10. Gameplay and Mechanics
This one should be easy enough. Though, I will say it's tolerable in general. When breaking it down it’s basically a very close mechanical system to World of Warcraft. Things are fluid enough and there seems to be a special set of guiding principles here that makes you want to keep playing just to make sure that you are pushing your character through the absolute most content necessary to max-level them and push on to what end game content you can whilst being the strongest or most noble force in the galaxy!
9. Performance and Stability
Performance and Stability is not really an issue in regard to what can plague an online game; with disconnects and server time-outs due to network congestion. Those problems don’t really occur on SWTOR because of the relatively low system and network requirements. Though there are times of “high” network volume that can cause lag spikes and the occasional disconnect there is nothing major or concerning in this area of the game and its overall performance health. This could also be due to a recent update that switched the infrastructure of the game's servers to AWS which seems to be more efficient for the shrinking player base.
8. World Design
World design is probably the game's most positive and awesome aspect overall. I have really enjoyed the immersive and fully imagined designs behind and around some of the more iconic locations in the franchise. The Bioware team really took the time to express their appreciation and passion for the Star Wars universe. I have found myself wandering through parts of the various environments losing track of time and all sense of what I was doing because of going on an adventure looking around and checking out all of the cool environmental elements. My favorite thing to find is design elements within the environment that tell a story all on their own without dialogue and without any direct explanation. If you’re a fan of the settings in the films then you’ll love the extra element of immersion that the game offers.
7. Economy and Crafting system(s)
Crafting - As a free-to-play player, I've had the opportunity to explore and appreciate the crafting system in SWTOR. Despite the limitations that come with my status, I've found it to be an enjoyable and valuable part of the game. The range of crafting skills available has allowed me to create a diverse array of items, including weapons, armor, and consumables. While I may not have access to all gathering options, I've still found the resource-gathering aspect to be rewarding and fulfilling. Sending companions on missions has been an exciting way to obtain rare schematics and materials, expanding my crafting possibilities. The process of reverse engineering has given me moments of discovery and improvement, even though I understand that my chances might be more limited compared to other players. I appreciate the convenience of crafting stations scattered throughout the game world, making it easy for me to engage with the system at my own pace. While there may be restrictions on selling crafted items through the Galactic Trade Network, I've still found ways to participate in the in-game economy and interact with other players. Overall, as a free-to-play player, I've found the crafting system in SWTOR to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, allowing me to create powerful gear and items while staying within the boundaries of my access. As for the other topic of discussion; Economics, Ahhhh! Economics! Nothing like a little real-life injected into our games to keep them grounded in reality! Most people don’t concern themselves with the real economy, let alone the economies in games. Nonetheless, the economy affects us all in games and out. It seems that the economic situation within Star Wars: The Old Republic is not unlike that of our real-life economy at present; finances are becoming tighter while inflation is getting out of control and the powers that be keep making more and more restrictive policies around finance and money in general. In the case of Star Wars the specific issues are limits on how much a player can carry on them at one time coupled by caps on quantity allowed within the trading network and and the fact that some items are exceeding both of these caps via private sales, making acquiring some more rare items, either extremely difficult or impossible for some players. For instance; a player can have 4 Billion Credits in their inventory, the galactic trade network is only capable of processing transactions of 1 Billion credits or less and there are items that people will not part with for less than 10 Billion Credits. Creating a lack of interest in trade and a lack of confidence as well as the potential for abuse of trust when selling from player to player.
6. Player Vs Environment (PvE) Content
A lot of the time, I prefer to play the PvE content that the game has to offer if for nothing else, to level my character and unlock skills (many of which are only unlocked via story quest). Its more productive use of time if you ask me. Not to mention you’ll be more powerful for it in the long run. Most of the quests are almost exactly the same template of fetch quest where the enemy is scattered between you and the target goal, no actual challenge or puzzle or even cutscene, just grab this or that and take it back to the quest giver. The monotony can become boring very quickly when coupling these quests with a dead or lackluster environment like one of the desert planets.
5. Player Vs Player (PvP) Content
As far as the player-versus-player content goes, I can say I have a ton of fun with it. Though, in space battles, the controls and navigation can be difficult and confusing at first, but within 2 matches I was confident in my ability to pilot the craft and engage in combat successfully. Aside from the space battles, there are arenas and warzones. Arenas require that you eliminate the opposing team before your team is eliminated. These matches are usually 4v4 matches on smaller maps. Warzones are usually 8v8 matches with a game variant or objectives like Capture the Flag or King of the Hill. Overall pvp is a solid fun factor of the game and should be tried by everyone!
4. Community Support
This area seems pretty lackluster to an almost bleak point. Looking through the forum, twitter, and youtube comments sections there are signs of a community jaded, yet loyal. If you’ve followed SWTOR or peeked in on it over the years; there have always been mixed reviews and snide comments but it feels like that sentiment has settled in with some permanence, and this is sad to see from what is traditionally known as a solid franchise with a cult following. While it still has a foundation of the “Cult” members, the overall sense of the community seems to be what is keeping it from gaining any new traffic in terms of a newer user base or just growing one in general.
3. Social Interactions
While there isn't anyone actively in the chat discouraging anyone from enjoying the game directly; the social interactions are actually few and far between. While there are other helpful players who silently help to take down bosses and tough mobs, the sect of dedicated players and daily active users are concentrated at the top. Thus birthing the age-old issue of many MMORPGS; concentrated daily active users at the highest tier of the game chomping at the bit for new content to chew through. Though this feeds the idea that there is some reason for hype or to look to the future with hope, I feel what small amount of new users may trickle into SWTOR will quickly be off-put by any number of things around [largely] the overall general lack of social interactions on any of the games dedicated channels or social media pages.
2. Long-Term Viability
Long-Term viability seems like a pipe-dream for SWTOR. In my opinion I don't think the game has that much life left in it. At its core, the team attempts to keep true to the original story arcs and the overall feel of the star wars franchise but more often than not deliver more hype than any substantive content that pleases their users in general. Seeing comments like “I’m sure this 15 minute quest will be just like the last expansion.” in the comments is enough to keep even the most curious fan from playing and even more over once you absorb what there is to offer and see the rest of the “mindset issues” of the community paired with mostly sub-par writing and narrative; I’d imagine the users who are willing to loyalty spend money are that much fewer in number.
1. Accessibility and Limitations
With the game being free-to-play with premium advantages and options, you have the opportunity to at least see what it's all about and see if the game can get its hook in you. Outside of that, if your aim is to experience everything that there is to do in the vast galaxy and to consume all of the possible content within it; the free-to-play model is very limiting here and you’ll eventually need to pay SOMETHING at some point. As I'm writing this they're releasing news and announcements on the back of a pretty anticipated update. Part of that news is informing everyone that BioWare is selling the game to Broadsword (a boutique development company). I think this will likely cause people to quit playing out of panic that the game is dead or dying. One potential upside is that it seems that the development team at Broadsword consists of devs who helped to launch the game in its earliest days. Overall, the game is pretty fun but nothing special. Additionally being that my opinion is that it is only good due to the free-to-play aspect, is it really good? For the time it was released, it is a gem from a different time in gaming. Now, could be better. There are many other games I’d rather sink both the TIME and MONEY into.
