This week’s Meet the Developers post from SWTOR features Hall Hood, Lead Writer on Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. In each “Meet the Developers,” they introduce a new developer, ask them some questions about their background and their place on the SWTOR team and then they publish it all on the forums in a specific thread so you can read and ask more questions if you want.
I was excited to see this week’s was with Hall Hood. I always love hearing from the writers on the team and I knew he would have a lot of insight into the game and storylines. Here’s a snippet of the interview:
Who is your favorite companion? Why?
Risha, hands-down. She’s so much fun to write, and Tara Strong’s voice acting blows me away every time.
What has been the most enjoyable thing to write for SWTOR?
I’m a big fan of our companion characters, especially the ones players can romance. The romantic subplots with Risha, Doc, and Kira were tremendous fun to create.
What is your favorite class storyline?
I will always have a soft spot for the Jedi Knight and Smuggler class stories since I wrote a lot of the content in both of them, but I honestly love all of our stories. Each one explores a different aspect of theStar Wars™ mythology, and I rotate through them depending on whatever mood I’m in at the time.
What are some unique challenges you face in writing for an MMO?
The hardest things to write in SWTOR are the epic multiplayer story arcs. I need to provide a satisfying story experience for extremely diverse classes that bring unique sensibilities to each of their individual narratives. Multiplayer storylines need to feel equally compelling to a Jedi, Trooper, Smuggler, Sith, Agent, or Bounty Hunter. Everyone should believe the galaxy’s fate rests on their decisions, and that they have an important destiny to fulfill in the unfolding drama—even if the Smuggler’s destiny is just to get paid for a job well done.
*Keep in mind that these Meet the Developers interviews often contain spoilers to the story. Spoilers are marked and require you to log in to see them but if you don’t want to see, be careful.
Read the full interview and ask questions of your own at the SWTOR blog. If you have any questions for Hall, please post them in this forum thread.
Which developer do you want to hear from next? What questions would you ask him or her? Do you like the Meet the Developers series and want it to continue?
