Exclusive SWTOR Design Q&A - Lightsabers, The Force, and Space Combat

Cody Bye · 10-22-2008, 05:51 PM

The announcement of a Star Wars-based MMO from BioWare and LucasArts came as no surprised to anyone that's been following the industry for the last few months. After EA's CEO John Riccitiello made a comment to a reporter at E3 2008, the cat was undoubtedly out of the bag. However, the details of Star Wars: The Old Republic - and the official announcement - were still months away. When Ten Ton Hammer's managing editor, Cody "Micajah" Bye, was given the chance to ask a number of questions to the BioWare game designers at the official SWTOR announcement, he jumped at the chance. In the following interview, you'll find answers to questions regarding space combat, level caps, Force potential, and whether the Jedi and Sith will destroy every other character in their path. If you want gameplay based answers to your questions, this is the place to look!

Quote:

You've talked about the companion characters quite a bit. Do they disappear when you're playing with other people? How do you prevent ending up playing with a small mob if you're playing with three friends?

James: You only ever have a single companion character at a given time. You may have collected more than one companion character but you can only have one with you. You can switch them out because the companion characters have different strength, weaknesses and personalities. For example, you may have a whole bunch of companion characters, but only one companion character likes big guns. You may want to use him all the time. Or you may have a different companion character that you play with simply because you like their story and personality. Maybe you're pursuing a romance with your companion character. Or perhaps a different companion character has really compelling quests that you want to participate in.

To read the rest of our exclusive SWTOR Design Q&A, click here!

BananaMan · 10-23-2008, 10:12 AM

It is very important that Bioware put clear clarification on this Jedi Alpha issue.

Tenfo · 10-23-2008, 01:11 PM

I'm glad Bioware is going for diversity of classes and not all Jedi.

Having equally powered heroic characters besides Jedi is key to game success. I really hope they can find a good balance of power in PvP like most other games fail to reach.

ParadigmShyft · 10-23-2008, 01:21 PM

I would like to see Jedi as something that you can NOT start as. I think it would be great if it were something you have to work towards, do some high-level epic quest to unlock, your actions in-game make you in-tune to the force, or something.

Otherwise, we'll have 90% of the player base running around with lightsabers and it'll make it a very lop-sided, boring game.

AngryBeaver · 10-23-2008, 01:36 PM

Jedi from level 1 baby. I'm so looking forward to this game.

Deewe · 10-23-2008, 01:37 PM

I hate when they dodge questions:

"You've talked about the companion characters quite a bit. Do they disappear when you're playing with other people?"

Still waiting for the answer.

Drayen · 10-24-2008, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParadigmShyft

I would like to see Jedi as something that you can NOT start as. I think it would be great if it were something you have to work towards, do some high-level epic quest to unlock, your actions in-game make you in-tune to the force, or something.

Otherwise, we'll have 90% of the player base running around with lightsabers and it'll make it a very lop-sided, boring game.

Not necessarily, if they tweak the powers correctly they could make an effective ballance. Also remember that the answer to a lightsaber, is a vibroblade.

Theres a whole backstory to why that is, something about cortosis ore being lightsaber resistant but that's another issue.

If they got really creative (and we all know the gaming gods at Bioware are exceedingly proficient at that.) certain classes with premier abilities such as stealth could be excluded from definitive jedi since its sneaking and subterfuge would be seen as an immoral act. So they could make something of a rogue-type class for non force-wielding characters.

You also have to note that the abilities of jedi versus sith are distinctly different. For example jedi traditionally are versed in self-healing techniques where as sith tend to siphon health from another entity, be it PC or NPC.

Also remember most jedi do not wear heavy type armor, or rather it is not conducive to their command of the force so again you could have a bounty hunter soldier type character that wears heavy armor.

Additionally the forceweilder's weapon of choice is a lightsaber. Although they can probably use ranged weapons ie blasters, blaster rifles repeating carbines etc. But as they are forceweilder's their proficiency in this particular area could be less then that of say a bounty hunter rogue soldier etc.

There are many ways to balance it out effectively, here's hoping Bioware can do it effectively.

Sethorin · 12-20-2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParadigmShyft

I would like to see Jedi as something that you can NOT start as. I think it would be great if it were something you have to work towards, do some high-level epic quest to unlock, your actions in-game make you in-tune to the force, or something.

Otherwise, we'll have 90% of the player base running around with lightsabers and it'll make it a very lop-sided, boring game.

If they did this, then all we would end up with is a Star Wars Galaxies clone. SWG was'nt a completly bad game but we all know what it ended up to be like. And I DO NOT want to play that game again.

If you read the whole interview then you saw that they said they were balancing the classes so the jedi were not "Gods". Yes, there will be an over abundance of Jedi at the start but what I think will happen is, people will start as Jedi/Sith, see/play with the other classes and think, "Hmmm, that class seems pretty cool, and just as powerful as my Jedi/Sith. Maybe I will try that since I like laserguns and huge heavy armor more then lightsabers."

I consider classes to be "playstyles", and I don't think Jedi/Sith will match everyones playstyle, or even the majority playstyle.

kitsunegirl · 12-20-2008, 03:18 PM

If they do the Sith/Jedi more as a faction rahter than an OMGLIGHTSABERS Class, then it would be neat to have other classes in the two "faction" Of course youd still have the force wielders. But as other mentioned in another thread. Theres more to Jedi/Sith than Lightsabers.

I for one will take my first class from something else instead of the lightsaber user.

Endurance · 01-11-2009, 02:42 PM

This is great info, but they sure do know how to beat around the bush!