The first actual print article of The Old Republic comes from PC Gamer. I picked up a copy of it on my lunch break (ten fucking dollars at Barne’s And Nobel, only place around that had it - fuck them), and gave it a read through.
It’s basically a broad overview of the game, not unlike the coverage IGN and 1up have had on the game - but the PC Gamer article itself has some new information to share as well. Check out some of the new stuff after the jump.
We want to make sure that our audience gets something they can look at and say, ‘Wow, this is the best MMORPG I’ve ever played, and I love it, and it’s everything I wanted a Star Wars game to be.’ That’s a big challenge, but we want to take that on. - Dr. Ray Muzyka, cofounder of Bioware.
A lot of this article is talk like this, to be honest. There aren’t many concrete examples of excerpts of the game - other than “yeah, we have this, this is our philosophy, etc.” One thing that can be certain, though, is Bioware’s commitment to polish, so with any luck, TOR is going to live up to their expectations. You know, the company that’s done Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, Jade Empire….
“We’re turning it up to 11. We’re not doing an incremental change, we’re really going far beyond what everyone else has done,” promises Design Director James Ohlen. First and foremost: choice. Never before in the history of MMOs have there been quests with multiple outcomes depending on your actions and with those actions having long-term effects.
This part somewhat puzzles me, because I can’t begin to fathom how regular MMO structured questing would effect the overall gameworld. Is the game comprised of instances - like if I were to kill a leader of a Smuggler ring, would he remain dead?
After thinking this over more, I’m more inclined to say that actions - such as killing an innocent person, or bending an indivdual’s mind to my own advantage, would have an impact on your companions, rather than a permanant lasting effect on the actual game world. Seems like a lot of fucking work behind the scenes, but that could make for an extremely compelling game. Quests with multiple outcomes is a daunting feature, as well.
“We’re really excited about bringing story to the MMO space,” sayys Muzyka. “We love MMOs and play pretty much all of them collectively, and we think there are a lot of amazing games out there, but we think we’re adding something new. In addition to exploration, customization, progression, and combat, we’re adding a meaningful story that you get to play through as a character. You get to live the experience as a Jedi, Sith, or other classes.”
Key word - other classes. This, and this quote/speculation from PC Gamer:
“IT’S NOT JUST FOR KNIGHTS”
Yes, you can be a Jedi - and you can choose to be one from the very start. But the thinking behind dropping the “Knights of” from the game’s title is that Jedi are just a part of a bigger picture. “We wanted to make sure that everyone knew right from the start that you could be a Sith or a Jedi, but that’s not all you can be,” says Zeschuck. “We have a pretty interesting character system. Obviously, in the world of Star Wars, the Jedi are ultra powerful, but there are instances where you have guys like Jango or Bobba Fett that can compete. So, conceptually, the kinds of classes we’re choosing are the ones that actually can be competitive with Jedi,” says Muzyka. “One of the basic premises of the game is that we want everyone to be able to be a hero. And there are Jedi and Sith in the game, and anyone can choose those paths, but there are other paths as well. All of them are meaningful, all of them are fun, and all of them are heroic.” While they’re not willing to cough up a list of available classes just yet, Zeschuk and Muzyka say that if you see it in the films, you’ll likely be able to play it in the game. Jedi, Sith, bounty hunters, smugglers, crime lords, soldiers, pilots, and diplomats come to mind. None of these are officially confirmed, however.
Which is kind of to be expected, since the title has no “Knights” in it, like the previous titles. I’d really rather be a Bounty Hunter, smuggler, or scoundrel than a Dark Jedi or Sith, so this is good news. Now, if I could be a droid or a wookie, I’d be estatic….
Regarding PvP (Confirmation) and Factions:
“JOIN US - IT IS YOUR DESTINY”
Players will choose to start as a citizen of either the Republic or the Sith Empire, and it is between those two factions that the main PvP combat takes place. Ericson says that while the Empire is a totaliitarian society, the people aren’t evil for the sake of being evil. “We couldn’t make it like Tie Fighter, where you’re playing on the Dark Side and they go ‘Dark greetings, my brother! Here’s another day of evil!’” he says. … Suprisingly, there will not be infighting between Dark Jedi and Jedi, or Sith and Light Sith. (Yes, Light Sith. You can be a bad person in the Empire.) … The war between the republic and the Empire is a separate issue from the spiritual conflict within every character. We don’t know if a Jedi can become a Sith… but if they did it in the movies, then there’s a strong possibility of it being possible in the game.
So, TOR will be (another) two faction game, which dissapoints me. Although the capability of being “evil” or “good” on either side - ie a Dark Jedi fighting for the Republic, or a Light Sith fighting for the Sith Empire, tickles me correctly. I’d still kill for a third, neutral faction. Why don’t more MMO’s allow for this? Sure, one side is nice, and the other is nice, but I’d rather stay in the middle and play both sides to my advantage. I guess that would add a third layer of work for Bioware, though….
On Companion Characters and Quests
“They’re [Companions] not pets, and they never have been,” points out Ohlen. “You can romance them, make friends with them, be betrayed by them, and they can even decide to leave your party if they don’t like what you’re doing.” All players will have access to a broad spectrum of companions to choose from, and Ohlen promises there’s a good explination for two players having duplicate companionsthat in no way involves cloning.
“The thing about Star Wars is that it’s not all about combat or exploration; there are some subtle moments too, like where Obi-Wan is sneaking through the Death Star. You’re doing some things kind of behind the scenes that are really important, and you feel like you have a purpose. Imagine you’re in that role, and you’re the one that’s turning off the Death Star’s tractor beams and force fields.” Meanwhile, your friends are fighting their way through the guards to rescue a hostage or escape.
I like these ideas as well. The idea of having a group of PvE companions following me everywhere is amazing, but the first thing that pops up in my mind is “why is my guy the same as that guy’s guy?” If they’re not clones, then what? Are you able to select and create these characters yourself, or choose their names, classes and the like? I’d prefer having a set amount of quirky and predetermined characters, but I guess I’ll have to see more information on this system before I pass judgement on it.
On combat:
In a “very early” video of Jedi and Sith battling it out with lightsabers, combat looked similar to the KOTOR games, with more acrobatic fighting moves. I was astonished - not because the graphics were amazing, but because unlike every MMO ever made, the lightsabers were actually making contact. MMO melee combat, affectionately known as the “combat dance,” has always been somewhat abstract: each avatar performs combat animations independently, with hits and misses registering regardless of whether the target is anywhere near where your animation strikes. Not anymore - BioWare has declared its intention to vault over that technological hurdle, making combat look and feel as satisfyingly kinetic as in a single player experience. One thing that will be different from BioWare’s single player games: combat, for obvious reasons, will not be pausable, but it will be balanced to allow you to handle everything real time.
This is another huge promise by Bioware. Even Age of Conan, which has arguably the best combat system in modern MMO games - does not have full contact or hit boxes like Bioware is promising. When I attack someone with my lightsaber or vibroblade, it should react in such a way that it looks like they’re getting hit with it, or hit with a bullet/laser blast. We’ll see if Bioware can pull this off.
Regarding things like player owned ships, additional playable races, or space combat, Bioware was still quiet. The article didn’t hold any real “wow” moments, or anything exactly new that I haven’t read on the game before, but it did clear up some loose ends - will there be PvP combat? What other classes can I be?
I’ve become a bit more wary to new MMO’s since WAR’s release, as the MMO market seems to be much more Overpromise/Underdeliver than any other game genre out there.
Personally, I think Bioware could hit a huge home run here. The first to KOTOR games were of the utmost perfection - as close to a perfect Star Wars game as one can get. Hell, as close to a perfect Star Wars experience. Bioware did with KOTOR that which Lucas failed to with his prequels - create a compelling, original story and experience that was very much Star Wars, without being Star Wars. I think the best part about TOR is it’s distance from the movies - it allows for much more freedom in what can and can’t be done in the game. I’ll be keeping my eye on this game quite closely… I’m estatic that there could be a plausible and decent Sci-Fi MMO on the market….
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