Regular visitors will have noticed a recent lack of updates on my adventures in The Old Republic. I started these updates with a lot of enthusiasm, and feel it's only fair to give some explanation as to why they stopped so suddenly.
The truth is, I haven't really been playing a lot of SWTOR lately. It's been a busy few weeks with finals and Christmas, but even before then my enthusiasm for the game was beginning to wane. Don't get me wrong - SWTOR is a glorious, sprawling, and ambitious project. Despite this, it just hasn't got me hooked. To work out why this is, I've been comparing my experiences of SWTOR with those of KOTOR I and II - two games I simply couldn't put down once I had begun playing. After some careful consideration, I think I might have put my finger on where the problem lies.
It all boils down to the fact that I'm struggling to immerse myself in the game. I've never been a big gamer - nor have I played many MMOs. For this reason, immersion plays a big part in keeping me engaged. I want to feel a part of the action and become truly invested in my character. Unfortunately, this just hasn't happened for me in SWTOR. I think there are two main reasons why this is the case:
- A lack of roleplaying: From what I've experienced, players very rarely engage in in-game roleplaying. It's certainly not a compulsory part of playing an RPG, but it does a lot to add to the game if players tend to play in-character. It's hard to stay immersed in the fantasy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away when the General Chat is being spammed by messages regarding 'Tanks', 'Heals', 'DPS' and the allocation of Skill Tree points.
- Levelling: Any good RPG will of course require some sort of levelling system. Both KOTORs did this beautifully. Levelling occurred fluidly and rarely encroached on the narrative of the story. Players were free to explore and adventure as they saw fit, knowing that their skills were developing in tandem with their experiences of the galaxy. Unfortunately, the same is not true for SWTOR. I've found myself consistently and painfully aware of the in-game levelling system, so much so that it often detracts from my character's narrative. Side-quests - as opposed to being entertaining distractions - are compulsory chores for ensuring that your level is high enough in order to keep up with your main class storyline. Strict level requirements also mean that planets must be visited in a precise order - something which takes the huge and diverse galaxy of SWTOR and turns it into what feels like an on-rails adventure.
So there you have it. The two main reasons which - I believe - have stood in the way of my becoming more immersed in SWTOR. Neither is an intrinsic flaw of the game. Both are merely features which aren't compatible with my own playing style.
There may, however, be another explanation as to why these things are problems for me. Perhaps I'm simply
playing the game wrong. If you think that might be the case, then do let me know be emailing me at
relicsoftheforce@gmail.com. I'd truly love to become more engaged with this amazing game!
