So... I got bored with grinding for starbases and whatnot, so i loaded up SWTOR and gave F2P a shot.
First chore of the day, deleted everything. I basically abandoned all my 10-20s on Bastion and ran for the largest server in the sector: Harbringer. But to my surprise, Legacy remained unlocked, so I gleefully began gaining Leg rep from the get go.
I rolled a BH, and got ready to grind me some Mako.
And that I did. While it was ANNOYING to have all that PLEASE UPGRADE NAO shoved in my face, it was so constant that I actually got used to it. Now I don't even see them any more.
I was a preferred customer, so I had some benefits, which was sufficient to break most of the problems of gameplay. Having a healer from day 1 made another difference -- where I was weaker, Mako helped me dps AND heal. As a reward, she's now decked out in a random assortment of social gear and modables. So have I.
Next bit to get used to: RAINBOW ARMOR. It was like good ol WoW all over again. XD
2 crew skills ain't bad; I've taken to just get gathering skills and sell everything on the AH. That has paid off in terms of the random bargains I get (Loungewear top and bottoms for Mako -- perfect for rounding off a hard day of collecting bounties.
).
The commendation limit is another annoying PoS, but that's just fixed by running back to town often and using well planned Quick Transports.
The fix to Medical Drones? DON'T DIE (I've only died when in the company of others who can res me. And as a combat medic, I usually keep them alive more.)
Leveling is slow, but I see more and more of why this game was setup like this. It was to give players who hardly have time to play, to have a chance to jump in and have some fun. Sure I'm locked out of the endgame, but hey, I'm just 13, endgame is but in a galaxy far far away.
So, with blasters in hand, red spiky Zabrak humor in the other, and Mako sitting in my lap, I'm shooting first right through the F2P chaos. I might sub one day, but I'll save that for when I hit the end. Granted I'm Asian, and I am used to the Asian MMO model, so as long as they never include the 'refine item but has chance to break unless you use said item from cash shop', I'll keep playing.