I just need one more battlemaster commendation! Wait, what day is it?
In an article posted today on MMORPG, Michael Bitton discusses PvP and PvE content in StarWars: The Old Republic. His main gripe is that TOR’s endgame is as grindy any other MMO out there. Here’s a snippet:
Disappointingly, progression via PvP is simply a frustrating experience. While the act of getting into a scrap with a couple of players can be quite fun, the content and progression as currently designed don’t really encourage this. You’ll simply have to bang your head against the wall and treat what is normally a competitive activity into a basic grind for gear. This isn’t exactly uncommon for MMOs, but when BioWare so expertly uses their story-centric PvE content to mask ‘the grind’ while leveling, you tend to become hyper aware of it if there isn’t enough content to go hand-in-hand with progression. The variance among experiences found in PvP should normally suffice as that ‘content,’ which is part of the draw of PvP for many, but the scope of what’s currently available simply doesn’t stack up, and is only made worse by the fact the existing systems need a good deal of fine-tuning.
While he is frustrated with PvP in SWTOR, Bitton talks about his growing enjoyment of PvE content at endgame:
I had been focusing exclusively on PvP since I hit the level cap and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much more fun it was to tackle endgame PvE content with friends. Heck, this weekend we almost completed the normal mode of Eternity Vault (our first guild run!). We wiped a number of times on the final boss as we learned his various stages, but alas, our pugger apparently lost his patience at the very last section of the final fight and quit after we wiped. Fortunately, I made out like a bandit during my first Op, acquiring four pieces of the Columi raid set.
What’s troubling then is the fact I’m more of a PvPer at heart. I do love completing PvE content, but I’ve never been a fan of the “raid to gear, gear to raid” paradigm found in most MMOs. Even so, I’m finding myself having more fun progressing along the PvE track with my friends and guildmates than I am in my attempts to progress in PvP. There is such a stark difference in the quality and design of the PvP progression vs. the PvE progression that it is frankly mindboggling.
Since I still don’t have a level 50 character, I can’t comment on TOR’s endgame, but those of you that have, leave us a comment below let us know if you agree with Bitton or not. Is TOR’s PvP endgame just the same old grind? Do you love, or hate endgame PvE content? Get the full read here.
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He is correct. Endgame PVP is a grind fest. We need rated Warzones or something like that to have a change of pace.
Needs DAOC style frontier substituting planets for realms. Anything else is just tacking on capture the flag mini-game and calling it MMORPG PvP.
From what I have read/heard, it does seem like the general consensus is that gearing for PVP endgame is a pain in the ass. I’m always up for a challenge, but an unnecessary grind is not something most people prefer.
I am, however, happy to hear that endgame PVE is something he enjoyed. I can only hope once I hit 50 (have two 30s atm), I’ll have the same experience.
[...] today, Marshall pointed you at a story from MMORPG.com where the endgame for Star Wars: The Old Republic was discussed. If you’d [...]
We need some player Bounties…… not just for bounty hunters. why not include world pvp missions.
This isn’t SWG for god’s sake. There is a website that tracks Bounties that are submitted by players.
I think that in game bounties would be a nice change of pace especially for the people that you find yourself loathing in warzones. I know most people would hate the idea of having a price on their own head but if your not into that just roll on a pve server since you probably arent really interested in world pvp anyway. I dont see what the big deal is and why people are ok with “battleground/warzone/whatever” pvp standards. Its a pretty stupid grind if you ask me and premades being limited to 4 is pretty harsh especially if you have more than 3 friends or guild mates. I have a level 50 jugg and I hate pvp tanking so I play rage and when I pug, I hate it. Its not even really about winning for most people its more about medals cause in the long run they feel they cant count on the other pugs and medals will get them more valor and commendations which is what you need for your gear grind. Arenas would likely help but a new look at pvp something that people havent really thought of before would likely be much more beneficial.
He’s pretty much spot-on about level 50 PvP.
I’s still fun on a match-by-match basis, but gathering commendations and gearing a PvP character is a very repetitive, very grindy process.
I rolled an opposite-faction alt instead of PvEing, but maybe I’ll give EV a chance after reading this…
I totally agree, DAOC PvP was by far the best, still is in my opinion. It made players group to capture objectives for your Realm, which in turn gave your realm a bonus of some sort, it was awesome
I’d love to see it too….
but unfortunately, there are too many loading screens, too many neutral and faction-only zones…
Unfortunately this is not SWG (kinda wish it was in terms of open-pvp & open game-world)…
It’d never work without a massive overhaul. People just able to sit in the fleet and ‘safe zones’
You see, in SWG you could go anywhere (except personal buildings, guild halls etc – if set to restricted access). This vastly encouraged world pvp. BH’s were unknown, faction was unknown if set to ‘covert’. It added a lot of depth to the game.
Sadly we won’t see the likes of that again in this MMO at least.
the above is a reply to “POW” but i got the ‘reCAPTCHA’ wrong
I’ve been running hardmode flashpoints since turning 50 about 4 weeks ago to get gear. I’d really like to know how they came up with the token/commendations exchange rate. I have about 600 tionese crystals sitting in my currency tab that I don’t know what do with, while I slow progress getting tionese commendations and the slower still columi commendations. Who came up with this exchange rate? Why can’t I turn in several crystals for 1 commendation. This system is completely obsurd and whoever designed it needs to either be fired or have a stern talking to.
The content of end game from what I have seen is like a rollercoaster. I’ve come across bosses that are so challenging I’m inclined to think they are bugged than the actual mechanic of the fight and then the next boss is a cake walk.
I have been waiting for this game since it was announced and was super hyped over playing it and leveling. I’ve enjoyed every other aspect of it (except pvp grind gear advantage cluster…) It’s says something when I’d rather level an alt than run that false emperor hard mode again and BH items drop again when there’s no BH in the group.
I’ve yet to see or hear a single MMO game that doesn’t involve ridiculous amounts of grinding known as the ‘end-game’. While TOR is hardly innocent in this respect, it’s hardly a criticism that can’t be raised against the whole genre.