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Bringing the SW:TOR legacy system to WoW

Last names in WoW


I had a lot of fun during my brief stint as a Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The leveling was great, the storylines were compelling, the instances were interesting, but I eventually went back to World of Warcraft in the end. SW:TOR didn't feel very unique, it didn't have enough to grab me and hold me, to suffocate me with its content and keep me away from Blizzard.

Even so, there were a few differences between Bioware's entry into the MMO space and our site's namesake, one of them being the concept of a server-wide legacy. SW:TOR's legacy system, if incorporated into WoW, could be a great way of introducing leveling bonuses and the like, something WoW has historically done via heirlooms and guild perks. Personally, heirlooms have always left me feeling a bit too overpowered and take some of the fun out of the leveling process -- I've even leveled characters without heirlooms, just because it's more challenging and, thus, rewarding.



Perhaps the most visible aspect of the legacy system in SW:TOR, however, was the addition of a legacy name, which you could display as either a last name or a subtitle, or not at all if you didn't care for it. Last names in an MMO where you can play characters of either faction on the same server is a bit of an odd concept, but I think it adds a lot of depth to your characters and increases the roleplay potential in justifying how a Rattataki could belong to the same house as a Miraluka. I'll even give the blues a couple ideas to get them started: houses for the Alliance, clans for the Horde. Those are on the house, Blizzard, use them well.

I'm convinced the same can (and should) be done for WoW, to encourage an even greater investment in our characters and to inspire more people to level alts, an activity that's taken a noticeable hit since the launch of Mists thanks to the surplus of dailies and reputations standing between a fresh 90 and the rest of the game. Granted, we already have a bevy of character titles with which to label our avatars, but taking something like SW:TOR's legacy system and repurposing it into WoW is about more than just a flashy name. It's a platform that could be built upon and improved, even beyond what Bioware has done for their game.

What do you think? Is this something you'd want for your characters, or do you feel like it would add too much complication?


Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.