I love KOTOR. I love Bioware. I don't care that it's an MMO.

I haven't played world of warcraft, and I tried the free to play version of DC Universe on Steam. Given that most of my friends have a least played World of Warcraft I feel under prepared. From what I understand the gameplay structure is very derivitive and full of MMO tropes, but since I am in no way familiar with those I was wondering what I need to know going in, or any advice. I'll mostly be rolling by myself or with one or two friends I actually know. I would like to join a guild like Kessler Run but what are the benefits? I don't want to just drag other guild members down with my poor performance.

My retail copy is being sent out early right for the early access, so I'd like to prepare myself so I don't struggle going in. Thanks for any help.

Just approach it like any other game. You can either plow your way through the story line or you can take your time and explore. A lot of people make it a race to level cap, but just because you hit the level cap in 5 days does not make you a bad ass. Than again it doesn't make you a bad player. It's all about how much time you have to play the game and how much of the game you want to experience.

Bottom line is fire it up and have fun. There are no secret MMO handshakes.

Just be prepared to collect a lot of cat's teeth.

@bunnymud: I know that my gametime is limited since it is subscription based, but I have no intentions of wasting the initial cost by rushing to the level cap.

Allow yourself to be new. Don't take shit from anyone about nothing. Ask questions in General chat whenever you can't figure something out.

TOR caters to lone wolves a great deal, so in that regard you'll be able to learn the game simply through progressing through the story. Each Class has its own story. The story progresses from level 1 to max which is currently set at 50.

I recommend you do all side missions/quests that you come across. It'll make progressing through the story easier, which is something you'll definitely want in TOR. I've heard tales of people skipping a lot to focus on the story and that can be counterproductive to say the least.

There are some side-missions that require you to seek out other players in terms of their difficulty. These are called Heroic Quests and they'll be marked as such in your Mission Log/Journal after you've decided to accept one.

I would say the most important part is to be prepared for a multiplayer game. While there basically is a single-player game in there (which is longer, but also a tad grindier than normal RPGs) once you reach a certain point the game is designed to be played multiplayer. Things like being part of a community, interacting with people and making friends etc is a very important part of enjoying the game. The biggest mistake people do in MMOs is to either not join a guild, or join a guild that doesn't suit them at all. 
 
It is completely viable to go in lone wolf-style and just quit the game once you've exhausted the single-player content, but in doing so you're missing out on what makes the genre interesting in my eyes.

go download Wow.

its free to level 20 and will give you a good idea of what type of quest to expect and how much fun you find pressing 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 then 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 for 18 hours.

You can boil everything down to menial tasks if you like, or you could try to enjoy it. People have different approaches to gaming. If you don't enjoy the game, don't force yourself to play it. MMOs as we've come to know them means you fetch and kill stuff to progress your character.

FPS games we shoot people repeatedly. Aim for the head sound familiar?

RTS we move tiny units around and kill stuff repeatedly.

Just be prepared to collect a lot of cat's teeth.

Let yourself have fun with it. Learn it at your own pace.

You won't finish the story before you reach max level. You get to around level 50 mid-way through Chapter 3 from what I hear, and there's 5 Chapters. You have plenty of game here to enjoy.

Also: Don't play WoW unless you want to. Though they are a similar style, they do play slightly differently. SWTOR has different mechanics and it isn't the same game as WoW.

Shit man, don't play TOR, you fetch teeth to be grinded and used in medicine to save a little child! Its so 1990s. So not cool, bro. Gots to shoot some more troops in MW3 now sry guyz latz.

It'll be my first MMO too (guess I played Runescape for a bit...eh) , but yeah. Just play it and let yourself get into it. After playing during the Thanksgiving Beta weekend, I felt like I had most of the basics in regards to combat with my Smuggler down and was on my way to figuring crafting out and such. Of course, I hadn't even grouped up during that time (was able to do the Heroic Quests on Ord Mantell with my companion and skipped the flashpoint). It'll probably be pretty painfully obvious how new I am, but playing and learning the game with other people on here is one of the things I'm kind of really looking forward to.

@AlisterCat: Biggest thing is to use the chat when you feel you need it. You can broadcast messages to either the entire planet, a local area, or whatever you like. I'm not saying: "dude, communicate with your team or GTFO." I'm saying that if you're lost, or you don't know what you're doing, don't be afraid to ask. If the beta community is anything like the final product, they'll be more than willing to help you out. Many of the complex tropes of the MMORPG genre can't be taught, but have to be learned over time.

I will recommend that you choose to specialize yourself into a damage role while you learn the core mechanics of the game. Then, when you feel comfortable, you can branch over to healing or tanking if you so desire. Every advanced class in the game has the ability to specialize into damage, so this recommendation isn't particularly restrictive on your class choice. Other than that, there's not much else to say about your character. There's a questing structure that exists in modern MMORPGs that is very well defined. It looks something like this:

• Enter a camp/town/outpost (a 'questing hub')
• Grab all the quests you see, each will be targeting various areas surrounding the questing hub
• Complete them one-by-one, hand them in when they're all finished
• Get a transitional quest that will guide you to the next hub, rinse and repeat.
• (Optional): Find a quest giver alongside the road to the next hub, complete his minor diversion before continuing on.

If you follow this structure and complete these quests, you should be the appropriate level to leave a planet. At which point, in this game in particular, your class quest will guide you off the planet and onto another one. Unlike KOTOR, this game can be particularly linear with the planet progression. On Republic side, it will go from Origin Planet (1-10), Coruscant (10-16), Taris (16-20), Nar Shaddaa (20-24), etc.. Your class quest will open up to both Taris and Nar Shaddaa as branching directions for you to venture through, but unless you've distracted yourself with Warzones (player-versus-player battle arenas), or Flashpoints (group dungeons), you're probably going to forced to go to Taris first, as Nar Shaddaa will likely be far too tough for you at level 16.

Also as a fair warning, most MMORPGs have a steep learning curve, and such a breadth of content that it can be completely overwhelming for anyone who strictly plays singleplayer RPGs. For example, the Crew Skills system is this game's crafting system. In KOTOR, you didn't really have a crafting system at all, aside from the modification system. In this game, you have 14 different professions to choose from. You can choose 3, but only 1 crafting profession. When you factor in the world's in-game economy, there's more depth within this crafting system (and playing the market) than most singleplayer games all-together.

It's a beefy game. Feel free to throw any questions my way. I haven't been a full-time beta tester, but I got into two weekend betas, have put about 30-40 hours into the game, and got a character up to level 22. Oh, and I've been following this game religiously for quite a while.

Just remembered one tip very specific tip for swtor. There are bind-points in almost every cantina and as far as I know by every taxi (the look like blue-grey terminals). Always make sure to activate them once. They will allow you to quick travel back to that point, but only if you have activated them.

I'll give some general MMO advice. Crafting is probably not profitable. It might be useful, but it's unlikely to make you a lot of cash selling to other players. Gathering professions tend to be a much quicker road to profit. Speaking of profit, buying in-game currency with real money is the devil. If you do it (don't, but you'll be tempted), make sure you don't tell anyone. In group combat there is the "holy trinity" concept of tank-healer-DPS(damage per second). If you are DPS, your primary goal is to not get the monster's attention. Damage is secondary. Playing as a tank or healer ensures you'll get in groups much more easily.

If you get stuck in geometry try the /stuck command. Just type it in the chat-box. At least its something you can rely on for most part without having to contact support. This is another part of MMOs, you've got to be ready for some bugs and weirdness also because its a "Live" service.

Don't try to race to the end, because there is no end. Create the character in your head and try to act like that character would. If you find yourself grinding, and it feels like work, just take a break. Come back in a day.

Of course it's possible that you have an addictive personality and this game will ruin your life. No way to know until you try!

Don't lose your life to them.

Never pass on purples to girls for cyber.

MMO rule number one: Don't stand in shit. Fire, Poison, Anything on the ground that doesn't look good. Don't stand in it. Everything else is less important. Overall, have fun. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't know. Get into a good social/leveling guild that will helpful. You have to remember, this is a new game. Regardless of whether or not people have played WoW for years (me) or any other MMO, this is still a new game and my brief flirtation with the beta gave me a respect for how much of a different game it really is. Don't worry about it. Everyone started somewhere, and everyone sucks the first time they pick up the game. But remember. Don't stand in shit. That will piss everyone off

@Masin said:

MMO rule number one: Don't stand in shit. Fire, Poison, Anything on the ground that doesn't look good. Don't stand in it.

The final boss in one of the level 50 flashpoints is going to be annoying as hell with a PUG. Watched a video of it, and it looks crazy.

Got 2 turrets that will destroy your health quickly, that will respawn half way through the fight. The boss standing in the middle with a minigun, also shooting rockets, which puts a bunch of circles all over the place that you can't stand in, and there's also a claw that goes around and fires a laserbeam down on somebodys head, that will take off half their health if they don't move out of the way of the claw, and you have to destroy a bunch of different cores that are each guarded by 2 smaller turrets.

@CL60: That sounds amazing. Hardcore but amazing. I agree. PUGs normally aren't the place to take on a fight that has that many dynamics. But if you can get a good group, it should be a lot of fun. Does anyone know if there is going to be a Giant Bomb guild?

@Masin said:

@CL60: That sounds amazing. Hardcore but amazing. I agree. PUGs normally aren't the place to take on a fight that has that many dynamics. But if you can get a good group, it should be a lot of fun. Does anyone know if there is going to be a Giant Bomb guild?

Yeah, we got 2 PVE guilds.

Good Luck Have Bothans a Republic guild run by me

and

Kessler Run a Empire guild run by Matt.

@CL60: I think I'm gonna go with a Smuggler right out of the bat so I'm definitely gonna be hitting up Good Luck Have Bothans. What server is it on? Or does that even matter in this game? I'm so used to WoW.

@Masin said:

@CL60: I think I'm gonna go with a Smuggler right out of the bat so I'm definitely gonna be hitting up Good Luck Have Bothans. What server is it on? Or does that even matter in this game? I'm so used to WoW.

We haven't found out the server yet. Just check out the topic occasionally before you start the game. The way the guild thing works is we made them on the site, and they will be transferred automatically into the game, we just haven't yet gotten the emails telling us what server we've been transferred to.

@CL60: Alright. Can people join the guild before the game comes out is that one of those you have to be in the game to get a invite?

@Masin said:

@CL60: Alright. Can people join the guild before the game comes out is that one of those you have to be in the game to get a invite?

You could join on the website, but they closed that down in preparation of moving all of the guilds in-game. Just hit me up when the game launches/during early access and I'll get you an invite.

@CL60 said:

You could join on the website, but they closed that down in preparation of moving all of the guilds in-game. Just hit me up when the game launches/during early access and I'll get you an invite.

That'd be sweet man. Thanks.

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

Just some general MMO Advice: Be open and listen to players when they give you advice, ask them questions if you don't understand something. Find a good Wiki for you game and bookmark it - you'll be stopping by frequently.

@scarace360 said:

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

True dat. If you're a healer 90% of wipes will be blamed on you even if it was in no possible way your fault at all.

@CL60 said:

@scarace360 said:

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

True dat. If you're a healer 90% of wipes will be blamed on you even if it was in no possible way your fault at all.

And if you play a tank, you have a right to be an asshole.

there are three phrases you should be familiar with when playing with other players....  Tank (person who holds aggro on all the mobs), DPS(damage per second aka damage dealer), Healer...  as much as you want to play a hybrid class (dabble in a little of everything in your skill trees)... people don't want to group with them because they rather have someone who specializes in those three categories, so playing with friends will most likely alleviate being thrown into the cookie cutter roles.  Anyways for the first few months i don't think people will be that anal about who they bring into a party for a flashpoint / raid.
  
some random phrases to be familiar with.
lfg = looking for group
lf1m = looking for 1 member etc
aggro = the monster is no longer passive and is targeting you and attacking.
 mobs = monsters / enemies  people in mmo's just call them that
cc = crowd control ( means you incapacitate a few enemies so your group can focus on single targets)

@Masin said:

@CL60 said:

@scarace360 said:

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

True dat. If you're a healer 90% of wipes will be blamed on you even if it was in no possible way your fault at all.

And if you play a tank, you have a right to be an asshole.

If you play DPS never shit talk the healer he won't ever heal you again.

@scarace360 said:

@Masin said:

@CL60 said:

@scarace360 said:

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

True dat. If you're a healer 90% of wipes will be blamed on you even if it was in no possible way your fault at all.

And if you play a tank, you have a right to be an asshole.

If you play DPS never shit talk the healer he won't ever heal you again.

There was a time in WoW, where I was healing a heroic, and the tank was a Paladin wearing leather and cloth, and couldn't hold aggro for shit, and it was incredibly difficult to actually keep him up, yet it was always my fault that he either died during a pull, or I ran out of mana after every pull. So eventually after all his shit talking I just repeatedly let him die so his repair bill was large.

@CL60 said:

@scarace360 said:

@Masin said:

@CL60 said:

@scarace360 said:

Don't take shit from anyone if you play healer.

True dat. If you're a healer 90% of wipes will be blamed on you even if it was in no possible way your fault at all.

And if you play a tank, you have a right to be an asshole.

If you play DPS never shit talk the healer he won't ever heal you again.

There was a time in WoW, where I was healing a heroic, and the tank was a Paladin wearing leather and cloth, and couldn't hold aggro for shit, and it was incredibly difficult to actually keep him up, yet it was always my fault that he either died during a pull, or I ran out of mana after every pull. So eventually after all his shit talking I just repeatedly let him die so his repair bill was large.

Ya same has happened to me what is with healers always getting shit for this kind of stuff did something happen along time ago that i maybe don't know about that has given healers a bad name.

Name your character something that sounds like a name, not an Xbox Live gamertag.  Don't use special characters.  The shorter your name is, the better.
Great name: Jeff
Bad name:  Giantbombing
Nightmare name:  Gíäñtb¤mbîñg

@jetsetwillie said:

go download Wow.

its free to level 20 and will give you a good idea of what type of quest to expect and how much fun you find pressing 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 then 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 for 18 hours.

This isn't how classes in SWTOR play past lvl 15.

@jmrwacko said:

@jetsetwillie said:

go download Wow.

its free to level 20 and will give you a good idea of what type of quest to expect and how much fun you find pressing 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 then 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 for 18 hours.

This isn't how classes in SWTOR play past lvl 15.

This isn't how classes play in any MMO passed level 5.

@scarace360 said:

If you play DPS never shit talk the healer he won't ever heal you again.

I've spent the better half of my MMO career trying to figure out why I adore healing so much. I initially thought: hey, I have a kind, and compassionate personality. Then I realized: fuck no I don't.

And I think you just found my answer. I hold all the cards. >:)

@CL60 said:

@jmrwacko said:

@jetsetwillie said:

go download Wow.

its free to level 20 and will give you a good idea of what type of quest to expect and how much fun you find pressing 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 then 1 then 1 then 1 then 2 for 18 hours.

This isn't how classes in SWTOR play past lvl 15.

This isn't how classes play in any MMO passed level 5.

Well, really... at least we MMO players get more than one attack button. Most shooters just have one button: mouse 1.

If you enjoy shooting from the hip maybe, which of course most do! Brings back AK memories from CS1.6. :)

Pick up all the quests. Do them all before turning them in.

Deeprun Tram is a horrible place for horrible people.

Most important. For social play. Be good...

• Know your role (tank / damage dealer / healer)
• Know your class (what does my class bring to the table)
• Know your loot (only roll need for equipement you can use for your main role, otherwise roll greed, or ask if it's okay to roll for second gear)

Be nice to people, MMORPGs are best in the endgame, where playing in groups is important. No matter if endgame PvE or PvP, you'll need good people to play with. The better the people, the more you'll enjoy the game.

@Seppli said:

Most important. For social play. Be good...

• Know your role (tank / damage dealer / healer)
• Know your class (what does my class bring to the table)
• Know your loot (only roll need for equipement you can use for your main role, otherwise roll greed, or ask if it's okay to roll for second gear)

Be nice to people, MMORPGs are best in the endgame, where playing in groups is important. No matter if endgame PvE or PvP, you'll need good people to play with. The better the people, the more you'll enjoy the game.

It's all (Bounty) Hunter loot.

@Sooty said:

Deeprun Tram is a horrible place for horrible people.

I'm glad I'm not alone on this one. Every time I went in there, I just felt poor and sickly. I typically took the longer, more expensive route of a Gryphon.