Short first impression?

-More polished then Rift, 100% stable beta (after first hour of zomg everyone is trying to log in at once) I had no lag, no disconnects, no crashes.

-Graphics look and feel great - not like BF3 amazing or Skyrim OMG crazy look and feel, but VERY Star Wars, very Bioware, VERY KOTOR especially. Animations are great, add SO much to see the game moving and playing.

-Environments are very intelligently design, extremely smooth game play - very much like WoW in that it just "feels" like the EXACT right pacing and flow. The planets are huge.. huge... lots and lots of running. Helped at level 14 I think you get an out of combat sprint, but there is a lot of walking around. Thankfully the visuals are great and music/sound is amazing (it's Star Wars!) so you barely even notice the travel times.

Plenty of fast travel options once you've already been to an area.

-Combat is fun and exciting right from the start, especially when you get a companion. You are fighting 3-4 mobs at a time ALL the time, have to use CC and use your companion to hold mobs and there are stronger/tougher mobs all over and leading groups and you've got to use all of your abilities.

If you don't, you will die and die often once you get off the starter worlds.

-PvP only did Huttball a few times but it is really fun and just like a 1-flag CTF so it's this constant back and forth battle.

-Crafting I love love love I feel like a foreman or manager rather then the line worker pulling the lever. I can only imagine how it is going to be with 5 companions to manage and send on missions and craft stuff for you. Being able to break apart items to learn new recipes and get a chance to turn Greens into Blue recipes and Blues into Purple recipes is just awesome.

Mod'ing can keep an item up to par with other looted/quest reward items easily especially if you can craft the mods instead of having to find/buy them.

-Space combat is very much just a mini game, which is kind of sad panda but it is fun and nice distraction and change of pace mechanic.

-Ships are awesome, travel wherever you want store stuff talk with companions, very Bioware very Mass Effect very KOTOR but yeah you can also upgrade ship for space combat missions and watch out the window as you lightspeed/jump to different planets and such.

-Flashpoints are fun, decently challenging have to have some coordination and some solid heal/tank but at least for low level it's not too hard kind of like Rift was at launch/in beta but not as piss easy as WOW dungeons now when leveling.

-Group conversations are AWESOME.

Extra cool special feeling to win a roll and have your character make the choice or say the line, but also really cool to see other classes dialogue and personality.

-Voice acting is top AAA quality, except for maybe a few little things here and there like awkward pauses for some alien speech.

-Questing is much, much, much improved over Rift/WoW even though the inner min/maxer in me always finishes the bonus quests that pop up as you kill stuff on the way to objectives, you usually finish them as you go about your business anyway.

-Story is great, won't give any spoilers but you definitely "feel" like you are that class. They went through a LOT of effort to make you feel like you are really playing that character and it really fits the archetype.

Bioware got a grand-slam with this without a doubt.

So there you go, 1 through about 17 on a SI along with 1-5/6 with Trooper, JK, BH.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Good write up.

Thank you.

Bioware was 100% right when they said after playing this you will NEVER be able to go back to MMO that doesn't use full VO.

The thought of playing any other theme park MMO with quest text makes me cringe...thank you Skyrim lol

There is just so much intelligence behind their design choices.

I mean, not 100% perfect by any means, like I wasn't level 10 when I left the starter world and completely missed my Advanced Class trainer and quest lol so I had to back track and ask around like a nub and figure it out.

But kind of like Rift there are zero penalties to grouping with a friend when out doing open world quests and the group conversations make it 100% worth while alone, and you can generally observe/watch another players class-specific content (unless you are same class as them)

I agree with just about everything you said. Just toned done a bit. However, Ths is just simply not true.

"More polished then Rift"

Otherwise, not to far from my own feelings. I'll be giving it a real chance when released. We'll see how BIOWARE uses the chance it's been given.

Edit. Not to say Rift was spot on, they had issues as well but I think SWTOR is behind where they were in polish and theres lots of work to be done in the next two months.

Very nice.  Answers a lot of questions, but unfortunately adds to the feeling of restlessness and anticipation. XD

++lol on the awkwardness of some alien spoken dialogues but you're right in most other categories.  Through my own testing in the crafting category, I hated it.  It doesn't seem involved at all and I'm not really a fan of having a personal tank/healer/dps with you on demand.  

Other than that, this game will do very well.

Originally posted by tyrannis

I agree with just about everything you said. Just toned done a bit. However, Ths is just simply not true.

"More polished then Rift"

Otherwise, not to far from my own feelings. I'll be giving it a real chance when released. We'll see how BIOWARE uses the chance it's been given.

Everything in TOR seemed like it was already balanced and properly toned and measured and weighted and tested.

Rift didn't have very many bugs at all, I can't remember seeing but a few during beta and at release, but balance was WAY off and the flow of quests and story and general "feel" of the game was way off.

TOR felt like a complete game. Like the game had been balancing and live with udpates for years.

Rift never felt that way to me, so, I say that TOR is more polished then Rift.

Originally posted by tyrannis

I agree with just about everything you said. Just toned done a bit. However, Ths is just simply not true.

"More polished then Rift"

Otherwise, not to far from my own feelings. I'll be giving it a real chance when released. We'll see how BIOWARE uses the chance it's been given.

 

Naw, late stage beta for SWToR was more polished than RIFT.  RIFT was still having lag and stability issues until the last few weeks.  It's not by MUCH but still more polished than RIFT.

Not for me, but purely because im taking a break to freshen up before some next gen type GW2/Arch comes out.  Now if it as good as you say, and it does seem like comments fit with a consistent picture that is forming, then interesting times for WOW - couple million move over, maybe much much more, then the gold farmers follow, interesting :)

Originally posted by BadSpock

Short first impression?

 

-More polished then Rift, 100% stable beta (after first hour of zomg everyone is trying to log in at once) I had no lag, no disconnects, no crashes.

-Graphics look and feel great - not like BF3 amazing or Skyrim OMG crazy look and feel, but VERY Star Wars, very Bioware, VERY KOTOR especially. Animations are great, add SO much to see the game moving and playing.

-Environments are very intelligently design, extremely smooth game play - very much like WoW in that it just "feels" like the EXACT right pacing and flow. The planets are huge.. huge... lots and lots of running. Helped at level 14 I think you get an out of combat sprint, but there is a lot of walking around. Thankfully the visuals are great and music/sound is amazing (it's Star Wars!) so you barely even notice the travel times.

Plenty of fast travel options once you've already been to an area.

-Combat is fun and exciting right from the start, especially when you get a companion. You are fighting 3-4 mobs at a time ALL the time, have to use CC and use your companion to hold mobs and there are stronger/tougher mobs all over and leading groups and you've got to use all of your abilities.

If you don't, you will die and die often once you get off the starter worlds.

-PvP only did Huttball a few times but it is really fun and just like a 1-flag CTF so it's this constant back and forth battle.

-Crafting I love love love I feel like a foreman or manager rather then the line worker pulling the lever. I can only imagine how it is going to be with 5 companions to manage and send on missions and craft stuff for you. Being able to break apart items to learn new recipes and get a chance to turn Greens into Blue recipes and Blues into Purple recipes is just awesome.

Mod'ing can keep an item up to par with other looted/quest reward items easily especially if you can craft the mods instead of having to find/buy them.

-Space combat is very much just a mini game, which is kind of sad panda but it is fun and nice distraction and change of pace mechanic.

-Ships are awesome, travel wherever you want store stuff talk with companions, very Bioware very Mass Effect very KOTOR but yeah you can also upgrade ship for space combat missions and watch out the window as you lightspeed/jump to different planets and such.

-Flashpoints are fun, decently challenging have to have some coordination and some solid heal/tank but at least for low level it's not too hard kind of like Rift was at launch/in beta but not as piss easy as WOW dungeons now when leveling.

-Group conversations are AWESOME.

Extra cool special feeling to win a roll and have your character make the choice or say the line, but also really cool to see other classes dialogue and personality.

-Voice acting is top AAA quality, except for maybe a few little things here and there like awkward pauses for some alien speech.

-Questing is much, much, much improved over Rift/WoW even though the inner min/maxer in me always finishes the bonus quests that pop up as you kill stuff on the way to objectives, you usually finish them as you go about your business anyway.

-Story is great, won't give any spoilers but you definitely "feel" like you are that class. They went through a LOT of effort to make you feel like you are really playing that character and it really fits the archetype.

Bioware got a grand-slam with this without a doubt.

So there you go, 1 through about 17 on a SI along with 1-5/6 with Trooper, JK, BH.

I agree with you entirely. I played a few toons to 8th-10th level and a Smuggler to 13th, getting my ship. Best MMO I have played in a Looooooooong time. It completely sucked me in and I was sad when the beta weekend was over last week. 

I agree with your assessment, I enjoyed the beta and look forward to launch :)

I didn't get as far as you did as i was experimenting with character classes but for the most part I agree with this.

My first experience with the beta was "lag free". however, this last beta I had a lot of lag so had to "bug it".

The game really comes alive once you are in the storylines, experiencign conversations, etc. I love the combat. I didn't love one of the "tried and true" mmo conventions where I hada quest to release some students from these cages. they were "glowing" in order to alert you that "yes, these are the cages". However, once you let them out then in a bit the cage will start glowing again with another student and you can "let them out again". As opposed the the cage remaining empty and you have to find the rest of the cages.

Otherwise, I'm pleased with the game and don't regret my pre-order.

well said. this is gonna surprise many people for sure.

Thx, good info. Hopefully I will play it next weekend too :)

Originally posted by Quesa

++lol on the awkwardness of some alien spoken dialogues but you're right in most other categories.  Through my own testing in the crafting category, I hated it.  It doesn't seem involved at all and I'm not really a fan of having a personal tank/healer/dps with you on demand.  

Other than that, this game will do very well.

I was kind of "meh" on the idea of companions at first, and I really disliked the first SI companion you get (won't say due to story) but you rely on them so much when you are fighting 4-5 mobs at a time it's just crazy.

I learned to really appreciate the companion and used it as a tool because I didn't like the character or personality. So I didn't care about that companion in a relationship with them kind of way, but a very, very useful and needed tool for sure.

So I appreciated it for that.

The game is definitely balanced around having that companion out when you are out soloing and questing and such.

Heroic group content and PvP and flash points I never used companions, and it felt just as "natural" as any other group activity in any other MMO.

With a "better" companion who participate in the conversations more to my likely and a character I actually grow fond of, I'll enjoy the companion system even more.

Great write up..   Totally agree...

One thing I would recomend for people that will be using Voice Chat ie: ventrillo,   Keybind the Mute Channel..   there is so much talking in the swtor that if your on vent and your buddies are laughing and OMG did you see that... chatter    You'll have a hard time hearing the NPC's tell your about your critical missions and routine quests.

TY Badspock! good write up! +1

****Raving to conquer the galaxy before Dec 20th! :)  ***

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Originally posted by BadSpock

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Originally posted by Quesa
++lol on the awkwardness of some alien spoken dialogues but you're right in most other categories.  Through my own testing in the crafting category, I hated it.  It doesn't seem involved at all and I'm not really a fan of having a personal tank/healer/dps with you on demand.  
Other than that, this game will do very well.

---

I was kind of "meh" on the idea of companions at first, and I really disliked the first SI companion you get (won't say due to story) but you rely on them so much when you are fighting 4-5 mobs at a time it's just crazy.
I learned to really appreciate the companion and used it as a tool because I didn't like the character or personality. So I didn't care about that companion in a relationship with them kind of way, but a very, very useful and needed tool for sure.
So I appreciated it for that.
The game is definitely balanced around having that companion out when you are out soloing and questing and such.
Heroic group content and PvP and flash points I never used companions, and it felt just as "natural" as any other group activity in any other MMO.
With a "better" companion who participate in the conversations more to my likely and a character I actually grow fond of, I'll enjoy the companion system even more.

---

Negatives:

-Talent trees are going to be very cookie cutter I forsee.

"best" specs for each advanced class, fill out one specific tree for your "role" and put the rest into either shared tree or other roles tree for some hybridization.

Too early to tell 100% but that is definitely a negative for some people. They remind me a lot more of the pre-Cataclysm WoW talent trees more then anything, which honestly I rather liked in comparison to Rift which felt TOO cookie cutter and Cataclysm WoW which was too limited.

-Some random bugs like NPC mouths not opening during conversations. Looked kind of like we were talking telepathy.

-Some things are not 100% apparent/obvious at first glance, definitely a learning curve aspect to some things. Good or bad thing IMO.

Like class trainers for AC and crafting multiple items and getting your Advanced Class chosen.

-Obviously the space combat will not be for everyone - it is a mini-game 100% but I have faith in Bioware that they will expand on it.

There are very few negatives I can give however... I played almost non stop but forced myself to stop and go buy Skyrim so I wouldn't ruin too much of the story, even though I was playing a SI most of the time and I'm def playing Republic at launch.

I grew to just LOVE my SI though, so I might have to roll one at launch anyway lol the game is that good I wanted to play every class I tried for hours and hours and hours because they all feel so cool and have such unique personality and story.

I played my SI as a sassy, kind of stuck up over-confident bitch who had a heart of gold and always did the "right" thing when it really mattered... totally loved the character I made.

It may be a "linear theme park" but the role play is phenominal, even completely by accident because of how good the VO and story and characters are.

I had general sadness as one class and was just waiting to get a chance to kill someone in particular on another. Amazing. Amazing.