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.
MMOs I No Longer Play
I started playing MMORPGs over a decade ago, at a point when the genre was growing. It seemed at one point that every developer wanted to produce the game that usurped World of Warcrafts crown. I therefore ended up trying many of these massively multiplayer online games yet ended up sticking with few. All too often many of these titles were too generic or had an inherent flaw or flaws that killed my enjoyment. Sometimes it was just a case that the game just didn’t chime with me. Naturally over time, I have revisited some of these MMOs and a few have become a mainstay of my gaming activities. The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Trek Online and The Elder Scrolls online are three such examples. Yet there are numerous other games from this genre that I have not returned to or if I have, I still found them to be problematic, so they have not become part of my leisure activities.
I started playing MMORPGs over a decade ago, at a point when the genre was growing. It seemed at one point that every developer wanted to produce the game that usurped World of Warcrafts crown. I therefore ended up trying many of these massively multiplayer online games yet ended up sticking with few. All too often many of these titles were too generic or had an inherent flaw or flaws that killed my enjoyment. Sometimes it was just a case that the game just didn’t chime with me. Naturally over time, I have revisited some of these MMOs and a few have become a mainstay of my gaming activities. The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Trek Online and The Elder Scrolls online are three such examples. Yet there are numerous other games from this genre that I have not returned to or if I have, I still found them to be problematic, so they have not become part of my leisure activities.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (or Unchained as it is now suffixed) was one of the first MMOs I tried after LOTRO. Broadly I enjoyed the game although I found combat to be somewhat cumbersome. I liked the aesthetic of the game and the atmosphere, but like so many other players, was extremely disappointed when I discovered that the voice acting, and extensive cut scenes only applied to the starter zone of Tortage. And because it was a time when there was plenty of competition available, I can remember just abandoning the game and moving on to another title. Oddly enough that was STO but that game had a bad launch and was incomplete in spring 2010. It took several years for it to find its feet. Therefore I didn’t stay there for too long either.
Rift was my next MMO port of call and although I wasn’t especially inspired by the game’s lore and story, there was a broad spectrum of possibilities when it came to class builds. By now the novelty of traditional social gaming, participating in organised guilds and devoting large amounts of time was beginning to wear a little thin. The dynamic events that Rift introduced where you could simply join a zerg and participate in a localised event, was a welcome change. Yet Rift fell between two stools. Although it did new and innovative things it still struggled with skills bloat and was saddled with too many traditional MMO mechanics. So I moved on again, just in time for Star Wars: The Old Republic in December 2011. Out of all the MMOs that I’ve played over the years, this was the one that seemed to have the most expectations associated with it.
I like so many other gamers, really wanted to like SWTOR. So I gave it possibly more of a chance than it deserved. I liked many aspects of the game; the gunslinger smuggler class that I chose, the companion system and oddly enough the ship that wasn’t quite a house. The narrative was extremely good, and I liked the way gear could be upgraded. But there were quite a lot of negative points as well. The combat was slow and there was an excess of skills, many of which could simply be ignored. Plus, although it was Star Wars, it wasn’t the period of history that so many players wanted access to. Perhaps the biggest issue was that once you had burned through all the PVE content, there was little to do at level cap. Hence there was a mass exodus of players leading to the game having to go free-to-play just to survive. A lot has been done with the game since then and I did return a couple of times but although the narrative was still strong the game is just too old school for my liking.
And so in 2012, I dabbled with The Secret World in the hope that Funcom would honour their promises to do something different with the genre. And broadly that’s what they did. The story was adult and uncompromising. There was a lot of dialogue, which I enjoyed, and the game made you think. The skill wheel system did indeed lend itself to a far more nuanced approach to fine tuning your character. But the combat was slow, repetitious and far from fun and if you wanted to spend your skill points elsewhere, they were not transferrable. Hence you had to repeat content. Needless to say I parted company with The Secret World and moved on to possibly the last big MMO release Guild Wars 2. I could easily write an entire blog post about what I liked about this MMO. But for the sake of brevity, I shall say the flexibility of the classes, the horizontal progression, the fluid combat and the fact that there was always something to do. Out of all the titles I played, this is possibly the most frictionless, although I say this only of the base game. Things changed too much for me with the first expansion Heart of Thorns. But for the first year of two Guild Wars 2 was the most casual friendly MMO I played. You could return after a while and jump straight back in and pick up where you left off.
It’s odd how business demands will sometimes take you in the opposite direction of where you intend to go. The first expansion for Guild Wars 2 essentially put into the game all the systems and ideas that were conspicuously absent from it at launch. I could no longer easily freelance and join zergs to accomplish what I wanted. And as I was never a big fan of the lore, I had nothing to hold me when things changed. In fact lore appears to be a major selling point for me in the MMO genre. ESO is odd in so much as unlike LOTRO and STO, I was not familiar with the lore and history of the franchise, prior to playing. But because I consider the writing to be of a high standard, I do actually consult the games Wiki to gain a greater understanding of things. And ESO has established for me that action combat, a sensible amount of skills and systems is how a modern MMO should be. It will be interesting to see what changes another decade brings to the genre and what, if anything, I’ll still be playing.
"You're Playing Wrong"
There’s one particular topic that appears with tedious regularity on MMO subreddits and forums. That old chestnut about how the genre has become too solo friendly and that it’s to the ruination of the genre. It usually hails from the raiding community and follows a predictable path about high end gear and those who do and don’t deserve it. When you look beyond the initial arguments, you’ll frequently find that such positions are very emotive, couched in judgemental terms and often end in the sentiment “why even play an MMO?” or something comparable. The reason I mention this perennial debate is because it appeared recently on a forum that I still occasionally visit. It saddens me to a degree because, this point has been debunked so many times, yet it still persists (a bit like many political talking points). It also smacks of that attitude I see all too frequently these days. A concern and borderline resentment of what others are doing, irrespective of whether it impacts upon you or not.
There’s one particular topic that appears with tedious regularity on MMO subreddits and forums. That old chestnut about how the genre has become too solo friendly and that it’s to the ruination of the genre. It usually hails from the raiding community and follows a predictable path about high end gear and those who do and don’t deserve it. When you look beyond the initial arguments, you’ll frequently find that such positions are very emotive, couched in judgemental terms and often end in the sentiment “why even play an MMO?” or something comparable. The reason I mention this perennial debate is because it appeared recently on a forum that I still occasionally visit. It saddens me to a degree because, this point has been debunked so many times, yet it still persists (a bit like many political talking points). It also smacks of that attitude I see all too frequently these days. A concern and borderline resentment of what others are doing, irrespective of whether it impacts upon you or not.
So how shall we tackle this question of “you’re playing wrong” because that is effectively what it boils down to. Well, let us start with that very question. Is there a definitive way to play an MMORPG? No is the brief answer. Sure, each MMO has a set of rules and procedures that set out a path of progression. However, nowhere in these rules will you find a statement saying it is mandatory to play this particular way. Humans like to adapt things to suit their own needs. Play is under pinned by imagination and creativity. Therefore, role-players are free to pursue their particular play style in an MMO. Players can create alts and continuously replay specific content only if they wish. It is not essential to be in a guild or to raid and not everyone wants the best gear. Furthermore, I have never seen a major objection towards varied play styles from the developers of an MMO. They usually just seem happy that people can find joy in their creation and the publishers are content to have your money regardless of what you do.
As for the question "why even play an MMO?" it is utterly irrelevant to the debate. A player’s motivation for playing and indeed the very manner in which they play is no business of anyone else as long as it remains within the TOS of the game. Another common argument and variation upon this theme is that MMOs are meant to be social games and that the very foundation of the genre is the need for continuous interaction with other players. I remember Massively OP writer Jef Rehard claiming not so long ago that “this is a social genre. This is not your world. It's our world, and how you interact with and ultimately shape it is most definitely my concern". Yet the reality is that a MORPG is only social in so far as it includes game mechanics that can facilitate group interaction. They are there as an option and are seldom mandatory. Therefore, MMORPGs are not solely "a social genre" and it is worth noting that the word social does not feature in the acronym. It is also a common misconception that the social dimension that can be found in MMOs, is a result of the game itself. It is not. The game certainly provides a framework for group interaction but ultimately the social element is organically generated by the players themselves. The game at most is a conduit. Gather people together in any social interaction, friendship and fun will present itself.
As for the issue, as to "who's world is it", the answer is simple. It's the publishers. Gamers frequently make the mistake of believing they have a far greater stake in the object of their affection, beyond their consumer rights. We are all nothing more than a customer and any claim suggesting some vicarious form of collective ownership is nonsense. Fandom is a wonderful thing and has many positive aspects but at times it does cause a form of “tunnel vision” that impacts upon some players sense of perspective. MMORPGs are products created to make money. That is their primary purpose. They are not there to provide a social service nor are they under any obligation to foster a morally righteous community. Such activities are simply a byproduct of their use by the player base. There is equal scope for the community to go in the other direction and become toxic.
The MMORPG genre has changed greatly over the last decade and is now quite different from how it was. All consumer products evolve over time. Why is this situation any different? If one finds oneself aggrieved by such change surely it would be logical to blame it upon market forces and the nature of capitalism, rather than on those players that have elected to pursue their entertainment in a different way to you, as is their right? Thus, the argument that “you’re playing wrong” is a fundamentally flawed concept based on faulty data and incorrect assumptions. It also stems from fundamental misunderstanding of what a players role is within the traditional business and customer relationship.
So, in conclusion, concerns over other MMO players habits are misplaced. Beyond abiding by a games TOS (and hopefully maintaining good manners and common decency), a solo player has no obligation to anyone else and is free to pursue their own endeavours within a game in whatever fashion they see fit. As ever with debates of this kind, it is largely a matter of semantics and logical thinking. As a player who predominantly plays MMORPGs solo, the only way my actions affect other players is through the indirect medium of prevailing business trends. IE being part of a group that offers more business potential to the developers. Carping about this is a bit like complaining that not enough people buy a particular brand of coffee that you like and as a result the supermarket no longer stocks it.
Finally, there is a slight hint of a sense of moral outrage associated with this re-occurring argument. Such sentiment is misplaced in a reasoned and rational argument. This is ultimately a discussion about business decisions and how market forces govern product change. Personal indignation based upon perceived injustices does nothing more than cloud the debate. Developers know that they can't please all customers and it would be beneficial is gamers reciprocated. If as a gamer find yourself on the wrong side of a change of policy or game mechanic, then that is sad for you but beyond that it is of no more significance. However as reasoned and rational discussion is not de rigueur in any public arena at present, let alone just in gaming, I suspect we haven’t seen the last of the “you’re playing wrong” debate.
Housing in MMOs
Having recently returned to The Elder Scrolls Online, there is a lot of excitement within the community regarding the introduction of housing in the next major game update in February. So far from the information that is available, there’s a wide variety of house styles and customisation options available. Properties can be bought furnished or unfurnished and players can further embellish their respective dwellings by crafting specific items for them. Housing also includes the usual fast travel options to and from their location and access can be shared among friends and alts. There’s a more detailed breakdown at The Elder Scrolls Online website and so far, ZeniMax seem to be offering all a comprehensive version of the current popular MMO mechanic.
Having recently returned to The Elder Scrolls Online, there is a lot of excitement within the community regarding the introduction of housing in the next major game update in February. So far from the information that is available, there’s a wide variety of house styles and customisation options available. Properties can be bought furnished or unfurnished and players can further embellish their respective dwellings by crafting specific items for them. Housing also includes the usual fast travel options to and from their location and access can be shared among friends and alts. There’s a more detailed breakdown at The Elder Scrolls Online website and so far, ZeniMax seem to be offering all a comprehensive version of the current popular MMO mechanic.
LOTRO is also implementing a housing upgrade with its next update, allowing home contents to be placed where the player wants them, as opposed to relying on predefined “hooks”. Again, this is an improvement that has been long awaited by the LOTRO community. Over the years, previous developers Turbine frequently promised changes to the housing mechanic but sadly failed to implement them. At present homes and the homesteads in which they are located, simply offer the same services as the major towns and social hubs, with the benefit of some extra storage. In fact, as far as I’m aware there is no major social dynamic to any of the housing systems implemented in any of the top ranking MMOs.
It is this social element or the lack of thereof that is predominantly of interest to me. Let us not be diverted with questions regarding the purchase of in-game housing. In the modern MMO market making premium housing available for cash purchase is simply a no-brainer. What you can do with housing is a far more interesting talking point. At present housing mainly offers in the MMO genre additional storage, an opportunity for aesthetic customisation and convenient support services. For example, in LOTRO if you repair your gear from a vendor based in the homestead, there is a discount. STO and SWTOR can offer access to personal and account banks as well as the auction facilities. STO is a little different to other MMOs in so far as your ship is your home to all intents and purposes.
What housing across most MMOs fails to do is offer any additional social facilities or unique group content. Players can group together and generate their own social events but they can also do that in other areas such as Bree, Earth Spacedock or Divinities Reach. Considering how many MMOs have strong social communities, especially among roleplayers, you’d think that game developers would be quick to capitalise on such human resources. If there were more reasons for players to use their homes and spend time in the homestead areas, the demand for housing would increase, thus bringing more revenue to any game. Housing could also provide a potentially different way to play MMOs. If crafting became more accessible via housing, players could level by developing their own cottage industries.
However, it is only fair to consider the other side of the argument. Some players may well like and prefer the relative tranquillity of housing as it is currently implemented. Not everyone wants to find fifty plus players embarking on a lengthy social event next door to them, spamming emotes and indulging in shenanigans. And many of the more recent MMOs do not seem to be as actively social as the older ones. So far, I have seen no compelling reason to join a guild or interact with other players in The Elder Scrolls Online. Guild Wars 2 is also a game I have predominantly played alone and it still seems to lack any essential social mechanic. Perhaps dynamic grouping effectively renders more complex social interaction redundant.
From my perspective, I always like to have more options than less. I also like social functionality to be optional and not essential. Therefore, I welcome any improvement to housing for any MMO along with any bespoke future social content. As long as it comes with a toggle in the UI settings then I’ll deem it an equitable arrangement. If a big guild wants to use its housing to a higher degree and access potential in-game benefits, then it should be afforded such an option. But I would also ask the developers to make judicious use of the phasing mechanic or offer the option to buy a “remote house” for those of a more solitary disposition. I am neither a strong advocate of either mantra, “better together” or Hell is other people”. I believe that the truth lies somewhere between the two.
SWTOR - Knights of the Fallen Empire
I decided to return to SWTOR today, not because I wanted another MMO but instead required a narrative driven RPG. I’ve been convinced by several websites and podcast that BioWare has effectively given us KOTOR 3 via Knights of the Fallen Empire and so I decided it was time to revisit the proverbial galaxy far, far away etc. I initially played SWTOR upon its launch in late 2011 and returned to the game after the F2P conversion, when Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion was released. Although I enjoyed the game more second time around I still felt that it sat somewhat uncomfortably between an old school MMO and a more contemporary variation. The less said about Galactic Starfighter the better, as that expansion just wasn’t to my liking. Essentially my return to the game is based on the promise of a single player RPG experience and the underlying appeal of the franchise.
I decided to return to SWTOR today, not because I wanted another MMO but instead required a narrative driven RPG. I’ve been convinced by several websites and podcast that BioWare has effectively given us KOTOR 3 via Knights of the Fallen Empire and so I decided it was time to revisit the proverbial galaxy far, far away etc. I initially played SWTOR upon its launch in late 2011 and returned to the game after the F2P conversion, when Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion was released. Although I enjoyed the game more second time around I still felt that it sat somewhat uncomfortably between an old school MMO and a more contemporary variation. The less said about Galactic Starfighter the better, as that expansion just wasn’t to my liking. Essentially my return to the game is based on the promise of a single player RPG experience and the underlying appeal of the franchise.
Overall re-installing the game wasn’t too difficult. I managed to download the entire game client within an hour and forty minutes. To get the benefits of the latest expansion, a subscription is required which meant logging into the official SWTOR website. The one time password verification system quickly became trying but I sorted out a month’s fees while the game was installing. Once the game client was updated I logged in to find all three of my old characters. I had a brief look at them all but soon concluded that I had absolutely no idea how to play them or navigate around the game. So rather than waste time with these and play through the slightly older, more traditional MMO content, I decided to create a level 60 character for the new storyline. However before I proceeded I checked my cartel coins and found that I had nearly 5,000. So I bought some account wide inventory space and unlocked the Sith Pureblood skin.
Despite having played SWTOR before I’ve never explored either the Jedi or Sith classes, so this time round I decided to go all in and create a Red Sith Juggernaut. As ever the only stumbling block during character creation was trying to find a suitable name that hadn’t been already taken. This game mechanic has often been one of the MMO genre’s Achilles Heel. However once a name was secured I jumped straight into the action and played though the first chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire. Despite many familiar aspects such as the GIU and the basic game mechanics, the story takes a far more dominant place in the proceedings and the narrative moves events forward very much like a single player RPG. Checkpoints are regularly reached and as a player I can log out of the new story and return to the more traditional MMO content should I see fit. However for those wishing to avoid the usual trappings of an MMO such as other players, chat and people just generally getting under your feet, then there is a large onscreen button to return you to the instanced episodic content.
So far although I have not gone far into the story, I am enjoying my return to SWTOR. It has the usual Star Wars ambience with its strong idiomatic soundtrack and quality voice acting. As I didn’t play through the last expansion Shadow of Revan, I’m not up to speed with the plot. However I have spent some time perusing the Star Wars wiki and this has helped no end. After all Knights of the Fallen Empire is virtually an RPG and for me the appeal of that genre lies mainly with their narrative content. I don’t have many negative comments at present, although I do feel that SWTOR still has an excess of skills. The time I spent in Guild Wars 2 in recent years has certainly taught me that less is more. My hot bars in SWTOR are already awash with icons and I really don’t think that all of them are essential. I guess time will tell. At present I have a month to decide if Knights of the Fallen Empire is to my liking and it has only cost me £8.99, which means that if it goes ill, I won’t feel especially out of pocket.