Wednesday, December 21, 2011

SWTOR: The Beginning

A few days before making the decision to put cash down, I enjoyed this game play vid:
SWTOR Game Play

ff:

I received news that servers were getting locked soon, and so, made the plunge.  I was able to purchase the game from origin.com no problem.  However, the email that landed in my inbox was useless in assisting in downloading/installing the game.  The "order completed" page at origin.com was not, and I soon was performing the massive download after getting the initial setup.exe.  All download and install done, the game is 19.4GB.  I went to bed knowing play would wait until the morning.

While watching time ooz by with the download, I decided to review classes.  Odd how google can both turn up quick, insightful briefs on anything, but then on something so easy, no page stands out at first.  Honestly, it's my ADHD's fault and not google's.  I wanted quick info with more beneath.  I finally happened up on a swtor wiki, and it did the trick: http://www.wikiswtor.com


So, theatrics/cinematics: well, is it me, or does Lucas start everything by killing the master off-the-bat?  (As soon as I typed that sentence, it lightening and thundered -- 4 days before Christmas.)  Like.

But no matter what, Star Wars just juices the male thing that gets juiced by 300 or Troy or Star Wars.  Yes, Jedi's going at it with green (making us know they are good) light sabers vs. Sith using their red (ebil!) light sabers, is awesome.  Of couse, yes, a master always dies -- always a good master too, hardly ever a Sith master.  Sith mastas die at the end of stuff.

Ok, I picked Bounty Hunter, and made my guy.



The noobie game section so far is pretty good.  I heard it's all voice -- quests and NPC interaction and whatnot -- and indeed, so far, it is.  The game is running nice on my some-what aged box, but looks great.



I messed-around with the initial quest choices getting varied responses.  It seems, so far, you can choose the most benevolent or the most selfish from the little dial-pad at the bottom, and the game performs cinematics accordingly.  I did a mix.  (Funny how we hate multiple choice in school, but put-up with it in vid games).


I started taking screenshots once I entered the server I chose.  FYI, on Windows 7, these are stored here: C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Star Wars - The Old Republic\Screenshots

Once the opening starter quest/questions were done, I began moving about.  Eek!  As normal, controls are not to my liking.  I fixed those.  Note: key bindings are a tab at the bottom of the main "Preferences" page.  Also take note of the red text near bottom telling you that you just unmapped a keybinding elsewhere -- make sure to fix those now or deal with later.



Tabbing/windowing in and out of the game is quick, it runs good, and so far, the interface is easy.  I think Bioware has done good, but the jury is still out.

Automap: ah, nice.  I can leave it up as an overlay, and it adjusts opacity as needed when I move.




(Stopping here to address Star Wars haters: Yes, yes.  Lucas dissing is rife since all the guys who were kids like me when their dad's took 'em to see the 1st 3 movies, grew up, and realized movies weren't real anyhow and how dare Lucas not make a Flight-Club/Matrix-type movie instead?  Toss in the same "gotta grab the kiddies" stuff already in RoTJ -- that we all overlooked, didn't mind, thot was ok when we were teens, etc. -- and you got Lucas/Star Wars haters.  Well, no Star Wars fan hates the 1st movie or especially the 2nd, or even the 3rd.  We even didn't mind when Mark Hamill's face got differntly replaced.  Hell, he got stuck in guts and that was so cool we just overlooked it!

I think the SWHs are diminishing and/or, are just getting over it.  Besides, no one is successful who doesn't have a strong contingency of haters.  Haters gonna... back to the game.)

Looting: ok, if you cannot loot after seeing the finger of god highlight the thing you just killed with a brilliant, 5th element end-movie light from heaven, then, well, go play angry birds.



I must say, Bioware has taken the familiarity of other MMORPGs and applied it to SWToR across the board, i.e., as far as interface, menus, usability, etc.  Why fix what's not broken right?  Right click to equip (I got new pants), Right click to fight (right click on emeny to shoot it!), etc.

A chest!!!



Finally, after pwning a few Fa'athra Gangsters (I am disappoint they didn't name them, "gangstas"), I gots level 2!!!


And headed back to the casino to unwind with alcohol and blue women with two very thick pieces of hair protruding from their heads....

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