I like the look of The Secret World which is on top of my "to watch" list. But there are a few important things that will decide if this is something for me and some worrying things. In random order:

• SWToR claimed everyone is a hero. When everyone is a hero then none can be a hero. To be special there need to be many different sorts of player characters with vastly differing interests and agendas. I hope TSW can live up to that.
• There has to be a player driven economy and deep crafting incl. player built structures and items. Preferably private housing exterior of faction headquarters and guild headquarters.
• In line with the everyone is NOT a hero comment there need to be player political professions and progressions and other stuff outside of just levelling combat characters
• A Secret World is only secret, monstrous, scary and convey a sense of horror through breaking these secret happenings across a world of the mediocre. There need to be normal zones, regular people on street not knowing what goes on and a chance to blend in. I hope they will allow for that.
• There must be servers with intelligent pvp - not everyone think pvp that is limited to a large combat zone is the least bit interesting. It will be stale when kept to one - even if it is a large zone. Let there be open world engagement. The best way to handle pvp in a large open world is to introduce an incognito system, where you can go inactive from your faction and not be attacked (with the appropriate timers etc.). Look at SWG for inspiration on going "overt / covert".
• Funcom should be honest this time around; something doesn't work or won't be as announced, say it openly and honestly to the player base. Lies and deceptions as with AoC would make the player base rotten; I for one would never touch a Funcom game again if they lie and cheat again.
• No free to play model and only very limited cash shop please. If you have a cash shop with good items, then you kill crafting and the player economy and reduces play reason to being one of combat.
• The videos we see (like the recently released Blue Mountain) shows us a world where there is mystery and scary stories abound. But can this be retained in the mmo is it just a skin to go kill X number of Y monsters? We don't want a skin. Thanks.
• Include meaningful end game content and polish the game BEFORE release. The days of pay to beta should be over.
• Above all else, create a living, breathing, engaging world with multiple things to do outside combat (solve mysteries and puzzles, build political organisations, advance in your faction, build player structures, gather strange ressources, craft weapons and spells, earn a living outside of quests etc.)... Only then will TSW have something to offer that the other games don't.

Thanks a lot guys, I think I will follow the advice and try with a new GPU for now.. maybe the 560 or 570.

I wonder if they will consume more power... and if my PSU is enough..

Originally posted by Gdemami

There are some new MMOs in development that will be built on CryEngine 2 or UE3. So that is where you should look and find what suit your budget best.

Skyrim isn't a good game to set your graphics standards upon...

Only problem is that I have no idea what you mean..

I would like to use what I have as an update for something better... wondering what I could still use and what I should update to play the newest games like Shogun Total War, newest MMOs... AND Skyrim

edit: though admittedly I may just be able to use the case :-o

Originally posted by DexterMMO

Low Budget - GTX 560ti (250$)

Medium Budget - new mobo/i5 2500k/ddr3 ram (400$)

Large Budget - Mobo/ i7 2600k/ 8-16gb ddr 3/ GTX 560 ti ( 600$)

Thanks a lot - very helpful :-)

Hi

I got this PC:

EVGA nForce 780i
Intel Core 2 Duo e8400 @ 3.0
Zotac GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5 G (8 gb)
Zalman GT1000 Gaming Case
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
ThermalTake BlueOrb FX Cooler
WD Raptor X 150GB
750GB SAMSUNG SPINPOINT F1 32MB 7200RPM
OCZ GameXStream 850 watt

Any thoughts on how I could make this PC updated for minimum costs? Do I absolutely need a new motherboard?

I would like to play Skyrim, Total War, new MMOs..

It is sad to see the cantina 2/3 in.. when I think of the bustling SWG cantinas of old... so many mmos miss the mark completely when creating mmos without the use / need for social hubs..

Brilliant post!

Originally posted by dominia

One thing I've noticed over the past 6 years I've followed this site is most "samdbox officionatos" don't, when the time comes, support their love with their wallets.

 

I picked SW:ToR because I played a dancer, medic and trooper in SWG - and never had as much fun as I did facing down the Emperor on my Jedi Guardian during closed beta. I'll take a game that gives me a compelling reason to play it, anyday.

 

On a same but different note, the early days of Shadowbane were more fun than SWG in my opinion.

What is there to support if you want an AAA mmo with sandbox features??

Originally posted by likwidsage

Easily a biased question. I'd play any game that had new engine/polish, good bug fixes, and a new direction, but that's assuming the direction it heads towards is one I agree with. It's like asking "do you want this amazing thing here, or that one?" Without knowing what we're talking about, you're inclined to choose the amazing one. If you can specifiy what fixes and direction it would take, I'm sure you'll find that a significantly less amount of people will agree with playing that option. 

I don't agree. It is not hard to imagine a game like SWG with more polish, more bug fixing, graphics update. I think that is a fair comment. Some MMOs have been receiving updates and refreshes. Example, AoC. It is entirely possible to both do that and imagine that. Say LA wanted to do it, SOE would definitely have done something to revive the game, considering what a huge IP it is. More than anything I believe it is Bioware who made it a condition to create SWToR that there wouldn't be competition.

Originally posted by Byrhofen

oh look, another thinly veiled attempt at claiming SW:TOR is not an MMO.

I voted for SW:TOR as it is, even though I could claim to be an SWG vet, having had 5 active accounts up until the NGE hit, but why bother?

SWG was fun, but it had its time, it is over.

SW:TOR may not be a sandbox, but so what? it is still an MMO, it is still fun (in my opinion) to play, it is still Star Wars, and lets be honest here, it is definately not as buggy as SWG was.

If people want to play SWToR no problem. If people enjoy, then that's great for them.

How does that make it an mmo??

Being an SWG veteran I am sad to see that giant gone (though it was really gone a long time ago). And I wonder how many would prefer this game to be reborn under new direction as opposed to play Bioware's Star Wars, The Old Republic?

SWG had flaws, bugs, lack of polish, but offered deep crafting, non-combat classes, housing, pet classes unlike any of today, socializing like reason to spend time with others in hospitals, cantinas and around camp fires. I can't even begin to mention the fun conversations I have had around camp fires in that game while waiting for the next round of adventure. The game also offered the opportunity to mix classes.

Many years later SWG is dead, not supported or given the chance I think it deserved and broken by NGE/CU fixes. And along comes Bioware's SWToR. SWToR appeal maybe more to the singleplayer crowd. No one can claim it is sandbox, true massive multiplayer. What it does offer is fixed storylines, voice acting, tons of polish, rail shooter and group options.

So what would you prefer - SWG REBORN or SWToR as it is launching now??

(unfortunately we are only offered the one)

Originally posted by Grahor

Couldn't get through step 6 in English - got error constantly: " Please use number 1 to indicate the most encouraging factor, 2 for the next most encouraging factor, etc "

Thanks for letting me know.

I think the problem is that you need to place only five values. One field with a 1, one field witth a 2, one field with a 3, one field with a 4 and one field with a 5. Nothing else.

Still need more respondents :-)

still not quite there yet

Thanks guys!

I still need a couple more, please! If any1 has a moment to spare..

Still need 50 more :-p

If anyone has 2 - 3 minutes to spare my wife really needs a lot more respondents in her survey. 

I would totally appreciate any1 filling it out. :-)

By the way it is completely anonymous and no personal information is given out..!

Originally posted by sciocco

I participated in the survey in English,

Some parts were a little confusing, but overall it was quick.

Hope the necessary data is collected. =)

 

Thanks a lot! That is much appreciated!

We still need many more respondents, but they are hard to get. ;)

We TOTALLY need more respondents. Please help fill out this survey if you have a few moments to spare.

:-p

Please help!

My wife is doing a survey for her Master's thesis. Please help us by both responding to this survey and share it with others as well.

For English: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GVR3DG5

For Danish: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5JKFFGL

We need respondents from both Denmark, Sweden and USA and other countries. And we need all age groups as well.

Cheers, Draccan :-)

I have no doubts that TOR will bring in tons of money. As a financial investment it is already a sounding succes.

As a MMO it has failed already though. WoW in Space on Rails does not make a good mmo. It is just carbon copy with even more rails than ever before. By the time people realize how shallow it is Bioware / LA will already be laughing all the way to the bank.

The sad thing is that they will make so much money that it will inspire others to follow the same route and we get even more shallow games.

Every player with the same class will be limited to same story. Game is more of a glorified single player than massive. Even space is a rail shooter.

For every new MMO I have seen released you see fans charging in to attack every piece of criticism on these forums calling people haters etc. Then a few months after most of the same people are raging against the game for all their obvious faults.

Six months from now a lot of the fans will have left TOR already..