Here are our suggestions.
Thats not to say the entire game is rubbish, but could it use some improving?
The fact thatSWTORis a BioWare game is why many of us tried it in the first place.
Not to mention that it descends from theKnights of the Old RepublicRPG series.
In trying to tackle both story-heavy features and MMORPG-heavy features, theSWTORteam stretched itself too thin.
We saw this even while leveling through the launch version of the game.
Mission upon mission consisted of killing rows upon rows of identical-looking soldiers and droid enemies.
NPCs during cutscenes all made the same, mirrored animations.
Despite some really great storytelling efforts, so much just fell to the wayside.
I see absolutely no reason why Odessen wasnt made explorable in some fashion, for example.
World of Warcraftmade this exact same mistake withWarlords of Draenorand Tanaan Jungle.
Leveling content does not last nearly as long as an MMORPGs developers hope it will.
This is a fact that makes itself obvious during almost every single game expansion.
A good, well-crafted MMORPG expansion isnt something to rush.
Flashpoint restrictions in a genre where dungeon leveling is extremely popular make zero sense.
Gating mechanisms like these act as a barrier to returning/new players.
The key is to let players buy extras with money, but not restrict them unnecessarily.
The first feels fair.
The second does not.
SWTORs development team is also often a little unsure of how to handle MMORPG players.
Large balance changes like this need to happen during the launch of an expansion and should be thoroughly tested.
MMORPGs need forward momentum to stay alive.
This is why MMO communities are so vital.
Without a solid community, momentum can be difficult to harness.
All they need to do is step up to the task.
A little knowledge of the Force couldnt hurt either, I suppose.
Laura Hardgrave is a staff writer.
