Looking at the pre-order info leaked before Origin released it, shows that they were pretty much correct. But noticed some extra details:
"The total number of pre-orders EA is purportedly taking caps out at 500,000, with only the first 50,000 pre-orders guaranteed, the rest queued in a prioritized waiting list."
"Still no official release date, we're told—though one of the above European retailers has it listed shipping on November 25—but Star Wars: The Old Republic is still expected by end of year."
For those that ordered, don't forget to enter your digital rights key at
www.swtor.com/preorder/code to complete the registration.
I'm still surprised that they sold out the Collector's Edition at $149.99 at their own Origin site and most retailers within 24 hours. If it was a ploy by EA, it's a costly one. WoW CE's didn't have such shortages.
Snip
Which server did you play on vicious? I have a 50 rogue on Dayblind and a 50 mage Briarcliff, both defiant. All things considered, Rift is actually doing quite well. There's at least 6-7 servers that are packed to the max and we are approaching the 5 month mark here. It's a pretty good wow clone but with just enough difference to make it stand out I reckon. The soul system is a winner.
I still have an active Rift account. Rift has shown that a clone can still be successful. It being one of the smoothest launches in MMO history...other than the long queues. Being polished at release is the major factor on it surviving past first subscription. I hope SWTOR can do the same. They should with 500+ million already invested. And in Beta has shown that they are quick to modify code, like the great developers in Rift. Big difference from present WoW.
If anyone wants a free Rift game:
A Free Copy of RIFT — Forward this email to a friend!
This code will grant a free copy of RIFT and five days of complimentary game time. Join your friend with the Ascend-a-Friend program and then visit RIFTgame.com/start for instructions on redeeming your free game. Don’t wait—your code must be redeemed by July 31, 2011!
Free RIFT Code: L6G7-D6ZQ-HYM3-39DE-C33J
First come first serve. I don't mind anyone using it without me
There is a reason why I generalise mmo gamers into a certain type. You are right in that there is a diversity of interests when it comes to mmo's. But in general things like story/art/mood etc while important and adds to the immersion factor, they aren't the real reasons why people stay subbed to a game. It's the game play that matters over everything else at the end of the day. You can have the most engaging story, flashiest graphics, emotive voice acting etc etc, but if the game play sucks people will leave in droves after the initial month.
Take me as an example. I have major problems getting immersed in a mmo the way I get immersed in a single player game. The very existence of other players in the game world breaks that immersion for me (It may have to do with the inexplicable compulsion for players to jump for no reason 
). So I play mmo's very differently from how I would play a single player game. I usually race to level cap so I'm ahead of the curve and then have a couple months of fun owning newbies. Once I'm tired of that, I move on. And judging by my experiences over 10 years mmo gaming and dozens of games, I'm quite typical within the pvp subset of mmo gamers. =P
I'm no Star Wars fan. Gave up on the movies after Jar Jar Binks and other muppets. Never played Kotor nor the recent SW games.
But from the little I played, this game is immersive. With full animation and speech and having to make decisions effecting the game forces you into the story. Unlike the other MMOs, I don't find myself skipping the text and picking out the number of critters to kill or items to collect. This is for the main storyline quests, differing at times by your class. The less meaningful quests just pops up automatically. Say when you kill a random mob, it automatically gives bonus xp for killing a certain amount. No having to turn in the quest or find it from some NPC. Or can just skip without any extra interaction. Makes leveling go smoothly as they pop up while doing whatever you want, and doesn't distract from the main storyline that happens with other MMOs.
Making decisions is not just about dark/light points for yourself. You may be more worried about how it effects your companion. This makes your companion more alive than some mob that you've summoned. You'll get attached to him/her/it as you send it off to do missions, gathering herbs that you've come across, while fighting along side yourself.
No auto attack, even for melee. You'll come across many group quests that seem epic...then realize that it was without entering an instance.
I've tried many other betas, while playing WoW since beta. For me not being a Star Wars fan, this game is quite interesting. As a Jedi Consular, it felt great sending big objects at the enemy knocking them back as you run in, deflecting range shots with my saber, and AOE knock backs when they get close. For fun, I found myself unneedlessly using a force hold on the final enemy so I can gain some extra force for a bigger finisher, lol. Underneath much is like WoW, but the SW setting and actions feels like a different game. For Star Wars fans, it's a dream come true. They are sure to keep playing after the first subscription.
