SWTOR Web Comics by DARK HORSE coming soon for free ONLINE :D

Comments

• FikusOfAhazi Member Posts: 1,835

  February 2009

  Thats sounds like a great idea to get SW fans who arent familiar with KOTOR to learn about the lore. Which is good because the lore is actually pretty sweet.

  p.s. They really need to read their press releases from a gamers point of view before they release them. It's like Oh, theres multiplayer too in the very last line.

   

  See you in the dream..
  The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
• BaronJuJu Member UncommonPosts: 1,832

  February 2009

  Very cool idea. I love the Dark Horse comic SW series they produce and look forward to seeing where they go with the storyline on this project. Plus, its free, how the hell can you beat that?

  I also wonder, are they going to continue this comic after the game starts?

  "If we don't attack them, they will attack us first. So we'd better retaliate before they have a chance to strike"
• Elikal Member UncommonPosts: 7,912

  February 2009

  It seems they are really serious about this game. Good to see, I am excited about this comic! Cool idea!

  People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
• DeaconX Member UncommonPosts: 3,062

  February 2009

  Also - knowing how the Lucas camp works... EVERYTHING in those comics is going to be checked over to make sure it fits with 'TOR'.  So pretty much, by reading those comics we'll actually be getting huge hints on what to expect in game.

  

  
  

  Why do I write, create, fantasize, dream and daydream about other worlds? Because I hate what humanity does with this one.

  BOYCOTTING EA / ORIGIN going forward.
• nariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775

  February 2009

  Originally posted by FikusOfAhazi
  
  
  Thats sounds like a great idea to get SW fans who arent familiar with KOTOR to learn about the lore. Which is good because the lore is actually pretty sweet.
  p.s. They really need to read their press releases from a gamers point of view before they release them. It's like Oh, theres multiplayer too in the very last line.
   
  

   

  I don't think so. They are clearly going after everyone in the world (like WOW) so why speak to only a small part of their audience?
• FikusOfAhazi Member Posts: 1,835

  February 2009

  Originally posted by nariusseldon
  
  Originally posted by FikusOfAhazi
  
  
  Thats sounds like a great idea to get SW fans who arent familiar with KOTOR to learn about the lore. Which is good because the lore is actually pretty sweet.
  p.s. They really need to read their press releases from a gamers point of view before they release them. It's like Oh, theres multiplayer too in the very last line.
   
  

   

  I don't think so. They are clearly going after everyone in the world (like WOW) so why speak to only a small part of their audience?

  
  
   

  YA, you're probably right.

  See you in the dream..
  The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
• Narshe Member Posts: 563

  February 2009

  Ehh, this should definetly be interesting. I was disappointed when they announced this, only because I'm eager for more info or footage. To be honest, I didn't know that dark horse already has a monthly KOTOR comic series..

  Anyway, I look forward to the webcomic, Cool idea.

  Waiting for Fallen Earth, World of Darkness, Old Republic, FFXIV
• Tiller Member LegendaryPosts: 11,163

  February 2009

  New article on the comic
  
  http://comics.ign.com/articles/952/952444p1.html
  
  
  
  A New Threat For the Old Republic
  
  
  
  
  
  Star Wars: The Old Republic, the upcoming MMORPG, is about to become a web comic too. Full interview.
  
  
  
  
  
  by Jesse Schedeen
  
  
  
  
  
  February 8, 2009 - For Star Wars fans and online gamers alike, the big project to keep an eye on in 2009 is Star Wars: The Old Republic. This online project marks two returns for the Star Wars franchise. It's the return of Bioware to the Knights of the Old Republic universe, and it's the second time Lucasarts has attempted a MMORPG in the Star Wars universe.
  
  
  
  While we're all eagerly awaiting to see how The Old Republic shapes up, one tie-in project should offer a closer look at the mythology and characters of this largely unexplored period of Star Wars history. Best of all, gamers need only wait a few weeks to check it out. Beginning February 27th, a web comic titled Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Threat of Peace, will begin running on the official game website. The comic is penned by one of the game's scenario writers, Rob Chestney, and is drawn by Alex Sanchez.
  
  
  
  We had plenty of questions about The Threat of Peace. What characters are involved? How does it tie into the plot of the game? How does The Old Republic compare to Knights of the Old Republic? Where the heck is Darth Revan already? Fortunately, we were able to sit down with Chestney and receive answers to many of these burning questions.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: How closely does this comic tie into the game? Is there a common cast of characters between the two?
  
  
  
  Rob Chestney: Yeah, there is. The cool thing about the comic is that it's set during probably the most critical moment in the history leading up to the game, which is the sacking of Coruscant and the treaty that's signed thereafter. We're basically setting up this difficult, painful peace treaty between the Republic and the Empire that really exists up until players enter the game. So it takes place in that time period where that sacking is taking place and that treaty is being signed. We say that it's more than a decade before the game, but we don't get too specific because we want to give some sort of leeway for timing.
  
  
  
  I worked on the game for my first two or two-and-a-half years here. I helped develop a lot of the storyline for the galaxy itself, and I helped develop a lot of the stories for the individual planets. I actually picked up one of the class stories and wrote the first act of that. What's really cool about that process is sitting in on the brainstorms of other writers. We've taken some of our favorite characters from those stories – meeting your NPC quest-givers, and really your friends and enemies during your first few hours of the game – and those characters show up in the comic. Some of those characters were in their prime during this period, and by the time you meet them in the game they're very different characters. Some of them are just coming up during this time, and by the time of the game they're the power-mongers and leaders of the Sith or Jedi or Republic or Empire.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: So if you read the comic and then venture into the game, will you have an enhanced appreciation for the game quests and some of these characters?
  
  
  
  Chestney: Yes, absolutely. To put it in terms of just quests kind of limits it. You're going to be playing through this epic storyline more than a series of quests. You can take on separate quests of your choosing as part of this story you make choices in. Some of the characters in that story will be involved in quests for hours and hours. They'll be a part of 10 to 20 different quests, and more than that in may cases.
  
  
  
  We've planned it in such a way that you'll meet the main characters once in the comic, and then when you see them in the game there will be some cases where you'll say "Oh, this makes sense where he'd be now". And in other cases you might say "Wow! How did this character end up here from where they were in the comic?". And you'll get some idea in the comic of where these characters might be headed. But at the same time, these characters have different plans and agendas, and there's probably going to be some transition in the game of how they developed from where you last saw them to where they are now.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: How would you compare the setting of The Old Republic to Knights of the Old Republic the game or Knights of the Old Republic the comic? How different are the tone and setting between these two eras?
  
  
  
  Chestney: I think what was so cool with Knights of the Old Republic when Bioware first started work on the game, it really was this blank slate to work with. When the story of Revan and Malak and Bastila got put in there, it really became a huge epic story that took place during that time period, and when writing around that period, you have to take into account the events of the game, the novels, and the comics. And I think that's been a little limiting.
  
  
  
  I think what's really cool to me about being able to write this comic in this time frame is that the Old Republic time period is a time when a much larger Sith Empire has returned from deep space. You really have this massive mess that isn't coming from an upstart villain. From some perspectives you could say Darth Malak was an upstart. He was a fallen Jedi who raised an army against the Republic. This is now who the Sith Empire is during The Old Republic time period. They're this massive empire that's been hiding in deep space and waiting to come back and destroy the Republic and kill the Jedi. You have thousands of Sith and thousands of Jedi, and you don't have any single Sith or Jedi. We do have an emperor on the Sith side but he's very much a man behind the curtain in many ways.
  
  
  
  You have many prominent Sith who are both in the comic and in the game who have huge, epic storylines around them. You have large, galaxy-spanning threats and super-weapons and major events that take place in the first issue of the comic that couldn't have taken place in KOTOR because you have to work around the restraints of the Revan and Malak story. It's really an awesome time with so many kinds of characters and so much freedom to take on these epic kinds of stories. It's really fun writing the comic because of that.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: The game allows the player to choose either the Jedi or the Sith as their faction. I'm wondering whether the comic will be focusing on one specific side, or if it will take more of a balanced look at the conflict between the two factions?
  
  
  
  Chestney: Just to clarify, the two big allegiances in the game are Republic and Empire, and the Jedi and Sith are within that. But we definitely want to keep that in mind, and in time you'll learn more about that. The game gives you both sides, and it really gives you an awesome, epic, heroic story to be a part of whether you're a Jedi or Sith, and it's sympathetic to either side. Playing as a Sith, you don't have to play just as Darth Vader or Sidious, you can play however you want.
  
  
  
  The comic really tries to give you that – I don't want to say sympathy to the Sith – but it gives you a lot of understanding and leaves some room. The Sith in the comic aren't people you have to despise. You can see their point of view. I hope readers will be able to fall in love with those characters as much as they fall in love with the Jedi characters. I'm sure if some people read the comic they'll claim it's biased towards the Sith. I don't know. I'm just doing my best to keep it objective and to present both sides and create compelling storylines on both sides that intersect at key moments.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: Will readers see any familiar Star Wars locations, or maybe cameo appearances by established characters?
  
  
  
  Chestney: A lot of the planets in the game will be in the comic. There will also be planets in the comic that aren't in the game. As far as characters go, I've got a list of characters that are in the game, and a list of those that aren't. And you're not going to know which is which until you get to the end of the comic and/or play the game. Some of the characters have connections to characters in KOTOR. We have certain elements in the game that bridge that gap. Certain characters have contact with that time period, so to speak.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: I know you might not be able to address this specifically, but certainly one of the most popular characters from the KOTOR period is Darth Revan. The first KOTOR left his fate pretty wide open, so is it possible either the comic or game might touch upon what happened to Revan after his disappearance?
  
  
  
  Chestney: I can't talk much about that. There will be some things revealed, mostly in the game. There might be some hints in the comic. That's a mystery that we'll carry for a while, and you'll learn things about it here and there. But if we answered that question completely it wouldn't be as much fun, I think.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: Can you reveal the artist you're working with yet?
  
  
  
  Chestney: Alex Sanchez is the artist. He's done a lot of stuff for Dark Horse, a lot of really great stuff. You can look him up online.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: What's the planned lifespan for this project. Is it the equivalent of a mini-series, or is it more open-ended?
  
  
  
  Chestney: I think we're planning a story that begins and ends, but with some strands that come along with it that we might pick up later and do another series with depending on the success of this project. So to answer your question, it's a little bit of both. We want a story that encapsulated something that was really cool and told a great story with a real ending, but also featured some characters who will be part of an ongoing saga, if you will.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: Do you have a definitive release date right now, or is that more contingent on the state of the game?
  
  
  
  Chestney: Well, the comic is going to post online starting February 27th. That'll be the first issue of the comic, and we're doing three-page installments every two weeks. As we get nearer to the game the story should heat up a bit.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: In the past year we've seen tie-in comics for both The Force Unleashed and The Clone Wars. Looking back at those comics, are you drawing any inspiration for how you handle this tie-in?
  
  
  
  Chestney: The Force Unleashed was awesome. What was so cool about that was the way weaved within the storyline of the original movies and how all the little things that occurred were hints of what was to come in the movies. And I'm a huge fan of Clone Wars the TV show and the comic. I just think they're really cool with the way they have a grand, epic war between dark and light going on in that period. There are some similarities in terms of the tone and style of the storytelling.
  
  
  
  This is going to be a little darker and a little bit more serious and adult even. I don't want to use the word adult really, but it's going to be a little darker. The Sith during this time period have forced the Republic into this really painful peace treaty that paralyzes the Republic. It's a really dark period for the Jedi and the Republic. The story is going to reflect that. There's not always going to be a tearful, happy, heroic ending to each issue and even to the larger comic. There's going to be a lot of back and forth and a lot of painful moments.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: Cool. Is there anything else you want to add before we wrap up?
  
  
  
  Chestney: I hope you get to see some of the artwork. I think what Alex brings to the table is a really heretofore unseen approach to Star Wars. His characters are really unique and realistic in a way that helps me relate to them. I look at the characters and think "Wow! That's a real person". They really do look like real people as opposed to comic book characters. I think that really combines well with the story. In the story, the Jedi aren't the biggest badasses that ever walked the galaxy. There are little people. There are soldiers. There are all kinds of people who can really be just as powerful as the Jedi in certain respects. And in certain times and circumstances they do defeat the Jedi. And I think Alex's style really complements that well, because even the most heroic of Jedi really come across as human beings with limitations. That makes the story a lot of fun, and I hope you get the chance to take a look at that.
  
  
  
  IGN Comics: Well, I'm looking forward to seeing more this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to talk, Rob.
  
  
  
  Chestney: Thanks, Jesse, Take it easy.

  SWG Bloodfin vet
  

  Elder Jedi/Elder Bounty Hunter

   
  
• DeaconX Member UncommonPosts: 3,062

  February 2009

  Thanks for posting that IGN interview Tillamook!

  "Chestney: I hope you get to see some of the artwork. I think what Alex brings to the table is a really heretofore unseen approach to Star Wars. His characters are really unique and realistic in a way that helps me relate to them. I look at the characters and think "Wow! That's a real person". They really do look like real people as opposed to comic book characters." - Too bad the game isn't following that but ah well, we'll see...

  In the meantime here's Alex's artwork:

  http://comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=4815

  

  
  

  Why do I write, create, fantasize, dream and daydream about other worlds? Because I hate what humanity does with this one.

  BOYCOTTING EA / ORIGIN going forward.
• Alienovrlord Member Posts: 1,525

  February 2009

  I'm looking forward to this webcomic too.   It will be a nice intro to the setting for people who haven't played KoToR and the art looks pretty cool.   Well-written Star Wars comics are always fun