It’s a great day for interviews because the folks over at Republic Trooper also have an interesting piece with BioWare’s Charles Boyd that gives us some real insight and intel on the Trooper. Charles is the lead writer at Bioware Austin for the Trooper class in Star Wars: The Old Republic so he is the go-to guy for anything Trooper related. He has real info on the story arc, inspirations, romance arcs, and even some origin information about a certain Trooper you may know from the TOR cinematics! This is really cool because Republic Trooper was able to sit down and ask some one-on-one questions for the rest of us. Example questions: Republic Trooper: Are there any particular sources that you drew inspiration from for the Trooper Storyline? RT: When compared with the other class storylines how high is the surprise factor throughout the Trooper story arc? RT: Are you…
storytelling
No same sex relationships with companions in SWTOR
SWTOR won’t have same sex relationships with its “companions”, but what’s the big deal? To some people, it is a very big deal. This piece on MMORPG.com discusses the topic in full detail. The big news came from Gamescon and some fans were not too happy about it at all where others were asking “What’s the big deal anyway?” For some people, it was a very big deal indeed. Here is a portion of the article: “I won’t go into the reasons BioWare has for not including this option (did they give one?), but I’d like to comment on why it’s such a big deal in the first place. I’m straight, not narrow. And while there wasn’t (that I know of) any same-sex relations in either trilogy, I’m willing to bet there have been a few instances of such things in the bazillion books which have been written. Is there…
Why Story Matters (Video)
When it comes to SWTOR, we hear talk about story more than anything else about the game. In this video, SWTOR: Listen, Learn and Explore we can discuss story and how much emphasis has been put on it for this game. It talks about why the story is so important and how the world can unfold in a great game with an excellent storyline. This can truly change the game BioWare storytelling takes it a step beyond your typical game story. It really implements decisions and choices. Everything is connected and everything has a reason and a purpose in the game, including the player. Now BioWare is bringing this to the MMORPG scene like it has never been done before. Telling a story in multiplayer can be a real challenge but BioWare takes that challenge on here with SWTOR. This video explores that.
You Control the Story in the Next Generation of Video Games
A story on NPR yesterday talks about the next generation of video games where story is of the utmost importance and gamers get to take the reins. This isn’t really a new concept, especially to game companies like BioWare who have been doing this already for decades, however, it’s nice to see mainstream media bringing attention to the matter. Like most media pieces written by non-gamers, this article had some flaws, but nevertheless it was an informative piece that brings attention to the fact that games are just child’s play. There is a serious market for good games and video game developers know this which is why companies like BioWare are putting out great story-based games like the highly anticipated SWTOR. Speaking of TOR and BioWare, the article makes a reference to it: “Daniel Erickson, the lead writer of the “Star Wars” game, said the amount of…
Damion Schubert: Story Does Not Kill Community
Damion Schubert takes some time out for a long post on the official forums about community and how story does not kill it. The TLDR version: “What is going to be good for any particular MMO’s community is going to be wildly divergent between MMOs, depending on each MMO’s focus and feature set. We’re continually keeping an eye on our community to be sure that they remain healthy, but for the most part, there are some really neat interactions going on.” This is a great post to read over although commenters have varying opinions on how they feel about the topic. Some people feel the forum moderators and staff do not have the interest of community as a top priority but others feel strongly about the positive SWTOR community, stating it as a big reason they want to purchase and play the game. Schubert says they want it to be…
How Much Storyline will SWTOR Have?
Here’s an interesting topic for SWTOR fans, especially those who also played KOTOR. Daniel Erickson speaks out on the forums about the length of the chapters for the classes of SWTOR. This was mentioned briefly in the interviews from the fan site summit and left many of us confused about what it actually meant. First, you have to understand what BioWare mean when they talk about “length” of the game, as this can be defined in different ways. Erickson says, “The whole critical path of the game is the length. The walking, the combat, the travel on your ship, world quests, everything you’d have to do to come out the other end the right level. When we say the story of Chapter 1 is X long we do not mean if you somehow took all the conversations and ran them together.” He goes on to clarify: “So all the content…
SWTOR Class Background Sheets
A attendant at this years PAX East was quick to take a picture of all class background sheets. A really interesting read as it gives some inside to the class as well as the story behind each class. Off course this is not in game screen shots, so some of the pictures might be hard to read: EDIT: apparently these Pictures comes from a focus test on leakerz.net. Check below comment. Also here is some HD footage of (almost) the entire gameplay experience of SWTOR at PAX East 2011. :
James Ohlen reveals a few secrets in the new Star Wars Insider
In the Recent Star Wars Insider Magazine #121, James Ohlen revealed a lot about almost every aspect of Star Wars: The Old republic. For hard-core followers of the game, there isn’t much new information, but there is a few interesting statement, concerning casual content: “A lot of people are scared of massively multiplayer games because a lot of MMOs can become a grind… We’ve chosen to avoid that. We always give the player a story to drive the game forward. One of the more Interesting part of the Article is where Ohlen is speaking about the Sith Storyline. He explains about one of the first tasks that need to be done will be to kill your master. When that is done you need to locate a jedi and corrupt him. Furthermore he is outlining how the decisions you make affect the story you experience but also effect your character customization….
BioWare’s Daniel Erickson Talks on Star Wars History
Creating a MMOG for a franchise such as Star Wars is likely to be quite the balancing act. For the writers of Star Wars: The Old Republic, they must draw their knowledge and inspiration from so many sources and you can be certain that if a mistake is made, one of the many SW fans will find it! So where does a SWTOR writer get their inspiration? Techland.com interviewed BioWare’s Daniel Erickson, the Writing Director of SWTOR to learn more about his Star Wars background and what it’s like to write for a game with such a rich storyline. Writing for Star Wars is always a delicate piece of surgery. We must carefully carve out the archetypes, rhythms and overlaying themes of the movies and then place them in a completely new body of work. Players want to feel what it’s like to live as Han Solo did but they…
“Beyond Solo” BioWare tells tales of Star Wars: The Old Republic’s storyline
Fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic managed to shut out a good chunk of media who had hoped to get into the Star Wars: The Old Republic panel today at San Diego Comic Con 2010 proving once again that Comic Con is definitely a fan driven event. The downside is that finding solid early media coverage is a little scarce but those of us who couldn’t attend the event will take what we can get! Gamespot has a small breakdown of what the panel covered. Questing, open worlds and, of course, storylines were the topic. Quests aren’t limited to players’ individual stories, however. The team discussed the concept of world arcs, which take place on a more inclusive scale and involve players joining up to complete a prolonged mission. The BioWare trio offered an example of the Battle of Hoth from the Empire Strikes Back film as one example…
Daniel Erickson shares more insight on the Sith
Mondays story about Star Wars: The Old Republic writer Daniel Erickson’s explanation of how someone writes for the Sith Empire sparked a huge amount of discussion on the official forums. There was so much discussion in fact, that Daniel Erickson took to the official forums to further explain his reasoning and thought process behind writing from the Empire’s point of view. Of the conversation occurring across the official forums, Erickson had to say, “An interesting thread. I always like to see what responses the philosophical discussions provoke. Hopefully people noticed that there were no quotes from me saying the Sith were good — even the interviewer ended on it being an excuse to unleash ones hate.“” After that intro, Erickson goes on to deftly explain the complexities behind writing for ostensibly the “evil side” in a manner that makes them more than dastardly villains with cape and cane. It’s a…
Genocide and Jedi: why the Sith may be right in Old Republic
arstechnic has a great interview with Daniel Erickson about who the real bad guys are in Star Wars: “The one thing you’re never going to hear is ‘make the bad guys less interesting.’” I’m sitting in an out-of-the-way room of Lucasarts with Daniel Erickson, who keeps swinging back to one topic: why the people we’ve come to hate in the Star Wars universe act as they do. He’s given this some thought; as the lead writer on Star Wars: The Old Republic, the upcoming Star Wars MMO, it’s his job to help tell both sides of the story. In our time together we discuss the extended universe, he makes the case for Grand Admiral Thrawn, and explains how the Jedi attempted genocide… and why the Sith may just be right. While we’re on the topic of the extended universe, he brings up the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn. “Thrawn is…
December 3rd Information Extravaganza
And as I predicted there’s a lot more articles from the press event that BioWare held in November. But instead of quoting each one of them here I’ll just refer to Sean’s post: As some of you already know, we had two press events last month; one in Europe and one in the United States. Today, articles from various websites (and magazines) are being released based on information collected at these two events. We will keep a list of the articles and update this post as new ones arise. G4 Quote: Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands-On Preview BioWare has just released Dragon Age: Origins… Mass Effect 2 is on the horizon… but there’s a third game in development at the RPG mega-studio and it is none other than Star Wars: The Old Republic, the company’s foray into the MMORPG genre. X-Play’s Matt Keil recently got to check out the…
Threat of Peace, Issue #19
The nineteenth issue of Threat of Peace™ marks the start of the third chapter in the story, beginning with the Bounty Hunter Braden returning from his visit to Coruscant. Reporting in, Braden gets further orders from Nok Drayen, and an insightful question. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Tavus meets Jedi Knight Fortris Gall in the ruins of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The truth about the recent attacks begins to unfold. Fans of the series will be pleased to know that the Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace webcomic will be published as a graphic novel by Dark Horse Comics in Spring of 2010. The book will comprise all issues of Threat of Peace as well as all new, previously unreleased content. Additional materials will include all-new cover art and previously unseen sketches from the comic as well as concept art from the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game. Liner…
The Battle of Bothawui
A new holorecord in the Jedi Archive captures a poignant moment in the Republic’s recent history. Master Gnost-Dural recounts the story of the battle of Bothawui—a battle in which the courage and sacrifice of Jedi and Republic forces scored a major victory against the Sith Empire. BTC 18 – Nearly a decade after the return of the Sith Empire and the start of the Great War, the Empire had scored dozens of victories, establishing its dominance in the Outer Rim. As the Sith turned their forces toward the Mid Rim, however, the Republic prepared a bold surprise. When an Imperial squadron arrived to seize control of Bothawui, the entire Republic fleet was waiting. The fleet’s victory was celebrated across the galaxy, but the truly inspiring moment was yet to come. As the Republic fleet dispersed to defend other battlefronts, only a small force remained behind to face the Empire’s retribution….
A Tribiute to Knights of the old republic
This video will remember us why we played it. Why we keep playing it. Why this game will never be exceeded. Why this game is a Legend. After a week of long days behind my computer while combining videos from the game, it’s finally done. I’ve put parts of my best vids and others from the game and Youtube in one final vid which should remember us of this legendary game. Though I think it still surpasses any other KOTOR tribute on Youtube, I failt you guys, and myself. I tried to make a video worthy of the game’s glory, but that seems impossible. Still, I did my best. This should be my last KOTOR video. At least for some time. Until I have enough inspiration to overthrow this one. Please rate, and comment.
The Return of the Mandalorians
The Keeper of the Jedi Archives has entered a new holorecord. Continuing his investigation, Master Gnost-Dural delves deeper into the history of the galaxy after discovering that the blockade that Hylo Visz helped end was a result of the actions of the new Mandalore. BTC 8 – During a Republic resurgence in the Great War, a bold young warrior rose to fame in the Gladiatorial arenas on Geonosis. Adopting the ancient and infamous title of Mandalore, this young leader amassed an army of Mandalorian mercenaries and bounty hunters. The new Mandalore led his forces to form a blockade and challenge the Jedi Order, effectively turning the tide of the war back in the Sith Empire’s favor. Watch the third Timeline holorecord, The Return of the Mandalorians, narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.
Star Wars The Old Republic Timeline #2 Mandalorian Blockade is Broken
Succeeding where the jedi had failed, a smugler convoy broke the Mandalorian Blockade and restored the republic’s trade route.
Star Wars: The Old Republic cinematic trailer
The Sacking of Coruscant. It was the crowning achievement of the Sith Empires ambitious military strategy and the moment that changed the history of the Old Republic forever. You may have read about it before, but our first cinematic trailer captures this event with breathtaking action and beautiful detail. Republic leaders have traveled to Alderaan to engage in promised peace talks with the Sith Empire. The most powerful Jedi have accompanied them to safeguard against an Imperial deception. The Empires real motive, however, was simply to lure the Republics strongest defenders away from Coruscant and set the stage for an audacious attack. Under the command of Lord Angral, the Sith fleet approaches the Republics capital planet for the first time in centuries. In advance of the fleet, the strongest Sith Warriors have flown a stolen Republic ship into Coruscants orbit. Their mission is critical to destroy the planets defense grid…
SW:TOR – Latest Webcomic and Some Video Lore
I’ve never been big on comics (bad geek, I know. Please don’t hurt me!) but the Star Wars fan in me cannot help but follow the SWTOR web comic. If you haven’t seen it before, I urge you to check it out and catch up! They just put up the 3rd installment. And because BioWare loves me and wants me to fall madly in love with them, they also have put up what very well could be the best bit of lore ever. Perhaps it’s the fangirl in me, but I got chills. All MMOG lore needs to be presented in this way. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is set during a unique time period in the galaxy’s history. Decades of war concluded with the Sith Empire sacking the Republic’s capital planet, Coruscant, and forcing Republic Senators and the Jedi Council to agree to a painful peace treaty. In the…
The Old Republic – And Revan…
The new Starwars MMO: The Old Republic has been officialy announced and so exciting many KOTOR fans… But does the game also answers our questions on Revan? Will we ever see him again? Will we ever know what happened to him? This video is, according to me, one of finest fan movies on youtube! Want to keep up whats going on? make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed! or follow us on Twitter
Full Star Wars Timeline
Can be found here: Star Wars Expanded Universe Timeline If you are a fan of the modern phenomenon that is the Star Wars Expanded Universe, you know that many have attempted to make sense of the vast media palette that represents the fictitious history of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Hundreds of stories by nearly as many authors now color (some might say litter) the canvas of Star Wars outside the films. And if you are like me, you discovered fairly early on that it would take some effort to make sense of the whole mess. I’ve looked in a few places and think this is the most comprehensive out there right now. He did say that he is adding quite a bit more later this year.
TOR Lore: The Galactic Republic
For more than twenty thousand years, the Galactic Republic has been the most civilized and advanced power in the known galaxy. Governed by the Galactic Senate with representatives from hundreds of star systems and planets, the Republic has been the center of peace and progress, a bright beacon in the darkness of outer space. The revered Jedi Order has sworn itself to defend the Republic, to battle the darkness, and to bring peace and balance to the greater galaxy. The Jedi have served for millennia in this capacity, and in that time they have earned themselves the admiration of their allies, and the hatred of their enemies. Less than a century ago, the greatest of those enemies returned… The onslaught of the Sith Empire caught the Republic and the Jedi completely by surprise, and during a long and arduous war, the Republic was broken. After the capital planet of Coruscant…