Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO Discussion

So I deleted my character and went ahead and started over. I ended up using Jäyda, with the dots over the a. I really like that spelling, so as a variation it works out well. Smile

I'm so glad I started over. I feel way more comfortable this time. The gameplay is starting to make sense, and I'm figuring out what all of the buttons do. Enjoyed it a lot more this time around. Unfortunately, I think this may become an addiction such as KOTOR. Meaning it's going to take some serious self discipline to wait until November for F2P. Wink

@Salaris: I also do every single quest that comes my way. People don't realize the amount of XP that gains you, for one thing. Defeating Malak in KOTOR was about 50 million times easier if you'd stopped to complete all of the optional quests, rather than powering through those that were required.

I'd also be happy to team up, though I'm pretty sure you'd be bored with my quests. I'm only a lowly Level 3 at the moment. Ha. But I'll keep working through it this week, and we'll see how far I can get before work starts back up. Smile

My only major complaint at the moment is the lag. When I first start up the game, everything plays super smooth. But within an hour its lagging so bad I can barely play. The responses from other characters come at about a 10 second delay. And trying to shift your perspective is insanity, because it jumps at like 45 degree intervals. I suppose this could be my computer's fault, but I don't really know why it would play well for 45 minutes or so and then die out. I don't see that behavior on other games. Either it plays well or it doesn't. Anyone else experience this, by chance?

Edit: It may be an overheating issue, which would make sense for the delayed lag. I'll try it out with a cooling pad tonight and see if that makes a difference.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

If you haven't done so already you could also lower the graphics down to minimum specs. Even though my computer could technically play at higher settings I found I got a much better frame rate and load speed at lower settings. Graphic wise the lowest setting probably sets things only back to KOTOR I quality graphics (or thereabouts on the computer graphic development timeline). Not being someone obsessed about having the coolest "eye candy' I don't mind playing with older looking graphics in exchange for a smoother play experience.

It can also be because of server load. Unlike most online games where you have about 50 players on a server maximum here you can have 500+ people playing on the server at one time. For example, on the Republic Fleet alone I once saw upward of 300 people at the same location at one time which made things a bit laggy for me. Assuming that the lag isn't predictably after an hour every time it could be a case of you were online when "rush hour" began. I also toggled the settings to minimize information like name tags to only what is really required to play so my computer doesn't have to process displaying visual information I won't use. All in all while I have experienced lag spikes I would recommend that the best solution is to explore what settings you can tweak to improve system performance at your end as I found there were a lot of settings that are toggeled "on" by default that I really didn't care about/need and turned off to improve performance (which has helped).

I'm sure I can find a way to RP why I'd being doing low level quests again, which at the very least could keep me entertained if I'd already done the quest. I haven't done all of the "heroic quests" (planet specific quests geared towards groups) and, depending on your class, there might be a few quests I've not done before anyway. Smile

EDIT: I could never bring myself NOT to do the side quests in KOTOR so I have no personal experience of trying to beat Malak any other way. The chapter 1 TOR baddie for me though I think was worse than even Malak but, like Malak, relatively easy to kill once you learned the trick to beating him (something I suppose can be said for all video game boss characters).
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I've mostly solved the lagging issues. I think it was a combination of server overload and overheating on my part. I used a cooling pad, and have been playing in the daytime, and the game has been playing marvelously. At night it can sometimes get a little slower, which I chalk up to server issues. But it's been great lately, none of the initial lag I was struggling with the first day.

So...! With that, I'm seriously enjoying the game. Already up to Level 9, and about to roll over to Level 10 very shortly. About 1,000 XP short. And I've just earned the title of The Keeper of Truth, which is cool.

Definitely getting more used to the game, and finding it a lot of fun. Not entirely sure it's worth the $15, but I think I would pay it until I finished my character. So...until I finished the story and maxed out at Level 50. Worried about the limitations on F2P, now that I'm getting used to no restrictions. Confused

Anyway, anytime you'd like to play Salaris, I usually play in the evening. Never played with anyone, so not entirely sure how that works. But I'm sure it would be fun. Smile

Question: Who are the people in the top left that constantly chat, and why do they always seem to chat with the entire server? And by that I mean...to where everyone can read what they're saying? And on that note, what are the captions that appear in the top left that seem to be in game conversations, but are unrelated to me? Why am I seeing them? Confused

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Ah you are thinking of "general chat." The chat is specific to the location you are on. So for example if you are on Taris "general chat" allows you to talk with all players of your faction on that planet. The closest equivalent I can think of would be the "general" or "server wide" chat you have on many multiplayer FPS which allows players on both teams to see what you are saying. In TOR the function of "general chat" is to allow you to ask for help, coordinate the formation of groups, RP, or just shoot the breeze. You could think of it as the sort of chat background noise you might hear at Starbucks or our own chat box on EUC where you can still hear/read the conversations of other people even though you aren't a involved in the conversation. I'm not sure if there is an option to turn "general chat" off as it never bothered me.

As for "captions" would these be things like "Salaris salutes Mara" or "Mara cheers happily" type things? If so those would be "emotes" which are actions you can make your character perform (your character will actually clap or dance if you select an emote that is a physical action). They are primarily there for RP or socializing purposes and honestly I have no idea why you can see them when they aren't directed at you but I would guess that on an RP focused sever (RP-PvE/PvP) such information adds to the "atmosphere."

Also now that you are close to level 10 you are close to picking your advanced class which refines your role in groups and will be a key part of any group play. The advanced class roles are healer (medic), DPS (low armor/health but has the highest damage per second potential), and tank (the guy who draws enemy fire so they don't kill the medic or DPS). The relationship between the Tank and DPS might be best explained as following the tactic of the A-Wing Slash where the more durable X-Wings (tanks) draw enemy fire allowing the less durable but faster A-Wings (DPS) to rapidly kill the enemy ships. The healer obviously fits in by keeping both the tank and DPS alive long enough to kill the enemy.

Advanced classes can have two potential roles. For example Jedi Shadows can be DPS or Tanks and depending on the skills you choose you either take the role of DPS or Tank. This is very similar to KOTOR where you choose your character's powers that pretty much dictate your fighting style/tactics. In TOR your advanced class role will dictate what tactics you use. Note that advanced classes don't unlock a different story (so both Jedi Shadows and Jedi Sages, the Jedi Consular advanced classes, follows the same Consular quest line). In this way it is like KOTOR II which had advanced classes which impacted your fighting options but did not have individual story lines. Ok so that may sound a bit overwhelming but it really isn't as intimidating as it seems! It is like any other game with classes, once you know what your role is everything flows naturally as you learn your class so don't worry! This page of the TOR website lists what potential roles each advanced class has: http://www.swtor.com/holonet/classes

While these videos are short the tutorial videos might help clarify what I'm talking about by giving you the visual information along with everything I just posted: http://www.swtor.com/info/tutorials
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Thanks for all the tips, Salaris! I'm on Level 13 now, and I went with Jedi Guardian. I was very torn between Guardian and Sentinel, but I've always chosen Guardian in KOTOR. So I figured I shouldn't change now.

Having a lot of fun, though Coruscant is a bit overwhelming. I think I have something like 15 missions ongoing at the moment. Has another game ever showcased Coruscant before? I want to say that it has, but...a little disappointed that we don't get to see more of the grandeur of the planet. It's cool and all, but all the smog or polution or whatever that effect is diminishes what could be a very awesome planet. Or maybe it's my graphics settings. There is that. Wink

I vote we post our characters so we can see what each other look like! This is me at present:

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Glad it helped! I'll take a screen shot tonight. I'll be online around 9:30 NY time (which should be about 8:00 your time Mara). Perhaps we can meet up to group together then. Smile

EDIT: just saw that one of the new things that will be coming in a future update is Cathar as a playable species! Looking forward to that as I'm always a Khajiit (cat race of The Elder Scrolls) and it will be nice to continue the cat species favoritism here.

EDIT 2: Better make that 9:30 NY time, looks like dinner hour with the folks will be a bit later than I originally thought.
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Ha, I was just coming to say I wouldn't be able to get on until about 8:30 my time, so that's perfect. I'm on Coruscant at the moment. Be happy to play for a little while. Smile

Edit: Of course, I don't know anything about groups or chatting, so I'll be the newbie where that's concerned. Wink

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Agh! It's bad! I officially have TOR fever! I played so much yesterday that I kind of burnt myself out. My thought was, "Eh, I'll probably take the day off tomorrow. Getting a little tired of playing." And then this morning I woke up, and I'm absolutely itching to play. I'm in my training class, and all I can think is, "TOR! Must complete quests! Must explore Coruscant! Must kill bad guys!" It's bad, people. Shocked

Edit: Speaking of which, this game is excellent! For those of you worried that it would deviate from the KOTOR look and feel, it does nothing of the sort. TOR feels just like KOTOR, except...much more vast. Plus you can play with others, which is an awesome perk. I cannot even begin to understand all of the grief and bashing that went along with this game. I believe I heard that EA officially declared it a flop, which I don't understand! I have always sworn never to pay a subscription fee for a game, but TOR is good enough that I'm pretty swayed to do so as soon as my free month runs out. It's amazing, I really can't get enough. So...down with all the trash talk. Play TOR! Very Happy

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

*in mock Yoda voice* Begun The Old Republic fever has. Wink

If you like Coruscant it only gets better when you get access to more flashpoints and planets.

Seriously though I'm glad you are having so much fun!! Very Happy

I never understood why people say the game is a flop either, if anything I felt it was a worthy successor to KOTOR. Like you I was skeptical of any sort of subscription game but TOR has really sold me that this game is worth it.

Something I forgot to mention last night with groups and loot: as you saw last night you have the option to select "need" or "pass." You also have the option "greed" (to the immediate right of "need").

The difference is that "need" gives you priority on the dice roll over people who select "greed." So if I had selected "greed" instead of "pass" and you selected "need" you would still have a much higher probability of winning the roll for the item in question. Now the purpose of these options comes down to playing in groups where you and another group member are closely leveled and thus both could use the equipment in question. For example if you and I had both been level 16 when we did The Esseles last night then "need" and "greed" would have been applicable for both of us. "Need" is for items that are appropriate for your player class whereas "greed" is used for items where you either 1) want to sell them for profit 2) want to remove the mods from modifiable gear but have no interest/use for the gear itself 3) the gear isn't appropriate for your character but one of your NPC companions can use it (for example a Jedi Guardian has no need for light armor but one of your companions may wear light armor). As you saw "pass" can be used for items you really don't want or know you are too high level to find useful even though it is class appropriate.

I just wanted to explain this etiquette in the event that you decide to try grouping with a random bunch of players found through the "group finder."

EDIT: here are two useful guides on what crafting is in TOR. I know they are pretty dense and I found all the information a bit intimidating when I first read them but I think they are the best guides I have read and as I got more into crafting I found them very helpful resources.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=530

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=132015
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Wow, thanks Salaris! Crafting is the main thing I do not understand in the least. This will help immensely. Smile

Also, thanks for the tips on group items. I didn't understand what those options were for. I honestly thought "Greed" meant the first person to click the icon won the item, or something like that. Sounds like "Need" is actually the more greedy of the options. Ha.

Still enjoying the game. Absolutely amazing. Taris...has got to be my favorite of the four planets I've visited so far. Probably for the nostalgia factor, granted. But still. Smile

I do have a couple of...concerns about the game. I shall list them:

1. Why does the ship take off whenever you enter? Maybe I just wanted to go onboard to have a conversation with a companion, or rest while I logged out. There's no need to actually depart the planet. Confused

2. Perhaps I just don't know where this is located, but I wish there was a message log of sorts in the game. I know they have one in the chat window, but that clears out when you log out. I would like one for when I have to log out in a hurry, must click through a conversation, and miss what was said. I know of no way to find out what I missed. Sad

3. I think my party should stay alive until everyone is dead, not just myself. The KOTOR system worked just fine, why change it? If my companion is still fighting, but I die, the fight ends. The fight should continue until everyone is dead. Doesn't make sense to kill your entire party when you alone die.

These are minor, minor complaints, though. I still think the game is absolutely amazing overall. Although I must say I'm getting tired of my goody two-shoes Jedi Knight. I love making Light Side choices, but eventually you have to gag at the righteous statements that your character spouts. Makes me laugh, honestly. Also makes me want to go Smuggler or Bounty Hunter next. Very Happy

Edit: And for those who didn't buy the Collector's Edition...the VIP lounge is lame. You're not missing much. Wink

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Glad the guides and everything has helped!

Am I the only one that finds the hole in Master Zallow's chest on the loading screen morbidly hilarious? Very Happy

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

So guys, I'm working on the next Life in The Old Republic column post (#4 is with the editors now, #5 I'm almost done).

I wanted to get your take on promoting the game's presence on EUCantina. Namely, I'm wondering if there's a way to list which people in our community (including Salaris, Mara, and is Life playing too?) on the column itself. Have a breakdown of "Taral has these characters on these servers" and "Mara has these characters on these servers". This might encourage us to all congregate on a server (I personally want to roll a toon on your server Mara/Salaris), maybe with the intent of creating an EUCantina guild.

What say you guys?

EDIT: FYI, the next column post (#4) is on planets in the game. #5 is on social gaming. Check them out!
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It was the year of fire… the year of destruction… the year we took back what was ours.
It was the year of rebirth… the year of great sadness… the year of pain… and the year of joy.
It was a new age. It was the end of history. It was the year everything changed.
The year is 2261.
The place: Babylon 5.

I think it's a marvelous idea! I plan to make at least two or three more characters, so if we all wanted to start together or switch servers or anything else like that, I'm game. Smile

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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

I'd prefer not to switch servers since I'd have to start from scratch again. I've kind of gotten attached to my character there and I also have a guild of friends there that I wouldn't want to leave (not one of the larger gaming guilds but a guild started by a friend of a real world friend). Not that I would totally object to rerolling on another server, but doing so isn't my preference.

All that being said I'm more than willing to let you post the server I'm on and character names in your next column post. I think it would be great to get an EUC community going on TOR, even if we lack the numbers to officially start a guild. Something also worth mentioning might be the "friends trial" which is a 7 day free trial. Any of us with an active subscription can refer a friend via e-mail. It might be a good way to help spark interest in people prior to F2P if we really want to build an EUC TOR community.

I believe Crash may still be playing although I'm not entirely sure how active he is. Life I believe intends to play I don't know as he hasn't posted any character name or server.
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