SWTOR

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We're not talking about any of that today, of course. The even bigger questions, such as whether complex storylines and AI buddies will work in MMOs, won't be answered until the game is released - and that could be years from now.

SWOR, the hottest MMO of 2011! 

I should have said the hottest MMO of 2012 then. 

[Sjofn]

My plan for endgame is just to roll an alt.

Ayep.

I'm almost frightened at the amount of hours you will put into this one. I won't be able to gasp at it sufficiently if it's not offered on Steam, however.  

Shit, you didn't actually look at my DA:O stats, did you?  

[Murgos]

Beta would be sufficient to steal some thunder.

I posted in the Diabo III thread that there is a pretty solid rumor that a D3 beta announcement is coming on Aug 1.  I will bet you that that date ends up being very close to a major SWTOR announcement, and that the D3 launch date ends up being right on top of SWTORs and the next WoW patch is right around then as well.

Knocking your competitors news off the radar or at least taking the edge off of it is something Blizzard & Co have shown they are masters at.

[Samprimary]

So, Bioware will have their convention and generate a lot of press, and EA will subvert that by planning the timed release of the announcement that sarah palin is their nod for VP.

[Sky]

All the WoW patch/D3 stuff is funny for someone outside the Blizzard Bubble. Unless they're patching in lightsabers, WoW is an old and tired mess. Didn't Diablo 2 come out back around when Duke 3D came out? 

[Bunk]

My plan for endgame is just to roll an alt.

Ayep.

I'm almost frightened at the amount of hours you will put into this one. I won't be able to gasp at it sufficiently if it's not offered on Steam, however.  

Yea, I had the same thought. I'm picturing her multiboxing multiple characters, just to see if their stories interact somehow.

[Amaron]

D3 is a single player game and is supposed to sell something like 7~10x the boxes of SW:TOR.    I don't really see why SW:TOR can't just change their release date and play merry hell with Blizzard if they intend to try that.

[Draegan]

The only thing D3 can do to SWTOR (or vice versa) is compete with the PR/News cycle.  I don't think either game will effect the other's box sales in the medium/long term.  Perhaps the first month if they launch within 3 months of each other.

[Mnemon]

Indeed. There's just no way it'll stay in, unless companion roles are duplicated and they don't plan to use them for live game content updates and further expansion pack questlines/stories.

they'll stay in.

Bioware folks have said before you do something unchangeable like kill your companion, you'll get a dialogue box asking you to confirm you really really want to do that. so its not like you'll be able to accidentally kill a companion. it has to be a conscious decision.

[Malakili]

The only thing D3 can do to SWTOR (or vice versa) is compete with the PR/News cycle.  I don't think either game will effect the other's box sales in the medium/long term.  Perhaps the first month if they launch within 3 months of each other.

Honestly, if Diablo 3 release before SWTOR (which is admittedly a major if), I highly doubt I'll buy SWTOR simply because D3 has the potential to be one of those "one" games that just keeps me busy for years.  I did't play any other RPGs for about 3 years after Diablo 2 came out.

[Dren]

The only thing D3 can do to SWTOR (or vice versa) is compete with the PR/News cycle.  I don't think either game will effect the other's box sales in the medium/long term.  Perhaps the first month if they launch within 3 months of each other.

Honestly, if Diablo 3 release before SWTOR (which is admittedly a major if), I highly doubt I'll buy SWTOR simply because D3 has the potential to be one of those "one" games that just keeps me busy for years.  I did't play any other RPGs for about 3 years after Diablo 2 came out.

Ditto.  Maybe not 3 years, but it will knock me out of the market for a new game for several month if not up to a year.

[Mnemon]

138, after patching.

where are you getting this info?

because two different sources have said 30 to 40 GB.

[Azuredream]

I think it was established that was bullshit.

[Mnemon]

gotcha - haven't been here in a bit so I was catching up ;-)

[Rasix]

[Draegan]

[Montague]

Battle for Alderaan

New instance video is up. Some cool animations and abilities but nothing earth-shattering.

[Malakili]

Battle for Alderaan

New instance video is up. Some cool animations and abilities but nothing earth-shattering.

Looks similar to stuff they showed at e3, which is fine, just a bit more streamlined for trailer form.

One thing it reminded me of that I like those is that the trooper can shot and move at the same time.

[Sky]

Yeah, we saw the extended version of that in the interview with Daniel. I want to stop watching every video!

[Mrbloodworth]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

[Malakili]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

The speeder in that video also looks REALLY slow to me, but maybe you need to wait to get your epic speeder.

[tmp]

D3 is a single player game and is supposed to sell something like 7~10x the boxes of SW:TOR.    I don't really see why SW:TOR can't just change their release date and play merry hell with Blizzard if they intend to try that.

They probably need it to release when it's supposed to in order to have some sort of income in this fiscal year.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Indeed. There's just no way it'll stay in, unless companion roles are duplicated and they don't plan to use them for live game content updates and further expansion pack questlines/stories.

they'll stay in.

Bioware folks have said before you do something unchangeable like kill your companion, you'll get a dialogue box asking you to confirm you really really want to do that. so its not like you'll be able to accidentally kill a companion. it has to be a conscious decision.

$10 they won't keep perma death for companions. That's exactly what we're talking about here, permanently fucking over your character in a persistent world, not gonna happen. 

[Bunk]

Everyone is all doom and gloom over the idea that you could fuck up and lose your companions. What you guys are missing, is that we are not the norm for MMO players. Normal MMO players will not be making a single plotline decision past newbie level without first consulting Alakakotor/SWTOWIKI/etc. to find out which option gives them the 100% best advancement scenario.

Most players won't care about bad things happening to NPCs, because they'll simply look things up first and won't make those choices.

[Reg]

Bioware would be awfully foolish if they let a player get a companion perma-killed for all the reasons Lakov is giving. It'd be a lot more sensible for them to be unkillable like the player character itself. You should however be able to drive them away and then have to go through a long arduous quest process to get them back if you change your mind.

Perma gimping your character just shouldn't be possible in this day and age but if you insist on making a foolish decision after being warned of the consequences it's OK to make the player jump through some hoops to reverse it.

[Azuredream]

Alakakotor/SWTOWIKI

SWottbot? TORHead?

Also I dunno, unless it's really well documented/presented (like WoW's DBs) I don't think most people would even bother looking stuff up unless it's something they really want to know.

[Sky]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

I forget the SWG system. The SWG swoop bikes were so much cooler. I'm pretty sure they just brushed up so close to feature lock they wanted to just get something in there. And I'm sure there will be gradients of segways to grind for...

How many times does someone have to point out that companions have kits and you get enough that there should definitely be some overlap between companion roles. Need healing for your BH but killed off Mako? Slap a healing kit on Blizz. It's INTERESTING.

[Kail]

Everyone is all doom and gloom over the idea that you could fuck up and lose your companions. What you guys are missing, is that we are not the norm for MMO players. Normal MMO players will not be making a single plotline decision past newbie level without first consulting Alakakotor/SWTOWIKI/etc. to find out which option gives them the 100% best advancement scenario.

Most players won't care about bad things happening to NPCs, because they'll simply look things up first and won't make those choices.

Really?  I'd assume it would be the other way around, with players who are researching the game on external sites being the minority.  Otherwise, you wouldn't hear the phrase "Mankrik's Wife" so often.

[Mrbloodworth]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

I forget the SWG system. The SWG swoop bikes were so much cooler.

The whole system was cooler. Nothing like beating down some ones bike as they lay on the ground.

[01101010]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

The speeder in that video also looks REALLY slow to me, but maybe you need to wait to get your epic speeder.

Needs power converters...duh.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Just watched the Tatooine Developer Walkthrough. Pooping a speeder bothers me. Much prefer the SWG system.

I forget the SWG system. The SWG swoop bikes were so much cooler. I'm pretty sure they just brushed up so close to feature lock they wanted to just get something in there. And I'm sure there will be gradients of segways to grind for...

How many times does someone have to point out that companions have kits and you get enough that there should definitely be some overlap between companion roles. Need healing for your BH but killed off Mako? Slap a healing kit on Blizz. It's INTERESTING.

No shit it would be interesting, still won't stop people from harassing gm's to bring back their crew members.  I'm not arguing with the idea, just saying it will never fly.

[Sjofn]

My plan for endgame is just to roll an alt.

Ayep.

I'm almost frightened at the amount of hours you will put into this one. I won't be able to gasp at it sufficiently if it's not offered on Steam, however.  

Yea, I had the same thought. I'm picturing her multiboxing multiple characters, just to see if their stories interact somehow.

Nonsense!

That's what Ingmar is for. 

[Rasix]

Ok, SWG death chat in SWG death thread.  Thread surgery is tedious.

[Murgos]

No shit it would be interesting, still won't stop people from harassing gm's to bring back their crew members.  I'm not arguing with the idea, just saying it will never fly.

I don't think you can just stick a gun to a companions head and pull the trigger to kill them off.  Or, god forbid, right click->delete character->popup(yes/no).

I imagine it's the result of a story arc where you have to make a decision at the end of a lot of build-up.  So, if it is an 'in character' decision that had a effect on your personal story I can see it being not as lightly reversed (or even asked to be reversed) as you would think.

What if it's something like a betrayal arc?  Where at the end you have the decision to execute the companion character, who has royally screwed you over, or allow him/her/it to live?  If you chose to kill the character after something like that would you really be bitching up a storm to get it back?  Or, all your companions are in trouble, you can only save 4 of them and but in so doing you complete some major plot point of a major quest arc or you can save all five but get a lesser ending (like killing the bigbad or letting him get away but never to return)?

Particularly if you have enough other companions that you aren't missing any functionality?  I think it's a concept that, if handled well, could easily be, not only accepted, but welcomed by the vast majority of the player base.  Think about how Bioware usually handles these sorts of decisions, they are usually MAJOR story attraction and not something most people dislike at all.  Heck, WUA still bitches about the whole Mission/Wookie thing.

[Lakov_Sanite]

It could be a process that takes over 40 hours, involves hundreds of "are you sure?" questions and even quite literally say "this will cause your companion to NEVER come back" and people would still bitch once they lost their companion character.