SWTOR

[Cyrrex]

I'll give you poisons, because that sorta makes sense.  But diseases?  What, are you going to throw a handful of HIV at me?  Actually, that sound interesting.  They should have diseases that have like a lengthy incubation period.

[AutomaticZen]

I'll give you poisons, because that sorta makes sense.  But diseases?  What, are you going to throw a handful of HIV at me?  Actually, that sound interesting.  They should have diseases that have like a lengthy incubation period.

Your combat medic dies in PVP, but if the other person survives, 72 hours later, their 'a' key just stops working.

[Oban]

As long as I get XP for curing diseases!

[Simond]

You forgot:

So you're saying Boss Nass is going to be in SWTOR?
(Too obscure?)

[Surlyboi]

Yeah, that was a real stretch...

[Furiously]

I might be playing too much EVE when I see that picture and think...gRape.

[Triforcer]

New preview-

http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/star-wars-the-old-republic/preview/star-wars-the-old-republic-hands-on/a-2009070610215182000/g-20081021163120143024/p-4

only new points-

(1) Only six...- EDIT:  Ashen on the SWTOR boards says the article got this wrong- there are still 8 classes.  

(2) Space combat- sort of confirmed (see last paragraph of page 4- again, not incredibly clearly worded).  


Overall, the writer seems very excited.  My lawyer radar goes up at the word "playable"- I still maintain that this will come out in three years, and I'll hope to be pleasantly surprised.  

[UnSub]

That article was awful fluff. "OMG, the same starter area they've shown all the other journalists looks awesome! This game is fantastic!"

Also, I thought the original indication was for 8 classes. I'm not that fussed, but I thought that had been the original plan.

[Hawkbit]

Yeah, the main website has 8 slots on it, with five locked and the other three as named classes.  The timeline on the main site is cool.  Looks like they're going with a heavy Mandalorian back story so far. 

[Fordel]

Except that in this world, there are no save games, no chances to go back and see what might have happened.

They keep pushing that, but I don't see how that will end in anything but Rage, Tears and Canceled accounts.

[Triforcer]

That article was awful fluff. "OMG, the same starter area they've shown all the other journalists looks awesome! This game is fantastic!"

Also, I thought the original indication was for 8 classes. I'm not that fussed, but I thought that had been the original plan.

See my above edit- AshenTemper on the SWTOR boards corrected this- its still 8. 

[Triforcer]

Except that in this world, there are no save games, no chances to go back and see what might have happened.

They keep pushing that, but I don't see how that will end in anything but Rage, Tears and Canceled accounts.

That depends.  If the choices don't permanently prevent you from getting any equipment, and they don't lock you into certain force powers (i.e., if you can respec) then I guess it will be ok.

Of course, if I'm right and all equipment and powers are available regardless of choices, then the choices arguably aren't that meaningful to begin with. 

[UnSub]

I did see in that article

He earns points by swiping and smashing; he can then spend them on finishing moves.

which indicates SWOR is going to rely on a power-building mechanic rather than a power-recovery mechanic. This seems to be the path several MMO titles are going down.

[Fordel]

Sounds like Combo Points or Adrenaline from Wow/GW. Which is pretty rad, since finite mana can suck my balls.

[Triforcer]

Sounds like Combo Points or Adrenaline from Wow/GW. Which is pretty rad, since finite mana can suck my balls.

THe only thing WAR did right was the mana mechanic (at least the idea of it).  Very fast regenerating action bar.  More of that plz. 

[Fordel]

GuildWars has had that bar since forever.


Really, Guild Wars did most everything right in terms of 'traditional' MMO combat.


Of course, you still can't fucking jump 

[Sunbury]

Did Guild Wars solve the infinite battle problem?

Waaay back in late beta, I found some mini-boss fights 1v1 it was possible for them to never end.

Without even chugging potions, the regen rate (with buffs/equiment - I forget) could keep up with damage, and if the mini-boss had the same, one could fight forever.   I actually tried it once, and got some lunch while fighting, watched some TV while fighting, and finally checked in and it was still going on.

I kinda gave up on GW after that.

[shiznitz]

Going back to the MMO as a single player game idea, one really should examine the economics.

If building a "single player" MMO with token MMO features costs 3X a single player game, but you can get the same amount of people to pay 3X (6 months @ $15/mo+$50 box vs just a $50 box) then that is a good model.  The game will also support your development studio in a smoother financial way.  The question then becomes is it worth the risk? A game that costs 3X that fails is BAD.

[DLRiley]

Did Guild Wars solve the infinite battle problem?

Waaay back in late beta, I found some mini-boss fights 1v1 it was possible for them to never end.

Without even chugging potions, the regen rate (with buffs/equiment - I forget) could keep up with damage, and if the mini-boss had the same, one could fight forever.   I actually tried it once, and got some lunch while fighting, watched some TV while fighting, and finally checked in and it was still going on.

I kinda gave up on GW after that.

Kinda helps to remove the 6 healing skills from your bar.

[Lantyssa]

Of course, if I'm right and all equipment and powers are available regardless of choices, then the choices arguably aren't that meaningful to begin with. 

If it greatly alters the story path, I don't care if the rewards are the same.  In fact, hopefully such a thing would make people actually care about the story and their choices more than what they get out of it.  (I know, I'm living in a fantasy world.)

Did Guild Wars solve the infinite battle problem?

It's possible since there are a billion power combinations, but stalemates don't happen very often.  You need either more damage in your build or an interrupter.

[Special J]

Why is a stalemate a problem?  I ran into it.  I left, changed my skills and tactics.  Then I won.

[Fordel]

What were you fighting 1v1 to begin with?

[Ingmar]

What were you fighting 1v1 to begin with?

I've seen this happen but its not really a 1v1, its 'this set of heroes and henchmen that I brought doesn't do enough damage' overall. And really there are only a couple fights in the game where it can happen, and 2 of them are against the same guy (Shiro).

[Fordel]

The only time I ever saw a stalemate, was in PvP. A lot of Random Arena's can end with my Dervish against their Monk or whatever.

Even then, it was more "It's going to take me 5 mins to kill this monk" rather then infinite fight.


There is a Assassin/Monk(?) build that is essentially invincible in Random Arena, since no one in RA ever takes enchantment purging skills or whatever. I think it's been nerfed since then though.

[rattran]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bioware-mythic-will-help-star-wars-mmo

BioWare has told Eurogamer that Mythic Entertainment will "without a doubt" help out on Star Wars: The Old Republic, as there are "absolutely opportunities to share and learn" within the newly formed RPG/MMO group.

[Ratman_tf]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bioware-mythic-will-help-star-wars-mmo

BioWare has told Eurogamer that Mythic Entertainment will "without a doubt" help out on Star Wars: The Old Republic, as there are "absolutely opportunities to share and learn" within the newly formed RPG/MMO group.

[DLRiley]

Jedi in ward gear 

[Hawkbit]

Wow.  Someone from Bioware needs to look at the WAH forums and the forums here on WAR before spouting off that kind of information. 

[DLRiley]

Someone from Bioware should never look at the WAH forums..

[UnSub]

I can't wait to see Paul Barnett swinging a lightsaber about on stage in front of green-skinned slave girls. 

[Oban]

As long as this game has fourteen different types of midichlorians that each member of your group is required to have to take on bosses, are lost after defeating the bosses and can only be obtained randomly by the first person to loot a corpse in a population limited pvp zone; Mythic's SWTOR MMORPG will rock.

[Fordel]

They can totally use the person who made the Tome or Lore or whatever that's called in WAR.

[Triforcer]

EDIT:  That would be Carrie Gouskos.  Yeah, I always liked the Tome.  Give us that and the regenerating action bar and nothing else from WAR (not even computers used to design WAR, which I suspect are tainted with Chaos). 

[Kail]

EDIT:  That would be Carrie Gouskos.  Yeah, I always liked the Tome.  Give us that and the regenerating action bar and nothing else from WAR (not even computers used to design WAR, which I suspect are tainted with Chaos). 

In my opinion, WAR had a lot of stuff that was good, but was ruined by one or two problems.  Public Quests are a good idea, just really creatively limited and geographically spread out.  Leveling via PvP is a good idea, but you couldn't do it with the kind of PvP that everyone wanted to do (RvR).  RvR is fun, just not done well here (see: engine problems, ward system, etc.).  Overall class ability design was good, save for the absurd overabundance of disarms and incapacitates and snares and stuns and roots.  The battlegrounds were fun, but the game forced you to grind the same one over and over for days on end.  I liked a lot about WAR, but most of it fell apart in the implementation.

Which is why it pisses me off so much that the game is in the state it's in.  They seemed so close to having a really fun game, but for whatever reason they can't address any of their problems.  It's like watching someone bake a chocolate cake using chocolate, flour, milk, eggs, and an octopus.

[Surlyboi]

It's like watching someone bake a chocolate cake using chocolate, flour, milk, eggs, and an octopus.

You talk about choctopus cake like it's a bad thing.