Star Wars: The Old Republic, ReVisited

It was not necessarily a lack of interest in the game that caused me to unsub after a year or so; any time a subscription fee is involved, it's also a matter of budget, time available, etc. I was initially nonplussed with the manner in which it went free-to-play, every dialog box seemed eager to remind me I wasn't paying them for conveniences recinded. Time passed and I didn't give it much attention. Guild Wars 2 sated the MMO craving for a while, which was a great bargain given the lack of sub fee there.

Once Bioware actually started releasing real honest to goodness expansions for SWTOR, that caught my eye. It seems they really did want to make up for the lack of new content during the first year of uptime. Publications started mentioning SWTOR again, calling it a "comeback", subs back up, making the game profitable for them again. It was enough to make me consider going back.
The current pricing scheme makes so much more sense. Less greedy than before, all it takes now to unlock the three digital expansions permanently is to sub in for at least one month. Too good a deal to turn down, I took the dive and am glad I did.

Some may not be familiar with the SWTOR premise, I didn't push the game as hard in my circle as I wanted to since I didn't suspect I'd get much response from pushing another MMO. We've all played WoW, been down that road before.

With SWTOR, BioWare made the assertion that the storyline does matter, and the players should be allowed to participate in it. I'll cover the main bullet points briefly.

The Old Republic returns to the much beloved KOTOR setting, a time in the galaxy (around 3600 BBY) when both Jedi and Sith were numerous, and open war between the Republic and Empire divided the galaxy. The 8 character classes, 4 per faction, each play pivotal roles in the conflict with a unique solo storyline for each. Each of these splits into two 'advanced classes' which represent the mechanically different playstyles an MMO would need, while allowing Star Wars fans to live out specific power fantasies. The 8 ACs are mirrored mechanically between the factions, with naming and cosmetic differences for abilities.

Most of the quests feature interactive dialogue with voice acted audio, making SWTOR the most voiced game in video game history. For group content, it also featured the world's first multiplayer dialogue system. Instanced 'flashpoints' (dungeons) and 'operations' (raids) are also built around portions of metaplot or self-contained storylines. Players can make light/dark choices in dialogue that have impact, in MP only your choice affects your character alignment, even if a different choice wins the roll.

The game itself plays in a way familiar to anyone who's played an MMO in the last decade, though with a number of quality-of-life streamlining decisions, making the progression much less a chore. Hotbars of attacks that chain into each other. The trinity of tank/healer/damage. Genre staples that ain't broke, don't need fixin'.

The real question, and I don't exactly know how to answer this, is what is it that makes The Old Republic special? I can name more than one online world I would be totally fine never seeing again, but this one called me back. Is the Star Wars IP alone enough to keep a hardcore fan interested? Maintaining creative control over the KOTOR setting was a slick move, it enables them to tell their own stories on that stage without stepping on the toes of the films. Is it just that it's space wizards with laser swords? Maybe.

I suppose it doesn't matter if the reasoning is quantifiable or not. I love this game. It's gotten a lot of new content, still top shelf production values, no shortage of eye candy and things to do. F2P gains access to the core content, giving a player time to discover that it's worth paying for (again). Contrary to the vocal detractors, we don't really need a standalone KOTOR 3. Far as I'm concerned, it's all right here.

My Top 50 Games of All Times!

So you can get to know the main blog writer, I've put together a list of my favorite games ever.  As my library of played games exceeds 500 or so, this list represents the top 10%.  Some genres aren't represented here but that doesn't mean I didn't like games in them.  I can post some honorable mentions later.

Now, in no particular order...

(1 Half-Life 1/2)*
Perhaps the most influencial shooters of all time.

2 Crysis (1)
The only true successor to Far Cry 1

3 Bioshock
Not System Shock 3, but good enough

4 Doom 2
A far better Doom than Doom was

5 Deus Ex
The perfect blend of RPG, FPS, and stealth action

6 System Shock 2
The ultimate sci-fi horror game

7 Final Fantasy 7
The high point of the whole franchise

8 I-war 2
Space Combat done right

9 Freespace 2
A visceral space combat epic

10 Xwing Alliance
One of the very best Star Wars games

11 GTA San Andreas
The last truly great GTA

12 Prototype
Ultraviolent sandbox action, pure entertainment

13 Super Metroid
Hands down the best Metroid

14 Zelda 3
I preferred this over what came later

15 Portal 2
Worth replaying just for the hilarious writing

16 Wolfenstein: The New Order
A masterpiece of modern FPS design

17 Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The only compelling reason to own a Wii

18 Star Wars The Old Republic
The standard MMO refined to a peak

19 Left 4 Dead 2
Perhaps the best Co-op shooter ever

20 Guild Wars 2
Proof that breaking the mold can work

21 Diablo 2
Back when blizz was awesome

22 Mass Effect 3
Epic sci-fi adventure time

23 Asteroids Deluxe
A shining gem of the silver age arcade

24 Star Control 2
No game has ever been quite like it, truly unique

25 STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl
A horrible place brought to life

26 System Shock
Far ahead of it's time

27 Kingdom Hearts 2
Disney/SquEnix hybrid goodness

28 Dead Space 1/2/3
Favorite survival horror series (can't decide which is best)

29 Neverwinter Nights
A gigantic RPG smorgasbord

30 Ultima Underworld
Paved the way for first person RPGs

31 Blood
Best of the build engine

32 Unreal Tournament 2004
The definitive old school arena shooter

33 Terraria
Way better than Minecraft

34 Planetside 2
MMO shooter on an unprecedented scale

35 Borderlands 2
A better game built on the ideas of the first one

36 The Binding of Isaac (+Rebirth)
My favorite roguelike

37 Katamari Damacy
One of the very few original modern game concepts

38 Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Best superhero sandbox

39 Meteos
An action puzzler beyond all others

40 Puzzle Quest
An addictive blend of RPG and bejeweled

41 Saints Row 4
Pure entertainment throughout

42 Spelunky
Random platforming perfection

43 Dishonored
Best game I never finished

44 Killing Floor
Looks ugly, plays beautifully

45 Titanfall
A great multiplayer shooter undermined by its players

46 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
They got it right

47 I-War Deluxe
The quintessential starship simulation

48 Beat Hazard
Shoot stuff to music

49 Jedi Outcast/Academy
The lightsaber has never been done better

50 Bionic Commando
The most memorable NES game I can think of

*suspended pending series continuation

Welcome!

Hello future reader!  I've decided to start a gaming blog and here it is!  Isn't it AMAZING?

Okay maybe not yet.  I was thinking if I write about something I really enjoy and have a lot of opinions about, I might write more.  This site will become home to content of an editorial flavor, reviews, industry happenings, predictions, and whatever else fits.

Stay tuned for some introductory posts to give you a better idea of the writer's taste and preferences.