Since there aren't too many Star Wars RPGs available these days, the best contender in that genre is Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR), which is an MMORPG. That's not a bad thing. In fact, despite the MMORPG status, SWTOR puts many other current RPGs to shame with its production value.
However, it's still an MMORPG at its core, meaning it has certain mechanics and intricacies that can put newbies off, especially those new to the genre. Those who come from other MMOs will find plenty of stuff familiar in this theme-park MMORPG. Still, it's a good idea to know what to expect coming in blind to SWTOR. After all, you're no Jedi, and the Force can't prepare you enough for this one.
Updated August 10, 2022 by Patrick Armstrong: Ever since Luke Skywalker first looked out at Tatooine’s two suns, Star Wars fans have wanted to set foot in the Star Wars universe. Fortunately, a flood of games has provided the opportunity to do so. Whether one is looking for solo roleplaying, an FPS experience, or even puzzles, there has been a Star Wars game to meet that need. MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic gives fans the chance to dive into this space opera alongside friends, picking up a blaster or lightsaber and making their way through this thrilling universe. Given the size and complexity of the game, there are inevitably some things that new players will want to know before diving in.
14 Players Aren’t Locked Into An Alignment
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Star Wars is known for its iconic battle between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. While some characters throughout the franchise have been hardline members of their respective side, never deviating from the path before them, others like Anakin have had changes of heart.
SWTOR requires the player to choose which side they wish to join at the beginning of the game, but it also tracks the player’s choices as they progress. This way, even players sharing a journey to become the strongest Sith Lord will be distinct from one another. Because of this mixed morality system, Sith players can still have moments of goodness and Galactic Republic loyalists can walk the path of darkness. Ultimately, player choice is what matters.
13 The Main Story Is Crucial
MMORPGs are all over the place when it comes to the importance of the main story. In some, the main story is an absolute must-play, because not following the main path (at least at first) locks the player out of critical mechanics and experiences. In others, the main story doesn’t matter even as a tutorial, and it’s safe to jump into the rest of the game right away.
SWTOR isn’t as punishing as some games when it comes to ignoring the main story, but it’s definitely advisable to play through the class’s origin stories before moving on to other content. While there’s little to stop a player from simply diving in, origin stories help the player get a feel for the game, build their character, and experience the story all at once.
12 The Game Is Better With Friends
The second M in MMORPG is for multiplayer, so it’s no surprise that the game’s galaxy is populated with plenty of other players. Some are there for PvP, others to take on every alien menace in the galaxy in PvE, and still others for a roleplaying or social experience. Whatever one’s reasons, there’s quality content to engage with.
The Old Republic can be played solo, moving through the game as an anonymous face in the crowd, traveling from one mission to the next and mostly ignoring other players. Played with friends, however, it’s a much richer experience, opening up whole new avenues of entertainment and strategy. Finding like-minded players is a huge help for getting the most out of the game, especially given its wealth of lore.
11 Some Races Are Faction-Restricted
One only has to watch A New Hope’s cantina scene once to know that Star Wars is overflowing with strange and interesting alien races. That’s an RPG fan’s delight, since it means there’s no shortage of playable choices when it comes time to make a character.
While there are plenty of races to choose from in SWTOR, the choice isn’t entirely free, as certain races can only belong to certain factions. Miraluka and Mirialan can only be members of the Galactic Republic; meanwhile Sith Purebloods, Chiss, and Rattaki can only be members of the Sith Empire. One’s choice of class is certainly more important when it comes to gameplay, but those determined to play their favorite species should be aware of this restriction going in.
10 It's Set 4,000 Years Before The Movies
Don't expect to see any of the popular staples in the Star Wars mythos here. Though SWTOR is a story-heavy game, it unshackles itself from the restraints of the Star Wars film canon by setting itself nearly 3,600 years earlier, essentially a clean slate for a story.
To be more precise, SWTOR's story takes place around 300 years after Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic 2. It's not necessary to have played those two Bioware RPGs first in order to understand SWTOR; the game does a decent job of filling in players.
9 Pick A PvE Server
Before starting the game, players are tasked to pick a server for their characters. Characters are server-locked and there is no way for people to interact with other players' characters on another server, so choose wisely. In order to do server transfers, players will need to pay real-life money.
For picking newbie-friendly servers, do pick PvE ones. PvP servers are not too friendly as players can't turn off the faction-specific PvP killing in those kinds of servers. Meanwhile, RP or roleplaying servers are for people heavily into Star Wars lore, and specific social rules are present and expected in that area.
8 Don't Subscribe Until Level 50-60
The fee costs $15/month or 30 days and in a lot of cases, some free-to-play players bite the bullet to see what they've been missing as soon as they play and check the restrictions later.
To save more though, some recommend playing the quests and storyline along with the two free expansions first. This will shoot the player's levels to 50 or 60 which is the perfect time to consider a subscription for those who want to play long-term, as the content for free players will have run out.
7 Free-To-Play Is More Like A Trial
Free players can try out PvP, but even that is too limited without a subscription, with some restrictions allowing for only five PvP matches per week. Another restriction would be the number of credits free players can carry which can affect their gameplay efficiency.
Really, at that point in the game, playing without a subscription is boring as the game bars free players from going past level 60. Expansions are also only available to fully subscribed players. Simply put, there is no endgame access for those who aren't subscribed.
6 Don't Forget To Mention You're New
The game is generally friendly to newbies as long as they are communicative of their lack of experience. Joining a PvP mode only to lose, then announce that one is new after the fiasco, is frustrating for the experienced players.
Many players are usually willing to help the newcomers especially those sticking around waiting for new content. Much like most MMORPGs, don't expect much from the general chat window; it's full of trolls or bored players. It's better to join a guild and ask for help or advice there.
5 The Game Follows The RPG Trinity
Despite being a Star Wars game, Force-users are not the be-all, end-all in this MMORPG. Even Jedi and Sith need to fall in place and rely on other in-game classes that aren't Force-sensitive to survive and succeed at group content.
SWTOR adopts the age-old RPG trinity of tank, healer/support, and DPS. Such is the case with Operations and even in PvP for SWTOR. Knowing what one's class is capable of is key to fitting into a group's role. Some content is simply too hard to solo.
4 Tanks Are Usually The Party Leaders
In SWTOR, tanks are typically the leaders of the group since the party tends to react to their actions. In other games, the DPS sort of calls the shots, but often, SWTOR tanks do most of the heavy-lifting. This means they make good default group leaders.
That isn't to say other classes can't be leaders as well. Healers and DPS players who are experienced can step up too. DPS players are somewhat disposable and easy to replace, especially in flashpoint because there are too many of them and healers are too fragile for the frontlines. Hence, both classes need to be more careful with the leadership role.
3 PvP Is Mostly For Subscribers
As stated earlier, there are too many restrictions for free players when it comes to PvP. If players want to participate in Ranked PvP, they need to subscribe. For regular PvP, they're only allowed five matches per week.
Additionally, doing regular PvP while unsubscribed bars players from earning new gear if they're max-level. They'll have to make do with the gear they acquired prior. In summation, players who are interested or are serious with PvP need to subscribe.
2 Don't Craft Mods Until Max Level
Crafting can be a little tricky in SWTOR, as it takes too much time and too many resources especially if players are still leveling up. Such activity can even lead to burnout, which no newcomer wants to feel.
Instead, save all the crafting materials and reserve them for max-level or even high-level, around level 70-75. Additionally, players will be able to choose what their goals are in the MMORPG's late-game environment much easier if they know what they want to do with their materials.
1 Conserve Cartel Coins
Cartel Coins are the premium currency in SWTOR. They can be used to purchase items in the game's microtransactions shop, mostly cosmetic ones. Free players can also acquire them, mostly through leveling their characters.
There's also a monthly supply of them. Still, players might want to hold off on spending them recklessly as the developers tend to release new skins and cosmetic items from time to time. Maybe even don't spend them on a first character, as that one might not be the player's main choice later on.