MANILA, Philippines – In Star Wars lore, Obi-Wan Kenobi once remarked that the Mos Eisley Cantina was a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.” 

Is Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) a hive of scum and villainy? That nickname for the game will likely depend on when you started playing. If you’re new to SWTOR, however, you might find yourself in for a treat..

As the only massively multiplayer online roleplaying game with the Star Wars monicker at present, SWTOR bears a certain distinction in the gaming world because of the unique intellectual property involved.

While it is fun for and has an active gaming base, the debate still rages on whether it’s a game worth exploring. That said, if you love Star Wars and are willing to spend some money while playing in support for the game, this might the be the “galaxy far, far away” you’ve been searching for to escape.

The star wars before Star Wars

Three thousand years before Darth Vader walked on Tattooine as young Anakin Skywalker, Jedi and Sith were already fighting for the future of the galaxy. As such the Republic of this time – the “Old Republic” of the title – is a completely different sort of Republic from the one most know from the Star Wars movies or the Clone Wars animated show.

Simply put, if the Sith Empire is comprised of complex set of “bad guys,” the Republic is made of the good folks standing to fight the sith.

It is in this time period that you are thrust as a member of the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire as a player of Star Wars: The Old Republic, with 4 character classes represented on either side.

Choosing your role

On the Republic side, you have two Jedi-type classes, the Jedi Knight and Consular, as well as a two gun-slinging classes with different strengths, namely the Trooper and the Smuggler.

On the Imperial side, you have two sith classes with similar roles as the Jedi, called the Sith Warrior and Inquisitor, and the Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent,

The four classes on each side are analogous to one class on the opposing faction, but each class does have its own story, meaning there are 8 distinct stories spanning the galaxy in SWTOR, with plenty of sidequests along the way to provide experience for your characters to level up.

Choosing your morals and your friends

One aspect of the game that is interesting to note is that despite your allegiance to the Empire or the Republic, you can also choose the kind of morals you have through dialogue choices.

Many quests and actions in the game lead you to choose how you will react to a given situation, meaning that you can just as easily become a mean-spirited or evil jedi as a morally upright or virtuous Imperial Agent.

The one caveat with this is that there are rare times when the choices aren’t easily determined as being good or evil, so what you think may be the morally good choice in your head may end up leading you astray in the game.

Aside from the morality system, your character also receives a set of story-specific companions during your travels. Not only do you get to choose them as battle partners, but you also can try to woo certain characters or befriend them to make them more effective in battle. This includes following a moral code that fits the character’s pattern of thought, as well as showering them with gifts when you can.

Living legacy

Aside from the morality system, the game also allows your to connect your characters as part of a legacy, with levels acquired or achievements earned on characters allowing players to invest points into enhancing the overall effectiveness of all the characters they play as part of their legacy.

For example, if I have a given legacy level and 5 characters, I can customize my legacy system to allow all those characters to get more experience for defeating enemies, or make it such that one is more effective in battle while another earns has his companions return from selling items at a faster speed.

Users can purchase these legacies upon reaching a certain level and legacy level for a number of in-game credits, or for the cash shop currency, called Cartel Coins, upon reaching the required level for a legacy enhancement.

The economics of relieving discomfort

As a free-to-play game, SWTOR uses a cash shop to sell cosmetic unlocks, gear, and loot crates – single-use items that give randomized benefits or items to their users for in-game play.

At the same time, the option is there to pay real money to relieve artificially created discomfort due to game mechanics, such as a lack of space to keep goods, fewer quickslot bars to place actions on during play, or the earlier mentioned ability to unlock a legacy with Cartel Coins.

One of the reasons why SWTOR is maligned by some is that it has that seemingly oppressive revenue generating system. At the same time, die-hard fans of Star Wars are willing to continue paying for the game’s continued flourishing, and it has come back to the player base in the form of new features getting added.

The value of the cash shop’s offerings  is subject to your perception of the game, as you don’t really need to pay to play the game.

If you supported the game when it was subscription based, however, you were left hamstrung by a number of limitations that could only be alleviated by shelling out more money, a forced paradigm shift that may not directly impact individuals, but that used to be an annoyance to early adopters.

The Force beckons

SWTOR has had time to develop into its own sort of space-faring adventure, with users able to pilot starships in battle, as part of the free Galactic Starfighter expansion and, as of August 19, the inclusion of in-game housing through the timed release of a Galactic Strongholds expansion to subscribers (and eventually free players).

The main storyline, comprising levels 1-50, is free-to-play for all the different character classes. A level 51-55 expansion,. Rise of the Hutt Cartel, is available if you subscribe for a month or purchase the expansion separately for US$19.99

Those of you looking for more information on what you get for paying for cartel coins or a subscription will want to check out this handy Reddit guide to the free-to-play system of SWTOR. 

The best way to get the most out of your money right now would ideally to start off as a free player, then pay for a one-month subscription and lock in your account with a digital security keycode (available on iOS for added security and a monthly 100 Cartel Coin stipend even after you stop paying for a subscription.

The subscription will support the game, and allow you to play unfettered to help you see if you want to continue subscribing, or just want to tack on the security key for the Cartel Coin stipend.

After a month, determine if you still want to keep playing and how much you think it’s worth, and if you think you’d rather use your money more judiciously, spending a little for some Cartel Coins to augment your purchases will also keep you going in the long-run. – Rappler.com

Previously on Gaming Freedom:

Gaming Freedom takes on RIFT
Gaming Freedom takes on The Lord of the Rings Online
Gaming Freedom takes on Hearthstone
Gaming Freedom takes on Warframe 
Gaming Freedom takes on Infinity Wars 
Gaming Freedom takes on Guild Wars 2