I know there are at least a few Stonewaller still on the fence as to if, and when, they will pick up SW:TOR. I figured the opinions of their fellow Stonewallers might help them make a more informed decision.
Besides, I thought it would be an excuse to bloviate about the good, the bad, and the ugly. :-)
The Best:
The biggest for me is that the traditional urge of "grinding" missions or mobs to get one more level seems to be completely absent (at least for me and my husband). Like BioWare's other games, the story keeps us engaged and interested and wanting to play to find out the next plot point(s). The actual level progression feels like it is a secondary matter only dealt with between mission arcs.
This to me is BioWare's greatest achievement with TOR and is really one of the few stand out features compared to other MMOs. That said, it's a very important one. We arrived on the second planet (deemed for levels 16-20) as level 18, and left to prepare for the next planet (levels 20-25) as level 25 never feeling like we should stop what we were doing to move onto "level appropriate" content.
The fact that the game is fully voiced, allows you to make decisions about how you respond, and includes a "social" system whereby these conversations can be participated in by the entire group (well, all except for the class-specific conversations, but those are at least observable).
Except for the conversations that happen within an instanced zone, you don't even need to be in the same area when the conversation is initiated. You have the option to join the conversation as a holo-call, where you (and your companion if you have one) will appear in the conversation as a hologram.
You've got so many skills at your disposal within the first 15 levels of the game that you *almost* dread gaining another new ability. We've found ourselves picking and choosing what we want to add or level up based on how we play (e.g. I skipped a "clear debuff" skill for now to focus on healing and damage letting my companion handle this portion, and MikeyNY skipped the Shadow's Stealth based abilities in order to focus on the tanking abilities).
Other Pros:
+The ability to craft while you adventure is great thinking. When you have enough crew, the ability to craft, and gather, while still adventuring with a companion is brilliant.
+Companions: Every class gets access to 5 companions that fill specific roles: Melee DPS, Ranged DPS, Healer, Melee Tank, Ranged Tank. This allows you to build your character and play exactly how you want, and have your primary 'weakness' filled by your companion if you don't have a group. Want to be a Healer, bring along a DPS. Prefer ranged DPS? Bring along your melee tank to keep the enemies away from you.
+Story Variety: Every class has a unique story arc. They range from the straight-forward and predictable (Inquisitor); to one with a bit of a twist that you see coming (Trooper); to one that, JUST as you get into what feels like a normal "get quest, complete quest, return to quest giver" routine, it is turned completely on it's ear (Bounty Hunter), to one that is all about nuance and intrigue (Agent). The Inquisitor was my introduction to TOR and left me disappointed because it was so predictable. Probably the worst... introduction... ever. I am really engaged in the Trooper storyline, can't wait to get my Agent going, and was truly, and pleasantly, surprised with the Bounty Hunter.
The Worst:
There are a few 'features' unique to the MMO genre that rear it's ugly head in this game for what appears to be no other reason than just because other MMOs do it.
Arguably the most annoying are the Boss fights for the Bonus missions. Unlike nearly every other spawn/mob/glowie, these bosses are on a ridiculously (and needlessly) long respawn timer. One ninja attack from a griefer and you'll find yourself waiting upwards of 10-15 minutes to finally get in a kill. I don't see any reason to have the ridiculously long spawn timer. I'm really hoping they deal with this soon.
The other 2 major annoyances go hand in hand: Why, in a universe where jumping across the galaxy only takes seconds, and holo-comms allow you participate in conversations when you are across the planet, or across the galaxy, do you have to keep running back and forth from mission areas to mission hubs to advance quests?! In some cases the missions grow organically, letting you to continue to move forward without backtracking. But more often than not, when you've killed your Xth Enemy, why can't you report your accomplishment with a simple holo-call. No, you've got to run your little backside all the way back to turn in the quest.
The fact that they already use the Mail system for NPCs to communicate with (and reward) you based on your actions means that there was enough forethought into using this system to delivery quest rewards, but not enough to think that this could be used for a good 75% or more of the quests.
And if every one of the class masters finds a way to requisition you an entire STARSHIP, why can't they be bothered to issue you a LAND VEHICLE. The amount of running back and forth during the first 25 levels is absolutely absurd. The fact that you are doing it on foot makes absolutely no sense for any other reason than the old MMO "you need to earn your mount" trope. Even orphan Skywalker had himself a land speeder.
Other Cons:
-After having been spoiled by Cryptic's character generators (CoX, CO, STO) TORs character creator feels like a major step backwards. It's beefier than WoWs, but not by too much. That said, I've been able to generate a few hotties for my characters, so I'm not completely turned off by it.
-Naming: Again having been spoiled by the robust character naming systems in CoX, CO, and STO, I was absolutely flabbergasted when I was unable to name my character Dakon Kor. TOR does not allow spaces in the character name. This is a real disappointment for me as I take great care in my character names and appearances. To make up for this, they allow you to generate a "Legacy" name when you hit a certain point in one of your character's development. In essence you have to earn your last name.
Would Han Solo, or Luke Skywalker or Leia Organa or Obi-Wan Kenobi be nearly as memorable if we saw them in the first two movies as "Han" only for him to earn the Legacy name of "Solo" for his actions on Endor?! Even more frustrating is that once you choose a Legacy name, it applies to ALL character on the server. So my Republic hero may earn the Starshield name for his Legacy, but my Imperial Agent, if he is to have any name, will have to bear the same.
If any of you have played Everquest, you will probably remember you got to earn your "surname" at level 15. If you played Ultima Online prior to that, then you have an idea what a jolt this can be. Having the freedom to craft a proper name, only to be forced into a strict naming convention and "earning" a surname. It feels like such an archaic system.
The Ugly:
-Character customization: Dressing and gearing up is right out of the WoW/EQ model. I can't tell you how annoying it is to be running around as an Elite member of the Republic Military wearing white and blue boots, green and black greaves, a Jedi Knight's robe, and white and red gloves. I look more like I walked out of a picked-over Goodwill rather than a member of the most decorated squad in the Republic. I have been so spoiled by Cryptic's games in my ability to truly customize the look of my character, that this is a major personal annoyance.
Sony did a brilliant job of marrying the item/gear collection of WoW/EQ with the character customization of modern Cryptic games in DCUO. Each piece of gear you earn unlocks an art asset and gives you the freedom to display that, or any other asset you've unlocked and color it as you see fit, so that you can create a look for your character and maintain it (or evolve it as you get matching pieces). You maintain the stats of the piece of gear you are wearing, even if the art asset is something you unlocked earlier.
So that's a brief run down of both the best and worst points, in my opinion, of the game.
Overall the strength of BioWare's story telling overshadows all of the other problems of the game. Probably specifically because the positive aspects of the game are so good, do the drawbacks annoy me so much. If BioWare had taken some of the modern MMO conventions into account (specifically regarding character customization, and the lack of speedy ground transport for more than half of the game), TOR would be an absolute slam-dunk. Instead I'm left saying, "It's good... but..."
