SWTOR PvP Gameplay
Without a doubt, player vs player (PvP) is one of the things many players are looking forward to in SWTOR. In this article, I will be going over everything that is known about SWTOR PvP gameplay and the PvP system in general.
Note: If you are already familiar with PvP gameplay in SWTOR and instead want PvP strategies for each warzone and information on rewards, check out our SWTOR PvP strategy guide.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, PvP will primarily occur in warzones. Warzones are at a basic level quite like battlegrounds in WoW: instanced PvP mini-games which you can queue for from anywhere in the world and zone in to these games.
In other words, players will be able to bring up the PvP menu and queue for a warzone. When the queue is available, players will be able to zone into the said warzone to participate in instanced, evenly-matched battles.
Bioware has stated that while they are using the instanced PvP mini-game model, they are trying to minimize the “mini-game” feel of instanced PvP. Instead of competing for points, players in warzones will be competing over objectives.
For example, in the Alderaan warzone, players will start the game landing off of ships and be competing over a planetary defensive cannon. As players seize objectives over the map, they will be able to control the cannon to shoot down the enemy’s ship. The winner of the warzone will be the first team to take out the enemy’s ship.
SWTOR PvP System
SWTOR PvP gameplay will indeed be instanced. There are pros and cons to this approach. The major pros are that it is quite convenient and keeps matches even. Without warzones, the inevitable overpopulation of Empire players (the “bad guys” always participate more in PvP for whatever reason) would make things quite one-sided.
The developers have also stated that they are working on a “matchmaking system” which will be different from what is used in other MMOs. No further details were announced other than that it will help promote fast queues and balance gameplay.
Now that the game has been out, it appears that this matchmaking system works as follows:
- Only groups of 4 can queue for a Warzone at a time (there are 8 total players in a warzone). This prevents pick-up groups from encountering full pre-mades.
- In general, level 50s tend to be evenly spread amongst each side. This of course is not always the case
- Players can enter Warzones at level 10 and play against players of all level ranges. You get dramatically boosted stats to be competitive. This favors certain classes over others at the low level range, because while you do good damage and have a lot of HP, you do not have access to many abilities at a low level.
- For example, Jedi Knights and Sith Warriors do not have enough snares and escapes to be truly effective until level 50. Your character will feel much weaker than a Sorcerer or Consular until you hit 50 and get all your abilities. The Consular and Sorcerer are effective at a low level thanks to Force Lightning, shields, and Force Sprint.
- In general, you can be quite effective as a low level player in PvP, except against level 50s with Artifact PvP gear. Once level 50s get that sort of gear, they really trounce low level players and you do not want to get near them.
There is also the planet of Ilum, which is a level 50 PvP zone. Most players seem to prefer Warzones, but you will find at least some players here doing their daily PvP quests. I imagine this will get more crowded as more and more players reach the level cap.
SWTOR PvP – Same Faction Combat
One interesting aspect of SWTOR PvP gameplay is the introduction of same-faction combat in Warzones. In WoW, players can only fight the same faction in arenas and are stuck with cross-faction for PvP. Players of Rift can also only fight other factions in PvP.
The problem with this approach is that if there are too many players for one side, the queues for that side get really long. No one likes waiting 40 minutes to get a game in, so the introduction of same faction PvP is really welcome in my opinion. Additionally, sometimes one faction can become really one-sided and win most of their games, so same-faction battles can help all sides win some battles.
The reason why this has not already been implemented in many fantasy games is because same-faction PvP does not make sense at all in these games. However, it fits perfectly in the Star Wars universe – there are many neutral factions such as the Hutts which will be able to host same-faction PvP in a way that makes sense within the game’s overall lore.
One example of this is Huttball, a capture-the-flag, rugby, and deathmatch hybrid warzone run by the Hutt cartel. The Hutts are neutral, so it makes sense that players for any side can fight amongst themselves for glory in this Warzone.
SWTOR PvP Rewards
Each time you play in a Warzone, you get Warzone Commendations. These can be exchanged at vendors found in the Imperial and Republic Fleets. You also earn valor, which is your “pvp rank”. You need a high valor rank in order to be able to equip the best gear.
Players also get experience points and credits for participating in Warzones. This is actually a pretty significant reward, and you earn Commendations and Valor at the same rate maxed-out player would. As a result, leveling up via PvP and only doing your class quests is a viable option, allowing you to be a very high Valor rank once you hit the level cap, letting you equip the top gear right away.
SWTOR PvP Preview Conclusion
Love it or hate it, SWTOR PvP gameplay will be predominately instanced mini-games. The developers state these games will be designed to feel as immersive and less like the mini-game feel found in other MMOs.
Players will be able to queue from anywhere and compete in level-based brackets. Players will be able to earn tokens from PvP which can be redeemed for PvP gear.
If you are ready to start reading about specific strategies for each warzone and the rewards you can earn, check our our SWTOR PvP Strategy guide. If you want specific PvP builds for each class, check out Aeon Guide:
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