10 Ways You Can Make SWTOR’s Launch Great

[KKND]

Largely the developers and publishers  make a launch what it is.  Whether it is the developers ability or  inability to fix game-breaking bugs and give the users enough servers to  reduce lag â€" or the publishers inability to get the game to the players (*cough*) -  usually the blame for a bad launch is laid solely at the feet of those  two parties.  So, while the way the players act or play once in-game  won’t necessarily turn a good launch into a bad launch, I think we as  players CAN turn a good launch into a great one.  So, I decided to  compose a brief list of ways that we can all work together to make the  launch of Star Wars:
 In no particular order…
 1. Don’t Talk About World of Warcraft

 
 This one shows up first because it is the most obvious.  Nobody needs  to know how like or unlike World of Warcraft the game is.  You’ve  already shelled out money at this point, there’s plenty of other things  we can all discuss in general chat than whether or not SWTOR is World of  Warcraft in space.  We can debate the age-old ideology behind the genre  all we want: SWTOR isn’t a WoW clone, WoW is an EQ clone â€" at the end  of the day it doesn’t matter.  The trolls are going to do their best to  bring it up on purpose, do your best to not be sucked in.  No real  knowledge or realizations are going to be gained from this no matter how  well-thought out your thoughts on the subject are conveyed.  This is a  brand new game that nobody has played before (save beta tests) â€" there  are so many things to discuss, explore, love and even hate about the  game.  None of which has anything to do with any other game, not even WoW.
 2. Be Helpful

 It’s easy to say you’re going to be helpful.  It’s not easy to keep  answering the question, “How do I pick an advanced class” 30 times  without blowing a gasket.  There are going to be a hundred people who  will answer, “FOLLOW THE QUEST!” â€" Be the 1 person who sends them a  whisper and walks them through it.   Copy and paste a response if you  have to… just make them feel as welcome in the game as you would.   Remember, this is going to be the first time some of these players have  ever played an MMORPG â€" let alone one that just launched.  If we want  SWTOR to stay around for a long time, then keeping those players playing  is going to be a key to that.  Do yourself a favor by doing others a  favor.
 3. Don’t Be a Jerk

 To follow up on #2, the obvious way to improve the quality of this  launch is to not be an ass.  To be plain, all of us have the potential  to be dark-side in real life.  It is especially easy to do when you have  the ambiguity of the internet between you and whoever you are  belittling.  But, that doesn’t do anyone any good other than you for the   brief moment that you feel powerful before you realize it’s just a  game and that person doesn’t care.  However, being a jerk isn’t limited  to what you say in chat.  It is also carried over into what you do as a  player playing the game.
 

• Don’t steal that kill… stop… no… don’t!
• Don’t take the objective that the guy just cleared an entire group of enemies to get to, no matter how packed the area is.
• Don’t roll on things you don’t need.

Those are just a few basic things you can avoid enacting to be  about 50 percent-less of a potential jerk.  You know all of that stuff  that makes you furious when other people do it to you?  Yeah, well that  is universal.  They don’t like it either.
 4. Join a Guild!

 It’s easy to say that you’re a lone-wolf in an MMORPG and go about  your business.  And no one is going to hold it against you (or at least  they shouldn’t) for preferring that play-style.  But, this is  an MMORPG â€" it’s the epitome of social gaming.  And there isn’t a  better way to participate in the social aspect of the genre than to join  a good guild that fits your needs and respects you for what you bring  to their group.  Don’t see a guild as an additional channel to ask for  groups in.  Don’t go in thinking that you are going to get a bunch of  free items, or guild runs through flashpoints.  Those are only bonuses  that a guild can offer.  â€" a good guild can make a bad game good and a good game amazing.   So if the guild you try out doesn’t make you feel like your play  experience is better for being part of it, don’t just give up on the  concept; find one that does!  You’ll be happier for it.  As for those of  you who are just trying out the genre for the first time… explore your  options.  Do some research on what guilds entail, what type of guilds  there are and then find one that focuses on the things you enjoy and is  filled with people you get along with easily.  You won’t regret it.
  5. Do What You Enjoy

 As much as this list is about treating others, you should also treat  yourself well.  It is easy to get sucked into a certain play-style.   Whether it is the peer pressure of wanting to play like your guild  mates or simply feeling like if you don’t play a certain way you are  going to be left behind or left out.  It shouldn’t matter.  It isn’t  always about who hits level cap first, who gets the best gear first and  so forth.  If that is what you want it to be about then that is great,  power level until your level 50 heart is content.  But, if you want to  focus on the story then focus on the story.  If you want to take extra  time every level to work on crew-skills then take those crafting breaks.   If you want to stand around in the cantina and dance for hours â€" if  that’s how you roll, then roll on my dancing friend.  You aren’t going  to be able to be as happy playing the game as you might otherwise if you  aren’t playing the game the way that you really want  to play.  Joining a guild that fits your yearnings is one way to assure  this is easily accomplished, but really it comes down to you being  honest with yourself and doing what makes you happy.  Even if its  dancing in a cantina.  If you aren’t happy playing the game, then the  odds of you being willing to work to make others happy is low.
 6. Experience Everything

 On the otherside of #5, there is the idea that by focusing on one  thing that you think is the most fun you could possibly have you may  actually be kicking yourself in the country hams later on.  You have to  remember that this is a brand new game, a brand new experience and the  things you didn’t enjoy in the past you may find to be incredible in  Star Wars: The Old Republic.  So before you take part in #5, take some  time to actually decide what you enjoy in terms of what SWTOR has to  offer.  I enjoy PVP in most MMORPGs, but it was never a focus.  I would  never really think as I level my main character, “I need to queue up for  some PVP!” â€" that was a detriment to my primary goal of experiencing  the PVE content and leveling up â€" but after playing a Warzone in The Old  Republic, I can honestly say that you may see me in a few Warzones  throughout the leveling process.  Because, SWTOR offers a different  experience in that facet of the game just like every MMORPG does.   Sometimes things just click for players.  See if the various facets of  the MMORPG click for you.
  7. Dive In

 The MMORPG genre is a hard genre for a casual gamer to enjoy.  The  concept of the gameplay itself generally results in time-sink after  time-sink.  It naturally is in the hands of the developer to make that  time-sink enjoyable, but it is always there.  If they can’t keep you  playing then they can’t make money, after all.  But no matter how much  you play, don’t be ashamed to get in over your head… let yourself get  engulfed by everything it has to offer.  You may not be a nerd, but why  not become one?  It’s easy to look at what people think of people who  play games like World of Warcraft and say,
 

• “They aren’t talking about me…”
• “I only play casually!”
• “I have a life outside of the game.”
• “Look at this tan!”
• “I have a girlfriend, though…”

But, what does it matter?  At the end of the day it doesn’t.   Playing a video game is no different than going shopping at the mall,  sitting down and watching TV every night or sewing.  They are all  hobbies and hobbies should be something you put as much time as you want  into, for as long as you are enjoying that time.  There is always a  limit, and no one is asking you to stop feeding your dog… or your kids…  But, there is no reason not to fall in love with a game.  So, go forth!
 

• Bookmark Yufmelt.com for all of your SWTOR needs!
• Visit the SWTOR.com forums more than you visit Facebook.
• Read every guide and article in existence about your preferred class.
• Check the internet every day for new builds for your advanced class.

Be as passionate as you want.  Haters gonna hate.
 8. Make It “Me Time”

 I know a lot of us (including myself) have shamefully taken off  time from work for the launch of this game.   That’s great, it means  that coming in late on 2 hours of sleep (if you can call it that) won’t  happen.  Don’t be afraid to tell your wife and kids you won’t be  available for the next week.  Who doesn’t need a vacation from life?   And what better a place to spend it than in the Star Wars galaxy at  large?  Yes, it is completely nerdy.  No, it isn’t necessarily  responsible.  But ignoring your girlfriend will go over a lot better if  you warned her ahead of time.  When’s the last time you had a full week  to do whatever you wanted?  Exactly, you deserve a life-break.  Allow  yourself that excuse… then go log in.
  9. Your Computer Is Running at 100%

 Whether you’ve put 3 grand into your computer or a few hundred,  making sure they are ready for SWTOR is something that will naturally  be imperative to whether or not you enjoy the game.  We have all had the  minimum and recommended requirements for some time, I will assume we’ve  all made the proper upgrades as needed.  But, it doesn’t stop there.   Make sure you’ve pre-loaded and if you haven’t do it now.  The earlier you do that, the longer period of time you have to trouble  shoot it if you can’t get the game to patch or install correctly.  There  are few things more infuriating than getting a game home and realizing  that it doesn’t run on your system, the patcher won’t work correctly or  your mouse batteries ran out and you forgot to get replacements.  Get  your system ready, get your game ready and do it as soon as possible.
  10.  Have Fun!

 This entire list can be put together to culminate in #10 â€" have a  good time.  At the end of the day it is a video game.  Some of us may  get paid to play them, but most of us play them to have a good time.   Don’t take things too seriously, follow this list and have a great  time.  It can be infectious and there’s no point in doing much of  anything if you can’t find some fun in partaking.  So … Have fun!

[Tretholonia]

I'll probably swap point 1 & 2 for "create a new chat window without any of the general chat channels" that approach has saved me from hours of reading pointless rubbish in other mmos.

Also worth noting that the Join Now graphic still contains a live link to another guilds recruitment page :eyebrow:

[Twyst]

Link to the original article

I also second the remove of the link in the OP to another guilds recruitment page......