Since there aren't too many Star Wars RPGs available these days, the best contender in that genre is Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) which is an MMORPG. That's not a bad thing. In fact, despite the MMORPG status, SWTOR puts many other current RPGs to shame with its production value.
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However, it's still an MMORPG at its core, meaning it has certain mechanics and intricacies that can put newbies off, especially those new to the genre. Those who come from other MMOs will find plenty of stuff familiar in this theme-park MMORPG. Still, it's a good idea to know what to expect coming in blind to SWTOR. After all, you're no Jedi and the Force can't prepare you enough for this one.
10 It's Set 4,000 Years Before The Movies
First off, don't expect to see any of the popular staples in the Star Wars mythos here. Though SWTOR is a story-heavy game, it unshackles itself from the restraints of the Star Wars film canon by setting itself nearly 3,600 years earlier, essentially a clean slate for a story.
To be more precise, SWTOR's story takes place around 300 years after Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic 2. No, you don't have to have played those two Bioware RPGs first in order to understand SWTOR, the game does a decent job of filling in players.
9 Pick A PvE Server
Before starting the game, players are tasked to pick a server for their characters. Characters are server-locked and there is no way for people to interact with other players' characters on another server so choose wisely. In order to do server transfers, players will need to pay real-life money.
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In regards to picking newbie-friendly servers, do pick the PvE ones. PvP servers are not too friendly as players can't turn off the faction-specific PvP killing in those kinds of servers. Meanwhile, RP or roleplaying servers are for people too fond of the Star Wars lore and specific social rules are present and expected in that area.
8 Don't Subscribe Until Level 50-60
Now, the big question: when do you consider subscribing? The fee costs $15/month or 30 days and in a lot of cases, some free-to-play players bite the bullet to see what they've been missing as soon as they play and check the restrictions later.
To save more though, some recommend playing the quests and storyline along with the two free expansions first. This will shoot the player's levels to 50 or 60 which is the perfect time to consider a subscription if you want to play long-term as the content for free players will have run out.
7 Free-To-Play Is More Like A Trial
So, what to do when the content runs out? Free players can try out PvP but even that is too limited without a subscription with some restrictions allowing for only five PvP matches per week. Another restriction would be the number of credits free players can carry which can affect their gameplay efficiency.
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Really, at that point in the game, playing without a subscription is boring as the game bars free players from going past level 60. Expansions are also only available to fully subscribed players. Simply put, there is no endgame access for those who aren't subscribed.
6 Don't Forget To Mention You're New
Now, on to the community. The game is generally friendly to newbies as long as those newbies are communicative of their lack of experience. Joining a PvP mode only to lose then announce that you're new after the fiasco is frustrating for the experienced ones.
Many players are usually willing to help the newcomers especially those sticking around waiting for new content. Much like most MMORPGs, don't expect much from the general chat window; it's full of trolls or bored players. Better still, join a guild and ask for help or advice there.
5 The Game Follows The RPG Trinity
Despite being a Star Wars media, Force-users are not the be-all, end-all in this MMORPG. Even Jedi and Sith need to fall in place and rely on other in-game classes that aren't Force-sensitive to survive and succeed at group content.
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SWTOR adopts the age-old RPG trinity of tank, healer/support, and DPS. Such is the case with Operations and even in PvP for SWTOR. Knowing what your class is capable of is key to fitting into a group's role. Some content is simply too hard to solo.
4 Tanks Are Usually The Party Leaders
In regards to the RPG trinity, in SWTOR, tanks are typically the leaders of the group since the party tends to react to their actions. In other games, the DPS sort of calls the shots, but often, SWTOR tanks do most of the heavy-lifting so they make good default group leaders.
That isn't to say other classes can't be leaders as well. Healers and DPS players who are experienced can step up too. DPS players are somewhat disposable and easy-to-replace especially in flashpoint because there are too many of them and healers are too fragile for the frontlines; hence, both classes need to be more careful with the leadership role.
3 PvP Is Mostly For Subscribers
As stated earlier, there are too many restrictions for free players when it comes to PvP. If players want to participate in Ranked PvP, they need to subscribe. For regular PvP, they're only allowed five matches per week.
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Additionally, doing regular PvP while unsubscribed bars players from earning new gear if they're max-level. They'll have to make do with the gear they acquired prior. In summation, players who are interested or are serious with PvP need to subscribe.
2 Don't Craft Mods Until Max Level
As for gearing up, crafting can be a little tricky in SWTOR as it takes too much time and too many resources especially if players are still leveling up. Such activity can even lead to burnout and that's not something you want to feel as a newcomer.
Instead, save all the crafting materials you've gathered and reserve them for max-level or even high-level, around level 70-75. Additionally, players will be able to choose what their goals are in the MMORPG's late-game environment much easier if they know what they want to do with their materials.
1 Conserve Your Cartel Coins
Cartel Coins are the premium currency in SWTOR and they can be used to purchase items in the game's microtransactions shop, mostly cosmetic ones. Free players can also acquire them, mostly through leveling their characters.
There's also a monthly supply of them. Still, you might want to hold off on spending them recklessly as the developers tend to release new skins and cosmetic items from time to time. Heck, don't spend them on your first character as that one might not be your main choice later on.