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The Official: e3 2009 Info on TOR (Gameplay Revealed Articles!!!)
Tiller
Member LegendaryPosts: 11,163
New article link HERE like how I did that?
Well, it's just around the corner. What do you guys wanna see at e3 this year?
GS: On a somewhat unrelated note, could you give us an update on the game's development? What aspects of the game are the team working on now?
DE: Right now we're hard at work on our E3 demo, preparing to reveal to the world what TOR really looks like. People are going to be surprised.
SWG Bloodfin vet
Elder Jedi/Elder Bounty Hunter
Comments
More professions, and I would love to her a release date! I am really excited about this game and just can't wait.
Gameplay. And a lot of it.
But mostly, just a crapload of information about the game would be nice...
BOYCOTTING EA / ORIGIN going forward.
Gameplay, more info on possible new classes and perhaps an idea on what the business model will be. More interested in the gameplay though.
Heh, well the 99% info we HAVEN'T been told yet. Namely gameplay. If they repeat this mysterious "TOR is about STOOOORY" nonesense again, I swear I am going to force chocke someone!
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
I want to see either a release timeframe or some indication of where they are on the game and whats coming up.
My other two biggest concerns are about what they have planned for PvP and if it is open world with tactful instancing or more guildwars-esque
I want to see there finacial and buisness plan. .......
I am most intrested in how the plan to keep servers FULL, and maintain their subscriptions in the first year.
How do they plan to remain profitable, while expanding content. What are there plans for releasing servers during the overcrowded first week. Do they think it is better to release to many servers or too few?
How do you plan on making NON light saber weapons, as cool as a giant glow stick. ( this is important !!!! )
Most important, Worlds are huge, How do you choose what parts of a world to let players play on, How big are they?
....... Space...... Yes No Or yea maybe in an expansion we call jump to light speed.
And finaly. Why didn't Bioware and cryptic work on a game together one working space and one working the ground. Honestly I hate having to play two games in which one is the purpose of the game, and the other is side story.
More news
e3.gamespot.com/story/6210951/star-wars-the-old-republic-impressions-combat-bounty-hunters-smugglers-and-gameplay
Star Wars: The Old Republic Impressions - Combat, Bounty Hunters, Smugglers, and Gameplay
We finally get our first look at this massively multiplayer game in action.
E3 2009 is well underway at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and one of the most highly anticipated, and mysterious, games on display has finally revealed itself. Star Wars: The Old Republic is being shown in playable form for the very first time to the press here at E3, and the game looks great. From what we can tell, it'll have all the best elements of BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic single-player game, upated with all the best features from BioWare's more-recent games since then (such as Mass Effect), and of course, it'll have online multiplayer for you and your thousand closest friends.
The demonstration we watched started with the new beginnings of a bounty hunter character, a large, bulky male character with dark hair and a deep, menacing voice. Star Wars: TOR will apparently have full voice acting for all its characters, as well as full cinematic cutscenes similar to those of Knights of the Old Republic. In the demonstration we watched, our new bounty hunter started his life in a small bounty hunter conclave on the planet Hutta (home planet of the Hutts, which has previously never appeared in a computer or video game before). He made his way to a central chamber where his mentor, a character named Braden, awaited. On greeting Braden, our character was sent into a cutscene in which Braden introduced two other non-player characters who will help you on your way, and made vague references to The Great Hunt, an event held by the warlike Mandalorians to see which bounty hunter can land the greatest prize. This event will apparently be the focus of a bounty hunter character's storyline. After swapping terse, not-so-pleasantries with our mentor by choosing responses from a circular dialogue wheel (some dialogue choices will have serious consequences that will not only change the game's story, but will also change the outcome of your character's adventure and may award you light side points or dark side points, as in KOTOR), we headed outdoors.
Hutta was apparently colonized by Hutts who turned the once lush planet into an industrial wasteland, and we saw that reflected in the landscape outside our starting building. Huge, tall trees with hanging branches were scattered among large, metal buildings with long networks of pipes sticking out of them, and the sky was a sickly yellow color. Off in the distance, we could see a tall Hutt palace, which apparently houses the Hutt slumlord who will eventually be a fledgling bounty hunter's ticket off the planet. For the time being, we sallied forth and found some enemy human soldiers skulking around the area, and engaged them in battle. The bounty is a "ranged" character who will primarily rely on blaster rifles and blaster pistols, and has several abilities (keyed into a hotkey bank at the bottom of the screen) based on firing powerful energy blasts, though the character also has some close-range abilities, such as a wrist-mounted flamethrower which can spray multiple targets with incapacitating flames to control crowds.
After seeing the bounty hunter, we switched off to see the smuggler character in action. Though you can read more about this profession in our interview, smugglers will be nimble gunslingers who prefer sneaky tactics and good cover to heavy armor. Apparently, the primary story arc for the smuggler profession will involve smuggling a huge arms shipment to the besieged Republic army, but for the time being, we were able to see what a smuggler does in battle against a handful of enemy soldiers. This profession will have a unique cover system that will, when you acquire a target enemy, immediately place a stick-figure silhouette in the world where the best cover is. It's best to first head to that cover area and then start firing. In fact, cover is so important to this profession that some of its abilities may only be used while crouching behind cover,
Finally, we were able to watch a group session with a party of our bounty hunter character (at a higher level, in bulkier armor) and a sith character, sent on a mission to capture a sith warship whose captain disobeyed a direct order from a high-ranking official. The mission started in a huge control room reminiscent of some of the areas in KOTOR, but much better-looking, more-detailed, and populated with several nonplayer characters going about their business. Our party confronted the captain and engaged in "multiplayer dialogue," another of Star Wars: TOR's unique features. During the conversation, our bounty hunter and our sith team members were each given a dialogue option during the conversation, which ended with the group decision of either killing the captain as punishment, or sparing his life. Decisions like this will apparently give you and your party members a few moments to cast your votes before the game locks in the party's decision. In this case, we chose to kill the captain, an evil act that earned our characters dark side points and, according to BioWare, changed the course of the game (the following sequence of events we're about to describe apparently wouldn't have happened had we spared him).
After killing the captain, we exchanged a few cold words with the ship's remaining crew before the vessel came under attack by a Republic battleship. The battleship was being led by a jedi-led strike force intent on destroying us, so we headed down to the docking bay to attack our attackers as they breached the ship. This battle also let us see some of the abilities of a sith character, including the force jump ability, which works more or less the same as it did in KOTOR--you select a faraway enemy and, on activating the power, your character leaps forward and performs a powerful lightsaber attack. Sith characters will also apparently have access to abilities like force choke, which also works just like in KOTOR--you select an enemy to gesture at, and that foe will be lifted in the air by an invisible force and claw at his or her throat while being incapacitated and taking damage. Sith characters will also have some form of force lightning--the version we saw was an attack that stunned all nearby enemies in a tight radius. The Republic soldiers came blasting into the docking bay to attack us, but were no match for us--not even the padawan of the jedi knight character put up much of a fight. Finally, the jedi made his appearance and seemed to pose a real challenge, since he had force powers of his own, but using the bounty hunter's and sith's abilities together, such as having the bounty hunter trigger his jetpack to dive-bomb the jedi while the sith character duelled on foot, eventually brought the mighty jedi knight down. At that point, we did what any good sith would do--loot the corpse. Apparently, the jedi had been carrying some sophisticated scanner equipment for the bounty hunter, while the sith simply picked up the jedi's lightsaber and wielded it in his other hand, so yes, like in KOTOR, you'll be able to dual-wield lightsabers.
Now that we've finally seen what the gameplay in Star Wars: The Old Republic is like, we have to say that we're more intrigued than ever and really can't wait to actually play the game. And we'll be able to do that as soon as the game is released, and that'll happen...when it happens. BioWare Austin isn't committing to a release date, but that's just as well. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more updates on this promising online game.
up
read the article
another one pc.ign.com/articles/989/989833p1.html
This brings both a smile and a frown to my face. I'm excited that they are not constricted to a timeframe, how many times have we seen that fail. But at the same time DAMMIT I WANNA PLAY
It sounds so good right now.
I really hope they keep that bad boy in developement until it's totally ready.
Even if that means 2011.
Just with that flash point description It sounds like Bioware has figured a way to evolve Rpg action bar combat. Cover system, quick and fluid combat. Holy shit my head is going to explode im so happy!
Playing: EvE, Ryzom
I've been wanting to do this to someone in an MMO for ages
"Should an enemy get too close, the smuggler can stun them with a quick kick to the crotch and then finish them off by shooting them in the head."
FFS, that would be PvP done right, lol
Nice to finally have some REAL info, I guess other sites will have impressions with other remarkable stuff from this as well.
Looking good, looking good ... *prays*
My brand new bloggity blog.
In my opinion I think a big issue with some of the more recent MMOs has been the fact that some of them have been released too early and unfinished.
I know Mythic had a 'now or never' deadline, and I'm not sure what happened with AoC- but I'm sure if they released complete both games would have done great. Both games had great potential, it's a shame they didn't stay in development longer. But as far as we know Bioware is taking their sweet time.
Here's to hoping. Cheers.
BioWare... if you pay attention, at all, to their history.... has always been known for keeping stuff in development "until it's ready". They are also very good at sticking to budgets and not going over budget.
This is what makes them a successful software (game) manufacturer. They have both a commitment to quality products and an ability to do them within the budget they projected. Generally because they are better than most at predicting what development will take and how much it will cost.
Personally I'm glad they're taking the stance: It'll release when we're damn well good and ready to release. You can pretty much count on the fact that the contract between them and LucasArts for even taking on this project had that in writing beforehand because BioWare has dealt with LucasArts before and knows just how much Lucas likes to try to micromanage.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
Until now, the general public has only seen bits and pieces of
Star Wars: The Old Republic, but at
E3 2009LucasArts and BioWare are finally showing off a brand new CG trailer, some gameplay, and the Smuggler class for first time. Even though the game still isn’t in beta, TOR looks great, moves fast, and definitely takes a fun approach to MMOs. Having a very active story for players to explore along with the MMO elements of PvP and massive Jedi vs. Sith battles, TOR looks to deliver where other Star Wars games have come up short.
Our first look at the game while at E3 2009 began with a
trailer of the sacking of Coruscant. Fast paced and action packed, the Sith make it clear they are here to wreak havoc with the Dark Side as their ally. As is the case in all BioWare games, story and character choices make all the difference in the world. TOR will be one of the first MMOs to use full voice over capabilities. Your responses are in text but only briefly and help to drive the story line in the game. BioWare uses its classic cut scene format to give players a heroic journey in the Old Republic.
We got a first look at the planet Hutta, home of the notorious gangsters the Hutts. The Bounty Hunter class was shown off and the team was quick to explain that they want players to truly feel the badass storyline, which can definitely draw some parralels Boba Fett. The class has great features to blast foes, use jump packs, rockets, and even fire a deadly flame thrower that works as a crowd control device. We later saw the Bounty Hunter working in full effect with a Sith as they took on an Imperial ships entire crew after the captain disobeyed a direct Grand Moff order. Team work counts, but the two classes made some nasty work of any opponents.
Our first look at the Smuggler class followed in the tracks of Han Solo himself. Both the Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are ranged classes, were the Jedi and Sith focus on melee. The Smuggler wears less armor and works on a unique new system that allows the class to take full advantage of cover in the game. The cover mechanic shows places where primarily ranged fighters can jump or roll themselves into a defensive bonus in the environment and is one of the first times a system like this has been used successfully in an MMO.
In the Smuggler segment, we got a chance to see Ord Mantell, where a civil war between the Republic and separatists gives the Smuggler plenty of options to run guns and information . Bounty Hunters have all kinds of weapons at their disposal with flash grenades and barrage fire as well as close combat dirty kicks and point blank head shots.
Next we were taken into a Flash Point, which is similar to an instanced scenario where your group gets to make choices based on a story line. As mentioned above an Imperial transport ship captain has disobeyed a direct order from a Grand Moff. You are there to deliver the result. Do you obey your Sith tendencies and kill him, or let him live to help you in your quest? The choice is yours and impacts the gameplay to follow. In this instance the Captain lived and the ship was boarded by Republic troopers. While the Captain evacuates the ship out of the fight, it is your job to fight off the Republic troops who board the cruiser.
But of course it wasn’t easy; there were some Padawans and Jedi with them. A quick note: Making the choice to spare the Captain gave us points towards the Light Side, so obviously there are Dark Side points as well. Your Light Side / Dark Side standing can impact the type of loot you'll receive.
For the next few minutes of the demo we watched as a Bounty Hunter and Sith player characters took on the Republic forces. The action was fast paced and the two players moved through multiple opponents in full fury. The Sith is definitely a full melee character with loads of lightsaber attacks and Force Chokes. Also Force Lightning can be used as a crowd control skill, which then gave the Bounty Hunter some easy targets to blast away. The game play moved much faster than many MMOs and plays similar to console game speed. Once the troopers and Padawan have been eliminated a Jedi Knight drops in and fights both players in an epic boss battle. As the Sith triumphed we saw some serious loot drop off the Jedi that both classes could use. The Sith was now able to wield two lightsabers, while the Bounty Hunter got a powerful upgrade to armor.
After the demo the BioWare folks explained that Star Wars: The Old Republic is being made with all the trimmings of an MMO. Full PvP, groups, raids, guilds, auctions, and crafting will play major parts in the game design and have players building up their resources to battle it out across the galaxy.
After the demo we got the chance to sit with Gordon Walton and Richard Vogel to talk about the experience. Look for that video on Ten Ton Hammer very soon. Gordon and Richard both stressed that fun and heroic Star Wars fantasy is really what is at the core of The Old Republic. From what we saw, the game is fast paced and delivers where other Star Wars games have failed in the past. There is a lot to look forward to in the coming months with Star Wars: The Old Republic. The team continues to work hard on balance and gameplay to bring the best experience to fans, and they want everyone to feel a longing to play in a galaxy far, far away.
www.tentonhammer.com/node/69111
thanks for posting +1
As a note it isn't an enemy ship it's a Sith ship.
Dude Tilla, I have no idea how the hell you find this stuff so fast. But I have been an avid reader and you have provided some good info. This is exactly the info i was looking for. I wish some of the haters would read this stuff. I cannot wait to play this game. I better hop back on FFXI to kill time till this comes out! Thanks again!
Awesome job on the info Tillamook!
LALALALALA!
Didn't read any of it yet. I just want to know if that is the stuff we will be seeing in the gameplay video in about 4 hours?
We dont know, i hope they do.
More info here: www.1up.com/do/previewPage
Looks like you CAN play a good sith or bad jedi!!!
"For my hands-on, I found myself in the bizarre situation of being a nice, sensible Sith. See, I had already seen what happens when the dude dies, so I want to see how the mission changes when he lives. But, well, I was a Sith -- one that said things that "you're forgiven" and "we need to be all in this together."
What's the game about? Have you seen the new trailer? The one that pretty much everyone describes as "what the Star Wars prequels should have been?" Yea, imagine that, but in game form. Okay, okay, the BioWare crew describes this game as "full of heroic Star Wars moments," or "Knights of the Old Republic three, four, five, and six all in one game." Or perhaps, it's what Star Wars Galaxies should have been.
Click the image above to check out all Star Wars: The Old Republic screens.
What's new for E3? A lot, since this is both the first time that BioWare has shown gameplay, and the first time we've played it. For this gameplay demo, BioWare showed off some combat, some dialogue, and gameplay with the Bounty Hunter, Sith, and Smuggler (that last one is a new class reveal) classes.
In general, the game resembles a mash-up of Knights of the Old Republic/Mass Effect and World of WarCraft. The storytelling and dialogue sequences use the same radial menu as in Mass Effect (though, don't expect that all responses in the upper-left to be noble/good ones and all lower-right responses to be asshole ones; the team will vary up the dialogue choice placement), while the combat generally utilizes the menu/hotkey system of an MMO title.
Click the image above to check out all Star Wars: The Old Republic screens.
Class-wise, the Bounty Hunter looks like a general ranged damage dealer, while the Sith is akin to a WoW Rogue (lesser attacks build up points that you use to pull off more powerful attacks). The new class, the Smuggler, is the "dirty fighter" class (and also obviously modeled after Han Solo). He's the kind of guy who shoots first, or kicks aliens in their genitalia before putting them down with a headshot. Another interesting mechanic that the Smuggler introduces is cover; he can actually duck behind cover points and perform specific "in cover" moves (I'm not entirely sure whether cover is Smuggler-only, or can be utilized by other character classes as well).
Finally, the developers showed off a story moment. Taking place during a "flash point" (BioWare's term for an instance that changes based on your choices), the big decision concerns the fate of a Imperial ship captain. For a bit of context: the captain has disobeyed a direct order from a Grand Moff, and you (and your buddy, depending on whether you're soloing this or not) fight through the ship and confront said captain. For the purposes of the demo, the BioWare fellows killed the captain for insurrection. As a result, the crew is forced to follow the orders that the captain disobeyed; as a result, a rival Republic ship (with its Jedi captain) attacked the players, and his Republic forces breached the engine room.
Click the image above to check out all Star Wars: The Old Republic screens.
For my hands-on, I found myself in the bizarre situation of being a nice, sensible Sith. See, I had already seen what happens when the dude dies, so I want to see how the mission changes when he lives. But, well, I was a Sith -- one that said things that "you're forgiven" and "we need to be all in this together." Letting him live alters the context and geometry of the flashpoint: instead of fighting a sudden breach in the engine room, you literally go in the opposite direction and fight fewer opponents as they arrive via the hangar. While it sounds like just a wall-texture swap, there were some subtle differences; such as how the lack of breaches means that the enemies didn't just smash their way through the walls, they conveniently had to go through doors and were hence really easy to spot without surprise.
What's our take? I generally like what I saw and played. The Sith is a pretty fun class; I basically used enough basic attacks to build up enough points to perform a cooler move, like a Force Choke or some sort of force lightning stomp that stunned enemies in an area, or a simple "stab you in the stomach" type of move with the lightsaber. The combat feels a bit faster and more active than in WoW; the BioWare guys noted that there's no auto-attack option. So while combat doesn't quite match the fidelity of 1:1 input that you'd find in, say, a Ninja Gaiden or a Devil May Cry title, but it does translate into a more frenzied, button-pressing affair. If anything, my only gripe is that I am not a fan of how the character's faces are. The general art style, landscapes, architecture, and even overall character design works just fine. But the moment I see a face, I just don't like it; it seems a bit too close to the art style of the recent Clone Wars cartoon, which I don't like either. Basically, I'm going to be wearing a lot of hoods, masks, and helmets when I play.
Click the image above to check out all Star Wars: The Old Republic screens.
Even as such, a huge game like this can't be summarized in a fifteen minute playthrough. Class balance, quest content, PvP, etc. etc. are still up in the air, and we got a long way before its release. I did enjoy what I play, but that's just a fraction of what BioWare is expecting people to play. Though, I'm cautiously optimistic right now, despite the faces.
Cluck Cluck, Gibber Gibber, My Old Mans A Mushroom
Thanks for all the info Tillamook, that was an awesome teaser cinematic and I'm glad to finally see some hard evidence on the Smuggler. I will start adding these links to the sticky up top!
"If we don't attack them, they will attack us first. So we'd better retaliate before they have a chance to strike"