So I've gotten my smuggler to level eight, combat is alright. Really hoping the game opens up when I get my star ship, running around Ord Mantell has been kind of nonengaging.
It depends on what you mean by opens up. The starter planets are pretty small, and Ord Mantell is pretty drab. Your next planet
is heavily corridored but the planets start to get huge around level 25ish. You will still pretty much do them in order though, so it doesn't open up in that sense, although many later planets have bonus series quests that you can come back to a few levels after leaving the planet.
Having said that there is a lot to do besides planet quests. Do flashpoints as you go, they start at level 10 and the group finder makes this easy now. Also do some PVP and even space missions can be fun. All of that helps to break up the feeling of being on the same planet for a while.
Second, don't feel like you have to do every quest. There are a few types of quests on each planet you'll be doing:
- Your class story, this needs to be done to progress your story and you'll always do these.
- Planet quest arcs. The early planets don't have these but later each planet will have a main story to follow that will take you through each area of the planet. Most of these are worth doing.
- Regular side quests.
- Heroic quests, recommended for either 2 or 4 people. You'll see people spamming for groups for these. Sometimes you can get some nice rewards for them included moddable orange gear.
My first character I did every quest and I was 5 levels past what I was fighting by the 3rd planet. Now I do all the quests on a planet on one character, then on another I'll just do my story and maybe planet quest only on the next character.
Then, on top of that each planet will have 5 datacrons hidden around the planet which boost stats or give you a coloured shard you can combine with other coloured shards to make relics. Early on you'll find these just by exploring but getting to them gets more and more difficult with jumping puzzles, special items required to open access to them or requiring 2 or more people to access.
Then you have crafting and gathering after level 10, talking to companions and gaining their affection etc.
So just do a little bit of everything and it'll help break up the feeling of being stuck on a planet for the next 5 levels.
As for scoundrel, they can feel a little limited until you get to about level 30. The best part of playing a Smuggler, IMO, is the conversation dialogues. There are some truly funny moments throughout their story.
