Friday, July 5, 2013

That Ewok Companion

One surprise feature of SWTOR's 2.3 patch is the arrival of a new companion, Treek.  This would be the 2nd universal companion to go along with HK-51.  There is one key difference, Treek is an Ewok and HK-51 is a cool robot assassin.

I am not a fan of Ewok's.  I didn't like them in Return of the Jedi, and I don't like the idea of having one that is a companion.  That presents me with a bit of a problem, as I hate to miss out on any content.   The Ewok comes with a set of quests which are different depending on which side you are on.  Data mined info, spoiler warning!

qst.companion.imperial.treek.1_the_warriors_journey
qst.companion.imperial.treek.2_breaking_with_tradition
qst.companion.imperial.treek.3_exotic_appetites
qst.companion.imperial.treek.4_a_comrades_respect
qst.companion.imperial.treek.5_a_short_happy_life
qst.companion.imperial.treek.welcome_treek
qst.companion.republic.treek.1_a_wanderers_tale
qst.companion.republic.treek.2_memories_of_home
qst.companion.republic.treek.3_odd_hobbies
qst.companion.republic.treek.4_committing_to_the_fight
qst.companion.republic.treek.5_a_warriors_legacy
qst.companion.republic.treek.welcome_treek

The way you obtain Treek is also underwhelming.  With HK-51 we got an interesting questline that took us to a new location.  To get Treek, you buy a Mercenary Contract and that's all there is to it.  It ain't cheap either, it is 1 million credits and requires Legacy level 40.

According to Community Manager Eric Musco, we can also obtain Treek through the Cartel Market without having to worry about those in-game requirements.  I'm torn about this.  On one hand you have something high level Legacy players can strive for.  On the other, I am no where near level 40 so could get this companion if I was so inclined.

Overall, I feel underwhelmed by this new addition.  At the very least, I would have preferred an involved quest line to obtain Treek instead of just buying access with in-game money or cartel coins.  As of now, Treek is not something I will buy.   That could change though, I'm weak.