News

Star Wars: The Old Republic adds full free-to-play option
Posted: 01.08.2012 04:53 by JonahFalcon Comments: 32
After constant rumors and speculation, BioWare has announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be adding a full free-to-play option this Fall that will allow players to go to the full level cap of 50.

However, the free-to-play option will limit class and race options, limit Flashpoints, PvP Warzones and Space Missions, and will prohibit the popular Operations. Free-to-play players won't have access to all travel modes, either, and will have "extremely limited access" to the Auction Houses.

For a full list of what options free-to-play gamers have and don't have access to, BioWare posted the following chart:

Source: GameSpot

Comments

By nocutius (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
nocutius
Who would have though that this game would go f2p faster than STO.
Beta accounts were going for 500$ and now it comes to this in just half a year (this decision was not made in a day).

Can someone that has played the game explain how limited the free mode seems to them for someone that would be interested in the story mode only? Will the travel limitations be painful?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
SirRoderick
Travel implies either fast travel or speeders, both of which would be extremely painful to miss (I can only imagine the horror of WALKING across Hoth :/ ). Story only isn't so bad if you're not looking for co-op or PvP, but missing out a number of space missions and flashpoints may hinder progress. Well, it will, I'm just not sure how much.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
SiyaenSokol
Well... this does give people a chance to test this game and see what it is like. I love Star Wars, but I am not a major fan of MMORPG'.

I would test the free version, maybe I would like it. And if I do, then I will subscribe for the premium account.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
FoolWolf
Well, I guess my first instinct to stay away from this game seems to have been a good choice for me. I'm not even feeling interested in trying it as it goes for f2p-
But that damned Guild Wars 2 is starting to look interesting...
By HenoKutus (SI Core) on Aug 01, 2012
HenoKutus
Bioware gives us a lot ,free dlc mass effect and now free try outs!
Thanx Bioware!
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
nocutius
You got me, I really cant tell if that's sarcasm or not :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 01, 2012
herodotus
There is much debate in the Forums and many a lifetime subscriber is venting their ill will toward both BioWare and EA. There are the usual predictions of mass un-subbings and general dissatisfaction with the game in general.
The limitations so far don't bother me, aside from Travel. I will want to know more what the "limited access" means for this, and Space Combat for that matter before I even bother going back to this.
Fundamentally though, the game has not changed since I last left it and with no continuing Story arc for my Lvl 50 I probably won't go back.

Might just look forward to "Star Wars 1313" instead:)
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Aug 01, 2012
JonahFalcon
Wanna bet people who have remained loyal and keep subscribing will get some special bonuses?
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 02, 2012
herodotus
Yes they get Cartel coins and a few other odds and ends but ultimatley it's what you are looking for from the game - a good, strong Solo experience in a populated world with the occasional dip into party missions, or straight-out PVP and Party missions. If the latter, then I'd stay subscribed.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 02, 2012
lichlord
well idc the story is full acces and lets be honest its the only true thing on this mmo....
By Chosen_One (SI Elite) on Aug 02, 2012
Chosen_One
ahh this is the day, from now on, I will never go back to SW:TOR now :)
By Gale47 (SI Core Veteran) on Aug 02, 2012
Gale47
I would have prefered they released KOTOR 3 or something Star-Warsy-singlplaysy-thingy... bah, I give up.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 02, 2012
lichlord
everyone does Gale and ironicly enough when i played that it felt absolutly SP but yeah i think this one dies allong side with battlefront 3...
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 02, 2012
herodotus
I'm afraid with no new SP content, I'd have to agree Lich. I won't go back even with it being F2P, unless I have some deep yearning to get a "SW" fix. There's really no point.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 02, 2012
lichlord
yeah im kinda a die hard being a bigtime star wars geek but i suppose in the end its going down oh well i think i saw a star wars galaxies private server keeping the game online i can still dl the game from another site so it might be worth checking out sinds i never got to play it...
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 03, 2012
herodotus
"Star Wars 1313" is on it's way, don't forget.

"Titled Star Wars: 1313, the internally developed third-person action adventure game will see players take on the role of a bounty hunter navigating a subterranean metropolis, Level 1313, beneath the surface of the planet Coruscant."

Why not a Jedi?

"It's not that I think that that's overdone," says Robillard. "But the criminal underworld of 1313 is a little more grounded and that has to live in the mechanics of the game. Having mechanics that are limited by human ability makes things more relatable, then we can put all the cool stuff you can do into the gadgets and weapons."

"You still get to do all of these amazing things because of the environment the game takes place in and because of the gear you have," he continues. "But at the core you still have these vulnerabilities that are a bit more relatable, so you won't have the demigod complex of a Jedi." If you fall in 1313, Robillard sums up, you know you're going to be in trouble."
- Kotaku
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
lichlord
nah just a demigod complex of a baddass bounty hunter XDDDDD
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
unsilviu
Nowadays I think the best SW game is still JK:JA, it's still got a multiplayer community and it's the only game that lets you feel like a Jedi.
By Chosen_One (SI Elite) on Aug 03, 2012
Chosen_One
Agreed with you unisilviu.. combat is amazing there, lightsaber can damage on touch no matter what touch was that!Ohhh good old days...
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
lichlord
i remember writing on the wall XD myself lol it kinda brings back memories tho the freedom of chosing a lightsaber makes the movies look so dull always one lightsaber one-handed think their was one with ep with duel wield but that it never a dualsided or anything of another style
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
unsilviu
Actually, Darth Maul had a two-sided lightsaber in Episode One. Yet I disagree with the movies being dull, the "traditional" lightsaber is used because it signifies the motif of the knight, the hero, in the mythos George Lucas used.
The original trilogy is actually a better story partly due to it following Campbell's traditional story motifs which resonate deeply within each of us: old teacher, damsel in distress, evil boss, good beneath the mask etc.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 03, 2012
herodotus
To think, all George Lucas wanted to do was make a Sci-Fi movie using elements of the old weekly B-Grade Westerns and many war films (the battle over Death Star was choreographed using WWII gun footage from Allied fighters). He was so sure the movie would be a flop that opening weekend he was at a secluded beach bungalow in Hawaii with his friend Steven Spielberg and their wives. He didn't even want to read a newspaper let alone watch any news reports. A friend finally rang Spielberg who relayed the news to Lucas that cues were forming around city blocks to the see the film.
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
unsilviu
Yeah, but he did have the foresight to put merchandising as his profits in the contract, which is the reason why the prequels had many annoying characters fit only for toys.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 03, 2012
herodotus
Well Lucas was more a businessman than a filmmaker. He actually loathes making movies, and explains why after "SW" it was so long before he directed another one "Episode One". An oddbod curio he got into making movies, found he hated it, tried writing, was terrible at it, so settled for just cashing in on royalties and film tie-ins.
I'm afraid for me "SW" in the pure form of the orignal died with "The Empire Strikes Back" and the Muppets arrived on the scene. That shocked many of us sitting in the peanut gallery of the cinema - what next, Ernie?. Also you should have heard the agonised groans when Vader stated he was Luke's father - not a popular moment at all at the time of release. With the sequel roundly disliked by the general cinema public at the time ("Where's the big space battle?") it took some time for the Lore of "SW" to kick in and grow.
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Aug 03, 2012
unsilviu
Wow. To think TESB is now accepted as being in the top 10 films of all time. Makes you think what POV does.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 03, 2012
herodotus
Yes, I'm afraid for me and all of my mates it was a big let down after the original. With no space battles and a focus more on characterisations (which we really didn't want) most turned to "Battlestar Galactica" (the Pilot released as a Motion Picture) and "Logan's Run".
By the time "RotJ" came around we were hankering for a 'real' "SW" movie again, and the promo posters showing an incomplete Death Star (which we all thought was actually the remains of the original one) gave us hope. Still, the constant interruption of the space battle at the end to show Luke's fight with Vader annoyed the hell out of us at the time.
"Get back to the action", everyone yelled.

How time changes the perspective, as you suggested Uns.
By Makrodomination (SI Newbie) on Aug 04, 2012
Makrodomination
Heh. Perhaps this will convince to give it a try and I'm not even the MMO type.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 04, 2012
lichlord
now you mention forgot about darth maul still only 1 episode tho /P

the era where the movies were made in also was one of the less appealling ones when i readed the books the old republic era and legacy era afterwards were much more interesting

if they made a series of movies about Admiral thrawns campaign with the empire of the hand for example well wed be seeing loads of space battle actions :P

and for those who have no sh*t idea what the empire of the hand is see following link :P

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Empire_of_the_Hand
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 04, 2012
herodotus
Well Lucas originally stated, prior to the release of "Ep.IV" and during the run-up to "Ep.V", that there would be 9 films in total - the three originals, three pre- and three post-.
As far as I'm concerned the series is incompomplete so Thrawn's Revenge (which you can play in a modded "SW: Empire at War") is still to be made. As is the entire story line of the "X-Wing" novels that sit happily on my bookshelf beside the "Dune" prequels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Aug 04, 2012
unsilviu
IMO the legacy era is terrible, it's the same jedi vs sith, rebels vs empire as ever. Thrawn is the character I'd like to see more of. If i remember correctly, it was revealed in later Zahn novels that his reason for domination was that he knew of the Vong invasion. Which would make him a real hero...
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 04, 2012
lichlord
"jedi vs sith" so it has been for the entire timeline of star wars and its rebels vs empire yes as it was empire vs republic before that its the same good and evil fight troughout the eras tbh its the way it happens that makes it better...
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 04, 2012
lichlord
besides you forget the Galactic alliance and the Hapes Consortium which also have their roles in the legacy era...