When people talk about TOR, they often project their hopes and dreams onto the game which is understandable because we all like unreleased games to meet our own hopes and expectations. Sometimes, however, these hopes and expectations might be unrealistic.
A good example of this kind of thinking occurs in the area of servers. But more on that in a moment.
Typically, there are two kinds of servers in MMORPGs and two roleplaying variants of the same, as follows:
- PVE server, with PvP restricted to closed zones or battlegrounds.
- PVP server, with open world PvP in several zones.
- RP-PVE server, with PvP restricted to closed zones or battlegrounds. Roleplaying is always encouraged.
- RP-PVP server, with open world PvP in several zones. Roleplaying is always encouraged.
Now, many TOR fans are expecting to see all four kinds of server in operation. Yet, I have a feeling there will be one only:
- PVE server, with PvP restricted to closed zones or battlegrounds.
How have I arrived at this? Easy.
First, there’s the issue of PvP. And you know what? After watching the 50 minute panel at E3 where it was stated, flat out, that while there’s PvP, nothing we do can actually affect the gameworld (because, “It has to be there for people when they play the game later on, to have the same experience…” or words to that effect), it became apparent to me that the TOR guys are leaning towards battlegrounds — specific areas where PvP will take place — and the rest of the game will be PvE, basically.
Second, there’s roleplay. And I just have this funky idea that in a game that is so roleplay-centric where everyone will be roleplaying to a greater degree than in other MMOs, I query if Bioware will bother marking some servers as RP servers. And if you’re sitting out there, spitting beer all over your monitor and shouting, “I’m no %#%@ing roleplayer!”, you will be in TOR’s eyes.
I’m thinking here specifically about elements like multiple answers characters will have in quests and all the other staples of single-player ROLEPLAYING games that Bioware is famous for.
I understand that gamers might want to elect a particular server within the TOR community as being the server where people will do very overt roleplaying, above and beyond what other people will do by default, but I doubt the game will suggest any particular server over another as THE roleplaying server; it will want to see its game as a roleplaying game, period.
So that’s my reasoning. Strip away the RP tags and strip away the world PvP and what have you got?
A PVE server, with PvP restricted to closed zones or battlegrounds.
For everyone.