Topic: Star Wars the Old Republic (COSMOS, a Skeptics guild)

[ting-bu-dong]

Is there any word on how bad latency is when playing from Europe on a US server?

[Phillip Hudson]

Is there any word on how bad latency is when playing from Europe on a US server?

Our UK guildmates say it's pretty good.

[Phillip Hudson]

COSMOS is on server: PORT NOWHERE (Empire Side)

Come join us!

[goodthink]

Any signifigant changes to the game at launch vs. the open beta weekends?

[Phillip Hudson]

Any signifigant changes to the game at launch vs. the open beta weekends?

Nothing significant. Runs smoother overall. Lots of little things fixed. Etc.

[ting-bu-dong]

So I made a character on Port Nowhere but decided that 190ms latency was just too much in the long run, so I opted for an EU server instead. My impressions so far (level 7 Sith Inquisitor):

- the storytelling is done well enough to make fetch quests interesting and it feels like I am actually doing something rather that making excuses for leveling
- it's very Star Wars
- combat is a nice sweet spot between an action game and a WoW-like game
- Force Lightning is fun
- it's very polished. After Warhammer Online, Rift and Champions Online it's nice to see everything such as animations working properly
- I love that my out of combat self heal is pacing around while being very, very evil

[Phillip Hudson]

So I made a character on Port Nowhere but decided that 190ms latency was just too much in the long run, so I opted for an EU server instead. My impressions so far (level 7 Sith Inquisitor):

- the storytelling is done well enough to make fetch quests interesting and it feels like I am actually doing something rather that making excuses for leveling
- it's very Star Wars
- combat is a nice sweet spot between an action game and a WoW-like game
- Force Lightning is fun
- it's very polished. After Warhammer Online, Rift and Champions Online it's nice to see everything such as animations working properly
- I love that my out of combat self heal is pacing around while being very, very evil

190ms... that's not too bad for an mmo. Bad for a FPS, but not a TAB-target mmo. Did you try running around? Kill a mob? That'll give you a good idea if it'll be intolerable. Food for thought. Our UK members are surprised by how smooth the experience is across the pond. Either way, have fun!

[ting-bu-dong]

I played the first couple levels and there was a noticeable delay for each ability use and each looting. It wasn't too bad, but in the long run it would get very annoying. Maybe the UK is more advantageous for accessing the US servers than continental Europe.

I just did the first flashpoint and it's nice to see how much they have softened up the need to rely on tanks. Hopefully it will stay this way at higher levels.

[coroner]

This game is friggin' amazing. If you like WoW or Skyrim you should be playing this with us!

[Phillip Hudson]

I heard a brief mention of "Old Republic" from Evan on a recent episode. I wonder if they (the SGU crew) are going to play this game. We've got a few members from these forums in our guild. All are welcome.

And yes, a sticky would be nice 

[ting-bu-dong]

So new content has been announced for 1.1.

Star Wars The Old Republic: Rise Of The Rakghouls

Because zombies are iconic for Star Wars.

[DeanMorrison]

So, a sufficient time has passed since the release -- is this a game worth subscribing for?

[Phillip Hudson]

For me it is. It has many similarities to WOW, but many things that are different. The Star Wars setting is fun as are the voiced over cut scenes for every single quest in the game. There is also a multiple choice component to your questing responses with NPCs that is quite entertaining.

Bugs? Room for improvement? Sure, just like any new game on release. If you enjoy PVP as I do, it has a functional system that needs a lot of work and content expansion.

For myself, I plan to play for the next year at least. Maybe longer depending on where it goes from here.

[ting-bu-dong]

I also think that the game has more innovations than it usually gets credit for. The companion system, the class design, the encounter design, the crafting system and of course the voiceovers add up to a significantly different experience than WoW, RIFT and similar MMOs. The best description is a typical Bioware RPG with MMO features (such as PvP, group content and crafting) added on. I find myself actually being interested in my character and the story, which is something no other MMO has achieved so far for me.

[stretcher]

Well I had no idea you guys had a guild. I was about to start a new character, may as well join. Now it's time to actually read the thread and figure out who I should contact.