Star Wars: The Old Republic is celebrating its 10th year online in 2022, complete with the launch of a new expansion, Legacy of the Sith, and a year-round celebratory event rewarding players with various anniversary unlocks and bonus experience. Unfortunately for Star Wars: The Old Republic, its latest expansion has been widely panned by the game's player base due to Legacy of the Sith's two-to-three-hour length, unnecessary UI redesign, and questionable changes to the game's skills, which have "gutted" certain classes. The game's troubles in its 10th year have many players yearning for the game's earlier days.
Much has changed since Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch, which initially required a $60 purchase of the game along with its monthly subscription. Even the pay model has changed, as the game has shifted to a limited free-to-play model with an optional subscription to access the latest expansion's content and other quality-of-life features. Like any MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic has evolved with each subsequent expansion, though in some players' eyes these haven't always been steps forward. Changes to the world's level scaling, the companion system, talent trees, and even the loot system have all resulted in a far different experience than the game offered a decade ago, and that challenging original experience deserves a comeback.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Has Drastically Changed Many Systems
In the game's efforts to modernize and keep up with the likes of competitors like World of Warcraft, many elements of the game have seen multiple drastic reworks over the years. One notable example is the game's skill tree system, which is now in its third iteration. Originally, after level 10, players would choose their Advanced Class, such as a Trooper opting to become a Vanguard or Commando. From there, they would have access to a skill tree system identical to WoW's original talents system consisting of three distinct trees to progress through. This has been largely simplified as advanced classes are chosen at level 1, with an "ability tree" that presents players with only a few choices. Experimentation and novel builds are largely impossible, as these choices are simple no-brainers for certain applications.
Another noticeable change that affected the entire game world was the implementation of downward level scaling somewhat like World of Warcraft. The Old Republic's downward scaling system causes higher-level players to scale down to the level of the content they are currently in. Initially an effort to help preserve the game's challenge during the leveling process and allow higher level players to assist in group content without trivializing it, there were also some adverse effects. Level scaling removed the sense of "powering up" as a character increases in level since a max-level character will simply be dropped down in strength accordingly. High-level characters can no longer solo older content to experience the story or hunt for certain item appearances since they will be scaled down and forced to form a group.
Progress In Star Wars: The Old Republic Isn't as Rewarding as it Once Was
The Old Republic's companion system was a key feature as the player built up their ship's crew of unique companions over the course of their story. Each companion was originally capable of one combat role such as a healer or a ranged damage dealer, and each companion had its own set of stats affected by the gear they were equipped with. This has been mostly done away with, and each companion can now fulfill the role of tank, damage, or healer at a whim, with gear no longer being a factor. This has eliminated the investment players make in their team and makes special unlockable companions such as Treek and HK-51 far less interesting. While convenient, this is another instance of the game simplifying over time. Acquiring the epic companion gear from the end of the Shadows of Revan expansion, for example, was a significant goal that has been made irrelevant.
WoW Classic enjoyed huge numbers of players who wished to revisit that more challenging era of the game, and Star Wars: The Old Republic's earlier days had a very similar flavor. Powerful gear was more difficult to obtain, and small milestones such as the player's first speeder mount were memorable achievements along the journey. With everything having been made easier and more streamlined, the sense of achievement and investment in one's character has diminished. Side quests, which used to reward "commendation" currency items redeemable for valuable leveling gear, have been downplayed heavily, no longer being an important source of experience points. Instead, the main story quest is all that's needed to reach the level cap.
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Story Has Made The Player Too Powerful
As a story-driven MMORPG, the events in the game's storyline are the driving force behind nearly all activities. However, several expansions have shifted the story toward a typical "chosen one" style narrative where the entire plot revolves around the player character, now dubbed "the Commander," rather than the larger conflict between Sith and Republic. The player's identity as a member of either faction has been overshadowed by their increasingly ultra-powerful role in ways that don't quite make sense. One of the most glaring examples of this is how non-Force-using characters are the number one threat against impossibly powerful beings like Valkorion. With both sides vying for the Commander's support in the conflict, the faction hub areas feel more like a minor choice between a red or a blue-lit waiting room.
Veteran players may remember the epic -- if quite a bit laggy -- PvP battles on Ilum prior to the release of any expansions. Large fights between Sith and Republic players at this scale would never really be seen again, as the endgame now mostly consists of waiting in a queue at a hub area after a quick round of monotonous dailies on the latest expansion's daily quest planet. With numbers declining despite the 10-year anniversary celebration, perhaps it's time to bring back all the things that have been lost over the years that made Star Wars: The Old Republic stand out in the MMO world.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is available on PC.