<div class="module first gs_story"> <div class="head"> <div class="wrap"> <h2>Star Wars: The Old Republic revealed</h2> </div> </div> <div class="body"> <div class="byline"> <span class="author">By Tor Thorsen (text and interviews), Tyler Weingarner (video), GameSpot</span><span class="posted">Posted Oct 21, 2008 2:00 pm PT</span> </div> <div class="deck"> <p>VIDEOEXCLUSIVE: After years of secrecy, LucasArts opens the book on itsambitious second PC MMORPG; BioWare's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschukexplain why it's a bigger project than all their previous projects puttogether.</p> </div> <div class="story_body"> <div class="embscreen"> 
<p class="caption center"> More Images <span>(13)</span> »
Screenshot Index » </p> </div> <p>SAN FRANCISCO--Today at a flashy media event in San Francisco, LucasArts and BioWare announced development of the PC massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Though ostensibly suspenseful, the unveiling's thunder was stolen this past July by John Riccitiello,CEO of BioWare parent Electronic Arts. Speaking to a business-orientedmagazine, the executive casually confirmed that, yes, BioWare wasworking on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Universe. </p><p>However, Riccitiello's comments--which weren't officially corroborateduntil today--were unsurprising even then. Whispers of a KOTOR MMOGbegan back in March 2006, when BioWare opened a satellite studiodedicated solely to an unnamed massively multiplayer onlinerole-playing project. Leading the new operation were James Ohlen, leaddesigner of the original KOTOR, and Richard Vogel, former vicepresident of product development at Sony Online Entertainment,developer of the only current LucasArts MMORPG, Star Wars Galaxies. </p><p> </p><div class="seeit"> <div class="title">Star Wars: The Old Republic</div> <div class="video_thumb" style="background: transparent url(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/misc/movies/gsm_169_starwarsTOR_vf_102108.jpg) no-repeat scroll center center; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;">
</div> <p class="caption">BioWare and LucasArts reveal their top secret MMORPG.</p> <ul class="actions"><li class="first watch">Watch<li class="download">Download[/list] </div><p>The fact the studio was in Austin, Texas--home of SOE's Austin shop,which is the developer of Galaxies--only heightened suspicions that theBioWare game was Star Wars-related. A year and a half later,speculation reached stratospheric levels when BioWare and LucasArts announced they were collaborating on a "next-generation entertainment product."Since the only joint ventures between the Edmonton, Alberta-baseddeveloper and the San Francisco, California-based publisher had beenthe two KOTOR games, it seemed likely the new project would be afollow-up of some kind. </p><p>Now that cat is officially out of the bag, as GameSpot sat down withthe architects of the forthcoming MMORPG to find more about the The OldRepublic. Lead designer Ohlen discussed what will set it apart fromother MMORPGs, and its head writer Daniel Erickson explained how itwill implement story in a way never seen before in the massivelymultiplayer space. LucasArts executive producer Tom Nichols talkedabout working with BioWare--and how SW:TOR will notbe replacing Star Wars Galaxies. Finally, BioWare cofounders and EAvice presidents Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka laid out the game's originsand ambitions--and why they wanted to get into the cutthroat MMORPGspace in the first place. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> 
<p class="caption">The Jedi class will serve the battered Republic...</p></div><p>A not so long time ago, in a studio somewhat far away...
When Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic debuted in July 2003, itwas an instant sensation. It sidestepped the controversy surroundingthe Star Warsprequels by introducing a new era set 4,000 years prior that was packedwith Jedi Knights and a whole army of their nemeses, the Sith. UsingBioWare's trademark in-depth dialogue system, the game let player'schoices in individual situations build up to a permanent alignment witheither the Dark or the Light sides of The Force. At times, the dilemmaswere deliciously agonizing, such as when, right at the game's climax, aplayer was forced to chose between killing an Obi-Wan Kenobi-esquefather figure or a romantic interest made all the more tempting by theDark Side. </p><p>Besides receiving critical accolades--including being named GameSpot's 2003 Role-playing Game of the Year--KOTORwent on to sell nearly 1.3 million units domestically on the originalXbox and over 500,000 units on the PC. Its success spurred a sequel,Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, which soldmore than 1.275 million units in the US on the Xbox (2004) and PC(2005). Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the independent studio formed by some of the team behind the first two Fallout games, KOTOR II got solid marks from reviewers.However, it came under some criticism when it was discovered the game'sstory had been truncated to make a holiday release window. </p><p>Ironically, it was the tales that KOTOR II left untold which sparkeddevelopment of The Old Republic. Not long after the PC edition of thesequel hit stores in 2005, BioWare approached LucasArts with a pitchfor what would be their biggest collaboration yet. </p><p>"This project originated a couple years ago when BioWare spoke up andsaid, 'Hey, we'd love to do another project with you guys,'" explainedNichols. "We were thinking about working on new, additional projects inthe online space, and Galaxies was three or four years old, and westarted to look into the future about what we might want to do in theMMO genre. And I think the timing was pretty serendipitous that way,since BioWare wanted to work with us, they wanted to do an MMO, andthey had a lot of experience playing MMOs. They wanted to bring some oftheir learning and aspects of their gameplay--namely storytelling--intoMMOs, and we were looking to reapproach the genre with a majorpartner."</p><p>Muzyka was equally enthusiastic. "Doing an MMO is somethingwe've wanted to do for probably over a decade," he said. "We wanted towait until we had the right partners, the right team, and the rightIP." </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">...while Sith serve the resurgent Empire.</p></div><p>Calling The Old Republic the "right" IP may be an understatement. EA said one of the main reasons it shelled out $860 million for BioWare/Pandemicwas so it would co-own the then-unnamed MMORPG, touted as a competitorto Activision Blizzard's mega-successful World of Warcraft. Ironically,the EA purchase has allowed BioWare to collaborate with the developersof the fastest-growing MMORPGon the market. "We're actively consulting with EA Mythic and are hugefans of Warhammer Online," say Muzyka. "They've got lots of greattechnology and lots of great people and ideas. They're great people totalk to about making an awesome MMO experience, and we're definitelylooking to them for inspiration." </p><p>KOTOR 3 MIA...WTF?
While the cash-minting potential of The Old Republic has executivessalivating, many BioWare fans were disappointed the series didn'treturn to its single-player RPG roots. "There are a lot of reasons whywe decided not to do KOTOR 3, and why we decided to do this as an MMOinstead," said Nichols. "The unique aspect of storytelling, which isreally differentiated for this game, is something the KOTOR franchisedid very well, and we felt that just doing a single-player experiencewith a new KOTOR really misses the opportunity to take this out to amuch wider audience." </p><p>"One of the things we like to joke about is just the sheer amount ofcontent we're doing," Ohlen mused. "Our fans ask, 'Why aren't you doingKnights of the Old Republic 3?' What we're really doing is Knights ofthe Old Republic 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12-plus. We have thatmuch content and that many stories...We really get to do a lot ofthings we really wouldn't get to do in [a] KOTOR 3."</p><p>Ohlen is in a unique position to make such an assessment.Described as "the most important guy at BioWare no one has ever heardof" by insiders, Ohlen has been a lead designer on virtually every gamethe studio has produced, including Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights,Jade Empire, and the original Knights of the Old Republic. Now, as leaddesigner of The Old Republic, he is overseeing what he isn't afraid tosay is BioWare's most ambitious project ever. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">Tython, the Jedi Homeworld, seems a pastoral place.</p></div><p>"The biggest challenge for this game is the sheer amount of content you have to create," boasted Ohlen. "This is a HUGEgame. Just to give you an idea of how huge this game is, we were takinga look at it, and it has more story content than every single otherBioWare game that's come before put together. That would mean Baldur'sGate, Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights II,Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II, JadeEmpire, Mass Effect--and all the expansions." Currently, the OldRepublic has 12 full-time staff writers who are "cranking out" content,some for as long as two years. </p><p>The Fourth Pillar
So what is the setting for this massive epic? The Old Republic takesplace 300 years after the events of the original Knights of the OldRepublic games, or about 3,600 years before the events of the films.While story elements from the first two games will "definitely play arole," much has changed since the end of KOTOR II. The old Sith Empire,which had been banished into deep space after nearly being exterminatedby the Galactic Republic, has reemerged. Its return came in the form ofa massive sneak attack by its huge fleet reminiscent of the Cylons'fiery return in Battlestar Galactica. </p><p>A brutal war ensued, which saw the Sith's elite armies conquer dozensof worlds in the Outer Rim and sack the Republic's capital planetCoruscant. Pacifist factions within the Republic forced the signing ofa treaty, leading to a fragile peace across the galaxy. Those samefactions blamed the Jedi for the Republic's drubbing by the Sith,forcing the relocation of the decimated Jedi Council from Coruscant toTython, the Jedi's homeworld. </p><p>As the game begins, the interstellar Cold War is thawing, and playerswill find themselves at ground zero as a new conflict begins to flareup. "Players get to come in and take the roles of heroes--orvillains--at this pivotal moment where we're starting to go back into abig galactic war," promised Erickson. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">Korriban, the ancestral Sith world, is not so welcoming.</p></div><p></p><p>Like other MMOs, The Old Republic will have two factions--the GalacticRepublic and the Sith Empire. Though led by respectively benevolent andmalevolent leaders, the two sides will be home to characters of morallyvarying stripes. "There's a lot more people than Sith and Jedi in theEmpire and the Republic, so one of the things that became important tous is that we separate the idea of faction and good and evil," saidErickson. "Light Side and Dark Side is not the same as faction. In theoriginal KOTOR, you could be Dark Side, even though you worked for theRepublic. Here, just because you're in the Empire [faction], doesn'tmean you have be Dark Side. You can play as the good guy in the badplace trying to do good things or the bad guy in the good place tryingto do bad things."</p><p>Indeed, BioWare went to great lengths to make the ostensiblevillains sympathetic, going into the LucasFilm and LucasArts archivesand researching the Great Hyperspace Warfor background on the Sith. "The Sith were literally chased out of thegalaxy by the Jedi," explained Erickson. "You had an entire culture andpeople who were pushed out of known space. So you get these guys whocome back and have a big chip on their shoulder. So if you're playingon their side as a good guy, you're not going to just go run over tothe Republic, because the Republic tried to wipe out your entirepeople." </p><p>Erickson hopes such background will make the Sith Empire morecompelling than the evil factions of other MMORPGs. "These [Imperials]are actual people," he said. "They don't get up in the morning and say,'What can we do that's evil today?' They have to have a legitimatepoint of view. You have to believe when you're playing that the thingsyou're doing make sense and be proud of where you are. "</p><p>Nichols agreed that having strong dramatic underpinning is whatwill set the Old Republic apart from competitors such as World ofWarcraft. "What's really missing [in other MMOs] is context--why you'redoing all these missions, why you're on this quest, why you're outkilling 10 wolves," he asserted. "So story puts that in the context,and gives you a much more immersive experience where you're reallybuilding a stronger relationship with your online character than youwould without it."</p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> 
<p class="caption">These Tython mining droids don't like trespassers. Not one bit.</p></div><p>However, don't get the idea that BioWare and LucasArts aren'trespectful of what MMOs like WOW have accomplished. "We're huge fans ofMMOs and have played just pretty much everything else out there," saidMuzkya. "We really appreciate the things that make great MMOs great.There's great exploration, there's combat, there's [character]customization and progression. The Old Republic has all those things.It's got those pillars. But what we're adding is a fourth pillar, apillar of story and character, of meaningful choice with consequences.You get to experience your personal life story, your history as acharacter."</p><p>Narrative-based gameplay
Indeed, BioWare is confident thatThe Old Republic's story will focus on character and affect gameplaylike no other MMORPG before. "Because our stories revolve around aplayer's class, his role, we're able to tell stories that are veryfocused on who the player is, which is something other BioWare gameshaven't been able to do," explained Ohlen.</p><p>Ohlen went on to explain that each of the game's two factionswill contain various classes, each with its own unique backstory. Sofar, the only classes confirmed are the Jedi and Sith, which will allowplayers to wield lightsabers and force powers "very early on," versuswell into the game as was the case with the first KOTOR. </p><p>(The game summary also describes another possible class, the RepublicSpecial Forces, "elite troopers [which] work often in conjunction withthe Jedi." Concept art for the game also features assassin droids likethe gleefully homicidal HK-47 from the first KOTOR, but it was unclear if they would be companions or playable classes.)</p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">A Republic Special Forces trooper takes a shot at foes on Tython.</p></div><p>Besides the back stories, each class will also have its own branchingstoryline, which will be affected by players' moral choices as in otherBioWare games. However, unlike in single-player RPGs, Old Republicplayers have no fail-safe when presented with an agonizing choice. </p><p>"The big difference, and what makes it so impactful when you're playingit, is you have no save button," said Erickson, a borderline sadisticglint in his eye. "One of the ways people have traditionally playedBioWare games is by saying 'Oh my god, that's huge!' and quicklysaving. "Then you reload and say 'Oh, that would've happened! That'sexciting!' Well guess what, you're how many dozens of hours in...[and]that decision is going to make huge ramifications that are going toaffect [you] for hours and hours. And you have to make it, and you haveto live with it. That really puts an impact onto choices and storythat's much stronger than we've ever been able to do in a game...Duringour testing, you can tell when these moments were happening, becauseyou'll see people leaning back from their keyboards, wringing theirhands."</p><p>Such trepidation is understandable, given that a player'schoices will permanently open and close storyline options--and theirincluded quests--and affect non-player characters' reactions. Thislatter factor is especially important, since players will have NPCcompanions as in the first two KOTORs. "You'll have dialogue with themand start building relationships with them," said Nichols. Theinteractions with companion NPCs will also open up new options, as theydid in Mass Effect and other BioWare games, not all of which will bewelcome. "Piss them off enough, and they may leave, and say 'Screwthis, I'm outta here!'" joked Nichols, channeling his inner EricCartman. </p><p>Indeed, Zeschuk believes the options offered by the Old Republic areunique in the massively multiplayer genre. "You really can'toverestimate the impact of choice in the MMO space, where choice issomething that, in many ways, doesn't really exist. You get a quest andyou do your quest. You can't say, 'Well, I'm going to do somethingdifferent,' or change your mind, or manipulate a character into havinga different result. But that's what we're talking about [with SW:TOR].It offers a degree of choice that hasn't really ever been therebefore."</p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> 
<p class="caption">This NPC companion has a face only a bounty hunter could love, but sports a versatile wardrobe.</p></div><p>Loose lips sink starships?
Though effusive about how storywould affect players in The Old Republic, both BioWare and LucasArtswere reticent when it came to hard gameplay details. However,interviews and press materials did provide some information. The OldRepublic game will feature "dozens" of worlds inhabited by players,including Coruscant, Tython, and Korriban, the Sith homeworld. Other planets mentioned in the announcement include Alderran, Utapau, Agamar, Dathomir, and Manaan, though their role in the game is unclear. </p><p>Some planets will be dominated by one faction, while others will be thesites of skirmishes that are flaring up on the Empire-Republic border.Though reps would not confirm it explicitly, these contested worldsseem a likely spot for player-versus-player battles, which bothLucasArts and BioWare reps emphasized would be a major part of The OldRepublic. "It will have all the features you'd expect in a triple-AMMO," promised Nichols, including guilds and "plenty of othersocialization options." </p><p>The Fate of Galaxies
The amount of energy, resources, and enthusiasm being thrown at The OldRepublic raises one obvious question: What about Galaxies? LucasArtswas emphatic about the fact that there's enough room for two viableStar Wars MMORPGs to co-exist. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">The ol' Sith standby Force Choke will be back.</p></div><p>"We're looking to continue to support Galaxies with high-qualityupdates on into the future," said Jake Neri, producer for LucasArts'online division. "We're focused on a chapter release around Hoth, wherewe're re-creating the battle at Echo Base. We'll allow players to getin groups and jump in and just participate in a very high-qualitybattle. We've just released a trading card game inside of Galaxies, andfans are eating it up. Looking into next year, we're going to revampour droid system with something called droid commander." Neri also saidthat SOE Austin was working in conjunction with LucasArts on furtheradditions to Galaxies for years to come, with no end to the game insight. </p><p>That said, Nichols is confident that the lessons learned from Galaxies' checkered historywill be applied to The Old Republic. "What we can bring to the table isour experience with the brand," he said. "We can bring our knowledge ofwhat's worked and what hasn't [worked]with Star Wars, and what's popular with Star Wars fans. We can bringelements to BioWare and say 'Hey, we know what works here and whatdoesn't, and let's see if we can kind of work together to kind of tweakthis a little bit and tweak that.' And that's how the collaborativepartnership is working."</p><p>Launch date TBA, console versions TBD
Last week, Dragon Agewas confirmed as coming to the PC early next year and to the 360 andPS3 later that holiday season, casting The Old Republic's 2009 targetwindow into doubt. Indeed, LucasArts and BioWare have now backed awayfrom the previously attributed launch window, which was first proffered in a 2007 Information Week interview. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">They apparently grow 'em big and ugly in the Old Republic...</p></div><p>"When the content and the quality is there, that's the sign we'll beready to go," said Nichols. "We're gonna make sure we take the rightamount of time to make sure it's awesome," seconded Muzyka. "At thesame time, we're part of Electronic Arts, so we're committed todelivering a great experience for our fans, who are eager to play likewe are."</p><p>When the possibility of a console version came up, the infamouswall of BioWare secrecy was raised. "The PC version is all we've talkedabout so far," was the most Zeschuk would say. </p><p>However, the executive was effusive--even ebullient--about thechallenge The Old Republic presents for BioWare. "I'd say this isdefinitely our biggest project yet," Zeschuk declared flatly. "We'veworked on a lot of games--Mass Effect was a big game, and Dragon Age isa big game. But Star Wars: The Old Republic is just plain huge.And what makes it huge is not only that it's Star Wars--which meansit's got to be epic--but [in] the MMO space, we've got something toprove. This is our first game in that space, and there's some reallygreat competition, and we want to stand out...Ultimately in the MMOspace, more than any other, you really have to nail it. There's a realhigh bar in that space now." </p> </div> </div> </div>
<p class="caption center"> More Images <span>(13)</span> » Screenshot Index » </p> </div> <p>SAN FRANCISCO--Today at a flashy media event in San Francisco, LucasArts and BioWare announced development of the PC massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Though ostensibly suspenseful, the unveiling's thunder was stolen this past July by John Riccitiello,CEO of BioWare parent Electronic Arts. Speaking to a business-orientedmagazine, the executive casually confirmed that, yes, BioWare wasworking on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Universe. </p><p>However, Riccitiello's comments--which weren't officially corroborateduntil today--were unsurprising even then. Whispers of a KOTOR MMOGbegan back in March 2006, when BioWare opened a satellite studiodedicated solely to an unnamed massively multiplayer onlinerole-playing project. Leading the new operation were James Ohlen, leaddesigner of the original KOTOR, and Richard Vogel, former vicepresident of product development at Sony Online Entertainment,developer of the only current LucasArts MMORPG, Star Wars Galaxies. </p><p> </p><div class="seeit"> <div class="title">Star Wars: The Old Republic</div> <div class="video_thumb" style="background: transparent url(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/misc/movies/gsm_169_starwarsTOR_vf_102108.jpg) no-repeat scroll center center; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;">
</div> <p class="caption">BioWare and LucasArts reveal their top secret MMORPG.</p> <ul class="actions"><li class="first watch">Watch<li class="download">Download[/list] </div><p>The fact the studio was in Austin, Texas--home of SOE's Austin shop,which is the developer of Galaxies--only heightened suspicions that theBioWare game was Star Wars-related. A year and a half later,speculation reached stratospheric levels when BioWare and LucasArts announced they were collaborating on a "next-generation entertainment product."Since the only joint ventures between the Edmonton, Alberta-baseddeveloper and the San Francisco, California-based publisher had beenthe two KOTOR games, it seemed likely the new project would be afollow-up of some kind. </p><p>Now that cat is officially out of the bag, as GameSpot sat down withthe architects of the forthcoming MMORPG to find more about the The OldRepublic. Lead designer Ohlen discussed what will set it apart fromother MMORPGs, and its head writer Daniel Erickson explained how itwill implement story in a way never seen before in the massivelymultiplayer space. LucasArts executive producer Tom Nichols talkedabout working with BioWare--and how SW:TOR will notbe replacing Star Wars Galaxies. Finally, BioWare cofounders and EAvice presidents Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka laid out the game's originsand ambitions--and why they wanted to get into the cutthroat MMORPGspace in the first place. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> <p class="caption">The Jedi class will serve the battered Republic...</p></div><p>A not so long time ago, in a studio somewhat far away...When Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic debuted in July 2003, itwas an instant sensation. It sidestepped the controversy surroundingthe Star Warsprequels by introducing a new era set 4,000 years prior that was packedwith Jedi Knights and a whole army of their nemeses, the Sith. UsingBioWare's trademark in-depth dialogue system, the game let player'schoices in individual situations build up to a permanent alignment witheither the Dark or the Light sides of The Force. At times, the dilemmaswere deliciously agonizing, such as when, right at the game's climax, aplayer was forced to chose between killing an Obi-Wan Kenobi-esquefather figure or a romantic interest made all the more tempting by theDark Side. </p><p>Besides receiving critical accolades--including being named GameSpot's 2003 Role-playing Game of the Year--KOTORwent on to sell nearly 1.3 million units domestically on the originalXbox and over 500,000 units on the PC. Its success spurred a sequel,Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, which soldmore than 1.275 million units in the US on the Xbox (2004) and PC(2005). Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the independent studio formed by some of the team behind the first two Fallout games, KOTOR II got solid marks from reviewers.However, it came under some criticism when it was discovered the game'sstory had been truncated to make a holiday release window. </p><p>Ironically, it was the tales that KOTOR II left untold which sparkeddevelopment of The Old Republic. Not long after the PC edition of thesequel hit stores in 2005, BioWare approached LucasArts with a pitchfor what would be their biggest collaboration yet. </p><p>"This project originated a couple years ago when BioWare spoke up andsaid, 'Hey, we'd love to do another project with you guys,'" explainedNichols. "We were thinking about working on new, additional projects inthe online space, and Galaxies was three or four years old, and westarted to look into the future about what we might want to do in theMMO genre. And I think the timing was pretty serendipitous that way,since BioWare wanted to work with us, they wanted to do an MMO, andthey had a lot of experience playing MMOs. They wanted to bring some oftheir learning and aspects of their gameplay--namely storytelling--intoMMOs, and we were looking to reapproach the genre with a majorpartner."</p><p>Muzyka was equally enthusiastic. "Doing an MMO is somethingwe've wanted to do for probably over a decade," he said. "We wanted towait until we had the right partners, the right team, and the rightIP." </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">...while Sith serve the resurgent Empire.</p></div><p>Calling The Old Republic the "right" IP may be an understatement. EA said one of the main reasons it shelled out $860 million for BioWare/Pandemicwas so it would co-own the then-unnamed MMORPG, touted as a competitorto Activision Blizzard's mega-successful World of Warcraft. Ironically,the EA purchase has allowed BioWare to collaborate with the developersof the fastest-growing MMORPGon the market. "We're actively consulting with EA Mythic and are hugefans of Warhammer Online," say Muzyka. "They've got lots of greattechnology and lots of great people and ideas. They're great people totalk to about making an awesome MMO experience, and we're definitelylooking to them for inspiration." </p><p>KOTOR 3 MIA...WTF?While the cash-minting potential of The Old Republic has executivessalivating, many BioWare fans were disappointed the series didn'treturn to its single-player RPG roots. "There are a lot of reasons whywe decided not to do KOTOR 3, and why we decided to do this as an MMOinstead," said Nichols. "The unique aspect of storytelling, which isreally differentiated for this game, is something the KOTOR franchisedid very well, and we felt that just doing a single-player experiencewith a new KOTOR really misses the opportunity to take this out to amuch wider audience." </p><p>"One of the things we like to joke about is just the sheer amount ofcontent we're doing," Ohlen mused. "Our fans ask, 'Why aren't you doingKnights of the Old Republic 3?' What we're really doing is Knights ofthe Old Republic 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12-plus. We have thatmuch content and that many stories...We really get to do a lot ofthings we really wouldn't get to do in [a] KOTOR 3."</p><p>Ohlen is in a unique position to make such an assessment.Described as "the most important guy at BioWare no one has ever heardof" by insiders, Ohlen has been a lead designer on virtually every gamethe studio has produced, including Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights,Jade Empire, and the original Knights of the Old Republic. Now, as leaddesigner of The Old Republic, he is overseeing what he isn't afraid tosay is BioWare's most ambitious project ever. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">Tython, the Jedi Homeworld, seems a pastoral place.</p></div><p>"The biggest challenge for this game is the sheer amount of content you have to create," boasted Ohlen. "This is a HUGEgame. Just to give you an idea of how huge this game is, we were takinga look at it, and it has more story content than every single otherBioWare game that's come before put together. That would mean Baldur'sGate, Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights II,Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II, JadeEmpire, Mass Effect--and all the expansions." Currently, the OldRepublic has 12 full-time staff writers who are "cranking out" content,some for as long as two years. </p><p>The Fourth PillarSo what is the setting for this massive epic? The Old Republic takesplace 300 years after the events of the original Knights of the OldRepublic games, or about 3,600 years before the events of the films.While story elements from the first two games will "definitely play arole," much has changed since the end of KOTOR II. The old Sith Empire,which had been banished into deep space after nearly being exterminatedby the Galactic Republic, has reemerged. Its return came in the form ofa massive sneak attack by its huge fleet reminiscent of the Cylons'fiery return in Battlestar Galactica. </p><p>A brutal war ensued, which saw the Sith's elite armies conquer dozensof worlds in the Outer Rim and sack the Republic's capital planetCoruscant. Pacifist factions within the Republic forced the signing ofa treaty, leading to a fragile peace across the galaxy. Those samefactions blamed the Jedi for the Republic's drubbing by the Sith,forcing the relocation of the decimated Jedi Council from Coruscant toTython, the Jedi's homeworld. </p><p>As the game begins, the interstellar Cold War is thawing, and playerswill find themselves at ground zero as a new conflict begins to flareup. "Players get to come in and take the roles of heroes--orvillains--at this pivotal moment where we're starting to go back into abig galactic war," promised Erickson. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">Korriban, the ancestral Sith world, is not so welcoming.</p></div><p></p><p>Like other MMOs, The Old Republic will have two factions--the GalacticRepublic and the Sith Empire. Though led by respectively benevolent andmalevolent leaders, the two sides will be home to characters of morallyvarying stripes. "There's a lot more people than Sith and Jedi in theEmpire and the Republic, so one of the things that became important tous is that we separate the idea of faction and good and evil," saidErickson. "Light Side and Dark Side is not the same as faction. In theoriginal KOTOR, you could be Dark Side, even though you worked for theRepublic. Here, just because you're in the Empire [faction], doesn'tmean you have be Dark Side. You can play as the good guy in the badplace trying to do good things or the bad guy in the good place tryingto do bad things."</p><p>Indeed, BioWare went to great lengths to make the ostensiblevillains sympathetic, going into the LucasFilm and LucasArts archivesand researching the Great Hyperspace Warfor background on the Sith. "The Sith were literally chased out of thegalaxy by the Jedi," explained Erickson. "You had an entire culture andpeople who were pushed out of known space. So you get these guys whocome back and have a big chip on their shoulder. So if you're playingon their side as a good guy, you're not going to just go run over tothe Republic, because the Republic tried to wipe out your entirepeople." </p><p>Erickson hopes such background will make the Sith Empire morecompelling than the evil factions of other MMORPGs. "These [Imperials]are actual people," he said. "They don't get up in the morning and say,'What can we do that's evil today?' They have to have a legitimatepoint of view. You have to believe when you're playing that the thingsyou're doing make sense and be proud of where you are. "</p><p>Nichols agreed that having strong dramatic underpinning is whatwill set the Old Republic apart from competitors such as World ofWarcraft. "What's really missing [in other MMOs] is context--why you'redoing all these missions, why you're on this quest, why you're outkilling 10 wolves," he asserted. "So story puts that in the context,and gives you a much more immersive experience where you're reallybuilding a stronger relationship with your online character than youwould without it."</p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> <p class="caption">These Tython mining droids don't like trespassers. Not one bit.</p></div><p>However, don't get the idea that BioWare and LucasArts aren'trespectful of what MMOs like WOW have accomplished. "We're huge fans ofMMOs and have played just pretty much everything else out there," saidMuzkya. "We really appreciate the things that make great MMOs great.There's great exploration, there's combat, there's [character]customization and progression. The Old Republic has all those things.It's got those pillars. But what we're adding is a fourth pillar, apillar of story and character, of meaningful choice with consequences.You get to experience your personal life story, your history as acharacter."</p><p>Narrative-based gameplayIndeed, BioWare is confident thatThe Old Republic's story will focus on character and affect gameplaylike no other MMORPG before. "Because our stories revolve around aplayer's class, his role, we're able to tell stories that are veryfocused on who the player is, which is something other BioWare gameshaven't been able to do," explained Ohlen.</p><p>Ohlen went on to explain that each of the game's two factionswill contain various classes, each with its own unique backstory. Sofar, the only classes confirmed are the Jedi and Sith, which will allowplayers to wield lightsabers and force powers "very early on," versuswell into the game as was the case with the first KOTOR. </p><p>(The game summary also describes another possible class, the RepublicSpecial Forces, "elite troopers [which] work often in conjunction withthe Jedi." Concept art for the game also features assassin droids likethe gleefully homicidal HK-47 from the first KOTOR, but it was unclear if they would be companions or playable classes.)</p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">A Republic Special Forces trooper takes a shot at foes on Tython.</p></div><p>Besides the back stories, each class will also have its own branchingstoryline, which will be affected by players' moral choices as in otherBioWare games. However, unlike in single-player RPGs, Old Republicplayers have no fail-safe when presented with an agonizing choice. </p><p>"The big difference, and what makes it so impactful when you're playingit, is you have no save button," said Erickson, a borderline sadisticglint in his eye. "One of the ways people have traditionally playedBioWare games is by saying 'Oh my god, that's huge!' and quicklysaving. "Then you reload and say 'Oh, that would've happened! That'sexciting!' Well guess what, you're how many dozens of hours in...[and]that decision is going to make huge ramifications that are going toaffect [you] for hours and hours. And you have to make it, and you haveto live with it. That really puts an impact onto choices and storythat's much stronger than we've ever been able to do in a game...Duringour testing, you can tell when these moments were happening, becauseyou'll see people leaning back from their keyboards, wringing theirhands."</p><p>Such trepidation is understandable, given that a player'schoices will permanently open and close storyline options--and theirincluded quests--and affect non-player characters' reactions. Thislatter factor is especially important, since players will have NPCcompanions as in the first two KOTORs. "You'll have dialogue with themand start building relationships with them," said Nichols. Theinteractions with companion NPCs will also open up new options, as theydid in Mass Effect and other BioWare games, not all of which will bewelcome. "Piss them off enough, and they may leave, and say 'Screwthis, I'm outta here!'" joked Nichols, channeling his inner EricCartman. </p><p>Indeed, Zeschuk believes the options offered by the Old Republic areunique in the massively multiplayer genre. "You really can'toverestimate the impact of choice in the MMO space, where choice issomething that, in many ways, doesn't really exist. You get a quest andyou do your quest. You can't say, 'Well, I'm going to do somethingdifferent,' or change your mind, or manipulate a character into havinga different result. But that's what we're talking about [with SW:TOR].It offers a degree of choice that hasn't really ever been therebefore."</p><p></p><div class="embscreen"> <p class="caption">This NPC companion has a face only a bounty hunter could love, but sports a versatile wardrobe.</p></div><p>Loose lips sink starships?Though effusive about how storywould affect players in The Old Republic, both BioWare and LucasArtswere reticent when it came to hard gameplay details. However,interviews and press materials did provide some information. The OldRepublic game will feature "dozens" of worlds inhabited by players,including Coruscant, Tython, and Korriban, the Sith homeworld. Other planets mentioned in the announcement include Alderran, Utapau, Agamar, Dathomir, and Manaan, though their role in the game is unclear. </p><p>Some planets will be dominated by one faction, while others will be thesites of skirmishes that are flaring up on the Empire-Republic border.Though reps would not confirm it explicitly, these contested worldsseem a likely spot for player-versus-player battles, which bothLucasArts and BioWare reps emphasized would be a major part of The OldRepublic. "It will have all the features you'd expect in a triple-AMMO," promised Nichols, including guilds and "plenty of othersocialization options." </p><p>The Fate of Galaxies
The amount of energy, resources, and enthusiasm being thrown at The OldRepublic raises one obvious question: What about Galaxies? LucasArtswas emphatic about the fact that there's enough room for two viableStar Wars MMORPGs to co-exist. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">The ol' Sith standby Force Choke will be back.</p></div><p>"We're looking to continue to support Galaxies with high-qualityupdates on into the future," said Jake Neri, producer for LucasArts'online division. "We're focused on a chapter release around Hoth, wherewe're re-creating the battle at Echo Base. We'll allow players to getin groups and jump in and just participate in a very high-qualitybattle. We've just released a trading card game inside of Galaxies, andfans are eating it up. Looking into next year, we're going to revampour droid system with something called droid commander." Neri also saidthat SOE Austin was working in conjunction with LucasArts on furtheradditions to Galaxies for years to come, with no end to the game insight. </p><p>That said, Nichols is confident that the lessons learned from Galaxies' checkered historywill be applied to The Old Republic. "What we can bring to the table isour experience with the brand," he said. "We can bring our knowledge ofwhat's worked and what hasn't [worked]with Star Wars, and what's popular with Star Wars fans. We can bringelements to BioWare and say 'Hey, we know what works here and whatdoesn't, and let's see if we can kind of work together to kind of tweakthis a little bit and tweak that.' And that's how the collaborativepartnership is working."</p><p>Launch date TBA, console versions TBDLast week, Dragon Agewas confirmed as coming to the PC early next year and to the 360 andPS3 later that holiday season, casting The Old Republic's 2009 targetwindow into doubt. Indeed, LucasArts and BioWare have now backed awayfrom the previously attributed launch window, which was first proffered in a 2007 Information Week interview. </p><p></p><div class="embscreen">
<p class="caption">They apparently grow 'em big and ugly in the Old Republic...</p></div><p>"When the content and the quality is there, that's the sign we'll beready to go," said Nichols. "We're gonna make sure we take the rightamount of time to make sure it's awesome," seconded Muzyka. "At thesame time, we're part of Electronic Arts, so we're committed todelivering a great experience for our fans, who are eager to play likewe are."</p><p>When the possibility of a console version came up, the infamouswall of BioWare secrecy was raised. "The PC version is all we've talkedabout so far," was the most Zeschuk would say. </p><p>However, the executive was effusive--even ebullient--about thechallenge The Old Republic presents for BioWare. "I'd say this isdefinitely our biggest project yet," Zeschuk declared flatly. "We'veworked on a lot of games--Mass Effect was a big game, and Dragon Age isa big game. But Star Wars: The Old Republic is just plain huge.And what makes it huge is not only that it's Star Wars--which meansit's got to be epic--but [in] the MMO space, we've got something toprove. This is our first game in that space, and there's some reallygreat competition, and we want to stand out...Ultimately in the MMOspace, more than any other, you really have to nail it. There's a realhigh bar in that space now." </p> </div> </div> </div>
