So I’ve been playing for about a week. Here’s some random thoughts on the game so far:

The staggered early access was a great idea and should be stolen by anyone doing a major MMO launch. They kept too much info close to their chest though. It took a fan made forum thread to get concrete info on who  was getting invite to each wave. This could have easily been revealed by the CMs without impacting their desire for flexability.

I’ve played most of the classes through level 10. So far, it feels like the Empire has a better storyline, although that may be a consequence of evil being fun. The Smuggler and Jedi Consular seem to suffer the most in this regard. The Smuggler storyline feels too light-hearted; there’s never a feeling that you’re there for any reason other than because you can and to get your ship back (which feels inevitable).

The Jedi Consular, especially compared to the Jedi Knight, feels inconsequential. The Consular is tasked with stopping a villager who gains access to some dark jedi knowledge. The Knight has to stop a powerful former padawan who is bent on revenge. Losing on the Consular side means you miss out on a chance to redeem the villager and  the Jedi lose their forge for making lightsabers. Losing on the Knight side means that the planet is overwhelmed by an armed and trained force of native creatures that overwhelm everyone.

The Empire, on the other hand:

• Sith Warrior: You set out to prove that you are the most powerful acolyte around, even though you were privileged with early admittance and favor. Your rival has worked hard to rise through the ranks, but you crush him anyway.
• Sith Inquisitor: The opposite theme from the Warrior; you’re a slave that  has a chance to prove themselves (or die) as a Sith. You use your cunning to outwit both your instructor and your rival; a pureblood that has spent all his life training to be a member.
• Bounty Hunter: You are brought aboard to gain fortune and fame from a contest known as the Great Hunt. You have to convince the local crime lord (A Hutt) to sponsor you. You eventually discover a rival for the Hunt is stacking the deck in his favor. You have to overcome both his plans and the highly corrupt denizens of Hutta to succeed.
• Imperial Agent: You are assigned to convince the Hutt to join forces with the Empire. You are given the identity of a ruthless pirate  to infiltrate the Hutt’s palace and get in his good graces. You follow a long line of intrigue and some setbacks in order to accomplish your task.

The Empire just seems to have more fun

The conversation system is great. As Gabe mentions, this really helps you to get a feel for your character instead of just being an avatar of yourself. I’ve always wanted to develop an MMO that would enforce role-playing; this seems like a great method toward that end.