Is it December 20, 2011 Yet?
As you may know, my WoW playing days ended back in February of this year for a large number of reasons having mostly to do with gameplay. Given the information that has been released regarding the next Warcraft expansion, it seems highly likely that I will not set foot on Azeroth again. (Unless Blizzard decides to implement BC and/or Wrath gameplay servers, in which case I probably would resub.)
Since my departure from WoW, I have dabbled with a few other games. I played DCUO for a couple of weeks, but never was comfortable with the awful targeting system and confusing maps. After that, I gave RIFT a try. While I enjoyed RIFT quite a bit, my friends eventually abandoned the game, and I followed suit.
So now, the wait is on for Star Wars: The Old Republic. And the release date for SW:ToR can’t get here soon enough in my opinion.
Although I have high hopes for the game, I think it will be enough if it can deliver a WoW-like experience without repeating the missteps that Blizzard has made over the past couple years. Things like:
- Redesigning the game system every two years;
- Implementing cross server grouping tools that enable ass-hattery and destroy the community;
- Eliminating the challenge in the game to encourage new subscriptions;
- Phasing the majority of the game world which severely limits cooperative play;
- Making quests follow a linear progression that removes any type of exploration from the game;
- Streamlining the leveling process so that players immediately reach endgame;
- Not separating PVE and PVP abilities when necessary to balance the game system;
- Rewarding players for time spent playing instead of playing well; and
- Forcibly congregating the entire playerbase in one location.
That may be a pretty tall order for any new MMO, but hope springs eternal as they say.
As the launch date for SW:ToR gets closer, I will be transitioning this blog from a WoW blog to a SW:ToR blog.
Until then, may the force be with you.
Vess
