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.