Star Wars: The Old Republic (TOR) promises to deliver one of the most in-depth and engrossing stories of any MMO thus far. With revered RPG development house BioWare at the helm of the IP juggernaut that is Star Wars, the conditions are ripe for a truly monumental experience.

Still months away from release, the game has been touted as a WoW killer – it remains to be seen whether this is just marketing puffery. BioWare has proven they are among the best in the RPG arena, so perhaps their premier MMORPG can usurp the Frozen Throne and set a new benchmark for the genre.

Two high quality cinematic trailers have been released thus far, setting the tone for the game. Deceived debuted at E3 2009 and Hope followed at E3 2010 – both are quite impressive in their own right and worth viewing.

TOR is the successor to the two critically acclaimed Knights of the Old Republic single player RPG titles. Around 300 years after the events of the Knights of the Old Republic series, and 3500 years before Darth Vader appears, the most powerful Sith Empire in Star Wars history has risen. The Sith have waged decades of war against the Republic and the Jedi guardians.

Imperial Elite kicking ass, taking names

With TOR, BioWare aims to create story-rich gameplay coupled with MMO scale action and adventure. This bodes well for TOR, having recently shown what they are capable of with successful high quality RPG’s such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2. By the time the title was announced in October 2008, BioWare had already established a full-time staff of 12 writers, some of whom had been working on content for two years.

The story of The Old Republic begins shortly after a fragile truce was established by the Treaty of Coruscant. The Jedi, held responsible for the Sith invasion, relocate from Coruscant to Tython – the founding planet of the Jedi order. The Sith control Korriban and have established a Sith Academy on the planet. 

The Republic Trooper will have access to intense firepower

Players will enter into the game universe as fresh conflict arises, threatening to plunge the galaxy into all-out warfare once again. For those interested in learning more of the back story to the game, look no further than Threat of Peace and Blood of the Empire, webcomics collaboratively produced by LucasArts, BioWare and Dark Horse Comics.

The two playable factions will of course be the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, and each faction will have four unique classes to choose from – a total of eight classes for the game. The Republic will have the Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight and Jedi Consular, and the Sith will have the Bounty hunter, Sith Warrior, Imperial Agent, and Sith Inquisitor. 

 

Twi’lek Bounty Hunter rocking akimbo laser thingys

Of these eight classes, four will have Force powers – two for each faction. Each class can also specialise at a certain point with a choice between two advanced classes, making for a total of 16 class variations. The list of playable races so far includes Chiss, Rattataki, Twi’lek, and human.

One of the most intriguing aspects of The Old Republic is the promised depth in dialogue and scope of the story – something which BioWare feels is lacking in other MMO’s. All characters will be fully voiced and each class will have a distinct story arc, which in turn is woven into the overall story. 

The Chiss Imperial Agent will use stealth and cunning

Whilst allegiance (Republic or Sith) is set from the moment a character is created, player morality can drift throughout the game, from light to grey to dark. Moral alignment will play a central role in all aspects of the game, such as dialogue options, choice of NPC companions, and quest availability. 

There will also be factions to join and garner favour with – so far only the Jedi Order and Sith Lords factions have been revealed. Throughout the game players will generate favour and reputation based on their decisions, effecting their experience further down the storyline. 

The Sith Juggernaut – expect A LOT of these guys running around the world of SW:TOR

This sets up TOR to be an interesting adventure. Whereas most MMO’s offer a singular dialogue outcome, TOR promises to offer dialogue options more akin to a single player RPG, with different outcomes based on dialogue choices. All players in a party will be given a chance to share in the dialogue, which could make for some unexpected results.

An element familiar to BioWare games appears in The Old Republic – an array of NPC companions. These companions serve to flesh out the plot from their own perspective and can aid the player in combat. Companions will also help to develop the player’s character, as relationships flourish and deteriorate based on moral alignment choices.

The planet Hoth – don’t forget your +7 to body heat jumper

There are dozens of accessible planets, including many favourites from the movies, such as Alderaan, Tatooine and Hoth, as well as a few planets new to Star Wars canon. In order to get around the galaxy, each player is given a Star-ship, which will also serve as a base of operations.

In terms of combat, judging from the available footage, the game doesn’t appear to differ greatly from established MMO mechanics, except for a cover system, which will be crucial for certain class based skills such as those available to the Smuggler or Bounty Hunter. To get a taste of the combat, have a look at the 2010 E3 multiplayer combat demo.

The age old Republic vs. Sith showdown  

Initially BioWare planned to implement a combat role system that would be somewhat independent of class and allow flexibility. As of E3 2010 it appears they are moving back towards the established MMO precedent of specific class roles being required within a group to stand any chance of surviving. 

Thus, expect to pick the general role of a tank, DPS, or healer with each character created and stick with it. However, the inclusion of skilled companion characters will help to mitigate shortcomings in certain areas. Parties will comprise of a maximum of four human players, more than likely a necessary accommodation of the all inclusive dialogue options.

The Sarlacc on Tatooine seems like it should at least have guard rail 

The Old Republic has recently launched into a closed beta period in North America ahead of the targeted Spring 2011 release. Undoubtedly nondisclosure agreements are in place, but it is likely that some juicy morsels of information on the specifics of gameplay will begin to emerge as BioWare gears up to full marketing drive for the “WoW-killer.” There is currently no specific information on the potential pricing/subscription model for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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