Star Wars: The Old Republic Preview

[Emabulator]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/swor1.jpg

GamesRadar has posted Tim Edwards' (PC Gamer UK) hands-on preview (http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/star-wars-the-old-republic/preview/star-wars-the-old-republic-hands-on/a-2009070610215182000/g-20081021163120143024) of BioWare's upcoming MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Even at this early stage, The Old Republic is as polished, as playable and as slick as... that other major MMO. Why? How? Because BioWare Austin, the studio responsible, have paid attention to the details from the very start. And their ambition seems limitless. They want to make an MMORPG that encapsulates the essence of their single-player games: a true online sequel to classics like Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur’s Gate. They want to make a game with proficient, modern production values, fully voiced cutscenes and multi-threaded conversations. They want to reduce the grind – removing the tedious fetch 10 and kill 20 quests that plague the genre – and tie everything into their story. They want to introduce genuine consequence, giving parties of players the kind of moral choices their single-player games have become famous for. Except that in this world, there are no save games, no chances to go back and see what might have happened.

[Gel214th]

Yeah. And after 4 pages of article we still don't know jack sh** about the game except:

1) You can play as the Sith and use Force Choking
2) Instances have branching storylines depending on the conversation options you pick
3) Players can join a party in the middle of an instance, or the instance can be restarted
4) There is supposedly a flight mechanic for bounty hunters and their jetpacks
5) Smugglers can hide behind objects in the game, and level designers build these static hiding spots into each level/instance.
6) Each Class has a unique storyline which supposedly takes the class from start to max level.

Did I miss anything?

What about the Combat? Is it active, Action oriented combat where you need to aim and shoot? Or is it normal Tab target and press hot keys?

How is the end game handled? Sucky raids like WoW? Continuing quests and repeatable instances? Grinding grinding grinding?

What about questing itself,are there side quests or just the main story quest? What form do these side quests take? Can you travel between planets? Is there space travel? Space battles a la Xwing/Tie Fighter?

So many questions raised by these weak previews that at this point are just repeating ad infinitum what was posted months ago. The fact that, to me, this game still seems to be as much as two years out (2011 release,maybe even 2012!).

I'm not sure why the hype machine is revving so hard this early.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

I'm not sure why the hype machine is revving so hard this early.

BioWare... MMORPG...

[lockwoodx]

I'm not sure why the hype machine is revving so hard this early.

Just wait until you start seeing Paul Barnett jumping around in trooper armor like a lunatic.

[Sloth]

I don't think its early , seems about the right time to start hyping it.

Combat seems to be pretty standard MMO combination of real time and round based. You probably have cooldowns and casting times.

I wouldn't expect the fundamental gameplay to be very innovative. What Bioware seems to be trying to do is change the progress experience. I guess instead of going to town and loading up on collection quests and kill quests you get some multi path story arc to complete.

Wether or not this is any better remains to be seen, however my problem with WoW isn't the leveling as much as it is the end game raiding.

[bean19]

I loved this preview and I'm positively nutting myself over the idea of playing a Sith that uses action points like WoW's rogue to setup killer moves.

I love the focus on the story, the huge amount of content, the fact that the previewer seems to like the combat (the only thing I really worried about from Bioware), and I am just so happy that someone is actually making a good MMO with the Star Wars license.

[RMan]

I'm not sure why the hype machine is revving so hard this early.
Cause that other star wars MMO didn't do so hot. I don't know, I just don't believe any MMO dev when they say they're 'reducing the grind', they have to come out and say 'we don't want the game to be the only MMO you play'. The idea that you're gonna please me with actual content with the time generally sucked into an MMO, sorry, not believing any dev who claims to be that magical. Just too many empty promises in this industry.

[DeadPixel]

I just finished killing 55 baby Ewoks and now you want me to kill 100 elder Ewoks? WTF

[MADxMrMike]

my beef with MMOs are that they tend to be a mad dash to end game. everyone just gathers quest that don't really mean jack shit, and they want to max out their character ASAP. Im hoping Bioware had found a cure for this. if anyone can its them.

[CrysDark]

While Final Fantasy XI has its many draw backs, the story telling is top notch and the missions are always interesting. Let's hope TOR can achieve the same goals.

[bean19]

Cause that other star wars MMO didn't do so hot. I don't know, I just don't believe any MMO dev when they say they're 'reducing the grind', they have to come out and say 'we don't want the game to be the only MMO you play'. The idea that you're gonna please me with actual content with the time generally sucked into an MMO, sorry, not believing any dev who claims to be that magical. Just too many empty promises in this industry.
They've said that for each class in the game they are providing more content than they did for a KOTOR game. Those games take 30-40 hours to complete. That's a very, very big game.

[bean19]

While Final Fantasy XI has its many draw backs, the story telling is top notch and the missions are always interesting. Let's hope TOR can achieve the same goals.
There are just not that many quests in Final Fantasyand there is just so much grinding in between them. My hope is that they are far superior to FF XI in quantity of content and a lack of group dependence. However, I do hope they use cut scenes like FF XI. I absolutely loved the line of quests from the Taru kids.

[DeadPixel]

my beef with MMOs are that they tend to be a mad dash to end game. everyone just gathers quest that don't really mean jack shit, and they want to max out their character ASAP. Im hoping Bioware had found a cure for this. if anyone can its them.

That's exactly my problem as well. Unfortunately I have the same symptoms, I tend to be interested as long as I have a character development goal. This doesn't have to be the highest possible level, sometimes it's as simple as a spell/skill I really want to use. Once I reach that point, my interest drops off and the game becomes a chore.

Strangely enough the thing I found the most fun in any MMO was showing my friends areas they hadn't seen before, like a tour guide. I don't mean raiding to get the max XP or loot, but just plain ol' exploring.

[bean19]

DeadPixel - I find it absolutely vital to play with voice-chat with a group of friends who are funny and share similar goals (I like to do PvE, but I LOVE to do PvP that is at least close to fair. . . so I love battlegrounds (scenarios in WAR) but I'm not a huge fan of open PvP).

[DeadPixel]

DeadPixel - I find it absolutely vital to play with voice-chat with a group of friends who are funny and share similar goals (I like to do PvE, but I LOVE to do PvP that is at least close to fair. . . so I love battlegrounds (scenarios in WAR) but I'm not a huge fan of open PvP).

Oh yeah agreed on the voice chat. I always use it as well with friends, makes a huge difference. I'm not huge on PvP, but WAR did suck me into the scenarios for a while. I'm looking to try that again sometime soon.

[RMan]

They've said that for each class in the game they are providing more content than they did for a KOTOR game. Those games take 30-40 hours to complete. That's a very, very big game.
Not for an MMO, and if they're saying unique content for every class, then not sure I buy it. In the end, there are always focus choices, if they expect you to level all classes, then there will be a relative shortage of endgame content. I'm not saying there's a 'right' thing to do with stuff like that, just that I do not believe it'll really be any different from other MMOs unless they change the concept of 'this will be your MMO for the next year or two, hardcore or not'.
my beef with MMOs are that they tend to be a mad dash to end game. everyone just gathers quest that don't really mean jack shit, and they want to max out their character ASAP. Im hoping Bioware had found a cure for this. if anyone can its them.
You have touched on why I’m so skeptical of big MMO claims. The reason there’s a mad dash for end-game, is that invariably that’s where the most people are. If the game restricts player grouping by level, then this is what will naturally happen. The only cure that I can think of is not restricting player cooperation by level, implement a mentoring system, and have an advantage for all players involved, regardless of level.

Therein lies the problem with playing multiple characters. If the game is designed under the idea that you play multiple, separate ‘beings’ and level them, and you’re supposed to have lots of playtime for each character, then it’s gonna be boring and lonely if you want to play something different (by leveling another character). If you’re supposed to level fast, then you just have your grind at end-game, ‘leveling’ in another way (like in WoW, random leveling through gear).

Personally, I’d prefer one character, and implement a jobs system, at least that would solve the communications issues in something like WoW (since your characters in-game are totally separate) when you want to play something different. Doesn’t solve the fast/slow leveling dilemma, or address the aggressiveness of the game as a time-sink.

No matter what, as much as I liked playing WoW, I’m not sure I’ll play it anymore unless it was less of a time-sink. Although I prefer WoW’s atmosphere to Star Wars games, I’d be FAR more interested in this one if I heard that a goal of development was to respect my time, rather than sucking as much of it as possible. For now, it’s sounding like ‘same goal, better implementation’, and it just doesn’t interest me, even if they succeed in that.

[Feltoar]

RMan, BioWare intend to make the grind interesting not to eliminate it. They have promised an end game and I have faith they can at least successfully emulate other MMOs on the market if they do no surpass them. Keep in mind they have the financial backing of EA, who no doubt have the #1 MMO position in their sights and the money to throw at BioWare until both companies are sure they will get there.

Rather than all the fetch and kill quests where the players major motivation is to get stronger, TOR will add an additional reason to do all the quests which will be their story. Whether its humour, insight into the Star Wars universe, a romance subplot, telling an alternate view to events or others there are plenty of ways to give players such as myself, who find zero motivation to get stronger for the sake of getting stronger, to play through the level grind. Theyre also making the start game more interesting.

[RMan]

RMan, BioWare intend to make the grind interesting not to eliminate it.
If it's interesting, can it be called a grind:)? Yea, get what you're saying, hope they pull it off, just don't have your faith.
Keep in mind they have the financial backing of EA, who no doubt have the #1 MMO position in their sights and the money to throw at BioWare until both companies are sure they will get there.
Hehe, didn't Warhammer have that too? Hey, again, maybe it'll work out, but 'potentially' piles of cash thrown at it isn't gonna sway me, seen plenty of that in my day. I just want a really different approach. 'WoW but better' is not only something I'm skeptical of, but not that excited about, but that's me.

Keep in mind, if it wasn't for Galaxies, you'd likely be saying 'it's a Star Wars MMO, how can it fail'. There are many, many ways for a game to fail.

[lockwoodx]

my beef with MMOs are that they tend to be a mad dash to end game. everyone just gathers quest that don't really mean jack shit, and they want to max out their character ASAP. Im hoping Bioware had found a cure for this. if anyone can its them.

Wow was the first game ever where I enjoy doing the quests again as a rerolled character. After years I still find things I've missed.

[PopoWRX]

Wow was the first game ever where I enjoy doing the quests again as a rerolled character. After years I still find things I've missed.

It really is difficult to reroll a character once you've experienced the Northrend continent. While it has its fair share of fedex quests, the quality and narrative involved is just so much higher then BC and especially old-world content that doing over the old stuff becomes a chore (at least to me).

Which makes me really excited to see what Blizz's next MMO will be after all things they have learned/continue to learn from WoW. I have WoW fatigue atm and can't see myself coming back ever, even for the Lich King, but another MMO in a new setting (can't quite figure out if the unannounced game is the new ip or the next-gen MMO is the new ip) or an established one would make me sign up day one.

As for TOR, definitely on my list of MMOs to watch for, if Blizzard can make the jump I think Bioware can too.

[Feltoar]

Hehe, didn't Warhammer have that too? Hey, again, maybe it'll work out, but 'potentially' piles of cash thrown at it isn't gonna sway me, seen plenty of that in my day. I just want a really different approach.
Well as you said you dont have my faith :D

[drakkarim]

dunno, i am not expecting even bioware to do much with the mmorpg genre, i think in the end it will be just another mmorpg (that i ignore) full of eventual group grind fests, pvp/raid complainers, and still no meaningful soloing after some point.

as much as i love the star wars movies, i've never gotten into any of the games, even the kotors bored me.

i hope they don't stake too much of their company into this game, i'd like to see them around for other projects.

[drakkarim]

looking forward to guild wars 2 about a hundred times more than this.

[Zeal]

expecting this one to be a big success.

[PopoWRX]

looking forward to guild wars 2 about a hundred times more than this.

I just can't get into Guild Wars for some reason despite it being such a well-balanced game, with a true pvp system compared to other MMOs out there.

I think I'm hung up on the itemization being so low and the lack of levels even though you get your skills through quests and other such things. Maybe I'm just too vain. >_>

Probably why I feel Aion is such a fun game to me haha.

[bean19]

dunno, i am not expecting even bioware to do much with the mmorpg genre, i think in the end it will be just another mmorpg (that i ignore) full of eventual group grind fests, pvp/raid complainers, and still no meaningful soloing after some point.
The only meaningful solo endgame in MMOs is in WoW and WAR. Both of these have a PvP endgame that allows you to earn sweet loot while playing either battlegrounds or scenarios. These are group-based PvP contests, but you are placed on teams automatically so you don't need to team up so long as you know how to play your class.

[Jadbalja]

I just finished killing 55 baby Ewoks and now you want me to kill 100 elder Ewoks? WTF

Killing Ewoks isn't a quest, it's a reward. If you're really good, you get to kill all of Jar Jar Binks' ancestors so that he's never spawned.

[Emabulator]

Killing Ewoks isn't a quest, it's a reward. If you're really good, you get to kill all of Jar Jar Binks' ancestors so that he's never spawned.I'm going to pre-order the Collector's Edition for sure now!