KotOR 1 (and NWN 1) was one of, if not the, best RPG ever made IMO. I just hope the MMO gives the same feeling of being part of a movie as that did.
I'm actually quite sure Bioware will do this part of the game well. They rock at providing an amazing single-player experience. The problem is that unlike a single-player game, in an MMO, it doesn't make sense that each of us "Saves/conqueres the galaxy", the storyline has to be a lot less epic and without a definitive ending in order to leave us in a place where we can all interact with each other meaningfull.
The other alternative is to go the way of basically creating two games at the same time - one a single player game, where everyone saves the galaxy and one a multi-player game where everyone is part of an on-going story and on the level with other people playing and basically pretending the single-player part never happened. This is the major problem with trying to do a lot with story in a game with 10,000 protagonists (at least thus far, i do believe there are ways to extend story for everyone to share in).
I have no doubt that Bioware will absolutely rock the "single-player, save the galaxy" portion of TOR and I'll glady fork out my 50 bucks to simply go through that storyline. But what I am more interested in is what they do with the part of the game where you meet and interact with the other 10000 people.
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall Currently Playing: ESO
The worsed that can happen to an MMO is the Original Poster.
He is the nightmare of any MMO developer, the vile plague that scourge gamers everywhere?
Why? Because he doesn't play a game, isn''t involved in a virtual world and the challenges it presents. No story plot for him, all he sees is a spreadsheet and his stats.
He CARES about gimping his character by changing his path rather then the gameplay involved in that. OFF course a fallen jedi would suffer first, he has to relearn how to fight, force lightening doesn't instantly spring from your fingertips because you have a bad temper, it takes practice, just as the path to Jedi took practice.
I would WANT my character to loose some light-side skills without them instantly being replaced by dark-side skills. It would be part of my story of being a fallen jedi and re-rising as a full blow sith.
IF bioware does its thing right there will be betrayal story lines to follow similar to how EQ2 had them. They should be bloody hard as you will be untrusted by both sides and especially a fallen jedi will have a hard time remaining upright amoung the sith who are not above culling the competition.
A story, plot based MMO needsplayers that look at story rather then stats.
And if you want to walk the middle path, then you should want to play that path and take the lack of special skills as the natural and logical consequence. KOTOR and the likes have tried it, but the mix-maxing crowd as the OP is not suited for it.
At its best, lets hope that SWTOR will be like Planescape Torment, where you think about the right answer to a question when for the spreadsheet underneath, it doesn't make a blinding bit of difference.
"What changes the nature of a man". If you THOUGHT about that question, wanted to give the proper answer, then you are a RPG player. If you wanted the answer that gave the most XP, you should have played Diablo.
Since this is Bioware, lets hope that this game will be firmly on the side of the RPG'er.
Time to take a step on the dark side and tempt fate, ladies and gentlemen. Many of us are anticipating TOR with baited breath; heralding it as the saviour of the genre and eagerly awaiting the long-overdue focus on storytelling and "traditional" RPG values. But there's that tiny element of doubt, isn't there? It's there, wriggling around in the back of our minds, trying to make itself heard. We all have it; we're fans of a genre that feeds on hype and delights in sacrificing the hopes and expectations of its devotees upon the altar of business stratagem; here's my list:
Failure of the Core Concept Like so many games, TOR has a unique selling point; Story. WAR also had a unique selling point: RvR. So did AoC: Combat + Citybuilding. They promised so much and disappointed us so utterly; what if TOR does the same thing? A fully voiced version of WoW questing where NPCs demand (in a strong "imperial" accent) that you go and kill 10 x gizka? Sure it is possible. However, the demo mission that everyone was talking about seems to indicate that quests are more than just go kill 10 boars type. The Bait & Switch Endgame Much is being made of TOR's solo-friendliness, but then WoW is solo-friendly too, isn't it? Right up to max level where the mentality has always been "Raid or Reroll" .. ! .. What if TOR is the same? Your "hero" finally reaches level 80 having completed his epic storyline and finds himself on a strange planet infested with radio chatter such as "LFM: 52 needed for PUG Emperor raid lawl. Bring consumables, force-healing specced jedi ONLY. No sabernubs ffs, we got enuff DPS." This is what I worry about too. I hope bioware is not falling into this trap. Monochrome Morality I'd hazard a guess that most of you have played KOTOR1+2 so will know that the actions of the character will almost certainly cause alignment shifts in TOR. I remember reading an article a little while ago that stated that strong dark/light side characters would gain special abilities which made me worry; is the much-vaulted "player choice" essentially limited to character creation? If I start along the "light sided" path by saving a puppy rather than killing it, skinning it, baking the meat in a pie and force-feeding it to the crying child who owned it .. am I doomed to forever walk the path of the altruistic doormat for fear of gimping my character? If halfway through my development I have a moment of madness and slaughter a girl guide troupe (rather than pay 5 creds for some cookies - lightside style) will I be forced to reroll? What about you? What's the worst that could happen? This one i worry less about. I am sure all the mini-maxing website will figure out the optimal way to BUILD a char.
Worst would be cancelling the development. Not that I know if Im going to like the game, but it would be worse if I never got to see what the result is.
3. George Lucas gets involved in the game in way other than signing paychecks and collecting royalties.
2. Microtransactions
1. Following the gargantuan success of TOR, Bioware abandons single-player rpg development for an online-only business model, or partners with Gakai/OnLive or their equivalent.
The worst that could happen to Star Wars The Old Republic would be that it turns into another World of Tenyearoldcraft.
Not to break your bubble, but you can bet TOR will definitely attract a younger audience also. Its inevitable. I'm personally not bothered by it though. If you are, go play Age of Conan. At least in EU servers, that game is pretty much exclusive to 30+ers.
Comments
I'm actually quite sure Bioware will do this part of the game well. They rock at providing an amazing single-player experience. The problem is that unlike a single-player game, in an MMO, it doesn't make sense that each of us "Saves/conqueres the galaxy", the storyline has to be a lot less epic and without a definitive ending in order to leave us in a place where we can all interact with each other meaningfull.
The other alternative is to go the way of basically creating two games at the same time - one a single player game, where everyone saves the galaxy and one a multi-player game where everyone is part of an on-going story and on the level with other people playing and basically pretending the single-player part never happened. This is the major problem with trying to do a lot with story in a game with 10,000 protagonists (at least thus far, i do believe there are ways to extend story for everyone to share in).
I have no doubt that Bioware will absolutely rock the "single-player, save the galaxy" portion of TOR and I'll glady fork out my 50 bucks to simply go through that storyline. But what I am more interested in is what they do with the part of the game where you meet and interact with the other 10000 people.
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall
Currently Playing: ESO
The worsed that can happen to an MMO is the Original Poster.
He is the nightmare of any MMO developer, the vile plague that scourge gamers everywhere?
Why? Because he doesn't play a game, isn''t involved in a virtual world and the challenges it presents. No story plot for him, all he sees is a spreadsheet and his stats.
He CARES about gimping his character by changing his path rather then the gameplay involved in that. OFF course a fallen jedi would suffer first, he has to relearn how to fight, force lightening doesn't instantly spring from your fingertips because you have a bad temper, it takes practice, just as the path to Jedi took practice.
I would WANT my character to loose some light-side skills without them instantly being replaced by dark-side skills. It would be part of my story of being a fallen jedi and re-rising as a full blow sith.
IF bioware does its thing right there will be betrayal story lines to follow similar to how EQ2 had them. They should be bloody hard as you will be untrusted by both sides and especially a fallen jedi will have a hard time remaining upright amoung the sith who are not above culling the competition.
A story, plot based MMO needsplayers that look at story rather then stats.
And if you want to walk the middle path, then you should want to play that path and take the lack of special skills as the natural and logical consequence. KOTOR and the likes have tried it, but the mix-maxing crowd as the OP is not suited for it.
At its best, lets hope that SWTOR will be like Planescape Torment, where you think about the right answer to a question when for the spreadsheet underneath, it doesn't make a blinding bit of difference.
"What changes the nature of a man". If you THOUGHT about that question, wanted to give the proper answer, then you are a RPG player. If you wanted the answer that gave the most XP, you should have played Diablo.
Since this is Bioware, lets hope that this game will be firmly on the side of the RPG'er.
Worst would be cancelling the development. Not that I know if Im going to like the game, but it would be worse if I never got to see what the result is.
Top 3 Personal Worsts:
3. George Lucas gets involved in the game in way other than signing paychecks and collecting royalties.
2. Microtransactions
1. Following the gargantuan success of TOR, Bioware abandons single-player rpg development for an online-only business model, or partners with Gakai/OnLive or their equivalent.
well most likely game will stink its got all things most games do stink start at.
Worst case scenario:
*click*
*light saber doesn't come out*
*sigh*
*shot dead by trooper*
</end>
Better to be crazy, provided you know what sane is...
1) EA forces BW to release the game too early *cough* WAR *cough*.
2) GL adds his personal touch to the game in the form of some new, supposed-to-be-cute race, that can induce homicidal urges in avowed pacifists.
3) Full F2P/MT model that makes the game a kiddie magnet.
Not to break your bubble, but you can bet TOR will definitely attract a younger audience also. Its inevitable. I'm personally not bothered by it though. If you are, go play Age of Conan. At least in EU servers, that game is pretty much exclusive to 30+ers.