PvP is a dual-edged sword when it comes to MMORPGs. On one hand, it is an established part of the genre, and a lot of players enjoy it and play certain games specifically for it. However, if it isn’t handled properly, then it quickly become a nuisance to players. Several MMORPGs suffer from this, and Star Wars: The Old Republic, in the eyes of many players, is one of them. However, one player is aiming to rise above what is considered “standard” and deliver a true PvP tournament. One that is fair, and only based on skill.

This comes from player CaseyMRiley, aka Razinon, a longtime Star Wars: The Old Republic player. He’s watched the highs and lows of PvP play, and he’s tired of how tournaments are set up in the game. Mainly, to him, the official in-game tournaments are not about skill. Rather, it’s about luck and seeding, because some classes dominate others without much effort. So, even if you’re a good player of a certain class, you can end up in an unfavorable class match up, and you’re going to lose.

As such, Razinon has created the FOTM (or Flavor of the Month) tournament. Its premise is simple. Only one class will be able to enter. In this case, it will be Mercenaries/Commandoes. That way, it’s all about the skill the player has with their character and that class, and no other factors.

So, if you’re looking for some Star Wars: The Old Republic fun, and want to test your skill, this tournament may be for you.

Having the PvP battles in MMOs is not new. We have World of Warcraft as a competitive eSport with live competitions and championships.

Entering The Civil War Warzone on Alderaan.

The way Warzones work is players enter Warzones in SWTOR by queuing for a game. Players will be given an option to enter a battle as a solo player or as part of a group. When entering Warzones you come in with everything from the game. This includes your rank, abilities, disciplines, and gear. There are ranked Warzones but players need Valor 25+ to enter. Valor is earned from playing Warzones.

With the new game update for 5.0 players can choose which side of the force to represent, light or dark, but with anything in SWTOR you still fight on the same faction, Republic against Empire. The battles are randomly picked and include a variety of maps. There is no option for choosing a specific map or mode. It is also an 8v8 game, though teams could be 6v6 for competitions if they make specific competition regulated maps.

The maps are not very big but there are varieties of maps and each map has a specific mission. The biggest issue with SWTOR Warzones for competition is to make sure they are balanced. Classes can be tanks, dps (damage per second), or healers. Without rules there could be too many tanks, no healers or an imbalance between the types. For any Warzone, flashpoint, operation, etc in SWTOR it is a good idea to always have players with each type of style.
Sith Warrior
Sith Warrior in Huttball on Makeb.

For instance tanks deal heavy damage and can give dps players a chance to take out more enemies from a distance if they are ranged fighters like gunslingers. Healers belong to the dps classes but also stay back to heal their teammates to ensure victory.

Teams for competition would have to be set up specifically to have a set number of tanks, dps players, and healers. If there were six players on a team one option would be to have one healer, three tanks and two dps players, and at least one dps being a ranged fighter. Another option would be two healers, two tanks, and two dps players. However, the host would set the rules for classes for each team to stay fair and balanced.

The tank classes are Jedi Guardian, Jedi Shadow, Vanguard, Sith Juggernaut, Sith Assassin, and Powertech. Classes that are dps are Jedi Sentinel, Jedi Sage, Scoundrel, Gunslinger, Commando, Sith Marauder, Sith Sorcerer, Operative, Sniper, and Mercenary. Healers are the Sorcerer, Sage, Operative, Scoundrel, Commando, and Mercenary.
Combat Disipline
The combat proficiencies for a Sharpshooter Gunslinger.

In the game each advanced class gets different combat proficiencies and discipline paths. For instance I prefer to play as a Sharpshooter Gunslinger, which focuses on damaging using dual blasters. My other choices are the Engineering Sniper that relies heavily on tech and ranged weapons, and the Fury Marauder that is an AoE (Area of Effect) displine class that can deal damage to single opponents while dealing damage to surrounding opponents.

Though of all of them I prefer the Gunslinger as he can keep distance and cover while taking out multiple enemies simultaneously with rapid fire. For the different disciplines, as players level up they receive new combat proficiencies and can add utilities. This makes each players character tailored to their exact style.

As for the Warzones themselves, they are both entertaining and challenging. Some of the maps players can play are Ancient Hypergate, Huttball, Novare Coast, Voidstar, and Alderaan. Although with Knights of the Fallen Empire and Eternal Throne we have new Warzones like Odessen.