SWTOR

[AutomaticZen]

Bounty hunter selected for class, something's fishy. But non-standard body types = cool.

The selected icon Is for the Bounty Hunter, as is the armor the character is wearing.   I assume the rest is a glitch or mouseover something.

Um, isn't there an NDA?

Of course.  Doesn't mean leaks don't happen.  MMO-Champion was built on that shit.

Also note the Mass Effect-style backgrounds.

[LK]

Backgrounds. 

[AutomaticZen]

And more!

EDIT: Images removed.  Totally forgot about the rules there. 

[fuser]

edit: slow on the reply

[Paelos]

Heh, Skeletor Knights.  

Of course if this stuff is under the NDA we probably shouldn't be blazening it across our own forums. Just sayin'.

[Reg]

His mom says he's just big-boned!

Edit: Now I'm just waiting for someone to post a prediction of how the game is doomed because all the characters are going to be big fat dudes.

[Malakili]

Edit: Now I'm just waiting for someone to post a prediction of how the game is doomed because all the characters are going to be big fat dudes.

LOL FAT JEDI LOL

[Tearofsoul]

They also have a leaked beta footage btw

[LK]

I want that NDA down and them showing shit. That bespeaks confidence on the part of the developer.

[Lakov_Sanite]

I want that NDA down and them showing shit. That bespeaks confidence on the part of the developer.

What gives you the impression they are in any way confident?

[Fordel]

Aww, I missed the leaks 

[LK]

I want that NDA down and them showing shit. That bespeaks confidence on the part of the developer.

What gives you the impression they are in any way confident?

I'm saying IF they did that, then that shows confidence in the product, especially if the game is tight and smooth running and is mostly polished.

I don't really get the impression that they're confident. I think they're arrogant. I know there's smart business reasons for not bringing down the NDA too early, and if they don't bring it down I don't think it means they aren't confident in it. Just that if they do bring it down, they are confident, and if it holds up, they are justified, and that's a win / win. Arrogance is talking up your game like they have been and they're the only ones that have really seen it and get to talk about it.

If it hits the player base and turns out to be shit... that's some arrogant MFers.

[sam, an eggplant]

WoW's beta period began 3/18/04 and ended 10/29/04, lasting just over 7 months. I'm pretty sure it was the longest NDA-free closed-beta ever.

"Spring 2011" is realistically may 2011, 10 months away. And it's anyone's guess is they make that date-- I wouldn't be surprised if SWTOR is a november 2011 release.

[Reg]

It doesn't matter whether the release date is May or November. Their failure to remove the NDA right now is clear evidence that the game is DOOMED!!!11!

[Draegan]

It doesn't matter whether the release date is May or November. Their failure to remove the NDA right now is clear evidence that the game is DOOMED!!!11!

Needs more bolding.

[Count Nerfedalot]

Confidence is Mark Jacobs spouting off about how you can measure the success of a game by when the NDA drops plus the buzz during the first couple of weeks after launch, shortly before WAR ran their NDA almost up to release and then flopped.    And he was absolutely correct.

[Paelos]

I wouldn't judge a game by an NDA on a beta that's 3 quarters away from actual release. I would, however, judge a game that's still under an NDA two months from release. There is a certain desirable effect of not letting beta testers rant and rave about shit openly that will fundamentally never make it to release, or things that will be in the game further into the cycle.

Two months from release, though? If you're not openly ready to discuss the fundamentals of the product and eliminated the absolutely game-crushing bugs by then, your product simply sucks and you're hiding.

[Triforcer]

Indeed, the Mark Jacobs Beta Quality Scale is never wrong, even by a week.

[Sky]

I hear they pitchfork babies into a furnace to run the servers.

[LK]

No no, younglings. Big difference. Between babies and younglings, one of them has it coming.

[Lucas]

Today's update: "Sounds of the Old Republic" (written by space cereal commander Orion Kelllog, Audio Producer):

http://www.swtor.com/news/blog/20100716_002

"Music of the Old Republic" (video, also available for download, 1280x720 version):

http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers/music-old-republic

Nice music; also some VERY nice vistas here and there: I was particularly impressed by the glimpses we got of Dromund Kaas (1:20-1:27 circa) and Coruscant.

[Ingmar]

OK the music stuff is legitimately impressive.

[Lucas]

Straight from Comic-Con:

James Ohlen: You can customize your ship and engage in space combat. October PC Gamer will reveal more details.

http://darthhater.com/2010/07/23/darth-hater-at-sdcc/

[Malakili]

Straight from Comic-Con:

James Ohlen: You can customize your ship and engage in space combat. October PC Gamer will reveal more details.

http://darthhater.com/2010/07/23/darth-hater-at-sdcc/

If true thats the best bit of news I've heard about this game.

[Draegan]

Well shit.  That's awesome.

[Lucas]

Official announcement:

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=173964

First, thank you to all of you who participated in our Comic-Con Reveal mission! While we didn't quite make the numbers, we definitely saw how excited the community is about this and how everyone came together. After all of that, there's no way we could hold back with our special reveal at Comic-Con!

If you’ve been following the news coming out of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ panel at Comic-Con International, you’ve heard the announcement that we will indeed have Space Combat as part of the TOR experience! But what does that mean? Space combat is an alternative gameplay experience to the primary game of storytelling, questing, and ground-based combat. In space combat, you fly your personal ship to various “hot spots” on your galaxy map. From there, you will blast your way through asteroid fields, enemy fighters, frigates, destroyers, and a variety of other obstacles that will evoke memories of some of the great Star Wars™ space battles.

To learn more, pick up the October 2010 edition of PC Gamer which hits newsstands starting August 17th for screenshots and an exclusive interview or check back with us in the weeks to come.

[Lucas]

Well, we'll see: sounds like a "detached" experience, a big mini-game if you like. Not that we should expect a lot more at least at the beginning, but surely it's something that can be expanded.

[Sky]

Well, we'll see: sounds like a "detached" experience, a big mini-game if you like. Not that we should expect a lot more at least at the beginning, but surely it's something that can be expanded.

Well, it's not like Smerek Dart is on the dev team, ffs.

[Stabs]

Well, we'll see: sounds like a "detached" experience, a big mini-game if you like. Not that we should expect a lot more at least at the beginning, but surely it's something that can be expanded.

I think most elements of MMOs can be categorised as minigames. WoW has its open world element but also leans heavily on instances. It also has auction house day trading, achievement point collecting and minipet/mount collecting which are minigames. In Eve inventing and running POSes doesn't have much to do with the day to day combat (unless you get ganked while refueling).

I'm sure it will be detached in that you won't be able to strafe players who are on the ground doing their pve quests but no one was expecting that anyway.

[SnakeCharmer]

Well, we'll see: sounds like a "detached" experience, a big mini-game if you like. Not that we should expect a lot more at least at the beginning, but surely it's something that can be expanded.

Pretty much anything outside the PvE level grind is a minigame.

This announcement pretty much made me a helluvalot more interested in the game than I was.  If it's anything remotely like a XvT experience?  I'm sold.

[AutomaticZen]

http://darthhater.com/2010/07/23/darth-hater-at-sdcc/

1:03PM PST - James Ohlen: You can customize your ship and engage in space combat. October PC Gamer will reveal more details. DevTracker post here.
1:14PM PST - James Ohlen: World quests, flashpoints, and story arcs included.
1:18PM PST - James Ohlen: House Thulu (sp?) on Alderaan is Sith aligned. House Organa is Republic aligned.
1:20PM PST - James Ohlen: Dromonkas world story arc.
1:18PM PST - James Ohlen: You get light side points even if your group chooses dark side.
1:27PM PST - James Ohlen: No faction swaps - ever.
1:30PM PST - Alex Freed: Can customize companion via equipment similar to Mass Effect; one companion out at a time, and your player name is in your companion's nameplate.
1:35PM PST - James Ohlen: Visual reason for lightsaber restriction; Jedi Consulars with double bladed lightsabers are DPS.
1:42PM PST - Drew Karpyshyn: If you are interested in Mandalorians, they play a large part in the Bounty Hunter story.
1:43PM PST - James Ohlen: Progression is equally important to all other pillars, and many ways to progress. Tons of gear, crafting, etc. You need to earn these rewards.
1:49PM PST - James Ohlen: Cannot reveal additional races at this time.
1:50PM PST - James Ohlen: Not every class can play every race. Each class has a selection of races to choose from.
1:52PM PST - Panel ends.

"Tank LF Light Side Group For Hutt Palace!"

[Stabs]

You need to earn these rewards.

I wonder if "earn" in this context means simply "be logged in a lot" or whether there is some implied difficulty.

[Malakili]

You need to earn these rewards.

I wonder if "earn" in this context means simply "be logged in a lot" or whether there is some implied difficulty.

Probably in the same way you "earn" badges in WoW.

[Stabs]

WoW was really quite hard at launch and instances generally needed everyone to play reasonably well and/or think outside the box. I can remember 4 hour Wailing Caverns run where this didn't happen.

[Lakov_Sanite]

WoW was really quite hard at launch and instances generally needed everyone to play reasonably well and/or think outside the box. I can remember 4 hour Wailing Caverns run where this didn't happen.

Yeah, no game needs that, ever.  It's nice to be nostalgic and all but if there's any dungeon where I'm there through 4 hours of repeated wipes for a mere chance at a halfway decent reward, count me out.