Force Sensitive Archive

Okay, I guess I'm going to put my two cents in here. I've been reading the posts for a while now and decided to throw in my opinion.

Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here, butI have been in the game since July/August of 2003. I work full time and go to school for my Masters. I'm single, so I don't have that distraction, but I am certainly well qualified as a "casual gamer." During the semester, I get 4-6 hours a week, all on the weekend. During the breaks, I can get 15-20 hours a week if work's not too hectic. My only other experience with MMORPG's has been Everquest and Ultima Online. My beef with UO was that as a beginning player (and casual at that) I got slaughtered by other players as soon as I left the protection of the city guard. My beef with EQ was that the graphics sucked and I really didn't"feel" the content.

When I bought SWG, I assumed that as a casual gamer I would never stand a chance at getting Jedi. I have always prescribed to the school of thought that says the greatest powers and abilities should be reserved for those that can put the most time and effort into it. UO was like that, but the greatest powers and abilities were frequently used against those without them. SWG, via the GCW system, allows me to enjoy playing without fear of being gunned down the moment I leave Theed or Coronet. Also, being a Star Wars fan from 1977 on, I love the idea of escaping to a world that has, to one degree or another, been an influence in my cultural life for more than 25 years. The whole idea of being able to walk into Jabba's Palace or kneel before The Emperor provides me a type of entertainment I simply can't get anywhere else.

But the real issue seems to be Jedi, or more appropriately becoming a Jedi. I did one profession in the hologrind -- Dancer. After that, I did a few months overseas for work and came back just after the Village was introduced. I love the idea of the Village for one major reason: I KNOW I can get Jedi. I can get it at my own pace and still enjoy the content of the game. I have two accounts, one an MBH/MP and the other a TKM/MSwords, so that I can enjoy a wide spectrum of the game's rich combat environment. My 2nd chars will likely be ancillary, but no less important, professions like crafters or entertainers. Some weeks I spend all my time grinding, other weeks I run theme parks, and still others I go exploring for badges and the beautiful scenery in the game. It just depends on my mood when I log in.

Do I like that they changed the conversion rates? Of course not. But I understand why they did it. After the CU, the XP was dispropotionately high compared to the pre-CU days. I remember slaughtering whole prides of huurtons and quenkers (Is a group of quenkers a pride? A gaggle, maybe? I digress...) for 3K a piece. For me, Doctor was out of the question entirely. There was no way as a casual gamer I was going to spend the few hours a week I got sitting in the Med Center in the hopes that some poor beat-up bloke would come in for healing.

I guess what I'm saying is, I'm okay with the changes. I always have a choice. I can not pay SOE and go do something else if I don't like the game. Paying $15 per month (x 2) does not immediately entitle me to my own custom-generated game. It should give me a voice in the ebb and flow of the game, but not impirical control of it, but I think it all goes back to point of view and expectations. Because I bought the game never expecting to be able to get Jedi, I'm probably a bit more tolerant of a system that will allow it, albeit slowly. Others who bought the game fully expecting to be Jedi by week's end, whether justified or not, probably are less tolerant. I don't think they're any less entitled to their opinions, nor do I necessarily think they're "wrong." We just approached the process from a different perspective.