I have a question - maybe it's a dumb one - but I've never played an MMO so I'm a little concerned about some of its aspects.

I've read several reviews online (and been all over SWTOR.com), all stating that this MMO is different because story is such a huge part of the game, and that each class will have its own story line completely different from the rest.

That leaves me with a question though - how will one story line end? If I choose to be a Jedi, how do I know when the game is "over", and then have the option to go back and choose another class? I just don't quite understand how the story can end when it's an MMO. Any thoughts?

It will not end, simply because there will be coming content. Plus, there is a story that takes place in a war so there will always be PvP/PvE objective missions.

And raids.
And instances.
Etc..

There will probably be an end-game scenario. It's unknown if every class will have individual endings, or if each class will share the same ending, but for Jedi, it'll most likely mean killing the Emperor and destroying the Sith Empire, and then if you play as a Sith, it'll mean destroying the Republic and the Jedi.

I'm guessing you'll be in a sort of limbo time-wise... after all your story will be epic apparently, and an epic story will have effects on the surroundings, so if you killed the emperor and your friend hasn't got that far will the emperor still be alive?, better to have an ongoing war with repeatable scenarios, and battles. I'm an SPRPG person for life but SP wont work in this game, or at least stuff that affects more than just you.

This is what I find conflicting from BioWare - how can the focus be on the story if there's no end to it? While the end isn't the entire story, it's certainly an important part. Even the Never-Ending Story had an end. I'm of course going to play TOR and will probably enjoy it while I play - I just hope I'm not disappointed in the long run because the story never came to a close. That's what made KotOR I and II so appealing to a non-gamer like myself - the story was just amazing (rivals the OT IMO).

I'm guessing that there is the personal stories for each class and then the overall story of TOR.

With the personal stories, you finish them and probably get some sort of prestige class and then you can just keep playing that class or create a new character.

With the overall story at some point the Sith Empire collapses...though probably either fifty or a hundred years later. The Republic then (sadly since having the Republic around is not an improvement) takes back all of the Galaxy minus the Unknown Regions and some of the Outer Rim. It prospers for awhile until the advent of the New Sith Empire and the New Sith Wars.

Well, we all know the Sith Empire will disappear eventually. How that's supposed to happen, that's very likely not something we'll see in the game itself. As Lord of Hunger said, there's the personal story that will have an end, but an overarching that will continue in the background, and perhaps move to the forefront when that personal story comes to an end. With new content regularly released to the public, and with the numerous gameplay elements (PvP, raids,...) available all the time, the story will keep moving on, when a satisfactory ending to the characters personal story has happened.

Well, ideally, that should be the case.

I'm guessing you'll be in a sort of limbo time-wise... after all your story will be epic apparently, and an epic story will have effects on the surroundings, so if you killed the emperor and your friend hasn't got that far will the emperor still be alive?, better to have an ongoing war with repeatable scenarios, and battles. I'm an SPRPG person for life but SP wont work in this game, or at least stuff that affects more than just you.

Agreed....it would be tricky. Better take the WoW approach with World events and careful decisions regarding key characters. Like you, I mostly play solo in WoW, but the new World Event rocks :)

Well, we all know the Sith Empire will disappear eventually. How that's supposed to happen, that's very likely not something we'll see in the game itself. As Lord of Hunger said, there's the personal story that will have an end, but an overarching that will continue in the background, and perhaps move to the forefront when that personal story comes to an end. With new content regularly released to the public, and with the numerous gameplay elements (PvP, raids,...) available all the time, the story will keep moving on, when a satisfactory ending to the characters personal story has happened.

Well, ideally, that should be the case.There will definitely be no end to the Sith Empire in the game since that is a playable faction. I suppose on one hand it kind of sucks to be on the Sith side since you know somewhere down the line the Republic will win but what is interesting is how long the Sith will be able to stay dominant for.

I suppose on one hand it kind of sucks to be on the Sith side since you know somewhere down the line the Republic will win

It sucks to be a Sith. Not on the Sith side. Bounty Hunters are on the Sith side too, but they won't lose:D

There will be no ending. There will be events and tasks which make up your story, but the war between the Jedi and Sith will not end due to the actions of one man (or woman). Now, through your actions you might help your faction take control of certain planets, but neither side will give up until the other is extinguished, which, frankly, can't happen in an MMO where players are on both sides.

There's plenty of room for story within those confines.

It sucks to be a Sith. Not on the Sith side. Bounty Hunters are on the Sith side too, but they won't lose:D
They'll lose their long standing business partners and contracts.

The game, I'd imagine, would have an individual ending for your character, but you could keep going and playing afterwards.

If you're concerned about how it (the war) actually ends canonically, read the Darth Bane novels by Drew Karpyshyn. I'll surmise this for you: what happens is that regardless of the sith and the jedi, the republic and the empire, yaddada-yaddada, their side's sturcture will be essentially shattered...it is an unending war in an anarchist state. Even though victory is won out multiple times on both sides and their head figures will fall...another will rise to take their place.

So from 300 years after Revan, onward to 1000 BBY, the republic essentially fell into such disarray that it ceased to exist. The sith empire from beyond is unveiled now. It is war that will not end.

Though yes, it is the Jedi and the Republic that eventually won...it was not won by their own power alone, the Jedi.

You'll wonder if it all isn't just some eternal struggle. In both SW, and in real life.

Just because one story ended does not mean YOUR story is over. That's the whole thing about MMOs, take wow for example, first you started off dealing with the world and it's woes, then the Burning Crusade and the Demon invasions and now WTOLK with well, the undead hordes of the Lich King.

The difference is that you're playing a character within a story, instead of playing the character the story is about.

The game, I'd imagine, would have an individual ending for your character, but you could keep going and playing afterwards.

If you're concerned about how it (the war) actually ends canonically, read the Darth Bane novels by Drew Karpyshyn. I'll surmise this for you: what happens is that regardless of the sith and the jedi, the republic and the empire, yaddada-yaddada, their side's sturcture will be essentially shattered...it is an unending war in an anarchist state. Even though victory is won out multiple times on both sides and their head figures will fall...another will rise to take their place.

So from 300 years after Revan, onward to 1000 BBY, the republic essentially fell into such disarray that it ceased to exist. The sith empire from beyond is unveiled now. It is war that will not end.

Though yes, it is the Jedi and the Republic that eventually won...it was not won by their own power alone, the Jedi.

You'll wonder if it all isn't just some eternal struggle. In both SW, and in real life.

Good point - speaking of - isn't the new Bane novel supposed to come out sometime this year? I'm really looking forward to that...

I just hope they are able to make a character's story end interestingly, while still allowing you to continue playing as that character if desired. I just can't quite see how they will strike that balance right now.

I think Web Rider has it nailed; in an MMO you are a character within a story, the the character about with the story revolves as per most (all?) other genres.

This means that, for example, I may be a Bounty Hunter and my overall goal is to work up to become epic and finally take out some guy. When I do that in the epic fashion that I would likely do that in, being an ending and all, I would then look about and go "ooh, a war". From there I'd proceed to go about in the universe and participate in said war.

Basically it's like a few people hear have said; YOUR story will end, but THE story will not.





PS: yes, I know that BH story was horrible and all, please understand that was just an off-the-top-of-my-head example and not something I actually think will be the plot :p