Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 4
I resumed playing Star Wars: The Old Republic at the start of December 2024, after a two and a half year break. This is an MMORPG that I have never consistently played, compared to The Lord of the Rings Online or Star Trek: Online. I bought the game at launch and spent about a year or so slogging through content. Gameplay was a lot slower back then and I got stuck at a certain point in the Smuggler Class story, so I moved on to something else. I returned to the game when it went free to play but didn’t stay for long. However, when I came back to SWTOR in 2022, the game had significantly altered and I found that levelling new alts was a lot less grindy. I discovered that the best way to play the game as a solo player, was to treat it as an RPG and work my way through the class stories as each one is unique. My recent return has focused on completing the last three class stories I had outstanding.
I resumed playing Star Wars: The Old Republic at the start of December 2024, after a two and a half year break. This is an MMORPG that I have never consistently played, compared to The Lord of the Rings Online or Star Trek: Online. I bought the game at launch and spent about a year or so slogging through content. Gameplay was a lot slower back then and I got stuck at a certain point in the Smuggler Class story, so I moved on to something else. I returned to the game when it went free to play but didn’t stay for long. However, when I came back to SWTOR in 2022, the game had significantly altered and I found that levelling new alts was a lot less grindy. I discovered that the best way to play the game as a solo player, was to treat it as an RPG and work my way through the class stories as each one is unique. My recent return has focused on completing the last three class stories I had outstanding.
As of today, I have finally achieved what the game calls “Legendary Status”. All eight of the origin stories of each class have been completed. This achievement was created as part of the base game upon launch, when the level cap was 50, so there is still plenty further content to play through. However, this does feel like a milestone as the self-contained stories of each class are quite expansive, taking the player through all of the worlds that existed when the game originally launched. From time to time I have encountered other players and the recent addition of dynamic encounters has increased my exposure to other SWTOR players. However, much of the class stories are gated behind unique instances that are bespoke to the individual player. Hence you only really encounter other players while travelling to specific locations or at the major social hubs such as faction fleets.
The completion of this achievement, although very satisfying, has raised a new question. What shall I do next? I would like to take one of my alts through the remaining story content in the game and acquire optimal gear. However, I’m not sure which class to make my primary character and I have always found that the gear grind in this game is somewhat esoteric. As a predominantly solo player I don’t want to be dependent upon a guild to run instances for gear. I just don’t have the time to play regularly with others. I am also still trying to determine which class best suits my kind of gameplay. I have grown fond of my Jedi Knight with Shadow Combat Style and Serenity Discipline but it never feels especially “powerful” in combat. Plus I suspect that the pace of combat is dictated by the fact that this is an MMO from 2011.
Unlike other MMOs, it would appear that you cannot re-gear at level cap via the Galactic Trade Network. I have acquired a few new items via Flashpoints and Heroics that have been flagged as better gear than I currently have. They are of a different colour quality but when you compare the stats they are not greatly superior. Some numbers go up but others go down. As I don’t fully understand the stats system in the game, I am loath to change from my current build until I am certain that it’s a beneficial change. Hence I need to set myself some practical goals so that I can move forward in SWTOR. Obviously a little research is in order so I can determine a strategy but not too much. Nothing kills my interest in an MMO than an excess of “homework”. I am still enjoying SWTOR at present and would like to keep it that way.
Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 3
A recent email prompted me to return to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Developers Broadsword are “encouraging” former players to log back into the game to prevent the potential “release” of character names from “inactive” accounts. This has happened in the past, so I decided it would be a good time to return to the game. I last played in early 2022 when I created Trooper, Sith Warrior and Imperial Agent alts. The great thing about SWTOR is that all classes have unique stories so alts are never dull. This time I intend to complete the Jedi Consular, Jedi Knight and Sith Inquisitor classes. So I reinstalled the game, subscribed to enjoy full access to all content and also purchased a few Cartel Coins in case anything in the game store took my fancy. Hence the latest instalment of this recurring post, after a sizable break.
A recent email prompted me to return to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Developers Broadsword are “encouraging” former players to log back into the game to prevent the potential “release” of character names from “inactive” accounts. This has happened in the past, so I decided it would be a good time to return to the game. I last played in early 2022 when I created Trooper, Sith Warrior and Imperial Agent alts. The great thing about SWTOR is that all classes have unique stories so alts are never dull. This time I intend to complete the Jedi Consular, Jedi Knight and Sith Inquisitor classes. So I reinstalled the game, subscribed to enjoy full access to all content and also purchased a few Cartel Coins in case anything in the game store took my fancy. Hence the latest instalment of this recurring post, after a sizable break.
When I last played SWTOR, I “acquired” a substantial quantity of in-game currency which I shared among alts for miscellaneous spending. I placed the remainder in Legacy Storage, which is an account-wide vault. The Legacy system itself offers some useful account wide unlocks which are very beneficial for alts. Both the money and early access to a companion, has made levelling a new Jedi Consular character relatively hassle free. I am currently playing through the class story at a leisurely pace and have also decided on a whim, to try and unlock the HK-51 Assassin Droid companion. The game certainly doesn’t lack content for a new or returning player. As well as each class having a unique story, so does each planet. There have also been various expansions released over the years. Plus there’s all the group instances that you can quickly jump into and endless amounts of cosmetics to mess about with.
As I said in the previous instalments of this post, SWTOR exudes Star Wars ambience through its design and style. The game is 14 years old but the stylised, cartoonesque graphics still hold up well and were definitely the right choice. I feel that Bioware/Broadsword have done a much better job of creating original content than Disney. The stories and their approach to the source material is far more creative and adult than a lot of the TV shows and films. There is a genuine appreciation of the source material and an intelligent extrapolation and exploration of its core themes. SWTOR has an exceptional score, especially the material for the original base game. Many MMOs have strong musical accompaniment but SWTOR seems to go that extra mile and has numerous robust cues that all seem to be in exactly the right Star Wars idiom. It all makes for a very immersive experience.
Naturally, there are some aspects of SWTOR that do betray its age. These are often design choices that were commonplace among the previous generation of MMOs. The ever increasing time penalty between being defeated and revived is one example. It is archaic by modern standards and singularly annoying. Impeding a player from playing your own game is staggeringly crass. Combat is somewhat slow, especially when your level is lowered for the zone that you’re in. Your DPS is weak but you’re sufficiently robust to not be in any tangible danger. Hence it feels like you’re whittling away at a big stick with a very small penknife. The game also does a very poor job of explaining itself. I’m sure that I’m not getting as much as I can out of the Galactic Season and I seem to have accrued a lot of the game’s currencies, yet am at a loss as to whether I can spend them on something useful.
I don’t have any particular thoughts on the state of SWTOR’s endgame at present because I have no experience of it. I know new content has been delayed and that longterm players have concerns about the immediate future. However, for new or returning players SWTOR has a lot to offer, as long as you are cognisant of its terms. As for myself, I have goals to achieve and some minor problems to resolve. I need to recruit a few more players to my existing guild, mainly so they can then invite my new alts. I would also like to complete all story content on my oldest character, a Smuggler, that I’ve taken the furthest into the game. I also think it’s time I explored more group content. I suspect that’s where the good gear is all stashed. With the Christmas holiday season imminent, now is the perfect time to re-engage with this MMO.
Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 2
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
In my previous post, I posed the question as to whether I’d maintain my enthusiasm for SWTOR for a month and whether the Star Wars “feels” would remain. I’m happy to report that both of these aspects of the game have prevailed. However, that is not to say that I’m not without some criticisms. SWTOR does a shocking job of explaining itself to its players and I habitually have to have a web browser open on my second monitor so I can find out about something mundane. Some of the barter items and reward systems are impenetrable. I may well be sitting on multiple sources of good gear but I am conspicuously ignorant if this is the case. The game also takes liberties with reasonable assumptions that players will naturally make. I had to find a way to shut down a forcefield in one Chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire and the first three power couplings were clearly in the vicinity of the bunker and easy to find. The fourth was obtusely placed a substantial distance away, rather than cunningly hidden. Stuff like that is annoying.
Boss fights are often painfully slow,as I mentioned in a previous post. However, the end fight with Revan at the end of the second expansion, took this to a whole new level. I was simultaneously fascinated and bored by how staggeringly unengaging this climactic fight was. Another beef I have with SWTOR is starting a mission, only to find that it’s gated in some way or dependent on group content. This is frequently the case with Alliance Specialists and Companion Recruitment missions. Some require World Boss trophies and one was gated behind a yearly event. Again this is very annoying and I see no reason why these criteria aren’t clearly flagged in advance. However, I do applaud the game for the sheer number of companions you can access. I like to change mine regularly, depending upon my mood. I am especially fond of Blizz and Gus Tuno. I also appreciate the fact that I no longer have to acquire gear for them.
I have spent some time playing the PVE space missions, where you use your personal ship. I have progressed exactly as far as I did when I last played and have found that the same problems thwart my progress. Sadly my reactions are too slow in specific missions and I collide with too many objects, which is frustrating because I quite enjoy these “on rails” space battles. I haven’t yet looked into Galactic Starfighter although I intend to give it a go. PVP is not usually my thing but I just want to see how equitable they make this aspect of SWTOR. Will a new player be grouped with players of a similar ability or will we just get “thrown to the Wolves”? We shall see. At the very least it will provide me with material for another blog post. Overall, I am pleased that SWTOR has managed to keep me engaged. That’s mainly down to the well written stories and interesting characters. And it must be said that this MMO has one of the best soundtracks in the genre. It certainly has kept those Star Wars “feels” coming.
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Legacy of the Sith
As well as a new central story, Legacy of the Sith has also introduced some major system changes to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. From my own perspective as a returning casual player, these changes are measured and appropriate. Firstly, my Smuggler has had some of their skills rationalised. Some buffs which you previously chose to use, such as Smuggler’s Luck, are now passive skills. Other minor skills, such as Flash Grenade, have been removed. I don’t consider any of these changes to undermine the class and welcome the decluttering of my quickbars. Perhaps more advanced players may take a different view. Change is not always welcome, especially if it removes choice. I however approve of these alterations and the way the UI has been redesigned to display your gear, outfit, combat style, loadouts and companion details.
As well as a new central story, Legacy of the Sith has also introduced some major system changes to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. From my own perspective as a returning casual player, these changes are measured and appropriate. Firstly, my Smuggler has had some of their skills rationalised. Some buffs which you previously chose to use, such as Smuggler’s Luck, are now passive skills. Other minor skills, such as Flash Grenade, have been removed. I don’t consider any of these changes to undermine the class and welcome the decluttering of my quickbars. Perhaps more advanced players may take a different view. Change is not always welcome, especially if it removes choice. I however approve of these alterations and the way the UI has been redesigned to display your gear, outfit, combat style, loadouts and companion details.
Secondly, another major addition to SWTOR in this expansion is Combat Styles. Prior to Legacy of the Sith, each class had two advanced classes, with three disciplines to choose from as they progressed through the game. My primary character in SWTOR is a Smuggler that has chosen the Gunslinger advanced class. I have then selected a DPS focused discipline by allocating points into a skills tree. Now I can select a second Combat Style (the new term for an additional advanced class) and hot swap between them. There are some limitations. As a Smuggler I can only choose Combat Styles from the Trooper and Bounty-hunter and Agent class. Similarly Jedi and Sith characters can only choose from each other. This new system offers a great deal of flexibility and variety. Once a player has completed chapter 3 they are offered a second Combat Style. New characters are now offered this option upon creation.
At present I have decided not to rush into choosing a second Combat Style. I am still trying to refine my current default one and determine what is the optimal skill rotation. When playing MMOs I tend to focus on one task at a time. I recently completed the Makeb story arc from Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Although I accepted the Seeker Droid and Macrobinocular missions I have yet to undertake them as I find that travelling back and forth between multiple tasks detrimental to following the various narratives. I decided to do some solo Flashpoints but found accessing them a little confusing. I wasn’t sure where to find the appropriate NPC to bestow them but eventually discovered I could access some via the Groupfinder panel. I recently discovered the Swtorista website and it has become an invaluable resource. SWTOR, like many other MMOs, doesn't do especially well at providing essential information in-game.
From my personal perspective, I have chosen a good time to return to SWTOR. I have managed to refamiliarize myself with the game and my existing characters skills quite quickly. The latest expansion has rationalised those skills making combat easier. I have a wealth of content ahead of me. SWTOR is also a very solo friendly MMO which suits me as I do not have the time to join a guild and participate in social gaming. My next goal is to play through Shadow of Revan. I am currently level 63 and will see if I can reach the level cap just by playing through the main stories of the game. I am also trying to keep abreast of the lore, which can get confusing at times. My Gunslinger defeated Darth Malgus on Ilum but it would appear that he returns in later expansions. This is why I try to do content in chronological order to maintain narrative continuity.
Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars is an interesting franchise in the way it elicits such a strong emotional reaction among those that venerate it. To cut a long story short, I recently reinstalled Star Wars: The Old Republic and the moment I reactivated one of my previous characters and logged into the game I was immediately smitten with what I can only describe as Star Wars “feels”. There is something about the aesthetic associated with the franchise, both visually and musically (the latter is in many ways unique to Star Wars) which taps into my subconscious and prompts a wave of nostalgia. The Star Wars theme is a unique piece of music, insofar as whenever I hear it, it never fails to make me feel like a ten year old boy again. A boy who was enamoured with the Star Wars universe. Perhaps I still am on some level.
Star Wars is an interesting franchise in the way it elicits such a strong emotional reaction among those that venerate it. To cut a long story short, I recently reinstalled Star Wars: The Old Republic and the moment I reactivated one of my previous characters and logged into the game I was immediately smitten with what I can only describe as Star Wars “feels”. There is something about the aesthetic associated with the franchise, both visually and musically (the latter is in many ways unique to Star Wars) which taps into my subconscious and prompts a wave of nostalgia. The Star Wars theme is a unique piece of music, insofar as whenever I hear it, it never fails to make me feel like a ten year old boy again. A boy who was enamoured with the Star Wars universe. Perhaps I still am on some level.
The reason I mention this is because nostalgia and having an emotional attachment to Star Wars certainly contributed to my decision to download the 45GB client for SWTOR. And let us not forget the very selective way our memory works. Hence I was focused on all the positive aspects of this MMORPG, such as the detailed stories, the immersive worlds and the allure of the franchise. There is something very satisfying in firing a blaster pistol in SWTOR and the fact that it makes exactly the same noise as they do in the movies. Returning to this game is at first like returning to a favourite restaurant. Familiarity is indeed comforting. I was pleased to see my previous characters just as I left them. A level 50 Smuggler from 2011 and a level 54 Bounty Hunter from 2013. I rolled a new Smuggler and it didn’t take long for me to orientate myself and remember how the controls work. The sumptuous soundtrack washed over me and I was briefly floating in a sea of nostalgia and joy. Several days later I have a more realistic attitude towards the game.
You to can run through endless corridors
Never let emotions and sentiment get in the way of critical thinking. SWTOR had some major flaws at launch and despite 10 years of updates, expansions and streamlining, there are still issues today. The game suffers from skills bloat, especially with regard to the original content. Modern action combat in MMOs has seen a rationalisation of skills, usually on one quickbar. SWTOR swamps you in skills, most of which are of varying relevance. Then there are the expansive planetary maps. Travelling from A to B can be exhausting sometimes, becoming a chore. Often you feel that it’s busy work for its own sake as you fight your way across Alderaan or Corellia just to get to a quest location. And then there is the perennial MMO problem of getting the gear progression right, as you level. At present my new Smuggler is level 22 and although I am adequately healed by my companion, my twin blasters feel somewhat lacklustre. It takes a little too long to kill enemies with gear from quest rewards. Yet modifying weapons is financially prohibitive at this level.
However, these criticisms stem from the fact that the base game was released in 2011 and SWTOR certainly follows the MMO trends of that time. However, much has been done to try and rectify this. The levelling experience has changed immensely and a player can progress through the game just by undertaking their class story. I remember back in 2011/12 having to do every quest available to try and get as much XP as possible. And developer’s BioWare has made many quality of life improvements over the past decade. Quick travel is now on a 6 minute cooldown instead of 30 minutes. You can port out of a story instance now conveniently back to a safe haven without having to fight all the way on foot. Taxi travel and personal speeders are cheaper and more accessible. The game also uses a lot of “standard” mechanics so if you’ve played other MMOs or, like me, have been away for a while, it is not too difficult to pick up where you left off.
Galactic Starfighter is not as bad as you think
As for content and activities, there are now so many additional things to do. Strongholds, the player housing system, is enjoyable and very intuitive to figure out. There’s the Galactic Starfighter system as well, along with all the other raids and instances that have built up overtime. And if you like to tinker with armour and weapons you do so to your heart’s content. One of the first things I did was investigate the cosmetic options for both my new alt and their companion. I also seem to have qualified for a lot of “free stuff” over the years as I had over a dozen in-game mail alerts waiting for me when I first logged in. All of which had some sort of trinket and bauble attached. To my surprise I still had 3,500 Cartel Coins available from my previous time subscribing. The in-game store is filled with desirable items, from armour and mounts to cosmetic clothing and house furnishings. I bought a jetpack!
No one told me they had jetpacks
For me, perhaps the most compelling aspect of SWTOR is the story telling. You can hide the chat window and play this game as a single player RPG if you see fit. I did this back in 2011 and took exactly the same approach when I returned to the game a few days ago. I rolled a new Smuggler so I could familiarise myself once again with the class skills. Having done this I am now using my original level 50 character as I want to play through The Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion, rather than repeat older content. Furthermore, I seem to have returned to SWTOR at exactly the right time, as there is a new expansion, Legacy of the Sith, due on the 15th February. So far I have subscribed for a month (as it removes a lot of the impediments that blight a free account) and it will be interesting to see if my enthusiasm for SWTOR is sustained longer than 31 days and whether those Star Wars “feels” remain.