Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG

[Galactus]

You know, strange as it might seem the reason I'm still paying for City Of Heroes is actually the story. (especialyl that damn letter writer CURSE YOUR TIME-TRAVELLING CRYPTIC MESSAGES!)

[burnt hound]

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-star-wars/701449

Some multiplayer shenanigans. I like the clean look of it, not to cluttered. Should be a blast to play.

[saint777]

I think this is already a no buy for me.

No space combat. Until there is fun space combat implemented into the game I'm not going anywhere near SWTOR. The game looks like a traditional MMO grindfest within the Star Wars Universe.

I'm more excited for TERA which has a skill based action combat system and Guild Wars 2 which is a mission based no subscription light grind MMO. Plus Guild Wars 2 and TERA have great graphics while SWTOR looks bland.

[Werthead]

No space combat. Until there is fun space combat implemented into the game I'm not going anywhere near SWTOR. The game looks like a traditional MMO grindfest within the Star Wars Universe.

Yup, because KotOR 1 and 2 both sucked due to lacking space combat and Star Wars Galaxies was immensely improved by including it :unsure:

[Renasko]

Yeah, the lack of actual space stuff is a bit disappointing. Although in the SW games it has featured, it's been a bit of a slug. Hard to make it non-repetitive.

I'd agree, also, that the actual model-work of the game looks a little below-par. Graphics aren't up to scratch for this time and age. George is playing it safe, I guess, not wanting to commit more funds to the project. This, along with him stating he'll be cutting down the inevitable TV series to a low-budget yarn, makes me laugh. Hoarder. He's played such a crazy game of the entertainment business since RotJ. It's nigh on amazing he still prospers.

[Werthead]

I thought the graphics weren't too hot because they wanted to appeal to as wide a base of users as WoW, including people with 5-year-old computers which couldn't run cutting-edge graphics?

[Renasko]

I'll have to admit, I'm not sure what drives LucasArts. They're a rich company, so I can't understand what compels them to chose quick-easy cash from the masses over work of genuine merit plus a large sum of cash. They're going to win whichever direction they go. Why not make the game look beautiful and new-edgy? SW is the kind of thing that will coerce people into improving their machines, anyway.

[Slurktan]

I'll have to admit, I'm not sure what drives LucasArts. They're a rich company, so I can't understand what compels them to chose quick-easy cash from the masses over work of genuine merit plus a large sum of cash. They're going to win whichever direction they go. Why not make the game look beautiful and new-edgy? SW is the kind of thing that will coerce people into improving their machines, anyway.

Because they want to have a large and active subscriber base which is *always* better for an MMO? And then of course you kind of fail to realize why Lucasarts is such a rich company.

On another though so you don't think WoW was a work of genuine merit when it was released despite it having substandard graphics even then?

[Renasko]

Not an MMO fan, so I would not be able to critique WoW. As a more general gamer, though, I don't really see what the merit is, no. I'm viewing this from a SW fans POV in any case. I realise why Lucasarts is a rich company. It saddens me that they produce this kind of material. As I said in my previous post, they're going to win, either way. Their pockets will never be hurt.

[saint777]

Yup, because KotOR 1 and 2 both sucked due to lacking space combat and Star Wars Galaxies was immensely improved by including it :unsure:

Well those games sucked for a different reason. I hated the combat in KOTOR and SW:G was another soulless MMO without anything that actually made Star Wars great. I was hoping that Bioware were going to go the extra mile and implement a Freespace 2 or X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter style space combat system along with the ground based questing. I didn't like the space combat in the Rogue Squadron games so implementing that system will not grab me. I just think Bioware is playing it way too safe and is doing nothing for the game to stick out among the other MMOs coming to the PC.

[Slurktan]

Not an MMO fan, so I would not be able to critique WoW. As a more general gamer, though, I don't really see what the merit is, no. I'm viewing this from a SW fans POV in any case. I realise why Lucasarts is a rich company. It saddens me that they produce this kind of material. As I said in my previous post, they're going to win, either way. Their pockets will never be hurt.

Their pockets will be hurt comparatively. No they aren't going to lose money on a Star Wars MMO but the point is to spend the least amount possible in order to make the most money possible. That is how a business works.

Regardless your statements are amusing anyways as Lucasarts isn't the company making this game, they are simply paying for it. BioWare is making this game. They are the ones deciding the graphical look and game style et al.

[Derfel Cadarn]

I boeve tor is costing 100 mill to make. I'd love space combat too but idont think licasarts or bioware can be accused of cutting costs!

[Renasko]

Their pockets will be hurt comparatively. No they aren't going to lose money on a Star Wars MMO but the point is to spend the least amount possible in order to make the most money possible. That is how a business works.

Regardless your statements are amusing anyways as Lucasarts isn't the company making this game, they are simply paying for it. BioWare is making this game. They are the ones deciding the graphical look and game style et al.

SW is a business like no other. You can't go off on a 'how other businesses work' philosophy in this.

Bioware are making it, yeah, but they're working with a budget LucasArts have set, so I'm hardly going to criticise Bioware. They're capable of producing some of the best graphics. That they won't be with this is a let down and a waste of good talent.

[Galactus]

MMORPG's never look as good as SP games. Expecting them too is silly.

I'm kind of intereste din SWTOR, mostly because I have no idea what it's actually going to PLAY like. It seems like an hybrid between your standard BIoware game and an MMO, which is, if nothing else, a pretty bold step.

Will it work?

I honestly don't think so. But I'm willing to give it a try in case it does.

[Slurktan]

SW is a business like no other. You can't go off on a 'how other businesses work' philosophy in this.

That's just idiotic. Star Wars is Star Wars because Lucas was smart enough to run it like a business in 1977 when nobody else was doing that with movies. He still runs it like a business now and you can bet your ass the suits at LucasArts run it like a business otherwise their jobs are on the line.

Bioware are making it, yeah, but they're working with a budget LucasArts have set, so I'm hardly going to criticise Bioware. They're capable of producing some of the best graphics. That they won't be with this is a let down and a waste of good talent.

Bioware determines where the money goes. They apparently determined to keep the graphics lower in order to draw a larger playerbase and focus on gameplay. Exactly what WoW did some years back. A cutting edge graphics (at the time) Star Wars MMO already has been released. Nice graphics, shit game. Unfortunately that decision might serve to piss off the elitist graphic douchebags out there. Thankfully that is a low userbase and so can safely be ignored.

[Renasko]

That's just idiotic.

May seem that way, but when you have a large quantity of fans who are just that, then the business can operate on 'auto-pilot', as it has been, despite taking critical blows. I doubt this game will help raise the product's value.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

SW is the kind of thing that will coerce people into improving their machines, anyway.

Valve and Blizzard would like to have a word with you. Or maybe just drown you in their immense piles of money.

Regardless your statements are amusing anyways as Lucasarts isn't the company making this game, they are simply paying for it. BioWare is making this game. They are the ones deciding the graphical look and game style et al.

I dunno about that. The decision to go full voiceover was made by Lucasarts. Sure, Bioware brought it up, but it was LA's call.

Incidentally, I've seen a--reliable--games journo describe TOR as the largest voiceover project in entertainment history, and claim that virtually every professional in the industry has worked on it.

[Cuellar]

Looks pretty cool to me. Definitely will be similar playstyle as most MMORPGs I'd expect, but hopefully focused on story more so than fetch and kill quests like in WoW. I do think the counsular class implemented as a healer is retarded as hell from a star wars perspective, although required for a video game like this. At least I can be a lame ass healer WITH A LIGHTSABER.

[Shryke]

I thought the graphics weren't too hot because they wanted to appeal to as wide a base of users as WoW, including people with 5-year-old computers which couldn't run cutting-edge graphics?

Yeah, it's always been a huge success for Blizzard so I don't know why more people didn't copy it.

Of course, from the videos I've seen, the game's graphics have the same problem alot of MMOs (and other games I've seen) have in that they look bad artistically, regardless of the surplus or lack of technical goodness. The art style and animations and everything just looks very ... crap to me.

[Ratty]

Smugglers are also healers on the republic side all the classes are hybrids

Consular can go healer and DPS, Knight, tanking and dps, Smuggler healing and DPS, Trooper Tanking and DPS etc. Also the fact you have a companiaon following you about means you could take a dedicated healer companion and level up your own character however you want.