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Starter Guide
To say that The Old Republic boasts a huge world with many, many features is a vast understatement. In some ways, Star Wars: The Old Republic is the perfect gateway to the MMO space for newcomers who have always been curious about the fervor surrounding these social ecosystems. In many other ways, the game can present a great challenge to new players that are trying to get more comfortable with the game.
This starter guide aims to get freshly minted MMO players off on the right foot by introducing them to the proper gaming vernacular and just covering topics that they may be too timid to ask the extant, hostile populace within the game.
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A few helpful topics to get you more acquainted with the unique culture of MMOs...
These topics too elementary for a guru like you? Head on over to the Advanced Starter Guide!
Choosing A Server
Most of the time, new players simply gravitate to where their friends play without giving the type of server a second thought. In the case of PvP servers, they may have just unknowingly stepped into the lion’s den.
PvP vs. PvE Servers
Player-versus-Player (PvP as it is more commonly known) servers simply allow for a member of the Republic or Empire to combat another member of the opposite faction. This is ideal for players who like the prospect of besting other folks in the greater The Old Republic world. The caveat, however, is that players can be attacked only if the person being assailed has his PvP flag active. PvP flags becomes enabled automatically in contested territories, when a neutral player applies a heal or buff to a flagged player, or when the player manually activates his or her flag. PvP servers heavily emphasize this strife between players by forcing them into contested territories where every player is an open target.
On PvE servers, you can still choose to eliminate fellow players; it’s just presented in a different, if hindered, manner. First of all, there are no contested territories. The only way for you to engage in PvP is via Warzones or enabling your own flag and waiting for someone to attack you. This restriction allows you to run around areas without fear of harassment by members of the opposite faction.
Role-Playing (RP) Servers
Role-Playing servers should appeal to people whose fantasy has always been to act out a certain role in the Star Wars universe. You play, act, and talk as you envision your character would and interact with other players in-character. Not to worry, though, as this isn't strictly enforced by any game masters.
RP servers are available in both the PvP and PvE flavors.
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Republic or Empire
The first step to character creation is to pledge your allegiance to either the Republic or Sith Empire. The side you choose determines the classes you have access to.
Republic offers:
Empire offers:
They differ primarily in their names, not functionality. A class belonging to one side is -- for the most part -- fundamentally the same as its counterpart on the other side. For example, a Jedi Knight is the equivalent of the Empire's Sith Warrior; a Trooper and the Bounty Hunter are similar as well. Choosing one side over the other is merely a matter of preference.
Choosing A Class
Initially, there are 8 classes to choose from when you create your character. At level 10, however, each of these classes branch into specialized sub-classes. You can select them based purely on which you think is cooler, but the smarter thing to do would be to pick based on the role you want to fill in a party.
Do you want to do annoying amounts of damage, heal, or be the party's damage sponge (tank)?
Luckily, each class isn't so cut-and-dry or unidimensional; each class is versatile and may do a different number of things depending on how you spend your Training Points in each Skill Tree. Check out the Class Roles page, where each class gets broken down to their viable constituent roles, allowing you to more wisely select your class.
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There's generally no wrong class, as each is designed to balance another. By the present game design, some may have a slighter edge than others, but it relies primarily on how you spend those Training Points and play.
With every level you gain, more abilities (or upgrades of existing abilities) become available to you for a nominal amount. Visit your Class Trainer at every level (or check your Abilities tab in the Character window) to purchase these new abilities.
Species
In terms of the different Species, each offer unique traits and social abilities that can give them varying advantages in combat or other benefits. Only certain species can assume certain classes.
Alignment
Once you've chosen a side, you can still succumb to both forces of the Light and Dark Side. Alignment is based on a numbers scale from 0 to 100, and can fluctuate according to how you exert your influence on your own character's story. Certain dialogue options and quests will give you either Light Side Points or Dark Side Points that will tilt your alignment to one side of the moral pendulum.
Within the microcosm of the character you've created, the story will play out very differently depending on your alignment.
This ultimately determines the company you can keep (which Class Companions you can have by your side) and what items you can buy from special vendors, as well as a few cosmetic changes to your character's appearance. For example, as you lean strongly to the Dark Side, your character undergoes Sith Corruption, in which the eyes will take on a noticably blood red hue and have darker skin.
Questing
A large chunk of your time playing The Old Republic -- at least initially -- will be devoted to taking unto yourself heaps upon heaps of quests (and finishing them). After all, that's the most effective way to earn experience points toward character level progression, getting more credits, and being rewarded with a variety of useful equipment upgrades. Some of the most useful tools to help in this regard are your Quest Log (brought up quickly by pressing L) and the HUD.
You can control which quests remain actively tracked -- tracked quests show up on the right side of the screen with the updated objective and have their destinations in the HUD -- and decide which ones to do. Quests are color-coded based on their perceived difficulty based on your current level. The difficulty grades are as follows:
- Green: Easy (You are of equal or higher level)
- Yellow: Medium (It's slightly challenging, but your current character level can handle it without a problem)
- Orange: Hard (Much more challenging; having additional help is recommended)
- Red: Very Hard (Not necessarily impossible to do by yourself, but the challenge is considerably prodigious. If you're doing quests solo, red-colored quest names are best avoided.)
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Doing quests is a very time-consuming process, but you can be smart about it. You can certainly save time by planning out your quests in advance so that multiple quests can be tackled at the same time in one general area, rather than spend time traveling between places unnecessarily.
Repeatable QUESTS
Certain quests can be repeated once a day for credits and experience.
Flashpoints
Flashpoints are not solo undertakings unless a high-level character chooses to traverse much lower-level Flashpoints. These dungeons are uniquely generated for a single group, so one group will not run into another group within the same Flashpoint.
Each Flashpoint presents grisly challenges for a band of intrepid fighters, and for the greater purpose of acquiring better loot and resolving quests. Enemies found within Flashpoints may be familiar, but in most cases also possess improved aptitude for murder and considerably boosted stats.
The first Flashpoint that the Republic gains access to is The Esseles, whereas players on the Sith Empire might be exploring The Black Talon.
