Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
[Column] Star Wars: The Old Republic: Was Forged Alliances Really Necessary?
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In their prelude to their current expansion, Shadow of Revan, Star Wars: the Old Republic spent five months giving us new big-picture epic content via four Flashpoints collectively known as Forged Alliances. I spent an afternoon playing all four of them back to back on solo mode now that it's possible to do so and have been left with some questions that remind me of another big-name scifi franchise's first movie: Is this all that there was? Was there nothing more?
Read more of Jean Prior's Star Wars: The Old Republic - Was Forged Alliances Really Necessary?
)
Comments
I feel Forged Alliances was a step in the right direction to be honest. The content was pretty well written and took the game a step in a new direction. Whilst I agree, the three parts were rather short, but I feel they were all necessary. I don't think I would have enjoyed the new expansion as much as I did without them.
I think that maybe your problem was that you were expecting too much from the Forged Alliances storyline? I was like you and played through all of them solo, but I wasn't expecting them to be crammed full of content because it was simply a prelude, which might be why I enjoyed it a lot more than you seemed to.
I am enjoying Forged Alliances, and look forward to leveling all of my characters through it. I too was stunned looking at Tython as a Republic character and Korriban as an Empire character. On Rishi my wife and I felt like we were reliving happy days in the original Guild Wars Cantha area. In Manaan I was wondering if I could book a getaway vacation; it looked like a all-inclusive resort and I was waiting for someone to bring me a drink with a little umbrella in it. On the Rakata homeworld I wanted to take my shoes off and feel the sand, it was gorgeous.
Keep up the good work, Bioware!
"Taking on both Tython and Dromund Kaas and trashing them was an intriguing step."
I guess there's no editors for these articles. It's Tython and Korriban. Not Dromund Kaas.
I can, more or less, agree with this article (or at a minimum understand their point of view). It's not as bad as most tripe that comes from these people that fancy themselves as writers.
I enjoyed those four flashpoints, especially because i can solo them. Some new content is always welcome. When i want to group up, i can always go back and do any of the flashpoints for extra rewards. But when I am in story mode, i want to do things solo and at my own pace.
Manaan is very much a place i would love to explore open world style (submersibles ahoy ... remember the submarine chase scenes on Naboo ?). Rakata Prime ... well, we already had jungle style worlds and landscapes with plenty of crashed spaceships. Also primitive tribes attacking on sight (Fleshtearers anyone ?). All four flashpoints were VERY linear ... exploring the edges of the maps almost immediately were punished with "Exhaustion zone - TURN BACK !"
SPOILER ALARM - proceed at your own risk !
Storywise ... hmmm .... are the spiritual core worlds of BOTH sides really THAT badly defended ? Can a mid level field commander (any side) REALLY walk off with the sum of all Jedi/Sith knowledge ? Logic loopholes the size of a troop carrier ... did not like that. Can Revan really project a hologram right before my nose, but not hit with 120 dreadnaught turbolasers the same spot despite wanting me wiped out ? And as has been mentioned before ... if you are a proud Imperial Revanite (as one of my characters is) ... why should you off two of your most trusted comrades and NOT execute those traitors Shan and Beniko at your side as your long lost master appears in front of you (I would have just hired Jakarro ;-). Anyway .. suspension of disbelief Mode ... ON.
Lets see what the rest of the Revan storyline has to offer (alas, not a third faction SUPPORTING Revan, i am afraid).
Have fun
"What do you folks think?"
That I agree with you nearly in all accounts. :-)
You mean 99% solo in an online game and nothing but chasing around yellow markers for the main part fp the game which si linear questing,YEP and i don't like it.Every game i try now does this and it bores the heck out of me, usually now i quit all of these designs within the first hour and never go back.
I actually gave SWTOR so many chances it is not funny,like about 7 different occasions i tried to make it work but it just kept getting boring.
When i play a RPG and a mmo i want it to be MY adventure not a laid out path that every single player follows,i also want it to be fully interactive with other players,not some instance gathering aka Wow design.
I guess we can only assume that developers are making a killing off of this design because they keep making them,that is fine it keeps that crowd happy but i won't be supporting this type of design ever again.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Agree with the article:
" However, the simple fact of the matter is that unless an MMO is consistent in its 'grouping required' content right out of the gate (like BioWare Austin's other major project, ShadowRealms), it really needs to keep its primary story content available to the solo player. Lord of the Rings Online learned that in 2008 when they added the ability to solo the epic questline and made a ton of players happy, and doing it here in SWTOR is nothing short of common sense."
The option is always open for you to group with other people so if you don't want to, don't blame the devs for your lack of willingness to find like minded players in the game.
Agree with article and I enjoyed the SOR expansion.
However the artwork for Lana is terrible. She honestly looks like she is suffering from a terminal illness. At first I thought she was alien but no she is human. For such a central character who can be romanced I found this very off-putting. Her skin and eyes are just....wrong.
By all accounts she will feature in future story progression, I hope they do some serious work on her appearance.
I've enjoyed them as they came out, and I've had a lot of fun reading (and participating in) all the speculation the official forums and the discussions about the characters.
It was some content to tide the players over while other things were being added, like Strongholds. All in all I'd say it was a good move. I've also enjoyed SoR quite a bit, and the way they struck a balance between various things with it.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
Yes we can still find people to group with, but the more a MMO goes for the Solo aspect, the more group-minded Players are put off by it and leave. Just like Wizardry states above. Not all Players like him depart, but the more they do the less the game feels like a MMO, the more shallow it's player community. The less group minded players and the more solo minded players, the more any requests in chat or on the forums for grouping is met with negative and antisocial responses.
If a Dev Team creates a MMO that features solo play for the majority of gameplay and allows players to level their characters all the way to level cap without grouping then YES we can blame the Devs because they made it that way.
(I would even say it can't be called a MMO but that term is now just a marketing buzz word and holds no true meaning and that in itself is another discussion)
Smile
MMO: Multiplayer...check
Online...check
Yep, it passes as an MMO.
Most players play through the game solo and team up when required. Which is how it should always be.
A forced group based game would not last 6 months in today's market. It might have been cool in 1997 when online games were new and exciting but that shine has faded long a go.
Join a chatty guild if you can't stand the thought of playing the game without other people , they are in every MMO game ever created.
Don't blame the solo players because without them there is no game.
Also, I have to add that SWTOR's LFG tool is awful. I can literally be queued for something and be standing by the only other person who is queued for that specific content and wait 20 minutes and we'll still not be paired up. I've tested this three times now so I think they should really fix their LFG tool because it doesn't even seem to work...
The reason I mention this is because it basically forces you to party up or try and solo content, and if there is no one nearby to party up with, what's your only option? Soloing.
Smile
So...you can't die when you play through solo?
It's not even meant to seem like a challenge anymore?
Why not just give solo players cutscenes to fill in the story, and a loot drop afterwards? Seems about the same thing.
Because part of the lore would be missed.
Nothing force you to do it solo, but it is a good thing for the people who bought this as a BW game rather then a MMO.
This have been a good conversation
I would really rather see some focus on the introduction of 1) cross-server PvE/PVE, 2) 64-Bit client, and 3) more races.
I don't think Forged Alliances was 'bad'. I just think that I have expected more than what we're getting.
'There have been some players who hated the very existence of this content being soloable because they believe MMORPG stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Requires People Grouping.'
Indeed. Why people just can't stand that times has changed? Besides, back in the day the gameplay was story, there was no cutscenes to watch. And if someone can't stand the fact that all content available to players who do not participate in grouping - just choose the right game. There are games that still force grouping. Same with challenge. There are plenty out there.