There are no spoilers in this post. Ever since BioWare announced Star Wars: the Old Republic it has made a big deal about the fourth pillar of the MMO being the story. It's pretty clear this is a driving force behind the game, and it may be what makes or breaks it. So just how good is the story?
First a little background. I've played 3 classes ( Sith Inquisitor, Jedi Consular and Bounty Hunter ) into their teens. That means I have only seen a small part of the story, since 50 is the level cap.
The story aspect of the game mostly refers to the class story. This long arc pretty much covers the entire leveling experience. It is the first thing you are introduced to when you create a new character. So far, I do think the class stories are very well done. I like all three which I've started and am looking forward to seeing how they turn out someday.
The stories have been pretty unique so far. Playing a Bounty Hunter feels like a different game (story wise) compared to the Sith Inquisitor even though they are on the same side. It also cranks the immersion factor up well beyond your typical MMO. Leveling is not just about getting to 50, it is a journey through the story.
So yeah, I think the class stories are pretty awesome and deserving of the hype. The side quests on the other hand, are not really up to the same standard. You cannot level through your class story quests alone, that means you need to get experience elsewhere. One option is the side quests.
These quests are generally one shots, in that there is a single step. They are also shared between classes of the same faction, albeit with some different dialog. It's worth mentioning that there seems to be some planet quest arcs later on which I've heard good things about. Doing the side quests is not as fun as the class stories, since they are a bit more run of the mill.
In conclusion, I really enjoy the class stories, but am not a big fan of the side quests but am likely to do them once. Luckily, Warzones award XP so that is another option to use for leveling.
Below is a picture of my Bounty Hunter's newly acquired ship.
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