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| Everything You Need To Know About Star Wars: The Old Republic |
By:
Chris Coker |
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If you have even only a passing interest in Massively Multiplayer Online Games, chances are you have heard about Star Wars: The Old Republic, maybe you even heard that developer Bioware recently announced it was accepting applications to be part of an upcoming beta? An announcement that proved so popular it crashed the game's website and forums for almost twelve hours.
But what's all the fuss about? Why does everyone want to play the game so badly, and can The Old Republic really become a viable option for, and competitor to the venerable World of Warcraft?
First, a little history. The origins of The Old Republic date back to 2003, when developer Bioware created Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a critically acclaimed RPG based on the popular Star Wars license.
Developer, Bioware crafted an instant classic, and a worthy addition to the already impressive stable of games based on the license.
Knights of the Old Republic, or KOTOR as it came it be known, was hailed for it's rich, detailed story, memorable characters, and the freedom of choice offered to the player. KOTOR wasn't the first game to allow gamers to choose whether to follow a morally good or evil path, these options were called the Light Side (Jedi) and the Dark Side (Sith) of the Force, but it offered a layer of depth and complexity that was previously lacking.
Knights of the Old Republic takes place during a period of time 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, or well, well before the events depicted in any of Star Wars' theatrical incarnations. Events that took place during this period of time aren't that widely known, making it fertile ground for Bioware to exploit from a creative perspective.
KOTOR went on to enjoy great critical and financial success, so much so that a sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, was quickly put into production, albeit under the auspices of a different developer, veteran RPG house, Obsidian Entertainment.
Despite KOTOR II's late 2004 release and subsequent success, gamers weren't sated... they wanted more. As it turned out, they'd have to wait four years before the next tidbit of official info would come their way.
For a couple of years before The Old Republic was officially announced, rumors had been circulating that the next installment in the KOTOR series would be a Massively Multiplayer Online Game of some sort. When The Old Republic was finally announced in October of 2008, it was initially met with more than a little skepticism.
The first reason for this skepticism was that the footage and images shown were from the game's early pre-alpha stage, as such, it wasn't the most graphically impressive debut.
Gamers were initially perhaps unfairly critical of the game's rough appearance and shoddy animation as many were not used to seeing how much a game develops visually as it nears launch, which, for The Old Republic, was almost two years away.
The second roadblock Bioware faced with TOR was that of expectation. Many gamers who played and loved KOTOR I and II were expecting the third installment to be an offline role playing game, just as the first two titles in the series were. Bioware's decision to make The Old Republic an MMO threw them for a loop, and despite the developers pedigree, many gamers were unsure about whether Bioware, who had never developed an MMO before, could knock it out of the park on their first try.
Eleven month's on and it's something of a different story. The Old Republic's continues to mature and development is on track for a 2010 launch. Many of those who initially harbored reservations about the game's lack of visual prowess have done an about face, as TOR now looks comparable to the very best looking MMO's available or in development.
Questions raised about whether Bioware had the expertise to deal with the development of an MMO have mostly been answered, and fears allayed as the developer hired key staff from veteran MMO stalwart Sony Online Entertainment, and eventually merged with Mythic Entertainment, the company that developed and runs EA's Warhammer Online.
But what can we expect from The Old Republic? Put simply, you can expect more of what Bioware does best; story, character development, intricate dialogue, and an immersive world.
Bioware has always made story one of the most important aspects of any game it's developed, it's in their company DNA, and that philosophy hasn't changed, even considering the massive scope of an MMO.
For years before any technical staff had even started work on TOR, Bioware had hired a small team of writers to begin fleshing out the game world and painting the intricate backdrop against which the game's galaxy spanning gameplay would play out.
We're being promised that players actions will actually have consequences, and that we will be able to shape the world around us, and create individual characters who have unique relationships with the non-playable characters they meet in the game world. In fact, the depth of attention to detail in the story department means that The Old Republic has become the largest voice over project in entertainment history. Bioware promises that every character within the game world will be fully voiced.
Much like Knights of the Old Republic before it, TOR will allow players to choose which moral path they wish to follow as they venture into the world, by presenting them with two factions, The Galactic Republic, and The Sith Empire.
Make your choice carefully though, as your actions and dialogue will permanently open or close story paths within the game.
TOR is still a way off, and as a result we're only privy to four of the classes that will be present in the final game. These include:
Galactic Republic classes
The Trooper class: The Republic Trooper's enduring legacy in the Star Wars saga is that they eventually gave way to the haplesss armor clad, bullet-magnet, baddies who couldn't hit the side of a barn door in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
Before that though, courageous men and women of the famous Republic Army were the well trained, tight knit commando unit that protected the freedom of the Old Republic and stood toe to toe against the evil machinations of the Sith Empire. Troopers are renowned for their grit, guile and toughness, players choosing this class will be impressed with the array of powerful firepower at their disposal.
The Smuggler class: Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are without doubt the most famous smugglers in Star Wars lore, and now you can aspire to make the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs, and yes, even shoot first.
While it's true the Smuggler class is one of the “good guys”, you'll find they often operate on the fringes of the law, in the grey area between the light and the dark. But then that's what makes them so irresistible to so many. If you have something of an adventurous streak, enjoy flying by the seat of your pants, improvising in battle, don't mind hauling hot cargo, and possibly attracting the ire of a glut of dangerous enemies from Endor to Aldaraan, then the Smuggler class is for you. You're welcome your highness.
Note: While we haven't had official confirmation, it's probably a safe bet that the Jedi class will be unveiled at some point in the future, after all, what's the point of a Star Wars game without Jedi!?
Sith Empire classes
Bounty Hunter class: Perhaps the most exotic class revealed thus far, the mention of the Bounty Hunter class will no doubt draw to mind images of Bobba Fett, both blasters firing as his rocket pack propels him into the air... minutes before plunging to his doom in the Sarlacc pit. Such is the price of fame.
Bounty Hunters have no friends, they work for The Republic and are well paid to make their problems disappear. Their armor offers maximum protection, it is nonetheless light and flexible, allowing much needed agility in combat. Despite the tag “Jedi Killer”, the Bounty Hunter will need every ounce of the experience and dogged determination cultivated to take down their targets.
Sith Warrior class: The Sith Warrior is the wrecking ball to the Bounty Hunter's shuriken. Sometimes a show of strength is needed, and when The Empire wishes to utterly decimate the opposition and leave a lasting message, the hate, anger, and fear of the Sith Warrior is channeled.
Masters of the Dark Side of the Force, Sith warriors have no need for flashy or bulky suits of armor, instead relying on the punishing fury of his blows to annihilate the enemy.
Action in The Old Republic will take place not just on a single continent, or planet, but span the vast expanse of the Star Wars galaxy. Areas revealed so far include:
Tython, the ancient and mystical “birthplace” of the Force.
Korriban, the dusty, crimson red rock from which the Sith emerged.
Hutta, the putrid and repugnant home planet of the Hutt (see Jabba)
Ord Mantell, the volcanic battleground upon which a civil war rages.
Coruscant, the capital and crown jewel of the Galactic Republic.
It is possible and likely that further expansions to TOR will unveil new planetary systems.
As time rolls on, excitement for The Old Republic continues to rise, a fact that was only highlighted by the official homepage's capitulation at the hands of eager visitors seeking beta keys.
It's early days yet, and only time will tell for sure, but with the backing of EA, and a license as popular as Star Wars, it's not out of the realm of possibility that we might finally have a true “WoW-killer” on our hands.
Official Website: http://www.swtor.com/
Beta Sign up: http://www.swtor.com/tester (requires website registration)
Release Date: 2010
Looking forward to Star Wars: The Old Republic? Check out the EpicToon blog at http://blog.epictoon.com for the latest news and updates on SWTOR and other hot MMOs today. |
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