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The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind?

Kyle Horner — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars offers a setting with incredible chances at strong storytelling and it's for this reason I've been watching closely for any hints at the story elements in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This recent developer blog on the driving forces behind the Sith Inquisitor's tale really dug its claws into my mind.

Before now, I'd always assumed most choice elements within the story of any given class would be mostly binary. That was the easiest solution for BioWare, who has created quite the challenge for themselves with the premise of a full singleplayer storyline experience for each class within the game.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind?

The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The development of the Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Previews, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Sith Inquisitor is not meant as just another Force-using class. That's one of the central themes behind the most recent developer blog from Star Wars: The Old Republic. Saying even that the Inquisitor is meant as a Palpatine to the Sith Warrior's Darth Vader is only a fraction of the whole story. No, the Inquisitor exists as someone whose diet of dark secrets and forbidden knowledge is as much a survival mechanism as anything, the manipulator and scholar, the calm and reason to balance against the Warrior's bravado and power.

Where the Warrior begins as a member of high society, the Inquisitor begins life as a slave, sent to either become a part of the Empire's almost monastic order of Sith or die unknown and unmourned. Inquisitors face the difficulties of choice, not only of morality but of their personal desires weighed against the needs and demands of the Empire. And through it all, they are the keepers of secrets and mystical knowledge of the Force, learning and studying into the otherworldly aspects it posseses. While we're still more than a year out from the expected launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, fans should still enjoy this look at one of the game's most devious classes.

The development of the Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The opening volley of SWTOR's great Sith War

Kyle Horner — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Sith War in Star Wars: The Old Republic opened with a massive surprise attack that shook the Republic to its very core. That's pretty much all you need to know going into the most recent holorecord lore video, not because it's low on details but because we really don't want to ruin it for you.

However, things are definitely heating up in Master Gnost-Dural's studies of the events leading up to the current situation in-game. Plenty of questions are left over by the end of this video, but more details are promised -- and really that's par for the course of these updates. We're happy to want more, as the only other option is being bored with it and that'd be wholly disheartening.

Continue reading The opening volley of SWTOR's great Sith War

The opening volley of SWTOR's great Sith War originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Delay? You can't handle the delay!

Kyle Horner — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Rumor: a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts.

Example: Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in October, 2010.

Yeah, guys, that was never in the wings. The fact of the matter is that the game was never delayed. You need at minimum a projected release date before something can be delayed. I personally find it pretty ridiculous that some people are worried about hype dying down for a game which they themselves thrust a false release date upon because they're so hyped up for it.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Delay? You can't handle the delay!

The Digital Continuum: Delay? You can't handle the delay! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR fan friday introduces 'Developer Corner' feature

Kyle Horner — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Fan art and fan fiction are in full effect in this week's Fan Friday for Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, BioWare's added something new to the mix this week -- the Developer Corner. Before getting to that, we'd like to briefly mention that the above preview of scars for our potential characters is superb. We especially appreciate the wide range of options, some of which show of the ability of the game's graphics engine to render subtle details.

The new Developer Corner segment offers the briefest peek at in-progress game elements that are intended to be interesting and completely new. It may not always be a video, but as it happens we lucked out. This week features a short video clip that's void of sound yet full of grandiose level design strokes. Focus is on the Imperial military base of Sobrikill Valley on the planet of Balmorra, where the Republic is raining down laser bombs like nobody's business. Thankfully, the Imperials have setup a large force field overhead, which creates some significant visual oomph. We can only imagine what it must look like from the ground level!

SWTOR fan friday introduces 'Developer Corner' feature originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bioware confirms 2011 SWTOR release

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Yesterday we talked about a rumor that had been floating around thanks to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello, who had mentioned the spring 2011 launch of an unnamed MMO on a recent conference call. Of course, the Star Wars: The Old Republic rumor mill sprang into action, with good cause as it turns out.

Sean Dahlberg of Bioware confirmed the rumor on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic forums earlier today: While we have not announced a specific date, we can confirm that we are targeting a spring 2011 release for Star Wars[TM]: The Old Republic[TM]. We've got a lot of exciting updates and reveals planned throughout 2010, including the first-ever hands-on testing for the game. It's not too late to sign up to be a game tester, so go to www.swtor.com/tester and sign up today. We can't wait to share more about the game with you as we progress through the year, so make sure you stay tuned to the official website for details.

While it may not be quite as soon as many fans were hoping for, the extra time gives Bioware a chance to add all those final touches and roll out a nicely put-together game for 2011.

Bioware confirms 2011 SWTOR release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic rumored for spring in 2011

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, New titles, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

A long time from now, in a game store probably not too far away... you might be getting your copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Well, all right, spring of 2011 might not be all that far along, but if you're one of the many eagerly looking forward to Bioware's entry into the MMO arena, it certainly feels like an eternity.

ShackNews has recently reported on a rumor that John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, mentioned that they were looking forward to their next big MMO launch in spring of 2011 while discussing the company's financial outlook. Although he was cautious and stated they had not announced a launch date, he did mention that the team was making "great progress" toward that timeframe.

Obviously, the game was not specified by name, which does technically mean he could have been referring to another game. But unless they've secretly been developing Warhammer Online II: The Warhammering, in all likelihood we can expect to see Star Wars: The Old Republic early next year. Which might be good news if you're a Bioware fan anyway, since Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2 are making enough of a dent on your wallet this year.

Star Wars: The Old Republic rumored for spring in 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Threat of Peace issue #23 goes beneath Dantooine

Kyle Horner — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

In the newest entry of Threat of Peace -- the webcomic prequel to Star Wars: The Old Republic -- it seems like Jedi and Sith will fight just about anywhere. They'll even make battle under Dantooine, especially if there's some degree of revenge involved in the fight. To be fair, Sith Lords Baras and Master Dar'Nala aren't simply fighting in a cave, they're fighting in ancient crystal caves that make for a much more spectacular setting. Of course, none of this would even be happening if the Jedi didn't blame the Sith for upsetting the peace treaty.

Ah, Jedi, always blaming the Sith for their problems. Well, at least it makes for great showdowns beneath Dantooine! If not for that, well... we're not really sure what these comics would be about. Jedi picnics?

Threat of Peace issue #23 goes beneath Dantooine originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic reveals Dromund Kaas, seat of imperial power

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Previews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It's another Friday, and the recent pattern has shown, Star Wars: The Old Republic has posted a new update on the official site. As we've heard a full reveal of all the playable classes, the site has been focusing more on backstory and locations of late. And we see an important location indeed -- the heart of the Sith Empire that has been obliterating much of the eponymous republic's power base.

Dromund Kaas, a jungle planet, was discovered by the Sith quite some time ago, but the location was lost and the planet forgotten in the recesses of history. That is, until the Sith suffered a horrendous defeat some thousand years back, at which point the remnants of the fleet happened upon the forested world. They spent generations building their force back up, which included turning the atmosphere into a nonstop electrical storm (how that helps with launching an attack on a larger entrenched military is somewhat questionable, but let's not sweat the details).

Even with the Sith powerbase expanding, Dromund Kaas remains the center of intrigue, politics, and all that goes along with the above. No doubt there are a large number of future Star Wars: The Old Republic players already thinking about what adventures might take place on the planet's surface, so take a look at the official update, which includes further screenshots, concept art, and a video flythrough of the planet.

Star Wars: The Old Republic reveals Dromund Kaas, seat of imperial power originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic releases more intel on the Imperial Agent

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Previews, Star Wars: The Old Republic

One of the frequently-voiced concerns about Star Wars: The Old Republic is the possibility that the non-Force classes will wind up becoming almost irrelevant. Who's going to pay attention to being a spy when you can wield an energy sword and fling lightning, right? As a matter of fact, the Imperial Agent would like very much if no one ever notices they exist. They're quite happy to stand in the background and never be observed, because as the latest developer's entry explains, that's precisely what the Agent does best. They exist in the shadow, the man of many faces and a hundred names, a presence whose influence is strongest when it isn't evident at all.

Star Wars: The Old Republic faces the difficult task of making the Sith -- traditionally the villains of the franchise -- into a playable and likable faction rather than monolithic evil. As the developer entry points out, the Imperial Agent is a major part of that, of giving the chance to look at someone who is quite possibly a proud citizen of the Empire and happy to serve in keeping the peace and bring down the Republic. It's also a look at the parts between the lines of the films, the spies and intel operators whose role was important but whose faces were rarely seen. But you might decide not to look at the full discussion of the class anyway -- and as we've mentioned, really, that's what the agent would want.

Star Wars: The Old Republic releases more intel on the Imperial Agent originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums

Kyle Horner — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

As excited as I am for Star Wars: The Old Republic, I keep wondering whether or not BioWare can pull off three or four games' worth of content. It's no secret that developing an MMO takes considerable time and effort, but adding in all this extra story content has got to require a massive fleet of creative people doing what creative people do best: work on little sleep and lots of caffeine.

Every MMO that's launched, has launched without all the content its designers wanted it to have. In reality, this is true of every videogame, but for MMOs the desire to "perfect" is significantly stronger because they're an ongoing development project. So, for this game, I find myself wondering what exactly it's going to have missing for launch day. As it turns out, there's a lot of potentials.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums

The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums, page 2

Kyle Horner — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums, page 2

The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's content conundrums, page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare on developing the Dark Side of SWTOR

Kyle Horner — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Classes, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Would you like to know more about BioWare's lengthy effort of creating the dark side classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic? Well, of course you would! We mean, who wouldn't really? Well, probably Jedi, but nobody really listens to those guys anyhow. Except maybe for angst-ridden youth who've just recently discovered their father is a dark lord of the Sith. Oh, wait, nevermind.

In this video glimpse into the game's development, we're treated to some insight on the Sith Warrior and Inquisitor's overall design. BioWare details their thought process behind the various aspects of each class, including lightsaber hilt styles, armor styles and of course overall story focus within the game. Our collective jaws were on the floor during the shots of all the concept art for Sith armor. Players definitely won't find Star Wars: The Old Republic to be a game lacking in depth and breadth of loot.

Check out the full video after the break.

Continue reading BioWare on developing the Dark Side of SWTOR

BioWare on developing the Dark Side of SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic gives an official reveal of Tatooine

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Virtual worlds, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Despite being an obscure planet on the outer rim in Star Wars: The Old Republic, everyone knew that the desert planet Tatooine was going to be in the game. No, really, everyone. It's like Hoth, it shows up all the time, probably because the first movie in the franchise started on it. BioWare has thrown us a few curveballs, but to think they wouldn't send us to a well-known and iconic planet in the franchise would be silly. And sure enough, today's update to the official site is details on the sprawling desert wasteland with occasional pockets of civilization.

There's plenty to do in the desert, however, even if the traditional stomping of tusken raiders doesn't appeal to you. The official page details the aftermath of the Czerka Corporation's meddling with the biosphere and with unfettered weaponry, which the Sith Empire is attempting to reclaim. There's the promise of something truly horrible under the sand as well, which should provide players of Star Wars: The Old Republic plenty of searching around dunes. Take a look at the official page on the planet, and if that doesn't sate your need for the game's universe, the newest installment of Threat of Peace is also available for your reading pleasure.

Star Wars: The Old Republic gives an official reveal of Tatooine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your SWTOR class of choice?

Kyle Horner — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, News items, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Well, every class for Star Wars: The Old Republic is out for the world to see and discuss, and you know what that means: time to start considering your first class. We find that most people fall into two categories here. They either pick a class archetype they're very familiar with (tank, DPS or support) or go for whichever class appeals to them thematically. You also have those who simply go with something different for the sake of variety.

As for this particular blogger, it's safe to say the Sith Inquisitor is likely to be the first character rolling off the creation line come launch day. Then again, there's always beta to consider as well... hmm, the choices just don't stop, do they?

Well, what say you, good readers?

The Daily Grind: What's your SWTOR class of choice? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sith Inquisitor class page open for business

Kyle Horner — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The final Star Wars: The Old Republic class page is up and features the Sith Inquisitor. We're pretty certain BioWare has a winner here, because it's difficult to go wrong with a person that can cast copious amounts of force lightning. If you weren't aware of that fact, the new screenshots released alongside the class page will correct that problem quite immediately.

Not only does the Inquisitor wield the iconic lightning blast regularly, it also incorporates the ability into just about every other attack. When stunning an enemy with a force tornado, why not throw a little lightning in to jazz things up a bit? In fact, why not charge a lightsaber with lightning and call it good? The more we hear about this class, the more it's beginning to appeal to our sense of wanting to lay waste to everything in sight with lightning from our fingertips.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Screenshots

Sith Inquisitor class page open for business originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare opens the Jedi Consular's class page

Kyle Horner — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Emphasis on non-melee abilities? Check. Robes? Check. Hm, if it weren't for those lightsaber moves, we'd almost have to say Star Wars: The Old Republic's Jedi Consular is a "magic" class. BioWare's released the official page for the newly revealed class, and looking through it proves that even in a galaxy far, far away you can find clothies.

The primary difference between the Knight and Consular is how they fight; one gets up close, while the other prefers to hang back a bit. Sure, the Consular can throw down in melee if need be, but when you command a significant degree of force powers why bother? Check out the new Consular screens below, and check out the official class page for all your lore related goodness.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Screenshots

BioWare opens the Jedi Consular's class page originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with the Sith Inquisitor of Star Wars: The Old Republic

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Hands-on, Star Wars: The Old Republic

With the recent announcement of the final two classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic, there was at least a little bit of genuine apprehension. After all, while the idea of playing a different flavor of Force-user with the Consular or the Inquisitor was indisputably entertaining, how different could they really wind up being from their cousins? The lucky dogs over at our fellow site, Joystiq, recently got a chance to play a hands-on demo with the Sith Inquisitor, and the answer is in: they really are a whole other ball-game.

The term "hands-on" is a bit ironic, considering that the Interrogator is actually a very hands-off sort of class. Keeping in line with the game's classes having a strong set of archetypes drawn from the films, the class is drawn from the mold of Emperor Palpatine, with a variety of ranged Force attacks including the ever-popular arcs of lightning. The demo they got to play, unfortunately, was on the shorter side and didn't include such perks as the still largely unseen companion system, but as the article states, the game feels very solid in this demo. There's still a lot more to be seen for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but even this little taste should help encourage fans of the game.

Hands-on with the Sith Inquisitor of Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR video interview covers final two classes and more

Kyle Horner — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The guys at Giant Bomb have thrown up a ten minute long video interview with BioWare's Blaine Christine that covers topics ranging from details on the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor to how companion characters work in grouping situations. Much of the new info is blended into stuff that's already been covered, but it servers as a nice refresher course on Star Wars: The Old Republic with some new stuff peppered in for good measure.

More than anything else, it sounds like the Consular and Inquisitor are support classes with some offensive capability. The notion makes a lot of sense, considering the Trooper and Bounty Hunter likely perform quite well as ranged DPS classes. Of course, until BioWare begins revealing specific abilities of the classes the best we can do is guess.

Find the video after the break.

Continue reading SWTOR video interview covers final two classes and more

SWTOR video interview covers final two classes and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's 'inquistoring' Consular conundrum

Kyle Horner — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The revealing of Star Wars: The Old Republic's final two classes has incited much discussion amongst the community and inside my own brain. On one hand, lots of people are happy to have more Sith and Jedi classes to choose from. However, on the other hand, some people are disappointed in the lack of creative and unexpected class options.

In all reality, BioWare probably made the right choice, but let's look at the view of both sides for the sake of argument and to have a little fun.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's 'inquistoring' Consular conundrum

The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's 'inquistoring' Consular conundrum originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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