I had fun creating this little quiz. Please take it and let me know your results!
Which SWTOR Class are You? (Redirects to gotoquiz.com)
5 Tips for Forming a Guild
July 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Now that SWTOR is available for pre-order and the reality of a launch date appears to be on the horizon, perhaps now you have the necessary motivation to create your guild. Here are five tips to keep in mind when forming your guild in order to make it more successful and keep its members happy:
Define Your Identity
It should go without saying, but you have to know who you are and what you are about. This may be quite easy when its just you and a bunch of your friends starting the guild. But what happens when you let “outsiders” in? If you don’t have a clear identity, the guild may take on one of its own. This “melting pot” effect may or may not be the outcome the original members had in mind when the guild was founded.
Some questions to consider in shaping you identity:
- What type of guild are you? Roleplay? PvE? PvP? A bit of everything?
- What faction do you side with?
- Does your guild focus on a certain activity such as crafting or raiding?
Form Your Groundrules/Constitution
The more successful guilds that I’ve been a part of are well organized and have a specific set of rules that all members must adhere to, or risk being booted from the guild. By having these set of rules, everyone knows exactly what is allowed and what isn’t. That way, no one can make any excuses when they do something that is frowned upon by other members.
Some items to consider in the rules for your guild:
- What are your requirements for membership? Can anyone join your guild or only friends?
- What is your maximum membership?
- What is your structure? Is there one main leader? Larger guilds may have a main leader and several officers. These officers may be in charge of certain duties like crafting or the treasury. Some guilds have leaders for each class. Some guilds are ruled by ruthless dictators. Others are more democratic.
- Is there a minimum/maximum age to join your guild?
- Is there a minimum character level?
- Is there a time zone requirement? Guild members operating 3 hours ahead or behind you can make things like guild meetings and raiding difficult.
- Who can recruit in your guild? How many people can each person recruit at the same time?
- Will you have a schedule of events? (Role play on Monday, Dungeon 1 on Tuesday, PvP on Friday, etc.)
- What are your requirements for how active your guild’s members are? What is your policy about inactive members?
- What is your policy for removing a member from the guild?
Choose Your Members Carefully
The identity of the guild is the sum of its members. Ideally, you want to have quality members who will contribute positively in some way towards the advancement and general well-being of the guild. However, people are people and they come with a dazzling assortment of personality options.
If you know someone who is a little quick tempered or has a tendency to “go down the dark side” once in a while, you may want to think twice before letting them into the guild. Most guilds have drama. You don’t want to add any more than necessary. The guild mates you want to keep will thank you for it.
Offer Your Guild Mates Perks
No, not Lee Press On Nails (link included for the younger generation) but little extras that may give them a better sense of community and support. Some items to consider:
- A guild website
- A private in game chat server like Ventrilo
- Access to in game crafting resources, weapons, armor, etc.
Embrace Change
Like real life families, priorities and needs change as its members do. Revisit your guild’s rules and identity once in a while. If you are in a position of leadership, encourage feedback from your subjects other members. Create a culture within your guild that makes you approachable and genuinely interested in what other have to say.
If you aren’t a leader in your guild, don’t be hesitant to offer suggestions. Don’t bombard the leadership with every little thing you don’t like or think could be done differently. If you have that many items, perhaps you should start a guild of your own. Pick your top two items and work with the established leadership.
Guilds are a great way to meet new people and participate in cooperate gameplay in any MMO. With the right structure, they can be a powerful force both in the SWTOR universe and the real one as well.
The Foundation for Micro-transactions?
July 29, 2011 by 1 Comment
I ran across this link at SWTOR-Life that talks about an exclusive in game store available on to those who purchased the Collector’s Edition.
According to this post in the official forums, it sounds like all items are going to be purely cosmetic (a different style of the same item that can be found in-game). I’m not a fan of paying real life money for cosmetic outfits. I understand that a lot of people do and that there is a niche market for it that EA is attempting to capitalize on. Good for them. I’m a capitalist as well (and now a word from our sponsor….)
If EA has already built the foundation for an in-game store, what is the likely hood that the store can be expanded to accommodate other types of micro-transactions? Right now, the store is being branded as a “perk” for their premium CE consumer base. If that store is successful, or if the monthly subscriber rates begin to fall, I can see EA adding other in game items to the store and taking away its exclusivity.
I don’t think TOR would ever go free to play, but if EA gets desperate enough, the game could go “pay to win.” It appears the framework is there, EA just needs to decide what they want to do with it.
TOR Will Be the Ultimate Immersive Experience
July 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
If you’ve read a little about me, you would know that I have been playing video games practically my entire life. In fact, it’s my favorite past-time. The hours that I’ve spent in front of a mouse and keyboard must have easily eclipsed five figures by now.
But why? Why do video games appeal to so many people, especially men and boys? I’ve thought about this question a lot over the years and for me the answer is, “it allows me to be someone cool and do some really awesome things.”
Video games are the ultimate role playing exercise. Why? Because it is interactive. When you watch TV or read a book, you are investing your emotional self into the story that someone has already written. You are just slowly unraveling it, waiting to see how it turn out.
With video games, you are in control of what happens in whatever universe you are placed in. Rescue the princess from the castle? It’s up to you. Your party failed the dungeon because you don’t know how to tank properly? That’s on you. Need better armor? Go get it.
If given a choice, most kids today wouldn’t run around the house in their Star Wars Underoos having light saber battles with their sibling. They would rather live out those adventures on their gaming console of choice. Why? Because the graphics, sounds, and gameplay make for a more immersive experience.
What is immersion? It is simply a measure of how quickly real time passes as you are engaged in an activity that you enjoy doing. Some psychologists call this “flow.” I’m sure that you have heard the old adage, “Time flies when you’re having fun?” That in a nutshell is immersion. You are so immersed or involved in something you lose track of other things such as time, people, or other responsibilities.
TOR is sure to rank highly as one of the most immersive video games ever created. Both KOTOR games were highly immersive with their detailed story-lines and side quests. Now that you add elements of an MMO to it, the immersion factor is sure to be quite large.
Quite a few gamers will be burning the midnight oil playing TOR, especially those of us with jobs and families. While you are immersed in the TOR universe, don’t neglect your other duties or people in your life. A sith warrior has no furry like a wife scorned.
Should Kids Play TOR?
July 27, 2011 by 1 Comment
As of this moment, it appears that the official ESRB rating for TOR has not been released. However, many people speculate it will carry a rating of T for teen. Amazon also has a rating of Teen on the Collector’s Edition, but a “pending” rating on the regular edition.
My two boys love Star Wars. Along with all of the movies, we have a seemingly unlimited supply of Lego Star Wars sets, plastic lightsabers, and Rebel/Sith apparel. The only Star Wars video games that they have played are Lego Star Wars, which they would do all day if my wife and I would let them.
My oldest is still under ten, but if he sees me playing a Star Wars video game, he is going to be immediately interested. I don’t think he is ready for the complexities of an MMO, but I’m wondering if this potentially T rated game would be OK for him to watch and maybe create his own character to play around with once in a while?
I don’t think that TOR will be any more violent that KOTOR was. There are sure to be plenty of battles, but the violence will be animated. I doubt there will be much blood, but George Lucas does seem to have a thing for whacking off body parts. Perhaps some of that will be included in the game.
Maybe to introduce him to the role playing genre, I will let my son play KOTOR in a couple of years. Who knows, maybe in a few years after that if TOR is still going strong we will both play in-game together. Then we will truly have a chance to, “Rule the universe as FATHER and SON!” Sorry…..I had to throw that in there. Can you take the “L” sign down from your forehead now, please? Thank you.
TOR as a Solo MMO is a Great Idea
July 26, 2011 by 1 Comment
I’m 30, 28, 35, 30ish. I have a wife, three kids under the age of ten, a 40+ hour a week job, and a honey-do (or you’re sleeping on the couch) list longer than Jar-Jar’s tongue.
One of the big questions still surrounded TOR is just how “massively” and “multiplayer” is this game going to be. Much has already been said about NPC companions and how their inclusion in the game indicates that much of the game will be spent playing solo, without much grouping with other real players.
While the balance of solo vs. group play has yet to be determined, having a game geared toward the solo player is not a terrible idea. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average gamer is 37 years old. I would wager that the average 37 year old, on average, is dealing with an average amount of real life (RL) issues that I am….on average.
My gaming sessions frequently last about an hour, in the early morning before the wife and kids are up. In my current MMO, Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO), an hour gives me an opportunity to knock out a few quests, craft a few items, check my in game mail and search the auction house.
LOTRO has many instanced dungeons designed for small to large groups of players. The action is fierce and the rewards are compelling, but the downside is that these dungeons can take an hour or more to complete. More time is added on to this process when you factor in finding and assembling a group of people willing and ready to participate in your RAID of choice. You can argue that is what your guild mates are for, but few are online at 5:00 AM.
If the majority the content in TOR ends up being solo, this could appeal to a large player base. Flashpoints have shown us that EA does plan to incorporate dungeons that require group play, but I don’t think they will be a requirement for advancement of your character. Some of my most frustrating moments in MMOs is reaching a point where I need to complete a group quest in order to advance to the next series of quests. More often than not, I simply don’t have the time.
If this prediction comes true, EA has adopted a brilliant strategy: a MMO based primarily on solo content but includes optional multi-player content that gives rewards worth the time investment. It is one aspect of a MMO that appeals to me, and I would wager that I’m not alone.
Where is the Best Place to Pre-Order SWTOR?
July 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I used EA’s new Origin digital distribution service to secure my pre-order. I admit that I was hesitant at first, but I ultimately chose Origin for the following reasons:
- Fear- The demand for this game is so high, I feared that brick and mortar retailers would run out of boxed copies of the game. I thought that a digital distribution would have a better chance of not running out.
- A Guarantee- I wanted guaranteed early access to the game. How is Amazon handling pre-orders? Are they shipping early? I didn’t want to take that chance. A digital download would guarantee that I could start downloading and getting all the client files as soon as possible.
- Hope- I’m hoping that EA will throw a bone to those who opt for using Origin as their delivery platform of choice for SWTOR. How about adding those Origin customers to the short list of closed beta testers? Consumers have a lot of choice as to the venue for the gaming purchases. Hopefully, EA will give the consumers that choose their platform something that says “Thank you.”
First Post
July 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Hello world! Welcome to bloggingtor.com and the obligatory First Post! Please take a look around and check out the About page to see what this blog is all about.
http://torsyndicate.com/