In-depth documentation on actual SWTOR gameplay.

I just found this great link containing an amazing amount of info regarding the game in its current state =D

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=218598

Original poster wrote:

I thought I make a list of the things that weren't stated in such detail if at all in dev statements, but that are mentioned in these player reports:
the map shows the elevation of the land as well as the buildings in the area and gives a lot of detailed information: where important NPCs are, what their names are, what their purpose is (armor vendor, weapon vendor etc.) as well as having detailed maps for inside buildings that you can read by clicking on them etc. Your map can become transparent and then you get some sort of magnifying glass area which makes only that area non-transparent so you can check stuff out better.
smuggler: can use the cover system, when in cover damage is reduced, a new skill bar slides up and your abilities become significantly stronger, attacks do more damage.
Bounty hunter: uses a heat buildup mechanism for his skills (reverse mana bar)
Trooper: uses ammo and ammo points for his skills, reload abilities(skills) can do a full or partial reload by adding ammo points to your depleted reservoir
there are no loading screens between instances and open world, moving back and forth between them is the same ease as moving between rooms and spaces in the open world.
medipacks: these have an automatic use. Should your character die from an incoming attack, a medipack will be automatically consumed to save you, should it not be on cooldown.
in SWTOR there's a type of quests that are 'follow up' quests: as soon as one quest is completed then you don't have to go back to the questgiver, but instead you can receive the follow-up quest via your holo-com device that triggers a cinematic dialogue sequence right then and there, transitioning you into the next quest-phase (those are perhaps the 'Bonus Quests' that a BW guy mentioned?)
bind terminals: terminals that can be found all around that allow you to bind yourself to that location
next to bind terminals, there are bounty terminals that when clicked on it give you some text about a bounty you could do
there's 'visual awareness', your avatar will pay attention and keep track of hostile NPC's, his face directed towards potential targets and threats
dialogues can use quicktime events like in ME2
armor has a % meter in the character sheet, that can show less than 100% (probably durability meter?)
there's an armor slot for an eyepiece or goggles, separate from the helmet slot
NPC's can run for cover, can move away to create distance when you are close to them or move away from other NPC's that have become a target imminent to explode
it appears all classes will have a revive ability, which lets you revive a fallen party member while out of combat


All these quotes taken together, it was a long pile of text, and of course all the experiences of the SWTOR players were only regarding the lower levels. But reading the reports several common themes can be found:

- SWTOR has all the MMORPG signatures you might expect
- the controls and UI are smooth, responsive and intuitive
- the gameplay already has a good dose of polish and is very accessible
- some NPC pathing issues and animations seem to be the main annoyance
- story enhanced questing really adds to immersion and atmosphere, at least to the players that don't dislike story
- combat is fast and engaging and has a really different feel for each class
- the starter worlds (at least some of them) are larger and more wide open than initially expected for starter areas, and seem to be impressive in atmosphere and scenery


All in all, I found the experiences and reports taken together to give a surprisingly consistent impression of smooth, polished and above all fun gameplay, at least at the lower levels.

I am officially hyped =]

oooooh /drool !

Can I just please "leghump" the bioware guys...they have a stake in the game that will change the face of ALL MMO's.....thank you for your attention to detail!!!!!!

Here's hoping that companions don't have the "NPC pathing issues."

Stryklone wrote:

Here's hoping that companions don't have the "NPC pathing issues."

Hoping they can resolve that altogether?

Quote :

dialogues can use quicktime events like in ME2

I didn't know about this. It a feature that I really liked about ME2, you can actually affect a cutscene while it plays!!!

This is just not right! Giving me the tease of the year, not right at all! I wanna play already, you hear!

OHeyLookKel'DorHaveBeenAnnounced!

wait wat? >:C

Grome wrote:

Stryklone wrote:

Here's hoping that companions don't have the "NPC pathing issues."

Hoping they can resolve that altogether?

Fingers are crossed. Decent AI including pathing is always near the top of my gaming wish list, even more so in TOR since we will all be creature handlers/pet leaders! At least in Baldur's Gate we could pause the game when Minsc decided to take the very long way around ... The hamster was the brains of that twosome.

For the Republic side in TOR, they ought to have this companion command: "Kill anything wearing white armor or black robes."

Stryklone wrote:

For the Republic side in TOR, they ought to have this companion command: "Kill anything wearing white armor or black robes."

You'd see a lot of Trooper collateral damage.

Grome wrote:

Stryklone wrote:

For the Republic side in TOR, they ought to have this companion command: "Kill anything wearing white armor or black robes."

You'd see a lot of Trooper collateral damage.

Oops!

On the other hand, fewer things in the way to mess up pathing ... hmmm.

Stryklone wrote:

Grome wrote:

Stryklone wrote:

Here's hoping that companions don't have the "NPC pathing issues."

Hoping they can resolve that altogether?

Fingers are crossed. Decent AI including pathing is always near the top of my gaming wish list, even more so in TOR since we will all be creature handlers/pet leaders! At least in Baldur's Gate we could pause the game when Minsc decided to take the very long way around ... The hamster was the brains of that twosome.

For the Republic side in TOR, they ought to have this companion command: "Kill anything wearing white armor or black robes."

" WTS Sith Disguise Kit (1 white wedding dress)

Excellent info. Thanks for sharing!

I'm sure they will be able to work out the pathing issues... it's Bioware afterall.

Great thread, thanks for posting.