Star Wars the Old Republic

soran wrote:ok but its an MMO and that already ruins the game soo....

Cllyx wrote:

soran wrote:ok but its an MMO and that already ruins the game soo....

MMO doesnt ruin game, I see you like KOTOR, whats wrong with adventuring new missions online with friends with that type of the game that you like, unless you like only to play it alone, which you can, just never party with anyone when you start tOR

from your side mmos are worse games, but game#1 is WoW, which is MMO, tho i dont like WoW that much it is still leading game, so if you count entire world, it is obviously that mmo is best type of game since there is much bigger percent of mmo players then non mmo players, so you are wrong with saying MMO already ruins game, it is only individual opinion, which I respect if you meant to say your own opinion, but generally speaking, browsing their official site, world, or at least star wars fans cant wait for, how they say, best star wars game that bioware ever made

we should form our guild JvS for this game tho, I use to exchange few words about this with Aadavark, Champ and Dray few months ago, about that and about free private server, that will be our, so maybe we should make poll about this, after all some1 has to pay for the server, and it shouldn't be only one person; but I am fine with having fee on official server, but that will result only in less number of JvS members, we can build and level our guild, fight, become famous, meet future JvS members in tOR game, with this game you actually get opportunity to create character, and live life in SW universe at that age ( every SW fan should like that), where RP should be on high level, where you can build crew, where you can interact with NPC and PC with voice, having ships and exploring planets with friends, or maybe to steal some ship from others, and so many other features that this game offers and none of other MMOs have, I think it is too early to judge bad about tOR cos some other MMOs failed, and I think that what they showed so far to us is great

G4 Review of The Old Republic wrote:
Seven hours. That’s how long we were given to go hands-on with Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare’s epic MMO set within the iconic and sprawling universe originally imagined by filmmaker George Lucas. Seven hours to roam the world of Tython, home of the Jedi Order. Seven hours to quest, explore and level our way through just one of the six possible opening stages of the game. Seven hours to rise from Padawan to Jedi. Seven hours to prepare to save the galaxy.

Seven hours and we barely even scratched the surface. So scant was our footprint on the Old Republic that not even the Force would know we were ever there. Eight levels, dozens of quests, a handful of story missions and we didn’t even board the vessel to Coruscant where the game truly begins.





Beginning on Tython, we were offered two class selections, Jedi Consular and Jedi Guardian, of which we chose the latter by virtue of our love for old-fashioned, close-quarters lightsaber combat. The Consular's abilities skew to the more "magical" side of the force with a focus on healing and ranged attacks. As the premier student in our classes at the Order, we had the opportunity to adopt either a humble or arrogant attitude, managing our responses throughout the day to keep a fairly balanced association. Immediately, the order is attacked by the local brutes known as Flesh Raiders and your assistance is required down in the valley below the training grounds.

These first few missions – from destroying a set amount of Raiders to rescuing a few stranded students – are the stuff of your basic tutorial. Thankfully, there’s little to teach as the interface is surprisingly intuitive for both hardcore MMO fans and relative virgins alike. You'll move with the WASD keys and assign useable items to the later number keys. Your basic force powers, which will evolve rapidly as the game progresses, are also mapped to the number keys. For the Jedi Guardian, many of these powers represent upgrades to your fundamental lightsaber attack, executed by simply clicking on the enemy in question. Force attacks like the spin attack and an area-attack are particularly impressive with the cool-down times on these abilities perfectly balanced to keep the combating moving without being excessively simple. Inventory management and map navigation are equally accessible as your various armor and equipment degrade over time, forcing players to be mindful of the loot they collect and equip along the way.

Force powers will be upgraded for experience as you encounter various Jedi instructors along the way. The more you level up, the more abilities will be available to you. More complex, however, is the game’s economy system, which’ll force you horde and sell your loot strategically as you go. At least this early in the game, repairing objects such as weapons or armor is usually vastly more expensive than simply equipping the best of what you find, and in our limited playtime, we did far more selling than purchasing.





Eventually, you’ll discover that the Flesh Raider attacks have been orchestrated by a renegade Jedi, believed long-dead. Soon, you’re taken under the wing of a cantankerous, self-confident Obi-Wan archetype and introduced to a larger conflict currently stirring in the galaxy. But before you can journey off-world to investigate the mystery further, your skills as a Jedi apprentice must first be honed. Hell, after seven hours of gameplay, we’d still yet to acquire an actual lightsaber, fighting our way through Tython with merely a reinforced training blade.

After all, the Raiders are causing tremendous trouble for the citizens here at home, including the suffering, overlooked camp of Twi’lek Pilgrims, and there’s work to be done before we can begin meddling in much larger affairs. At this point, the game opens up into the kind of free-form questing that both MMO fans and BioWare RPG enthusiasts will no doubt recognize. In fact, were it not for the distinctly MMO control scheme, The Old Republic might very seem like a well deserving follow-up to KoTOR, playable almost entirely as a single-player experience. With the exception of one quest encountered toward the end of our playtime, virtually no single feat required more than our own brawn and determination to accomplish. However, there are quests and areas of the game that simply won't be accessible -- or, at least, able to be accomplished -- without friends in tow, and its here where you'll find some substantial loot. That said, having never partnered up in the first few hours, we didn't exactly find ourselves missing it either, but we were only playing in a world with 16 players.

This may very well be one of the game’s most significant advantages or disadvantages as the story continues, threatening to lack the cooperative substance that MMO lovers require, yet boasting an ease of use and a straightforward mission structure that might very well invite less frequent MMO players into the genre. With any luck, BioWare’s talent for nuance will be able to fundamentally please both groups as the previously announced Crew Skills mechanic and WarZone PvP sections will serve to bridge the two worlds.





Neither of those features played a role in our seven hours exploring Tython, however, although it’s apparent that they’ll be vital to your experience later in the game. While we did recruit one companion character – a kidnapped droid who proved surprisingly useful in battle – the idea that future crew members would be able to carry out missions, gather resources and craft objects even while you’re away from the game is a difficult feature to ignore. And the story moments that funnel players into wide-scale, PvP conflicts on planets like Alderaan – otherwise known as WarZones – promise that no matter how self-absorbed we might have become, obtaining and finishing missions with little regard to the multiplayer aspect of the MMO, we’ll inevitably be forced to confront our online friends and enemies.

Seven hours and eight levels later, our time with the title expired, having never made it beyond the world of Tython. Our quests consisted of surviving ancient Twi’lek rituals, helping alien royalty, reuniting fathers and sons and deciding whether the relationship of two passionate lovers should be reported to the Council as insubordination. And there was still much, much more to do on the planet before venturing into the true heart of the game itself. And this is only one of several potential starting points, depending upon your class – each with their own tutorials and quests – including Alderaan, Tatooine, Nar Shaada, Taris, Coruscant, Korriban and others.

In this relatively short span of time, we can confidently say that the game looks and plays extremely well, controlling with ease and readily accessible for anybody looking for a strong overall RPG experience. What we can’t say, however – considering that so many of the more complex features were unavailable to us – is whether it’ll truly please the MMO elite. But from what we experienced, and given the rate at which the narrative was progressing, there’s infinitely more to discover in this massive, unending universe.

Bioware wrote:APRIL FOOL'S DAY! The game's been pushed back to January 1st 2013

thing944 wrote:

Bioware wrote:APRIL FOOL'S DAY! The game's been pushed back to December 21st 2012

thing944 wrote:

Bioware wrote:APRIL FOOL'S DAY! The game's been pushed back to January 1st 2013

Aardvark wrote:History.

Aardvark wrote:Go look up how many "release dates" Half-Life 2 had and I think you'll get it.

Eric Young - World Designer at BioWare wrote:

Designing Coruscant

They call me Eric Young. I’ve been a World Designer at BioWare for almost four years now; my job is to design the layout of planets, place buildings and mold terrain into mountains, valleys and roads. I work from the writers’ storylines to make sure the environment makes sense, and plan out roads and landmarks so that players can figure out where they are and where they need to go. It is a job that gives me the opportunity to interact with lots of talented people across multiple departments, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In my time working on The Old Republic I’ve had my hand in designing and building a number of planets, from the majestic peaks of Tython to the vile swamps of Hutta. However, one planet stands out from the rest as the most challenging and the most rewarding: the Republic capital of Coruscant. The political center of the galaxy and home to a trillion beings from a million worlds, Coruscant is an ecumenopolis or planet covered entirely in a single massive city, with towers that stretch miles into the sky. This blog aims to offer some insight into how we created Coruscant in The Old Republic.



The project started with research. We looked at how Coruscant was constructed in the movies, cartoons, comics, and games. Our concept team provided amazing work that gave us a vision of where the planet could go. We studied how large cities had been built in other online games, but we could find nothing so ambitious that had even been attempted, let alone successfully executed. We would be starting largely from scratch, there were numerous technical and artistic concerns to account for, and the schedule did not allow for wasted time. It was without a doubt a daunting task, but being both a lifelong Star Wars™ fan and an intrepid explorer of online worlds I was determined to capture the grand size and scale of the city that the movies portrayed.

Our initial designs for Coruscant were relatively conservative, and ultimately unsatisfying. We quickly decided that we did not want to settle for a mere facade that only hinted at a metropolis in the background, we wanted to offer players a seamless and immersive experience, so that players could take a transport from the shining towers of the senate district down into the canyons of the market and criminal sectors, and finally beneath the layers of metal and glass into the rusted industrial structures deep below.



The design became more and more ambitious, with art assets grander in scale than anything we had attempted before. Skyscrapers that reached kilometers into the sky, immense metal panels that would cover entire zones from other games, and endless canyons of steel vanishing into the distance. Walkways connected to entrances along the outside of these buildings, leading to a city within a city; each large structure containing a maze of streets and building fronts, with automated factories, abandoned research facilities and criminal headquarters to be explored.

Once we were satisfied with the design we handed it off to the other teams. The Environment Art team took our ambitious design and transformed it from humble grey cubes into a sprawling city of darkness and light, and every passing day makes the planet more impressive. The scripting team forged the writers’ stories into fully functional quests that let you interact with the city’s people and places, while the spawning team brought the city to life with politicians, droids, and a plethora of nefarious foes.



Once everyone has done their part it is ready to be seen and tested. And then we get feedback, and go back and iterate again and again until it approaches perfection.

I still have some time left, so I will leave you with a narrated tour. Someday you will be able to experience Coruscant for yourself, until then I hope I’ve given you something to look forward to. Perhaps our paths will cross again, in the City of Spires.



When you land at the spaceport on Coruscant you are greeted with a view of the Senate Tower, lavish gardens flanking its historic entrance. In all directions shimmering glass towers stretch out to the horizon; only the wealthy and powerful can afford to live on the surface, and see the sun and stars. Walkways connect the spaceport to the Senate Tower, decorated with statues and monuments commemorating the Republic’s heroes. In between the two massive structures sits the district’s transport hub, active at all hours with the thriving traffic of politics and commerce.

Boarding a transport takes you from the Senate District down to the dangerous Black Sun Territory, quickly descending away from the light and into the narrow canyons between the city’s megablocks. The flat metal surfaces stretch for kilometers in both directions, dotted with countless windows and landing platforms. Far above you can still see a sliver of sky, but as the transport continues descending it soon passes beneath the foundations of the city’s surface level. Now metal surrounds on all sides, creating an endless artificial night in which untold billions spend their entire lives. Traffic becomes erratic and dangerous; few security patrols venture this far into criminal territory. Unregistered freighters and illegally modified aircars fly freely in these lawless depths.



The transport lands on the outskirts of the Black Sun territory; from here the journey must be made on foot. A small and besieged squad of Republic security officers is doing all they can to hold the landing platform, and would be grateful for any help that might be offered.

Across the crowded platforms of the docks is a building the Black Sun gang has claimed as its own. The narrow walkways hang in a void; emptiness stretches for hundred of meters above and below, offering a long journey into darkness for anyone unfortunate enough to fall from the edge.



At the other side of the docks there is an entrance that leads into the heart of the Black Sun-controlled structure. The interior of the building is dimly lit, the narrow streets are strewn with debris while decrepit apartment blocks loom in on all sides. Rows of walkways climb into the darkness above, a testament to the countless beings living in these conditions. Here, the Black Sun gang rules without question, taking what they want while frightened citizens cower in doorways, hoping to be overlooked. The comparison is stark between the lives of these poverty stricken wretches and the extravagant elite living far above.

From the brightest lights to the darkest depths; such is the glory and tragedy of Coruscant.

Community Q & A
The Old Republic community has a lot of questions and we want to answer as many as we can! Each month we are going to start a new thread on the forums focused on gathering questions from the community. Please post your questions in the Community Q & A Thread #2. We’ll be reviewing them as they come in, and answer some in our next Studio Insider.

We ask that you please keep your questions courteous and professional, and avoid duplicating questions that have already been asked in the current thread. Keep in mind, as well, there are some questions that we’re not able to answer right now, so not all of the questions will be answered.

This month Dallas Dickinson, Director of Production for BioWare Austin, takes on your questions. Please note that some of the questions have been edited for clarity. Enjoy!

1.Will a player be able to level up just playing PvP? (asked by metaspy)

Yes you will. We’re big fans of multiple gameplay paths – we don’t want to force you to do one thing to advance. That means you’ll level up whether you’re playing PvE or PvP.

2.Will there be subtitles in the dialogues? (asked by DarthDrakes)

While by default we don’t show subtitles for dialogue scenes, you are able to toggle subtitles on and off as an option. And of course, we will show subtitles for NPCs who speak an alien language. We don't expect our players to run out and learn conversational Shyriiwook just to play the game.

3.Are testers still being picked? (asked by screally)

Absolutely! The selection of testers is an ongoing process, and will continue as long as we need testers.

4.Will there be different server types, as in PvE servers and PvP servers? (asked by Fruskov)

There will be several different types of server, including PvP servers and PvE servers.

5.Will we have a lot of customization options for making our characters? (asked by Galivos)

Because you will see your character's face so frequently during conversations in the game, it's absolutely critical that you can look awesome and unique. We have plenty of face/head/body customization options just in character creation, not to mention all of the amazing-looking equipment and gear you will find in the world.

6.What is The Old Republic focused on the entire journey from the first level to last level - being a complete experience, or is it a rush to the end level to do all the 'good' stuff? (asked by Destrucshot)

The Old Republic is an end-to-end high-quality BioWare RPG experience. We don't want players to feel a lull, to feel a grind, or to think "gosh, if only I could get to max level where the real fun begins." We want to support all types of gameplay, but these are two good (and often cited) examples to elaborate on. Some players only care about the ‘end game’; for them, we are making sure to have Raids, Warzones, repeatable Flashpoints and all of the endgame features one expects from an MMORPG. Along the way, though, we want even the power-gamer to really enjoy the end-to-end journey and story. We also know that some players will want to experience every class story, and a core element of the game’s design is focused on making sure that the end-to-end experience for every class is amazing.

7.Will the battlegrounds be story driven to the same extent as questing and character progression in PvE will be? (asked by Svarteryttaren)

Not quite as much. We want Warzones both to make sense and to be repeatable, which means that they can't be as deep as the class and world missions in the PvE game. That said, they each tell their own exciting Star Wars story. We want them to feel like movie moments, like the best battle sequences of the movies - and to do that, you have to have compelling story.

8.What if I don’t want to kill the Captain, but my groupmate decides to kill him? Do I have to suffer the consequences of his choice? (asked by monorico)

As our own Daniel Erickson told the folks at PAX in Seattle earlier this year, Light Side and Dark Side are about intention. If you really *wanted* (and chose) to save the Captain, and the Sith Warrior in your party cut his throat, the universe knows what you wanted to do. You'll still get your Light Side points. Bottom line is that we don't want other players to grief your progression or the fantasy of who your character is.

9.I’m a massive roleplayer and my tiny question is: Will there be beautiful areas where I can sit and watch the world go by, like watching the birds and listening to the in-game music? (asked by Raimun)

There already are. All of our planets have iconic musical themes as well as beautiful environmental art and effects, and even if a dirty cantina on Hutta isn't beautiful, it sure feels like Star Wars to sit in one, listening to music and watching a creepy Rodian hit on a Twi'lek dancer.

10.Are we going to hear about the direction of endgame before launch? (asked by Crazy_Person)

Definitely - I can give you the high-level direction already, but the details will have to wait a little longer. For those who want to continue to play their main character, we’ll have Raids, Warzones and other PvP choices, as well as heroic Flashpoints. For those who enjoyed the journey to maximum level, we have one of the most compelling class replayability in the history of MMORPGs.

Dray The Fingerless wrote:Could really care less about all these updates, ill say what the game is when i play it.