to a non MMOer

[Zeli]

I wrote this to my friend who asked what I thought about the non-impressive Massively write-up on SWTOR:

I kind of envy you that SWTOR will be your first.

I was hurt bad by Star Wars Galaxies and I can't say I've forgotten the pain. I was coming from my first love, DAoC and I thought all MMOs were the same. I won't fall so blindly for the hype again. It doesn't matter how fantastic they are; cinematics are hype. There's no gameplay footage there and there's no MMO revolution here. SWTOR won't bring much to the MMORPG genre. As far as MMOs go, I expect it to be rather disappointing to most seasoned MMOers who are expecting more than what we've been shown. The gameplay will be rather WoWish, because WoW made MMO UI intuitive. Keeping a familiar UI isn't necessarily a bad thing. Don't make a change unless it's an improvement. Changing something just to be different usually results in a frustrating game mechanic. There will be quest/kill tasks are typical of all MMOs. Allowing NPCs to be a part of my group has been done in Guild Wars. Giving different choices for quest replies was in Aion. Cut scenes in the MMO, Guild Wars & LOTRO. A fully voiced MMO, although it's never been done, it's not considered an innovation. There's been plenty of voicing in MMOs. There will be open world areas and instanced dungeons and battle areas set aside for PvPing. It's the best parts of an MMO with a Star Wars skin and BioWare storytelling. As a soloable immersive storytelling experience, I expect it to be worth the box sale. The world will be polished. I'll be gaming with my old crew in a new world again.

What keeps many MMOers hoping from game to game is the memory of their first MMO... whatever game that may have been. It was awesome because it was all new, not because it was perfect. They tend to even look at the imperfections with affection. Running trains to the tunnel in East Commons... hitting a single button for hours on end to skill up a craft and chat the evenings away in Camelot, etc. We invest our time so completely to an MMO the first time, and we never do again. We always compare, searching for that same feeling we once had and all new MMOs pay dearly for failing to provide us something that's lost in our past.

SWTOR won't be a first... but I can love it for what it is, while it lasts.

[Rer]

That's a good write up, and its very fair on most points. I like how you try to impart to her your wisdom of past failures like not falling for cinematics, or coming to expect more than a Star War's WoW. Nice Zeli

[Slurm]

What keeps many MMOers hoping from game to game is the memory of their first MMO... whatever game that may have been. It was awesome because it was all new, not because it was perfect.

yup

[Raizir]

Great write up and so very true. Its probably the main reason i haven't played many of the MMOs that are out now for very long. As for the one point that struck a fond and someone painful memory were the trains but not in East commons the ones that i remember fondly and with disdain at the same time were the trains in Lower Guk... those were nasty and funny at the same time.

[Winin]

Great write up!

[Dachartach]

Yes, pretty much hit the nail on the head there Zeli. I read some of the other linked articles from the Massively site, and again, no real surprises there. I'm sure it will be an enjoyable experience for what it is, and those who don't want more of the same with a Star Wars coating can do without it, I'm getting a definite vibe that GW2 will release around the same time. I'm sure many of us will play both.

Now you just need to explain all the jargon to your friend so they don't get the wrong idea when they hear or read us talking about tanks, toons, dps, the holy trinity, and whatever else.