The Star Wars: The Old Republic website reveals a new world for the MMO: the "smuggler's moon" of Nar Shaddaa, orbiting the Hutt homeworld. It's a huge city full of fugitives and other criminals, and is host to an ongoing war between the Hutt Cartel and the Exchange Syndicate -- you know, the kind of thing that a Jedi pays no attention to because he's too busy bringing down the government of the whole galaxy. It also kind of looks like something out of Phantasy Star Online.
Have you ever noticed how in science fiction, entire planets will just have one defining feature? Like in Star Wars: Hoth is an ice planet, Dagobah is 100% swamp, Coruscant is one enormous city, and this place is a different planetwide city. Based on all the planets we've lived on (pretty much the one), that doesn't seem like how it works. Of course, the Star Wars universe is the one with lightsabers and Wookiee best friends, so there's definitely value to its interpretation of civilization.
#gallery
The Star Wars universe has its fair share of wretched hives of scum and villainy, but Nar Shaddaa, the crowning jewel of the underworld, is a rather lovely hive of scum and villainy. More »
#comiccon2010
While running about doing quests and exploring planets makes up most of the Star Wars: The Old Republic experience, during a Comic-Con panel today, BioWare revealed that space combat will play a part in the massively multiplayer role-playing game. More »
BioWare's community managers have confirmed that The Old Republic will allow players to engage in space combat, which -- well of course it will. What did you think, that BioWare would announce during E3 that players would have their own spaceships for housing purposes, and that those spaceships would stay permanently on the ground? Are we to believe that the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic is just one big trailer park, with people living out of their dormant A-Wings and TIE fighters, soft mounds of Space-Skoal tucked into their alien oral cavities?
Fan site Mos Eisley Radio reported the rumor of space combat first during Comic-Con, which BioWare quickly confirmed in a forum thread. Originally, the announcement was to come when community members had reached a certain social networking outreach goal -- which they didn't. Don't worry, though: Even if BioWare had decided to withhold that info as a punishment for their failure to adequately spread the word, we could have told everyone that, yes, spaceships fly.
Details are slim now, but BioWare says further info on the mechanics of space combat will surface in the October issue of PC Gamer magazine.
If you submitted an application to take part in the closed beta for Star Wars: The Old Republic, you might want to check your inbox. The first wave of invites were recently sent out to a select few North American applicants, while future waves of invites will be expanded to potential Force-wielders in other territories.
If you haven't applied yet, you can still try to get into future waves by dropping the pertinent info on the game's official site. If you did manage to get into the first wave, then congratulations. We're all really happy for you. No, seriously. Have loads of fun.
#betawatch
If you've not signed up for a chance to beta test BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic, now would be a good time, as the process of putting the eagerly anticipated MMO through its paces gets underway. More »
During this year's E3, some lucky folks in the press got an eyes-on with Star Wars: The Old Republic's multiplayer mode. Thankfully the benevolent jedi lords at BioWare have deemed the gameplay worthy of regular folks and have released an exciting video of the multiplayer in action. Imperial troopers and breach droids abound, so we implore you to have plenty of midi-chlorians at the ready before venturing into the clip we've dropped after the break. Oh, also, it looks totally boss.
#lucasarts
Lucasfilm isn't shy about diving deeply into Star Wars lore to churn out plastic toys based on the people, starships and beasts of George Lucas' universe(s). But what about turning those Star Wars video games into action figures? More »
Sith sister site Massively is picking up chatter from the Star Wars: The Old Republic forums (and evidence from readers) that a closed beta for the game is occurring this weekend, June 25-27. Allegedly, only 100-200 invitations were sent out, so check your email to find out if you had enough midi-chlorians for acceptance.
We're following up with LucasArts for details and confirmation, but it's like trying to reach Alderaan.
#e3
As Kotaku's resident massively multiplayer online gamer, you'd think I would have gone hands on with Star Wars: The Old Republic before last week. Was it worth the wait? More »
What, you think every Bounty Hunter just starts out as a Boba Fett? You think they get that dope Mandalorian armor on day one? Don't be ridiculous -- you've gotta earn that stuff. Check out the trailer below to see one of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Bounty Hunters get put through his paces, and see how the game's (ever-important) loot improves as his level increases.
Remember last year at E3, when there was a new trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and it was basically the coolest thing with lightsabers since Vader fought Luke on Bespin? Turns out Bioware has topped themselves this year with a brand new cinematic, featuring a badass Republic soldier, a scarred-up Sith, and the hottest Jedi we've seen battling it out on Alderaan.
Apparently there's also a game of some kind associated with these cinematics. We'd go down to the E3 show floor and check it out, but we're too busy watching this cinematic again.
#e3
Other massively multiplayer online games give players small houses or apartments to call their own. Star Wars: The Old Republic gives you an entire spaceship. More »
#clips
In this new cinematic trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we're supposed to feel sorry for Alderaan, as it's enslaved by the Sith Empire. I don't know. They're only occupying it. It's not like they blew it up. More »
There really isn't much we don't already know about the Sith Warrior, right? He's filled with pure evil and the second his master isn't looking, he'll probably plant a Lightsaber in his back. But the above video for Star Wars: The Old Republic's Sith Warrior -- which was revealed to have two advanced classes, the Marauder and the Juggernaut -- offers a fairly less seething individual who apparently has a knack for the spoken word.
His calm and smooth tone shows us that it's not just a Darth Maul thing. Is that a result of like a weekend class at the Corruscant Community College or just a byproduct of giving into your hatred?
#bioware
Han had Chewie. Luke had R2-D2. Who will you have by your side as a Companion Character in BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic, and will you be able to sleep with them? More »
BioWare's lead designer James Ohlen has done a quick interview with IGN about Star Wars: The Old Republic's concept of "companion characters." Not only do you get to tool around the universe as a Sith or a Jedi, but as we first heard back at the game's announcement, you get to bring some other poor suckers with you. The idea sounds a lot like your party members from Dragon Age or Mass Effect 2 -- your companions will follow an "Affection" system, and you can end up making them "twisted to the dark side of the Force" or "stronger and more independent," depending on how you treat -- even gift -- them. (Those being just a couple of examples.)
Companion characters will also have a lot of combat utility, and you may want to bring some of them based strictly on how they complement you in combat. The gear you equip for them will also make a difference, so you may have to tailor your party and their gear for the specific goals of any given mission. The system doesn't sound too different from past BioWare games, with the caveat that, since it's an MMO, you'll have to direct AI players in real-time rather than pausing the game to give out orders. Ohlen also says his favorite recent character is Alistair, which worries us a little bit -- he always struck us as whiny.
Click to warm yourself with some hot new screenshots.
It was inevitable, right? You can't have a Star Wars game without a Hoth level and Star Wars: The Old Republic will indeed feature the Tauntaun-able tundras that permeate the ice planet. The news comes via the game's site, which points out the planet's storied history of conflict. Years before the Empire and the Rebel Alliance were duking it out there in The Empire Strikes Back -- which turns 30 today -- the Republic and Imperial forces clashed during The Great War.
Feel free to take a virtual tour of the planet in our gallery below. If you'd like to know more, check out its profile page on the SWTOR site.
#bioware
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, BioWare reveals the frozen wastes of Hoth as the next playable planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic. More »
The official blog for Star Wars: The Old Republic was recently updated, adding more information about the advanced class system which was unveiled late last week. The branching specialization tree won't just allow you to unlock new abilities for your galactic hero -- it will also unlock armor and weapon proficiencies, as well as other "role-defining Abilities." We're guessing "Relentlessly Choking Out Unsuccessful Subordinates" shows up somewhere on one of the Sith Warrior's sets.
Each specialty is broken down into two smaller skill trees, apparently leaving room for specialization inside each specialization. In addition, players will have access to a shared basic skill set, which they'll always have access to, regardless of which advanced path they traverse. Check out the game's blog for more info on how to personalize your spacefarer.
#bioware
With only four classes for each of its two factions, BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic further mixes things up with the Advanced Class system, a talent system that splits each class right down the middle. More »
Eurogamer recently got an extensive look at BioWare's upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, during which time it learned the game's seemingly narrow list of eight classes will be expanded upon by offering the player specialization options. Each class will have the option of two distinct "Advanced Classes," increasing the total number of archetypes available in the game by, like ... 300 percent? Maybe?
The first two Advanced Classes revealed can be chosen by a high-level Sith Warrior, who can follow the path of the Marauder (a damage-dealing, Darth Maul-esque class) or the Juggernaut (a heavily armored, Darth Vader-esque class). Considering the former got totally cut in half by Ewan McGregor, we might appreciate the safety and security offered by the latter.
During EA's fourth-quarter earnings conference call, CEO John Riccitiello made a reference to a "major new massively multiplayer online game" -- probably Star Wars: The Old Republic. "EA is incurring significant development costs for a major new massively multiplayer online game," he said. "However, this game is not expected to ship in fiscal '11." Later, CFO Eric Brown responded directly to a question about The Old Republic, saying that "It's not included in our FY11 release slate."
This all but confirms that The Old Republic is the game referred to by Riccitiello during a similar call in January, when he gave a "major MMO" a release date of spring 2011. If it's in the spring, but not in EA's fiscal 2011 (which ends March 31), that means we can look forward to some Jedi fellowship sometime between April and June of next year.
Ever since we were burned by the seemed-cool-until-you-heard-him-coughing General Grievous, we've been leery of new Star Wars characters -- old George doesn't really make them like he used to. But Star Wars:The Old Republic is a BioWare project, and that's a company that knows its characters, so we'll give these three new website reveals a chance. General Garza is a tough-as-nails Galactic Republic officer who's been accused of overseeing secret assaults throughout the galaxy, the Mandalore is a warrior-king who supports the Empire (and leads the Mandalorians -- Boba Fett's peeps) and Darth Malgus is -- well, with a name like that, you can probably guess.
Yup, he's a Dark Lord of the Sith, and we actually saw him in the trailer released last year. Guess which character is popular enough to get a book written about them? Decieved is a novel by Paul Kemp due out in December that will tell the story of "his rise to fame and glory as the Sith Lord who destroyed the Jedi Temple." Now that sounds like a character with some depth! It's not like you could write a whole book about General Grievous, right?
