Gukumatz]

If they actually just re-made the X-Wing series of space combat games and put it in the game, well...

I would pay anything for that expansion pack.

It even makes sense in the diegesis - right now, the universe is in a galactic Cold War situation, with covert and somewhat overt conflict accross the sectors. When they develop the story, it will probably inevitably escalate into a full-contact conflict and it's a logically watertight thing to include. (Just please, please let me use a joystick for that mode.) And if you didn't want to play that segment, it's fine - we'll just put you in one of the transport shuttles boarding the other sides' ships.

Also, PvP space combat in the area of a massive fleet fight? Dear Og, yes.

[Quimby]

Can you out level content? My Jedi knight was given the choice between Taris and Nar Shaddaa. I went with Taris. It seemed to to go on forever but I finished. But just as I was leaving I was offered a bonus series. I am level 22. I would like to head to Nar Shaddaa if only for the change of scenery and come back and do the bonus on Taris. Would that be possible or will something be out leveled?

[DigitalC]

Originally Posted by Quimby

Can you out level content? My Jedi knight was given the choice between Taris and Nar Shaddaa. I went with Taris. It seemed to to go on forever but I finished. But just as I was leaving I was offered a bonus series. I am level 22. I would like to head to Nar Shaddaa if only for the change of scenery and come back and do the bonus on Taris. Would that be possible or will something be out leveled?

You are definitely going to outlevel nar shadda, it was supposed to be done before Taris.

[Angel of the Lord]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

You are definitely going to outlevel nar shadda, it was supposed to be done before Taris.

That's only true on Empire side. Very mild spoilers below.

SPOILER:

The Empire progression is Korriban/Hutta -> Dromund Kaas -> Balmorra -> Nar Shaddaa -> Tattooine -> Alderaan -> Taris.

The Republic progression is Ord Mantell/Tython -> Coruscant -> Taris -> Nar Shaddaa -> Tattooine -> Alderaan -> Balmorra.

[Quimby]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

You are definitely going to outlevel nar shadda, it was supposed to be done before Taris.

Damn. At the time when I checked both planets, the listed level of Taris was in the teens and Nar Shaddaa was in the 20s so I went to Taris first.

[DigitalC]

My mistake, apparently it's different for you rebel scum.

[RickJay]

Originally Posted by Quimby

Can you out level content? My Jedi knight was given the choice between Taris and Nar Shaddaa. I went with Taris. It seemed to to go on forever but I finished. But just as I was leaving I was offered a bonus series. I am level 22. I would like to head to Nar Shaddaa if only for the change of scenery and come back and do the bonus on Taris. Would that be possible or will something be out leveled?

I did the bonus series on Taris and went to Nar Shaddaa at about 24. Nar Shaddaa's regular mobs aren't a huge challenge but the instances are still fun. You won't have it seriously outclassed.

[Quimby]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

My mistake, apparently it's different for you rebel scum.

No problem! Just relieved I didn't miss out.

[pancakes3]

quick and dirty way to check is to look at the colors of the missions in your quest folder. if the bonus series is yellow (which it probably is), i don't think you'll outlevel it.

[Cyberhwk]

I finally have my Legacy name, but now I'm completely out of ideas.

I've considered witty (Cyberhwk "is Single"), childish (Cyberhwk "J'sfarded") or just my plain old name so my alts end up with a connection back to my main. The novelty names make me laugh but I worry they'll wear thin and I'll just be stuck with a bad joke for the rest of my SWTOR career. On the other hand Cyberhwk Cyberhwk doesn't exactly do it for me.

Any ideas?

[Headrush042]

Don't forget that there are two ways to display your Legacy (or not at all). So while Cyberhwk Cyberhwk would be pretty silly, Cyberhwk with <The Cyberhwk Legacy> beneath is somewhat better.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

Had a bit of a revelation this morning - I'm playing melee dps -spec Operative and been doing stuff with Kaliyo, who is a tank. Makes sense, right? I can backstab in peace and with my Armormech she has the armor to survive a fair amount of damage. I tried out my two dps companions and fights didn't seem to go much better so I kept going with her. Until I read about the healer companions scaling best with gear and generally being all-around best companions to use and I thought, what the heck, I'll give my Doctor a try.

And despite not being able to use my backstab and having to tank elites in my tattered leatheris "armor", fights are going a lot easier, even before I geared him up properly. Weird thing - guess they just didn't make the companion tanks sturdy enough or maybe the healer companions are too awesome, but that's just how it goes.

Also, a pointless little tip: you can use a different companion to talk to mission givers than the companion you use for the actual fighting, which can be handy once your best companion has capped affection.

[martu]

Originally Posted by Arrogance Ex Machina

And despite not being able to use my backstab and having to tank elites in my tattered leatheris "armor", fights are going a lot easier, even before I geared him up properly. Weird thing - guess they just didn't make the companion tanks sturdy enough or maybe the healer companions are too awesome, but that's just how it goes.

For a long time in Beta companion tanks were better than player tanks, at least before end game. For the heroic quests at least it was better to use a companion than a player which wasn't encouraging tank players to group up.

[wolfman]

Well one thing I've noticed is that they didn't make class rolls as strict as some other MMOS.

Most games seem like a tank is 85% damage reduction 15 % dps. Healers are really focused on healing etc. In SWTOR everybody is a bit more of a jack of all trades, Healers do more damage, Tanks do more damage, DPS does more crowd control etc, and isn't particularly fragile. Which makes sense with the 4 man model, a lot of groupings are pretty functional, wiithout having to look for the perfect group composition, which woould be possible with 4 man groups if things were too strict. And the Companions are mostly the same, fairly flexible.

[Skammer]

I can see why it would be easier for a dps player to use a healer companion rather than a tank. On my healer, I use my tank companion all the time but I end up splitting my output about 50/50 between dps and healing my tank companion. If I were dps I can see my tank going down pretty quickly, even though I keep him geared up.

[Quimby]

I hit level 25 on my Jedi Sentinel last night and was under the impression that was what triggered choosing my Legacy name. Didn't see any options for that though. I stopped playing my Sith and have delayed creating new characters until I hit the milestone. Do I have to finish a certain quest or something?

BTW an overall thank you to all the help I have been getting in this thread. The official forums seem to be a whine-fest and the game is so new, other usual sources (wiki's etc.) don't seem to be fully functioning yet.

[Scholar Beardpig]

Originally Posted by Quimby

I hit level 25 on my Jedi Sentinel last night and was under the impression that was what triggered choosing my Legacy name. Didn't see any options for that though. I stopped playing my Sith and have delayed creating new characters until I hit the milestone. Do I have to finish a certain quest or something?

BTW an overall thank you to all the help I have been getting in this thread. The official forums seem to be a whine-fest and the game is so new, other usual sources (wiki's etc.) don't seem to be fully functioning yet.

You do. IIRC, the quest comes after Alderaan; it's the end of your first act. For Agent (my class), the quest was

SPOILER:

Going to Darth Jadus's ship to face him down about the Eradicators.

[pancakes3]

it was level 30 for me.

getting by bosses is easier for me but i'm still moderately underleveled. problem is, i don't do space missions too often and it's hard to find enough people to do heroics with. i have yet to do a flashpoint, but i'm guessing those are huge xp-boosters. i've tried to rest-state my exp but it seems that i'm always 1 level below my suggested class story level and 2 below the normal story levels.

[Skammer]

Originally Posted by pancakes3

it was level 30 for me.

getting by bosses is easier for me but i'm still moderately underleveled. problem is, i don't do space missions too often and it's hard to find enough people to do heroics with. i have yet to do a flashpoint, but i'm guessing those are huge xp-boosters. i've tried to rest-state my exp but it seems that i'm always 1 level below my suggested class story level and 2 below the normal story levels.

Are you doing the bonus missions?

I thought I was finally done with Tatooine (that's a big planet). As I was heading back through the spaceport I see a mission-giver who asks for my help, which leads to a bonus questline, which leads to two more quest hubs... sheesh, I'm never getting off of this forsaken planet.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

Originally Posted by Skammer

I thought I was finally done with Tatooine (that's a big planet). As I was heading back through the spaceport I see a mission-giver who asks for my help, which leads to a bonus questline, which leads to two more quest hubs... sheesh, I'm never getting off of this forsaken planet.

The bonus parts of the planets are even more optional than the other stuff, I've only done Nar Shaddaa's bonus missions on my Imperial Agent and I'm still about the proper level for my class stuff at lvl 43. I've done a few flashpoints though, so if you skip all of those I guess doing a few bonus rounds to keep your level up is a good idea.

Class missions (or missions in general) can get awfully hard if you are too low level for them - I got a lvl 42 mission from my companion when I was 36 and out of curiosity I went to check it out. Of course it lead to a fight and I couldn't do anything to the enemies since they were 6 levels higher than me, so I Cloaked out of combat and came back a lot later. Silly criminals just waited for me for weeks inside that hangar I guess.

[Skammer]

I've noticed that boss fights on my Trooper (tank spec) are much tougher than on my Sorcerer (heal spec). I need to remember to stock up on medpacs, which I never had to bother with on my sorc.

[Quimby]

Yeesh, I thought I was closer. I still have a ton of stuff to do on Nar Saddaa, let alone a whole other planet. I am itching to play my Sith again, I think I will just do it and not worry about the Legacy experience.

[Skammer]

However level 25 does enable you to get your speeder training and buy a speeder, so that's something. Hopefully you have 40k credits lying around.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

Originally Posted by Skammer

However level 25 does enable you to get your speeder training and buy a speeder, so that's something. Hopefully you have 40k credits lying around.

48k, unless you just want the training without the cumbersome speeder itself and then make speeder noises with your mouth and twist empty air like it was the gas handle of your imaginary speeder. Or maybe ask your companion to bang coconuts together while you Sprint around.

[Skammer]

Originally Posted by Arrogance Ex Machina

48k, unless you just want the training without the cumbersome speeder itself and then make speeder noises with your mouth and twist empty air like it was the gas handle of your imaginary speeder. Or maybe ask your companion to bang coconuts together while you Sprint around.

I'm picturing my Sith Inquisitor in his black robes and facemask running around Mos Ila going "vroom, vroom!"

[Quimby]

I got the Collector's Edition so I had a speeder waiting for me once I shelled out for the license. I still make the Vroom Vroom sounds though

[Skammer]

One thing about speeder use gets me every time is that my timing is off because of WoW. In WoW, even though mounting up was not an instant cast, I could start running before the cast was complete and the mount would appear underneath as I started to run. In SWTOR I have to wait a fraction of a second longer, which usually results in me cancelling the action because I tried to move too soon.

[Headrush042]

Originally Posted by Skammer

One thing about speeder use gets me every time is that my timing is off because of WoW. In WoW, even though mounting up was not an instant cast, I could start running before the cast was complete and the mount would appear underneath as I started to run. In SWTOR I have to wait a fraction of a second longer, which usually results in me cancelling the action because I tried to move too soon.

This is so me. Man, do I miss my druid's instant bird form.

[Antinor01]

I just got my speeder! Woohoo!

[amanset]

Originally Posted by Skammer

Are you doing the bonus missions?

I thought I was finally done with Tatooine (that's a big planet). As I was heading back through the spaceport I see a mission-giver who asks for my help, which leads to a bonus questline, which leads to two more quest hubs... sheesh, I'm never getting off of this forsaken planet.

Damn. I though the was just the quest giver for a flashpoint or group mission that I unfollowed. I'm going back to Tatooine now, aren't I?

[martu]

Originally Posted by Antinor01

I just got my speeder! Woohoo!

Grats! I should get mine tonight.

Anyone else noticing their guild chat is quite quiet? This game demands concentration unlike other, say, WoW our guild chat is busy in bursts but often pretty silent. I thought maybe it was just the guild I have joined but others I know are having similar experiences.

Where does everyone go for their swtor database needs? I am using either Torhead and\or Knotor both good but not as many comments and screenshots as I would like for obvious reasons of course, new game and all that.

[Skammer]

Originally Posted by amanset

Damn. I though the was just the quest giver for a flashpoint or group mission that I unfollowed. I'm going back to Tatooine now, aren't I?

'Fraid so! I played my Trooper instead of my Sith last night, so I can't tell you how long the bonus quest series is. I can only tell you so far it involves killing many Sandpeople. I'm eager to get through Act I on my Sith but I still have to finish up Tatooine and get through the class quest line on Alderaan, I think. And probably kill my master.

Originally Posted by martu

Grats! I should get mine tonight.

Anyone else noticing their guild chat is quite quiet? This game demands concentration unlike other, say, WoW our guild chat is busy in bursts but often pretty silent. I thought maybe it was just the guild I have joined but others I know are having similar experiences.

Now that you mention it yeah, although I don't usually see more than 3-4 guildies online anyway. It's hard to chat and listen to your mission dialogue at the same time.

Where does everyone go for their swtor database needs? I am using either Torhead and\or Knotor both good but not as many comments and screenshots as I would like for obvious reasons of course, new game and all that.

I've been using Torhead, but it will be nice when there are more comments to work with. So far I've mostly used it to locate mobs or vendors if I can't find the one I need.

[martu]

January 17th Scheduled Maintenance Postponed which means no patch 1.1 dropping today, issues found in testing. Though I'm sure some will complain the right decision.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

Originally Posted by martu

Though I'm sure some will complain the right decision.

It's a MMO - everything is a cause to complain. Even seemingly positive things because that time and effort could've been used to fix whatever that particular player is most vexed about. I have a friend who has been playing WoW for years now and I just find it endlessly amusing how he keeps on being surprised about stuff the players complain about. Complaints are the default, like the background radiation in space.

In a way I kind of understand it, though - players play in a world that has rules that can actually be changed by prayers .. err, I mean, complaints. Just with devs instead of gods.

[martu]

I have a question I am struggling to find an answer to, my google-fu is weak today. To learn a schematic that creates an item with a level requirement do I have to be that level (or higher)? Last night I couldn't seem to learn my next level of artifice schematics which require level 23 to use, I am currently level 22. This was very late so I could have been doing something dumb.

[Headrush042]

I've been keeping my Biotech well above my level ever since I got my 2nd companion and could be constantly crafting and gathering. I just reverse engineered to a purple 3 levels above me; it's patiently awaiting use in my cargo hold. Are you sure you had enough cash? It gets rather expensive to train.

[martu]

Originally Posted by Headrush042

I've been keeping my Biotech well above my level ever since I got my 2nd companion and could be constantly crafting and gathering. I just reverse engineered to a purple 3 levels above me; it's patiently awaiting use in my cargo hold. Are you sure you had enough cash? It gets rather expensive to train.

Yep I had enough credits, saving for my speeder training. I must have been doing something wrong.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

Seems the new 1.1 patch fiddled with the graphics more than just enabling AA, it resetted my graphics options to high and medium from all low and I still get slightly better fps than before. Certainly a huge quality of gaming improvement for me, even if it wasn't mentioned in the patch notes at all.

Was getting a bit tired of the low texture lego armor I was always wearing, that was so ugly especially in the cutscenes where the camera zooms in.

[Antinor01]

OHhh, maybe I can raise mine a bit. They mentioned making some changes with ATi cards so that could help me. (I'm getting the patch now)

[Skammer]

Nice, I'll have to try higher settings when I get on tonight. I'll be playing my Imp toon tonight if anyone is around in /sdmb.

[RickJay]

I bought a new computer with an SSD primary anda regular hard drive as the larger drive. The only things on the SSD are Windows and The Old Republic.

I've named the computer "Tori."

[Bosstone]

I finally gave in and got TOR the other day. After two solid nights of playing, I now have a level 11 Jedi Guardian fresh off the boat from Thython. I've got a friend working the Artifice angle and feeding me upgrades, so I took Cybertech/Scavenging/Slicing as the crew skills.

I tell you what, the way the skill system is set up, it's painful with just one companion. Admittedly, I realize you're supposed to be questing while the companions are off doing their thing and I was just kicking around on Carrick Station, but even so, 3 minutes for a single mission? I'm just glad the gathering skills are used out in the field as well as missions.

Aside from that, I'm loving the game so far. Much of the mechanics of the game may be lifted wholesale from WoW as it was 4 years ago, but they got thematics spot-on perfect. I'm a freaking Jedi and I feel like I'm a Jedi in a Star Wars universe. That alone makes the game enjoyable, and it's not like the game is bad, just...a little out of date. (Ability ranks? Really?)

[Antinor01]

Didn't do anything. I'm getting more lag at the same settings. Ah well.

[Cyberhwk]

Oh boy, BioWare has got themselves a heap of a mess with Ilum. I guess the patch broke something and Imps have been spawn camping Pubbies all day. Imperials are gaining weeks worth of Valor points in a matter of hours which come with benefits many think could potentially break PvP due to the imbalance. Emergency patch coming tomorrow I think they said.

[Cyberhwk]

Few things...

First, sounds like the patch screwed up Ilum and Republic 50s might be having trouble in the Warzones due to the armored up Imperial PvP pros. But after trying for the daily today I can say "WOW!" We actually had a CHANCE! Republic still went 0-3 in the three matches I played but I actually felt EFFECTIVE for once. Achieved my first 5 medal match too since I had a fighting chance of actually defending an objective rather than just sitting there trying to inflict as much damage as I could before I died.

Got Forcequake, my first AoE attack last level. Let me tell you it's shits and giggles. A TON of fun! I picked up a random and we finished the Nar Shadda Bonus Series together. For half of it we were just having fun with our AoE attacks. I'd Forcequake, she'd grenade them, we'd collect the loot.

They said they will be adding Guild Banks. I hope it's soon. I get all sorts or ranged weapons I can't even use (nor my companions). I feel bad throwing the things on GTN because armor and weapons sell for only a fraction of their suggested price, but I really have no other option.

Except one. Now that I got my Legacy I'm thinking it might be close to time to start rolling some alts. I'll have to give some thought to what directions I want to go with them though.

ETA: I'm also trying some basic Key Bindings. I've added "Next Target" to Scroll Wheel and put Next Friendly to Tab. I also bound my chief heal to Scroll Button. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.