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[SW:TOR] Jennifer Hale voicing Trooper (Page 98)
devCharles
Gainesville, FLRegistered User regular
Gainesville, FLRegistered User regular
Remember this game:
It was pretty popular and stuff. It even had a sequel.
It's been 5 years since the release of Kotor 2, and Bioware has been working hard to bring you this:
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a MMORPG developed by Bioware's new MMO division in Texas set in the Old Republic era of Star Wars, 200 years after the conclusion to KotOR. You'll take one of two sides, either the Imperial or Republic side. There's a lot of interesting things about it, but first, eye candy!
Deceived
Hope
Those trailers, done by Blur Studio, are pretty glorious.
SW:TOR is a massive undertaking by Bioware, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. How massive?
It's going to cost like a hojillion dollars.
It's the size of 10 KotORs recorded back to back. 40 Novels worth, approximately.
It has a crapton of planet. One chunk of one of the planets is reportedly about the size of Kalimdor as a reference point.
It's got music for days. Original music as well as music from the movies that you know and love.
It has on rails style Combat in Spaaaace! that has been recently announced.
While the game itself has been one of the worst kept secrets ever since before it was announced in 2008, not much is known about the game itself outside of a bit of the combat and the story. The auction house, raiding, grouping, PVP, and loot systems are still pretty hard to nail down. Bioware has said that those MMO staples will be in game, but specifics are fairly hard to come by.
There are some important things we do know though.
BETA:
The Beta is currently ongoing. The rules for it are pretty simple. You can tell people you're in the beta, but that's about it. While it's OK to link leaked videos/photos here, it's probably not a good idea to break any NDA on the forum, so it's best, if you're in the beta, to probably not talk about it. Leaked info has come up that we have just started a one month long beta test for some people compared to the starter zone tests that Bioware was doing before. Leaks should be incoming throughout the month.
Release Date:
There's no specific release date. The general idea is that it will be released Spring 2011. Spring 2011 starts March 20th and goes to June 20th. Chances are the open beta will be out a month before the release date if it follows similar release pattern as most MMOs.
Now that's out of the way, let's break it down for ya.
Story
Classes
Planets
Media
Recent News:
December 10th Update: New timeline video about the rebirth of the Sith Empire.
December 3rd Update: In depth look at crafting from one of the Game System Designers. It's more of the same from the interviews Daniel Erickson had with Darth Hater.
November 12th Update: Crew Skills section that talks about SWTORs crafting system.
November 5th Update: Crafting and Alderaan PVP zone revealed. You can also check out an awesome video of the PVP combat here. To those worried about non force users not being able to hold their own, this video shows some force users getting rocked.
October 29th Update: Imperial Agent class page updated with advanced class material and trailer.
Space Combat was just recently announced. You can see the trailer above. We're supposed to get way more information about it in a front page issue of PC Gamer.
Advanced Classes were just announced. I already put that in the class section.
Sept. 10th Update: Corellia Revealed as 15th planet.
September 24th Update: Smuggler companion revealed. Yeah, it's a wookiee. *Insert wookiee roar*
October 8th Update: Planet Ilum Revealed. Count is at 16 planets.
Relevant Links:
Darth Hater: this is basically the main fansite. They stay on top of the updates, so you don't have to go searching the internet for any glimmer of information.
The Old Republic: This is the official site. You can sign up for the beta here or wade through their media and holonet sections.
What We Know So Far: This is a post on the official forum which is a compendium of everything that is known about the game at the current moment. The guy has done a great job keeping it updated.
Story spoilers contained herein: Hands on Impressions. This is a compendium of first hand impressions from the most recent conventions regarding where the game is at in the first few levels. It has a ton of good info that has not been released officially in any capacity about the actual gameplay.
It was pretty popular and stuff. It even had a sequel.
It's been 5 years since the release of Kotor 2, and Bioware has been working hard to bring you this:
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a MMORPG developed by Bioware's new MMO division in Texas set in the Old Republic era of Star Wars, 200 years after the conclusion to KotOR. You'll take one of two sides, either the Imperial or Republic side. There's a lot of interesting things about it, but first, eye candy!
Deceived
Hope
Those trailers, done by Blur Studio, are pretty glorious.
SW:TOR is a massive undertaking by Bioware, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. How massive?
It's going to cost like a hojillion dollars.
It's the size of 10 KotORs recorded back to back. 40 Novels worth, approximately.
It has a crapton of planet. One chunk of one of the planets is reportedly about the size of Kalimdor as a reference point.
It's got music for days. Original music as well as music from the movies that you know and love.
It has on rails style Combat in Spaaaace! that has been recently announced.
While the game itself has been one of the worst kept secrets ever since before it was announced in 2008, not much is known about the game itself outside of a bit of the combat and the story. The auction house, raiding, grouping, PVP, and loot systems are still pretty hard to nail down. Bioware has said that those MMO staples will be in game, but specifics are fairly hard to come by.
There are some important things we do know though.
BETA:
The Beta is currently ongoing. The rules for it are pretty simple. You can tell people you're in the beta, but that's about it. While it's OK to link leaked videos/photos here, it's probably not a good idea to break any NDA on the forum, so it's best, if you're in the beta, to probably not talk about it. Leaked info has come up that we have just started a one month long beta test for some people compared to the starter zone tests that Bioware was doing before. Leaks should be incoming throughout the month.
Release Date:
There's no specific release date. The general idea is that it will be released Spring 2011. Spring 2011 starts March 20th and goes to June 20th. Chances are the open beta will be out a month before the release date if it follows similar release pattern as most MMOs.
Now that's out of the way, let's break it down for ya.
Story
Story? You ask. WoW has a story. You say.
Indeed. WoW has lore. Pretty much all MMOs have Lore. TOR has a story similar to their single player games. This means that you will likely be getting a very in depth experience. Each class will have their own storyline, and each class specialization will even have a divided storyline. Pretty intense, no? As it's all fully voiced, immersion here is a big deal. This includes player characters. The cinematic trailers give you some idea.
A great way to see where the story is coming from is these awesome timeline videos. They explain why the galaxy is the way it is, and where your class of choice plays its part.
On top of that, you can check out some of the Dark Horse webcomics that are being made for this game. People have had mixed reactions to them though. I think they're generally thought of as terrible by the assembled masses here.
I'll put up the full walkthrough in the video section where you'll see some of the dialogue. They don't really show the use of companions in the trailer, but Bioware has confirmed that there are indeed companions as this is Bioware game. Naturally, you will be able to bone some of your companions. Actually, that was speculation...but not really.
Indeed. WoW has lore. Pretty much all MMOs have Lore. TOR has a story similar to their single player games. This means that you will likely be getting a very in depth experience. Each class will have their own storyline, and each class specialization will even have a divided storyline. Pretty intense, no? As it's all fully voiced, immersion here is a big deal. This includes player characters. The cinematic trailers give you some idea.
A great way to see where the story is coming from is these awesome timeline videos. They explain why the galaxy is the way it is, and where your class of choice plays its part.
On top of that, you can check out some of the Dark Horse webcomics that are being made for this game. People have had mixed reactions to them though. I think they're generally thought of as terrible by the assembled masses here.
I'll put up the full walkthrough in the video section where you'll see some of the dialogue. They don't really show the use of companions in the trailer, but Bioware has confirmed that there are indeed companions as this is Bioware game. Naturally, you will be able to bone some of your companions. Actually, that was speculation...but not really.
Classes
Every class has its own unique storyline. This will probably be bad news to anyone susceptible to alts, as Bioware appears to be trying very hard to getting you to play through each class to experience each unique story. A big thing for Bioware is how each class is supposed to feel iconic. To that end, it's useful to think of these classes in terms of who they're based on.
Each faction has 4 classes. 2 of those classes are force users as Jedi or Sith, depending on faction. As it stands, you will not be allowed to change factions.
At level 10, you will be able to pick one of two paths for your class to take, called an "Advanced Class." It's useful to think of each Advanced Class as a spec, but it's also worth noting that the choice will impact your story.
I'll list the classes along with their advanced classes and what they're used for.
Imperial
Bounty Hunter. Obviously, the Boba Fett like character.
Advanced Classes:
Powertech:
* Flamethrower
* Defense / Energy Shields
* Tank
Mercenary
* Dual Wield Guns
* Missiles
* Ranged DPS
Sith Inquisitor. The Palpatine like class.
Advanced Classes:
Sith Sorcerer
* Single Saber
* Force Lightning / Force Drain
* Ranged DPS or Healer
Sith Assassin
* Double Bladed Saber
* Stealth
* Burst Melee DPS
Sith Warrior. The Darth Vader class.
Advanced Classes:
Sith Juggernaut
* Single Saber / Heavy Armor
* Fear and Darkside Auras
* Tank
Sith Marauder
* Dual Wield Sabers / Armor
* Saber fighting specialist
* Melee DPS
Imperial Agent. Not necessarily based on a character from the movies. The general idea appears to be a young, up and coming Tarkin from the Original Trilogy.
Advanced Classes:
Operative
* Blaster Rifle / Energy Blade
* Stealth
* Burst Ranged damage
Sniper
* Sniper Rifle
* Cover, Ambush, Orbital Strikes
* Ranged DPS
Republic
Smuggler. This is the Han Solo archetype.
Advanced Classes:
Scoundrel
* Blaster ‘Shot Gun’
* Stealth / Medicine
* Burst ranged damage or Healing
Gunslinger
* Dual Pistols
* Quickdraw / Fast Attacks
* Ranged DPS
Jedi Knight. The Luke Skywalker or younger Anakin Skywalker class. Obi Wan fits here too.
Advanced Classes:
Jedi Sentinel
* Dual Wield Saber
* Saber fighting specialist
* Melee DPS
Jedi Guardian
* Single Saber / Heavy Armor
* Leadership / Party Buffs
* Tank
Jedi Consular. This is your Yoda class. Similar to Inquisitor.
Advanced Classes:
Jedi Shadow
* Double Bladed Saber
* Stealth
* Burst melee damage
Jedi Wizard
* Single Saber
* Powerful Telekinesis / Healing
* Ranged Control / Damage or Healing
Trooper. This is based off of the Troopers you saw in some of the animated series like The Clone Wars.
Advanced Classes
Commando
* Heavy Blaster Cannon
* Grenades
* Ranged DPS
Vanguard
* Blaster Rifle
* Energy Shields and Defense
* Tank
Each faction has 4 classes. 2 of those classes are force users as Jedi or Sith, depending on faction. As it stands, you will not be allowed to change factions.
At level 10, you will be able to pick one of two paths for your class to take, called an "Advanced Class." It's useful to think of each Advanced Class as a spec, but it's also worth noting that the choice will impact your story.
I'll list the classes along with their advanced classes and what they're used for.
Imperial
Bounty Hunter. Obviously, the Boba Fett like character.
Advanced Classes:
Powertech:
* Flamethrower
* Defense / Energy Shields
* Tank
Mercenary
* Dual Wield Guns
* Missiles
* Ranged DPS
Sith Inquisitor. The Palpatine like class.
Advanced Classes:
Sith Sorcerer
* Single Saber
* Force Lightning / Force Drain
* Ranged DPS or Healer
Sith Assassin
* Double Bladed Saber
* Stealth
* Burst Melee DPS
Sith Warrior. The Darth Vader class.
Advanced Classes:
Sith Juggernaut
* Single Saber / Heavy Armor
* Fear and Darkside Auras
* Tank
Sith Marauder
* Dual Wield Sabers / Armor
* Saber fighting specialist
* Melee DPS
Imperial Agent. Not necessarily based on a character from the movies. The general idea appears to be a young, up and coming Tarkin from the Original Trilogy.
Advanced Classes:
Operative
* Blaster Rifle / Energy Blade
* Stealth
* Burst Ranged damage
Sniper
* Sniper Rifle
* Cover, Ambush, Orbital Strikes
* Ranged DPS
Republic
Smuggler. This is the Han Solo archetype.
Advanced Classes:
Scoundrel
* Blaster ‘Shot Gun’
* Stealth / Medicine
* Burst ranged damage or Healing
Gunslinger
* Dual Pistols
* Quickdraw / Fast Attacks
* Ranged DPS
Jedi Knight. The Luke Skywalker or younger Anakin Skywalker class. Obi Wan fits here too.
Advanced Classes:
Jedi Sentinel
* Dual Wield Saber
* Saber fighting specialist
* Melee DPS
Jedi Guardian
* Single Saber / Heavy Armor
* Leadership / Party Buffs
* Tank
Jedi Consular. This is your Yoda class. Similar to Inquisitor.
Advanced Classes:
Jedi Shadow
* Double Bladed Saber
* Stealth
* Burst melee damage
Jedi Wizard
* Single Saber
* Powerful Telekinesis / Healing
* Ranged Control / Damage or Healing
Trooper. This is based off of the Troopers you saw in some of the animated series like The Clone Wars.
Advanced Classes
Commando
* Heavy Blaster Cannon
* Grenades
* Ranged DPS
Vanguard
* Blaster Rifle
* Energy Shields and Defense
* Tank
Planets
There really is a truly impressive number of planets.
Alderaan
Balmorra
Belsavis
Corellia
Coruscant
Dromund Kaas
Hoth
Hutta
Ilum
Korriban
Nar Shaddaa
Ord Mantell
Taris
Tatooine
Tython
Voss
Check out descriptions of them all on Wookiepedia.
Alderaan
Balmorra
Belsavis
Corellia
Coruscant
Dromund Kaas
Hoth
Hutta
Ilum
Korriban
Nar Shaddaa
Ord Mantell
Taris
Tatooine
Tython
Voss
Check out descriptions of them all on Wookiepedia.
Media
Recent News:
December 10th Update: New timeline video about the rebirth of the Sith Empire.
December 3rd Update: In depth look at crafting from one of the Game System Designers. It's more of the same from the interviews Daniel Erickson had with Darth Hater.
November 12th Update: Crew Skills section that talks about SWTORs crafting system.
November 5th Update: Crafting and Alderaan PVP zone revealed. You can also check out an awesome video of the PVP combat here. To those worried about non force users not being able to hold their own, this video shows some force users getting rocked.
October 29th Update: Imperial Agent class page updated with advanced class material and trailer.
Space Combat was just recently announced. You can see the trailer above. We're supposed to get way more information about it in a front page issue of PC Gamer.
Advanced Classes were just announced. I already put that in the class section.
Sept. 10th Update: Corellia Revealed as 15th planet.
September 24th Update: Smuggler companion revealed. Yeah, it's a wookiee. *Insert wookiee roar*
October 8th Update: Planet Ilum Revealed. Count is at 16 planets.
Relevant Links:
Darth Hater: this is basically the main fansite. They stay on top of the updates, so you don't have to go searching the internet for any glimmer of information.
The Old Republic: This is the official site. You can sign up for the beta here or wade through their media and holonet sections.
What We Know So Far: This is a post on the official forum which is a compendium of everything that is known about the game at the current moment. The guy has done a great job keeping it updated.
Story spoilers contained herein: Hands on Impressions. This is a compendium of first hand impressions from the most recent conventions regarding where the game is at in the first few levels. It has a ton of good info that has not been released officially in any capacity about the actual gameplay.
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Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Obi-Wan was referred to as "that old wizard" by Luke's uncle in the first movie.
Perfectly canonical, see?
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
I demand a smuggler advanced class called 'Nerf Herder' because Leia refers to Han as one in the Empire Strikes Back.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
That's for the expansion, silly.
...I'll leave.
Do nerf herders get nerf bats to use?
Twitter - discolouie PSN - Loupa Steam - Loupa
Oh lordy, I'm sure the devs are going to love this once they start having to tweak the game with nerfs.
"YOU SCRUFFY NERF HERDERS BROKE MY JEDI!"
Don't be silly, Nerf Herding will strictly be a trade skill.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
It is where stormtroopers go to die.
Twitter - discolouie PSN - Loupa Steam - Loupa
Also woohoo new thread.
XBL: Torn Hoodie
@hoodiethirteen
That's just too awesome.
And Jedi WIZARD man.
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
Too bad the current stance is that you can't switch your advanced class once you select it.
But hey, no one really wanted to level just one character, right?
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Apparently the choice impacts the story though, so it's hard to say.
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
The only reason they're going with this advanced class bullmalarkey in the first place is because making eight different stories for eight different classes is expensive enough as it is, making sixteen different stories for sixteen different classes would be madness, and they want to stick to their "every class gets its own unique story" marketing point. Also because at some point they realized that four classes per faction isn't enough.
Didn't they explicitly state you can't do this already?
White FC: 0819 3350 1787
I mean, we all know that Star Wars is a space fantasy. But generally they do pretty well at disguising that fact with clever naming conventions. To come right out and say "wizard" just seems wrong to me.
And redundant. I mean, Jedis are already space wizards. So basically this new prestige class is a Wizard Wizard if you wanna get right down to it.
That sounds like something out of a book by Terry Goodkind.
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
I want to shake the hand of the guy who thinks that's a good advanced class name for a Jedi. Really.
The only people I can imagine actually being upset at the choice are ubernerds who don't want fantasy in their Star Wars.
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiyxQx2pxiw
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
Edit: Wait, here is a better version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB-lezRZmlg&feature=related
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
There are many synonyms available that would be much better.
Jedi Sage
Jedi Oracle
Jedi Prophet
Jedi Disciple
Heck, even Jedi Sorcerer sounds better and more canonical than Wizard.
They should open a naming contest for the class. I'd vote for one of those instead.