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The Perfect Ten: Predictions for The Old Republic
I'm going to share with you a deep secret about the Massively staff: Pretty much all of us hate Larry. Oh, as a person he's likable enough, and he showers regularly, so no complaints there. He even saved the President's dog once and earned the Merit of Patriotic Pooches. Women swoon at his feet, and men occasionally throw their billfolds at him just so that he can afford to live the luxurious lifestyle that he obviously deserves. No, we hate him for a different reason entirely. You see, Larry gets the privilege and honor of being the Star Wars: The Old Republic reporter in these here parts, which has earned him no end of envy from the rest of us. Whenever we're all talking about TOR, Shawn will come in the room and tell all of us to cut it out -- except Larry. "Larry, it's your job to talk about The Old Republic. Keep on truckin', pal! You're the best!" And then Larry sticks his tongue out at us and makes pretend lightsaber noises for an hour or so while we grit our teeth. But then I remembered: I have a top ten column! In which I can talk about anything! And if that subject so happened to be TOR, then for one glorious week I could actually talk about BioWare's upcoming MMO without fear of reprisal from upper management! So today is all about my predictions for The Old Republic. Nine of them will come true; one will not. Have fun guessing which one!
Hyperspace Beacon: Ready to face the Trials
We are often inspired by the Star Wars: The Old Republic videos released on Fridays. I'm not exactly sure why the community team started these weekly treats, but I'm going to speculate that it's a way to show the future players that the team will be there for them when the game releases. It's a kind of comfort. Many newer MMOs have increased community involvement in post-launch game design. Maybe the SWTOR team is looking to tell us, "We want you actively involved in our game development now and after the game is released." Good for the team. This week's video of Jedi progression definitely inspired my colleague on Gamebreaker, Gary Gannon, as evident in Sunday's broadcast. I thought he was going to jump out of his chair. I have to agree with him that there is a lot of stuff packed into that two-and-a-half-minute video; for example, we were shown some of the armor progression milestones for the Jedi Knight class. This inspired me to investigate the story side of Jedi Knight progression. After all, BioWare is all about story, right? So follow me after the break as I set a side my conscious self and let the Force flow through me.
Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer shows the evolution of a Jedi
Though proficient in laser-bladed weapons and space magic, Jedi Knights typically share one profound weakness: A lack of fashionableness. That's not the case in The Old Republic -- check out the trailer after the jump to see how the Jedi's armor progresses as they move up the level ladder.
BioWare releases Jedi armor progression video
Due to what could be considered a lack of hard info on everyone's favorite Star Wars archetype, BioWare has had many fans crying out in terror. Today, said fans were suddenly silenced, though not because something terrible has happened. On the contrary, the traditional Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday update brings us a breathless look at glowstick-powered combat footage courtesy of the new Jedi Knight armor progression trailer. The clip runs a smidge over two minutes and features ample opportunity to feast our eyes on various animations, attacks, and of course armor sets and outfits. There's no voiceover, and those of us who haven't played the game at the various cons may not know exactly what we're looking at, but it nonetheless looks (and sounds) pretty cool. Don't take our word for it, though, see for yourself after the cut.
The Perfect Ten: Death penalties
Death penalties belong in that tier of MMO discussion topics that is reserved for the most controversial subjects, along with skimpy armor and the New Game Enhancements. Death, as we know well, comes for us all with big, nasty, pointy teeth. But for some reason, we are not fans of it, neither in real life nor in online games. One of the reasons death penalties continue to be a divisive subject is that they used to be brutal beyond belief in MMOs back in the olden days of yore. As the MMO genre progressed, the penalties were lightened and experimented with in an effort to avoid driving players barking mad because of them. So we've ended up with two camps: one group of gamers who campaign for harsh death penalties to make the world seem exciting and dangerous, and another group that campaigns for lenient penalties in the interests of sanity. So today we're going to go through 10 of the most-used types of death penalties in MMOs, starting with the most brutal and ending with the most lenient. Stay for the after-column party as well, as you'll get a taste for this debate in the comments section!
PAX East: BioWare reveals new Old Republic trailer
Fans were expecting a big showing out of Star Wars: The Old Republic at this weekend's PAX East. BioWare didn't disappoint, as the renowned RPG maker released the newest (and best) trailer for its upcoming Star Wars MMORPG opus. The two-minute short consists entirely of in-game footage and is titled Fate of the Galaxy, an appropriate moniker given that the video is crammed full of epic Star Wars moments from start to finish. Whether you're into space combat, Jedi combat, or pleasingly retro sound effects from the Lucasfilm library (we dare you not to crack a smile at the signature sound of a tauntaun or the squeal of a Jawa as he's shown the business end of a Sith lightsaber), there's something here for just about every fan. Check out all the pyrotechnics after the cut and let us know what you think in the comments.
Hyperspace Beacon: Sithing up for PAX East
If you haven't been paying attention, then you wouldn't know that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to make a huge appearance at PAX East this year. However, unlike past appearances, this presentation is all about giving the fans a first-hand experience with the game. The SWTOR community team has promised Flashpoints, Jedi classes, and origin worlds that the fans can see, hear, touch, and feel. For a fan who has been following the game since before October of 2008, this is far more exciting than any on-stage performance. With all of the hoopla, it may be difficult to know every single thing that is going on. And as your guide through the vastness of hyperspace, I should give you a guideline so you do not miss a vital piece of the event. Follow me after the cut for a breakdown of the planned events and some suggestions for things to do while attending PAX.
Hyperspace Beacon: A mystical energy field controls my destiny
I find it extremely interesting that the most poignant and memorable lines spoken in the original trilogy are not said by the primary protagonist, Luke Skywalker. Instead, the majority are spoken by Yoda or Ben Kenobi, and in this case, Han Solo quipped this line: "Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense." When I watch the first in this series of memorable films, I find it extremely fascinating how this bit of exposition was seamlessly woven into the the movie's narrative, especially given that, in the later films, exposition was set aglow with neon lights and explosive fireworks. Although an earlier scene set up what the Jedi were, this conversation between Han and Obi-Wan while the latter trained Luke really shows what the Force is: a mystical energy field that can control your actions or obey your commands. The premise was the set-up for many hokey religions and ancient weapons to be birthed in the Star Wars universe. I would like to take some time to explore the other religions born from the Force. Granted, this will not be exhaustive, but it should give you a taste of some of the possible "simple tricks and nonsense" (as Han Solo called it) that we may run into in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Hands-on with SWTOR's Jedi Knight on Tython
Last month, Massively was invited to LucasArts for a whole day's experience with BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. One of the perks of living on the West Coast is that I get to attend all these awesome in-depth Silicon Valley events and really expand on Massively's sessions at various conventions! For all my enthusiasm, I have to admit I approached this hands-on with no small amount of trepidation. I'm a huge Star Wars fan (I still play Star Wars Galaxies!), but I fell out of "expert" range on the saga a decade ago. Like many of you readers, I've been wary of the hype and even warier of delusions of grandeur on the part of game companies trying to do justice to the IP. I was really afraid that it wouldn't be as good as I'd hoped and that I'd walk away disappointed. And given the parts I saw, SWTOR's not as good as I'd hoped. It's better. %Gallery-108535%
Hands-on with SWTOR's next book: Deceived
The Star Wars universe probably has the richest and most collaborative lore of any fictional world. Literally, thousands of artists and authors have taken George Lucas' creation and turned it into the books, movies, paintings, comic books, and video games we know today. Paul S. Kemp, an author and corporate lawyer from Michigan, added his name to that list with his first Star Wars book, Crosscurrent. On March 22nd, 2011, Kemp's second Star Wars book will hit the shelves. Deceived will also be the second book to deal directly with the lore leading up to LucasArts' and BioWare's MMORPG (maybe you've heard of it): Star Wars: The Old Republic. The wildly popular Deceived trailer for SWTOR shows us how a Sith named Darth Malgus led the assault on the Jedi Temple during the Sacking of Coruscant. Darth Malgus and his Twi'lek companion rather quietly walk through the front doors of the temple to be surrounded immediately by Jedi who are rather uncertain about what to make of the situation until a stolen transport full of Sith warriors comes crashing through the main hall. A battle of light and dark ensues, which culminates with Maglus facing off with and killing Jedi Master Ven Zallow. As with everything Star Wars, we only get a piece of the actual story with the trailer. This four minute trailer is the spark which eventually turns into the forest fire. Deceived tells the immediate and personal effects of this battle on Darth Malgus, his Twi'lek companion, a Smuggler, and a Jedi Knight. The novel hardback will retail for $27 U.S. ($31 Canadian) when it releases, but Massively received an advanced copy of Deceived. Continue reading to scoop up our impressions of the latest in what looks to be a series of SWTOR-related novels. (Oh, there maybe a couple of spoilers to tease you in there, too.)
Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Warzones and Wizard's rename
A few months back at Gamescom, BioWare announced the names of all the advanced classes for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and one name in particular stood out to fans for all the wrong reasons. A Jedi Consular sub-class was called Wizard, and fans decided that the name was not Star Wars-y enough because SWTOR is a science-fiction game, not fantasy. However, the creators at BioWare wanted to stick to the name by justifying the name on the official forum and in interviews. But now, it seems they have caved. The ranged and healing sub-class will be renamed to Jedi Sage, Jedi Seer, or Jedi Adept. The best news is that you, the fans, get to choose. Head to the SWTOR forums and place your vote for your favorite name. Continuing the trend of giving the fans what they asked for, BioWare created a new video of Warzone ingame footage. For those who are unfamiliar, the Warzones are the PvP areas announced at E3. Alderaan is the only planet we know of that has a Warzone, so they weren't shy about showing some of that off in the new trailer. The Imperial forces have invaded a Republic outpost in an attempt gain control of Alderaani skies. Will you help the Republic or the Empire? Catch the video after the break.
SWTOR devs dive deep in Jedi design in this week's dispatch
The character type that will likely be played the most in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the Jedi. BioWare has been conscious of this from the early stages of the game. This is evident in the fact that there are two distinct Jedi classes: the knight and the consular. Yet, the designers have been the most tight-lipped about these two classes. They have said this is because they wish to get it just right before talking about it. But with this week's Fan Friday, things have changed. On the official SWTOR website, a new Developer Dispatch called Designing the Light Side has popped up. In the five-and-a-half-minute video, SWTOR writers, artists, and animators discuss the most important things it takes to create the two light side factions. "We want to give players the opportunity to be the heroic Jedi like Luke Skywalker or the darker, more avenging type of Jedi like his father, Anakin," Hall Hood, a senior writer, explains in the video. On which side of the moral spectrum do you fall? Are you a hero-of-the-ages light sider, or a ends-justifies-the-means gray Jedi? Watch the video after the break and let us know.
SWTOR announces green, red, blind, and horny Force species
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Star_Wars_The_Old_Republic_reveals_new_playable_species'; To the elation of fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the developers at BioWare announced that the Sith "pure blood" and Miraluka will be playable species for the Sith warrior and Jedi knight classes, respectively. On top of that, the Mirialan species will be available to Force push as Jedi consulars, and the Sith inquisitor can slash his dual-bladed lightsaber as an acrobatic Zabrak. In case these species names mean very little to you, here is a brief catch-up. The Sith species is a red-skinned race from the planet Korriban. They were made mention of in this Hyperspace Beacon a little while back. Miraluaka are blind humanoids who see via the Force. The KOTOR II character Visas Marr was Miraluka. Mirialan are a bit less familiar to the casual fan, but two of them are found in the Episodes II and III of the Star Wars movies, Luminara and Barriss. Finally, everyone should be familiar with the devilish face of Darth Maul, the Sith apprentice who killed Qui-Gon Jinn. He was the quintessential Zabrak. Perhaps this writer is the only one excited about this announcement, but it is doubtful. What are Massively reader's thoughts?
Choose my Adventure: A wretched hive of scum and villainy... and quests
Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of posts and galleries here on the site. Then, as our two months are up, we'll do it all over again in a new game! It's been two weeks since I stepped foot in the lands of Star Wars Galaxies, and as surprising as it may be to many to hear this: not only have I managed to avoid lag, but I've also been having quite a lot of fun. Yes, believe it or not, one actually can have fun in Star Wars Galaxies! That's not to say the game is entirely without problems. Let's face it, the core of the game is seven years old, and I don't know any games that old that don't have some issues. However, the age doesn't stop the game as it is now from being fun. Whether or not it's your particular flavor of fun, well, that's for you to decide. I'm certainly not going to convince anyone by essentially going "woohoo! fun!" at you over the internets. With that out of the way, if you're curious as to what the last week held, and what this week's request for help is, then join me after the break. I can definitely use some sage advice from the active Star Wars Galaxies vets on this week's question! %Gallery-97914%
Choose my Adventure: The force is strong in this one
Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of posts and galleries here on the site. Then, as our two months are up, we'll do it all over again in a new game! Last week, our readers voted on various different things that would shape the course of my adventure in Star Wars Galaxies. At the close of the polls, the winning combination turned out to be a male Twi'lek on Starsider. In terms of profession, we had a tie between Jedi and bounty hunter at the close of the poll with 310 votes each, which made it a bit of a toss-up. (Note: there's a bug, thus the additional votes.) Dutifully, I rolled one of each and played them for a few levels, but in the end, decided on Jedi between the two as I'm much more used to melee-based characters when it comes to my previous MMO experience and tastes. Mind you, I also realize that in the time period that Star Wars Galaxies is set in, there's really only supposed to be one Jedi running around (depending on whether or not Yoda and Obi-Wan have shuffled off their mortal coils as yet) and a handful of force-latent folks scattered out. But let's face it -- who hasn't watched the movies and wanted to be a lightsaber-wielding Jedi or Sith? I freely admit I was that dorky kid waving around a wrapping paper tube and making lightsaber noises. I still do it on occasion: only I have an iPhone lightsaber now. Anyway, enough with my reminiscing on where I was when Episodes 4, 5, and 6 came out, let's get on with the advenure!
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The players (part 1)
I think we can put to bed the rumor that Star Wars Galaxies is dead on its feet, considering the avalanche of emails sent my way asking to be interviewed. Last week's history retrospective sparked a desire in many players to share their experiences and personal epics, and it was not uncommon to read emails longer than this column from players excited to reminisce. There's a lot of love for SWG, both out among MMO players and here in the Massively office (we have at least three confirmed SWG addicts on the team). When I began this series, I thought that it would be dominated by NGE and nothing else, yet the responses I've read tend to focus on the positives of the title instead of that one ugly month. It might not have been the Star Wars experience everyone wanted, but if one looks hard enough, apparently there's something for everyone in SWG. Sam Schneider encapsulated many opinions perfectly with this: "Despite its problems, and what I believe people mostly remember it for (and I certainly do), the game did allow you do truly create your own Star Wars experience. You weren't Han Solo, you weren't Luke Skywalker, you weren't Leia -- you were YOU." Unfortunately, I could only interview a small fraction of the people who wrote in, so I randomly chose a handful of players to represent the (mostly) pre-NGE crowd for this week, and a handful of (mostly) post-NGE gamers for next week's column. This week we're talking with Adam "Vayde" Mostel, Jaume "Tsotha Lanti" Sabater, Kate "Syena Runningrider" and Paris "Iweos" Wright.
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The history
Each month, the Game Archaeologist dusts off one MMORPG of yesterday and investigates while hanging on to his hat. From the ancient lands of Ultima to a galaxy far, far away, the Game Archaeologist is always on the move, looking for the next treasure trove to uncover. Some say that covering Star Wars Galaxies is a moot point: that the true game as it was is dead, and that with The Old Republic on the horizon, SWG is all but passé. Yet through the steamy jungles of Kashyyyk to the dangerous dunes of Tatooine, there is evidence of passion, play and Imperial Stormtroopers shooting all willy-nilly. It's weird to think that in early 2003, the MMO genre was almost an entirely different creature. World of Warcraft was still over a year away, and the most successful developer at the time (Sony Online Entertainment, along with Verant) had teamed up with LucasArts to create a Star Wars game above all other games. A killer IP, a beefy development team, and incredible fan-fueled hype made Star Wars Galaxies THE game to watch as it raced toward launch -- even IGN crowed in 2000 that SWG could become "one of the biggest games of all time." Join us now as we hop back to the wild frontier of the early 2000s and peruse the first seven years of Star Wars Galaxies' run. It's had its highs, its lows, and a three-letter acronym that became one of the most infamous MMO events ever -- but no matter what your opinion, the Force has been strong with this title indeed.
New Star Wars online game revealed: Clone Wars Adventures [Update]
While we've heard the rumors of a third Star Wars online title coming our way, today it's confirmed: Clone Wars Adventures will launch this fall! Unlike Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic, Clone Wars Adventures is aimed at a younger demographic (but may appeal to the older as well), in the vein of what SOE did with Free Realms. Sony is shying away from calling this an "MMO," preferring the term "virtual world" instead as there won't be leveling or quests. Capitalizing on the Clone Wars TV series' popularity, CWA offers a pick of three playable classes (Jedi, Padawan and Clone Trooper) and will be more minigame focused. Players will socialize in hubs, meet iconic Star Wars characters, and head off together or solo for a variety of activities, including spaceship battles, tower defense, card games, droid programming and speeder bike racing. Destructoid is reporting that about 20 minigames will be present at launch. Fun amenities, such as pets and player housing, will be offered as well. Clone Wars Adventures will be free to play with an optional membership, so everyone will be able to sample the goods without worry. The official website is chock-full of info and screenshots, although a lot of the smaller details are obviously forthcoming. We'll be able to get a closer look at this title when we travel to E3 later this month, so stay tuned! [Update: We've gotten our hands on a trailer for the game! Follow along after the break to check it out!]
Hyperspace Beacon: Return of the Jedi
"For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic, before the dark times, before the Empire," Obi-wan Kenobi explained to a young Luke Skywalker and the audience for the first time in Star Wars: A New Hope. This started the never-ending quest of finding out what exactly it means to master the seemingly limitless power of the Force. On that life-transforming statement, we begin in this week's Hyperspace Beacon. The Jedi Knight places Star Wars beyond every other science fiction story in world. The mix of science and mysticism takes us to a place that challenges not only our mind but our spiritual beliefs as well. The Jedi Order asks us to, "unlearn what you have learned," and to, "do or do not. There is no try." Then, as if to defy greater logic, they brandish a sword made completely of light. Let us take a few moments to rediscover these lightsaber-wielding wizards, find out a little of how they came to be, examine what differences arose over the thousands of years they existed, and investigate what you can expect from the Jedi in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
New details on Star Wars: The Old Republic companion characters
BioWare's lead designer James Ohlen has done a quick interview with IGN about Star Wars: The Old Republic's concept of "companion characters." Not only do you get to tool around the universe as a Sith or a Jedi, but as we first heard back at the game's announcement, you get to bring some other poor suckers with you. The idea sounds a lot like your party members from Dragon Age or Mass Effect 2 -- your companions will follow an "Affection" system, and you can end up making them "twisted to the dark side of the Force" or "stronger and more independent," depending on how you treat -- even gift -- them. (Those being just a couple of examples.) Companion characters will also have a lot of combat utility, and you may want to bring some of them based strictly on how they complement you in combat. The gear you equip for them will also make a difference, so you may have to tailor your party and their gear for the specific goals of any given mission. The system doesn't sound too different from past BioWare games, with the caveat that, since it's an MMO, you'll have to direct AI players in real-time rather than pausing the game to give out orders. Ohlen also says his favorite recent character is Alistair, which worries us a little bit -- he always struck us as whiny. [Via Massively]
