Gamescom 2010 Wrap-Up

Today's official update consists of another issue of Blood of the Empire... and that seems to be it. Luckily I've also still got the Gamescom wrap-up to do, so I'll add that as well to spice things up. But first the comic; here's the official news:

In the tenth issue of Blood of the Empire™, a battle between Republic and Imperial fleets rages over Korriban as Teneb Kel chases down his foe. The fate of the Sith homeworld and the Children of the Emperor is in the hands of one young acolyte and his slave--but duty and patriotism aren't the only forces guiding them...

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

As for Gamescom, I felt that The Old Republic didn't have quite as strong a presence as I was expecting. Maybe it didn't stand out as much anymore after its E3 presence, but to me they (and every other MMO, not to say every other game) seemed to be rather steamrolled by Guild Wars 2's exceptionally strong presence at the expo (not that surprising considering that GW2 was showing gameplay for the very first time). Either way, there were a number of things here and there.

• [link] to interview with James Ohlen at Darth Hater.
  
  The always excellent Darth Hater had an interview with James Ohlen during Gamescom. I thought that they had more Gamescom interviews, but seems I was wrong. Anyway, here's an excerpt:
  

  Can you explain the philosophy behind how the skill sets in each advanced class work? Is it to give you further options to extend the ways you play one role in groups, does it open up additional roles, or is it best described as a combination?
  
  James: Each of the advanced classes does allow you to modify the role you play as a group. For example, if you are a Sith Warrior and you decide to go down the Juggernaut path then you will be wearing heavy armor and wielding a single lightsaber. You are much more of a tank character. However, if you decide to go with the Marauder path, then you get to wield two lightsabers and you are dealing a lot of damage. You are much more of a dps character; you are gonna be the guy dealing the damage instead of taking it. So those are two very different classes, but you are still a Sith Warrior; you are just playing a different role in the group.

  
  
• [link] to Space Combat reveal video interview at GameSpot.
  
  GameSpot has a video interview with Daniel Erickson about the recenty revealed space combat. it's a nice interview that goes beyond just space combat onto a few other things. The most interesting thing for me was where they talked about giving your companions 'kits' to help specify what role you want them to play. I don't think I'd heard that before. Anyway, here's the video:
  
  
  
  
• [link] to Sith Inquisitor hands on article at IGN.
  
  Over at IGN they played the demo at Gamescom as a Sith Inquisitor and they wrote a relatively short article about their experience. Here's an excerpt:
  

  Back to my Inquisitor character, he was initially tasked with proving his worth by finding a certain NPC located nearby the starting area on Korriban. By roaming outside I found myself in a red rock valley along the sides of which were carved huge, ominous figures. I trotted around and checked out the skill bar. It wasn't very full yet, the character was very low level, but could still pull off a few useful attacks. Saber strike could be triggered at close range for a boost in melee damage played out across a flurry of strikes. Shock functioned as a simple ranged electrical attack, and lighting drain was a channeled ability that damaged, restored force, and slowed targets. If a fight proved to be especially tough, there's also the option to meditate to quickly restore health and force over time. With a cooldown of one minute, it seems like this ability is meant to be used pretty often, keeping downtime between battles to a minimum.

  
  
• [link] to article at TenTonHammer.
  
  Ten Ton Hammer has a fairly short article about a press demonstration that BioWare gave, talking about advanced classes and space combat. Here's an excerpt:
  

  If the player wants to be a character like Darth Maul, they would select the Sith Assassin specialization from the Inquisitor class. This would allow them to wield a double bladed sword and provide a stealth element to their gameplay. The contrasting specialization for the Inquisitor is the Sorcerer. As a Sith Sorcerer the player would be more like the Emperor and have ranged abilities like force lightning.

  
  
• [link] to off screen gameplay video at GameTrailers.
  
  GameTrailers also played the demo, if I'm not mistaken as a Trooper, and they pointed a camera at the screen as they did. The resulting video is below:
  
  
  
  
• [link] to wrap-up article at MMORPG.
  
  MMORPG.com didn't go to Gamescom (as I understand), but they did look at all the information that's been released and wrote an article considering their thoughts. The article is mainly about the advanced classes, but also mentions space combat. Here's an excerpt (I might've missed it, but I don't recall hearing anywhere that the Jedi Shadow can use stealth so I wonder what their source for that is):
  

  The Jedi Consular’s Advanced Classes stirred the SW:TOR community into a tizzy over the past few days. Options for the Jedi Consular include the hybrid controlling/healing/damage dealing “Jedi Wizard” Advanced Class, as well as the saber staff wielding MDPS Jedi Shadow. Fan reaction to the Consulars “Jedi Wizard” class name was understandably negative, I’m not sure what Bioware’s thinking was here and I suspect that this may be changed. Yes, Ben Kenobi was referred to as an “old wizard” by Owen Lars in Episode IV, but that is pretty obscure and there are plenty of other possible names that could have been used here. This just seems like a lazy attempt to attach a familiar fantasy class name to one of SW:TOR’s “mage” classes. The Jedi Shadow, as its name would imply, interestingly makes use of stealth mechanics.

  
  
• [link] to off screen gameplay video at IGN.
  
  IGn also has a (very short and soundless) off screen gameplay video with what looks to be a Sith Warrior. For a while I thought that the character's lightsaber was horribly bugged as it looks like a normal stick, but I think now that that's supposed to be a training weapon or such. Can't really fault them for not trusting acolytes with lightsabers (and it's fun for players to earn them). Here's the video:
  
  
  
  
• [link] to video interview with James Ohlen at SWTOR-Station.
  
  The German site SWTOR-Station also has a video interview, this one with James Ohlen where they cover a variety of topics (and some interesting answers). The link above has, next to the video, also a summary of points (be sure to click the English flash in the top-right if you're getting it in German and prefer English). I'm glad to have confirmation that twi'leks can be more than just Smugglers (I'm still hopeful that it's a species that can be every class, considering how iconic to Star Wars the species is). Anyway, here's the video (via YouTube):
  
  
  
  
• [link] to off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
  [link] to more off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
  [link] to even more off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
  
  I'm not going to embed all the videos, but the gaming blog Leakerz has a whole load of off screen videos showing (well over an hour of) TOR gameplay. Unfortunately most of them are without sound (ostensibly because of the noise on the show floor), but they still give a detailed view of the gameplay. If you can't get enough off screen demo footage then it's certainly worth a watch.

And that's about it. I'm sure that there are sites and articles and such that I've missed, but that should give a fairly decent view of TOR's presence at Gamescom this year.

Next up is PAX.

Starships and Advanced Classes

Running a bit behind on the updates (both from Gamescom and last Friday's update). Some of the news that came out of Gamescom and was confirmed in the Friday update pretty much drained my enthusiasm for SWTOR. But I'll get to that.

First of the two Friday updates we got is something we pretty much already had: two of the starships players will be able to get in The Old Republic (for the Jedi and Sith classes respectively), just now officially announced and on the HoloNet. Here's the official news:

Whether you’re looking to dominate the galaxy in the name of the Empire or rescue it from darkness as part of the Republic, you won’t get very far without a starship. In Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, your starship will be your base of operations, and it might even be your best friend. Ship models are specially designed to match the needs and tastes of each of the class types, so even though all the starships are outfitted for traveling the galaxy, each has its own character.

Study the style and specifications of the various Starships by accessing the HoloNet now!

The starship pages contain a short description, some concept art and screenshots, and a video of the interior (which had already been released at E3). At the very least they could've thrown another ship in there and give us something new. But oh well.

The second Friday update is a Fan Friday update showing the usual fan art (with some nice images in there) and such. It includes a piece of concept art from the developers and shows five new forum avatars that people can use in the forums.

The most interesting part of the update though is, from the Developer Corner, the reveal of all the names for all the advanced classes along with a three-point list for each of their specialization. Let me copy it here:

Trooper Commando Heavy Blaster Cannon Grenades Ranged DPS Vanguard Blaster Rifle Energy Shields and Defense Tank Smuggler Scoundrel Blaster ‘Shot Gun’ Stealth / Medicine Burst ranged damage or Healing Gunslinger Dual Pistols Quickdraw / Fast Attacks Ranged DPS Jedi Knight Jedi Sentinel Dual Wield Saber Saber fighting specialist Melee DPS Jedi Guardian Single Saber / Heavy Armor Leadership / Party Buffs Tank Jedi Consular Jedi Shadow Double Bladed Saber Stealth Burst melee damage Jedi Wizard Single Saber Powerful Telekinesis / Healing Ranged Control / Damage or Healing

Bounty Hunter Powertech Flamethrower Defense / Energy Shields Tank Mercenary Dual Wield Guns Missiles Ranged DPS Sith Warrior Sith Juggernaut Single Saber / Heavy Armor Fear and Darkside Auras Tank Sith Marauder Dual Wield Sabers / Armor Saber fighting specialist Melee DPS Imperial Agent Operative Blaster Rifle / Energy Blade Stealth Burst Ranged damage Sniper Sniper Rifle Cover, Ambush, Orbital Strikes Ranged DPS Sith Inquisitor Sith Sorcerer Single Saber Force Lightning / Force Drain Ranged DPS or Healer Sith Assassin Double Bladed Saber Stealth Burst Melee DPS

To say that people are unhappy with some of the names is an understatement. Particular "Jedi Wizard" is drawing a lot of ire. In fact the first thing anyone who sees that list tends to say can be best summed up as "WTF, Wizard? Are they serious?" Of all the names listed everyone I've talked to (without mentioning anything in advance) singles out "Wizard" is seeming an extremely poor fit.

In fact, I don't think I've heard anyone say that they think that it's the best possible name; the closest anyone defending BioWare here will come is saying something like "it's just a name". It might be just a name, but it's a name that anyone who wants to play the class will be referred to for as long as they play the game. It seems so incredibly ill-fitting for Star Wars (and in particular for Jedi) that all it can do is constantly sour the experience playing. It does the exact opposite of making you feel like a Jedi and instead calls to mind settings like Warcraft, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, casting fireballs and teleporting and turning people into sheep.

In fact, ever since the announcement of that name I've got this recurring thought of Luke waking up in Ben Kenobi's cave with the old man hovering over him saying "you're a wizard, Luke". He then goes off to the school for Jedis and Wizardry under the tutelage of Professor Yodalore where, together with his friends Herleiame and Han Weaslo he fights the evil Lord Volpatine and his Darth Eaters. And don't get me started on Chewbacca in this nightmare. Wizard indeed.

Those defending the name say that the word "wizard" has actually been used in the movies and thus is part of canon. They're referring to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in which Uncle Own says "That wizard is just a crazy old man" about Old Ben Kenobi. People have already pointed out that this is said in derision, but I think it's more than that. To me that sentence shows Owen's complete and utter ignorance as to what a Jedi is by calling Obi-Wan something he's exactly not. The rest of the movie then lifts Luke out of the ignorance of his upbringing (represented by his aunt and uncle) as he discovers what a Jedi really is.

It would be utter irony if BioWare's designers show such utter ignorance as to what a Jedi is by adopting that exact name. And that's rather worrying for the rest of the game as well; if they get this so incredibly wrong then what else, something that's possibly of much larger consequence, will they get wrong?

The only ray of hope here is, as the news article mentions: "Please be aware that since the specific class details are still under development, the information provided below may be subject to change." If there's any chance at all of BioWare ever listening to the reactions of its fanbase, then they will indeed revise the name as the rage on the forums over this is quite strong. If they don't listen to this, then I don't think they'll ever listen to anything the community says. And numerous suggestions for a better name have been made (my personal favorites being "Sage" and "Mystic"), though at this point pretty much anything is better.

And though I'm singling out Wizard as, by far, the worst offender in non Star Wars sounding names it's certainly not the only one. Other that have drawn ire include Sorcerer (though, while I'm not enthusiastic about it, I think there might be a bit more precedent for it being used by certain Sith), Shadow (yeah, Consulars are definitely getting the short end of the stick name-wise) and Powertech (which indeed sounds also absolutely ridiculous).

The fear I have here as well, next to these names appearing in SWTOR, is that with these names apparently being approved for use it's just a step away from them becoming officially part of the lore. Thus letting the Star Wars franchise slip even further into mediocrity. Star Wars has always walked a precarious balance between science-fiction and swords-and-sorcery, but this would tip the balance too much.

Ignoring the names of the classes the rest of the list doesn't stem me very positive either. None of the classes sound particularly interesting to play to me. Much of that is just personal preference, but one worrying factor is how much healing is mentioned on the Republic side, while being mentioned hardly at all on the Empire side.

Anyway, I could go on with how much I disagree with SWTOR's bog-standard and seemingly ill-fitting game design. But then the game mechanics aren't why I was interested in this game in the first place. So I'll leave it at that and pray that they see sense and rename the Jedi Wizard at least.

I also hope to do a post later this week with a Gamescom round-up. There hasn't been that much news, but there have been a few articles and interviews (mostly Darth Hater has a lot of interviews). Just need to get them all together in a readable format.

Space Combat Trailer

A short update; EA's GamesCom press conference is currently underway (watchable live here). Ray Muzyka just took the stage and, next to announcing Mass Effect 2 for PS3 (no word yet on ME1 or ME3) and showing a cinematic trailer for Dragon Age 2 they announced a Space Combat trailer for The Old Republic. The trailer is fairly short (about a minute long) and shows some brief space combat gameplay.

Check out the trailer for yourself here.

Jedi Knight Advanced Classes

Today BioWare reveals a bit more information on the Jedi Knight class, giving us the class' two advanced classes and one of the companions. Oh, and a new ingame movie showing the class in action.

First though is the next issue of the Blood of the Empire webcomic. Here is the official news:

It's the beginning of the end in the ninth issue of Blood of the Empire™. Teneb Kel awakens from his vision with a new understanding of the danger he faces--but is there still time to stop Exal Kressh's plot against the Emperor from coming to fruition? And meanwhile, what's going on with Maggot and the Jedi Padawan...?

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

Of course the mean of today's update lies with the Jedi Knight. Not only do we get some details on their two advanced classes, the more tank-like Guardian and the more damage-dealing Sentinel, and one of their companions, the Astromech droid T7-01, but we also get a new movie. Here is the official news:

As part of our ongoing class updates, we are thrilled to confirm the Advanced Classes for the valiant Jedi Knight – Guardian and Sentinel! Whether you want to defend the weak and inspire your allies to amazing feats as a Guardian or learn the art of using two Lightsabers simultaneously to create an intricate web of damage as a Sentinel, the Advanced Class system in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will help you customize your character. Check out the Jedi Knight section on the HoloNet for more information! Check out the media section to see a new video of the Jedi Knight in action, and download some never-before-seen screenshots!

We’ve also updated the Biography section with someone indispensable to the Jedi Knight – Astromech T7-01! Visit the HoloNet to learn about this known associate from the Jedi Knight holorecord, or by accessing the T7-O1 biography.

And that's it for this Friday's update. Next week is GamesCom and The Old Republic has been confirmed to be there. EA will be streaming their press conference live (I'll probably still be at work when they do) and there'll probably be things like interviews and hands-on articles coming from the conference too. So it's going to be a busy week.

But I'll do my best to keep up with it.

MMO News Feed Added

I've been keeping this blog updated for a while now, keeping a close eye on any Star Wars: The Old Republic news. But The Old Republic isn't the only MMO that I'm keeping an eye on (just the only one for which I maintain a blog). In fact, I try to keep up-to-date with most of the MMO news.

So I've added a gadget to the right (directly below links atm) to a feed with the MMO news that I come across.

It's a bit of an experiment. I just recently figured out how to 'share' news items in Google Reader and how to make basically your own news feeds comprised of items from a variety of other feeds that way. I'm also wandering how useful it really is (as it doesn't show what site the item is from, for example), but I thought I'd add it anyway.

The intention is that when I come across something that I think is interesting (MMO-wise) then I add it to that news feed. And hopefully that'll be useful to some.

You can also go directly to the Google Reader page for the feed which gives a bit more details (like the source site and the opening text) or you can subscribe directly to the  Atom Feed.

Well, there you go. Lets see how this turns out.

Space Combat Details

It seems that the German magazine PC Action has been released with details on the space combat in The Old Republic. And to say that the official forums have exploded over it is probably an understatement.

The gist of it is that it seems that space combat in The Old Republic isn't the X-Wing, Tie Fighter or even the Jump to Lightspeed type gameplay that everyone was hoping for, but rather more of an on-rails shooter meant for the more casual gamer.

SWTOR-Station has the (translated, you might have to click the English flag first) details both on Space Combat as well as some further class details (nothing shocking there though). Here are the space combat details from SWTOR-Station:

• Sprace Combat reminds of  Rebel Assault

We call this gameplay "tunnel shooter". That means there are especially designed levels which make you follow a certain path. The player has a range of weapon systems to choose from to use against his enemies. You will receive a quest beforehand. If you're in space you will automatically receive side quests.

• Missions are supposed to be a few minutes short and are more of an "action snack".
• There won't be any PvP space combat at launch, but it's a possible feature for a later state of the game.
• PC action played a mission, which included fighters, corvettes and cruisers. There task was to shoot 20 fighters and destroy the enemy's  capital ship.
• Missions are well-staged/designed, there won't be any flying around doing nothing.
• Space combat is single-player for now, the hotspots are chosen from you space ship's bridge.
• Escort missions are planned.
• Space combat missions are completely optional for now, if you don't want to do them, you don't have to.
• There are six different types of space ships. Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Agent and Trooper will have their own type of ship. The two Jedi and the two Sith classes will have to share a type.

Understandable people are disappointed as they were hoping that "space combat" meant free space exploration and combat much like Star Wars Galaxies' Jump To Lightspeed. In fact, as I've said before, whenever people mention "Space Combat" it always felt to me that that's what they're talking about and that just any combat in space won't do.

Then there are further disappointments (to me) like there only being six ships. At the very least they could give each class a separate ship instead of giving both Jedi (and both Sith) classes the same ship. But then I've got the feeling that your ship doesn't really matter that much in the end; they'll all end up being the same with just a different skin.

Anyway, I could go on but I'm sure everything is already being said on the forums. The developers are concentrating all discussions into one thread now. Sean did make a very small comment on the content of the discussion though:

UPDATE [1]: To clarify, Space Combat is not a Turret Shooter (this is probably obvious after seeing the screenshot but some people were mentioning it in the other thread).

Personally the only thing that interested me about 'space combat' wasn't the combat, but the free exploration of space. Since we're not getting that the whole thing leaves me cold. I know that The Old Republic isn't Star Wars Galaxies, but it would've been nice if they didn't dismiss the good along with the bad from that game. Maybe they'll add what people really want out of space in an expansion (as, to be fair, SWG did as well and I still believe that they're much better off concentrating on making a good ground game and leaving space for later), but I'm not really holding my breath.

I guess we'll see.


[UPDATE]

I've also since read the PC Gamer article which pretty much confirms everything from the PC Action article above. Specifically they compare Space Combat to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, saying that you move along a fixed route with no control over direction or speed, but that you move around the screen's X- and Y-axes shooting things and avoiding asteroids. They say that BioWare expects most people to die or not complete the "main quest" the first few times and that later missions are "complex and difficult". Mostly the point seems to be (my interpretation) giving players a 'cinematic experience' while they get to shoot some stuff.


[link] to Space Combat Details at SWTOR-Station.
[link] to magazine cover at PC Action.

Timeline 9: The Mandalorian Wars

The ninth timeline update is about the Mandalorian Wars, the events directly preceding the first Knights of the Old Republic game. It talks about how the mandalorians started a war with the Republic, hoping to draw the Jedi out to fight. The Jedi for the most part didn't take the bait, but a few (led by Revan and Malak) did join the war and eventaully defeated the mandalorians. But at a very high price.

Here is the official news:

The Mandalorian Wars included some of the bloodiest battles in the Republic’s history. Mandalore the Ultimate’s relentless campaign to goad the Jedi into open conflict cost the lives of millions. Though the entrance of a Jedi splinter faction into the war is perceived as the factor that turned the tide against the Mandalorians, the perseverance of Republic soldiers and pilots like Carth Onasi cannot be underestimated. Jedi Master Gnost-Dural’s historical investigation analyzes the conflict with the perspective of modern events, highlighting the implications for the war against the Sith Empire.

BTC 311 – Too often, the Mandalorian Wars are characterized solely as a prelude to the Jedi Civil War, but the events surrounding the conflict itself bear close examination. When Mandalore the Ultimate called together the clans and began augmenting his armies further with Neo-Crusaders, his intention was to pull the Jedi Order into open conflict. As is the tradition in their culture, the Mandalorians sought to establish themselves as the most powerful faction in the galaxy by defeating the faction they considered to be their greatest rivals. Though the Jedi Council resisted the Mandalorian challenge, the splinter group led by Revan and Malak eventually joined the fray and won the war. Though there has never been a hint that the Sith were involved in the Mandalorian Wars, new analysis from Jedi Master Gnost-Dural suggests that the influence of the dark side was involved. The bittersweet victory in the Mandalorian Wars took a toll on the Republic for which the price is still being paid to this day…

Watch the latest Timeline holorecord, The Mandalorian Wars narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

You can also download a high resolution version of this video.

And the timeline text:

REVAN AND MALAK DID NOT FALL TO THE DARK SIDE IN A SINGLE MOMENT.

THEY TURNED AFTER YEARS SPENT IN WAR AND IN DEFIANCE OF THE JEDI COUNCIL.

REVAN AND MALAK’S DESCENT INTO DARKNESS ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH COMPASSION—THE COMPASSION THAT COMPELLED THEM TO ENTER THE MANDALORIAN WARS.

OF ALL WARS IN REPUBLIC HISTORY, THE WAR WITH THE MANDALORIANS WAS THE BLOODIEST, DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE MANDALORIANS’ AMBITIOUS LEADER.

MANDALORE THE ULTIMATE SOUGHT TO CREATE THE MOST POWERFUL ARMY IN THE GALAXY.

TO ACHIEVE THIS, HE HAD TO DEFEAT THE REPUBLIC AND ITS JEDI PROTECTORS

CALLING TOGETHER THE MANDALORIAN CLANS AND RECRUITING NEW WARRIORS AS “NEO-CRUSADERS”, MANDALORE BEGAN CONQUERING WORLDS IN THE OUTER RIM.

THE MANDALORIANS FOUGHT REPUBLIC ALLIES ON MANY FRONTS, BUT THE REPUBLIC MILITARY WASN’T FULLY MOBILIZED UNTIL TARIS WAS THREATENED.

IN THE FIRST SERIES OF BATTLES, THE REPUBLIC PROVED VICTORIOUS.

SEVERAL HEROES EMERGED, INCLUDING THE DEDICATED SOLDIER AND TALENTED PILOT, LIEUTENANT CARTH ONASI.

THOUGH, ONASI AND THE REST OF THE REPUBLIC’S DEFENDERS HADN’T FACED THE TRUE CHALLENGE.

MANDALORE THE ULTIMATE WAS SECRETLY HOLDING THE BULK OF HIS FORCES BACK TO TEST THE REPUBLIC’S STRENGTH.

UNLEASHING THEIR FULL MIGHT, THE MANDALORIANS DEVASTATED THE REPUBLIC'S DEFENSES, AND BEGAN TERRORIZING SYSTEMS FROM THE TINGEL ARM TO THE MID RIM.

THE JEDI COUNCIL REFUSED TO BE BAITED INTO THE BATTLE.

DESPITE THE MANDALORIANS BRUTAL AGGRESSION, THE COUNCIL DECREED THAT NO JEDI SHOULD TAKE PART IN THE FIGHT.

AS THE WAR GREW WORSE HOWEVER, A SPLINTER GROUP OF REBELS FORMED WITHIN THE ORDER, DETERMINED TO RALLY TO THE REPUBLIC’S DEFENSE.

THE SPLINTER GROUP WAS LED BY REVAN AND MALAK.

JOINING ONASI AND THE REST OF THE REPUBLIC’S TROOPS, REVAN AND MALAK TURNED THE WAR AROUND.

REVAN LED THE REPUBLIC’S FORCES IN A POWERFUL PUSH TO DRIVE THE MANDALORIANS FROM REPUBLIC SPACE.

IN THE FINAL BATTLE, REVAN SINGLE-HANDEDLY SLEW MANDALORE. HE THEN ACTIVATED A SUPER-WEAPON WHICH DESTROYED AN ENTIRE PLANET… AND EVERYONE ON IT.

REVAN’S ACT DESTROYED THE MANDALORIAN ARMIES AND ENDED THE WAR, BUT SACRIFICED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF REPUBLIC TROOPS AND JEDI IN THE PROCESS…

WITH THE WAR OVER, DUTIFUL REPUBLIC SOLDIERS LIKE CARTH ONASI RETURNED TO THEIR POSTS, BUT REVAN AND MALAK PURSUED THE REMNANT OF THE MANDALORIAN ARMIES INTO DEEP SPACE.

IT WAS THERE OF COURSE, THAT REVAN AND MALAK FOUND THE SITH EMPIRE, AND UPON MEETING THE EMPEROR, THEIR FALL TO THE DARK SIDE WAS COMPLETE.

THOUGH IT BECAME A BOON TO THE EMPEROR’S PLAN, NONE SUSPECTED THAT THE HAND OF THE DARK SIDE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE MANDALORIAN WARS.

A CLOSER ANALYSIS OF HISTORY SUGGESTS OTHERWISE.

THE STORY OF EXAR KUN IN MY NEXT REPORT.

Hopefully they're done talking about Revan now. I'm really getting sick of the character. Though Carth's prominence in the timeline was a very nice surprise.

The timeline wasn't the only update however. BioWare also unveiled four more player species for four classes and it's becoming increasingly obvious that instead of there being a list of species to choose from with some class restrictions (as I think everyone was hoping) it's more that each class has a list of species that you can pick. Here's an excerpt from the official news:

So far we’ve only dropped hints about the range of playable species in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. You may have heard about the Rattataki Bounty Hunter, Chiss Imperial Agent, or the Twi’lek Smuggler, but we can tell you now that all classes will include optional non-human species.

As you can see they've confirmed that Sith Warriors can play a Sith Pureblood, Sith Inquisitors can play a Zabrak, Jedi Knights can play a Miraluka and Jedi Consular can play a Mirialan.

Though I must say that I'm not impressed, and in fact somewhat worried, by this update. To begin with there's the last line in the quote above: "all classes will include optional non-human species". They make it sound as if that wasn't already a foregone conclusion and, in fact, that it is something special. As if there was a good chance that this didn't happen. That is worrisome because honestly in a universe with that many different alien species the thought that you would not be able to choose from them should never even occur to anyone, certainly not in an MMO where customization is key. It gives me the impression that each class will only have a couple of choices, and that these choices are unique for each class. What I want to hear is that twi'lek and zabrak (for example) are playable by most classes; I find that a lot more important than each class having its own set of species largely separate from the other classes.

Secondly, taking the thought that each class has its own set of species I find the revealed species so far to be way too... predictable. The most famous Zabrak we know is a double-bladed lightsaber using Sith (i.e. a Sith Inquisitor)... and the Zabrak we can play is exactly the same. And the posterchild for the Jedi Consular class is exactly the species we can pick for that. Are we all just going to be copies of the characters already established in Star Wars?

I want to see some surprises, some class and species combinations that we haven't seen yet (in any great detail; I certainly don't know all of the Star Wars lore). How about a Zabrak Trooper or a Mirialan Imperial Agent? Maybe even a Sith Pureblood Jedi (i.e. a defector) or a Miraluka Bounty Hunter or such. And there's a host of humanoid species who don't really have that established character yet. Give players the tools to create their own stories.

Maybe we'll get all of that. But until I hear that most classes will be able to play most species (instead of this "one class, one species" nonsense we've had so far) I can help but remain skeptical.

But I guess we'll see.

The Escapist Interviews Jake Neri

Small mid-week (well, almost anyway) update. The Escapist Magazine has a video interview with Jake Neri up. There's not really anything new in it, but might be interesting anyway.



[link] to video interview with Jake Neri at The Escapist.