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Backstabbing galore: Daniel Erickson talks about the Sith Inquisitor's story
The blog Sith Inquirer wrote in to BioWare to, well, inquire about Star Wars: The Old Republic's Sith Inquisitor class story and received a response from none other than head writer Daniel Erickson. In the interview, Erickson said that the story for the Sith Inquisitor was entirely written by Rebecca Harwick, who drew inspiration from Emperor Palpatine as well as Alex Freed's Blood of the Empire series. Inquisitor players will begin their saga by investigating "forgotten regions" on different worlds as they look for the secret of ancient Sith power. The team had a few issues writing around Purebloods being portrayed as slaves, although this was ironed out as BioWare placed a priority on allowing players to pick the race they wished. the class is being voiced by Euan Morton (male) and Xanthe Elbrick (female). Will there be plenty of backstabbing, political or otherwise, as part of the storyline? "More than you can possibly imagine," Erickson replies. When it comes to the Sith Inquisitor's companions, Erickson tantalized fans by saying, "Khem has one of the most amazing storyline developments for a companion and the (as yet unseen) Inquisitor romances are not your normal fare at all."
SDCC 2010: A SWTOR Managing Editor who doesn't solve problems by killing all the kittens
We all know that know that story is the fourth pillar for The Old Republic. We also know BioWare has the reputation for having some of the most compelling stories in the gaming industry. In fact, story is written into its mission statement: "BioWare's vision is to deliver the best story-driven games in the world." So it is no surprise at all that when the team came to Comic-Con this past weekend, it consisted of mostly writers. Massively's Dan O'Halloran nabbed the Managing Editor on SWTOR, Alexander Freed, for a conversation. Freed has scribed much of the story and dialogue for this epic MMO, as well as been the writer for the exciting adventures of Teneb Kel in The Blood of the Empire webcomic. Continue on after the break to catch Alexander Freed's insight into what the different types of quests will be available in SWTOR, what compelling choices players have to make, and what it takes to write for a project of this magnitude.
Music, audio, webcomics and more: It is super-reveal Friday for SWTOR's fans
With Comic*Con less than a week away, BioWare is passionately preparing for the stellar event. And to tease us into wanting more, the development team threw us a gigantic Fan Friday for Star Wars: The Old Republic. What secrets were revealed in the newest issue of the Blood of the Empire? What can be divulged in a Developer's Blog about audio? How do we discover this secret the SWTOR Community Manager wants to tell us? And music in an MMO? Is that important? The Developer's Dispatch wants to show us. All of these and other important questions will be answered if you click the little "Read more" button below.
Hyperspace Beacon: E3 -- extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition
The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. We have been teased, taunted, and tantalized this week before the Electronic Entertainment Expo, so much so SWTOR fans don't know topsy from turvy. In this Hyperspace Beacon, released just hours before Electronic Arts' press conference at the Expo, I will hopefully give you the lowdown on the latest news and perhaps help you appreciate the magnitude of the startling reveals. On the surface they may seem like hyped-up teases with very little to latch on to, but I believe they have exposed quite a bit. As Massively reporters packed their bags to head to Los Angeles, Bioware did not stop tossing tidbits at its diligent disciples. First, we were treated with a hands-on walkthrough from Gamespot detailing the beginning quest for most of the starting classes. Twi'leks and chiss were cited as playable species in this revealing report. Also, Gametrailers.com probed the path behind producing an exciting E3 trailer. Besides touring Blur studios, the interview taunted us with a brief look into this year's animated short story. Continue on after the break to find more insight into the extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition that is this year's E3.
SWTOR teases with the next Blood of the Empire webcomic installment
Star Wars: The Old Republic has done it again! The fourth installment of The Blood of the Empire has us itching for more, and asking more questions. Will Teneb Kel find his mark? How did Exal Kressh betray the Empire? This dialog-heavy issue introduces us to two new characters, an unnamed Jedi Master and his apprentice. The Jedi pair face the dilemma of trusting a Sith woman, Kressh, who (we found out last issue) was the apprentice to the Emperor himself. According to the Jedi Master, they are "staking a lot on this mystery woman" and the Jedi council has given them one chance to discern her intentions. On the Sith side, Teneb Kel pits off against a gangster-baron of the orbiting Lenico IV colonies, Ybann the Hutt. Should Kel trust the slug when told that Kressh has left? Should he trust his companion, named Maggot, when pressed to tell the one-eyed alien who Kressh is? You will notice a wrap around the Jedi Master's eyes. This wrap is similar to those worn by other Jedi such as Q'Anilia, Jerec, and the famous KOTOR 2 character, Visas Marr. This could be a hint that he is a Miraluka, but the greater question remains: Is Miraluka a possible playable race? Perhaps this will be one of the questions answered at E3.
SWTOR reveals the Emperor in webcomic
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the Empire Strikes Back. Just as in that monumental movie, the newly-revealed Emperor gives deadly instructions to his kneeling servant in Star Wars: The Old Republic's issue #3 of Blood of the Empire. Bioware's ingenious marketing campaign of webcomics drags us to the edge of our seats again. The issue begins explosively as Sith Warrior Teneb Kel faces off against his former Master, one he claimed to love as a father. This frantic and fear-filled lightsaber duel is cut short by the Sith Council just before Kel removes his Master's head, although this does not end Kel's trials for the day. A white-robed Emperor awaits with a final test: Exal Kressh. You may recall her in the last issue as the "pure blood" Sith. Her connection to Kel is yet to be revealed, but there is no mistaking the shock on his face when the yellow-eyed Emperor asks him to kill her. The pacing and art of this whole comic captures the audience much better than the Threat of Peace, but information just is not being revealed fast enough for the fans. To judge for yourself check out this week's edition.
Star Wars: the Old Republic expands Blood of the Empire
If there's one difficult task that Star Wars: The Old Republic has set for itself -- well, it's set several, but if there's one difficult lore task it would be transforming the Sith into a sympathetic and likable player faction. After all, they've got years and years and years of fiction painting them as unrelentingly evil bastards, while BioWare wants them to be heroic in their own way. It's no surprise, then, that the most recent installment of Blood of the Empire continues to show both the brutality of the Sith as well as their more compassionate side. Expanding the focus from the young Teneb Kal from the first issue, this installment shows us what happens to Sith who decide to strike out on their own -- successfully or not. It also gives a look into some of the morality of the Sith, where attempts to seize power are expected, but failure to do so means you overstepped your bounds. With a closer look inside Dromund Kaas at the heart of the empire, the latest installment should be of interest to every Star Wars: The Old Republic lore scholar.
Blood of the Empire may reveal the secrets of The Old Republic
The always-analytical team over at Darth Hater have turned their attention -- and magnifying glasses -- on the new TOR webcomic in the hopes of discovering hints for the MMO. The first issue of Blood of the Empire, entitled "Shades of the Sith," went up on The Old Republic's website a couple weeks ago, and as with the previous Threat of Peace comic, BioWare's cooperation with the project may be a subtle delivery mechanism for TOR secrets. So what have they uncovered so far? As with any exercise in speculation, maybe something, maybe nothing. The comic mentions "cacophinzer rounds" as a type of ammo that lightsabers cannot block, which may provide a logical excuse why lightsaber-wielding players may not always be able to deflect blaster fire. Darth Hater also points out the use of Teräs Käsi, an unarmed combat form that some Jedi use, which could have a role in the game. Above all of these details, they note that the comic seems to reinforce the BioWare edict that "choices matter" -- choices in quests, choices with companions and choices with conversations. Head on over to Darth Hater for the full read!
Environmental effects and new comics for Star Wars: The Old Republic
The big announcement out of Star Wars: The Old Republic came ahead of time this week, with the release of a surprise video documentary detailing combat. On the other hand, the game isn't only about combat. Having completed the Threat of Peace storyline in comic form, the site has launched a new comic to continue exploring the game's lore in more personal terms. Blood of the Empire has gone live, taking the exact opposite approach to the prior comic by focusing on a young Sith during the conquest of Republic worlds for the growing empire. True to form, the comic presents the Sith in the most straightforward fashion possible, leaving plenty of room for the moral ambiguity that classically defines BioWare's games. If that doesn't quite grab your fancy, the team's fan roundup has gone live, along with new concept art and a short trailer for the game. The former shows off some of the technology designs at work, while the latter highlights environmental effects from sparking generators to rippling water. It's a somewhat more contemplative look at Star Wars: The Old Republic compared to non-stop lightsabers and laser blasts, and it might prove a welcome contrast after the earlier announcements
BioWare details new TOR planet, web comic
BioWare has released preliminary details on another planetary play field from their upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. Belsavis plays host to an ominous Republic prison facility, apparently used to process all manner of Sith, Mandalorians, and troublesome aliens of various species. Check out Belsavis' HoloNet entry, don't forget to watch the video, oh and there's also the media section featuring screens, wallpapers, and lore. BioWare has also partnered up with Lucasarts and Dark Horse Comics to bring you Blood of the Empire, a new web comic by senior writer Alexander Freed. The title, set prior to the Treaty of Coruscant, promises to shed some light on the machinations of the Emperor's inner circle as well as inform portions of The Old Republic's extensive back story. Check out a preview panel from the forthcoming comic.
