Posted by Lethality | 42 Comments

Lethal Injection: We Need Factions

I originally posted this on the official TOR forums to try and get some discussion going there, but it was swiftly and unceremoniously moved to the Suggestion Box, otherwise known as where discussions go to die. So, since I had a blog that talks about Star Wars: The Old Republic, I decided it was a great place to put it after all! :)

TL;DR

Here’s the basic gist of it, so those of you that wish to flame me can get right to it:

Adding NPC factions to the game and allowing a progression mechanic for them through reputation would allow BioWare to tell stories about more and varied parts and peoples of the Star Wars galaxy. This would also assure that players with “nothing to do” would always have something to do.

With that out of the way, onward!

The Problem

One of the louder cries over on the official forums from the people that have already advanced to level cap is that there’s “nothing to do.”

There is some truth to this. Leveling is as quick as in any game, if not quicker. Normal mode Operations are designed to be very easy, and reward nearly the same gear as Heroic mode. So it’s very easy to be geared up completely in no time at all. At that point, there really isn’t much left to do.

You could roll an alt, but that has nothing to do with progressing your main character. Until we know more about the Legacy system (which is designed to incentivize rolling alts) we can’t say what else that will bring.

Of course you could also play Warzones and spend time on Ilum, which is probably the only real option at end game that doesn’t run out (unless of course you max out your PvP gear and Valor rank). But you could still PvP for fun, which it is.

The Solution

So what, then, could players in this position of having nothing to do spend their time doing? The answer is Factions.

Traditionally, MMOs have had various NPC factions scattered throughout the world. TOR is no different, actually. The key difference between TOR and some other games such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard and even RIFT is that these factions exist as a game construct that you can earn (or lose) reputation with. In other words, the game measure your interaction with these factions and provides potential rewards (items, areas, content, lore, etc.)

Back at PAX 2011, I asked Gabe Amatangelo and James Ohlen if TOR would have any of these factions and they said no. However, it looks to me as if it may have been a part of TOR’s original design, as you can see here on the Allegiances page of the HoloNet:

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Posted by Lethality | 25 Comments

Lethal Injection: Calm Down, It’s Going To Be Okay

Lethal Injection is a regular opinion column here at Ask A Jedi. If you know Lethality, whom you may be familiar with from over on the official Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ forums, you know that he’s not afraid to share an opinion or two. Even more than that, he enjoys backing it up in the discussion that invariably follows. You can look for the same approach here in each installment of Lethal Injection, and we can’t wait to hear YOUR opinion of his opinions!

This image represents a snapshot of the General Discussion forum on SWTOR.com earlier today.

There are, apparently, billions of players in an uproar. Everything from Mythic to SOPA and even Billy Mays are being blamed for the perceived issues with TOR. If you were to use this as the sole measuring stick to see how well-loved the game is, you’d think BioWare must be getting ready to pack up the servers right now.

I really can’t do anything but laugh, to be honest.

You Can’t Handle The Truth

You want to know the truth? Most players aren’t reading those threads, much less complaining in them. They’re not even here reading this article. What are they doing? They’re out playing the game and having fun. They’re not obsessing over microscopic details that simply do not matter in the grand scheme of things, if they notice them at all. If they come across a bug or a problem, they work around it. They don’t use it as the basis for a manifesto against BioWare. They see the big picture.

Yes, there are some issues and BioWare has acknowledged that. They’re actively working to pin down real performance issues for some users, and we know they are doing everything they can to make the grand vision for Ilum work as they intended (official thread here for feedback.) BioWare has a vested interest, obviously, to make this game the best it can be. Star Wars: The Old Republic is a well-crafted game built by a company passionate and proud about what they do.

And…?

This is all you need to ask yourself: are you having fun? If you answered yes, you may continue to do so unhindered! If not, you can do something about that, too. But posting ridiculous rants on the forums is a waste of time. If you’re searching for a reason to hate the game, you can find one. But if you truly want to enjoy it, all you have to do is let yourself. Honest.

You can call this a fanboy post from a fan site if you like, I don’t mind. For the record, yes – I have some issues with the game, and I’m not afraid to express them, usually here in Lethal Injection. But I’m also smart enough to realize the difference between problems and personal preferences.

To all of the knee-jerk reactionary complainers or the band-wagoners, try to understand there’s a much bigger picture being painted than for your own, personal, self-entitled needs. There are many, many players logging in and having fun right now as you waste time here reading this rant about rants.

Just look past the end of your arm to see what’s up ahead for a change. You just might be surprised how much fun you can have.

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Posted by Lethality | 114 Comments

Lethal Injection: No Grace Under Pressure, Despite Distant Early Warning

Lethal Injection is a regular opinion column here at Ask A Jedi. If you know Lethality, whom you may be familiar with from over on the official Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ forums, you know that he’s not afraid to share an opinion or two. Even more than that, he enjoys backing it up in the discussion that invariably follows. You can look for the same approach here in each installment of Lethal Injection, and we can’t wait to hear YOUR opinion of his opinions!

There’s usually no lack of unrest in any MMO community about one topic or another, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is no different. Whether it’s solo vs. group, PvE vs. PvP or nerf vs. buff, there’s always some type of revolution brewing.

This week’s firestorm in the TOR galaxy is all about the grace period. What is this grace period I speak of, you ask? Let me catch you up.

Saved By Grace

Typically when you buy a piece of entertainment software for your PC, it will come with a “CD Key” or “Game Code” which you need to enter while installing so you can be authenticated as having a legal copy of the game and the right to play it. With a traditional offline single player game, there is normally never a case where you have the game to install before you have the game code required to play it.

With a modern MMO it’s a little different. Since it’s an online game service, it’s more natural to expect to be able to download it ahead of time, install it and have it ready to connect and play the minute the servers “go live.” As most MMO vets will tell you, there’s nothing like that new MMO smell… logging into the game just as the servers come up when everything is new, fresh and unsullied by noobs.

The problem is that MMO publishers still like to sell you boxes. With physical media. And game codes. You still need to enter a game code/key in order to be able to play it. Fair enough, right? Well, yes and no.

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