why all the hate for star wars: the old republic?

(posted in response to the question: why is there so much hate toward star wars: the old republic?)

it’s not so much hate as contempt.

swtor is a game out of time. if it were released 5 years ago, it would be a mammoth. we’d all be drooling and probably all be very happy and forgiving of so much. these forums would be full of praise and worship.

unfortunately, the style of mmo that swtor represents has pretty much reached its use-by date. the greater majority of mmo gamers demand innovation to keep them interested. not just a change of scenery. swtor’s release is unfortunate because it is occuring at a time when there’s a few games out and coming out which have tried to innovate and look to promise big things on the very near horizon.

there’s probably nothing wrong with swtor as a traditional mmo. i’ve pre-ordered and will give it a whirl for a month or two. but the same reason many are trying swtor is the same reason many are claiming disappointment; wow is old. its gameplay is tired and no longer innovative. its most alluring features are its graphics, its simplicity, ease of movement, lack of bugs and its reputation as being pretty much a game you can mindlessly faceroll after being forced to think all day at work.

but the ever-growing demand for more customization, more dynamic content, more lateral levelling and character development, less raid-focus, more creative pvp options and a healthy blend of sandbox/themepark characteristics has driven most people away from either extreme.

swtor also had the bad luck of having its marketing campaign focus entirely on its “storyline” driven gameplay at a time when skyrim was released. this would, of course, cause a great deal of comparison with skyrim. and not many mmos can compete with that level of story and world immersion.

in a way, you could say they shot themselves in the knee before they even launched.