The level sync was a great move in my opinion. The expansion has you visiting planets that you've leveled past, and now you cannot face-roll over them when a new quest has you going there again. While I agree the power of your companions does limit your potential death; for an added challenge, go on quests without your companion.
I played through available story and I don't get all the hype? The story wasn't anything special or great, it was just kind of meh. I actually fell a sleep through a few of the cut scenes. Also, the actual game play was abysmal. I started to remove my gear in order to give myself a challenge. It was basically long hallways of evenly spaced packs of 3 with a few easy elites sprinkled in. They would have been better off just making Kotor 3 instead of this monstrosity.
loll hasnt played
"Beliefs don't change facts. Facts, if you're reasonable, should change your beliefs."
"The Society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools."
Currently: Games Audio Engineer, you didn't hear what I heard, you heard what I wanted you to hear.
I realized SWTOR did very little right in terms of an mmo immediately after launch. Yet, the change to focusing on the only thing they did right, the story, has brought me back several times now. After trying this expansion I would never say the game is amazing or anything it's just a decent story nothing else. The only downside I've found so far is the removal of equipment vendors with the token system earned from questing. Absolutely devastated as I don't care enough about the game to craft gear, buy outrageously priced gear on the ah, or upgrade crappy lvl 8 gear all the way to 64.
Also companion changes are lame, even a single player rpg done right can have a customizable companion system.
Correct
you are regarding the game at launch, but the reason was simply due
to the game being rushed out the door and unfinished. The Legacy
system wasn't even finished, and that was to be a core part of the
game.
However,
this and many more things are fixed. Game is refreshingly fun. Took
them awhile to do it. It was a rocky road to get here, but glad that
this game made it off the ground and is flying.
I'm
not sure what you mean by "token" system, because although
the name of the currency was changed (from comms to crystals), the
ability to buy gear upgrades (mods) from vendors is still very much
in the game. Also, all weekly planetary heroics give both a chest of
gear (contains 2 pieces of gear customized for your class) and 12
common crystals. These crystals can be saved and used at level 65 to
purchase nearly a full set of entry-level 65 gear. Because of the
rewards from the planetary heroics, I never had to worry about
modding my gear. I believe that I spent around 14-20 common crystals
TOTAL during my entire leveling experience due to the gear given in
the heroic rewards.
It
seems to me that you haven't yet figured out that you can do the
above steps to gain gear while leveling. It has changed a little, but
for the better. Now, instead of having to come back to fleet every 5
to 10 levels to purchase full-outfit mods for gear, you can just do
the heroics for each planet (I actually did them every 2 to 3
planets) to keep gear updated.
Finally,
regarding companions, I'm at a loss what you mean by there being no
customization. Customization is still very much part of the
companions. The two main things different with companions is:
1)
You no longer have to micro-manage companion gear/mods/weapons to
keep them viable while leveling. This is a WELCOME change, in my
opinion, especially concerning those rare instances when a certain
companion is needed during a critical story mission...a certain
companion that you had ignored for 40 levels and now is needed and
you have no gear for them. The gearing of companions was slow,
expensive, and unneeded. Gear stats are no longer measured for
companions, instead having the stats derived from your stats. I
welcome the change in that companions now feel like they're
individual grownups that I don't have to keep clothing and
diaper-changing. :P
2)
Companions can fill whatever role is needed. This is SUCH an
important and useful change. No longer am I forced to take the
healing companions to supplement my tank-class, or take the companion
tank to supplement my heal/dps-class. I can now travel with the
companion that I enjoy the most while still being able to survive
through the content.
I've
not went through the full expansion as of yet, so looking forward to
the new companions and allies down the road. I've re-leveled a
Sorcerer to 65 (haven't even hit Makeb as of yet :P) with a friend
just to see the changes in the leveling aspect of things and I can
safely say that the leveling experience has truly gotten better every
time I return to SWTOR.
Looking
forward to my buddy and I getting finished with the Ilum, Makeb, and
Shadow of Revan material so we can check out the new expansion. This
is his first play-through, so we're hitting the high-points in
story/lore to check it out. It's been a fun experience thus far and
looking forward to many more hours ahead.
I played this quite a bit when it first came out, and enjoyed it a lot. What made me quit was the sloggish leveling pace around 45, the character quests sometimes being several levels apart, forcing you to do lots of sidequests, and most especially, the being forced to group up to do some instances, especially those that were part of a character quest.
I'm thrilled they're moving to make the game more solo friendly. Now let me take 3 companions with me into 4 mans and my journey back to this game will be complete.
I played through available story and I don't get all the hype? The story wasn't anything special or great, it was just kind of meh. I actually fell a sleep through a few of the cut scenes. Also, the actual game play was abysmal. I started to remove my gear in order to give myself a challenge. It was basically long hallways of evenly spaced packs of 3 with a few easy elites sprinkled in. They would have been better off just making Kotor 3 instead of this monstrosity.
loll hasnt played
I have played through the new story, and it was lackluster. The content is just a face roll now as well.
I played this quite a bit when it first came out, and enjoyed it a lot. What made me quit was the sloggish leveling pace around 45, the character quests sometimes being several levels apart, forcing you to do lots of sidequests, and most especially, the being forced to group up to do some instances, especially those that were part of a character quest.
I'm thrilled they're moving to make the game more solo friendly. Now let me take 3 companions with me into 4 mans and my journey back to this game will be complete.
They actually have a solo mode for almost all dungeons and Tacts. Even the new dungeon "star fortress" is soloable in both solo and heroic mode.
I actually LOVE the changes to the companions. I really like being able to put them in whatever role I choose so I can change out and use the companion I WANT to use.
That part is great. It's the part about gutting their ability kits that isn't. Everyone has the same abilities, so different companions are little more than skins.
I get what you're saying. But, with all the new companions we received. Along with the ones we will get in the future. It probably would of been a major undertaking to make special abilities for all companions.
I played this quite a bit when it first came out, and enjoyed it a lot. What made me quit was the sloggish leveling pace around 45, the character quests sometimes being several levels apart, forcing you to do lots of sidequests, and most especially, the being forced to group up to do some instances, especially those that were part of a character quest.
I'm thrilled they're moving to make the game more solo friendly. Now let me take 3 companions with me into 4 mans and my journey back to this game will be complete.
If you havent played yet, you should, all "story critical path" flashpoints have solo option now.
Comments
"The Society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools."
Currently: Games Audio Engineer, you didn't hear what I heard, you heard what I wanted you to hear.
"The Society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools."
Currently: Games Audio Engineer, you didn't hear what I heard, you heard what I wanted you to hear.
However, this and many more things are fixed. Game is refreshingly fun. Took them awhile to do it. It was a rocky road to get here, but glad that this game made it off the ground and is flying.
I'm not sure what you mean by "token" system, because although the name of the currency was changed (from comms to crystals), the ability to buy gear upgrades (mods) from vendors is still very much in the game. Also, all weekly planetary heroics give both a chest of gear (contains 2 pieces of gear customized for your class) and 12 common crystals. These crystals can be saved and used at level 65 to purchase nearly a full set of entry-level 65 gear. Because of the rewards from the planetary heroics, I never had to worry about modding my gear. I believe that I spent around 14-20 common crystals TOTAL during my entire leveling experience due to the gear given in the heroic rewards.
It seems to me that you haven't yet figured out that you can do the above steps to gain gear while leveling. It has changed a little, but for the better. Now, instead of having to come back to fleet every 5 to 10 levels to purchase full-outfit mods for gear, you can just do the heroics for each planet (I actually did them every 2 to 3 planets) to keep gear updated.
Finally, regarding companions, I'm at a loss what you mean by there being no customization. Customization is still very much part of the companions. The two main things different with companions is:
1) You no longer have to micro-manage companion gear/mods/weapons to keep them viable while leveling. This is a WELCOME change, in my opinion, especially concerning those rare instances when a certain companion is needed during a critical story mission...a certain companion that you had ignored for 40 levels and now is needed and you have no gear for them. The gearing of companions was slow, expensive, and unneeded. Gear stats are no longer measured for companions, instead having the stats derived from your stats. I welcome the change in that companions now feel like they're individual grownups that I don't have to keep clothing and diaper-changing. :P
2) Companions can fill whatever role is needed. This is SUCH an important and useful change. No longer am I forced to take the healing companions to supplement my tank-class, or take the companion tank to supplement my heal/dps-class. I can now travel with the companion that I enjoy the most while still being able to survive through the content.
I've not went through the full expansion as of yet, so looking forward to the new companions and allies down the road. I've re-leveled a Sorcerer to 65 (haven't even hit Makeb as of yet :P) with a friend just to see the changes in the leveling aspect of things and I can safely say that the leveling experience has truly gotten better every time I return to SWTOR.
Looking forward to my buddy and I getting finished with the Ilum, Makeb, and Shadow of Revan material so we can check out the new expansion. This is his first play-through, so we're hitting the high-points in story/lore to check it out. It's been a fun experience thus far and looking forward to many more hours ahead.
"I am handicapped...I'm psychotic."
I'm thrilled they're moving to make the game more solo friendly. Now let me take 3 companions with me into 4 mans and my journey back to this game will be complete.